The words had left Lily's mouth before she could even try to hold them back. She knew of course, that they were all scared. After all the things that had happened to them, how could they not be? Every moment in this Tutorial had felt hellish, even before taking into account the fact that the forest outside was literally burning. Lily wasn't silly; she knew that the Tutorial was hard, she knew that she'd be tested. She did genuinely think she was ready. Perhaps, had the Tutorial not glitched, she might have been. But after seeing her sister in that state, writing in pain as her soul was burned away, Lily had not been able to keep it together.

  A hour or two later, and the crying had mostly subsided. At some point, Lilt had moved from Chloe's arms into Ashleys. Chloe was still there, patting her head. Lily wondered if this is what a normal family might look like. For Lily, parental affection usually came in return for her achievements, and her failures were dished out as punishments. Punishments to Lilac, that is. Her mother believed her Sister to be the cause of all problems. Though, it wasn't as though Lily ever actually got much from her achievements. When she succeeded the words were usually 'My Daughter', not her name. Others fed into it to 'Your parents must be proud' and not ever 'Are you proud?' or 'Did you have fun?' Lily was the perfect feather in her Moms cap. Lilac was the family shame, even though she had never even been given the chance to do anything truly wrong. Uncle Dan had been the only person to actually treat them like Humans.

  Lily suspected that if something in the Tutorial went wrong, Lilac would take the blame. Heck, even if both of them returned hale and healthy, Lilac will have still 'dragged' Lily down or something else. lily leaned back and took a breath, wiping away the gathered tears with a soft smile. "I really needed that cry, thanks."

  Ashley giggled "I think we all needed something. That tension was getting far too much, I think"

  Lily felt a small flutter in her heart. Ashley really was one of the nicest people she had ever known. It actually made her a little curious "Hey, Ashley?"

  "Yes?"

  "Why did you sign up for this System thing? You don't seem like the fighting type"

  Ashley giggled "Well, I did take the healer path. But yes, it's a bit of a long story to truly cover everything so..." Ashley patted her lap "Come get comfortable"

  Lily was caught off-guard by this, but acquiesced to the demand. Lilac also decided to get comfortable where she was, by leaning into Chloe. Ashley let out a squeal. "Chloe, can we adopt them?"

  Chloe stared back "they're 18, so no."

  "Oh, a shame"

  "Ashley..."

  "Ah right, so. Where to begin..."

  Ashley spent her early life growing up on the family farm. It was never something the anyone would consider hugely successful, but it did alright and, more importantly, it was home. Her family was close too, her mom and dad where in love and rarely fought each other. Her little brother was annoying at times, but the two of them got on as well. Ashley would be the first to admit that she was perhaps a bit of a protective elder sister.

  Ashley had always enjoyed learning and school had, for her, been some of the most fun she'd ever had. Most people she confided that to found it strange, but she never really concerned herself with the opinions of others. People either liked her or they didn't, she wasn't going to change to appeal to people she didn't know. One of the people Ashley had really hit it off with at this time was Chloe, the two having become fast friends from the moment they met during that final year. That fateful meeting had also been the catalyst that caused Ashley to realise that she liked girls. Big tough girls with a soft side, that is. Girls like Chloe. Unfortunately, she had never felt confident enough to outright confess to her before the school year ended. Though with how much people tried to pull them apart, perhaps that was best for their sanity. After School, Ashley decided to dedicate herself to the family business and, for a few years, everything was good.

  Two and a half months after the System appeared was then the first misfortune struck; an uncle killed by a Dungeon Break. Most everyone at the funeral had been laying blame at the feet of Systemers, especially those that hadn't registered yet. The second strike had been a couple of months later when some of the animals they were raising started to show signs of Rapid Mana-Induced Aggression and Mania; a type of 'Mana-poisoning' that happened mainly in non-sapient animals such as cows. And finally, just a few weeks ago, the 'Abnormal Portal' incident on the farm. She had felt primal fear and the feeling of helplessness for the first time that day. Ashley knew, deep down, that the incident wasn't her fault. There is no reason to conclude that the tragedy that day would not have happened had she registered, nor that she would even have been in a position to do anything about it.

  Now, her family was dealing with Mana poisoning. Thankfully, none had slipped into a coma, and everyone was relatively healthy, even if it was unclear if her father would ever be able to leave his hospital bed. Ashley had seen some of the other families in the Ward and a lot of them were less fortunate than her own. A large number of cases, In London at least, where people were being hospitalised included a wasting of the body. It was still thankfully rare for this to happen and most cases of Mana-poisoning were such that with a few painkillers when the symptoms flared up, people could mostly keep functioning. This makes sense, as Mana-Poisoning was essentially a 'catch-all' term for illnesses that were likely to be being caused by Mana. It was the biggest unknown of the modern medical world and, as most Systemer organisations globally were reporting that ambient Mana levels were still slowly going up, it seemed that the problem would likely get worse before it got better.

  Now, Ashley wasn't a Saint by any means and the money from being a Systemer was something she did want so that she could support her family now that the farm was gone and she was the only Grimm who could still work hard. But it wasn't her major goal, more of something that she needed to do. After all, one might take a job for money but eye up some other goal within that job. Ashley had felt the effects of the System. Mana poisoning and monster attacks had impacted her life, completely upturned it, one might say. And while a great many joined to fight monsters and keep people safe, few Systemers had the patience or desire to actively try to figure out Mana and it's effects on the Human Body. Ashley would fight. And she would learn. And she would heal. This is the reason she made her final choice; the thing that helped her focus and keep her head. She wanted to heal Mana-poisoning. Failing that, she wanted at least to help bring some solace to those suffering from it. That was her path and she wouldn't stumble at the first hurdle.

  Lily couldn't help but smile. Ashley had been through a lot more than she could have imagined and yet, she stood strong. She couldn't imagine that she would would be able to push on if she were in her shoes. Lily took a deep breath. The tale had done much to help calm her nerves, though she was still a little raw. She gave Ashley another hug, earning a pat on the head from the healer, and then turned to face the Martialist

  "And you? What made you pick all this, Chloe"

  Chloe laughed "Honestly, because it was the best option I could see. It's not all that glamourous a tale. I'm not some good natured girl out to help people"

  "I'd still like to learn more about you, if you're willing to share?"

  "Well.... alright then. We can have another story. We still need to go hunting later though. Anyway, might as well start close to the start"

  Chloe had spent most of her youth bouncing around foster homes after her mother left her as a baby. Nowhere really was home for more than a few months at a time. After all, when someone adopts a little girl, they hardly ever expect her to be a tomboy. That wasn't to say that Chloe thought of herself as unfeminine or hated girly activity. She liked dressing up from time time and certainly it can be fun to put on some make-up. What Chloe was though was strong willed and physically competitive. Everyone around her always insisted that she would get hurt if she played with the boys and roughhoused a bit. And yeah, she did. And so did the boys. It wasn't all that big a deal for her, but everyone around her always seemed to tell her to stay indoors and do dolls or something. Of course, she never did that. Usually, when Chloe wanted something, she'd go and get it. She was protective too, and often got in trouble when she fought back against bullies who hurt her friends. And often was the right word. One of her friends, a bookish lad that had taught her some TCGs and lent her some video games, often got picked on for his hobbies. Chloe was never one to let that stand.

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  When Chloe met Ashley, something in her changed. It could quite easily be said, after all, that Ashley was Chloe's first real crush. Up until that point, Chloe hadn't felt much surface attraction towards anyone, and had assumed her sexuality broken in some way. She had known before that she was gay, thanks to some of the Gacha games the lad from before had introduced to her, but she'd never met someone who actually made her want to stare. This newfound attraction had come at a cost however, and it was that a relationship with Ashley was one of the few things that Chloe just couldn't bring herself to pursue; she just did not feel worthy. Regardless of that, however, the two still ended up close friends. Much to the chagrin of all those around them. Chloe heard more than a few whispers that made it clear that both the teachers and the wider student body wanted the top-grade Ashley away from the rowdy Tomboy. They pushed Chloe, day after day, hoping to draw out her anger and force her into conflict. They mostly failed; Ashley's mere presence had allowed Chloe to temper herself.

  But all things have limits and, eventually, someone did waken the sleeping dragon. Her and Ashley had been walking about when Chloe saw them, a bunch of arrogant bullies picking on her friend, that same boy from before, and were wailing on him. To this day, Chloe would not be able to say for certain how she had managed to win that 1V3. The School, eager to seize the opportunity, moved to expel the Tomboy. However, the evidence was on Chloe's side and, what's more, the boys parents were important enough that their desire to protect their sons defender held real weight. Chloe was let off with a month of suspension, the same as the bullies she'd slapped down. Ashley stood by her through it all. Her detractors had thought that once she saw how violent she could be, Ashley would abandon her. Instead, the two grew even closer. If not for Ashley heading back to the Farm soon after, the two may well have started dating back then.

  After School, Chloe went to college, trying to get herself into the fitness space. Unfortunately, she was waylaid within the first month; one of the boys she'd beating in school was there and had decided to come at her for round 2. He was a lot bulkier; it was clear her taken steroids, and taken to them like a fish might to water. That fight was the one that gave her the scar on her lip. In the aftermath, Chloe found out the reason that boy was so confident. Despite multiple witnesses stating for a fact that he'd started the fight and she had only fought back in self defence after being backed into a corner, the college decided to kick her out. The lads father turned out to be important to the College, enough so that even though Chloe was in the clear legally, she was still branded the troublemaker. Chloe had always assumed they'd marked her record too, as no other college would accept her after that. And so it was that Chloe ended up bounding between jobs much as she had bounced between homes when she was younger.

  She'd always known she was going to be fired from her latest job. It was pattern at that point. She'd get hired, work just long enough so that the company could get value out of her, then drop her before they would have started to owe her redundancy pay beyond the barest of minimums. After all, she was just a dreg with no prospects, only really good for her strength. The Systemer Data breach was just an excuse for them, something nice and clean they can point to as they kick her out. Ultimately, she needed something that would give her a future, something she could use to build savings and prepare for old age with. Originally, she was going to go with the Army. Why not. Not like she had any other choice. That is, until she did. The System changed everything, It was a way to take back control of her life. It was risky of course; she'd almost died on her first day. But it wasn't like the Army was going to be safe and with the System, at least if she did die, she could say she went on her own terms.

  For Chloe, the System had ended up as the best possible choice. Well, or the lesser of two evils. Whichever you prefer.

  Ashley stared dumbfounded at Chloe as she finished her tale. "I didn't realise that fight had a continuation"

  Chloe giggled "I mean yeah, I guess you wouldn't have. Surprised you didn't mention it"

  "Didn't really think much about it. Honestly, I think more about that month you were suspended for more that the fight that caused it... WE got really close to dating, didn't we"

  Ashley felt Chloe's hand reach out and pat her head "Yeah we did. Honestly, if it was less relevant to the rest of the story, I might have skipped it over as well. Small things have big consequences"

  "How come you didn't ask Lucas for help."

  "They moved away, to Wales I think"

  Ashley let out a small sigh before turning to Lily "So then. We've shared some of our story, how about you? Why did you accept the System?"

  Lily and Lilac shared a quick glance. Lily sighed "To get away from our Mom"

  Lily had, for most of her life, thought of her Mother as a good person. Of course, she realised that her mom was the one in charge quite easily as frankly, her father never seemed to be able to stand up to her. Thus, she spent her time appeasing her mother. So it was that before she had even started Secondary School, Lily has already accumulated a large number of medals and trophies. Her mother had supported her, every step of the way. looking back now, Lily could tell that that was simply because she was dutifully walking the path her mother had pre-selected for her. upon entering secondary school, something changed; she found a passion she liked. Philosophy and Debate. She applied herself in school, earning better grades as she sought to expand her knowledge base for her new hobby. When Lily earned third place in a gymnastics contest, she assumed her mother would understand. It was still third place. out a total of 50. Her mother simply told her to put the books away and focus on the things that 'actually matter'. Lily was shocked to her core; she had never known this coldness from her mother before. And it wouldn't be long until she got another glimpse at what was her mothers true nature.

  That night, Lily struggled to sleep, replaying the events of the competition in her mind, searching for every minute flaw she could find. Suddenly her Sister Lilac, with whom she shared a room, was taken from her bed. Some strange fear in Lily had her worried that her mother was going to replace her. After all, Lily knew better than anyone how awesome her sister was. As she recalled it, she could tell that her thoughts were still tainted. She was still thinking of it all as being her fault. It made it hard to recall, especially knowing what came next. Lily followed Lilac and her mom at a safe distance, her athleticism allowing her to be very silent. She stood by the door to the office and listened. That night haunts her to this day.

  "The Doctors report came in" Lily had never her such venom in her mothers' voice before. And the words. The cold way she spoke left so deep an impression in the young Lily's mind that even now, years later, she remembers it clearly "You're... . Not that I didn't already know that you were sick in the head, but it's nice for the to finally catch on to what I've been saying since the start."

  Lily could feel herself shaking in anger that point. She knew that Lilac had been struggling with something lately. Calling her Sick in the head was too far. Far too far. How could their mother talk to Lilac like... this.

  "Yes Mom..." Lilacs voice was timid and scared "I'm sorry..."

  "You should be! Your weirdness is starting to infect you Sister, you know. She for Third place today. This is her and now she's picking up some silly debate thing. And it's all because of ."

  Lily felt sick to her stomach listening to this. Lilac, her sister whom she adored, was being blamed for something Lily had done out of her own choice. It was Lily's choices that lead to that apparently disappointing result. Her Mothers voice snapped her back to attention

  "You will have to be punished for this. I'm going to throw out that little rock collection of yours."

  "No!"

  "Are you talking back to me?!"

  Lily heard Lilac yelp and squeak. A flurry of apologies spilling from her mouth. Lily picked up some small measure of courage to peek the corner. Just in time to see the first strike. Lily didn't stay after that, instead hurrying back to her room as the sound of Lilacs yelps filled the night air. A few minutes after that, Lilac returned, crawling into bed a sobbing mess. lily wasted no time in getting up and crawling into Lilac's bed to give her sister the first of many hugs. That night, Lily discovered why her sister had suddenly become so distant. A deep, protective flame swelled in her chest.

  Lily would set her Sister free, no matter the cost.

  the mood around the camp was lifeless. Ashley and Chloe held the twins tight, hugging them more than they'd even been hugged before. Everyone cold see clearly the quite rage that was simmering behind Chloe's eyes.

  "I-it's okay" Lilac squeaked out, "I probably deserved most of it. She wasn't violent that often..."

  "She shouldn't ever do that!" Ashley reached out and stroked Lilac's hair gently "And you didn't deserve it, Lilac; no-one deserves something like that"

  "I keep trying to tell her that..." Lily looks down towards the floor "But she doesn't listen. I'm scared... I'm scared of what might happen if things continue. That's why I save her"

  Chloe hugs Lilac tighter "You sister is right, Lilac; you ain't sick. Your mother is the monstrous one"

  Lilac could only nod as a tear ran gently down her cheek. Lily swallowed hard "Thank you both Ashley, Chloe; you've helped he remember why I'm here, helped me find the resolve I lost. We're planning on joining the when we get out of here, the main branch. We'd... like it if you could join us."

  Ashley and Chloe looked at each-other before giving a single nod and smiling warmly "We'd love to"