1 Chapter 1 - Beginning

(A/N: I would appreciate if ya'll pointed out some grammar mistakes cuz my brain does monkey stuff sometimes...)

It was a dark night, the people of Vale had already gone home and the streets went quiet. For most it was another day and another night in this vast city. And in this very place in a shady run down clinic a boy with a soul foreign to this world was seemingly asleep.

This boy was around 6 years old and his most notable feature was his hair that shone like gems. His nephrite like hair and his red eyes formed a weird dichotomy. Yet it felt natural, at least for the inhabitants of this world.

The boy slowly opened his eyes in daze.

'Hmm? Didn't I die in peace? Where the hell am I?' The boy wondered as he lifted up his hands before his eyes.

'Either reincarnation or hell got it.' Talked the boy in his mind. He quickly looked around himself and as he did so fragments of memories started to piece itself together.

It felt natural like remembering what you had for dinner last night.

'Reincarnation or regained memories from my past life?' He thought as a name he was given by a certain girl popped up in his head.

'Nephrite, neat it suits well with my hair.' He thought happily. Just as he thought the fragments had fully pieced itself together certain memories flashed past his head.

'?! Huntsmen? Ah RWBYverse huh mhmm... WAIT I am a childhood friend of Neo?! So that's why I am in this clinic...' Thought Nephrite as numerous memories flashed by.

'I wonder what happened to this boy in the original series?' Nephrite pondered as the door to the 'operating room' if you can even call it that opened.

An older man with a shaved beard and somewhat messy hair stepped out.

"Kiddo her life is safe now but she almost lost her voice so I am going to knock off the final price a bit. If you don't have the money you know what's going to happen right?" He looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze.

'So even the threat of Grimm couldn't eliminate slavery in one of the capital cities...' Thought Nephrite as he slightly grimaced.

Though it seemed that the 'fragments' did not carry emotions with them, he still felt some emotions like they were imprinted in his own body.

'So this is how this boy lost Neo...' He thought as he imagined the scene where Roman finds enslaved Neo in some shady ditch and becomes the world for her.

Thinking out his every option he could think of he just couldn't find an opportunity where he could flip this situation around. And he knew that boys are not as appreciated as girls...

As he was sieving through the 'fragments' he stumbled upon a certain memory...

"Can you give me 15 minutes? I'll definitely get you the money..." Said Nephrite looking directly at the man with the gaze no normal 6 year old could.

A trace of sympathy flashed trough his eyes as he said. "I'll give you 20 but if you are even a second late this is the last time you'll see her." He said looking away and shooing Nephrite away with his hand.

Nephrite nodded and quickly bolted out of the clinic. Quickly running into some abandoned alley he looked around if he wasn't watched and quietly muttered.

"Boot up the system..." He knew that this was his only realistic choice where he didn't need to sacrifice himself or Neo.

[System initializing...]

[Job System No.7 has been bound to a User.]

[Eliminating two Semblances from the host... Elimination successful.]

[System will only answer to predetermined commands such as 'Menu'.]

[Quick guide has been given : Menu

Status

Jobs

Skills

Inventory

(A/N: A proper in depth explanation given in an auxiliary chapter for the selected few that wouldn't know what these things mean...)

[A welcoming gift has been deposited in your inventory. Do note that inventory works only for rewards.]

"Open inventory." First thought Nephrite as he hoped that he didn't need to sound like some psycho that talks to himself in the open public...

[Inventory: {Welcoming Gift} X1]

Thinking of opening the gift a small pop up appeared and he quickly confirmed his choice.

As if the world glitched for a split second a weird feeling overcame Nephrite as multiple things appeared in his hands.

[Welcoming Gift opened, received: 100k Lien, Fake ID and credentials registered into the CCT system x1, Age manipulation skill (Temporary Duration: 10 years) x1, Job slot x1]

[Ding! You have unlocked the non-combat job tree.]

Seeing this his face turned ecstatic. Quickly hiding the excess amount of lien he ran back into the clinic lest the man duped him and already sold off Neo...

After a minute he arrived and opened the door. "Old man I've got the money!" He said while gasping for air.

The man that was sitting on a cheap chair looked at him in a slight surprise as it wasn't even 10 minutes before the boy left.

Suppressing his urge to ask where he got the money he quickly stood up and inspected the lien in the boy's hands to see if they were fake or not. Thanks to the Dust technology it was near impossible to create a counterfeit especially if the one in question was a 5-7 year old looking boy.

Counting and seeing that there weren't any problems with the money he beckoned for the boy to follow him.

"Come with me I'll show you everything you need though she needs to rest at least for a day or two before leaving. Don't worry though I have a separate room where she can rest." He said as they were walking through the hallway into the 'operating room'.

"Ah no need I'll take her with me today." Said Nephrite still cautious of this man.

The man smiled and ruffled Nephrite's hair. "Good boy, if you trusted me I wouldn't let you take care of her. Knowing when some things are shady is a must need trait around this part of Vale."

Not knowing if the man was acting or if he was sincere he at least released the tension he was feeling. After all he was a man that had his Semblance and aura unlocked, even if he wanted to do anything Nephrite wouldn't be able to defend himself not to mention an unconscious girl.

Finally reaching the operating room where he saw a girl with colourful hair laying on a bed. Sometimes she grimaced for a bit before regaining a resolute expression. Her throat had a weird appendage that resembled a bandage but not quite at the same time.

The man looked at her before saying. "I had to unlock her aura at the end so that she wouldn't lose her voice entirely. Grimm tend to leave some nasty things in human bodies that are not easily cured without constant source of Aura."

A fragment had popped up in Nephrite's head and he grimaced again. The memories of them two venturing out after being successfully duped by some shady person selling a 'treasure map' that would make them rich.

Somehow both of them were so dumb and caught up with the imaginary scenes where they could live in luxury and eat whenever and whatever they wanted that they spent their entire savings they struggled to gather for the past year and bought this 'treasure map'.

And it went even more downhill from there. The map pointed on a pretty unguarded place a bit away from the walls of Vale.

Seeing that it wasn't that far the duo in the heat of the moment decided that it would be fine to head there straightaway.

Two six year old malnourished kids sneaking out of the safety of Vale into wilderness where monsters roamed. What could go wrong right?

All it took for the tragedy to occur was a small beowolf barely bigger than them. It was waiting behind a bush before suddenly jumping out.

Before the two of them could react it swiped it's claws and sliced Neo's throat. Nephrite still fully wondered on how the hell could Neo survive and how he got her out of that place.

The fragment got blurry after that scene and it would remain a mystery for now.

Sighing for a bit he thought about his options before remembering the age manipulation skill he got.

Whilst Nephrite was thinking about his options the old man raised an eyebrow at him before quietly leaving.

'Open skill option.' He thought as a small screen appeared.

[Skills : Age Manipulation (Temporary, duration : 9 years 364 days 23 hours...)]

'Show me the details of the skill.'

[Age manipulation : Capable of 'aging' the Host to an age of 17. This skill will last till the user is 17 years old. While in this form Host will have the same physical strength as his current form.

The cost of the skill is completely free. User can only 'age' from 17 to his original form every hour. Host can stay in the 'aged' form without any time restrictions for as long this skill exists.]

Seeing this a plan slowly formed in his mind.

'I'll look for a hotel where I can spend a day or two with Neo before finding an apartment. I still have 95k lien and that should be a lot considering the operation cost only 5k, granted he gave me a discount it should help us stay afloat for few months.'

Without the age manipulation skill he would be in a pickle as people wouldn't just let a 6 year old malnourished boy rent an apartment.

Thinking few things through, Nephrite looked at Neo for a bit before heading back to talk to the old man.