Platina meandered through the school slowly and meticulously. She stopped and checked every corner she could: hallways, lounges, bathrooms, and the like. She couldn't find her teammate anywhere. She sighed deeply to herself as her worry grew. Eventually, she decided to check outside for a second time.
"I should go further from the school grounds this time around." She thought to herself. "She probably needs way fewer people around when she needs to breathe."
She wandered to the outer limits of the school's land. Past a group of trees and a sidewalk, she saw a small pond area that had a few benches that overlooked the scenery; a perfect place to do some reflection. She saw a figure sitting at one of the benches and swiftly advanced towards them, a feeling of hope creeping into her heart. As she drew closer, the details of the figure came into focus. She recognized the man's dark green jacket and unique black hair that faded into white. Professor Myrtle broke off a piece of bread from a loaf that he held in his hands.
"Is he feeding ducks?" She paused for a second, somewhat surprised to see him. She shook her head and approached him.
"Professor Myrtle!" She called to him and waved. He turned around in his seat and smiled when he saw her.
"Oh, Platina, good to see you!" He greeted her. As she came closer, he turned and threw a piece of bread. A mallard quickly swam closer and took the offering into its mouth. "Did you come down here for some fresh air? Beacon can be nice and peaceful if you know the right spots."
"Well, actually..." Tina hesitated for a moment, "have you seen Tiffany around?"
"Yeah, I did just a moment ago. We talked for a little bit before she took off." He gazed up at her with a slightly concerned look. "Is everything okay?"
"Um...yes, everything's fine." Her face turned slightly red. "We just lost sight of her is all."
"You had a fight with her, didn't you?" His tone sounded slightly downcast.
"Is that how she described it?" Her voice cracked as she felt a small sting of regret in her heart. "She's definitely not happy with me. Did she tell you anything about it?"
"Nope, I'm just putting it all together myself." He explained. "I can tell when something is bothering her. She ran away before things could be talked through, didn't she?"
"Yeah..." She confirmed, "I think I scared her. I didn't mean to, but she booked it before I got a word out. I get the feeling she isn't going to want to talk to me."
"Tiffany's a very non-confrontational person." He shook his head, his downcast expression matching his tone. "Most of the time, she likes to think the best way to handle her problems is to run and hide from them."
"I know," Platina sighed in agreeance.
"Even more than that, she's compassionate and empathetic; as long as you explain to her where you're coming from, she'll understand." He mustered a smile for Tina. Something about the warmth of his words lifted her spirits slightly.
"Thanks for the reassurance, Professor." She smiled back. "Any idea where I can find her?"
"Honestly, she loves to spend money. She gets this crazy allowance from her folks, and shopping sprees always cheer her up." He laughed.
"She mentioned she needed Dust earlier today." Her eyes widened and glowed with a hopeful light.
"Then she's probably in the city right now." He pointed behind them and past the school. "At the edge of the cliff, they have an easy way to get into town. Look around the Commercial District for her."
"Thanks, Professor!" She cheered as she turned away.
She marched forward and eventually reached the edge of the cliff. Just as the professor said, there was a station where people lined up and entered boxed rooms attached to cables that lowered into the city below.
"Woah, a cable car?" Platina gasped.
She tapped her feet impatiently as she waited in line. Eventually, she was able to step into the cable car; shifting through the cramped interior and making perches in a corner. Mechanical whirring accompanied the jolt of the gondola lift being put into motion. Slowly, it crawled down the cord and lowered into the city.
Platina gazed out the window and helped herself to the incredible view; the city was cleaved into thirds by a long river that flowed from the ocean. The section below her was a bustling marketplace rich in commerce and trade, which seemed totally unlike the financially bankrupt lower levels of Mistral. Between the fork in the river was a tightly built residential district that reminded Tina of a village you would read about in a fairy tale. The southernmost district was a wide arc of cultivated farmland and agricultural estate. She could barely make out the shape of an island far from the shore.
"That must be Patch." Platina recalled May's details of where she was from.
The cable car settled on the ground of the Commercial District and the doors hissed quietly as they parted. The crowd funneled out of the lift and dispersed into the city. Platina felt small as larger bodies bumped her around on the way out. Once everyone left the station, she broke off from the group and took a moment to breathe. Once the air washed away her cluttered thoughts, she bounced up and ventured deeper into the city.
"Alright, Dust shops, Dust shops..." Platina muttered to herself as she moved through the streets and scanned all of the signs hanging on the buildings.
After a short while of searching, her eyes darted towards an eye-catching banner strung atop a crowded store. The white fabric read "Newly Re-Opened", and just above it golden lettering spelled out "From Dust Till Dawn" on the white marble building.
"That's perfect! She had to have gone there!" Platina pieced together her conclusion excitedly.
She rushed forward and squeezed through a few groups of people before pushing open the glass doors of the establishment. The interior was filled with costumers inspecting all sorts of Dust products, mostly either refined Dust crystals or Dust-powered firearm ammunition.
Platina placed herself at the side of the room and surveyed all the customers. At even a small glance she could tell they were almost all students from the different academies. Despite this, she didn't recognize anyone from Haven Academy, and Tiffany was not in the store.
"It has been a while, maybe she came here and left already." She pondered.
"Excuse me, Miss." A creaky voice sounded off behind her.
She jumped slightly and nervously glanced behind her. Her eye caught sight of an elderly man with white hair the stuck out on all sides; the tag that was clipped on his red apron denoted him as the shopkeeper. His wrinkled skin kept his eyes shut and formed a polite grin on his face.
"Is there anything I can help you find." The shopkeeper asked.
"Oh, um, n-no, I'm just looking." Tina laughed anxiously. "It's a nice place you run here."
"Why, thank you." He smiled at her. "I'm glad repairs managed to be completed by the time all you students arrived."
"Repairs?" She tilted her head. "What happened to your shop?"
The man lowered his already lowered gaze and sighed, "Some gang of ruffians tried to rob the place; they ended up messing with the wrong customer and it turned into a fight."
"Gang of ruffians?" Platina repeated in her mind. "He couldn't mean..?"
"Hey, what were these people who were robbing you like?" She blurted out, and the man gave her a quizzical look in response. "N-not to like pry or be weird or anything! I'm just...really interested in true crime, that's all!" She stuttered through her explanation and ended it with a bit of forced laughter.
"It was a group led by a local thug named Roman Torchwick. He was chased off by a Huntress and the police say they're on his tail. Hopefully means you'll see his mugshot on the news soon." He explained with a deep sigh.
Platina mentally breathed a sigh of relief at the clarification. "It would have been nice to know that Lazurite was here already, but I have other things to focus on."
"Well, I'm glad your shop is as good as new." She gave him a smile. "So, uh...you didn't happen to see a girl about yay high with green hair come into here, did you? I'm kinda looking for her right now." She raised her hand up to indicate how tall Tiffany was. The shopkeep's expression perked up a little with recognition.
"Oh, are you a friend of the kind lady who saved me from a broken back earlier?" He smiled excitedly and laughed. Platina's eyes lit up with hope from his words.
"So you really saw her?" Her gaze started to resemble that of an excited dog's.
"Seems so; young lady wearing expensive-looking clothing?"
"That sounds like her!" She cheered in her thoughts.
"Darker complexion and red eyes?"
"That sounds nothing like her..." Gloom visibly cast a shadow on her.
"She asked for directions to a place called 'Tukson's Book Trade'." The shopkeeper finished as he nodded his head.
"Sorry, I don't think that's the right person." Platina sighed and slouched a little. Her face perked up suddenly as a thought came across her mind.
"Book Trade, huh? Tiffany is kind of introverted...and definitely smart." She put her fist into the palm of her other hand as she fit the puzzle pieces together in her brain. "That might be just the place I need to look! Score one for Platina Steel, Ace Detective!"
"Hey, where was that Book Trade place? It sounds interesting." She asked the old man.
"It's just down the street." He pointed down the street. "You'll pass by a café on your way there."
"Thank you!" She beamed him a smile before turning away and leaving his store.
She ran down the street and weaved in between small clusters of people as she kept an eye out for her destination. After a short time of running down the street, she spotted a sign hanging off a building that resembled a coffee mug with steam rising out of the top. As she dashed passed the building, her eyes caught sight of something familiar. She planted her boot into the ground and skidded to a halt. She took a few steps back and gazed into the patio area of the café.
At a white, round table sat a girl with hair that was the very most pale shade of green, glistening emerald eyes, and wearing a casual outfit of green and white. At either side of her there were large shopping bags, and she was nibbling on a breakfast flatbread in front of her.
Platina felt like there was a bowling ball inside of her stomach. Taking a deep breath didn't seem to help, and she stumbled forward in an awkward, unbalanced way. Tiffany caught notice of her just as she was only a few steps away. Tina stopped her approach and the two glanced at each other in uneasy silence.
"H-hey..." Platina said quietly as she grasped her arm.
"Hi..." Tiffany avoided eye contact.
"L-listen, I understand why you feel the way you do." Platina sighed loudly.
"No, I'm sorry, you don't deserve to be treated this way!" Tiffany perked up and spoke with a stern tone, as if she were scolding herself with the comment.
"It's okay, really...this is how it's been most of my life, at this point." She conceded. The two shared a soul-crushing moment of awkward silence before Tina continued.
"I've had this feeling all day that something was wrong. Were...you just being nice to me to keep me happy?" She asked. "So the Grimm didn't show through?"
Tiffany flinched, and the regretful expression on her face showed she knew she was seen through. "I wish I could deny that completely..."
"I don't blame you, Tiffany. I know my situation is weird and scary."
"But that's not on you." She insisted. "Can I...explain myself?"
"Can I sit down?" Tina asked with a weak smile. Tiffany simply nodded in response, and she gently sat down. Her friend sighed before beginning.
"Listen...it's embarrassing for me to say as a Huntress, but...the creatures of Grimm terrify me." She admitted, her cheeks turning slightly red.
"...They do?" Platina gasped softly.
"Yeah...I managed to put on a brave face when you had told us everything." She shook her head slowly. "I guess my resolve wasn't enough to last long. I'm sorry."
"Why would you want to be a Huntress, then?"
"To protect people from the Grimm. That's all I've ever wanted ever since I began my training. Arsenic is the main reason for that passion."
As she recalled the tale her her friend, the world around them materialized into a scene from long ago. Within an expansive manor, huddled in a corner of a lavish living room, a young Tiffany sat by herself with her nose tucked into a fantasy novel. The hero of the story was actively protecting powerless countrymen from the creatures of Grimm.
"How dull..." Tiffany thought to herself with a sigh, "are the Grimm even a threat to anyone anymore? I don't remember the last time I heard of anyone being attacked by one."
She gazed at the dining room entrance, where she knew her parents were dwelling. A stranger had just arrived at their doorstep, and they were discussing something with the man. Though she hadn't heard it at the time, the conversation they were having would change the trajectory of her life.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Arsenic." Tiffany's mom bowed slightly.
"Yeah, of course Bianca. What's the situation looking like?" He asked as he leaned on the counter. Tiffany's father stepped up to him.
"The Grimm have been pushing much closer to the house than what we're comfortable with. Even so high up on this plateau, and even with the forest enshrouding us, a few flying Grimm have been showing up more and more frequently. We'd rather not tell Tiffany, as it would cause her to worry, which of course would worsen things."
"That's understandable, I'll keep it on the down-low for you." Arsenic nodded his head. "Do you know what's drawing them in?"
"Drawing them in?" Bianca repeated. "I had assumed they're just wandering mindlessly, no?"
"That's not likely, the Grimm are attracted to negativity by nature. Is something happening that's stressing any of you out?"
The couple stood silent for a moment. The mother shifted uncomfortably while the husband tensed up. A look of both frustration and disgust swept across his face. His emerald eyes sharpened, and had he been any more animated with his expressions, a vein might have actually popped on his forehead.
"I'm trying to close a deal with the Schnee Dust Company." He said in a low growl. "We're pushing for a collaboration; the revival of Dust-infused clothing for Huntsmen. We came so close to an arrangement but then...the White Fang attacked a train of Schnee's that was shipping us that Dust. Now Schnee is reluctant to settle, and the more active the White Fang becomes, the more likely it is that this will fall through. It's all the fault of those damn terrorists!"
"Rosso, sweetie, calm down." The mother cooed quietly as she rubbed her husband's arm. With a deep breath, his red face faded to its normal hue.
"It's going to be okay, Uncle." Arsenic reassured. "The first step to protecting your family is to be calm. The Grimm are like moths to a flame when it comes to those feelings."
"I know," he said, "it's just so very difficult considering the circumstances."
"Mom, I want to play in the yard again!" Tiffany whined from the other room.
"Not now sweetie, read your book, alright?"
"Fine..." Tiffany muttered as she reluctantly covered her face with the novel once more.
"Uncle, if you want to put an end to this, I need you to listen carefully to me." He locked eyes with the aging man and gave him a dead serious look. "Let go. You need to make peace with the fact that you might not make this deal. Life will go on regardless of whether this happens. For your daughter's sake, let go."
"...Surely that's not all; that alone won't stop the Grimm that are already here." He responded in a quiet, argumentative manner.
"Well," Arsenic turned away from the two, "that's why you called me."
He walked into the next room and began heading towards the outside door. As he began gathering his things, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned towards the presence he felt behind him. Peeking around a corner was a little girl; looking no older than 13. Her short hair was a pale mint color that appeared white in the reflecting light, just like her mother's. Her eyes were a much deeper shade of green and shined brilliantly as if they were gemstones. Her face bore curiosity aimed at him, but much deeper he could detect ennui.
"So this is his kid, huh?" Arsenic thought to himself. "I suppose I should make sure she doesn't think anything's wrong."
"Hello." He said with a smile. "You must be Tiffany."
"I've never seen you here before." She stated plainly.
"I don't visit here often." He explained. "I'm related to your dad's side of the family. I'm your cousin."
"Eh..." the young girl sighed, "what kind of person brings a gun into their uncle's house?"
Arsenic gripped the rifle he held at his side a bit tighter than before. He stowed it away and cleared his throat.
"It's...part of my work."
"You're a Huntsman?"
"How perceptive of you. Don't worry, I'm not here on any Huntsman business. I'm just here to visit." He reassured her.
"I assumed that was the case." The girl brushed off his comment.
"You did?"
"What would you even be here for? We don't have Grimm up here, and even if we did, I doubt it would be a problem."
"It sounds like you're very brave if the Grimm don't scare you." He laughed softly. "You're lucky; you don't have anything to worry about."
The little girl just stared at Arsenic awkwardly. He pushed himself to his feet and slapped the dust from his outfit.
"I must be going now. It was nice to meet you, Tiffany." He hefted his belongings onto his back and stepped outside of the house.
As the door closed behind him, Tiffany let out a bored sigh and retreated back to the living room. She flopped down on the sofa she had been sitting on and stared at the ceiling above her. Her gaze wandered around the room; eventually landing on the window that led to the outside world.
She stared blankly into the doorway to the dining room, where her parents were still conversing amongst themselves. She jumped up and quietly made her way to the house's back door. She turned the lock, gently creaked the door open, and stepped into the backyard; eventually approaching a line of trees with a dirt path that led deep into the forest.
As Tiffany stepped along the path, she remembered how she used to play here as a child. She imagined herself as a princess on a diplomatic mission to another kingdom. She used to turn back and smile at her royal escorts, that is, her parents. She gazed behind her and reminisced on the days that her parents would join her on her escapades.
Tiffany climbed over the fallen tree and continued down the path. As she marched on, a flickering emanation in the distance revealed itself to her. It resembled a flame, though instead of burning red, it was a deep black that dimmed the area around it. For a second, Tiffany thought she heard a sound of a child's giggle come from it. It felt like it was alive, somehow. The strange floating fire ducked behind a tree and gently began levitating away from her. For some odd reason, she felt compelled to follow.
"Hey, wait for me!" Tiffany called to it.
She chased after it; a strange curiosity filled her heart to the brim. She laughed along with it as she weaved between trees to catch up. She entered a clearing in the forest, and suddenly the wisp was gone. All that was left behind was the echoing childish giggles that were slowly fading. Tiffany looked around and found herself alone and lost in the forest.
In her search for that strange entity, she gazed skyward; thinking the creature might have floated away like a balloon. She hadn't searched even two seconds before her focus jolted to a massive bird perched atop a tree. It had long, black feathers that formed a sort of cloak around it, and it stood nearly as tall as an adult. Its head slowly spun around, rotating independently from its body, until it was looking straight at the young girl. Two beady red eyes stared at her from pitch black sockets that sunk inwards on its round, porcelain mask. Its short, pointed beak opened to reveal a gaping maw, the likes of which seemed like a hole that would swallow anyone who would fall in. The beast let out a blood-curdling screech as it spread its wings and fell from the tree, diving towards Tiffany.
Tiffany found that her body was frozen in fear. As much as she wanted to scream and run, something restricted her movement and kept her paralyzed. As the Grimm reached out with its talons to slash at her, she found the tiniest drop of strength that she needed to throw herself to the ground, out of the way of the diving attack.
She scrambled to her feet and began running away from the Grimm, not even taking notice that she badly scraped her arms during her fall. Her heavy panting and even heavier footfalls were drowned out by the air beating against the ebony wings of the creature. She felt as though at any moment the blade-like claws could spear her body or pin her down.
"Somebody, please help me!" She cried out into the isolated forest, desperately hoping someone could hear her. "Mom! Dad!"
With another ear-splitting screech, the Grimm lunged towards her with outstretched talons. She threw herself to the side, and the razors slashed across her jacket; missing the chance to spill her blood by just a hair.
Tiffany saw a hollow log just a few steps away from her, and the thought came across her mind that she could hide in the husk of the toppled tree. She scuttled across the ground and squeezed herself into the wooden tunnel. The tight chamber echoed her panicked breathing, and it felt like her hiding spot was slowly tightening around her. She shut her eyes and covered her ears tightly; praying that she was in a nightmare and that she would soon wake up.
The rotten wood jolted suddenly, and she felt the creature's claws penetrate the sarcophagus she was hiding inside. She couldn't help but to let out a high-pitched shriek of terror. With a mighty beating of its wings, the Grimm slowly lifted the log into the air. Her hiding spot tipped to one side and the little girl tumbled out; falling a short distance and hitting the ground.
The demonic owl tossed the log to the side as it kept itself aloft. The small, red eyes struck true fear into the girl. Tears fell from her eyes as she silently looked up at the monster. The bird let itself plummet towards its prey as it moved in for the kill. Tiffany hid her face with her arms in one final attempt to protect herself.
At first, she thought the blackness had meant that her life had been taken from her, but she had not felt any pain yet. A tangled mesh of red revealed itself in the darkness of her vision. Her eyes creeped open. It was as if the whole world had slowed down around her. The creature was still intent on killing her, but its motion was sluggish. Its presence was even more noticeable than before, but not in a threatening way; it was as if the red splotch was warning her of danger.
She pushed up on her knee, only to find that it felt like she was moving through molasses. She dived away from the attack, and the bird barely missed her once more. Suddenly, time resumed, and the loud crash of the bird hitting the ground was followed by Tiffany's grunts as she did the same.
She sat up and stared at the beast as it struggled to regain its composure. It beat its wings against the air as it attempted to stand up. She jumped to her feet and ran behind a tree to hide. She sat there for a moment and tried to quell her panicked breathing.
Again, the same strange phenomenon began to happen. As if her gaze was piercing the bark of the tree, a tangled mesh of black and red energy appeared to her. She could hear the beast screech once more, but it was as if it were a recording that had been slowed down. She saw the form of the Grimm slowly rise into the air, and she paced around the tree to avoid its sight. The black form faded from her sight and her perception of time returned to normal.
"Why can I see it like this?" She thought to herself. "What's happening to me?"
The Grimm let out one final screech, and suddenly the woods around her went silent. If anyone were around to drop a pin, she would hear it. She sat there for a long while trying to swallow the frog in her throat. She tried for a moment to muster whatever power she claimed. She opened her eyes as wide as she could, then she strained her face so hard a vein on her forehead nearly popped, and then she squinted for a long while; none of her attempts changed anything.
"I can't control this..." She realized. "I don't hear it though...it must be gone by now."
She peered around her cover and gazed up at where she last saw the Grimm. She expected to find it staring down at her, but instead she saw its perch was empty. She searched the surrounding treetops, but she found no trace of it. Slowly, she shuffled over to the next tree and hid behind it.
"The path..." She whispered. She stuck her head out again and scanned through the maze of trees. "Where's the path?"
Everything about her surroundings started to mesh together. All around her, she saw nothing but dark green treetops casting shadows that blotted out the sun and fog enshrouding the foliage-covered ground. She bent down and hunkered into a deep squat as her world began to spin out of control.
"I'm lost," her thoughts grew louder and flooded her mind, "I'm...I'm gonna die out here."
She covered her ears and tightly shut her eyes; tears breached the floodgates and began to stream down her face. She felt a stinging pain in her heart as she wept. The swirling darkness of her vision crept its way into her mind until she thought and rationalized no more; all she felt in her heart was fear.
In the seemingly endless darkness, two floating streaks of light swam out of the shadow and took vague shapes in her vision. One was a light pastel green that was just a little more saturated than her own hair was, and the other was a bright shade of white. For some reason, the glowing lights seemed to radiate some sort of comforting warmth. Her stream of tears broke off as she freed her ears and opened her eyes.
"Mom and Dad..." She whispered.
Slowly, the lights faded away, but not before acting as a beacon and showing her the path forward. She wiped her tears from her face and shakily rose to her feet. One final, deep breath restored her resolve, and she took the first step forward. She travelled with light paces; crouching in between cover as she tried to keep herself out of sight.
Even with her newfound determination, she still could feel a pair of eyes on her. She constantly glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing. Every so often she swore she felt something breath down her neck. She'd shudder and spin around, but the forest was empty. Even as she marched forward, she found it impossible to shake the fear.
She wandered the forest for what seemed like forever, but finally, from atop a large hill, she saw the path that led home. Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but to let out a joyful laugh. She began running down the hill, thinking about how big of a hug she would give her parents when she got home.
Suddenly, her footfalls slowed and the falling leaves around her came to a near halt. Her eyes slowly widened as terror set in like a set of claws.
"I didn't hear...I didn't feel anything." She thought as she began turning around.
Silent. Concealed. Hidden. The Grimm had been quietly stalking her, and now, just inches away from escape, it was cutting through the air and spinning towards her. It unraveled its umbral wings and reached out with its bleached claws. The two sets of curved blades clasped around Tiffany, cutting into her skin and caging her movements.
As time's flow returned to normal, Tiffany felt herself let out a pained shriek, but no sound escaped her throat. The Grimm lifted her into the air before throwing her body into the ground; crashing on the earth and tumbling through the dirt. She laid there for a second, letting out faint cries of pain, before she gathered what little strength she had left and pushed herself onto all fours. She weakly gawked at her attacker. It flapped its large, feathered wings as it hovered in place; an eerie silence in place of the deafening thrashing of its ailerons.
"It's...not making any sound at all..." Tiffany realized.
She tried to push herself to her feet, but her vision instantly went blurry and a weakness dragged her to the ground. Tears once again streamed down her cheek as her eyelids faltered. The blurred image of the owl rose higher into the air, then in a graceful, silent dance plunged towards its prey. Tiffany closed her eyes and made one final bid that a miracle would save her.
Her newfound power did not activate. She expected to be killed right then and there. Soon the claws would pierce into her body and carry her soul away. She waited, but nothing skewered her, and no stabbing pain took her life. Her eyes fluttered open.
The creature was gone; absolutely nowhere to be seen. The silence it had conjured was replaced by the light ambiance of the forest. She saw a new figure in front of her, just slightly off to her left. Humanoid in shape, it wore a long coat and had a tuft of black and white hair standing up above the collar. Its head turned and revealed the face of a man with a chiseled jawline and sharp, silver eyes that seemed to strangely glow. He opened his mouth to say something, but his words came out muddled, like he was speaking underwater. Her vision faded into darkness and she felt herself fall into a void of nothingness.
Eventually, light filled her vision as her senses returned to her. She was being carried by a man trudging down a familiar forest path. The tight embrace she was curled into was also warm and gentle; there was a clear effort to not disturb her wounds. She looked up at the face of the one carrying her, and she recognized him as her newly discovered cousin.
"What...happened?" She weakly croaked. Arsenic looked down at her with a face of worry.
"Don't talk." He ordered through his breath. "You need to save your strength."
"The bird..." Tiffany ignored him and continued, "where is it?"
"It's gone. No need to worry." Arsenic reassured her.
A faint smile crept across Tiffany's face as she closed her eyes. She slipped in and out of consciousness as Arsenic ran to the house. Tiffany vaguely remembered her mother's cry when she saw the state she was in. She thought she heard her father screaming in question of what happened, followed closely by her being carried up a set of stairs. She had a flash of the house's maid hovering over her and tending to her wounds.
She slept for a long while; the setting sun broke into her window and woke her. She sat up in her bed and gazed around her vacant room. She felt around her arms and body, making note of all the bandages wrapped around her. A little bit of her strength had returned to her, and she managed to rise to her feet and make her way to her door. She threw it open and wandered downstairs.
As she descended to the ground floor and the living room came into view, she saw several people all sitting together with looks of worry. Her father placed his hands on his chin while her mother clutched his arm gently. Their maid, a white-haired woman named Noel, was serving tea to the family, while the butler, a young man named Jet, seemed to be preparing a hot towel. The silver gaze of her savior met her stare the second she came into view. The shift in his gaze brought everyone else's attention to the young girl. Tiffany stepped forward, gripped the hem of her shirt, and looked at the ground. Her father opened his mouth to speak, but in a quick, sharp voice she interrupted.
"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I shouldn't have snuck out! I know you're all mad...I'm sorry..." Her body quivered as she apologized.
Her father rose from his seat and marched towards her. He knelt down and pulled Tiffany into a hug.
"We're not angry, Tiffany." He said gently. "More than anything, we're all overjoyed you're safe now."
"It's not your fault dear," Noel shook her head, "Lady Bianca tasked me with watching the doors and windows. I don't know how I let you sneak past me."
"If we're playing the blame game, it's me who's at fault. I should have been watching her." Jet pushed his black hair back and held his head for a moment with a pained expression. "I'm sorry. I failed all of you."
"It does no good for anyone to take on the blame themselves." Bianca chimed in from the sidelines.
"If anyone is to blame, it's your mother and I." Rosso stood back up. "Perhaps we should have been honest from the start, then none of this would have happened."
"Tiffany..." Her mom stepped up to her and her dad. "The truth is...our home is being threatened."
Tiffany looked up at her and shook her head. "There's Grimm here...something led me away from the forest path, and this bird attacked me..." She spoke softly.
"From the sounds of it, it could be a creature of Grimm called the Wisp." The Huntsman sighed. "Its sole purpose is to lead children away from safety and to other Grimm. The flying one was called the Athenoct; it's an especially deadly hunter. Among folklorists, it's earned the nickname 'Silence in Shadow' for its ability to erase any and all sound around it."
"There's nothing to worry about; Arsenic is here to get rid of them." Her mother replied.
"Your little girl is lucky to be alive." Arsenic said in a low tone. "I have no idea how she managed to survive out there".
A moment of silence passed before Tiffany answered.
"When I ran into it, something weird happened to me." She began slowly. "I could see it even if I wasn't looking at it...and time felt really weird."
"It must have been all that adrenaline pumping through you." Her father chuckled and rubbed her hair into a mess. "We should thank our lucky stars for that."
Tiffany looked up at her father; just beyond his wrinkled smile a whirl of black and red began to form in her vision. Though it seemed far away, the feeling of claws wrapping around her torso suddenly ricocheted in her mind. She slowly fell to the ground as she gawked in the direction of the approaching phantom.
"Tiffany?" Her father's worried cry was slowed as he sluggishly knelt to her side, "Tiffany, what's wrong?!"
"It's here..." She whispered.
The chilling silence seemed like an eternity to the young girl, and as a haunting screech broke the air, her vision returned to normal. Everyone flicked their heads up to the roof as the cry flew overhead. The adults waited with bated breath, but whatever had flew over them had passed.
A sharp pain erupted just behind the young girl's eyes; she let out a pained groan and grasped at one of her eyes to try and halt the pain. As her parents crowded around her, Arsenic stared at the young girl from the sidelines.
"Uncle, that wasn't the adrenaline that she was talking about." He knelt down and stared into Tiffany's eyes from a distance.
"How do you mean?" He glanced back at Arsenic along with Tiffany.
"Your daughter has unlocked her Semblance." Arsenic answered.
"My what?" Tiffany asked in a confused, childlike manner.
"It's a power fueled by someone's Aura. Normally, it's unlocked by training and hard work, but sometimes emotional stress or trauma will do the trick." Arsenic muttered as he placed a hand on his chin.
"What does this mean for her?" Her mother asked curiously.
"Probably nothing; ordinary people unlock their Semblances all the time. She'll go through a normal life with a fancy power. Either way..." He rose to his feet and lugged his rifle onto his shoulders. "We can discuss it later. I'm going hunting."
His heavy footfalls echoed through the living room as he made his leave. Just before he marched into the foyer, he turned his head and glared at the little girl.
"Stay put this time. I mean it." He said with a somewhat scary scowl.
The chiming of the grandfather clock marked how long the Huntsman was gone. The front door creaked open well after the midnight hour, at a time when Tiffany had already fallen asleep on her mother's lap in the living room. Early the next morning, as Noel served a hearty breakfast she prepared for Arsenic, the Huntsman once again felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned and met his gaze with Tiffany, who was watching him from around a corner. As soon as he looked at her, she jolted away in a nervous manner. Not too much later, as he prepared to head out a second time to fend off the Grimm, he caught Tiffany spying on him again, and she fled once she was noticed. When he had returned from his second hunt, Tiffany's watchful eye was again on him, but she did not approach. Finally, when Arsenic was resting in the guest room, Tiffany found her way into the doorway, this time backed by her mother. She stared up at her parent and she received a nod of approval. The two of them slowly advanced towards their guardian.
"I'm sorry to bother you Arsenic," Bianca started, "but Tiffany had something she wanted to say."
Arsenic looked up at the girl expectantly as she slowly approached. She kept her eyes low and nervously shifted before she began.
"I wanted to thank you for saving me." She gave a shy smile. "I don't think I'd be here without you."
The dark expression that had covered his face since rescuing Tiffany faded away, and the Huntsman managed to smile back at the little girl. He sat up as he gave his reply.
"Of course, Tiffany. I'm glad that you're safe." He said warmly.
Tiffany's expression brightened at the response. "Well, um, I also had a question."
"What's up?" He asked.
"Do lots of Huntsmen have Semblances?" She asked with a little sparkle in her eyes.
"It's pretty much a requirement." He sighed as he reached for his glass of water, "Without one, a Huntsman would be hard-pressed to be very successful."
"Cool..." She stared up at him with a look of wonder. "So when do I start my Huntress training?"
His drink barely touched his lips before a spit take sprayed it everywhere in front of him. He choked for a second as he reeled from the question.
"What?!" He asked through a coughing fit as he shot a glare their way.
"I want to be a Huntress!" Tiffany said excitedly through a giggle. "Now that I have a Semblance, I think it would be fun! I figured as much as you should be my teacher, considering everything that happened. You'll teach me everything you know, won't you?"
"No, Hell no!" He half-shouted as he waved his hand like he was wiping away the idea. The two stepped back, startled at the outburst.
"What? Why not?!" Tiffany was taken aback and had a look of shock on her face.
"Arsenic, sweetie-" Tiffany's mother started, but the Huntsman abruptly cut her off.
"Don't do that!" His voice took on a more aggressive tone as he rose from the sofa. "Believe me, you do not want her doing what I do. I'm surprised you're not opposing this, especially after what she just went through."
Her mother's stance was equally as uneasy as her stare. "Honestly...I was worried sick when she brought it up to me. I still feel that way, but it seems like she really found a passion after you saved her. She tried to stay up all night last night to ask you when you got back." She gave a short chuckle as she continued. "Tiffany's a stubborn little girl, so she's going to be very determined to follow this path in life now."
"This isn't a good path for her." He shook his head. "First of all, she is way too young to be a Huntress."
"That just means you have time to train me!" Her declaration interrupted Arsenic's objections.
"Yeah, well that's not the only reason, kid." He turned his fuming attention towards her. "Listen to me, it's not very hard to see that those Grimm out there scare the crap out of you."
The mere mention of the Grimm stunned the little girl as a creeping feeling was felt over her shoulder. The Huntsman eyed the subtle reactions of fear in her body language.
"I'm not going to let you throw your life away fighting something you have no business being around; let alone things that put so much fear in your heart. Anyone this afraid of them shouldn't be a Huntress." His voice gradually grew softer as he retreated back to the sofa.
Tiffany looked down at the ground and balled her hands into fists. Her eyes widened as mixed feelings of desperation and terror swept through her mind.
"If...if I weren't afraid of those monsters..." she whimpered, "you would train me?"
"You would have to be insanely lucky for me to do that." He answered. "Even if you weren't afraid, it would still be a huge maybe on my end."
He sighed deeply as he turned his face away from the two girls. He breathed steadily to regain a sense of composure before continuing on.
"I'm sorry that I gave you the wrong impression about things. The life of a Huntsman isn't just glory, being the hero, going on adventures, and having fun. It's so dangerous it's not even funny. A kid like you would die for sure."
He placed his hand on the rifle that lay at his side. He entered a trance for a moment where his thousand yard stare seemed to pierce the walls of the room around them. He shook his head and returned his attention to the two of them.
"There's only one Grimm left. I'm going to head out soon and put an end to this." His grip around his weapon tightened, "Then I'll leave this plateau." Tiffany's eyes jittered slightly at the comment of him leaving.
"Noel is almost done preparing dinner. You should eat with us and restore your strength beforehand." Bianca offered in a soft timbre.
She tugged at her child's shirt and ushered her away from the guest room. As they traveled down the hallway, she looked down at the tears welling up in Tiffany's eyes.
"I'm sorry, sweetie." She said in a soothing resonance. "I know you wanted it so badly."
"I just want to be like him..." Tiffany pouted quietly.
"He might be right though," her mother replied, "he's been doing this for 15 years now. He probably knows best. Maybe it is too dangerous."
They rounded the corner and came to the entrance of the dining room, where Noel was putting the finishing touches on the meal and Jet was setting the table for the family. Bianca knelt down and brushed Tiffany's hair out of her eyes.
"It'll be okay, sweetie. Go get washed up for dinner, okay?" She gave her daughter a quick kiss on her forehead.
Tiffany turned without a word and started towards the washroom. As she approached, Arsenic came towards her, but he avoided eye contact as he moved passed her and to the dining room. Tiffany paused in the middle of the hallway.
"If I don't get over my fear..." The thought repeated in her mind over and over, "I can't become a Huntress."
As if her body moved on her own, she moved past the washroom and retraced her steps back to the guest room. Arsenic's belongings were all gathered by the bed; his rifle was resting on top of a small black container with a latch on it. She mindlessly approached the bed and took his rifle into her hands. It was heavier than she expected and she accidentally let it drag itself to the ground. As her mind was wishing for something lighter, her hand hovered over the black case, as if it knew already what would be inside. She clicked open the latches and slowly raised the top. A small, carbon steel pistol was snuggly tucked away in the indentations of the case's interior. She plucked it out and took it into her hands; weighing the much lighter object. She took a magazine filled with Dust ammunition and exited the room.
Sneakily making her way to the back of the house, she once again unlocked the door leading to the outside and slipped out. She contemplated her actions for a moment as she held on to the door. Her mind raced against her beating heart to see which would make her feet move first. The dread in her heart pushed back against her newfound desire to somehow capture the attention of a Huntsman. She clutched the stolen weapon tightly, took in a sharp inhale, and slammed the back door.
As she trudged through her childhood playground, the light pitter patter of rain crescendoed into a heavy downpour. Her footfalls crashing into muddy puddles and her frightened breathing echoed in the chilled air. Her vision jumped from a tangled mesh of black and red to the path laid out in front of her tunnel vision as her Semblance began going haywire.
"If I can't do this..." her thoughts ran wild with a new fear of hers, "then he won't train me! If I can't do this...if I can't do this..."
Her two flickering visions abruptly became one as she broke into a clearing. The ebony plumage of a Grimm took up nearly her whole vision. She lifted her vision and gawked at the monstrosity before her. The Grimm staring down at her was much different than the Athenoct. Thick, black smoke billowed out from a mass of feathers that culminated into a bone-like mask with a long, avian beak and two glowing red eyes on either side of its head. It slowly spread its wings into the air; two forked claws protruding out on either wing. The Grimm towered almost 20 feet over the little girl. Its gaping maw let out a deafening screech, and Tiffany's Semblance flashed a pulsating mass of energy much more violent and vibrant than the Grimm that had hunted her.
"I can't do this..."
She raised the firearm up and aimed at the bleached mask of the Nevermore, but with a single flap of its wings it created a tempest of wind that tore through the air. Dirt and flora were uprooted around her, and soon she was lifted into the air and thrown backwards. She lost her grip on the weapon as she came to a tumbling crash on the ground. She stopped prone right at the base of a sturdy tree behind her. She weakly pushed herself up and grasped at the numbness that was creeping up in her head. When she looked down at her palm, through her blurry vision she saw it stained with blood.
The Nevermore reared its wings back once more, and brutishly thrashed its appendages forwards. Sharp, speeding forms of black shot out from its ailerons as spear-like feathers hurdled towards her in a wide area. The Grimm's flying blades pierced the ground around her and cut down trees in one fell cut each. She huddled as close to the ground as possible, but four strikes from the onslaught of spears were aimed straight for her.
Suddenly, the dirt around her shifted and unfurled in an unnatural way. Four sharp, rose pink crystalline pillars jutted out of the ground in a crossed, shielding pattern. The projectiles ricocheted off the crystals and scattered away from Tiffany. She smiled as she knew what had happened.
"Of all the reckless, stupid ways to get my attention..."
Arsenic stepped over her body and drew the rifle he had slung over his back. He took hold of the bolt and pulled it over the side of the firearm, and the shaft split apart as a pair of metal sheets extended out and formed into a heavy blade. As he pushed off of the ground with one foot, Arsenic effortlessly leaped upwards to come face to face with the Nevermore.
He reared his arm back and plunged his sword downwards. The Grimm turned its head with the strike and made away with only a gash to its mask. It completed its turn and came to slash at him with the many razor blades that made up its wing. Arsenic raised his weapon to parry the slashing attack; the force of which knocked him away from the Grimm.
While he careened to the earth, he raised the iron sights of his weapon and aligned the Nevermore's head with his aim. He fired a shot that pierced its neck; a pained caw followed as it reeled from the attack and quickly rose into the air with a thrashing of its wings. Arsenic landed safely on the ground, and as he did he brought his sword low and made a quickly brought it up in a faux slash. The ground rumbled and ruptured again as a long chunk of gemstone erupted from the dirt and shot into the torso of the Nevermore.
The Grimm's grating screech repeated throughout the area as it struggled with the quartz that had skewered its chest cavity. It pushed itself off of the spike and shot forward a flurry of hardened feathers down at the Huntsman. Arsenic began dashing up the crystalline pillar in front of him; slashing away each feather with ease as he advanced towards his prey. He blitzed into the air and followed through with the gash he had made on its mask, which completely shattered the bone. He fired his weapon and sped back towards the bird; his blade connecting with its throat and swiftly decapitating the beast. The body of the Nevermore toppled to the earth and quickly dissolved in a plumage of black smoke, which billowed around Arsenic as he landed alongside it. He returned his weapon to its rifle state and stowed it on his back, then he quickly ran up to Tiffany.
"What the hell were you thinking?" He scolded the girl. "You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?! Do you know how scared everyone was back there?"
Tiffany stayed on her hands and knees as she quietly cried into the ground. A few inhales and pained whimpers interrupted the weak girl's cries. Arsenic took in a few scared breaths for a moment before tapering off, and his face slowly softened as he relaxed a little.
"What the heck, girl?" He continued on in a much more gentle tone as he knelt down to her. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something worse happened to you. Are you okay? You must have been really scared..."
"I knew..." her faint voice broke through her crying, "you'd come..."
Arsenic gasped with wide eyes as his cousin began. She pushed herself up and looked up at him; tears streamed from her eyes and blood flowed down her face.
"I wasn't scared at all! Because I knew you'd come save me!" She sniffled through her quivering lips. "That's what I want to be; that hope you gave me...I want to be that for others. I want to be like you!"
Arsenic gasped again at the confession. His body froze up momentarily, and soon a single tear fell from his eye. He fell to his knees and wrapped Tiffany in a tight embrace, in which they both wept for a moment.
"I made it in time - I saved her..." He choked out as he looked up at the sky. "Wisteria..."
The memories of the past faded to white as Tiffany stared down at the clothe of the table. Platina sat with an attentive stare as her teammate recalled the tale.
"Wisteria?" Platina repeated through tight lips.
"Yeah," Tiffany nodded, "he told me later on that Wisteria was a Huntress friend of his. She died when she was really young, and it was the reason he didn't want to train me at first. After that though, he caved and said I could be his apprentice, but I still struggle with what happened to me."
The two shared a long, exceedingly awkward pause as they thought about the situation they were in. Platina contemplated telling her more about what she knew about Wisteria, but she shook the thought from her head. Eventually, she settled on a way forward and continued.
"Your Semblance," she said slowly as though she was thumbing at the words, "Clairvoyant...it only showed you the Grimm Cloak when it started seeping through?"
Tiffany nodded, "Your Aura masked it in a way. I would say what I saw was just skin deep, but it turns out that you can tell a lot about a person from seeing their Aura."
"...What do you see when you look at my Aura?" Platina asked. Tiffany glanced at her nervously for a moment before sharpening her gaze. A pulsating, bright blue static formed around the girl in Tiffany's vision.
"It reminds me of an electrical cord, if that makes sense." Tiffany muttered analytically. "There's a lot of energy, but...there's so much control and focus."
She retreated into herself for a moment as she deactivated Clairvoyant. A faint melancholy look appeared in her eyes.
"That night it was...different." She continued with a downtrodden expression. "It was like the control was losing the battle, and the Grimm was clawing its way out of its cage."
The two of them shared another soul-crushing silence. Platina rummaged through her cluttered thoughts before eventually picking out her next move. She slowly unfurled her hand and hovered it above the table.
"Can I...have your hand quick?" Platina asked in a quiet, awkward manner.
Tiffany nervously looked down at the open palm awaiting her before she reluctantly placed her own hand in hers. There was a moment where they simply held hands; Tiffany took note of the warmth coming from her leader. Slowly, Platina lead her hand towards her and placed it just above her collarbone. Tiffany felt the slow, soft beating of Tina's heart echoing into her palm. A calm feeling poured out from the girl in front of her.
"I have a human heart...and a human soul." She said quietly. "I want you to know that you can trust me to control it. Even if something were to happen, I'm never going to let it hurt you."
Tiffany's eyes widened as she gave the girl an amazed look. Platina caught wind of her staring and suddenly let go of her hand; an embarrassed, red blush rushing to her face.
"S-sorry, that was kind of weird." She muttered quietly as she looked away. Tiffany's amazed look quickly switched to a gleeful smile.
"It wasn't weird until you said something." She put her hand to her mouth as she let out a giggle. She gave Platina a kind, sentimental look before continuing, "I never told you before, but I really think you'll be a great leader. I trust you."
"Oh, thank goodness." Platina laughed as she returned a warm smile.
"Speaking of which, where's the other two?" Tiffany asked. An uneasy feeling suddenly creeped onto Platina's face.
"May, uh...well she kinda freaked out," Platina let out an exhausted sigh, "so I have Lukas checking up on her."
"Oh no, I hope this isn't because of me." Tiffany suddenly sunk down.
"No no, it isn't!" Platina quickly reassured her. "It's kind of a long story, but it's not your fault."
"Well, that's good I suppose, but...I hope she's okay." Tiffany stared down with a sad look.
"Could you see from here if they're with each other?" She asked the sniper.
"I could, but it could take me a bit to find them." Tiffany perked up.
"I see..." She muttered. "Hey...what does Clairvoyant tell you about Lukas and May?" Tina asked with an interested look. Tiffany sifted through the memories of their Aura for a moment.
"Well, Lukas' Aura is a little strange. There's something about it that makes me...sad." Her face mirrored her downtrodden tone. "I can tell he's been through a lot - maybe more than he let's on. It makes me feel bad for him."
"I...hadn't thought about that in a while." Platina looked down. "What about May?"
"May's is kind of like fire, if you could believe it." Tiffany laughed, "It shifts a lot; sometimes it has this warmth to it...but other time's it gets a little scary. It makes me feel like she might hurt someone, or maybe herself."
"Especially with what happened today, I'm worried about that too." Platina sighed in a somber way.
"Well then, what are we doing here?" Tiffany said as she rose from her seat. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."
Platina smiled up at her before following her to her feet. "You're right."
Suddenly, Tiffany rushed forward and pulled Platina's head into a tight hug. Platina let out a surprised gasp as she was pulled into the embrace. After just a moment of hesitation, she returned the hug from the waist.
"I really am sorry." Tiffany apologized. "Can we still be friends?"
"Yes, please." Platina let out a small, relieved chuckle.
Semblance Notes #2 Clairvoyant; Tiffany's Semblance is a visual ability with two activated effects. The first allows her to sense the Auras of living creatures and the presence of Grimm. She can discern the color and strength of one's Aura, as well as the power of a Grimm she detects. By focusing deeply on this ability, she can see these things at a great distance. The second effect temporarily slows her perception of time, allowing her to better react to the world around her. Both of these effects trigger at the same time upon activating Clairvoyant.