Hello My dearest readers, welcome back to this, the latest chapter of Beacon's New Arc! I am sorry for the long wait but life got crazy on me. To make up for it this is the largest chapter yet! I hope you enjoy, shout out to those new followers and favorites that I've had, I hope that you guys enjoy the chapter.
And of course two last things
RWBY and all of the associated characters, Locations, materials ect. are the intellectual property of Rosterteeth. I own nothing... yet.
and thank you as always to my dear editor who makes this readable, KingandCommoner.
Beacon's New Arc:
Chapter 5
The Most Dangerous of Beasts
Jaune felt his eyes water as the last part of the memory played out—
Jaune shakily brushed the red hair back away from her face. His hand came back soaked in blood, the side of he neck had been torn open at some point. Jaune placed his hand on her neck and started to shove aura into her system, forcing her skin to start repairing itself.
"It's no use Jaune." Ren's calm tone had an undertone of regret as he placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. The Vacocian kneeled next to Jaune and pushed the grimm off of her revealing that her chest piece had been torn body was more wound than skin. "We can't save—"
"Shut up Ren." Jaune's voice was cold. He could save her, no one died, that was his rule so long as he had something to say about it not a single one of his friends would be allowed to pass away into the endless sleep. Jaune placed one hand on her neck and the other on her sternum and closed his eyes. The knight was still supercharged from the fight and was able to pour an immense amount of aura into her.
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The heavy mist that crept out of the forest wasn't natural. Plants withered and the forest had gone silent in its wake. Silbern watched the mist as it shifted in the light his eyes darted around trying to find a target as he twirled his silver longsword. He licked his lips in anticipation. It was out there. It was out there and it wanted to hurt his things. That wouldn't… couldn't be allowed. Silbern tensed, his pupils shrunk to pin pricks as he dodged to the left as a white talon on a black fleshy appendage shot out of the mist the tip pierced into the rocky ground where he stood just a moment before. The talon shrunk back into the mist before Silbern could even swing at it. Silbern felt more than heard the deep growl that filled the air. It was challenge, a challenge to a more base level than most could understand… It caused the human to growl in turn as he spun the dust chamber to a pale silver dust and pulled the trigger. A series of glyphs forming as he swung his blade sending out blasts of wind that sent the mist reeling away. The sudden storm tore branches and limbs off of the trees and sent small tornados out in several directions. Finally the beast was revealed. The two figures snarled at each other as they circled each other before they sprung forward at some silent command.
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Abraham Candlelight sat in his office supervised by a lone picture on his desk as he worked away on his private console. The holo-projector in his desk had several screens slowly shifting around in front of him, with all of them portraying different accounts across both Atlus and Vale. All of the accounts that the man had pulled up belonged to Harbinger Industries, the once small time weapon designers turned international conglomerate had signed an exclusive rights deal almost fifteen years ago when they first started to rival the Schnee choke hold on corporate empires and decided to start hiring an outside security force to help minimize on internal corruption. They were by far Lamplighter's best customer, and because of that it was Abraham's habit to run the final checks on the electronic security himself before leaving every day. The graying brunette cracked his neck his emerald eyes for a moment as he looked to the west. His baby girl was out there, away from his supervision. Hopefully she would have a good match. And Amaretto was already finishing his third year. His middle child was one of the brightest of that year, so if Amelia needed help… on that note.
"Console, call Heir Tertiary." Abraham's voice was melodic, filling the cozy office on the third level of Lamplighter Securities. An image of his son, a red head with brown eyes came up on a new central screen as diagnostics ran in the background. The little white circle that surrounded the image completed a rotation, then another, and another and another. Focusing on other tasks Abraham let the call take its time, long distance always took a bit longer with the amount of security that he put on not only this console but the scrolls of all of his kids. Paranoia… maybe. But Abraham had over his life made lots of enemies who would gladly end the life he built if they knew about him. The last of the diagnostics came back clear, and the Firm owner brought up the feed from the training room. The two stars of this class were sparring each other. He watched the two as he brought a short glass with amber liquid and a sphere of ice to his lips and took a sip. The male had a pair of thin blades that he tried to use to outmaneuver the spear that the lioness faunus used. They were likely partners in Paladin by the way they read each other's moves, and a good pair at that. Their battle record was flawless, but they couldn't work with anyone but each other. If they could overcome that they'd be flawless, but as it stood they would never be able to stay. Lamplighter used teams between four and sixteen. Those two alone couldn't handle the contracts Lamplighter attracted. Taking another sip, Abraham Candlelight turned again to the west. The white circle around his second youngest son's picture continued to turn.
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"We have to go down there." Nouto Ren looked out at the forest avoiding her cousin and the grimm that he was fighting. She wanted to stay up here where it was safe but there was more than just one grimm down there… more than just the one that Silbern was fighting. And while the other grimm weren't close yet and while they weren't anywhere near as powerful as the one that Silbern fought the shear number of them could overwhelmed Silbern if he was tired out. Even with the interference from Silbern pushing out what had been dubbed by Aunt Yang an Arc load of Aura and the depression made by the grimm he was facing she could still make out several medium depressions and a large number of smaller ones in the ambient Aura. Not a true hoard of Grimm but enough that Silbern would be overrun if he was on his own. They had to go down there. Soon.
"You sure?" Oshi looked down the hill at Silbern and the Grimm going at each other. The teenage girl looked over her twin's shoulder and nodded in confirmation as she walked over and stood next to a confused looking Altin. The shorter boy shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he clenched his armor covered fists sending the spent chains out of his weapon. With a single fluid motion he slipped his hands behind his back and tossed four ammo belts into the air with a spinning high kick the dapper youth landed on a knee with all of the belts locked into place. The sound of tree limbs breaking drew their attention back down to Silbern and the mysterious Grimm he was facing.
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The two predators jumped back from their fight simultaneously. Silbern used Argumentum's edge to dig into the ground slightly and threw a knife at the creature that slid slightly to the right just as the throw was made. The Grimm's body was slightly smaller than an Ursa Minor, it was leaner and longer in comparison, vulpine instead of ursine, the black fur and white mask with red markings was almost beautiful, seven flowing tails came up from the rear of the creature the flowing fur giving it an other worldly look, almost as if it was made of living black fire. Talons shot out of the base of those tails aimed directly at Silbern who danced around and sliced at the attacking appendages, always keeping clear of the monsters maw and claws. In the distance a number of red eyes could be seen looking out from the woods at the pair of beasts facing off for dominance.
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Ameila stood in the middle of the group and looked down at the forest line. Her eyes closed for a moment as she divided up the playing field in her head. The others spread out around her pairing off into with their partners as she planned. It was a chess game. Her best piece locked against theirs so she had to get the check while her queen locked the opponents onto a few squares. Her eyes flashed open and she turned to the group and started issuing orders before anyone else had a chance to. The small talk stopped in an instant as the group got their orders.
"Oceanus you and Tyr take the left half of the area, don't let them crowd in around us you're both heavy hitters probably able to work independently against this level of Grimm do it if need be but you WILL keep them where they are. Nouto, you and Altin take the right far side. Altin I can understand why you like to work with lots of space, my brother Amaretto works like you do that separation should minimize the chance of collateral damage. Which means I need you two to…" Amelia turned to Thea and Noukon who nodded in understanding with everyone else. "Alright teams move out. Whatever you do don't interfere with Silbern he has whatever that thing is focused solely on him and from what you guys say he should be able to take it so long as we don't distract him or allow something else to distract him. Hunters MOVE OUT! "
Amelia pointed the head of her cane forward as the sound of whirring and clicking gears and metal filled the air around the top of the hill. The soon to be hunters-in-training prepped their weapons and launched down towards the enemy. The pairs split off to their sections of the chess board even as Amelia slowed down. She slid to a stop on a small out cropping that over looked the entire battlefield. Silbern had the beast's full attention for now and the pairs should be able to hold their own. She planted her cane again and waited making notes of all of her new companions' abilities her eyes never straying from her own partner for long.
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"Should we intervene?" Glynda watched from the top of the cliff as they kept track of the last two teams who decided to face down the swarm. It was odd for a Kitsune with that many tails to come out of the shadows even with as much aura as the group possessed a three or two tailed Kitsune would make sense but one of the seven tailed? That would warrant further investigation. Ozpin shook his head interested to see what the boy could do there was help nearby in case anything got to far out of hand.
"Interesting isn't it Glynda… that the others aren't appearing to help the young Arc. Do you think perhaps they don't know what it is that he's fighting?" The two instructors watched as the remaining group broke into their partnered pairs and seemed to form a perimeter around the forest with Silbern Silbern and the grimm that he was facing in the center. Silbern's partner though stayed back near the base of the hill she seemed to observe the situation as a whole while also keeping Silbern's fight in front of her. Ozpin raised a brow when the girl started to walk towards her partner, did the girl notice something?
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Lillie Arc knew three things were absolute truth in this world.
1) Arcs never surrender
2) Schnees never loose
3) A child of the two never backs down
That was how Lillie found herself in her current predicament surrounded by several of her new upperclassmen, many of whom had been embarrassed when they tried to take the number one spot from her brother. She didn't even have her weapon on her and she wasn't supposed to be fighting. Time to try the old Arc diplomacy…
"Guy's this isn't a good idea." Lillie held her hands up as she tried to reason with the larger kids. One of the ones in the middle walked forward a really big riffle with a blade on the stock and part of the under barrel sauntered forward his weapon slung over his shoulders like Uncle Sun would sometimes do with his staff.
"I don't know about that Princess, I think it's a pretty good one so far." Lillie's eyes hardened wrom a soft aqua to a clear icy blue at the nickname. No one but family got away with calling her princess. Her shoulders rolled back as her hair turned white as her mother's. A snow flake fell onto the nose of the oncoming would be bully. If the upperclassmen paid attention they would have noticed the cloud's that seemed to spring from nowhere.
"Tell me, would you mind greatly repeating that." Lillie smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes as an icicle formed in each of her hands, one stopped at the length of a dirk while the other became slender as it elongated. All of the boys shivered in a combination of the sudden cold and the look that the girl who they came here to pester was giving their leader.
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Silbern cursed as he dodged out of the way as a pair of talons shot out from the grimm's flowing black tails. This time Silbern was ready though and was able to stab a dagger into one of the fleshy appendages as it withdrew into the whipping fur of the monster. A shrill cry came from the beast as it lunged forward; its tails became lined with an orange light as it tried to sink its bone white claws into Silbern. The boy dodged out of the way as the talons shot out again, more of them this time. One of the razor sharp claws finally found its mark as it tore his skin tight shirt and lightly kissed but didn't break his skin. He traded it a miss for a hit though another dagger found its home in the fleshy tail that that talon sprouted from. The flowing fur that hid the tails seemed to move faster still as Silbern and the Grimm circled each other. Silbern was aware of the fighting now going on around him his cousins and their partners engaging other grimm, they would be fine though Silbern was keeping the big one busy.
The Grimm stopped moving and a barrage of tails shot out to compensate. One of them finally caught Silbern in the arm. Silbern winced but he twisted hi arm wrapping the tail around his arm holding it in place while he sliced the appendage off with Argentum. The grimm to throw back its head releasing a howl of pain that seemed to shake the air. Spinning on instinct Silbern's eyes widened at the sight of one of the grimm's talon like claws strike at his neck. He'd let his guard down. The grimm hadn't moved because it sent one of its tails through the ground, he went to move his blade only for another talon he didn't see coming to smack it out of his hand. Silbern turned his head slightly and closed his eyes forcing aura through his body to form a shield, even with the shield though this was going to be extremely painful.
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Jaune started to cry as he kept on trying to force his aura into Pyrrah. Lillie was born three days ago and Pyrrah was going to see her goddaughter for the first time once they were done here, they were going to have a wonderful dinner and relax together. Pyrrah needed to be there for when Silbern got all teenagery and needed an adult that he respected that wasn't a family member. Pyrrah needed to be there to calm Jaune down when Weiss was sick or the kids became too much. With every thought the knight tried to shove more and more of his aura into the fallen Spartan all to no avail, her wounds wouldn't close, her heart didn't start back up again. The knight threw his head back and screamed. For miles around, beowolfs raised their head up, recognizing the call of a lonely hunter.
Ren put a hand on Jaune's shoulder barely able to keep his calm and collected façade up as he reached over Jaune with his free hand and closed the eyes of one of his closest friends.
"We need to go Jaune, I'll help you carry her but our extract is here." Ren saw Jaune shake his head as he stood picking Pyrrah up bridal style.
"No, I got her lets go home. Ruby clear the way. Ren watch my back." Ruby shot forward and Ren kept his head on a swivel as they made their way towards an incoming airship.
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Noukon Ren spun around the striking tail of the Deathstalker he was doing his job of being an annoyance. He kept the grimm's attention focused on him which allowed Thea to line up her shot. Using the blade of Single Sakura to deflect one of the striking claws the lithe young man jumped using a bit of his aura to give him a boost over the other claw shifting his weapon back to its pistol form firing off three rounds that landed in a tight circle right in between the scorpion like monsters sets of eyes.
"Get down!" The boy smirked at his partner's voice. The long haired boy jumped back flipping over the incoming rockets as they found their mark with a resounding boom. Nodding his head to where Thea would have been in the tree's Noukon made his way to find a new target knowing that the fox faunus would let him know if anything was trying to flank him. They had to Keep Silbern's right side free and clear that was one death stalker down, up a head Noukon spotted a pair of Ursa. The boy put his thumb and ring finger to his lips he let out a shrill whistle that let his partner know that they were game on again. He shot a few rounds at the grimm drawing their attention before shifting the weapon back to a blade. This was the best part of hunting.
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"I need you to stay back a bit Nouto," Altin saw a group of Borbatusks try and make a move for their right flank. Not checking to see if the girl was in agreement Altin launched himself forward and felt his body lighten as he pushed himself forward at immense speed only to instantly make his body heavier as he delivered an aura filled punch right into the snout of the lead Borbatusk, causing the energy released in it to ripple through the creature before it simply dropped. The remaining Grimm all tripped as soon as they came within two meters of the youth as their charges turned into painful looking skids. Altin walked forward, his unbuttoned suit coat slipping it off of his shoulders. He folded the item delicately, and set it across a branch of a tree as he passed it and flexed his fingers cracking each knuckle in turn as he turned to face towards the forest. A pack of Basilisk slid out of the forest, lunging towards the short hunter who calmly stepped backward twice before his left leg shot up connecting with one of the snakes as what sounded like a gunshot filled the air as the vest clad brawler spun faster than should be possible delivering a hammer kick to another serpent like grimm. The boy's eyes shifted from a deep purple to an almost lilac as the serpents all floated into the air around him. Moving forward the boy made quick work of the rest of the serpents.
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"I'm thinking Saint, spelled out SANT, and Octane, OTAN what do you think Glynda?" Ozpin took another draw from his mug. The witch's head ticked to the side slightly as she thought about the ramifications of said decision, of EITHER said decision.
"Are you sure that's wise Headmaster?" Glynda thinking for a minute she continued. "Do you think that starting the year off with two students in a rivalry with Teams under their Control, you already locked in team Hematite. While the father's might have worked out their differences I can tell you for a fact that Hans Winchester does not share his father's desire for the feud to end as they are. Need I remind you of what happened the third year of THAT particular rivalry."
"… You bring up a fair point Glynda." Ozpin shuddered at the thought of Jaune standing at the head of one army of students his oversized pistol pointed across the school grounds at another army of students with Winchester at the Helm. Jaune yelling death threats that seemed much too creative for the usually peaceful knight while the other armored warrior spat back curses of his own. That was one event that did not need repeating… the damages so many damages to his precious school.
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Amelia shot two bursts at the talon aimed at her partner's neck as her two clones spun out from behind her and charged at the grimm's body. She figured that as long as one of the claws was underground then the creature's body couldn't move a great deal. The clones smacked aside a pair of talons that shot towards her partner with their canes even as the girl slid a foot under Argentum Mors and kicked it into the air as she let the blade flip around her hand as she grabbed the handle and forced the blade into the attacking white tipped appendage pinning it into the ground drawing out a shriek of pain from the beast.
"Wake up Silbern, I'm the princess. You're the prince. You're supposed to be saving me remember?" Amelia winked at her companion who smirked slightly grabbing a knife from behind his back and pulling Amelia behind him and stabbing it into another tail that had burrowed underground and was ready to stab Amelia while she was sassing. The aura copies seemed to keep the grimm's body busy as Silbern smirked and pulled her away from the grimm. He slammed the pommel of Argumentum against his palm causing the daggers imbedded in the tails of the grimm to glow. Silbern pulled Amelia away from the Grimm spinning her in front of him he used his body as a shield sending out a layer of his aura around them. The explosion sent up a cloud of dust. They turned and watched the dust settle.
"OH DUST DAMN IT, how in the name of Monty do you kill this thing."
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Nouto Ren watched her partner at work for a moment before slipping off into the forest her pistol shifting to its naginata form she giggled slightly as three Ursa seemed to circle her. Spinning the weapon around her slowly she stopped the weapon held behind her back the blade pointing at one of the grimm.
"Poor little Grimmies," The Grimm charged and some as silk she spun her weapon around her decapitating one grimm and lopped off the legs of another. She could feel the rhythm of her family and their partners they were so close to being in sync… a small shove is all it would take and it would be better… just a small shove.
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Tyr reached into his long coat pulling out a pair of knuckle dusters that he slipped into place just in time to slice down the charging Ursa Minor that tried to flank the weapon smith. The dark golden haired hunter in training side stepped the blow of another Ursa Minor that got a duster lodged in its side for its trouble. Oceanus had left his partner to hold the outer edge of the line while Tyr covered the inner half of their section. It made sense for the girl in a hat, whatever her name was, he'd learn it later, to put Oshi and himself on this side, they had a near sheer cliff face on their outside edge the two of them could entrench themselves and make sure that the grimm could get no further.
The boy slipped under an incoming blow from a beowolf pulling a short barreled shot gun from his trench coat unloading one dust round into the head of the creature as he slipped back two steps shifting the grip of the shot gun into his right hand as he drew a disk from behind his back and threw it at a group of incoming beowolves as he drew a revolver and fired a round into the disk. Pulling the trigger of the shot gun he blew the head off of a single beowolf as the disk exploded into ice behind him skewering the beowolves that weren't killed by the force of the explosion. At this point his dark blond hair was brown with sweat and his breathing was a little heavy but that was ok, the line was holding and that was all that mattered. He moved lighter than usual, his movements flowing from one seamless motion to the next a soft peach light seeming to spread around him every so often.
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Altin shot forward spinning around the launched tail feathers of a Nevermore. The well-dressed hunter looked around the sky trying to pin point the monstrous avian that was perhaps the biggest threat to their plans. Taking a second the youth smirked as he started tracing the monster with his eyes, thankfully it was still a young specimen.
"Ren, I need you to cover me for a moment while I take care of the oversized pigeon." His partner shot out of the woods her spear held over her head cutting down a grimm in one move as she spun her weapon around her body the small spike acting as a counter weight glowing with a faint blue energy as she moved around her partner making sure to leave him a decent area to work with. Altin was surprised that there was no exploding grimm or monster rides. Instead of the ball of chaos that he came to understand through most of the day this girl seemed to be oddly serious and business.
"Gotcha Partner," Nouto Ren kept her eyes open and the grimm off of her partner as his greaves shifted the back plate flipping down and the sides shooting into the ground as his bracers shifted the upper plate flipping up partially as dust seemed to leak out of the ammo belts currently in the weapon system and consolidated in the palms of his hands. The young man put his hands together a guidance system flipping up as his knuckle plates collected the ambient dust forcing it back into the small sphere forming in each palm. Slowly the boy brought his hands up the glove portions of his gauntlets flipping outward each glove encasing the sphere forming a bullet shape. Using his semblance the boy modified the weight of each bullet and took careful aim.
"Fire in the hole!"
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Oshi looked up at the sun judging it to be around seventeen hundred maybe seventeen thirty, crap. It made sense now he should have noticed that Nouto had been calming down. Oshi redirected an attack from an ursa minor using one of his gun-blades he popped two rounds directly into the creatures eyes as he stepped back two or three spaces, he had fought pitched battles with mixed grimm before and they usually moved in a similar pattern sure enough a set of claws he paid little mind to the explosion that went off in the air behind him save for a silent prayer that Noukon Ren Wasn't going to kill them all.
Oshi spun the pistol in his left hand the gun unfolding into its short sword form as he stepped back. His eyes flashed a pale blue as he shifted his body to the left missing a strike from behind from a beowolf who got its head sliced off. Turning the pretty-boy genius twirled his two blades slipping them together the blades interlocking and unfolded further as the pistol grips shifted forming a hand and a half blade as his eyes flickered blue again.
"About time I started to see the odds…" Running forward the boy spun his sword in one hand as he seemed to simply slip through the pack making precise small cuts his eyes started to flash pale blue more frequently the longer the fighting went on.
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Thericia Versailles was concerned as she watched her partner start to bob his head to a rhythm matching a small pink flash of aura around him. Nouto must be using her semblance. The head bobbing wasn't the concern though it was that glint that crept into Noukon's eyes as he bisected a Grimm, planting a foot on each falling half and shot himself backwards into a flip as his blade shifted back into a large hand gun as he fired off a few rounds as he shifted the weapon back into a katana as he spun around the reaching arm of an Ursa and slammed his weapon into the creatures roaring mouth. The boy in black twisted his body slamming the toe of his foot into the side of the monster's head as he pulled the blade out of the monster's throat. The maniacal laughter soon followed.
"Nou?" The fox eared girl took a step forward spinning her weapon into its trident form cutting down one beast after another as she made her way to her partner as he mounted an Ursa swinging his sword over his head. "Nou! Please I need your help."
The boy looked down and at the rest of the ursa that were trying to surround his partner and smiled again as he urged the Ursa mount onward towards his partner he held out his empty right hand as he passed the girl. Thericia grabbed his hand and hoisted herself onto the back of the grimm even as Noukon spurred the beast onward a maniacal laugh breaking his lips. The girl that threw an arm round his body giggled slightly, Aunty Nora WAS right after all, this was fun.
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The Grimm stood in the smoking crater the black tails unfurled back to their position, it was now down four of its seven tails. It seemed to take shuddering breaths for a moment as it walked toward the pair of initiates its maw opened with an orange energy that leaked out of its throat. Silbern stepped under one striking tail as he shot forward pulling Argumentum out of the ground as Amelia shot a few rounds out covering her partner as her clones spun out and assisted him in close combat. Silbern slipped his Mors from its slot on his belt and extended it in time to take a blast of fire like energy from the monsters mouth. Feeling pressure against his back Silbern froze for a split second until he heard the sigh. It was nice fighting with a partner. The two wove around each other almost as if they were dancing never in the others ways unknowingly feeding off of each other's movements thanks to a small pink glow that surrounded them from time to time almost as if a physical representation of a rhythm that only the two of them shared.
Silbern moved his shield arm up only for Amelia to use it as a spring board sending herself high into the air shooting off several blasts of dust from her cane causing the Grimm to look away from Silbern for a moment, which allowed the knight to slid under its body shifting the dust chamber to a pale blue pulling the trigger as he rammed the tip into the grimm's chest setting off several Ice glyphs on the inside of the creature at once. Silbern felt a hand grab his arm as he made his way out from under the grimm and was yanked away from the resounding explosion of grimm flying through the air slightly. He landed and looked up to see the smiling face of his partner. Neither noticed the slight pink flashes of light that had been covering their bodies slowed and faded to nothing as they looked around the now flaming forest. Silbern's eyes went wide as he dived in front of Amelia a pair of knives found their way into his right hand as he grabbed the small blob of black out of the air stabbing the knives into the top of the now single tailed fox's head as he hit the ground and rolled to his partner's yell from behind him. The Grimm's tail shot out grazing his side a line of blood shooting out as he bounced on the ground the grimm disappearing in his arms as he slid to a stop.
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Lille spun around the incoming strike her icicle slid up her attackers arm creating a trail of crimson in its wake. The boy either had pathetically low aura reserves or it was used somewhere else as his wounds didn't heal as shallow as they were. The other boys moved to join their leader only to stop when they heard a voice clear itself behind them. They turned in time to see a large hammer smack into the chest of one of them as the barrel of a gun was pointed in the face of another.
"I think you boys might have made a mistake. You see we don't like it when someone goes after our friends." Coper pointed his thumb over his shoulder as more members of the freshmen class all stood with the weapons they came here with readied for combat. Noir stood one pistol pointed at one of the boys the blade on the underside of the barrel almost touching his neck as her second gun was pointed straight at the now dark grey sky.
"You have two choices boys, Noir her pulls the trigger of one of those pistols and an instructor comes running and it's the five of you versus almost the entire first year class. Or you leave, and you leave her and us alone." Coper spun his hammer in his hand as the boy he hit got up off the ground and made a move towards the large first year that seemed to be in charge. An arrow came from over the first year's shoulder and dug a good two inches into the ground in front of the would be attacker. Coper opened his eyes enough for people to tell his eye color the almost glowing crimson caused the upper classmen to pause. "Please do reconsider that course of action senpai, I'd hate to see you hurt on the first day of your last year here."
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Whipping off the dried remains of the roses someone else left Jaune took some time to clean the rest of the crimson and gold marble marker. His fingers slowed as they ran over her symbol, the spear piercing the sun. Sitting on the grass Jaune looked up at the perfect likeness of his old partner's face. She watched over the city here at the top of the hill as a guardian angel, just as she did in life.
"Silbern left for Beacon yesterday and today we saw Lilie off to Signal." Jaune's voice broke slightly as he spoke to the grave. "They would have loved you—probably would have given Ruby a run for her money as the favorite Aunt. Silbern's not alone though, the twins are with him there, you barley knew the twins but they are so much like their mother and father. So are Yang and Neptune's kids. Believe it or not he seemed to meet a girl on his way to the airship to if what Weiss and I saw were anything to go off of. I don't know anything about her but she made him smile—an actual smile too and then with Lillie going off to signal today—"
Jaune sat and talked laughing and crying in turn as he filled his partner in on everything she'd missed over the past few months.
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"Are we done here?" Silbern turned to face the girl who first saved him then he protected only to be forced back on to the ground by his partner now straddling his abdomen her hands on his shoulders her eyes locking with his for a moment.
"Stupid over protective, ignorant…" As Amelia continued to smack him he felt a tear hit his face. Reaching a hand up he caught the girl by the chin lifting her head slightly to see her eyes brimming with tears. She spoke before he could ask why she was crying. "You are my partner now Silbern Arc, MY partner that means no more of this singlehandedly saving everyone crap, that might have worked for your father but I will NOT let it work for you. Do you understand that?"
Silbern simply nodded as the black specks of dissolving Grimm lifted up from the treetops like a snow storm shot in negative as the other pairs finished off the Grimm near them and everyone gathered back to the temple looking up the cliff face that would take them back to their new home. He was perhaps leaning on his partner a bit more than necessary… but only perhaps. The entire group turned at the sound of manic laughter. Apparently Noukon had decided to wake up. Sure enough Charging out of the flaming forest his blade held high and riding an Ursa with Thericia holding on to him for dear life was Noukon Ren the craziest person in their family.
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Nearby a white wolf hound with silver markings on its coat leaned into its oddest smelling pack member but this one was always generous with the pets and treats so her smell could be forgiven. The dog knew that it couldn't interfere with the master's fight for dominance. It wanted to but the thing-that-was-not had challenged the master fairly and the master answered the call in kind. Not that the hound lacked faith in the master of course the master was of superior breed, much more powerful and dangerous than any mere something-that-was-not. The dog wagged its tail slightly as it wagged under the cool touch of the pack member who took him out from the place of holding.
"Well then, it appears that all of this was in order after all." Turning to follow the pack member the hound padded forward a few steps before stopping again and turned over its shoulder to see the master being helped up the hill by the new pack mistress, it was good there needed to be a pair as alpha, well local alpha the true alphas were likely lounging around the large den now that all of the pups had left. All thoughts left at the smell of a warm treat. The dog turned and followed the smell leading it back to the orange haired pack member he had been with this entire time. He licked the warm treat from her cold hands eliciting a small girlish giggle from the pack member.
"That's enough of that Acier, come along now Silbern and the others have proven to be combat ready, the ascent is the easy part for them now, if we hurry we can make it back before Ruby gets home and make cookies!" The dog's ears perked up at the mention of cookies, it was rarely allowed, the sinful treat the Alpha female of the master had often forbidden the hound from such delicacies, not that all hadn't broken her command behind her back but still the promise of cookie treats was a hard one to shake. Acier the Hound shot after the now running pack mate back towards Beacon and the house and treats of which the pack member spoke of.
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Ozpin closed the scroll in his hands and nodded turning to walk back towards his tower Goodwitch falling in behind him.
"I think that they did well all things considered, they set the record for longest time though." Goodwitch remarked to the mostly silent Headmaster. Ozpin nodded his head seemingly lost in thought.
"True, but they racked up quite the auspicious list of prey all things considered. A pair of Alphwwolfs, quite the number of Ursa Majors, two teams of Creeps, a pack of Basalisk, a Nevermore, not to mention just two of them taking down a Seven Tailed Kitsune. But then again should we expect anything less?" Ozpin sipped his mug of coffee letting the opaque black gold work its magic on him as he stepped onto the Bullhead to take the two of them back to his tower.
"Fair enough, I am curious though… why would a Kitsune of that level make an appearance?" Goodwitch covered her head slightly as the Bullhead began to power up sending up a barrage of dust and twigs. "That was a phi-level Grimm Ozpin it must have been new to its seventh tail judging by the tactics it used but still. For a phi-class Grimm to have come out this far out of their range either we need better measurements on our recruits…"
"Or Someone caused it to come out. I know." Ozpin took a sip of his coffee as he stepped onto the bullhead and offered a hand down to his aide and confidant. "But they were able to handle it. I'm thinking Ascent and North?"
"I think that would work… better then Saint… Anything would be better than Saint…" Goodwitch shuddered as she took Ozpin's hand blushing slightly as she was pulled up their cheeks brushed together for an instant and she felt his lips on her cheek before they separated. With a hrmph the woman straightened her bustier and stepped briskly to her seat although with aybe slightly more sway in her hips than usual. The Headmaster walked leisurely a small knowing smile on his face as he slipped into another passenger seat next to her his hand brushing her knee as he did drawing out another blush.
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"Father." Abraham looked up from the now concluded sparring match, a draw as it usually was between those two. The elder security executive smiled at his middle child using a small gesture to close the window of the two trainees who were now embracing a bit more then "friends" usually do.
"Amaretto, looking well I see," And the boy was, Abraham's son had a light mahogany colored hair that had a lighter straw streak running in a wave on the right side of his hair from his right temple to the back of his neck, that and sharp blue eyes made for an interesting and striking combination. The boy's cane was slung over his shoulder as he seemed to be walking as he talked. Over his son's shoulders the silent form of Amaretto's Partner, Fran nod his head in greeting.
"I'm fine father Ameila did well with her initiation. They projected the trials in the dining hall again this year. They put up a good show her team is interesting, a swordsman, a heavy weapons specialist, her and perhaps one of the most interesting fighters I've ever seen. I've heard through some friends that the elder Arc child was a prodigy of sorts but there is a big difference between hearing a rumor like that and seeing it for myself. That's her partner believe it or not, Silbern Arc." Amaretto continued on for a moment Abraham nodding his head as he processed what his son had told him. "You ok there Father?"
"Yes, fine simply surprised is all. If I remember correctly the young Altin was there also, his father heard that you were there and decided that it would have been a good enough place to allow his son to try for the dream of becoming a huntsmen. Any word on him by chance?" Abraham brought a cigar to his lips lighting the rolled tobacco and enjoying the layers of flavors from the brown roll.
"Another of the more powerful members of the freshmen class this year, it seems that Ameila fell in with a good crowd, the son of House Arc, the twin children of a Vaccoun dignitary, the son and the adopted daughter of one of the Lords of Atlus, The Heir of Harbinger Industries and the last one I don't know but I already have a few feelers out, he was quite skilled not from signal though, we would have heard about someone like that coming up."
Abraham listened to his son go on about the incoming freshmen of Beacon, who were the likely wash outs, who were surprises and so on. Then it was Abraham's turn telling his son about some of the current trainees. Taking a chance Abraham brought up the issue of the pair to his son.
"That's a hard one father." Amaretto was in his room now Abraham saw the other pair, Agni a female canine faunus of some sort and her partner a thin wispy boy named Gregor. "Sounds like they were a pair whose team died on a mission, if that is the case especially if they were forced to depend on each other for an extended period of time it might be a mental block that they can't get over on their own. I can do some digging for you see what Guardian has running through its rumor mill. What did you say their names were again? "
"King and Doukeshi, Quanda King and Akai Doukeshi, Miss King often takes the lead in the political areas and is a skilled ranged fighter, Mr. Aki on the other hand is a master close and midrange combatant who while staggeringly intelligent leaves the people working to Miss King."
"Quanda King and Akai Doukeshi… I'll do some digging father, I need to go the naming ceremony is about to start and I have a bet that Amelia is going to be named team leader over Silbern Arc, Thankfully the odds were set before the initiation started 500 to one… and I have a good feeling about it. Later Father."
The screen went blank and Abraham sighed as he stood his back creaking in protest as he shut off all of the projectors and made his way towards the door, it was time to go home and hug his wife. AS the man walked down the halls he stopped in front of the training room tapping the door. "Alright Kiddies, time to go somewhere else, a bed room might be a good choice."
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Jaune stood as the sun finished going down. He had been here too long. Hopefully Weiss wouldn't be to mad at him, the no longer young knight winced as he cracked his back he was pushing forty now. Aging sucked, maybe in the next few years he would take Ozpin up on the offer of becoming a teacher. Ruby seemed to take to it and the benefits: no more rushing off whenever he was summoned to the front lines, Seeing his beautiful Wife every night, much lower chance of death by monster… those were some good perks. Unfortunately Jaune knew that wasn't going to be how it worked the man walked slowly down the hill stopping when he saw a familiar flowing bit of red walking up the hill a bouquet of scarlet roses in her hand. Weiss would understand if he was just a little bit longer. The red-hooded figure looked up the hood falling back as the woman smiled throwing a hand up a large smile splitting her face as the single streak of red in her short black hair caught the fading light. She was on him in a rush of rose petals. The two shared a short embrace.
"Heya Jaune."
"Hey Rubs."
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