A Hero's Dream Chapter 10: MAD, a Legend of Zelda + RWBY Crossover fanfic

Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter of…

"A Hero's Dream"!

With nothing else to talk about, on to the reviews, and then the story!

Darkmist111: I do too. Link creating his own little Legend of 'The Wanderer of Mistral' was something that I thought was really fun to write. The title itself came to me when I was watching some Rurouni Kenshin, and is heavily based off of Ronin in Japanese culture. Link learned about Salem and the Maidens through Raven and Coby, in Chapters Three and Four respectively.

Inheritance1990: Who knows. You'll have to read the next few chapters to find out.

Gojiradon: Yeah, Link is a beast against Grimm, in large part to the Master Sword. Though, the bigger Grimm will be a lot harder to face.

fabioghattas90: Oh, I didn't realize that! No, it's actually a reference to the term Ronin, a wandering Samurai without a Master. And I have read that Fic before, and heavily enjoyed it.

Stevie572: Well, here's a long chapter just for you!

Dragonmaster150: Yeah, I read up on that theory when I was searching for what abilities the Triforce Pieces could give someone. It was a fun read, but wouldn't exactly work for anything other than an Undertale Crossover. So, I created my own ability that is slowly being revealed over time.

alexkellar: Yeah, you would think so huh? But let's not forget there are many forces that conspire against our Hero. Mainly, his luck. On the topic of sharing videos that Zelda could see, it's actually interesting to note that the Kingdoms seem to have their own networks independent from one another. The fact that you need to go to specific locations and terminals to make a call to a different Kingdom suggests that unless one is connected to a certain outputs, videos, photos, texts, and emails stay within Kingdom limitations. Meaning that unless someone is explicitly sharing something from a CCT to the whole world, only one region would know about it. It's probably why Cinder needed to stage her attack around the Vytal Festival instead of just attacking the school at any time, so that the broadcast would transmit around the world post haste, and not miss a single home.

This also proves that I am a nerd.

Timsonshay: I will admit that it wasn't exactly my best work. It was actually more of an experiment to see if I could accomplish using Third Person after going an entire chapter in First person. But, it ended up just butchering Heinkel's part of the story. I hope this chapter is much better, but please tell me if somethings wrong. Though they may hurt sometimes, critics make me a better writer all together.

With that, let's get on to the story.

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Choose Your Character!

Link

—[Zelda]

Continue?

—[Yes]

Chapter 9: M.A.D

Things had changed…

I wasn't sure how, but something was different when I arrived at the library early after my free weekend. Maybe it was something out of place, or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that no one was here.

Whatever it was, something felt off…

"Timothy?" I called out in curiosity, as I walked further into the library, feeling a chill down my spine. My mind was rushing to any conclusion, hoping that this wasn't anything serious.

I also hoped to the Goddesses that this wasn't my fault.

It had been three days since the Dust Robbery, and the subsequent reveal of my Magic. Three days of just hiding out in my hotel room in an attempt hide from anyone who might be searching. Though, even I knew that this was an ineffective method in the long run.

At first, I was ok with what I had done. I had saved those people from what would've likely been their end. That wasn't something to regret…

But the more I thought about it, the more I started to do just that.

For all I knew, that store had cameras, photographic proof of my Magic! And worse, it could be like the cameras that actually record events in real-time. If that was the case, it would only be a matter of time until either the good or the bad guys find me.

And if they did, who knows what they would want. Or what they would do to get what they want….

It was too risky, and despite that, I blatantly ignored such risks. I threw caution to the wind, and now I might pay the price.

Despite that… I hadn't had any nightmares…

From that day on, the nightmares were no longer prominent in my dream. Sometimes I would remember glimpses, mere flashes of my horrible visions, but otherwise? My nights were simply filled with empty sleep, nothing to remember for when I woke up.

Why though, I wasn't too sure. Maybe it had something to do with my decision three days ago, or maybe I was just dead tired after worrying everyday. Either way, it had been the best nights sleep I had had yet in this world.

So, I was conflicted about how I should feel about my actions. On one hand, it was completely stupid to do something that risky, but on the other hand..

On the other hand, I was rewarded for such actions, though not directly...

Either way, even if I risked revealing my Magic, I was at least one step closer to finding Link. Progress had been made, and that was something I could use to hold my head up high.

Still… it would take a while.

Even with their advanced technology, I doubt the Kingdom of Vale could search an entire continent for one man. It would take them a while, and that was still time wasted if Link wasn't even on this continent.

That didn't mean that I was expecting failure though. In fact, I was hoping for the best, and kept the pager the mission center gave me in my pocket at all times. Despite that hope though, I was always on the lookout for any clues on Link's whereabouts.

However, nothing had come up. No mention of a powerful swordsman or Huntsmans sudden appearance. Nothing about strange occurrences, or anyone suddenly gaining the power of a god. The only thing that I could find was something about an earthquake in the Kingdom of Mistral, but nothing about it hinted of any one person being the cause.

So, the search was still on for my Hero in green. Me, searching through any news for a sign of Link and the Triforce of Power, and Vale searching every corner of their continent for him.

But now was the time to focus on what was happening right now.

I walked further into the library, the chill growing on the back of my neck. Something didn't feel right…

I moved inbetween the aisles, searching for what it was that had changed. I looked through the books, on the shelves themselves, and even on Timothy's desk.

Nothing had changed. But checking his desk told me one thing…

Timothy was here. His bag and his coffee was on his desk, the coffee still steaming in the chill weather of fall.

Still, the chill remain. Perhaps it was the weather, or maybe it was just me being paranoid.

Even still, I grabbed the dagger the was hidden in my cloak, having it out and ready in case something jumped out at me. My entire stance changed on instinct, my knees were bent and loose, ready for anything.

I crept across the floor, my footsteps silent as a mouse, and my presence slowly but surely fading into the background. My Sheikah training was in full effect, as I continued to move across the room and search. My senses on full alert.

If it wasn't for that, I probably wouldn't have noticed the aggravated whispering coming from the back.

I quirked an eyebrow as I snuck into the back of the library, moving as if was one with the shadows. There, a steel door was in place, with a glaring red sign that said 'Exit'. Behind that door, I could hear someone talking, their voice raised and angry.

It took me a while to figure out that the angry voice on the other side was Timothy.

"-ve already told you," Timothy began, as I placed my ear to the door, his voice carrying through the steel door. "I'm not letting you near her!"

I felt my eyes set into a glare as I continued to listen, my full focus on the other side of this door. 'Her'? Were they talking about me?

"Don't be stupid Timothy," A quiet and strange sounding voice responded, sounding patient despite his own words. "We both know how important this is. Your continued insistence to have us merely watch from afar is only putting the girl in more danger."

Us? So there was a group of them. A group of people who wanted me…

I tightened the grip on my dagger, my entire hand turning white from the pressure. So they figured me out then….

You need to leave.

Not yet… I needed all the information I could get, and this was my chance. This could give me the answers I was searching about Magic, why it was kept hidden. Or it could be about something entirely different, and I was simply jumping to conclusions.

Either way, I would never know if I just left.

"She has nothing to do with any of you, not anymore!" Timothy shouted, as I resisted the urge to jump out of my skin at the sudden volume of the old librarian's voice. "This is her second chance, a chance to live her life without this weight on her shoulders! I refuse to let you meddle where you don't belong!"

Second chance? What in Din's name was he talking about?

I tried thinking back to Timothy's strange quirks and smiles, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Did he think I was someone else? That didn't make any sense, since he was talking as if we had met before. In which case, who did he think I was? Is that why he kept testing me, trying to figure out what I like and match it to someone he knew.

Unless…

Did he think I was a reincarnation of someone he knew? That was…

In Hyrule, the concept of reincarnation was in many of the stories of the Hero. A figure who reincarnated to save the world time and time again, protect the Kingdom from danger. For a long time, it wasn't considered a belief, but rather a fact of life.

Was reincarnation something important here too? Is that why he acted so familiar with me, and even seemed hopeful whenever I talked about what I like? Did he not see me, but rather someone else?

"Timothy, this is her responsibility." The voice continued, as I slowly began to realize that this was coming off of a Scroll. "Even if it was something thrusted upon her, we can't just let her wander freely. She needs to be kept safe, and focus on learning her abilities to protect both herself and the people of Remnant. That is what's important here."

"But that's not your decision!" Timothy shouted into his scroll, my ears beginning to ring from the volume of his voice. "It's hers, and it should've been hers to begin with!"

"It is her decision." The man on the other end of Scroll stated simply, remaining calm and patient, even in the face of such rage. "A decision she needs to be made aware of, and one she must prepare herself to make."

"What you're asking of her isn't a decision!" Timothy retorted, his teeth gritted and going together so loudly that I could hear it through the door. "There's no way that I'm letting her near you, or your cult!

"Than why even call me Tim?" The voice on the other end questioned, trying to be calm and collected, even as he started to run out of patience. "Why even tell me that you had discovered the Summer Maiden?"

Maiden? Like in that children's story I had found here? Those Maidens? I had thought it was just a fairy tail of this world, but they were real?

Four woman who had been gifted Magic by an old wizard in the woods… and they thought I was one of them? Why? Were they the only four who could use Magic in this world, or was it something else?

"I told you," Timothy began, his teeth gritted and his words coming out slowly and filled with venom. "So that what happened to Diane doesn't happen again! So that you could warn me of any threats, and so I can get her out of here! Not to repeat history!"

"But you are the one repeating history Tim," The voice on the other end of the scroll said, calm as when he started. "You are risking your life as well as the girl's, someone you barely know, and for what?"

Timothy stayed silent, as I could actually hear his teeth grind themselves together. But no matter how great his anger was, he didn't say a thing.

"I know what her death did to you Timothy…" The man on the other end began gently, as I began feeling uncomfortable. I felt that… I felt that I shouldn't be here, evesdropping on this.

"You don't know a damn thing." Timothy said instantly, the venom in his voice reaching an all time high even though his voice seemed so brittle.

"I know that your partner asked me to help keep an eye on you after that day." The man began, his voice filled with worry and a sense of dread. "I know that you carry her ring around your neck, trapping yourself in your failure. I know that you blame yourself everyday, and that the only reason you haven't… that you haven't gone to see her is that you want to punish yourself."

I felt a pit form in my stomach, as the man on the other end listed the things he knew. I… definitely shouldn't be here…

"She isn't your wife Timothy," The man told him gently, his voice calm and collected, even as he told Timothy a cruel truth. "I know you want it to be but… but that isn't how this works. She is just a girl with her powers, someone that needs to be protected. "

"...I don't believe you." Timothy said in a quiet voice, his voice getting closer to the door as he did. "It… it has to be her…"

"Timoth-"

"NO!" Timothy shouted, making me jump from behind the door, as I pulled my head away from the door. "It has to be her! It just has to be! If it isn't than… than what have I…?"

The Library was silent, no one daring to say a word that would shatter everything. Even I was afraid to make a noise, scared about what my words could do to him.

"Timothy, let me help you." The voice on the other end pleaded, trying to change the poor man's mind. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can help you protect her from the people who want her power. We can make sure that history doesn't repeat itself…"

"You can finally be at peace…"

Once again, the conversation went quiet, as I tried to absorb what it was that they were saying. Diane, the Maidens, Timothy's emotional state, all of it rolled around in my head.

But before it could even set in…

"No," Timothy stated simply, his voice quiet but stern. "You don't get what you want just because you give a fancy speech Oz. The only way you'll be getting near her, is over my dead body."

"Ti-"

"Don't even start!" Timothy interrupted the man on the other end, Oz as he called him, before continuing. "This girl is going to live her life the way she sees fit, just like Diane should've! I'm not letting you, or your Council of Misfits change that!"

"She's in danger Timothy!" Oz began while dropping his patient demeanor, trying to reason with the man before he hung-up the scroll. "If we don't protect her tha-"

"She is protected." Timothy interrupted without hesitation, his voice stern and unmovable. "I won't fail her this time, I promise you that. So don't ever let me see your face again."

With that, Timothy shut off his scroll and opened the steel door to walk back inside the Library. Before he even realized it though, I already teleported directly outside of the library, not a trace of my presence left behind.

Things had definitely changed...

The atmosphere within could only be described as awkward.

I entered the library again with a fake smile on my face fifteen minutes after I teleported out. I tried to be relaxed, pretend I hadn't heard everything Timothy and this 'Oz' had to say.

But it repeated constantly in my mind, as I was unable to focus on anything else.

Maidens, Diane Redbrooks, a Council to hide the existence of Magic, someone hunting me down. There was so much in that conversation, too much to focus on and decipher in a way that I could benefit.

And Timothy…

"Good morning Zelda," Timothy began when he saw me, a bright smile on his face as he greeted me. His coffee was already empty next to him, and he was holding something in his hands. "You're here early, something up?"

Timothy wasn't making it easy…

"Good morning," I told him, acting as if everything was fine, and that I wasn't slightly wary of the man that stood in front of me. "And don't worry. This is just my attempt to make up for leaving early last week."

"I see." Timothy said, the smile still on his face as moved to grab something besides him. When he pulled it up, I saw that it was a second coffee cup, held out for me to take. "Here, just the way you like it."

The way I liked it…

And the way she liked it.

You need to leave.

My facade crumbled a little, before I immediately put it back up, ignoring those words. Even if that was the best option…

'The only reason you haven't… that you haven't gone to see her is that you want to punish yourself.'

I can't. Not yet…

If I just left, then this man might…

I could feel my pity slowly leak out of my facade, as his personality became slowly clearer to me. Hiding his depression behind a joking attitude, those strange looks and smiles… The fact that he clung to barest hope he could…

And what would happen if that hope was ripped away plagueing my thoughts…

I crushed those thoughts mercilessly, not allowing such things to come to the forefront of my mind.

That wasn't happening. Even if it was for his own selfish, desperate reasons, this man had helped me. He gave me a job, helped me learn about the Kingdoms, and now it seemed he was even willing to lay down his life for me…

Or at least, for who he thinks I am..

I only knew him for a week… but that didn't mean I could just risk…

But you can't stay here.

"Thanks…" I told him with a fake smile taking the coffee cup into my hands and feeling it's warmth. The rich aroma reached my nose, and if a part of me wasn't so disturbed by the context, I might have drank it right than and there. "I'll… save it for later."

With that, I began to walk away, already uncomfortable with what was once comfortable interactions between us. He seemed to feel it to, as his smile quickly turned into a frown, as he put something back into his pocket.

And so, while I continued my job, I thought about everything I had learned from that phone conversation.

And it certainly wasn't good.

This person, I'll call him Oz, and his mysterious group of people knew about Magic. Specifically, he knew about those who use magic in this world, these Maidens, and now me from Timothy. How Timothy knew that I could use Magic wasn't known, but I could assume that one, he saw me at the Dust robbery. Or two, there was some kind of identifying feature that proves that you were a Maiden.

However, considering that I'm not a Maiden, there would be nothing to identify me as one. There could be the chance that he and others could sense Magic, but if that were the case, I would've been caught by Timothy a lot sooner.

The fact that he knew about Magic in the first place though, and even knew this Oz character, was simply a stroke of bad luck.

… An avalanche of bad luck. I should apologize to Link when I see him...

Anyway, these Maidens… from how Timothy talked about it, they seemed to be reincarnated souls gifted with magic. Four women, gifted Magic capabilities, and whose souls reincarnated immediately after death then? Was that what it was?

Then Diane was a Maiden too, the Summer Maiden I think Oz said? That's why Timothy thinks I'm his deceased wife? Because only those four can use Magic, and thus I had to be one of them since I can? How did he know I wasn't some other Maiden, even if I clearly wasn't a Maiden?

Wait, did that mean his wife was still out there? Reincarnated into a new body with the power of a sorcerer?

No wait… Oz said that it doesn't work that way. He said I was 'just a girl with her powers', meaning that the Maidens didn't reincarnate. Rather, their powers transferred to someone else after death…

Then, the reason Oz said I was in danger, the reason I needed to be protected… The reason he said someone was after me...

Was that someone was attempting to steal my Magic by… killing me?

I felt a deep chill crawl through my spine, as the weight of my powers in this world finally set in. As if following instinct, I looked over my shoulder, checking for any gazes looking my way and pulling my cloak closer in.

Thankfully, the library was empty. Other than Timothy, no one had entered since I came in a second time.

So even in another world, I was being hunted for my abilities. Perhaps it really was me and not Link that was responsible for all of our bad luck…

My breath quickened as I focused on my job, making sure everything in the library was in order. I could feel the fear spread through me, the adrenaline making my hands twitch and pulse with energy.

Alright, so I was being hunted… what do I do about it?

First off, what can't I do.

I can't have my face be seen by them. If they know what I look like then I'll have to change myself with the Triforce's power. If that happens, then it's likely that Link won't be able to find me if he's here, and move on to the next Kingdom.

Secondly, I can't have them figure out about Link. If they find him and discover my relationship with him, he will likely be targeted to draw me out. Their funeral, but that wasn't something I could allow to happen, not without discovering what they could do.

Which brings me to my third point, I can't let them know what I can do. I wasn't too sure about what it was these Maidens could do, but in the off chance they could dwarf my abilities… they would be preparing for something far stronger than me.

Well, as long as I had my spells, I should be fine. And if I wasn't, I could just use Farore's Wind to escape any attacks towards me.

And on the off chance that that doesn't work, I could summon them…

But that's only as a last resort. They were too dangerous to summon normally, and way too expensive in magic cost.

So, now that I knew the priorities I focused on, I needed a plan. I couldn't just leave since that would destroy Timothy, something that I… that I didn't want to think about…

However, I also couldn't stay… Staying in this library, which wasn't protected at all or defended by anything but a glass door, wasn't safe. Staying here meant more time that I could be discovered, and more time for these people to find my trail.

So really, I was stuck between a rock and a Goron. I couldn't have both, I had to choose…

Timothy… or myself and my world…

…

I looked in Timothy's direction, watching as he filled out some of the important paperwork needed to run the library. He was smiling though, even though I knew he thought that what he was doing was the worst part of the job.

I wonder if he was like this before? Smiling while doing the paperwork, enjoying his life here? Or was he something else, something more… reserved and depressed…

… I still had time…

I turned to some of the books in the library, searching through their titles for anything that could give me a hint.

There were two options I hadn't considered yet, both of which were filled with hundreds of ways to backfire…

But, if I played it right, then I might just be able to save my Kingdom and help Timothy.

I could willingly join the man named Oz, bringing Timothy along with me and be protected from the brunt of whoever was coming after us…

Or I could just defeat the people after me. Turn them in to Oz, have him deal with them, and I would be fine until I find Link.

It really was that simple. Why choose who to risk when I could just get rid of the people who were making me risk everything? It was an easy choice, one that was simple to make.

Especially since Timothy seemed to hate this Oz character with a passion.

So, if I were to defeat these people…

I needed to know what I was dealing with.

I grabbed some of the history books about the Great War, especially those that quotes people who fought there. If this Oz character was the one leading this secret society, then there were likely those before him. Oz said that the responsibility of the Maidens was 'to protect Remnant', meaning that they were likely present during the war.

Find something hinting at magic, figure out what it was, and I might be able to discover what these Maidens could do. If I figure that out, then I can hypothetically come up with the plan they themselves would use. Then I simply counter their plan, destroying it at the seams and watch it fall apart.

It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough.

So for now…

It was time to study.

It had been about five and half hours since I had come in, making it about 1:15 in the afternoon. In my hands was the fourth book about the Great War I could find, halfway finished. The library was still empty, the calm noise of simple pages turning being the only sound.

And what I had learned from each page was… interesting.

The Great War was a subject that turned out rather fascinating to me. Hyrule had had wars with other Kingdoms, and even civil wars between us and some of the Yiga.

But a war with multiple Kingdoms from around the world? It was a fascinatingly horrible subject, one that drew my curiosity so much that I actually gave the whole thing a read.

Hundreds of battles took place, hundreds of thousands died, and by the end of it they had lost more than they had gained. Settlements with their own unique cultures were razed by Grimm, attracted to the negativity of the war fronts in droves. Kingdoms were attacked, ancient structures and storages destroyed without any trace left. Hundred upon hundreds of years of history burned by battle, creating an age known as the Lost Age, told now only through word of mouth.

All of it, starting as a territorial dispute.

It was horrible seeing how horrendously things spun out of control and why they did. But it was also incredibly interesting, reading what all of the Kingdoms stood for, and why the people fought for them.

And more importantly, it was also incredibly informative about what I was looking for. And by that, I mean incredibly vague…

Take for instance this direct quote from one of the soldiers:

"It was a storm like nothing I had even seen. Clouds dropping down from the sky, twisting and turning like a tornado on the desert sands, their dark gray forms filled to the brim with nothing but lightning. Maybe it was the battle, or something else but… I could've sworn it was attacking Mantle and Atlas Troops."

This was the most descriptive quote I could find about anything like magic in the book, and this was only after it stated that Mantle was pulling out all the stops with new tech that Vaccuo had stolen. New tech whose purpose is never stated, is never given a description, or even named in any of the books I've read so far.

Some of the books were inconsistent too. In the third book I read, they said it was Mistral and Mantle who worked on the tech, before it was stolen during one of the previous battles. Again, no purpose, description, or name.

There were others too, all of them so small that if you weren't looking for them, you might've missed it. Like how one of the army groups attacked from a frozen lake in the middle of summer. Or the sudden storms that always seemed to block an advancing brigade from a crucial attack.

These were quite clearly the work of Magic. Controlling storms, creating the elements and manipulating them enough to attack certain people within a battle? This had elemental magic written all over it.

But it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. More than likely, if these really were the Maidens, they would use many of the elements to their advantage. Like a certain pair of Gerudo Witches, who could control the very elements of Fire and Ice to their own will.

In fact, their abilities were exactly like mine to some respect. Pyromancy, some Aeromany, I even had complete control over the element of light, as well as all of it's properties. Not to mention Nayru's Love, which was an incredibly useful spell to have in any situation.

And that was only my elemental magic. I still had a few more things up my sleeve that should help me get out of a pinch if necessary.

But nothing was a guarantee. If these people were planning to go up against these Maidens, then they would be prepared to face any challenge.

More than likely, they would attack in great numbers, and the weakest among them would have to be at least Huntsman level to ensure the Maidens death or capture. I wasn't too sure about the difference between Maidens and Huntsmen, so that was something I had to prepare for.

In fact, I didn't know much about Huntsmen, even though they seemed quite prominent in this world. I knew about Semblances, I knew about how they designed and mastered the art of using their own unique weapons. But that didn't really tell me anything about how strong they were...

Maybe if I had more information I co-

"Hey Zelda, could you come over here for a sec?"

I turned to Timothy, who was sitting at his desk with a smile on his face and something in his hand. I smiled back despite myself, feeling the new sense of unease beginning to creep up, as well as the pity. Standing slowly, I placed the book I was reading down, the coffee he gave me cold and still full on the table at my side.

I watched as his eye gravitated towards it, his own smile matching my own as he forced it up. It seemed he too sensed that something was different, as the dynamic between us had changed drastically over the weekend.

If he thought it was a problem though, he didn't say anything as I came up to him, an eyebrow raised.

"Something you need?" I asked him as normally as I could act, trying to relax as I stood in front of him. The feeling kept crawling through me though, as it was hard to come to terms with how Timothy saw me.

"Umm…" Timothy started out, as he seemed to sense something off with me, the air between us riddled with an awkward tension. "Well… I was just wondering if you had a Scroll?"

I raised a brow at his question, wondering why it was that he was asking that. The tension in my back started to creep up a little, as my mind raced, wondering what it was he wanted from me.

He seemed to sense my hesitation to answer the question though, as he tried to figure out what was wrong. Not with words though, instead he was studying me, like he was trying to solve a hard question.

I relented though, seeing point in doing anything but tell him the truth. Which is exactly what I did.

"I don't." I stated for him clearly, flicking at how cold my own voice sounded. Even Timothy seemed surprised at the edge that was in my voice, as his eyes seemed to almost widen in shock.

I took a deep breath, attempting to calm myself down and get rid of the chill running down my spine. This was definitely a… unique situation I was in, but that doesn't mean I had to bite his head off. For Goddesses sake, he wasn't doing this on purpose!

He was just a sad old man that missed his wife… he wasn't trying to make me his dead wife, he just thought I was.

He wasn't a bad person, just desperate...

I forced myself to relax, feeling all of the tension leave my body, and the breath I hadn't known I was holding in coming out. The chill in my spine receded, leaving only the pity for the man in front of me in place.

That didn't mean I wasn't on guard though, as the weight of my knife was heavy inside my hidden dress pocket.

"I'm sorry," I told him honestly, brushing off the observation I had made in my mind. "I've… had a lot on my mind recently."

"I see," Timothy began, giving a sigh of relief at my apology, as no doubt his own mind was racing with his own questions. "It's fine. I just wasn't expecting that from you when I asked. Anything I can do to help?"

"No," I told him simply, brushing off his question before anything else could come of it. "I was just in my head a little too long is all. Nothing to worry about."

"If you're sure," Timothy started, as he held up what was in his hand for me to see. "Anyway, I was asking because I wanted to show you something. If you're going to be working here, you'll need this in case anything happens."

I quirked an eyebrow as he held what seemed to be a scroll… no actually. It was an older Scroll, without a clear back like the ones I had seen others hold in their hands. The screen had a few cracks on it, and it was really dusty, but it seemed functional.

I took it out of his hands, brushing off some of the dust that cling to its surface, all while looking at it with a curious gaze. In all honesty, I had been rather curious about the technology that was available for the civilians of Remnant.

However, other than the television in my hotel room, I hadn't had the chance at studying this technology. And if this Scroll was anything like the television, then it was far beyond anything I could understand yet. Maybe when I understood what they were using to make it work, I could understand how it worked.

For now though, it seemed best to just listen to what Timothy had to say.

"This is a Scroll connected to the security system in the building," Timothy began, pressing a button and making the screen of the scroll turn on. "There are cameras and microphones everywhere, so if you ever feel that something is wrong, press this."

Saying that, he pressed one of the buttons on the screen, as I wondered about how legal it was to be recording conversations. That thought slowly left my mind though, as the screen changed from a simple blue screen with buttons on it, to a black screen with a spinning- wait, now it was different. Now it was showing-

I felt my eyes widen as I quickly turned around, looking around the library with my eyes shining in curiosity. I looked down at the screen, and then immediately back up, attempting to find the source.

Because on the Scroll, was an real time video of me, a little blurry but undeniably me.

I looked back down at the Scroll, watching myself look down at my Scroll on the Scroll. Than, seeing something that looked like arrows on the screen, I pressed them. The video instantly changed, as this time I had a vision of myself from the side, looking down.

I kept pressing the arrows, seeing all of the images of me from different angles, and different parts of the library out of my view. I looped back around to the first image eventually, as I learned that there were twelve cameras in total. Each of them were placed high in the library, giving a sort of birds eye view of the entire library.

I kept tapping the arrows, checking to see which camera was where, and learning which camera was showed which part of the library. It was no wonder this library didn't have to be constantly guarded, since I could see everything. The books on the shelves, the coffee cup I hadn't even take a sip out of, even the front of the building was in my sights.

I could also see Timothy holding back a laugh behind me, as my expression went from bright curiosity to pure embarrassment.

I turned to Timothy, pressing the button he used to turn on the Scroll and watched as it turned off. That was good to know, but for now I was focused more on my own embarrassment.

"You've never had a Scroll before," Timothy observed, attempting to hold back his laughter as he spoke, almost turning a dark shade of purple from the effort. "Have you?"

I didn't bother to answer, only giving him a glare as my cheeks turned pink. His response was to laugh as hard as he could, while I attempted not to fold in on myself from sheer embarrassment.

"It's not that funny," I tried to tell him simply, folding my arms with the Scroll still in my hand.

"You, acting like a child who just got a new toy?" Timothy began to say, holding his gut with his arm while leaning back in his chair. "That's just hilarious! Can't get enough of it!"

"You..." I said as I began uncrossing my arms and continuing to glare at the man who found my embarrassment 'hilarious'. I could feel my finger nails cutting into the Scroll, ready to shatter the screen and destroy the device.

"Oh come on," Timothy started to defend himself, as he finally started to see my anger through his laughter. That didn't stop him from chuckling under his breath, even though he tried to hold it in. "You're always so serious. At least give me this, just this once."

Despite his plea, I continued to glare at the man, the grip on the Scroll easing up. After a bit, I gave a sigh and just nodded, heading back to my work.

He chuckled a bit more as I walked away, but I ignored him, letting him just get it out while he could. I stopped just short though, as I turned around while he chuckled and asked him something.

"Why did you have another Scroll on hand?" I asked him while he laughed, bringing the Scroll up to see. "Aren't these things pretty expensive?"

As soon as I asked, Timothy's laughter stopped, as instead of the easy expression he usually had on, it was replaced by something harder. As if he had been caught on the spot with something he didn't want to talk about. I raised an eyebrow, curious as to why he was reacting in such a way…

As the scroll in my hands seemed to have a new weight to it.

My eyes widened and the chill crept back up my spine, the scroll in my hands also gaining a new chill. This Scroll… it couldn't be...

"It's…" Timothy began, standing himself up and walking around the library with ease. "Well… that's…."

I didn't want to know the answer. Honestly, I don't think I anyone in my position would want to know the answer. Because, if I was right, and this Scroll was…

Yeah, no thanks.

Quickly, I focused on something, anything else that would reasonably distract anyone from this innocent question. Luckily, one literally happened to be standing in front of me.

"Timothy," I interrupted anything he'd be trying to say, as I looked down at his leg in actual surprise, even if what I was doing had alterier motives. "Your leg…"

Timothy was shaken out of his stump by my observation, as he gave a sigh of relief before smiling. He, like me, was relieved not hear the answer of whose Scroll this was grace my ears.

"So you finally noticed huh?" He asked me with a smirk, as he began showing by standing on his weak leg with. "Finally got enough money to order this guy."

As he that, and I was about to ask who or what he was talking about, he pulled up his pant leg…

And showed me what seemed to be a strange piece of armor.

I felt my eyes widen, my sense of curiosity growing at the strange new object in front of me. A part of me wanted to get a closer look, but I decided to just respect his personal space a study it from afar.

The armor wasn't fully covering his knee, as it was just steel braces wrapped around his thigh and shin. Where the knee was, there was a simple gear, letting him have a full range of movement with his knee.

But it was what was under that brace that really got my attention. A rather large horizontal scar directly on his knee, thick and long, and what seemed to be really deep. It was pink, making it incredibly noticeable on Timothy's dark skin tone, and seemed to be a rather old scar.

Speaking of the old librarian, it seemed he wasn't all too comfortable showing off that scar, as he quickly put his pant leg down. He looked… ashamed of showing it to me, like it wasn't something he wanted to remind me of…

"I, uh," Timothy stuttered, walking back towards his chair, taking a seat as he continued to explain. "I was attacked by a Grimm in my younger days. The little bastard came out of nowhere when I was out of Aura, and destroyed my knee. Haven't been the same since…"

He's lying.

Indeed… The scar was too clean to be any sort of claw or tooth, and it was too precise to have happened naturally.

That was a sword wound. Someone stabbed Timothy through the knee… someone crippled him...

It was likely the same group who was after me… and his expression… he wasn't ashamed of showing me, but rather his wife…

"I won't fail her this time, I promise you that."

So this scar, his leg, was also a reminder of his failures than.

"I'm sorry," I told him honestly, looking down and to the side, trying to avoid his gaze as I did. "I… I shouldn't be reminding you of such things… I'll… I'll get back to work."

Before he could say anything else, I turned around and went back to the shelves, making sure everything was in place. If Timothy wanted to stop me, he didn't show it, as he was completely silent. That left me alone with my thoughts, as I grabbed the book I had been reading, my finger directly on the page I was on.

All as a sense of guilt filled my gut, the Scroll far too heavy in my hands...

It was the end of the day...

The book I had grabbed lay at my side, completely finished along with a few others. They didn't have much to share on the hidden topic of Maidens, or any hints about what they could do. Nonetheless, they were interesting reads.

Still, I wished my mind wasn't full of different thoughts. Conflicting emotions and opinions about what I should do…

And all of them centered around an old librarian.

I sighed, my thoughts scattered everywhere in my mind, as I tried to come up with a solution. I was ok with fighting the people after me, because I knew I could fight them off or runaway. I could even change my face and send them on a wild goose chase for a while.

No, I was confident I could survive. I didn't risk revealing my abilities to just run at the first sign of trouble.

It was Timothy I was worried about.

I turned to look at him from the corner of my eye, as he started to close the library down. The lights were on, but the sun had long since set under the horizon, the outside pitch black except the light that leaked through the windows.

He seemed happy, smiling while he chuckled at something he seemed to find funny. In reality though, he was looking through the door, checking for anything moving like he was a watchdog. In his hand was a mug of his own, filled with another batch of coffee.

The guilt stirred in my stomach as I watched, the chill nowhere to be found as I simply pitied the man. He had suffered a long life, no doubt feeling a similar type of guilt I was feeling now…

No doubt his guilt was much heavier than my own…

And here I was, knowing his guilt, knowing why he was doing all of this…. And simply letting him. Letting him believe a delusion that wasn't real, letting him see his own wife in me…

I know I wasn't doing it on purpose… but I couldn't help but feel like I was leading him on for my own benefit…

Here was a man perfectly willing to protect what he thought was a reincarnation of his wife, ready to die for her. He was protecting that image to the best of his ability, giving her access to security cameras, and even keeping people who would wish to, in his mind, take away how she wanted to live.

The fact that that image was me… the fact that I felt like I was using those feelings to my own benefit…

I sighed again, taking out the Scroll he had given me while my guilt churned inside me.

He didn't deserve that…

But could I… could I take this away from him?

I tried to imagine what would happen if a lost loved one stood in front of me, what I would do to make it real. If it was my mother or father… if I saw them, would I be able to take being told that I was wrong? That those figures weren't the people I loved? That they were just a desperate hope to grab at something I lost?

It was… I couldn't even begin to describe such a feeling…

There was no easy answer. To end this feeling of guilt, I would have to tell him the truth. But… that would destroy him, completely and utterly.

He was only hanging on by a thread, if that Scroll call was any indication. To do this to him…

But, to not tell him would only be helping this delusion. It would give him every reason to just … throw away his life for an illusion. To spend the rest of it protecting me from the people after my life, who was after someone he barely knew.

I couldn't just run away… I couldn't tell him…

But I can't not tell him either...

"You look like you're deep in thought."

I turned my head towards Timothy, who was standing near me with a worried expression on his face. He was leaning on one of the shelves, waiting patiently for my answer, his mug still steaming in his hands.

I only gave a nod, not trusting myself to speak at the moment. There was too much in my mind, and I didn't want to say anything I would regret.

"Something you want to get off your chest?" He asked me, his expression telling me that he wasn't all too sure what to do. "I've been told I'm a good listener. Well, that was over twenty years ago, but I'm assuming that's just something that gets better with time."

He chuckled at his own joke, as I just gave a smirk. It helped alleviate the weight on my chest, even if it was only a small improvement. Even still, I didn't say anything, just mulling over the thoughts in my head.

"No good huh?" Timothy frowned, as he stood up straight, getting off of the shelf and setting his cup on the table. "That's alright. If you… if you ever need someone to talk to, my Scroll number is already listed in your Scroll. Just give me a call."

With that, he began to walk back to his desk, his limp nowhere to be seen.

I looked down, avoiding his gaze any further in an attempt to hide my thoughts. But as I did, my eyes were drawn to the coffee mug he had given me in the morning.

A cup now steaming, despite the hours it had been given to cool down.

My heart sank further, as I turned my head towards Timothy,who was likely responsible for this. How, I wasn't sure, but I was certain it was him…

...

I can't…

I have to…

"Timothy," I began, standing up from my seated position as he quickly turned to me, a smile on his face.

A part of me hesitated, not wanting to do this to him, shattering the illusion just when he seemed to find happiness. But the other half…

The other half was telling me that it was the right thing to do. Even if it would hurt him.

"I'm n-"

If only I had done so a little sooner.

I felt my body completely freeze in place, as a chill swept through me, focused entirely on the back of my right hand. I couldn't understand why, but my body went into overdrive, a sense of panic filling me. My breathing stopped completely, as if in a vain hope to hide from his eyes.

My body understood before my mind could even comprehend.

Something was wrong.

Get out of there.

"Zelda?!" Timothy began, his expression filled with worry as he came over to me. "What's wrong!? What's going on with your hand!?"

Time seemed to slow down, as I turned on the Scroll in my hands instinctively. This feeling…

As I turned it on, I could see my hand glow with a golden light, the symbol of the Triforce there for all to see. But… it only reacts like that when I'm near the other pieces or when I'm using its power or...

The Triforce of Wisdom had many powers, but a few of them were passive in nature. Divine Wisdom, mastery of spells and magic, and one other ability…

That ability hadn't activated once in this world. Not when I was facing the Grimm, and never when I was near a person. But it was sensing it, sensing it near my very location…

I scrolled through the cameras, moving to the one that had a clear image of the front door. It...it couldn't be…

You need to leave. Now.

"Y- you're shaking like a leaf…" Timothy said, as I continued to scroll through the cameras, my hands shaking from the fear and adrenaline. "Zelda, what's going on?!"

I reached the camera that showed the front door of the library. Nothing was there, nothing that I could see anyway.

Leave, before it sees you.

But I saw something. Deep with the shadows, getting closer and brighter every second. That was when it clicked...

The Triforce of Wisdom was sensing evil. The presence of a Demon near my location.

And as that thought crossed my mind…

A pair of cold golden eyes turned towards the camera, eternally hungry for power, and destroyed it without a thought.

Go, NOW!

I didn't even think twice. Before he could come in through the door, I activated Farore's Wind to teleport myself back to the hotel in an instant. Timothy disappeared through the wind like a mirage, as he was left behind in the library, the spells limit being only one person.

As soon as my feet touched the floor of the hotel almost 4 miles away from the library, I began packing.

He found me?! How?! I was as careful as I could be, and the news didn't even say anything about the robbery. Hell, he was supposed to be dead!

There was so much rushing through my mind, too much even. Link, where I was going to go, how I was going to hide, how absolutely terrified I was that he had discovered me. I couldn't fight him! Nothing I could do would even faze him, and using the Seal would require him to be weakened!

There was nothing to do, without Link... I had to run!

I grabbed everything that I had bought over the past week for supplies in case anything happened. More dried food in case I had to go a long time without it, a canteen and water purifier, and about 1,000,000 Lien just in case. It only cost me about three Rupees, so I was good in case I needed more Lien.

I also grabbed some of the Dust I had bought and experimented with, just in case I encountered someone after me.

I grabbed my new bag and stuffed everything inside of it, only being careful with the Dust to avoid it going off. I also grabbed my quiver, still wishing I could have grabbed myself a bow before I Ieft.

With that, I turned the knob on the door, ready to leave the hotel…

When I heard something… odd.

"Excuse me, am I too late?"

I froze in the doorway, my mind that was too filled with thoughts to comprehend this new voice. The voice of a girl younger than me, in her late teens, and filled with a false sense of sweetness.

I turned my head, seeing the Scroll Timothy had gifted me still on the ground. But, it wasn't off… rather, it was still playing security footage of the Library.

Umm… Sir?"

I closed the door, reapplying the lock and setting my bag to the side. This was…

I walked towards the center of the room, where the Scroll I had brought with me laid from when I had teleported. I bent down and grabbed the futuristic piece of technology, the footage showing the center of the building.

Before that camera also was destroyed, the video cutting out, leaving me with nothing to go off of.

I felt my eyes widen as the screen suddenly blinked out of existence, as I pressed another arrow to bring up a different camera. Just as I did though, that camera was destroyed along with it, leaving only a black screen.

I clicked the to other screens, moving as quickly as possible in an attempt to catch even a glimpse of what was going on. Yet, every time I did, I only discovered a blank screen.

That didn't mean it was for nothing though, as on the final screen, I was finally able to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

I saw the Library, same as it has ever been, as well as Timothy standing exactly where I had found him. Behind him, out of his sight, was three figures, out of focus and too blurry to describe.

Before I could see anything else, one of the figures glowed, and the camera turned dark...

Despite myself though, I couldn't help but chuckle in relief, as a huge weight seemed to leave me.

"It wasn't him…" I said under my breath, as all of the tension in my body was robbed from me. The bag that I was resting on my back with one strap fell to the ground with a heavy thud. "Thank the Goddesses… it wasn't him!"

I stood up with the Scroll in my hands, taking a seat in the bed to simply relax. Of course it wasn't him. He's dead, just like the other incarnations before him. He is out of my hair.

But that was celebrating all too soon...

"Is… something wrong?" The girl asked with what was a well done piece of acting, the sound of heels clicking loudly on the wooden floor.

I looked down at the Scroll again, the screen still blank even as the sound continued to filter through.. As I did though…

My body tensed again, as I slowly realized something…

Timothy… he was alone. Alone with people destroying the cameras, and likely any evidence they were there...

"Oh nothing… well not nothing. You just caught me deep in thought is all." Timothy responded calmly, answering as if I hadn't just disappeared before his eyes. Answering as if there wasn't a being of Evil nearby...

As he spoke, I could hear the sound of footsteps falling in a strange pattern. It took me a second to realize that the old librarian was pretending to limp forward to greet the girl…

Completely ignoring the two other people inside, as the two sets of footsteps got louder as they closed to the microphone. As they got louder, Timothy's own steps got quieter, as if he had just passed them without even realizing they were there.

Invisibility? No, I could clearly see them in that video I caught a glimpse of. Illusions? No, that still didn't quite explain what was happening…

Mental interference.

Hallucinations? Maybe. The ability to control what someone is perceiving…

I felt a chill crawl down my spine, as I tried to imagine facing such an opponent. How far could they go? Could they disguise themselves as a friend, all the way down to their voice, or could they even change how I perceived the terrain?

That was a dangerous opponent. Maybe that was the demon?

"You're a little too late if you're coming to get books," Timothy spoke as naturally as possible, as I heard the sound of footsteps stop, both fromTimothy and the others. "I'm closing down at the moment, and I've already turned off the equipment needed to sign out my books."

As he tried to get the girl out though, the two interlopers were already searching around the aisles. I could hear them moving slowly, assessing the room they were in, looking for signs of something.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were searching for given the situation. Or more accurately, who they were searching for.

So this was them huh? The people hunting down the magic users of the world, the Maidens. Only three?

A little too confident for my tastes. Were they expecting to fight a powerful magic caster after they had discovered them so soon? Though perhaps they had a reason for it, if that Hallucination Semblance one of them was using was any indication.

Though, there might be something else to it…

Anyway, it would seem that they had played their hand too early. Now I was aware of the numbers against me, and a facet of the ability one of them had.

I would need to prepare, just in case they found me again. Hmm… that persons Semblance probably wouldn't work if they couldn't see anything to base it off of. A Deku Nut would work wonderfully, or the Dust equivalent to a Deku Nut.

When they find out I'm not there, I'll just sneak up on them, blind them, and destroy their Aura as quickly as I could. Than, I can do with them as I will.

Though, that was being hopeful… there were too many ways that this could go wrong.

"Shit," The girl spoke, the microphones picking it up even though the distance made it rather quiet, as the demon continued to prowl through the library. "Sure you can't make an exception? It was hard to find this place, and I need something for a project or I'm screwed!"

But still…

That demon…

It wasn't the first time I had faced demons, and when I returned home it certainly wouldn't be the last. But where there was one, there was another… Something that told the demons who, what and where. Even when left to their own devices, the demons always followed the top dog…

It was the same for Grimm in that regard, as they always followed the oldest and the strongest in packs.

Was this creature the top-dog? A Grimm capable of mimicking and imitating human form and speech? Or was there something more to this?

That could be discovered at a later date. What's important was the fact that there seemed to be two forces battling one another in secret to obtain these Maidens. Why in secret and why they wanted the Maidens was completely unknown to me.

All I knew was that they were after me…

I listened as the demon and the other minion continued to search for signs of anyone in the library, as the girl and Timothy kept talking.

"As much as I would like to help," Timothy kept saying, sounding impatient and worried as he continued to deny her entry. "I can't make an exception. If you haven't noticed, I'm quite old, and need all the energy I have just to make it home."

As he kept talking though, I heard something in the video, something small.

A chuckle. Followed by the sound of someone dragging a porcelain cup across a table.

The coffee mug… the one that Timothy made that I hadn't drunk. Sitting next to Timothy's own mug, and the books I had been reading before I left.

With the pages opened to Great War soldiers quotes about Maidens.

"Shit." I said out loud, quickly standing up, my shoulders tense.

This wasn't good.

"Please, just one book is all I need!" The girl continued, trying to convince Timothy to let her inside as best she could. "If you just let me in, I can j-"

"That's enough Emerald." The demon spoke, as I stood up straight, my mind rushing with the possible ways this could go. As soon as the demon spoke, the act from the girl I now knew as Emerald was dropped.

Without a word, Emerald walked past Timothy with ease, as Timothy continued speaking.

"I told you, I can't do anything about it. So please, le-" Timothy continued to speak to air, unmoving as he assumed that the girl was still there, even though the footsteps were walking away.

"What the hell?" Timothy spoke out loud, as I rushed out of my room, making sure to lock the door behind me. "Where did sh-"

Just as the demon confirmed what I had expected.

"Where's the girl?" The demon asked simply, as I rushed through the halls of the 12th floor, trying to make my way out.

They had found me, or at least where I had worked. No doubt their next course of action would be to get information out of Timothy, no matter what.

And Timothy wouldn't let that happen. He's either going to try to fight or trick them. Either way, he was still in trouble…

All because of me.

I clicked my teeth as I ran down the halls, some of the guests getting in my way. I easily dodged them, trying to get to either the stairs or the elevator while a part of me wished I had set up a waypoint at the library to teleport to.

That'll take too long. Teleport outside the building.

I silently agreed, bringing the Scroll to my ear in an attempt to hear what was going on. However, I was moving too fast, and their words warping and making it hard to hear everything they were saying.

Luckily, there was a solution right in front of me.

Before the man I ran past could even guess what was happening, I was already gone with a pair of headphones in my hand. Before he could say anything, I teleported outside of the building, leaving behind 5,000 Lien for him as an apology.

The brisk chill air crashed against my skin, as I began to fall down to the street from twelve stories up. My heart jumped up into my throat, as I quickly attempted to stick the headphones into the Scroll to distract myself. With my breath held and my nerves making my hands shake, it took about seven stories to get it in. Another story to put the listening device into my ear, and turn up the volume a bit so I could hear everything.

As soon as I was close to the ground, I teleported on top of the closest stable structure, before blinking out existence in the sky. As soon as I felt my feet touch solid ground though, I was already moving forward as fast as I possibly could.

I was four miles away, a distance that would take the average man forty minutes to get there, not including the stops one would need to make. If I took the rooftops where I wouldn't need to stop, went straight there, and ran as fast as I could nonstop, I might be able to get there in fifteen minutes.

"Just hold on…" I said to the wind, jumping to the next rooftop with ease, where I immediately rushed forward. All as my mind went back to two years ago…

To the Knights, the King, and even the citizens who gave their lives to protect me… to aid me in escaping the sieged castle. To continue the bloodline of the Royal Family, and save the girl who could do nothing to stop the coming storm...

"No one else… Not again… " I told the world itself, pushing myself further and further to move faster. I did it to spur myself forward, to force myself to move faster… I did it to quell the fear that I was forcing down...

But the feeling of dread still clawed at my heart, the reassuring words only making the fear all the more real...

Timothy Redbrooks

This was bad…

"Where's the girl?"

I took a step back, feeling the sweat begin to trickle down my skin.

How had it come to this…

It had only been minutes since Zelda had disappeared, since I was put on edge ready for anything. Minutes since I had seen her fearful expression, like she had seen the face of a demon, and since I began to feel the flow of adrenaline rush through me once more...

A few minutes since they appeared on my doorstep.

I glared, giving each of them a glance over, trying to get a hint or clue about what they could do. It had been many years, but some things never quite disappeared.

The girl I had just been talking was dark skinned, her once false sweet and innocent expression completely gone. She had to be no older than eighteen, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was standing with my enemies, she could've even come across as a normal teenager. However, that was where the normal ended, as the girl was showing an incredible amount of skin. The intricate white top with black outlines she wore did nothing to cover her chest, and only covered her collar bone. The article of clothing didn't even reach past her chest, showing her entire midsection off to the world. Only an olive tube top protected her modesty, and even that was stretching it. She was quite thin, standing she seemed to be only 5'7 without her heels, with her mint green head or hair highlighted by her clothes. The pants she wore were pure white, covered up by brown chaps with padding and held up by a belt looped around her waist twice. She also had a three ring armband made of a dull steel, dull olive green beads of different shades, and very dark red eyes.

The boy next to her was much larger compared to her thin frame, and was at least 6'2. He wore primarily black with gray accents that matched the same shade as his messy hair. Black pants with gray accents on the side matched with thick army boots and armored black shin guards that completely blocked the view of his legs. His black jacket was zipped up almost all the way, and had a gray 'Y' design on it with two symmetrical gray slits on his chest, making it almost look like a wolf's head. Just to the side on his hip was a gray piece of cloth, a black symbol of a foot with wings depicted at the forefront. His arms were covered in a fitting steel plate, though no chainmail connected the two pieces on his forearm and bicep, leaving it totally bare along with the fingers of his black gloved hands.

But the thing that drew my attention the most, was the woman standing next to them, proud and full of herself. She was a woman, a beautiful woman wearing a short red dress, with intricately golden patterned sleeves that met at her chest. Said dress was shoulderless, clinging to her and showing off all of the curves she seemed so proud of. On the right side of her dress was an elaborate pin with green and blue tufts of color. Her legs were left bare for the world to see, the only obstacle hampering the sight being an anklet with obsidian shards hanging off of them. The woman's hair was raven black, brushed to the side to hang off her left shoulder, and her eyes…

Her eyes were smoldering, piecing orange, like embers hungry for more…

This was them… these kids were the new group after the Maidens… after Zelda…

After Diane.

I felt the urge to pull out my weapons then and there, ready to attack them, kill them for what they were trying to do to me again. But I held myself back, keeping my emotions in check until they were absolutely necessary.

So, despite how much I wanted to strangle the three of them, and kick them into a ditch somewhere…

I responded to their question.

"Girl?" I answered her with a confused expression, before morphing it into one of realization. "Oh, um… I'm not sure…. Last I saw her, she had left work early three days ago, even though she was supposed to come in. Thankfully it was a slow day, and nobody but me has come in. "

As I spoke, I slowly backed away with my hands in the air, trying to come off as threatened.

Right now, their focus was on Zelda and not me. So long as she wasn't here, and I acted like I was just an old librarian, then I could surprise them. That would give me the advantage against these odds, and would help me fend them off.

Then, when Zelda returns, we're gone. They can't track us if we head to a different Kingdom or settlement…

Then I… I can finally be...

But it was never that easy.

"Oh please Timothy," The woman in red began, as I felt my eyes widen in shock, her eyes shining with amusement. "If you're going to lie, at least make it believable."

As she said this, she gestured to the table next to their group, as I took a glance. What I saw almost made me curse, but I bit my lip, holding those words back.

The mug I had given Zelda early in the morning was still on the table, along with all of the books she was reading. It wasn't cold though, as I had heated it up a little so it would still be good. That in itself didn't prove anything…

But my own cup was resting right next to it, still hot and steaming.

"She was here," The girl in red continued, touching the rim of Zelda's cup, glancing down the books that were still open. "Recently by the looks of it."

"How do you know my… " I spoke out loud, too shocked to even finish that question. I had been retired for twenty years… maybe even before this girl was born. So how?!

"I have my connections," She smirked, not giving me the answer I wanted on purpose. "Connections that assured me that there wouldn't be anyone else who could interfere with my plans. But, when a certain thief came to me with the absurd notion that another Maiden was in the area… well, I had to see it for myself."

Thief? Another? What was she…!

Torchwick. He was there but managed to escape… So that attention hog was working for them than…

He told them everything.

My hand was gripped into a tight fist, as the memory of what happened slowly filtered through. He had seen what Zelda could do, seen her rescue all of the hostages…

The group that I was a part of, unable to do anything because of my knee...

"It was easy to get someone to hack into the cameras of that store." The woman in red continued on, enjoying the superiority that she had over the situation. "And seeing her magic… seeing how she rushed to protect you even though she seemed to know the dangers. That was quite… let us say, inspiring."

…That was certainly a way to interpret what happened.

Zelda didn't even know I was there. If she did, she surely would've brought it up, instead of coming here like it was normal. She didn't reveal her abilities for me, she did it because it was the right thing to do.

That was just like them… they were too kind to have such a cruel fate placed upon them.

"Though, I will admit." The woman in red spoke, her grin like that of a feral tiger finding a weak and delicious meal. "I did not expect Ozpin to let you protect another Maiden. After what happened to the last one, I was sure he wouldn't risk such a thing."

As each word was spoken, I glared into the embers, the emotions I was crushing down now fully revealed. The green girl flinched at the drastic change, while the boy looked like he was finally paying attention. The woman in red though, she looked as if she had won an invisible duel, as if she were pleased she had gotten me to react in such a way.

Before they did anything else though, I had already stuck both of my hands in my pockets, grabbing onto the weapons I hadn't held in over twenty years.

In my right, I pulled out the familiar weight of my three inch karambit, it's curved flint blade recently sharpened. The light bounced off of the black blade, the material shining like the sun. In my left, my iron gauntlet, shifting over my entire forearm and hand. Unlike the my knife though, this gauntlet was scratched to hell and back, giving it some personality from all of my fights.

Not quite as fancy as what the kids have today, but Locke and Key were still deadly tools.

Despite my situation, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as I held the tools I had made within my hands. It had been years since I had seen any action with these two, as for twenty years they've been sitting in my home gathering rust and dust.

Now though, after a few hours of making sure they were in prime condition over the weekend, all three of us were ready to face what was before us.

"You… you people don't get to talk about her like that... " I told them, every piece of anger, rage, and resentment I've been holding inside of me rippling through my every word.

As soon as I had pulled out Locke and Key though, the two behind the woman in red did so as well. The one in black got into a fighter's stance, while the other pulled out two green rifles with blades on the end of them.

The woman though, didn't react. As if looking at a bug trying to attack her, she merely grinned, as if she was in complete control.

"A sensitive topic I see," She continued on, enjoying the reaction that I gave, as if dining on a well cooked steak. "But I understand. To have failed a Maiden once, only to fail the second one in such a spectacular way…."

"Who wouldn't be upset being such a failure?"

Something snapped. I could hear it, like the sound of a rubber being pulled too tight. Years of punishing myself for my failure, hoping for a shot at some form of happiness, at redemption. Now finally, after years of suffering, I finally get that chance…

And now they are trying to take that away. To take her away, again!

Upset?!

I was furious!

"You bitch!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, already rushing forward, practically exploding into action.

Still, she didn't move, as Green began to fire off her weapons at me. Semi-automatic rifles, good to know.

Still, that wasn't a problem.

I brought my left arm forward, my right arm underneath as I ran towards them, leaving myself room to see exactly what they were doing. Then I brought myself low, as all the bullets passed over me, as I kept speeding towards the bitch. One of the bullets managed to strike me, but it easily deflected off of my Aura.

That wasn't it though, as the grey hair managed to step in front of her, going straight for a sidekick, aiming for my guard. That was fine though, as I let Locke take the most of the attack, while I dragged my arm to the right, hooking his leg with Key. Forcing his leg away, he was caught off balance, as I instantly aimed for his midsection, cutting into his Aura and taking a sizable chunk.

That didn't hamper his movement at all though, as he used the momentum of my attempt to flip in the air, bringing his other leg down hard. I clicked my teeth, trying to find a way to get dodge before my body automatically rolled to the side.

When Grays leg smashed into the floor, it shattered the wooden boards, splintering the floor into jagged spears. I watched as one of them sailed past me, almost cutting into my Aura and eye. Quickly standing up, I rushed back into the fray, not aiming to give him a chance to attack.

But he wasn't the only one I had to worry about.

I could see Green focus on me, glaring with an intense expression as I felt a shiver travel down my spine. That girl, her Semblance was too powerful not to take seriously. I needed to be careful, or else I could be c-

"Stay out of this Em." Gray said suddenly, even as the person in front of me didn't move his mouth. Instead, the figure in front of me was setting up a kick, which I was going to dodge. "I've been itching for a fight like this for a while."

I stopped dead in my tracks, trying to wrap my head around what was going on. That was, until Gray dissolved in space, leaving what was likely the real one out in the open, no stance prepared.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Green roll her eyes as if she had been expecting this, while glaring at Gray. However, Red gave a reassuring nod towards Green, signaling she was ok with what was going to happen. But Gray just ignored them both, looking at me while setting up his fighting stance, making a 'come here' motion with his open hand.

Glaring at him, I intentionally didn't do what he wanted. Instead, I used my surroundings to my advantage.

For instance, I was right next to where the bastard put a hole in my floor.

Kicking up up a piece of the wood flooring, I grabbed it with Locke before chucking it in his direction. Gray responded with a simple kick, the wood being destroyed and letting small shards of wood pitifully smack against his Aura. Despite that, I was already on him, spinning Key forward in my hands and holding it in a special way for a little extra reach.

The game changed from there, as Gray was expecting my other style, but now I was just slashing at him with Key. I was in, slashing across his body with relative ease, as he attempted to kick me out of the way. When he did, Locke blocked his attacks, absorbing the impact as I flipped Key in my hands.

Back to the normal style, my hand still blocking his kick, I went further into his range, purposely making his preferred style ineffective. Gray clicked his teeth as he realized this, purposely lowering himself to get out of the way. Without a moments hesitation, he fired off the gun in his leg, shooting a bullet into one of the shelves and using the momentum to create a sweep kick.

Now it was my turn to click my teeth, as he had caught me with the kick, making me flip through without balance. But I had the advantage still.

After all, this was my library.

Before Gray could even realize what was going on, I kicked outward as hard as I could in my position, hitting the shelf behind him. Not bolted down to the floor, this shelf freely spun in place when I hit the end, letting me through easily.

As Gray was getting up though, he was hit by the other end of the shelf, knocking him off balance and into the floor. As this happened, all of the books on said shelf went flying everywhere, littering the wood floor with them.

Rolling on said floor, I stood in a ready stance, trying to find where Gray had landed in an attempt to take him down. He was already up though, and not too happy either.

Before I even knew what was going on, he was kicking in my direction, firing Air Dust bullets in my direction. Rolling to the side, I hide behind the empty bookshelf I had just created and holding it down, watching as the air bullets themselves were cutting into the bookshelf.

Well, if I was already being destroyed…

Taking a chance, I decided to do something I haven't done in over twenty years.

Moving quickly, I brought the black blade of key against the iron surface of Locke. Moving quickly, I struck Key against Locke, watching as the familiar sparks that they created flew onto the bookshelf. Than, as the sparks sizzled into the wood…

I activated my Semblance, while kicking it directly towards Gray, as it shot across the floor with an incredible speed. I also made sure that the shelf spun, making it that much harder to dodge.

I heard Gray curse at my actions, as I could only smirk. The fun was only getting started, and he was already in trouble.

I ran forward, feeling the slow drain of my Aura from using my Semblance, letting the sparks take all they need before…

I watched Gray block the shelf with his arms, the speed of it's movement too hard to dodge normally. He braced himself, waiting for the chance to attack me back…

Before the entire bookshelf was engulfed in flames, the heat causing some of the books near it to light themselves on fire.

"The hell?!" Gray shouted in shock, as I went and grabbed some of the flaming books by the unburned parts. Before Gray could say or do anything else, the flaming bookshelf crashed into him like a truck, snapping in half and surrounding him in the burning inferno.

It didn't long for him to destroy the makeshift weapon though, as a part of me cringed at the sight of my bookshelf being destroyed. Still, seeing as how I was farther than his legs could reach, he began shooting with the guns on his legs again.

That was something I was going to exploit though, as I began throwing the books at the bullets in defense. Each book was quickly destroyed by each bullet, as my own throwing speed was starting to lag behind him.

That didn't matter much in the end, as he was actually working to my advantage. Just a little more…

With the tenth bullet fired and the tenth book thrown, I took the chance I needed. Dodging to the side, I focused on that weapon of his, feeling for the best place to interfere. When I saw the heated edge of the barrel, I knew I had him.

Seeing me dodge, he went for another kick to fire bullets at me, ready to get a few good hits in…

That never happened though, as the bullet exploded inside his weapon, the barrel melted and fused shut.

Gray cursed again, as the thick pants the kid wore slowly burned, the gun barrel radiating with heat more intense than it should ever generate. But he seemed to realize what was going on, especially when I connected Locke and Key again, giving off a few more hot sparks.

Sometimes, I really loved my Semblance. The ability to increase thermal energy in objects is just so much fun. And making the sparks that come off of Locke and Key even hotter was just the beginning.

I smirked as I took a gasp of fresh air, feeling the air burn inside my lungs after years of not pushing them as hard as I used to. My pulse was racing too, and my Aura was down a sizable amount from using Firestarter so much. Luckily, my soul had gotten a little stronger over the years, as using my Semblance this way would've once put me in the yellow twenty years ago.

The advantages of getting old, I guess.

Still…

I glanced to the side, eyeing my two other opponents in my library, standing as if they owned the place and simply enjoying the show. I could already feel my blood boiling, my anger going overboard. Still, the analytical part of me was calm, as I slowly began to realize what was happening.

Even if I did defeat Gray, the green or the red one would just take his place, fresh and ready for battle. The longer this battle took, the more likely every other battle would be just as long.

And if Zelda was watching…

I looked up at some of the corners of the room, checking for the cameras I had set up all those years ago. Still, the glance I took revealed everything I needed to know, as the woman in red simply smirked.

Cameras were out than, which was a shame. But what about…

Before Gray could come and attack me, I backpedaled, aiming for my own desk. I left a little present though, as I threw one of the burning books at Gray, giving it a little jumpstart with my Semblance.

Gray had already dodged it by this point, expecting a projectile, but not an explosive. The flames wrapped around the books expanded outward at a breakneck speed, causing a small but incredibly hot explosion.

Gray cursed again, as I dove behind my desk, looking under it for the piece of equipment I was searching for. Before anything else could interfere, I ripped it off of where it was attached, and spoke into the small microphone. One that was highly illegal, and one of the few I had set up all over the shop.

"If you can hear me," I spoke quietly, making a plan in my mind as I went, knowing that I needed to take care of one of them immediately. "Get out of Vale. It's not safe anymore."

With that, I stood up and kicked the desk back towards Gray, who was not happy with all of my sneaky stunts. He easily jumped over the desk, before he used the gun to launch himself towards me for a powerful kick. He even used the gun to spin in the air giving himself more momentum for an even stronger kick.

Poor choice of moves though.

Forcing this old body of mine to move as quickly as I could, I brought Locke and Key together again, activating my Semblance at the exact moment the two met. After that, I shut my eyes as tight as I could, letting the two do their work.

With a substantial Aura loss, the world turned bright, as the sparks created turned into tiny sun, blinding everyone in the room. Me though, I just had spots in them, as I was now able to freely move without being seen.

Gray though, unable to know when he was going to land, crashed hard into the floor. No doubt he was disoriented from the spinning and the sudden blinding light, as he didn't even try to get up.

Green and Red though, they couldn't see a thing either, and were completely vulnerable. They attempted to do something though, as Green stood in front of Red, as if protecting her.

Moving quickly, I rushed the two, Key at the ready to do some damage in their vulnerable state. Though, I wasn't focusing on Green as much as I was focusing on Red.

She was the boss of these two. If I could take her down, than I could get the others to surrender.

With that thought in mind, I jumped Green, kicking her aside with a blow straight to her temple, as her Aura actually became visible from the need to focus on blocking that strike. Getting back into my stance, I than rushed Red, Key going straight for the neck.

She was ready for me, still looking down on me even with those blind burning eyes, as if she were waiting for this moment. I listened to the sound Green crashing down, the impact heavy and powerful, as it shattered the wall I launched her into. That didn't matter though, as I flipped Key in my hand, extending it to get better reach in an attempt to hit her hard.

That was when she surprised me. Not with some flashy move or with a weapon hidden under her sleeve.

What shocked me was her eye lighting on fire in a way that was all too familiar.

My eyes widened, my anger forgotten as that fire was drowned by shock. That… this wa-

Pain.

It was as sudden as it was painful, like hundreds of tiny ants biting into my skin, but so much worse. I didn't have time to gasp or even understand, before I was blown across the room, flipping through the air.

Before I crashed into a bookshelf, dragging the heavy piece of furniture along with me, before we both crashed into the ground.

Despite that, I followed my instinct, allowing myself to roll across the ground before standing up, the momentum still dragging me across the floor.

I looked, the room spinning from the pain of that strike, as I shook my head to gain some of my bearings. The room came back into focus, as I looked at the girl- no…

The Maiden.

"You…" I spoke softly, my eyes wide as I could only stare at both of hers.

But it wasn't two.

It was one.

"That's… Impossible." I started slowly, my voice full of confusion as I looked at the witch before me. "Your eyes… there should be two…"

"Yes, there should…" The witch easily agreed, as if it was explaining this to a child. As she said this, Green stood up from the wall I had crashed her into, glaring at me as if trying to kill me with a look. Meanwhile, Gray just rolled his eyes, his attention on me while still in his stance, already itching to continue the fight, "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to extract the full power of Fall. But with your help…"

"I'm sure I'll be able to take this Maiden's soul with ease."

What?

My mouth easily fell open, as what she said slowly dawned on me. I could feel the sweat on sweat on my skin turn to ice on my, the chill covering my entire back.

What did she say?

That… that couldn't be… no. That's….

"What are you…" I began slowly, my heart already jumping into my throat, thoughts rushing through my head. This woman… this creature could take souls… and use them.

That's what she wanted to do to Zelda… To Diane?

To consume them and their power… to use them for this… things needs.

The woman only smirks, holding out a flame that she created within her hands. She.. it knew what it did, what kind of creature it was.

But It didn't care…

"Any last words?" The creature spoke, already assuming she had won.

But she wouldn't kill me. She needed me. This creature needed me to find Zelda, to find Diane, because it wanted more. This despicable creature didn't regret what they did, it was all just a game.

And Red wanted to win. She needed me to win.

That was something that I couldn't let happen.

I stared at the fire within her hands, watching as it flickered back and forth, living and breathing like I was now. This…

I stood straight up, looking around the library, taking a deep breath in. This had been her dream… the dream that I had lived for her… my prison for the past twenty years.

And now it would help me protect her.

To the very end.

"Yeah." I spoke slowly, staring at the creature who was giving me a wicked glance, taking pleasure in supposedly giving in. "I think I got something…"

But I wasn't. Not yet.

I wasn't failing… not this time.

So, with a huge smirk on my face, I stood up as straight as I could under the pain.

She and the others were stunned, confused. No doubt they thought I should know I was beaten. I, more than anyone, knew enough about Maidens than to keep on fighting one without support.

And I was beaten… for now, anyhow.

Right now though, I didn't need to fight her. At the moment...

"You really were that stupid, huh?"

I just needed to really piss her off.

Red seemed to bristle at my comment, as the two of her henchmen seemed to flinch at my words. That told me all I need to now, as I slowly piled more wood on the fire, getting ready for the big surprise.

"Excuse me?" Red asked with a bit of venom, as the orb of fire in burned a little brighter.

"I mean honestly," I kept telling her, using my joking voice to really rub the salt in the wound. "If I had been working with Ozpin, you guys wouldn't have seen tomorrow. Seriously, whose bright idea was this? Were you trying to get yourselves caught?"

"What are yo-" Green began to speak, pulling out her weapons in an attempt to seem threatening. To which, I could only laugh.

"Good job taking out the cameras," I told them all, pointing out some of the cameras they had destroyed. "Nice touch really. Made sure you weren't recorded when you came in. So…"

"Anyone take out the microphones?"

Gray seemed to blink at my admission, as he looked around at the other members of the group. Their faces said if all though, as it was clear that no one had thought of that.

"You were way too eager for the Maiden," I told her simply, as the fire around her grew brighter. A little more fuel…

I walked over to the desk I had kicked over, ripping out one of the microphones I had all around the building.

"And now," I told them simply, showing off the microphone like a like I had just won it at a carnival. "Now she's heard everything. She knows your voices, your plans, your allegiances, and even the fact that she should stay far, far away from Vale."

With that, putting away Locke and Key, I kept the microphone in my hands, not letting any fear show through. I watched as the creatures face twisted in anger, as she was deep in thought, trying to find a way out of this.

There wasn't. Not for either of us. Not after my next move.

"You're not getting her. " I told her simply, focusing my entire attention upon the fire she created, as it started to burn the floor of my library. "Not this time."

"You lost, half pint. You're a failure…" I told her with a big smile on my face.

"Just like me."

With that, the the woman turned her full attention to me, her gaze literally attempting to burn a hole in me.

I just smirked, taking a deep breath, smelling the scent of smoke and ash as her dream went up in flames.

But I didn't mind. Not this time.

This time…

The woman didn't hesitate, as she sent the largest fire blast she could in my direction, her anger fueling the attack further. But through the flames, I could see it.

Gray was already running, grabbing Green and Red, before starting to run out of my library, having an inkling of what was about to happen. He shouted something, but the roaring frames blocked out any noise. I didn't care though.

I just needed to get the Maiden.

Before Red could even wonder why Gray was grabbing and running, I activated my Semblance for the last time.

"Hey… do you wonder what it would be like… if I wasn't a Maiden?"

As I felt my Aura drain completely, time seemed to slow down, a memory playing in the back of my mind.

"Sometimes. But it's usually boring, so I can never think about it too hard."

"I'm being serious Timothy…"

"...Yeah. I do."

"...Do you-"

"Never."

"...Why? I'm sure it would be..."

I smiled, feeling the heat of the fire jump and begin to surround me. Despite that, I didn't feel a thing…

"You're worth it. Always have been, always will be."

I laughed at my own cheesy line, as my whole body went numb, the library ceiling starting to fall down on me. Despite that, I brought the microphone in my hands to my lips, feeling them start to crack and steam from the heat.

"Zel…"

I felt my eyes sting from the fire, as y throat slowly filled with smoke and ash. Slowly but surely, time crept up tome, as I grasped the feeling I was searching for these twenty long years.

"Keep her safe, alright?"

Redemption.

Ten Minutes Later…

Things had changed...

I stood on the closest rooftops near the hill where the library sat, watching from afar. I had watched as the flames climbed high into the sky, a huge black cloud rising further up.

Hundreds of people had gathered. Their curiosity and horror drawing them ever closing to the flickering flame. Eventually, the fire department came to put out the wreckage, stopping it from spreading any further into the Vale area.

All as I sat there, frozen...

It had happened again. Another life lost….

All because of me...

I didn't cry. I had cried too many times for people I had known my whole life. I wasn't sad, nor was I angry.

Numb. That was the perfect term I could use.

I was numb to it all…

There was nothing you could have done.

…

I continued to sit there, listening. Perhaps I was searching for something, or maybe I just didn't know what else to do.

But I knew that there really was nothing I could do…

Just like two years ago…

You need to leave.

I ignored my thoughts, watching as the fire slowly went out, the people still crowding the building in a sea of worried gazes.

From here, I could see their faces, read their expressions. They were terrified. The light of paranoia slowly flickering in and out of their eyes.

And why wouldn't there be? There had been robberies all over the Kingdom, people free to do what they wish without any interference. Not only that, a demon was running the whole thing and was on the loose. A demon that could steal souls, aiming for more power. Why?

I didn't know.

That's why you need to leave. It's too dangerous.

…

I had heard it all. Every moment.

It was a first for me. Two years ago, I had to learn of their deaths second hand. I still had that hope, the hope that they were still alive.

Crushed under the heel of the Evil King, as he spread the news for all to hear. The words that ring in my head even now.

'Your king is dead. All who defend you lay across the stones of my kingdom as corpses. Serve me or perish.'

But this was…

My lungs still burned. I could feel them now, as my legs shook from how hard I had pushed them. I had tried as hard as I could to make it…

Even still, I failed.

I stood up, watching as a bullhead slowly landed near the library, a head of white stepping out with a woman by his side.

I knew instinctively who it was the moment I laid eyes on him.

Oz.

I stepped further back into the shadows, making sure he couldn't see me from here. I was at least 100 yards away, but I didn't care.

I didn't want to be seen, not yet.

We need to leave.

I ignored my thoughts again, peering across the cityscape of Vale.

They were still out there.

I could feel it. This wasn't over…

No.

It had only just begun.

The numbness that had attached itself to my heart crumbled, as anger soon replaced it.

I wasn't leaving. Not yet.

I still had a mission.

My hero was still out there, unaware of the dangers this new world is now forcing us to face. No doubt he was searching for me, trying his best to return us to our Kingdom.

But that wouldn't be enough. Sitting here and waiting for him to be found, waiting for him to find me…

I was sick of it.

As the world around me moves, I sit here and wait for the dangers to come to me. When I had revealed my magic to the world, I sat and did nothing, waiting for my enemies to come to me. When my Kingdom was under siege, I ran away, searching for the Hero who could save it.

Two years ago, I had failed my Kingdom. I sat and waited for the enemy's move, forced to clean up after the mistakes that had cost me my Kingdom.

But that wasn't me. Not anymore.

It's too dangerous.

It doesn't matter how dangerous it was.

I stood up straighter, feeling the magic within me thrum to life, aching to be released.

I knew that they were planning something. I knew some of the people in the group that was after me. I knew the heads of the forces that worked against me and the forces that would control me.

I had all I needed.

I stepped forward, the Triforce of Wisdom flashing with a pure golden light, as my body soon followed suit. In the distance, I could see the man named Oz look my way, no doubt his instinct telling him to look towards me. Perhaps he felt something, a change in the winds that he needed to see.

But what he saw wasn't Zelda.

What he saw wasn't a Maiden.

What he saw certainly wasn't some hopeless girl.

What stood in front of his gaze the Princess of Destiny.

The Princess in the guise of a warrior…

With crimson eyes.

End of Chapter 9:

Mutually Assured Destruction

"No good deed goes unpunished."

Timothy Redbrooks,

Firestarter: The ability to increase the amount of thermal energy in an object, with Aura as the fuel. This can literally turn a spark into a forest fire, or light someone's finger on fire when they snap. Even existing flames burn hotter with this activated, so much so that they can cause explosions.

Timothy usually waits until an object gets hot before using it, allowing the object he's aiming for to reach certain temperatures at a lower cost.

Weapons: Lock and Key.

A Karambit knife with gauntlet on the opposing hand. The gauntlet is made of iron, while the knife is made of flint.