Chapter 2

As she pushed a branch aside, Dahlia looked behind her at the steadily disintegrating remains of the latest group of Grimm that she and Y'sh had encountered.

"So, that's what, the fourth batch that have come for us? Is it me, or have we become a bit of a magnet?"

Y'sh looked towards her, the cast of her eyes betraying a hint of guilt. She shook her head, and closed her eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink.

"They're drawn to negative emotions, and I'm filled with them. It means that as long as I'm with you, they will keep coming for us. I'm sorry…" Her voice trailed off into silence, as she turned away.

Dahlia paused, and stepped towards her new partner. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she pulled Y'sh around to face her, a gentle smile on her face.

"So you've got some negativity, big deal. I've got a few skeletons in my closet I don't really want to see the light of day. We're probably both at fault with this, because those things really freak the crap out of me. But, I guess it's something we have to learn to deal with if we want to be Huntresses. So, how about we take a deep breath, bury all that negative stuff until we get back to school and can nestle up with a biiiiiig mug of hot chocolate and a blanket, kay?"

After a brief moment of confusion, Y'sh smiled again. "I personally prefer tea, but other than that, sounds wonderful. Let's get going." As she brushed a barely formed tear from the corner of her eye.

"Awesome, it's a date! You know the way, right? I think I can see the top of the ruined temple through the trees over there. Is that still north, or am I really turned around?"

Smiling in an attempt to keep Y'sh's mood positive, Dahlia jogged towards the hints of aged buildings that she saw. As Y'sh shook her head, she kept up her own pace, still listening for any signs of the familiar, be it Grimm, or Rust.

Rust, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up with the almost frenetic pace being set by his new partner. William seemed almost incapable of staying still for more than a few moments, and he kept bounding onwards, eager to reach the temple first. Rust had never met someone with so much energy before, and he found himself shaking his head as he fought to catch his breath.

Suddenly, William stopped at the crest of a hill. He looked back to Rust, grinning, and called back to him between his own panting gasps.

"I think we've found it!"

He pointed down in front of him, and as Rust managed to catch up, he saw that William had been right. The ruins before them seemed to be in a fallen circle, with several pedestals visible through holes in the walls.

"Think we're the first here?" the excited question burst out. Rust looked to his side, and William grinned even more toothily. "We've barely had much to fight along the way, too. Seems a little off, you know?"

Almost as if awaiting such a comment, gunfire erupted in the distance. Both of them whipped their heads around, trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. Rust realised first that the shots were rapidly approaching them, and charged towards the temple. Quickly coming to the same conclusion that the shelter of ruins is probably more safe than absolutely nothing, William followed the running Rust.

Bursting into the temple, they stopped and paused by the entryway, getting an idea of the situation as best they could. As they cast they gaze around, William spotted a number of trees apparently swaying from side to side. As he was about to draw Rust's attention to the treeline, a number of their fellow classmates broke free from the forest and started dashing for the walls. Shortly after them, came a rather sizeable Grimm, a giant black snake, and a giant white one.

"Shit, King Taijitu. Well, we're screwed." He muttered, drawing his blades. Fixing them together to form an energy bow, William stepped out into view, and called to their running classmates.

"Hey, get over here! And whatever you do, do not look back!"

"I really wish I'd loaded up some different Dust for this. Ice isn't good against something that big. Not alone."

Y'sh stepped out from the trees to see the ruined temple in the clearing before them. As Dahlia joined her, they saw the King Taijitu smash through the forest's edge chasing the students before it. Following on its heels was a band of Boarbatusks and a pack of Beowulfs. As their fleeing classmates reached the ruins, bolts of blue energy started flying out towards the approaching Grimm. As the bolts shattered against the Taijitu, clusters of ice formed and spread, doing little damage but slowing it down a little. Sadly, this only allowed the other Grimm to overtake it, speeding towards the ruins, only to be met by a lone student, not one of the earlier ones, who stopped their charge.

It was a form that she recognised, even from so far away. Rust, the brave moron. Standing up to be a shield, with nothing but his body and bracers. Something he'd done before. Something that had almost got him killed before. Something that had almost made her lose him before. Her vision clouded over, as fear swept through her heart. She didn't realise that her knees had buckled until Dahlia reached down and picked her up.

"Y'sh! Y'sh, come on! They need our help. There's no way they can handle all of that alone."

Her words seemed to be coming through a thick fog, not entirely comprehensible. Then Y'sh noticed something else. The figures of the other group of students, the ones that had drawn these Grimm towards the temple, running away on the far side of the conflict, leaving her oldest friend and his new partner behind to clean up their mess, or die trying.

Suddenly the fear was washed away with pure rage, and the fog lifted. She stood, looked at Dahlia and dashed towards the rushing Grimm. Dahlia, for her part, was a little confused as to what had just happened with her partner, but shook her head and followed as quickly as she could.

Rust grunted as a Boarbatusk impacted against his crossed arms, driving him back a step. Throwing his arms wide again, he launched the Grimm back just far enough that William could pin it with a shot from his bow. As it crumbled away, he saw a flash of black and white lunging from his right. He knew he didn't have time to adjust his stance, recover his balance enough to not take the hit. He gritted his teeth, braced for the bite.

"Blossom, scatter!"

In a flurry of petals, the approaching Beowulf split down the middle, before exploding. Hearing the familiar voice, he smiled in relief. She always managed to show up at the exact right time. He knew he would probably catch hell for needing her to rescue him again later, but for now he was just glad to see Y'sh again. Side by side, the two stared down the next Grimm to reach them. Not one made it past in fewer than three pieces, and the group behind them burst into electrified ice as a massive power chord erupted behind them.

Rust looked back, confused, whilst Y'sh smiled. She then grabbed Rust by the shoulder and dashed back to the ruins, dragging him with her. Crossing the threshold, she nodded at the now smiling William, who kept firing arrow after arrow through the doorway at the Taijitu in the distance.

"Nice of you to join the party! Hopefully you stick around longer than our last guests, especially since they brought all these gatecrashers with them."

Rolling her eyes at the poor attempt at a joke, Y'sh turned to Dahlia. "Care to grab a relic for us?"

Dahlia blinked, surprised at the question. "You're trusting me to choose?"

"Why not? You've already shown me I can trust you to watch my back, ridiculous guitar aside. I daresay I can trust you with picking up a relic."

William nodded towards Rust. "Same here. Go grab one for us whilst me and Petals here keep the beasties busy."

Seeing Y'sh's expression tighten at the apparent new nickname she'd been given, Rust hurried after Dahlia towards the pedestals. Unfortunately…

"Not really much of a choice, is there." Said Dahlia, eyeing the two pedestals left with an item atop. "Either white tile with a green drawing," she picked one up, "or white tile with a green drawing. Which one do you want?" She shoved them both towards Rust.

Rust reached towards the one in Dahlia's left hand, only for her to withdraw it, smirking.

"Not that one, I got dibs!" she yelled, grinning. Giving Rust the one in her right hand, she dashed back to the doorway that William and Y'sh had been holding. Whilst they hadn't been pushed back, and none of the Grimm had managed to get past, there were still more being drawn into the fight, as the King Taijitu at the back started to thaw. Rust stepped up behind them, and placed his hand on Y'sh's shoulder.

"Centre yourself. You're bringing more in. You're not alone, we're right here with you. I'm right here."

His murmured words managed to get through Y'sh's fear and rage, cutting clean to calm herself down. As her eyes regained their focus, she looked back at the gathered three behind her. Nodding to her friend, she took a calming breath, and smiled.

"So, anyone got a brilliant plan to get us out of here alive?" she whispered back to them. William looked around, and grinned.

"If you guys are willing to share what your Semblances can do, I just might…"