An Aura of Hope: A RWBY Fan Fiction

Chapter One

"James..."

Who's James?

"James..!"

Oh right, that's me. That'll be Mother calling me to breakfast.

I groaned and opened my eyes. "I'll be out in a second, Mother!"

"Well you'd better hurry! You know Grammy doesn't like to wait! We're having bacon and eggs!"

Of course, it wasn't really bacon and eggs. It was the "meat" and "eggs" that you could get in a seed and plant in a garden. I don't particularly dislike it, probably because it's all I had ever had at that point in my life, besides basic vegetables and fruits. I really couldn't complain about life. Sure, we were dirt poor who were forced to live outside of the city because it was all we could afford. Sure, my dad was killed by a Death Stalker when I was five. Sure, we have to use massive electric fences around our property to keep out the Grimm. But honestly, my life wasn't half bad. Every day, I got to go to the city and attend the public combat school and work with all my friends down at the factory and go to the general store and get new seeds for our farm and if it was harvesting season, make deals and sell our mass crops to add to my small wages. I find it calming, having a routine.

I pulled on my favorite shirt, the one with a Beowolf head on it and said, "Why so Grimm?" and a pair of jeans with holes at both knees and falling apart at the ends and clomped down the stairs to the main floor.

"Morning, Mother. Morning, Grammy." I kissed each of them on the forehead.

"Morning, Sweetie," said Grammy. Hers was the kind of face that you couldn't help but love. She had laugh-lines around her lips and half-moon glasses that accentuated her warm, brown eyes. Her curly white hair never fell past her shoulders and looked perfectly done any time of day. She was the real head of the household. She'd been living with us ever since my father's passing to take care of her daughter who had lost her sanity that day. She came into our lives with an air of authority that was well beyond her seemingly frail build.

"Come eat, James," said Mother. Oh, Mother. Poor, poor Mother. I remember when her green eyes had been full of liveliness and happiness. Now all they held was a sadness that nothing on this world could cure. She's been this way ever since Father was killed thirteen years ago. When the district leader came in to deliver the news, Mother had reacted very emotionally. She lashed out at him and screamed and called him a liar and that this was the worst joke she'd ever had played on her. She then broke down in tears and after about five minutes, she started cackling. This was the kind that gives you nightmares for the rest of your life. I was taken to a foster home for a week before Grammy showed up to take me home. I learned later that Mother had been diagnosed with mild-case insanity. She can't do much more than cook anymore. Grammy keeps her busy every day while I go to the city and do the farming on weekends.

"Thanks!" I took the plate from her and sat at the table. "How're you today, Mother?"

"I'm doing pretty well, thank you."

"I'm going to town today. Do you need anything?"

"Nope. You have fun today, alright?"

"I promise." I took the plate to the sink and rinsed it off. "Bye, everyone!"

"Bye!" they returned.

I grabbed Viartannie Ijs off of the shelf and hurried out.