A/N: Henceforth, Mondays are going to be Plot Bin days for me and my crew.

And when I say plot bin, I mean updates for this "Shards of Shattering" and "A Most Unlikely Collection" as well as "Fragments of Arcane."

Hope this clarifies things.

Sorry if this disappoints anyone, but I'm only one man, and I have limits. I've also been informed that one of my co-writers will be busy for a good bit of August due to medical reasons. I put a lot of thought into things, and this is what I came up with for things going forward. This way I won't rush out stories at the start of the week; hopefully it will improve the quality of things from here on out.

I swear, Mondays are the ONE day I have to be up early before everyone else and its a proper pain in my ass! Every other day's fine, its just Mondays...ugh! If the stars align and I can crank out something else on top of the aforementioned updates, then, great. But this is the one day that I always struggle with. It was either this, or a crank out a new story every Monday. Pretty sure ya'll don't want that.

As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes.

Not a wit or a one! There we go. Hope you enjoy!

This be a fragment from...

...well. Something I almost published awhile back. It almost embarassing to post something this rough here, but...here you go.

*bows head in shame*

"They say vengeance is a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways.

You know...they're not wrong. And revenge...well...

...that's a dish best served cold."

~?

Loneliest of All

"But...how...?"

Cinder Fall choked out her last breaths.

Pyrrha was keenly aware of every last one, given she was all but sprawled beside her with an arrow in her chest and currently rasping out her last gasps. But that was worth it, wasn't it? She'd won. Her sacrifice had been enough to distract the wicked witch, caused her to lower her guard -her aura!- in a pivotal moment. And in that single moment of inattention...

.

..

...well. The results spoke for themselves.

She remembered a burning hand touching her face, hearing Ruby scream her name as she gasped for air. She'd reached the tower early. Then light. Searing, blinding, silver light. A terrible roar as the Wyvern became so much stone. An awful crack as a golden blur punched it and shattered it like glass.

And then...

Even with her dimming vision Pyrrha could still see what -who!- had slain Cinder, even if only just. She'd heard the clash of steel. Saw two bodies collide, their feet twisting as they clashed. Heard the awful crunch as steel pierced aura, followed by flesh. The shuddering gasp that followed, the scream of rage as her killer found herself bested in less than three seconds.

"Its nothing personal, dear." someone had mocked as the Fall Maiden sank to her knees. "You're just not worthy of such power. But she is...so I will take...what is hers."

The stern edge of Crocea Mors jutted from Cinder's chest, slamming deeper as she looked on. She'd never seen it coming. Jaune's blade jutted from her torso, dyed a bright rose red with blood. Cinder gasped at it, cutting her hands to ribbons as she tried to extricate it from her chest, to no avail. No one could survive such a wound. It was only a matter of time, now. She didn't know how he'd made it up here so quickly after she'd sent him away in his locker, and frankly? She didn't care. Revenge was a dish best served cold. Right through your enemy's chest.

"...damn you, Arc!" her killer hissed, grasping at her, trying to cling to life, still trying to pull the blade out. The light was already leaving her eyes. "You cheated...

"Shinobi~!" a sing-song voice chirruped merrily. "Its what we do. Also, Jaune's not here at the moment. Leave a message after the beep!"

Pyrrha managed a grim grin. She couldn't speak. She could barely breathe.

But she could smirk like hell as she watched Cinder Fall die.

'Bite me.'

"Shit, shit, shit." she heard a familiar voice swear above her, felt hands dip beneath her head and lift. "You can't die! Not after all this!." hands rubbed together, producing a golden spark. "C'mon...you promised!" he spoke not to her now, looking skyward, someone she couldn't see or hear. "We had a deal!" A pause. "I don't care! Take control! Whatever it takes!

Another awful pause.

And then she felt a hand grip the arrow in her chest.

"Just...try to hold on." she glimpsed Jaune's chin, his lips moving, his voice...different, somehow. Calmer. "This'll hurt. But you won't die. I promise. And I never go back on my word."

Pyrrha tried to suck in a breath. Her ruined chest wouldn't let her.

"Alright. I'm going to pull on three. Brace yourself. One...!"

He pulled on two.

It did hurt. Hurt so damn much. Pyrrha whimpered and wailed. Tearing the arrow out all but killed her outright; would have, if he hadn't slapped a hand to her collarbone. It glowed a gentle shade of gold, brightening her vision, bolstering her for the moment it took to extract the black glass from. Something flowed down the wound and into her, bringing with it a new sensation. She inhaled deeply and realized she actually could again, not those tiny awful breaths that brought her closer and closer to death with each passing moment, but an actual gasp full of air.

But that didn't mean the pain vanished. It clung to her like a sullen child, refusing to relinquish its grasp on her. At the end of the day, her lungs had been seared by the arrow as much as the fire that followed. Breathing brought on a coughing spasm as her bronchial chords protested furiously.

"Hurts," she whimpered. "Make it stop...

"I know." her savior pulled her head into his lap. "You'll be okay. Deep breaths now. Need to get oxygen to your bloodstream. The coughing fits will pass."

Would they? It felt like they'd go one forever? And since when did he have this much medical knowledge? Another fit seized her and she curled against him for warmth as much as comfort. Someone pressed a bottle to her lips and belatedly she realized it was ice water. She drank greedily, grateful for the relief.

"Shhhh," the voice that both was and wasn't Jaune crooned. "You're alright, Pyr. I've got you."

Her eyes watered. "Jaune...?"

A low chuckle. "More or less at the moment."

She looked up into her saviors eyes...and frowned.

It was both Jaune, and yet not Jaune in the same moment. The facial structure was still there, his visage much the same, blond hair dirty and mussed with blood from the battle. His eyes were still the most piercing shade of blue, but they seemed sharper somehow, glowing in the moonlight. Stranger still, his face was etched with strange whiskers, three marks tripping each cheek on either side. And were they glowing? It looked like they were, but that might've been a trick of the moonlight. Pyrrha didn't know; wasn't sure she wanted to.

"I don't understand." she hiccuped a little in her confusion. "What's happened to you...? Who are you?"

A tiny, rueful chuckle. "The loneliest of all."

"Pardon...?"

"Well," Jaune grinned, and this time, she could've sworn she heard an echo in his voice. "I...ah, struck a bargain awhile back." as she looked on, those eerie whisker marks on his face faded, burning away before her very eyes. Her lovable oaf reminded, sheepishly scratching the back of his head with one hand. "Its a little complicated. I'll tell you later."

Realization dawned. He'd fought so well in the singles portion of the Vytal tournament. Too well, even given her training. Near the end there, he'd slaughtered Cinder like she was a rank amateur. The same woman who'd beaten her at her best. Was this why...?

Jaune paused then, cocking one ear to a voice she couldn't hear.

"By the way," he rumbled, "Might wanna brace yourself. Cinder just died."

Pyrrha frowned his way, not quite comprehending his words. "What do you meeeeeeeeeek?!"

Her words piqued into a startled shriek as a wave of amber light burst from Fall's body and lanced into her chest. Didn't take much to guess what it was. The might of the Fall Maiden had lost one host and found another, a singulartarget to focus on, one single thought in Cinder Fall's final moment. Her. Where else could the power go?

Pyrrha felt her head snap back, eyes blazing with luminous green flame.

Her world became so much light.

And everything changed.

A/N: Aaaaand there we go.

I'll let you guess what this was meant to be; a reincarnated Naruto reborn as Jaune? Naruto's spirit possessing Jaune's body? Go ahead, guess. I'll wait. Wasn't subtle!

Once more! This is a teaser. A fragment from a story that never came to be. It might go somewhere. It might not. That depends entirely on you.

As ever, the Embers rule Remains. If folks don't like this fragment...well, it won't be continued. Strange as it might sound, live for reviews and feedback; without them, I simply can't write a single word. So by all means! Speak up! Really, that's no joke. Your feedback is the reason this story continues. Ever bit helps. It keeps me going in these crazy times. So by all means! Speak up! No review is too short or too small!

As ever, read the previews before you review, please.

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

Must...write...previews...!

So very, very...tired...

Enjoy the AU!

(Previews!)

Yang's world swam in and out of focus. Might have something to do with the blood loss...or maybe her arm. Ah, hell. That was a lotta blood...

"Well, well," a familiar woman crooned, leaning over her. "Aren't you an adorable patient?"

"Vermeil!" an even more familiar voice cracked like a whip. "Drop her!"

"Stingy old man." she pouted his way. "I was just going to sedate the poor girl...

"By sucking out her Aura. Which she needs at the moment, dear daughter. Use anesthesia."

"Fiiiiine." blood-red eyes peeked up and over her shoulder." What about the redhead?"

...he harmed one of my students. You know the drill. Drain him dry."

"Happily~!"

"Don't mind Vermeil, miss Xiao-Long." the blond smiled serenely down at her as the horned woman stalked over to Adam's quivering form. "My daughter's friendly...maybe a little too much so." he turned her head away from the grisly scene about to take place. "Don't worry about your arm." he pressed something to her ear, muffling the scream of pain that came from Adam's general direction. "I've found it, and it was a clean cut. We can reattach it. You'll be right as rain in a few hours.

She tried to force herself up and failed. "Salem...

"Is fine." a hand clasped hers. "So is your team. Beacon stands. We drove Ozpin off, though I'm fairly certain he'll have himself a new body by now. Don't worry. Sleep." he was badgering her with words, trying to drown out the noise around her, the screams, all of it. Yang knew he was, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "We've got you. After all, What kind of doctor would I be if I let the Vytal Festival champion die here...?

She could feel the anesthesia kicking in. Still, she managed a parting shot. "Shitty doctor...if I die...m'telling Neo...and...miss...Fall...

Whiskered cheeks dimpled in a small smile. "Perish the thought."

Sleep came swiftly.

EDIT: Kudos if you can guess where Vermeil is from. I wasn't subtle.

There are many realities out there. Those who are good in one world might well be monsters in another.

"Why is your scythe so heavy?! How do you even carry this thing?!"

Ruby stuck out her tongue. "Nyeh!"

T_T