Mother always said every hero knows not to get in over their heads, and honestly, Ruby knew better than to just jump into things head first without a plan, but this had to be different.

"Those are Beringels," Ector said solemnly while looking at six ape-like Grimm in bone armour that could be seen just past a distant building. "They. Are. Inside. The. Walls."

Neither Jaune or Ruby had a response to this. The two were just as shocked as Ector at the situation.

The three were presently alone after Nicolas and Aurelia Arc had guided everyone back to Mt. Glenn's central hub roughly three hours ago. One by one, the people in the group had dispersed to attend to their own matters, and Ruby, Jaune, and Ector were no different, just that they chose to stick together.

Ruby was alone while Shirou had left with Summer, so she decided to tag along with Jaune and Ector. The both of them were from established Huntsman families so they were quickly provided access to repair shops and ammunition which Ruby required to stock up on the Dust rounds she'd previously used.

Jaune and Ector didn't exactly contribute to the previous ordeal, so the two were more than willing to let Ruby restock on her supplies and do some quick maintenance with Crescent Rose.

Problems only began to arise when Ector decided to lead the two through a short-cut past a more secluded area of Mt. Glenn. The path was safe, and one that Ector often used in his time in Mt. Glenn, yet this time was different.

"Why are there Grimm insides the walls?" Ector balled his hands into fists before staring at Jaune and Ruby. Carefree as Ector generally was, he knew that he'd led his new friends into danger.

"We should go back and alert the others," Ector concluded heavily. Either there was a breach in the walls, or the Grimm were coming out of a place no one knew of.

"But there are people there," Jaune pointed out.

Near the Beringels, several people that hadn't had time to leave the area were desperately hiding from view behind rocks and debris from nearby buildings. Regardless, the Beringels were surely making their way towards them with unerring accuracy.

"Their fear makes them targets," Ector elaborated.

Ruby shuddered at the sight, a memory playing in her mind about hiding in a wagon pulled by her sister deep into the woods near Patch. Then the Grimm had come and Mr. Hero had made his appearance. Scary as the memory was, it was also a reminder of why she too wanted to be a Huntress, a Hero.

"We have to help them," she said sternly. She knew how it was like to feel helpless at the hands of the Grimm. This was all the more reason why she as a future Huntress-in-training must act.

Jaune had similar thoughts and nervously revealed the sword he'd been carrying in a sheath. At any other time, Ruby would have gushed at the sight of new weapons, but not right now when people were in danger.

She nodded at Jaune before the both of them began to inch forward; however, Ector was more level-headed by experience.

Ector abruptly placed a firm hand on both of their shoulders. "Leave them. We can't save them." He shook his head at the surprised expressions on their faces. "We'll likely die trying."

Reality was harsh. This coming from a young teenager who'd constantly seen his family members disappear one by one in the line of duty.

None of the three had ever fought against a Beringel let alone six, and Jaune in particular still struggled against normal Beowolfs. The three of them surviving this fight was unlikely to impossible at best.

"N-No," Ruby shuddered, appalled at the prospect of abandoning others. She shifted out of Ector's hold. "T-That's not what a hero does! That's not what Archer would do! He'd jump in and save them all!"

Ector gritted his teeth. Mt. Glenn wasn't a place for children or idealism. He'd seen such people die too often such as his aunts and uncles. What would his grandmother say to dissuade him?

"You aren't, Archer," he said flatly.

Wrong answer.

Ruby slapped Ector's hand away, her lips pursed before stubbornness set in. "I'm not, but my dream is to be a Hero."

Ector made to grab at Ruby again, but all he managed to touch were rose petals as Ruby sped away at a speed impossible to catch up to.

Left standing with his left arm outstretched, Ector stood frozen until he saw Jaune take off to aid Ruby, sword drawn like a knight from the story books.

Ector knew that he was going to be left behind at this rate, yet he was neither frustrated nor angry. Instead, he began laughing fully knowing that he was about to do something his grandmother would never have approved off. This is something his father and mother would have done without hesitation.

His right hand reached for a metal handle strapped on the middle of his back before grasping onto it. A button placed on the handle led to a compartment on either side, and when clicked, the handle morphed into a two-meter spear.

Ector began jogging forward, quickly reaching Jaune.

Ector and Jaune looked at each other, and promptly increased their speed, Ector letting out a muted grumble, but a vague smile was playing over his lips. Jaune noticed and inwardly decided that his new comrade wasn't being as truthful to himself as he let on.

Planting his left foot into the ground, Ector aimed his spear forward and used its mecha-shift function to reveal rockets on either side. He hurled it like a javelin and watched as the Dust ignited and propelled his weapon forward fast enough to impale the nearest Beringel to Ruby to a wall. The spear-head had pierced through the Beringel's arm moments away from it engaging Ruby who took the opportunity to behead the Grimm with her scythe.

Continuing their run forward, Jaune and Ector pulled out their shields and rammed themselves against their own Beringels.

"Y-You guys came," Ruby's eyes widened comically.

"O-Of course. What hero abandons their friend?" Jaune tried to play it cool, but grunted when the Beringel in front of him began hammering down on his shield.

"Now would be a good time to unleash that secret technique of yours, Ruby." Ector grimaced while using both hands to steady his shield.

Ruby's complexion coloured at Ector's words, but adrenaline weeded out her embarrassment. She had no come back, and just looked sheepish while dodging the Beringel in front of her, nearly yelping when a blow almost clipped her head before she'd used Crescent Rose like a hook and shifted herself away.

"G-Guys, what about the other two?" Jaune called out.

One Beringel was killed and pinned to a wall, the Dust in Ector's spear still furiously burning while the body evaporated. Meanwhile, Ector, Ruby, and Jaune each occupied their own Beringel, with Jaune doing more running than fighting. This only accounted for four. There were six Beringels, and each were more than double the size of Ruby.

While Ruby and the other were fighting, the stragglers hiding in the background had run all the way to safety except for one being cornered by the remaining two Beringels. It was a young woman perhaps five or so years older than Ector and Jaune.

The woman had long ashen dark hair that covered one of her amber eyes. She was wearing a simple red dress accentuated by gold-threaded designs across the arms and chest area, and was presently backed into a wall.

"Ruby!"

The abrupt calling of her name, shocked Ruby back into attention. Her gaze had wandered onto the woman for too long and the Beringel had used the opportunity to strike her in the chest.

Beringels were a higher sub-species of Grimm far more powerful than ordinary Beowolfs. The single blow all but shattered the layer of Aura Ruby had protecting her and sent her tumbling across the ground.

"Owwowo. It hurts." Scratches and bruises lined her arms and legs, but she was okay for the most part until she looked up and stared at the fist coming down to squash her. By instinct, she rolled out of the way, flinching as a wave of gravel and debris pelted over her.

The two remaining Command Seals on the back of her right hand shone at the edge of her vision, bidding her to say a single command and summon her most trusted protector. Her Hero.

Ruby was no longer the child of her youth. She knew the significance of the Command Seals after Shirou had explained them to her in a way that she understood. She'd never order him to do anything he'd be against, but more than this, she focused on their meaning. They were the representation of the bond that the two of them shared.

No matter the distance.

No matter the time.

Her Hero would come when she needed it most.

And now… now was not that time.

Her pupils dilating, she watched in slow motion as the edge of a familiar scythe hooked around the neck of the Beringel and pulled, killing the fearsome Grimm instantly.

A second later, and Ruby was staring at a familiar pair of red eyes, scraggily beard, and short messy black hair.

"Uh oh," the words left her mouth on instinct.

"Uh oh's right, squirt." Mask or not, Qrow Branwen knew that he was staring at his youngest niece even before spotting Crescent Rose. "Your father's going to have a field day when he hears about this."

Ruby panicked, tried to latch onto her Uncle's figure. "But uncle Qrow! Noooo, you can't!"

"No buts." Qrow avoided Ruby's hold before narrowing his eyes and firing four precise head shots at the remaining Beringels much to everyone's relief. "You're lucky I can't up and take you home right this second. Who brought you here?"

Qrow rested his weapon over his shoulder before taking a swig of alcohol from his flask, eyes never leaving Ruby as she squirmed under his stare.

Like Yang had been about her encounters in Vale, Ruby firmly kept her lips shut despite Qrow's questioning.

"Fine. Be that way you brat. It's not like I need you to tell me anyway." Qrow made sure there was no danger around before pointing Ruby back in the direction of Mt. Glenn's plaza. "No buts. Go and wait with your friends. I'm going to find the bastard who brought you here and meet up with you later."

"But-"

Qrow flicked Ruby on the forehead, causing her to wince and rub at her injury. By the time she turned up to glare at her uncle, her uncle was already gone.

"I'm dead. I'm so dead. Dad's going to kill me. H-He might even take my hair like, Yang!" Ruby found herself having a mid-life crisis, much to Ector and Jaune's confusion when they walked up to her.

Trailing behind Ector and Jaune was the last remaining woman that they'd saved.

"Thanks for the help. My name's Cinder Fall." She smiled disarmingly. She stared at Ruby almost fixedly. "Weren't you the one with the other masked man. This Archer fellow?" She inquired thoughtfully.

Ruby nodded listless.

She was going to be in so much trouble.

Archer. It was the same name Raven had described to him about the man that had somehow managed to convince her that there was a fighting chance against Salem.

For this, Qrow was certainly thankful that Archer had been able to knock some sense into his sister, but endangering Ruby by bringing her to Mt. Glenn of all places? It was time for him to knock some sense into the trump card Ozpin's been keeping hidden.

This may or may not go well, but he was too incensed to care.

Raven hadn't exactly been forth coming with information regarding Archer. Whatever she'd seen must have spooked her; however, because she told him that the best method to fight him was to run away. It had something to do with a bullshit Semblance about cause and effect or something, not that he could really understand her when she started talking about random legends and stories with no relation to the Maidens.

Regardless, had Ozpin sent Archer along with him for this task? And if he did, did he tell him to bring Ruby too? But why? It makes no sense.

Honestly, Qrow had never been one to question Ozpin's judgement, but this time may very well be the first. He had half-a-mind to call Ozpin on his scroll, but he knew Ozpin was far too secretive about anything to do with Archer. He never told anyone, even Glynda, about what sort of person Archer was, or about his abilities. Glynda had joked that Ozpin himself was just as clueless as everyone else, and the Headmaster of Beacon had ended up fumbling his coffee mug in alarm as if the secret was out.

'A joke.' 'All in good humour,' Ozpin had reasoned.

The behaviour was strange even for Ozpin, but the man had always been enigmatic.

Qrow put the thought to the back of his mind. He was presently too angry to care about trivialities. Instead, he believed that he'd just zeroed in on his target mingling in the distant crowd of Mt. Glenn's plaza.

It was surprisingly simple to ask around for the description of someone calling himself 'Archer,' in Mt. Glenn.

Red hair, check. Mask, check. Shoddy attire, also check. That must be the guy, or girl, Raven didn't exactly specify Archer's gender. Man or woman, it didn't matter. All that did was that the fool had the nerve to bring Ruby along to a place so dangerous, Ozpin's instructions or not.

The thought pissed him off almost immediately, reminding him about Ruby's abduction all those years ago, and the feeling of helplessness he'd nearly lost himself to when it was suggested that Ruby was dead. There was no way a little toddler could survive for days on her own after all.

Gnashing his teeth, Qrow had no reservations about pushing through the street towards Archer to give her a piece of his mind and a warning to stay away from his niece.

Qrow was on 'Archer' in seconds with a drunken guile.

He roughly grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around to face him, expression set into a murderous glower. "Now listen here you…f..u..ck..er..." he trailed off immediately, a pit suddenly forming in his stomach.

No. No. Was this really happening?

"Y-You ugh, you have silver eyes," he said weakly. "Archer?"

The masked woman who he'd roughly grabbed shook her head in the negative. She was small in stature, reaching only up to his shoulders. A familiar height. His mind all but yelled at him. The awkward way she was standing, and the way she scratched at the back of her head in discomfort, everything about her was setting him on edge.

Finally, his eyes trailed down to a peculiar set of blades lined over her hips. They were black and white in colour, and shaped into the outline of a high-calibre pistol. Different. They were different. They weren't her weapon.

"Sorry, about that. My name's Qrow," he managed to say with some level of composure. "I, ugh, I mistook you for the wrong person."

The woman looked from Qrow, then to Qrow's hands still holding her shoulders, then back at Qrow who realized what he was doing, and promptly let go of his grip. "Yeah, sorry again, and you are?"

"Scarlet."

Even the voice sounded the same.

Qrow's features seemed to glaze over as he reminisced of the past, and all too quickly the named woman tried to bolt away.

"I-I've got to go." She made a flimsy excuse and ran, her shoulder-length hair releasing the scent of strawberries in her wake.

What neither of the two expected, was for Qrow to react so quickly. He'd grabbed Scarlet's arm before he could even realize what he was doing. The single name that came from his lips was entirely unintentional and called out in desperation.

"Summer?" He asked, tentative hope in his tone apparent for how fragile it was.

Scarlet froze.

From the grip Qrow had on her arm, he could feel a shudder travel down her body. He watched her as she tilted her head to stare at the ground almost nostalgically.

"I may or may not know that name," she admitted while gently trying to coax her arm out of his grip.

That wasn't a no, then? Qrow's mind told him it wasn't a 'yes' either, but it went largely ignored. He stood there rooted in place, his grip momentarily going slack long enough for Scarlet to pull her arm away.

"Just give me a while to sort things out," she said too fast for him to react.

Numbly, Qrow looked up to see white petals scattering in the wind, and felt his hands ball tightly into fists. White petals. It couldn't possibly be…

After Scarlet was gone was when the doubt set in. If the woman was really Summer, why hadn't she come back after all these years? Summer was nothing like Raven. Her children and family mattered to her far too much for her to willingly leave them out of her life. Moreover, if something were wrong, she should have at least contacted Ozpin.

Unlike Raven, Summer trusted Beacon's Headmaster.

Qrow looked down at his scroll, contemplating whether he should inform Tai or Ozpin of his suspicions, but he chose against it for the time being. False hope was a different type of cruelty that he didn't wish on his friends and colleagues, and Summer was a very sore subject.

Forget about his current task.

Above all else, he had to verify this matter somehow, and perhaps it could solve the mystery of why Ozpin might have had Ruby brought along by Archer.

Thus kindly, I scatter.

The white petals landed on the pavement, and a dusty old crow soon began to circle.

By the time Shirou met back up with Summer after scouting out the situation in Mt. Glenn, Summer was looking a little down. She was lost in thought and hardly noticed when he'd arrived near her.

Like they'd planned, the two met up in one of Mt. Glenn's remote districts with only a few people calling the neighborhood home due to its relative proximity to the walls. This was also where Shirou had scrounged around looking for something decent for Summer to wear, and something to sheath the modified gun-blades he'd made for her.

Summer had stated that they weren't her original weapons, but she also said she was just as proficient wielding two short swords. The two swords were altered constructs of Kanshou and Bakuya melded with twin magnum pistols that fired Dust bullets.

Kanshou and Bakuya maintained their magnetic properties, but could now also serve as reliable ranged weapons for Summer.

She'd been ecstatic when he first handed them to her and tested them on Grimm, but now she looked utterly lost in thought.

Thinking about what could possibly affect Summer so greatly, there was only a single assumption in mind. "You met Ruby, didn't you?"

Summer glanced up at him, her shoulders hunched and eyes unfocused. Slowly, she shook her head. "No, not Ruby. It's Qrow. He's here likely on Ozpin's orders to help in the defence of Mt. Glenn."

Was this a bad thing then? Knowing both Qrow and Tai, Shirou knew that neither of the two would care about Summer's condition so long as she was still herself. Surely Summer could understand this?

"I know my team and my husband, and I don't mind them learning of me," Summer grouched, taking his lack of reply as silent judgment and grimacing. "But the problem is that I don't know my current self."

Summer ran a hand through her hair, obviously stressing. "What if…What if I'm suddenly not myself and then God forbid, I harm my own friends and family? I-It terrifies me. I don't want to be anywhere near them for longer than necessary until I can get a handle of my current situation, and before you ask, no; I don't regret this. I may be part Grimm, but I can speak to my family again, feel them in my arms, talk with them. You wouldn't know what its been like for me these past few years seeing my family grow up and never being a part of it. I-I chose this, so if anything goes wrong, it's my fault. Not yours."

Shirou had nothing to say. Summer had clearly thought her situation out better than him, and the only method he'd be able to help, is to be there if she ever loses control. He could try and eliminate her Grimm aspect with a Noble Phantasm of sorts, but there in-lied the problem. Summer's Grimm component was what was letting Summer take physical form. Take that away, and she's nothing more than a spirit again, something she'd just explained that she'd rather not be.

"You better meet up with Ruby." Summer changed the subject after composing herself. "I was faster into town, and there's a meeting that's been called by Mt. Glenn's leaders regarding the defence effort. Attendance is mandatory for all of Mt. Glenn's defenders. Have you heard about it?"

Well yes, this information was something that he already knew about. He'd overheard the matter being discussed while in spirit form over Mt. Glenn.

"You aren't coming?" He asked instead, implying his foreknowledge.

"I'll come later." Summer waved a dismissive gloved hand. "There will be too many questions if I just randomly associated myself with you both based on my appearance."

Here Summer actually grinned. "Me, you, and Ruby," Summer chortled before pointing at her hair, mask, and dark attire. "We honestly look like family if not for your bronze eyes. How unfortunate. I think silver would have suited you. Let's call ourselves the Rose Mercenaries or how about the Rose family! Or what about the Allies of Justice!"

"I'd rather none."

"It's decided!"

Summer pushed Shirou back in the direction of Mt. Glenn's central hub where a majority of people lived, and where the assembly was to take place in an enclosed colosseum.

Shirou didn't resist. He didn't have to be smart in order to determine that Summer simply wanted more time to think things over on her own. Parts of her enthusiasm were painfully forced, the unnatural cheer of her voice betrayed by the subtle trembling in the undertones.

He nodded towards her, and made his way back to meet up with his Master. Awkward as she was, she was likely digging herself into a hole of her own making. Yup, he could feel her anxiousness through their connection.

"I'll see you and Ruby at the assembly," Summer called out from the distance.

He waved back and soon disappeared into particles of gold dust.

Idealism wasn't going to win the day here.

Not even his Master's natural cheer and air-headedness would be able to salvage this situation from all the negativity around, and she wasn't exactly in the best condition anyway. She'd been panicked the moment he returned to her, clinging onto his leg and talking about 'how dead she was,' when she got back home.

Now in the assembly, Ruby had lost sight of Ector, Jaune, and Cinder in the large crowd gathered in front of a central podium where Mt. Glenn's leaders stood. Not wishing to lose even him, she firmly tied them together by linking her arm around his.

Shirou quickly understood that this motivational gathering wasn't exactly living up to its purpose. What were Mountain Glenn's leaders thinking by calling for a gathering with a group of demoralized individuals and mercenaries kept around only for the promise of lien?

Ruby's mood was falling, granted she'd gone mute and stayed mute the moment Summer had revealed herself by the entrance of the assembly, so he couldn't really be certain. He didn't know what his Master was thinking, well, he could, but he didn't want to invade her privacy by using their connection as Master and Servant. It wasn't something his Master would appreciate considering that her breaths were coming out hitched and her hands growing clammy from nervous sweat. They were symptoms she shared in common with her uncle Qrow doing his best to remain discreet on the opposite side of the room, his back leaned against the far wall.

Admittedly, Qrow was doing better to keep his emotions in check. Unlike Ruby, he maintained steady breath, and acted as unaffected as possible despite his eyes never straying from Summer's form. Closer inspection would reveal how tense his muscles were, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Shirou knew that Qrow had encountered Summer earlier in the day, but he wouldn't intervene in Summer's relationship issues as she already had something in mind.

What mattered right now was the direction this assembly was taking. The Grimm had stopped attacking, and the assembly was called in the reprieve. The purpose of the meeting had been left largely undisclosed, but rumours had it that the higher ups were planning something big enough to affect the entire settlement.

Beyond mere speculations about a hidden weapon or alternative means of keeping the settlement safe, the first announcement at the assembly's commencing left many hardened defenders listless.

"We will effectively begin evacuation."

The leaders had decided to abandon the city.

Even with Shirou's display of capabilities, they'd deemed it inadequate in comparison to the hordes of Grimm capable of sieging Mountain Glenn's walls. The recent breach of Grimm appearing out of nowhere was the final straw that snapped away any semblance of calm. If the Grimm could bypass the walls and mounted artillery, then nowhere was safe. The pervading sensation of unease had made its way throughout the entire settlement, and no one was unaffected.

Rather than fight, the leaders wished to use the hard-fought victory to evacuate people back into Vale using the subways. At first, it sounded logical, but considering just how big the Mountain Glenn settlement was, it was unfeasible without abandoning others. It was like funneling a dune of sand down a small tube.

The Grimm would only stay back for so long, and without defenders, the defences would break. Not to mention, the rise in negativity would only draw the Grimm in faster.

How many people were going to die in this evacuation?

The number must have already been rationalized as a necessary sacrifice, as no leader spoke up on the matter, likely because there was no justifying the action. Their expressions reminded him too much of his own jaded counterpart who'd forsaken his ideals and gave up.

Sacrifice the few, to save the many.

Just because your correct, doesn't mean that your right.

It just means that you've narrowed down all your methods and stubbornly focused only on one. If you give up and believe that no alternatives exist aside from a single course of action, then that's it. It's over. No alternatives will ever be produced with this mentality.

So, don't give up.

Never give up because a chance will always exist if you simply strive towards it. The feats of the impossible created by a Nameless Hero in life could attest. He as a Heroic Spirit recognized in the Throne of Heroes was proof that Shirou Emiya had surpassed the limitations of a certain Counter Guardian.

The job of a Hero is to create miracles where others cannot.

Shirou felt Ruby tense by his side, but it wasn't because she was affected by the evacuation notice. In fact, she still too young to understand the evacuation's implications. Instead, she'd tensed for a different reason altogether.

"This is wrong." It was the first time Summer spoke up in the entire assembly, and her agitation was evident in her tone. She alone stood up from where she'd been seated and made eye contact with the leaders on the podium. "How many people are going to die because of this decision?"

Many leaders flinched, but the old lady of the Verdant family taking charge of Mountain Glenn remained firm. She scrutinized Summer with a careful eye, but said nothing but the truth. "Tens of thousands. Maybe more. The subways can only carry a couple hundred people at a time there and back, and the tunnels are the only safe way out of Mountain Glenn."

Left unsaid, but the moment that people started flooding back into Vale from the subways, Vale's council may decide to collapse the tunnels as a precaution against Grimm. Rationality is almost always thrown out the window when fear and panic take over.

"We can't do this," Summer denied quickly. She was far too aware of how Vale's council worked in her time working alongside Ozpin, and half-the time they didn't even listen to Ozpin.

"This is not a time to sow discord among our ranks," an older gentleman spoke up from beside the old woman. The man was gruff and unassuming like one of those criminal grunts patrolling Vale's underworld in corny black shades. He both looked, and sounded the part. "If you have nothing better to say to commander Priam, mercenary. Then I will see to it that you be escorted out."

"But this is wrong!" Summer continued to argue, her hands balling into fists and voice raising in alarm. The best scenario was to defend Mt. Glenn and repel the Grimm long enough to establish Kingdom-grade walls and defences.

"And the decision isn't yours." The grunt by commander Priam made a dismissive gesture. "You either keep in line, or be kicked out. This is your final warning."

"But-!"

Guards hidden in the crowd moved to apprehend Summer, grabbing her too roughly by the arms and nearly causing her to trip as they began hauling her out. Her mask nearly slipped off her face, traces of fear and apprehension flashing across her eyes that only associates close to her would have been able to recognize.

Two such people were present, but only one such person instantly intervened, having been watching her closely since the beginning. Memories and regrets flowed and rushed to the forefront of the mind.

'So, ugh, partners, yeah?'

'Former bandit or not, I'll watch your back, if you watch mine.'

'Qrow, help!'

"Hands. Off." Qrow said languidly, but his body language was anything but. His sword was mere inches away from one guard's neck. His free hand all but hoisting the other guard up in the air by the scruff of the man's shirt before roughly tossing him across the room.

"T-Thanks you," Summer nodded discreetly at Qrow who merely hummed back, an intense furrow in his brows hiding the narrowing of his eyes as he tried to discern the face behind the mask.

The gathered crowd watched on, no guards daring to approach due to Qrow's presence and fierce glare.

Summer sucked in a breath and calmed herself. "I-I think that there's nothing wrong with holding onto hope," she directed her argument towards Priam and not the grunt by her side. "It's better than the alternative and the subsequent deaths."

"And what hope can we possibly have?" Priam pressed her eyelids closed, trying to restrain the trembling of her hands. She opened her eyes and leveled Summer with an aged weariness. "What is there left to even believe in?"

Silence was the answer.

Shirou didn't miss the way Priam's attention flickered towards him. She must have seen or heard of what he'd done at the north wall, but didn't deem his capabilities enough to turn the tide. Then again, he'd basically become the equivalent of a mounted Altesian artillery which certainly wasn't enough to defeat the Grimm by any stretch of the imagination.

Summer, on the other hand was not so subtly looking right at him; hoping for him to have some way of salvaging the situation. Of course, many noticed the direction of her gaze and a hushed murmur arose in the crowd.

Many from the North wall could still remember the feeling of their Aura surging in his presence when he was firing his arrows, but the same couldn't be said for everyone. Only a minority felt affected by his presence.

He shook his head and signalled for Summer to calm down. Actions would speak louder than words, and there was no way to take action against the Grimm right now.

One could try to reason with the leaders, but regardless, no speech was going to work here. What was needed was hope, and hope can be found in the most unexpected of places.

"We can't just give up and abandon all these people," Jaune abruptly spoke up by his father's side, his hands balling into fists at the thought. He'd never been the best fighter, but he'd always had his heart in the right place, and perhaps that was all that was needed.

Shirou felt something stir from the depths of his inner armoury, vying for release.

Shirou took note. This may be a different universe, but parallels must exist. Like a you from another dimension can still be classified as a form of you. The last name 'Arc,' was the biggest give away for why this particular Noble Phantasm may be reacting.

"Jaune, listen," Nicolas Arc tried to explain to no avail. The man himself looked disheartened, and evidently had his reservations about the decision that was voted on by Mt. Glenn's leaders. "We've only been here for a couple days, and it's only been getting worse. I myself may have died today without assistance. I-I can't risk you or your sisters," the man decided to just speak the truth.

Aurelia and two other unnamed Arc family sisters standing near Jaune pursed their lips and hung their heads in shame, but didn't oppose their father's decision. Their silence was their agreement; the way that they patted Jaune's back as if to persuade him to give up, more demoralizing to others watching than any words. For Nicolas, Aurelia, and the present Arc sisters, the safety of their family members mattered more than any stranger's.

It was a natural reaction and something Shirou could hardly fault them for, but if it were him or even Ruby, it wasn't a course of action they would have accepted. Jaune was much the same in Ruby's child-like naivety.

"I don't want to give up. Dad, this isn't what a hero would do." Jaune appeared as if his father was crushing his dreams. Shaking off the hands of his sisters, Jaune shuddered before looking his father in the eyes. "There has to be something that we can do."

Nicolas had always been weak against his children. He was the parent that always said 'Yes,' while Mrs. Arc was the parent who said 'No.' Under the expectant expression on Jaune's face, the father of eight resolved himself to shatter Jaune's optimistic views despite how much it pained him to do so.

The life of a Huntsman was one he'd never wanted his youngest child to experience. This was why he'd always held off on Jaune's training and didn't unlock his Aura lest Jaune get any ideas that could put him in danger.

The world wasn't a pretty place, and Huntsman and Huntresses often had to decide who lives and who dies based on their actions.

Jaune had only ever grown up reading stories of heroic Huntsman and Huntresses saving the day, and as such, he aspired to be the same. Heroes from the story books were the people who saved everyone.

"Jaune, listen-"

"Jaune Arc!" Aurelia called out harshly, interrupting Nicolas before he could say anything, likely for her father's sake. "What good can you possibly do here when even the weakest of Grimm can likely kill you? You're untrained and inexperienced. You'd sooner die than be of any help, and there's nothing you can do now to change that. Get it through your thick skull and stop worrying us. You aren't a hero."

"Then who is!?" Jaune shouted before he realized what he'd done and lowered his voice, but not enough that he couldn't be heard in the silence. "I know that I'm weak. I know that I don't have the ability to make a difference, but surely there's a way to save everyone, right?"

Time has shown that even one person is enough to alter the course of history. The words of one may as well be the catalyst for change. Once they were said, a point becomes made, and is thought up upon.

Shirou felt the sensation within him bubble into a boil, simmering beneath the surface of his inner reality and pressing into his being. He shut his eyes and focused inward. Then let it be so.

The heavens tell of a distant glory.

"We can't just give up. Even if all of you go, I won't."

In the midst of Jaune's desperate attempt to rouse his father and those around him into action, he neglected to notice the light that gradually bloomed and pervaded the area above his head.

Peace, life, prosperity, happiness, and unshed tears.

Silence ushered in the start of the unimaginable. The light began to shine ever brighter, giving warmth, giving comfort, and healing all fatigue. Remnant's guiding light born from earnest desire.

To protect such things, let this endless devotion burn true.

"I don't know what it is that I can do. I don't know if I'll even be able to be of much use, but surely it's wrong to abandon others just because we don't have the strength to save them."

For the future, for the sake of mankind, this flag will billow.

Shirou felt a thrum at his core, and he allowed the flow of magic within him to go unhindered. He let it free.

"M-Mom always said that you don't have to be a Huntsman to be a hero. All you need is faith and heart. Right here." Jaune patted his breastplate. The heart of a hero. His voice was wavering in the face of all the attention, but his resolve remained firm.

This was when Jaune finally took notice that the attention of the crowd wasn't precisely on him, but above him.

Jaune looked on in confusion as a bladed flag pole manifested in full, shining in radiant holy light that basked all. The flag unfurled, bearing upon it an insignia of a brilliant crest that caused a distinct reaction from Jaune's father.

It hovered, beckoning Jaune to reach his hands out, and when he did under the eyes of all, it shone with tranquil light in the form of the Arc family crest.

A sign. A prayer for better times.

A barrier-like wave of translucent film expanded outwards, and all within the vicinity of the flag surged with the colour of their Auras: A rainbow of greens, reds, yellows, and blues, magic suffusing the air in a given area in conjunction with an unknown Semblance.

"The Arc family will not leave!" Nicolas Arc abruptly put his foot down on the issue, the clang of his metal greaves echoing out and shocking all with the statement. The Arc sisters stood on either side of their father, their shields carrying the crest of House Arc displayed in tandem.

"The Verdant family will not leave!" Ector stood out form the crowd, nodding at Jaune. At Ector's words, the old woman up on the podium visibly wilted, but remained silent.

"The Rose family will not leave!" Summer was quick to join. She asserted her stance, doing her best to ignore Qrow and Ruby's reactions to the name lest she break her own resolve.

Others soon chorused the same phrase with a growing unity. Many in the assembly were renowned Huntsman and Huntresses sent for the explicit purpose of defending humanity against the Grimm. Many had their own pride and ideals to uphold. They just needed a little push, something to have faith in, and as if by some miracle, a light had shone in the dark.

Morale was rekindled.

So long as a chance existed, there would always be meaning in strength, courage, and valour.

Shirou stood up with the crowd, a smile tugging at his lips.

Where there is struggle, there is purpose.

Embers rise and give way to flames. Huntsman and Huntresses find resolve in a cause that aligns with their beliefs and willingness to lay down their lives for the sake of others. They who are Remnant's protectors.

Where there is hope, there in lies a path to victory.

Man paves the road forward; heroes illuminate the way.

For too long mankind has remained oppressed, forced to the brink of extinction and kept divided in vaunted kingdoms nothing more than gilded cages. The time for passivity has come and gone.

The tale of Vermillion and Mountain Glenn would only be the prelude of the beginning.

Age old traditions and customs no longer matter. What was impossible before, may not be impossible now. This is the era where everything will begin anew.

An era heralding the return of the lost arts of magic and miracles.

Of fabled dragons and knights.

And of Sword and Hero.

Do you believe in fairy tales?

Thanks for reading! And sorry for delays! Thanksgiving activities took too long, and then there were school projects and tests.

Next update: Fate Stay Cooking

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious

Fiction Press: Survivor's Log: Reflections (New novel coming out near December)

Book link: Fatedlegacydark. ca

Summary of book:

Death. Grief. Ruin. Nothing was left unchanged after an unexplained tragedy led to the loss of millions across the world in key locations. Cities were reduced to wastelands of steel and concrete, and many were forced into migration. When events leading to the prior tragedy occur once more, Kevin Black was going to have to learn that sometimes mysteries were better left unsolved. Trapped with his friends in the world of a ruined city filled with monsters, the journey out would be far more perilous than the journey in.