Sidestory: Fairy Tale
Once upon a time, in a quiet village nestled at the edge of a deep forest, lived a small, timid girl. Unlike the other children there, she was an orphan, living on her own in the village's small chapel. She had never known her parents: the only thing she had that belonged to them was a small, silver hand mirror.
The girl was known for her kindness and gentle nature, doing everything she could to help around. She wasn't without flaws, however: her insecurities and shyness, born from a solitary life, dominated her life, often turning into fear as she often struggled to find courage within herself.
The village was a peaceful place, filled with laughter and warmth. Unfortunately, that was about to change one dark and stormy night, when terrifying monsters, led by a towering demon, emerged from the depths of the forest.
The monstrous creatures roared and snarled, spreading chaos and terror among the villagers. Homes were destroyed, and the people sought refuge within the village square, crying out for help. The girl was with them, frightened and a a loss on what to do. She wished she had a solution, a way to help, but she could find none. And so she hoped someone could come and save them.
As if answering her silent plea, a flash of shining armor appeared amidst the chaos. A mysterious knight suddenly materialized out of nowhere, his face hidden beneath a silver visor. Speaking in an authoritative but gentle voice, the knight assured the villagers that he would protect them. Then, almost as if he could sense the girl's fear, he encouraged all not to be afraid.
The warrior was incredibly skilled, slaying countless monsters with his great sword. He fought alone against the relentless creatures, blocking their path and stopping any of them from reaching the villagers.
But despite his best efforts, the monsters seemed to have no end. Moreover, busy as he was, he could not find a way to defeat the largest and most ferocious of the beasts.
The demon towered over all, its gleaming red eyes watching the lone knight and the scared villagers with malice. Its sharp claws tore through the earth as thunder, while dangerous flames erupted from its palms, forcing the knight to block them with his mighty shield.
The little girl, watching from afar the titanic battle, sensed a stirring within her soul. She felt like she had to overcome her fears and find the courage to aid the knight in his battle against the monstrous creatures, no matter how small her help could be.
With quivering hands, she clutched the small mirror tightly, becoming calmer and calmer with its help. With this newfound courage, the girl silently tiptoed closer to the creature. She then raised the mirror high above her head, shouting at the top of her lungs: not knowing what to do, she wanted to at least gain the monsters' attention, in order to give the knight a moment of respite.
What nobody knew was that the mirror was, in fact, a magical one: sensing the girl's bravery and desire to protect, it began to shine, reflecting a unique, bright light from its surface. The demon and its monsters, caught off guard by the unexpected flash of light, were suddenly blinded, covering their eyes in pain.
Using this opportunity, the knight valiantly charged at the main monster, dodging its desperate blows. Then he slashed into its thick hide, cutting the beast in half.
With a final deafening roar, the monster crumbled to the ground, defeated at last. The surviving monsters, seeing their leader killed, run away in terror. The enemies had lost, thanks to both the silver knight and the girl's unexpected act of bravery.
The village erupted in cheers, and the girl found herself embraced by her grateful neighbours. The mysterious knight, grateful for her assistance, bowed his head to her in respect. Then he disappeared, as swiftly as he had appeared, moving on in his quest to protect the innocent.
From that day forward, the girl's insecurities melted away, replaced by a newfound strength and confidence. She became a cherished figure in the village, admired now for both her bravery and kindness. Together, she and her fellow citizens brought peace and prosperity back to the village.
As for the silver mirror, it became a symbol of the courage and love that resided within the girl's heart, reminding everyone that even the smallest and most timid of souls can accomplish great things.
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Summer gently stroked the hair of her sleeping daughter. The peace and serenity radiating from her small, innocent girl warmed the huntress' heart, while also fuelling the resolve for what she was about to do a couple of days from that moment: if she succeeded in the mission she set herself upon, the greatest evil of this world would not undermine that peace ever again. She would make sure of that.
It was a quiet, pleasant night, with the soft glow of moonlight unhindered by any dark clouds, creating a peaceful ambiance. No sound disturbed that magical atmosphere, save from the gentle whisper of the wind and the faint breaths of mother and daughter.
Yang and Tai were currently spending the night outside camping, taking advantage of the nice weather. Since Ruby was still too small to stay awake so late and enjoy that kind of experience, Summer opted to remain with her at home, so that Yang could go out with her father and not give up on some much-needed fun.
Just like every night, her youngest daughter had demanded a bedtime story before sleeping, with her usual puppy eyes that Summer could never hope to resist. Finding the right one had not been easy this time: Ruby wanted a story she had not heard before and, considering her immense love for fairy tales, that proved to be a monumental effort.
Eventually, after countless proposals – all denied by the cutest "nopes" the huntress had ever heard -, she had finally found the right one. It was a simple tale, not written in any book they owned: she had to recall and improvise it on the spot, and so it was not very remarkable compared to other fables, far more famous and better written by professional authors.
Yet, it seemed like Ruby had enjoyed it, especially since it was a completely new story she had never heard of.
And there was a reason why that was the case: leaving aside some deliberate changes, omissions, and simplification, that was not a fairy tale.
Leaning on the pillow next to Ruby, Summer closed her eyes, walking through the memory lane.
In that ephemeral moment, she was a child once more, back to her village. The air was thick with smoke, and her ears were filled with screams and cries for help. She expected to also hear the snarls and roars of Grimm, yet there was none, because that memory had started right after her first awakening.
Now she knew that her Silver Eyes had first manifested at that moment, yet at the time she had no idea. All that remained of the Grimm horde was fading ash, dissipating in the smoke.
Only the Alpha had survived, though not unscathed.
The demon-looking being, known as a Baphomet, as Summer would learn many years later, suddenly screamed in intense agony as the lower part of its body was turned into stone. Its hideous bleats, coming from the massive goat skull that was its head, chilled the blood in her veins: it was a cry that sometimes still haunted her nightmares to that day.
Due to a combination of her complete inexperience with that new power, as well as the creature's power, the Baphomet was already getting free. Focused on the one who had hurt it most, the monster would have surely killed her with ease, tearing her apart with its claws or immolating her with its blazing flames. Yet, it never got the chance.
With just a single, powerful strike, the silver knight that had protected her village sliced the creature in half with his glowing longsword, crackling with strange electricity. Then, he chanted some bizarre invocations, causing white flames to erupt from his sword, which he used to incinerate the Alpha.
With the Grimm gone, both the little Summer and her adult self reliving that moment turned simultaneously their attention to their saviour.
He was no mere man, but a giant, as mighty as a living statue. His ornate armour, chiseled with golden scriptures and other mysterious icons, glowed like the moon, silver bright. In his enormous right fist, he clenched his sword, twice the length of her body. On the left, he carried a massive shield, as big as a door, covered entirely with golden letters and, at its center, with the relief of an open book stabbed by a sword.
The mighty knight turned to look at her, as he slowly removed his helmet. Summer saw an ancient face, scarred by a bleak existence filled with pain and horrors untold. Yet it was defiant, enduring when others would have broken long before.
The giant slowly approached her, each step thundering the ground. Her younger self should have felt terror and dread upon seeing something like him getting near her. However, she was strangely calm: it might be that the recent events had, momentarily, made her emotionally numb. Or perhaps, subconsciously, she had the feeling the warrior meant her no harm.
He knelt in front of her, his stern eyes showing a mix of curiosity and surprise underneath them. Those emotions were evident in his voice as well, as he began speaking to her.
She didn't remember most of what he said, lost unfortunately in the fog of distant memories. Only his last words would forever remain ingrained in her mind.
"You have a gift, child. One meant to protect mankind. Use it, and become an unbreakable shield for them, against the coming darkness. Become a blade, forged in defiance of fate."
The shouts of her fellow villagers made her turn around for a second. When she looked back, her saviour was gone, as if disappeared out of thin air. It might have seemed as if he had never been there to begin with, were it not for a small piece of evidence, marking his existence: a tiny sliver of silver, torn apart from his shield during the battle against the Grimm.
Summer opened her eyes and she was back to her daughters' room, with a sleeping Ruby curling up next to her. Her mind, however, still lingered in that distant memory.
Growing up and, especially, after becoming a huntress, she had looked everywhere for this silver knight, but to no avail. Even after joining Ozpin's circle, and learning many secret truths most people were not privy to, she still found nothing. Despite her efforts, there simply seemed to be no trace of him anywhere on Remnant.
A more cynical mind would likely question the veracity of that past event in the way she remembered it, blaming the senses of a small, traumatized child for any inaccuracies and exaggerations. Yet she knew, with absolute certainty, that the silver knight, her saviour, was real, despite everything else seemingly pointing to the contrary.
As if to reaffirm her own conviction, she took her emblem and turned it around. Behind the rose pendant, melded with the silver it was made of, there was something else: a tiny shard of some unknown material, sharing that same shade of colour.
Summer looked out the window, at the full moon in the clear sky, her thoughts going back to her upcoming mission. She could not help but wonder if the knight would come to her aid once more, if the need arose.
Then, her gaze turned to her daughter, her lips curling into a soft, warm smile that couldn't, however, hide the hint of sadness mixed in it.
No. If the worst were to happen, it would be better if he helped her loved ones, in their most dire hour of need.
Just like he had done for her.
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