P.O.V. [Name]

I sighed as I looked at the book in front of me. I was currently in the library that Beacon had. I was searching for a reason as to why King might be as strong as he is. There's no way he was just born that strong right? That and doing some homework that Professor Peach had assigned to us. She wanted us to look up some fables for some reason or another. I wasn't really paying attention when she was talking, my mind was elsewhere while she was.

I continued to read through a few books, and as I did I heard someone walking towards me. I then felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see who was touching me and smiled slightly as I saw Pyrrha. "Would you mind if I joined you?" Pyrrha asked as she looked at me. I shook my hearing this and she smiled as she began to sit across from me. She looked at the books that I had gathered a bit skeptically.

"Is all that really for Professor Peach?" Pyrrha asked as she used a pen to point at the books I had gathered. I was a bit confused hearing this before I realized what she meant and chuckled.

"No, most of these are for personal reasons. However-" I began as I reached for the top two books. "These should have most of the answers in them. You know how Professor Peach is, she probably threw in one or two answers that weren't in the books just to throw us off," I said as I looked at her. Pyrrha smiled hearing this and opened a book. However, after a few pages, she stopped and looked up at me closing the book.

"I want to apologize ahead of time for what I'm about to say," Pyrrha said as she looked at me. I was a bit confused hearing this and she took a deep breath. "I just wanted to know how you're doing?" Pyrrha asked as she reached for one of my hands. I felt my heart drop slightly hearing this and looked up at her. "I heard about what happened and I just wanted to ask. I know you probably don't want to talk about it, and that's fine I just thought I'd offer was all," Pyrrha said a she looked at me.

I smiled hearing this and squeezed her hand slightly. "No, it's fine," I said shaking my head as I looked at her. "Sometimes, talking about it helps. Just knowing that someone is there, and is willing to listen. Sometimes that's more than enough," I said with a smile as I looked up at her. "And I really appreciate it," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. She smiled and nodded hearing this.

"Just remember we'll always be here for you," Pyrrha said as she looked at me. I nodded hearing this and smiled slightly.

"Thanks," I said as I began to look down a bit sad by what had happened. "I won't lie, I'm more than devastated by this. I know my mom wasn't the best in the world but she always took care of me and made sure I was safe. She wasn't good with her emotions, and her philosophy got in the way of a lot of things. I know that, but still part of me can't help but be sad that she's gone," I said as I looked up at her.

Pyrrha looked at me hearing this and nodded. "I know I shouldn't spend so much time on revenge for what happened but, I just . . . I don't know what else to do," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. Pyrrha smiled hearing this and continued to hold my hand.

"I think it's in your right to be confused, angry, sad, and whatever else you're probably feeling at the moment. However, whenever I was a little girl any time something bad would happen I would ask my mom and she'd always reply with the same thing. It was a silly story she told me, I didn't know what she meant at first but as I got older I think I understand what she meant now. I don't know if it'll help but . . . would you like to hear it?" Pyrrha asked as looked at me, I nodded hearing this.

"It can't hurt right?" I responded as I looked at her. She nodded hearing this and cleared her throat.

"There used to be a small tribe of brave warriors and they all lived happily together. All except for one, this warrior had never taken the final trial of his people so as a result, he was never happy, and he wasn't strong like the others. However, one night when he was all alone he left his village to go out on an adventure hoping it would make him happy. It didn't and on his way back he accidentally walked to the final trail and came face to face with a great beast. The brave warrior called out for help, and when he did the beast responded and said "My name is life, and you will be happy. But first, I'm going to make you strong," Pyrrha said as she looked at me.

I smiled slightly hearing this and nodded as she looked at me. "Like I said I don't know if it helps but I do think it's a rather nice story. Sorry if this didn't help," Pyrrha said as she looked at me. I shook my head hearing this and looked at her.

"No it's fine, I rather enjoyed it as well," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. "Come to think of it," I said as I closed the book I was reading. "I never did tell you the tale of the Sion did I?" I asked as I looked at the female in front of me. Pyrrha shook her head hearing this and I smiled. "Well then let me tell it to you now. I know there's no questions about it on the paper but since we're studying fables, why not?" I said as I looked at her.

Pyrrha chuckled hearing this and nodded. "I'd like that," She said as she looked at me still holding my hand. Upon this realization, I blushed and pulled away scratching the back of my head rather sheepishly. "I'm not sure how good I am at telling stories but I can probably tell this one since it's my favorite," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. Pyrrha nodded hearing this and I cleared my throat as I looked at her.

"Legend has it, that there is another island on the other side of the world. An island so far that no matter how much you swim or fly towards it you'd never reach it. This is where our story takes place. Back when mankind was still in its early stages of life, the god of light and the god of dark noticed that humans were having trouble surviving. They had so many gifts that other creatures didn't, such as intelligence, aura, semblances, however, they didn't seem to know how to use them properly yet," I said as I slid the book I was reading to the side and leaned forward towards her.

"The gods eventually came to the conclusion that their time remaining on Remnant was very limited. To counter the rapidly diminishing presence of the humans, the gods came up with a plan to create a keystone that would act as the bridge between the newly emerging humans and the gods. The Sion was that keystone. So after they had decided this the two began to work on their creation together even going as far to give it an appearance the resembled an angel to brings humans peace of mind," I said as I looked at her, she began resting her head on her hand hearing this with a smile, and I continued.

"However the gods definitely didn't intend for the Sion to turn out the way he did," I said as I looked at her causing her to look at me a bit shocked. "Rather than being this neutral entity, the would observe humanity from both the perspective of a god and a human. He instead became this figure of absolute authority. You see the Sion was born with the knowledge that he was neither fully god nor human, and as such he placed himself as this superior being over all those that he ruled," I said as I looked at Pyrrha causing her to look at me a bit confused.

"This led to him becoming this over-oppressive tyrant of a king who would rapidly abuse his people," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. This was a story that my mother told me to instill her values into me, so she went into a lot more detail about what the Sion did than me. I don't want to make her question why this was my favorite story by mentioning all the atrocities that he committed while he was ruling.

"I don't think I need to explain why this supposed keystone would grow up to become such a tyrannical king who wouldn't even submit to the ones that created him. So the god of light and the god of dark mold a piece of shadow into a curious and adventurous creature named Shadow, and give it life but not a soul. Its purpose of existence was to act as the chains of the gods and put the Sion back into its place as an observer of the gods by binding him," I said as I looked at the female in front of me.

"However since Shadow didn't have a soul itself it had no sense of rational thought. So it couldn't take action against the Sion until it gained enough wisdom and reason to do so. This was made possible by devouring a woman that was sent by the gods themselves. After Shadow molded itself into a rational being Shadow goes to carry out her mission. Upon arriving at the kingdom of Trigelph Shadow was at a loss for words at what she saw," I said as I looked her causing Pyrrha to look at me interested in what would happen next.

"Cruel, evil, sadistic, vile, malevolent, none of these words applied to the figure she saw," I said as I looked at the female in front of me causing Pyrrha to look a bit shocked. "Because the first time Shadow saw the Sion he was still just a child that hadn't completely put humanity under his foot. So at first Shadow was questioning the gods reasoning for having to deliver punishment to this seeming just ruler. So Shadow observed the male in secret," I said as I looked at the female in front of me.

"As a child, he was considered to be a king with an aptitude for ruling superior to all others, the epitome of the ideal boy king. In contrast to what the gods had told her, the Sion was praised and lauded by the citizens of Trigelph to the point of infatuation as tolerant, sage, fair, and moral. As Shadow continued to watch over him she continued to question the gods' reason for doing so. In fact, the only "flaw" that could be described at the point is that he respected the gods without submitting to them. Surely refusing to submit to the gods as a child didn't warrant the type of divine punishment that the gods were trying to deal," I said as I looked at Pyrrha.

"In fact Shadow believed that at this point in his life, if the Sion had known how his adulthood-self would act he may have tried to find a way to stop his growth, or even committed suicide, to commit such atrocities from happening to the people that he ruled over. However, as she watched the Sion grow she witnessed the foresight the gods had to see the Sion become this over-oppressive tyrant of a king. When the right time finally came Shadow presented herself to the Sion outside of his palace," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. Pyrrha now seemed to be genuinely interested in the story and I smiled as I continued.

"She told him that punishment had to be dealt for his lack of respect towards the gods, and the oppression that he dealt to his people. The Sion still being full of arrogance didn't just accept the words of some shadowy humanoid that was trying to reprimand him. So instead the two fought each other in a battle that lasted days on end. This would be the first time in the Sion's life that he would encounter someone of equal strength. So the Sion had no choice but to respond in equal force by using his full power for the first time," I said as I looked at the female in front of me.

"Initially the Sion was very hesitant to use his full power and destroy the palace and kingdom he had worked so hard to build. But after some time the Sion came to the realization that he was actually enjoying himself. The truth was that the Sion actually lived a very lonely life. His unopposed power led him to a life of isolation, and this served as the main reason in the duress that he had towards the people that he ruled. However after coming across Shadow, someone who was worthy of being in his presence, even to fight him. He stopped caring for his palace, kingdom, and any other worldly possessions that he had and began to fight full force," I said as I looked at Pyrrha.

She nodded hearing this and I smiled seeing that she was actually paying attention to what I was saying. "However by that time Shadow was reduced to almost only ten percent of the power she had started with, so the Sion managed to defeat her with relative ease. However, instead of simply eliminating the first true opponent that he ever had, the Sion respected Shadow as an equal and instead became friends with her," I said as I looked at her, Pyrrha nodded hearing this, however, she seemed a bit disappointed. Most likely because the Sion had won their fight.

"Moving on, the Sion and Shadow begin to make their way outside of the kingdom to the lair of a powerful Grimm named the Basilisk. The two traveled for several days and traversed seven mountains to get to its lair. Once they arrived they headed deep within until they reached its lair, after being defeated by the two the Basilisk begs to be spared saying that it would become their slave if they did. However Shadow saw through the creatures deception and told the Sion that he was lying, and he decapitated the beast choosing to believe the words of his friend rather than believing the words of the Basilisk," I said as I looked at Pyrrha who seemed a bit confused.

I chuckled lightly hearing this and looked at her. "It's at this point that, just like you, Shadow became confused by the Sion's actions. She was unsure as to why he would go to such great lengths to perform a task that wasn't even requested by the gods. The Sion explains that it's all to protect Trigelph, which just confuses Shadow even more. Since it was not too long ago that the Sion was oppressing the very people that he was now trying to protect. The Sion once again explains his reasoning and after hearing it Shadow pledges her loyalty as a tool to help the Sion reach his goal," I said as I looked at Pyrrha, who seemed a bit concerned.

"However this next part may surprise you since it surprised me the first time I heard it. The Sion didn't accept Shadow's pledge and stated that she was his friend and not just a tool. While many citizens of Trigelph were relieved that the Sion had killed the Grimm. Many of them considered Shadow's accomplishment far greater, because of her the Sion was beginning to return to his former self. The kind, sweet, and innocent boy she had watched grow up, and Shadow began to fall madly in love with him," I said as I looked at Pyrrha and she smiled.

"However she never confessed," I said causing her to stop smiling and look at me a bit shocked. "It's true that all she wanted was to be with him, however, she couldn't ever speak her true feelings for him without thinking he'd feel disgusted by the idea. For she believed that an Entity who was neither god nor Grimm and nor Human could never be with a disgusting creature as herself. A mere tool made by the Gods to subjugate him. However, this never stopped her feelings and the more she denied them the more they grew," I said as I looked at her.

"That's rather sad," Pyrrha said as she looked at me and I nodded.

"I know, it truly is a sad and woeful tale," I said as I looked at the table before I shook my head and looked at her. "Anyway, after this the two's adventures led to the Sion becoming the greatest and richest king on Remnant. Even the gods themselves had to acknowledge the power that the Sion had accumulated. Several women of his kingdom actually fell in love with the Sion and proposed marriage. However the Sion actually refused their proposals, the Sion knew that many women of his kingdom weren't really interested in them, and many of them were known for mistreating their lovers by being unfaithful and the Sion just didn't want to deal with them," I said as I looked at the female in front of me.

"However their peace didn't last long as an evil witch had heard of the two's adventures and exploits and had come to see them for herself. For some unknown reason she hated the god and when she found out that both of them had been created by the gods she immediately began to devise a plan to kill them. She created a monstrous Grimm called the Behemoth and unleashed it on the city of Trigelph. It had rained terror on Remnant for seven whole years before the Sion and Shadow managed to defeat the beast, using the very chains that were meant to bind them," I said as I looked at the female in front of me.

"However Shadow had been greatly injured in the process. It wasn't very long after this that Shadow began to decay and lose her form. As she slowly returned to the shadows she had been molded from the Sion stayed by her side. Shadow told the Sion not to grieve as she considered herself nothing more than a mere tool for him to use. However, the Sion once again denied this claim and said that she does have her own worth. A worth that nothing else on Remnant can or ever will have. Hearing this Shadow smile and confessed her love for the Sion stating that she wished she could have just lived happily with him," I said as I looked at Pyrrha who now seemed to be a bit saddened by this.

"The Sion realizing how blind he had been to her feeling held her close and kissed her as she slowly died in his arms. When she was gone the Sion began to grieve for his lost love and began to slip into a deep depression. He isolated himself from all others and when he was at his most venerable the witch presented herself. She had lied to the Sion and told her that she was a divine maiden, and offered to help him through the pain with a magical spell she had learned. The Sion feeling desperate and out of options accepted her offer," I said as I looked at the female in front of me.

"So of course it should come as no surprise that she tricked him and instead of helping him instead cured him, slowly warping his mind to believe that she was more than just some witch that offered him aid. She altered his memory completely making him believe that she was his mother. It's said that to this day the Sion is still under the effects of the curse waiting to be freed and when he id he'll undoubtedly take his revenge on the witch. Not only for deceiving him but for killing Shadow as well," I said as I looked at the female in front of me. Pyrrha smiled hearing this and looked at me with a smile.

I stayed silent for a few moments and she smiled as she looked at me. "I liked it, I'll admit it was a bit odd especially for a children's bedtime story, but I like it nonetheless," Pyrrha said as she looked at me. I smiled hearing this and chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, I remember liking it because when I was little I always imagined how great it would be to be as powerful as the Sion. Someone that no Grimm could stand up to, and that everyone loved and adored" I said with a smile as I looked at her. She chuckled slightly hearing this and I sighed. "Something like that really does seem like nothing but a fairy tale now," I said a bit discouraged as I thought of King.

At this point I'm starting to think that mom was right, maybe there is nothing I can do to stop him. However, before I could once again upset myself Pyrrha stood up from where she was sitting. I was a bit confused as to why until she walked over and sat beside me.

"I just realized it doesn't make much sense for me to sit over there if we're going to be working on this assignment together," Pyrrha said as he looked at me. I nodded hearing and reached for one of the books that I had actually gotten for this assignment.

"I hope you don't mind if we share a book," I said as I opened the book in front of us. She blushed slightly hearing this and shook her head as she leaned closer to me. We began to read the book together and I could feel my face heat up as she did.

"So," Pyrrha began, most likely in an attempt to break the silence between us. "Are you going to the festival?" Pyrrha asked as she looked at me.

"The Vytal festival? Without a doubt!" I said a bit excited as I stopped reading the book and turned to look at Pyrrha. "Since I was in the tribe all my life I never got the chance to see it before. So I was really looking forward to it this year!" I said excitedly as I looked at her. Pyrrha smiled and chuckled hearing this.

"I can't wait to see what it's like for myself. I heard it lasts for weeks, sometimes even months! With dances, parades, and other events that lead up to a big tournament at the end of the year," I said as I looked at her. Pyrrha smiled hearing this and she seemed to tense up slightly as her face turned a slight shade of pink.

"I see, well then if you wouldn't mind," Pyrrha began as she looked at me. "W-would you l-like to go w-with me?" Pyrrha offered clearly embarrassed about what had just said her face now being as red as her hair. I felt my face heat up as well hearing this and nodded slightly as I looked at her.

"Yeah," I said as I reached for her hand. "I think I'd like that," I said with a smile.