"You're going to what?" A voice asked.

Ugine quickly turned around and saw Roman standing there, "oh M-Master Torchwick. Good morning."

The judge looked behind Ugine at the gargoyles that had ceased moving when he came in. "Who are you talking to boy?"

"Oh....just my friends," Ugine said.

Roman rapped his knuckles on Charlie's head, "I see. Let me ask you this. What are your friends made of?"

"Stone sir."

"And can stone talk?"

Ugine looked embarrassed, "no sir. No it can't."

"That's right," Roman said patting Ugine's head.

Roman then looked at Cinder, "I don't even know why you keep this one around. It's broken. What good is a broken gargoyle?"

"Well I think Cinder-"

Roman shot him a look.

"I-i mean that gargoyle is beautiful." Changing the subject the fox Faunus added, "So what are you doing here?"

"Well I came to see you of course before I head to the festival." Roman replied.

"Master about the festivals-"

"Ugine."

"I know what you said but if you would just let me go-"

"UGINE!"

Ugine shrank back and his ears flattened against his head, "it's just that you go every year and..."

"I am a public official so I have to go," Roman said, "it's not as if I enjoy watching the people make fools of themselves."

Roman walked out of the tower towards the stone walkway.

"What have I told you about the citizens of Vale?" He asked.

"That they'd never accept me..." Ugine said sadly.

"And why is that?"

Ugine felt tears prick his eyes a tiny bit, "because I'm ugly Sir."

Roman cupped the young man's face in his hands, "that's right. And the sooner you learn that the better."

The world is cruel. The world is wicked. It's I alone who you can trust in this whole city. I am your only friend.

"I'm only looking out for you. It's the least I can do after your heartless mother attempted to drown you as an infant," he told Ugine.

The Faunus looked at the ground, "and I am forever grateful sir. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

Roman swished his cloak behind him and walked away, "You're forgiven. Now I'll see you tonight after the festival is over."

And with that he was gone.

Ugine looked at the people below in the town square. "They don't know how lucky they are. They live their lives unaware that I'm up here wishing I could be happy like them."

He sat down, "if I had one day to explore the city I would talk to everyone, make friends, dance, and have fun."

Ugine then clenched his fists, "I don't care what Master Torchwick says. I'm going to go and enjoy the festival. Down there with the people. I need to see it for myself."

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On the other side of town a man and his horse were making their way through the streets, except the man was very lost.

He held his map in his hands and turned it in all different directions but he couldn't make heads nor tails of it.

"I'm gone for a few years and they change everything. How am I going to find the courthouse now?"

He tried asking for directions but nobody seemed keen on helping.

Suddenly the man heard music playing. He followed it until he came across two Faunus. One was a cat Faunus and she was playing the flute. The other one was playing the tambourine and dancing.

The man couldn't take his eyes off the dancing one, she was beautiful. She had long curly silver hair and golden yellow eyes.

Her outfit consisted of a white bodice, a blue skirt, and a matching silk headband to hold her hair back.

The dancing girl noticed him and winked before smiling and revealing a pair of wolf fangs.

The man felt his heart race a bit and his face heat up.

He felt something nudge his boot and he looked down to see a one eyed fox kit. The animal was pushing a basket toward him that was full of money.

The man chuckled and dropped two gold coins in.

He would've kept watching the musicians if it weren't for the sudden shrill noise of someone whistling.

Both girls looked up to see a Faunus child signaling them to run.

The two of them followed the child with the fox running behind them. But the poor creature couldn't keep its mouth on the money basket. It tripped and fell and spilled coins everywhere.

The wolf Faunus girl bent down to pick up the fallen money when a soldier grabbed her arm.

"Where did you get the money Faunus?" The soldier asked.

"For your information I earned it." The girl said.

The man, who had been watching, felt his heart skip a beat, even this girl's voice was beautiful.

"Faunus don't earn money," a second soldier said.

The girl sunk her teeth into his arm which caused him to let out a cry of pain. She used this opportunity to get away.

The two soldiers were about to chase after her when the man pulled his horse in front of them to block their way.

"Sit," he told his horse.

The horse obeyed and sat down right on top of the first soldier.

"Oh my apologies," the man said faking sympathy, "he's such a naughty horse."

The people watching began laughing.

"You better move aside boy," the second soldier said drawing his dagger.

The man however removed his tunic, revealing blood red armor, and drew his own sword, "You were saying?"

The soldier suddenly paled, "Captain Taurus! Sir! M-my apologies."

The captain smirked, "Lt. Winchester I presume?" He looked down at the man that was currently being used as his horse's seat, "and Lt. Thrush. You two are exactly as the judge described in his letter."

"What are you doing here?" Lt. Winchester asked.

The captain sheathed his sword, "I need to see Judge Torchwick. He sent for me."

"O-of course," the soldier stuttered.

The captain let the other soldier up off the ground and soon he was being led to the courthouse.

Well maybe "house" was an understatement. Since Roman was a judge and spent most of his time at the courthouse he had converted it to his own private mansion. Complete with dungeons to hold his many prisoners.

The captain entered the dungeon and removed his helmet. He then cringed as he heard screams of pain.

"Put your back into that beating. Don't let him become numb to the pain," he heard Roman say.

"Judge Torchwick?"

Roman stuck his head around the corner, "Ah! Captain Adam Taurus home from war at last."

"As you requested sir," Adam said saluting him.

"I'm so glad you're here. I need a strong captain like you to whip my soldiers into shape. But if I may ask, what happened to your eye?"

The captain felt the scarred tissue around his injured left eye, "a stray shot. I can't see a thing out of my eye now. But don't worry, I was the lucky one at the end."

Roman let that sink in, "anyway walk with me."

The two men walked the perimeter of the mansion, "Adam I'm afraid you've returned home in Vale's darkest hour."

"Sir?"

The judge gestured to the town outside, "the kingdom is becoming overrun."

"By what?" Adam asked.

"Faunus. Disgusting creatures. They need to be stopped before they take over,"

Adam gave him a strange look, "you called me here to play pest control?"

Roman let out a laugh, "no of course not. I'm the best exterminator around. I just need your help to catch them. You see for eighteen years I've been...taking care of the Faunus. One by one."

Three spiders crawled by and Roman crushed them all under his thumb.

"But no matter how hard I try they keep popping up. I believe they have a safe haven somewhere in the kingdom."

He removed a stone from the walkway revealing a nest full of young spiders.

"A nest if you will. They call it, the court of miracles."

Adam was confused, "what are we going to do about it?"

Roman slammed the stone down killing every spider below it.

The captain swallowed and ran a hand through his red and brown streaked hair, "I see."

Roman put a hand on his shoulder, "you know I like you captain. Tell you what. You can be my guest at today's festival. Have you ever attended a festival?"

Adam shook his head, "can't say I have Sir."

"Then you're in for a spectacle like no other."

Quick Author's note: The song in this chapter is "Out There"