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"-team command led by Crystal Velcruse." Headmistress Goodwitch roved her eyes down her clipboard on stage. The letters CMAD appeared behind her as she did for a little flare of the dramatic along with several rows of faces. The students in question walked up onto the stage to shake the headmistress's hand.

I waited with baited breath. Sure my partner wasn't who I hoped it would be. In fact it was the one person I'd been actively hoping that it wouldn't be. But the rest of my team could be a golden ticket. "Next we have those who collected the White Knight pieces. Team ripe led by Rosé Gainsborough."

My face and the first letter of my name appeared. The name was spelt RYPP. I looked over. It was the other girls from the initiation up there. I inhaled to gather my resolve and marched onto the stage and shook the headmistress's hand. My team followed behind me. My team. I had my own hunter team. It was a dream come true.

Cloud was on stage behind the headmistress. He applauded along and gave me a grin. I looked away quickly before I could get any ideas.

"Say, he was your coach at the tournament. That's where I've seen him before. What's he doing here?" My partner wondered loud enough for me to hear over the applause as we walked back off stage.

"He's the new combat instructor."

"He's a little young but if he trained you then how good can he be?"

I grit my teeth a little. She always had to try and ruin things.

"I was good enough to beat you. I had you in a panic over with your own mentor and team. You had to have some help to beat me. You were in a tizzy."

She folded her arms at me. "Not on your life. Keep dreaming."

"We'll just see when we inevitably rematch. We'll make this a best two out of three."

"You're so on, princess."

"Here we go…" the little girl Yuma muttered.

"Can't you two shut the fuck up?" The pink eyed girl asked. "My gods."

"Not exactly the way that I would have put it…" Yuma mumbled some more.

Take charge Rosé. You're the leader now. You shouldn't be trading barbs with your partner. You're supposed to be the boss.

I sighed heavily. "Look, let's just head to our dorm. Things will be better after a night's rest in a real bed. We've all had a long day. Sound fair?"

I got a mumbling chorus of agreement and nods. My partner looked away from me. My partner, who was supposed to be my best friend, was this bitch. Life was so not fair. At least the rest of my team was alright. Or so I thought off of first impressions. It could be much worse. I knew my partner was competent and she would be good to train with. So there was that. Gotta have a glass half full attitude, Rosé.

The weeks I spent with my family went... okay. They went by fast. I spent a lot of time at the firing range just to have something to do. It had been odd. We just hadn't clicked like we did before the attack on Vale. They had changed or maybe I had changed - probably both.

My mother had pestered me incessantly about Cloud. What was he really like? What was his attitude on this or that or the other thing? Couldn't a girl struggle in peace? Apparently not. And that was at least better than my brother had been. He was-no, he is so antagonistic towards Cloud that I could hardly be around him after everything Cloud and I have been through together.

And now I finally had a team and was a Beacon and it was nothing like what I had been expecting. I felt myself to be a little disappointed. It wasn't everything I hoped and dreamed but maybe that wasn't really fair. Maybe I had hoped for too much and set my expectations way too high.

"So the Prof trained you? You know him?" Peach asked me. "That's crazy. What are the odds? He taught me how to use dust in exchange for a favor and my partner says he saved her life. How nuts is that?"

"Really?" I asked. I hadn't known that he'd had a pupil before me.

"Yeah. I live up in Solitas and he came by my town looking for a laboratory built by this mad scientist. I showed him the way to it and in exchange he taught me to use dust in its raw form."

"He went to my village for a laboratory, too. Then he saved my life from a group of bandits," Yuma murmured.

"What are the chances?" I wondered. "While he was training me he found a third lab. There were all these weird, messed up Grimm around it."

"Same," Peach said.

"There used to be messed up Grimm near Wutai, my home, then he came and killed them," Yuma chimed in.

What a small world we lived in.

We climbed the stairs to the dorm. We each were given a key to the room: room three hundred and five. Bathrooms were communal which really wasn't going to be a problem. I was used to harder conditions while I traveled with Cloud. Daily showers were a win in my book.

I just had to get this partner thing sorted out. Maybe I'd get along well enough with my other teammates. That was a possibility. Of course if it came down to some sort of cold war the last thing I wanted was for it to be three on one in either direction. That would be harsh no matter how it spun out.

I just wanted things to work out. Was that too much to ask? In the short term I wanted a good partner and then I would graduate then yadda yadda yadda then be with Cloud when our age gap wasn't so noticeable. It wasn't much of a plan but it was something. It was that middle part which had me worried. Yadda yadda yadda wasn't much of a plan. I had no idea how to catch his eye in a womanly fashion and my mom had been no help. I really wanted a good partner who I could be best friends with but I was fairly sure Pine Telimess wasn't it. She was all in my face and challenging.

Our stuff was waiting for us in our room. My luggage was on my bed. I still packed light from my travels with Cloud. I guess I shouldn't be calling him Cloud anymore either. Professor Strife was what I should be thinking. I didn't want to slip up.

I changed into my pyjamas. Luckily we were all girls unlike team CMAD. Mixed genders would be much more difficult to manage just on a daily level.

Pine shut off the lights. She was wearing just a loose shirt with holes cut in the back for her wings and a pair of boy shorts. And I crawled into bed. It was comfortable. More comfortable than sleeping on the ground. It was more firm than the too large bed at my family castle. I found that I liked it. It was a good fit. I closed my eyes and exhausted I fell dizzyingly to sleep.

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"Alright." Professor Strife spoke up from the ring. I looked down at him from my seat. The class was still muttering above him. "Alright!" He shouted at the top of his voice which was fairly loud. The voices quieted down beside me. "Pay attention because nine out of ten of you will be dead in ten years. And I'm about to save your life." There was an implied 'motherfucker' at the end of his brief speech so far. He had everyone's attention at this point, eyes focused on him.

"You'll have rounds of combat against the other members of your class. In particular you'll mostly train with your partner. If you can beat your partner then you're responsible for keeping them alive by getting them up to speed so that they can beat you. Push one another. It's your best chance at survival. Take this class seriously because you will absolutely die if you don't. Most hunters never reach retirement. Most die in a brutish fashion. I'm responsible for making your class an exception to this statistical nightmare. Any questions for me so far? None? Good. Mars Graty and Crystal Velcruse you're up first. Gather your weapons and step into the ring."

He looked down at a data pad in his hand while the students he called out went to gather their equipment from their lockers. Crystal was a tall girl with pale blue hair and opalescent eyes. She had an oval shaped face and was classically pretty. Mars was a scraggly broad shouldered boy with red hair and dark brown eyes. He had a firm jawline for someone so young.

A quiet series of murmurs broke out when the Professor looked away. He seemed fine with it for the moment while we just waited.

"Is he always like this?" Pine asked me.

"He's usually much more pessimistic," I answered in kind. She was being amiable. I would match her temperament.

"More than this?"

"Sometimes. Cloud, that is Professor Strife, must be in a good mood."

"Good gods above."

"Sh," I hushed.

The girl, Crystal, had two kukri knives that doubled as submachine guns. The boy, Mars used a sword and shield which could combine into something large. I wasn't sure what yet. They stepped into the ring and their full auras showed on the holographic display above their heads.

"I will call the match once either of your aura's fall into the red or by ring out. The rest of you will pay attention and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. You may fight them one day in this class and you will be graded and have a class standing. Are both of you ready?"

Mars nodded but never took his eyes off of Crystal. Crystal murmured a low 'yes.'

"Three… two… one… begin!"

Crystal pump faked forward then jumped backward shooting the whole time while Mars just ran right at her with his shield up to close the distance. He blocked most of the bullets on his shield and it became immediately obvious from how much aura he lost from the bullets that got through that he was a tank. His fighting style would revolve around that. Professor Strife was a tank of sorts as well, though, he did have dps tendencies.

Crystal descended with her knives and tried to slip in to where she would be most effective with them but was knocked back by the shield. It was a big obstacle and she had better find a way around it if she wanted to win.

She slashed at him three quick times with her knives and he blocked them all with his kite shield. Then he took a stab at her with his blade and tried to do some damage of his own. He had her at the range he wanted her. He had her pinned against the side of the arena.

"She's got this," my partner murmured.

"No way. He has her in the corner," I disagreed.

The ball was in Crystal's court now. She parried expertly with both blades and then leapt to the side and shot him on the flank. She came up in a roll and sliced at his back twice before he could turn around. He was wearing armor. That would slow him down a little. He would have to be quicker than that if he wanted to stay in this. Maybe my partner was right? What did she see that I didn't? Was it Crystal's speed?

Crystal kept backing up and shooting. It was just chip damage but it would add up and it forced him to approach her in which case she could just keep running away.

He chased her. He had to. He swung his sword at her but she just stepped back and shot him some more. He lunged forward. He was getting desperate. She punished him with four quick slashes and a round kick. He staggered back and ate some more bullets.

He closed in on her again and pinned her against the side of the arena. She was in the corner once more. He brought his weapon down on her before she could escape and she blocked it by making an 'x' out of her weapons. It left her face exposed and he punched her hard with his shield and cut her across the chest as she was knocked back. She waved her arms and desperately tried not to fall out of the ring.

In that moment he slid his weapons together And turned them into a rocket launcher. He knelt and fired right at her feet. She jumped before he even pulled his weapon together and kicked him in chest. Then she went in on a flurry of fast cuts that chipped his aura to the red.

"You were right. I'll be damned," I said.

"Yeah but for the wrong reason. I didn't know he would pull that out. Did you see her dodge it?"

"I did. How did she move so fast?"

"Good job," the Professor congratulated the boy with a pat on the back. "You trapped him very well. Next up is Fox Alcotte and Daisy Melisse."

Fox was a blonde boy with orange eyes. He was svelte and lean with muscle. And Daisy was a white haired girl with hazel eyes. She was short and limber. A petite thing, really.

They rushed off to the locker room to gather their gear.

"I just thought that I was wrong. She was chipping him down slowly. Her strategy was good for someone constantly dodging the corners," I explained to my partner. "But the way she pulled that out at the end there was crazy."

"Yeah. I think she got lucky," she confessed.

"I suppose…"

"Do you think I got lucky in our match?"

"Not really. You called me out on my empty hop with your light dust pillar. That was the big game changer in our match. That's where you made your money."

"You saw that, huh."

"Yeah. I really should have known it was going to work twice without proper conditioning."

"We'll see how it goes in our rematch."

Fox used a set of metal boots. He fought in a green shirt and beige shorts. Daisy was in a yellow combat skirt and she held an enormous two handed maul - antimaterial rifle combination. She swung the heavy instrument around easily.

The match started and Fox sprinted forward over Daisy's first shot. And he landed on her with a forward kick that he converted into a dashing kick. Keeping his combo alive he jumped and did a one eighty and slammed his heel into her head and rocked her to the floor.

She kicked back to her feet and brought her hammer around her body and down on his but he easily saw it coming and dodged. He stepped inside her range and bicycle kicked her in a back-flip in place. She tried to make some space with her hammer but she was being rushed down by Fox's offense.

She thrust the hammer forward, letting it fly through her hands a little and it connected with Fox's chest and knocked him to the ground. Daisy jumped and brought the hammer head slamming downwards into his prone form. She smashed him into the stage hard enough that I winced. Note to self, don't let Daisy have the space to hit you. You will regret it if you do. She cleaved away an enormous chunk of his orange aura in those two blows. It became clear that while Fox could dish out long combos he couldn't take a hit nearly as much. He rolled away as fast as he was able and leapt back to his feet. He sprinted forward and did a leaping kick that Daisy caught and shoved to the side. He side-flipped and kicked her in the jaw and knocked her to the ground. He didn't let up and brought his heel down on her chest but Daisy lowered her barrel and shot him point blank. He was knocked off of her and she crouched into a kneeling position and shot him again. The anti-material rifle roared.

Like that he was in the red and Professor Strife called the match. It had been a good one. Way too close to call before the end.

The Professor consulted his data tablet. "We have Yuma and Peach next. You know the drill. Get your gear and ready up."

My other teammates left our side in a rush. "We're probably next," my partner muttered. She sounded… excited? A little pleased. I couldn't help but grin a little. I wanted another shot at her and she felt the same way.

Yuma came out with her shuriken and shield. Peach arrived into the ring with her enormous gauntlets.

On go, Peach crushed a dust crystal and just like I had been taught she swept a hand forward and cast a fireball at Yuma. Yuma dived to the side but Peach dashed forward under the cover the fireball provided.

She stepped up and hit Yuma square in the jaw. She hit her hard enough that little Yuma went through half a back-flip and landed square on the ground. Yuma kicked her way to her feet by scissoring her legs. The rapid motion forced Peach to back up a step and gave Yuma the room to reach her feet again.

Yuma swung her shuriken like a blade and forced Peach to back up even further. Yuma then skipped the shuriken across the floor like a stone on a river. It hit Peach in the chest and it was big and heavy on impact. It ricocheted off Peach and back to Yuma with the well practiced throw. Yuma dashed forward and slammed her shield-gauntlet into Peach but Peach pushed her shoulder and sent her stumbling to the side. Peach lashed out with a kick and two rapid fire punches into Yuma's back.

They were brutal blows and by the time they finished Yuma's aura was in the yellow. Yuma kept stumbling forward to escape and whipped around with her heavy giant shuriken and cut Peach across the body with it. She then jabbed one of the points of the star forward and Peach caught it on the dull part with an open palm before she could be stabbed. She swept Yuma's leg out from under her but Yuma was cat like and back-flipped in place. Yuma swung her gauntlet arm in a wide attempt at smacking Peach in the head. Peach actually stepped into the blow and fired off a punch with that same hand straight into Yuma's head followed by a wide haymaker that knocked Yuma to the floor and put her aura in the red.

At melee range Yuma had basically no chance and it had showed. Peach knew that she should force an option out of Yuma and make her approach and once inside she never let up. It was smart work. Peach helped Yuma to her feet and though Yuma sighed heavily she seemed content with her performance. It was clear that Peach hit like a truck. Each hit seemed to be harder than the last.

As my partner predicted we were next. We rushed quickly to the lockers and changed out of our uniforms. Pine had to have a special tailored uniform so that her wings could stick out the back and not be cramped. I couldn't help myself. I was excited. I wanted the run back.

We were both ready at the same time and walked out onto the arena. Pine had some pep in her step as she crossed to the far side from me.

"Are you both ready? Three, two, one, go," Cloud called out.

Pine started out with a teleport that instantly crossed the distance between us. I jumped back and swung downward with one hand into the space that I thought she was about to occupy. I missed and she jumped and smacked me with her shield. I fell back and caught myself on a handstand and pushed off the ground to regain my feet. I landed just in time for her staff to come swinging down at my head from the right. I blocked with Falchion. I jumped and in a move I shamelessly copied from Cloud I spun in the air and brought the edge of Falchion around on her twice. She blocked with first but was surprised by the second and I slashed her across the head for it.

I landed and swung in a quick four stroke attack that she barely blocked every hit of. Then I leaned forward and thrust three times with the tip of my blade in rapid succession. All three thrusts caught her. She teleported back five feet as a panic option to escape my pressure. I jumped and brought my blade down on the space she just exited. Then I landed and swept my blade in a wide arc forward which caught her in the chest. I jumped and did a three sixty and brought my blade from low to high as I turned around and I knocked her to the floor. She kept retreating. She teleported to the far side of the stage and fired three bolts of light at me. All three caught me in the chest mid jump while I was defenseless.

I caught myself out of the tumble and then I rushed at her as safely as I could. I didn't want to change my weapon's form even if it could help me win the ranged battle because that's what she was waiting for. As soon as I switched she'd teleport on top of me and enter melee. I would lose. I had to approach her and that meant getting through her zone.

I jumped over a fireball and dodged two more bolts of light then I was on top of her. I jumped and sliced forward simultaneously. She blocked but then as I was falling I spun in a circle once more and brought the blade down and around on her. The blow caught her across the chest and I stepped forward and did a massive two handed swing that cut the whole way across her body and had enough force to almost throw her from inside the ring.

She teleported again and this time I successfully read her and cut down on her with a falling one handed swing. She had better make some adjustments. Or I would be taking this thing.

She rolled across the ground before flying up in the air. She flew past me and, holding her staff in two hands at one end, brought the far reaching weapon down at me. It clanked with Falchion but she had been expecting that and she bowled into me with her shield. I caught myself but she hit me again with that same lunging dash with her shield. Then she flew in my face and kicked me in the chin and she finished the whole thing off by setting me on fire with one of those standing fireballs that she favored.

She tried to follow up but I hopped out of range and safely brought my weapon down on her and forced her to block. I had conditioned her to expect only one aerial. She didn't expect me to land and follow my first slash up with three more. Each one caught her and flung her back.

I then jumped once more like I was going to pressure her with falling aerial attacks. It was empty movement. I landed. Grabbed her. Swapped my weapon's form and shot her in the chest until Cloud called the match.

He clapped a few times and I released Pine.

"I'll get you next time," she vowed. She was grinning. "You hit me with that pump fake again."

"The empty hop?" I asked.

"Is that what you call it?" She shot back.

"Empty movement, yeah. It's one of Professor Strife's favorite habits. It's much more devastating when he does it. He's made me eat dirt without touching me before. Just psyched me out with the threat of falling aerials."

"I'd like to see that." She laughed in that same bell-like voice. I somehow found it a touch less obnoxious than before. It was hard to hate something so genuine.

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-WG