I know I've already put out a dozen RWBY stories already but I can't help it! The universe is so friendly to creative output! So this story fits great, in my tiny twisted mind.

So for those of you who don't know this story will exist in my Team WOLF AU and will be a parallel story running with my Wolf's Shadows story which I'll be updating along with it. So for that reason this story will update slower than some of my other stories for one simple reason, I'm still writing these stories. That being said I will do my absolute best to keep updates happening and happening as fast as I can.

Reviews are always appreciated, both real critique and just ego petting. And thanks for reading.

Changing Generations

Jayden stood at the edge of the airship's entrance staring at the cascading emerald academy before him. The setting sun's glinting rays only made the color deeper than it had been from the airship up here. A deep breath and a small step would begin the best four years of his life, as he'd heard his mother avow it. She'd spent her time here, learning things she never thought she needed. Now he stood to go where his mother once went.

His train of thought derailed when he was shoved aside by a young blonde woman carrying another woman by her arm and dashing straight into the courtyard. He composed himself and brought his bags with him. He took a few uneasy steps trying to balance himself on his cane and his bags.

"We're here!" the first blonde woman shouted as she slid to her knees. The second woman was taken aback by the grandeur of the buildings; her shock was easy to see on her face. "Dawn, we made it!" she said and leapt to hug the other woman.

Jayden left them to their business and began his trek to the auditorium. His limp made it a slower journey than some of the other students. He turned his head and looked at each building as it passed. Each one easily towered over him, making each and every second seem more daunting. He knew he was ready for what he was about to undertake, even as his worries began to mount. His thought process was once again interrupted by the chiming on his scroll.

"Has the ship landed yet?"

"Yes, I'm making my way to the meeting room. Any last minute advice?"

"Don't blow up your future leader and you're already better than me."

"Well I don't have any dust on me, so it'll be their fault."

"Perhaps we have more in common that we like to admit. Good luck, I'll be there sooner or later to visit, but you know how my schedule can change."

"I understand, please be careful."

"I should be telling you that, but I appreciate it. I love you Jayden."

"Love you too mom."

He stared into the large room as the multitudes of students gathered. There was a saying his mother taught him, "No two hunters will ever be the same," and it was hard to argue her point. Nothing was the same about anyone he saw. No two weapons, no two outfits, no two ways of carrying themselves, totally unique. At first.

"No, you need to apologize!" Jayden turned to see two women staring at him; at first glance they were carbon copies of each other. The only difference being the way they wore their hair. The one woman wore her long blonde hair in a tight bun and carried herself calmly. She stood tall and her attire was neatly pressed and taken care of. She wore a sleeveless battle shirt, which accentuated her well toned arms. Her chest was emblazoned with a rising sun, and the thick metal bracers around her wrists shared the emblem.

The other woman seemed to be the opposite, her wild blonde hair hung past her back and was very voluminous. She wore a button up shirt and left the first two buttons undone, to accentuate the scarf she wore around her neck, the shirt itself was mostly covered up buy a thick vest that had a crescent moon shining against it. Her skirt was modest length, but was slit up the left leg. She had a few small pouches on her hips that Jayden couldn't immediately identify, and she had a long black pole attached to her back. The woman was definitely odd.

The calmer woman motioned towards the other one who groaned.

"Sorry fer runnin' ya over," she forced out, looking towards the other woman who nodded.

"All is forgiven," Jayden nodded and fully expected that to be the end of the conversation. The calmer woman motioned again and the other woman groaned.

"And sorry fer ignorin' ya," she said glaring at the other woman.

"All is forgiven," he said again.

"My name is Dawn," the calmer woman put out her hand and Jayden met it as his mother had taught him.

"Jayden," he said. He turned towards the other woman just as she put her fist out.

"And I'm Alabaster, I go by Ally," she said.

"Well I go by Jayden."

"So hey, 'fore this gets too far, ya look really familiar." Ally eyed him up and down as Dawn shared Jayden's look of confusion.

"I'm fairly confident that we've never met, ma'am, I would have recognized the accent, I'm sure."

"What's wrong with it?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. Jayden grew nervous as she asked, fearing he had offended her.

"Nothing, it's just distinct!" Jayden had nothing against it; it was a simple accent, one reminiscent of the Gray Isles in Atlas. He'd been there a time or two when his mother went to visit-. "Wait a minute," Jayden said suddenly. He looked at the woman again as it was clarifying in his mind. "Alabaster James?" he asked hesitantly.

The woman's eye's widened as did her smirk. "Jayden Schnee! I knew it!" Ally launched herself and hugged Jayden tightly. "Last time I saw you, ya was in diapers!"

"Why are you with the first years? Aren't you quite a bit older than me?"

"Well only by a year or two!" Dawn suddenly pulled her sister back, looking for an explanation. "Oh, Dawn, this is Auntie Weiss' son, Jayden." Dawn finally looked at him with purpose.

"I see, well this is the first time we've met," Dawn clarified.

"Well, a pleasure regardless."

"This is awesome! We get to be with Cousin JJ!"

Jayden blinked, unsure of how to take the nickname and Dawn shared his trepidation.

"So no go on the nickname?"

"For now at least," Jayden clarified.

"Aww," Ally resumed her laughter as she did. The three carried on simple conversation as the room filled even more. Ally talked enough for all three until she noticed the man staring at the group. She felt a bit of nervousness build, and the other two noticed quickly. The man returned the Jayden's gaze, and Jayden left with a sigh. The man left his crouched position and stood just as tall as Jayden, pushing six foot and beyond.

"You're intimidating my friend." Jayden kept his voice low.

"That's not my problem," he retorted.

"We're on the same side; we're here for the same reasons."

"Then prove it."

"As long as you keep your malice behind your teeth," Jayden said. The man sneered but nodded. "Then we understand each other." Jayden left and rejoined Dawn and Ally who looked at him with a curious face. "Just a bit of preparation."

"Attention students!" the voice garnered everyone's attention to the stage. The woman's bright red hair stood out against the dark curtains behind her. "Welcome all new students to Beacon Academy, those of you who are returning students may return to their dorms. Your classes will resume in two days." Many students departed at her words, but those that remained were still numerous. "To those who have come for their first year, the Headmaster has something he'd like to say." The woman stepped back on the stage as the man took her place.

The man stood just about 6 feet tall by Jayden's estimate, his unkempt blonde hair shone underneath the lights, bolstered by the thin lines of gray that began to appear on the edges. His suit had seen better days but it was still well kept, he kept himself well all in all.

"It never gets old," he said, jarring Jayden out of his observant gaze. "Seeing the new faces year after year, knowing what they all want. Seeing how many people who know what they want to be. That point can't be argued," he said. "What should be considered is why? Why do you want to be a hunter? I was asked that question, and now it is time that you asked yourself that as well. I've known those that wanted the accolades, those that wanted the job description, and those that wanted to protect. Motives are fragile, and change constantly. I care nothing for your motives, I care for your convictions and character that is what decides why you do this. Motives alone will not carry you in these coming years; they will not aid you in adjusting with the demanding lifestyles of being a hunter. The convictions you carry and what you know to be right and wrong is what will carry you. And your character, the definition of who you really are that is what will aid you." He looked out at the students who stared back in wonder. "There are two days that matter most to a person: the day they are born, and the day they find out why. We'll do our best to guide you, but in the end, what you become is of your own volition."

The man let the silence build for a moment.

"I am Headmaster Arc; I will be all that I can for my students. If you have any questions about Beacon or the journey you're about to undertake, my assistant Ms. Nikos will be around shortly and will continue to be around until curfew. I look forward to this year."

Jayden sighed, he'd known Headmaster Arc and Professor Nikos for a few years true, but he'd known Uncle Jaune and Aunt Pyrrha much longer. He'd hoped he would get a chance to reconnect for a few moments before their busy lives took over.

"Auntie Pyrrha!" Ally shouted, once again jarring Jayden's train of thought.

"Ally, Dawn!" Pyrrha hugged both of the girls tightly and smiled. "It's been so long! I'm so happy you're both here!" Jayden noticed the emphasis and was curious but he pushed it aside. Pyrrha released them just as Jayden made eye contact.

"Hello, Pyrrha," Jayden said. He tried to put his hand out but Pyrrha hugged him.

"Jayden, you of all people should know better!"

The three continued to speak until Ally grew nervous again. Pyrrha noticed and turned but smiled again.

"Eden! I'm honestly surprised you're here!" The man's face softened as he hugged Pyrrha but he still unnerved Ally a bit. He was dressed in all black and grey. A black t-shirt and a grey vest covered his chest. He had a necklace that had a black cloud on it. A long black sword hung on his waist, Ally thought it looked familiar. He looked normal all in all, but it was his eyes that made her uneasy. They were golden, and bright. They practically shone like jewels compared to the rest of him. Even his bright red hair was dull compared to the predatory eyes he had.

"It took some creative arguments," he said softly.

"Well I'm happy you're here, all of you. This will be a great year!" Pyrrha left and Eden attempted to but Jayden stopped him, the two seemed to communicate without speaking as their faces changed.

"What's yer last name?" Ally asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter." Eden turned to leave again but Jayden stopped him, a subtle movement and Eden sighed. "My name is Eden Belladonna."

"I knew it! Yer Auntie Blake's boy!" Ally's body language changed again and she leapt to hug him. Eden stood still as Ally finished the hug, he didn't reciprocate like she thought he would.

"It's been a while Dawn, I look forward to this year."

Dawn nodded and Eden departed.

"You two know each other?" Jayden asked.

"Yes, I spent a lot of time with Aunt Blake."

"How many aunts and uncles do you have?" Jayden asked with a smirk.

"Ya know Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Team CVFY, Team SSSN, Team WOLF, and Team SLKE?" Ally asked.

"Yes," he said hesitantly.

"That many," Ally said with a giant smile.

"I see," Jayden said.

"How do you know Eden?" Dawn asked.

Jayden's body language changed and he sighed. "Just enough to not be on good terms," he said.

"Uh-huh." Ally and Dawn were both silent for a few moments.

"So what are those?" Jayden asked pointing to their ankles. Both of them had a metallic band around their ankle. One on Ally's left, and the other on Dawn's right.

"Oh that's Ember Silica, it's our ma's weapon! We've each got one!" Ally explained.

"I see, that's quite creative, but doesn't your mother use them?"

Dawn's face fell but Ally kept her smile.

"Naw, our Pa does most of the huntin' now. Since we were born, Ma took care of us!"

"Hearing the stories of Miss Xiao Long, I find that hard to believe," Jayden said as he took a seat, his leg was starting to feel the strain of the last three or so hours.

"Well mama always said she was always up for a new challenge, and managing twins was the ultimate challenge far as she was concerned!"

"A daunting task," he admitted.

"What's wrong with your leg?" Dawn asked suddenly. Jayden looked down and he realized that he was subconsciously rubbing the back of it, he scolded himself and shifted.

"Just an old wound."

"Ya gonna be alright? We've gotta great adventure lined up fer us tomorrow!"

"Yes, I'll be fine, I have a brace I can wear on it."

"Well we'd better get rested either way. Ally's right, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow," Dawn said. "It was a pleasure meeting you Jayden."

"You as well." They shook hands again and Jayden unrolled his bedroll. He eased himself down as he did; Eden seemed to come out of nowhere to help him down. The two still said nothing to each other. "Thank you, Eden."

"Stay away from Dawn," he warned.

"Why is that?"

"She's my friend; I don't want her getting wrapped up in our troubles."

"There wouldn't be troubles if you-." Eden left before he could finish, leaving Jayden to just shake his head. Jayden grabbed his cane and tried to get back up but Eden again just appeared out of nowhere. "There wouldn't be troubles if you and I could just talk!" he said quietly.

"There will always be trouble, Jayden. You know as well as I do."

"Those battles are over, beyond our generation. We've a chance to renew those ties and create stronger bonds."

Eden stood again and this time Jayden made no effort to follow.

"Stay away from Dawn," he echoed. Jayden sighed and tried to sleep, the worries of his new journey returned and he was left awake even as the conversations died down. Nearly a hundred people lay asleep beside him, but he was left awake by his own trepidation and hesitancy. He knew what was expected of him here, he knew exactly who he wanted to be. Jaune's words echoed as he fought with his own self image and who he wanted to be. Not much had changed since the incident. As much as he wanted things to change, nothing had. His mother had always been distant but not by choice, now she cherished even the fleeting seconds of a good morning.

"Are you okay?"

Jayden's train of thought once again derailed as he used his scroll to see who was nearby. Dawn crouched by him on her way back from the restroom it seemed.

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"I'd like to, but you'd need to believe it first." He nodded, conceding the argument as she sat on her knees.

"I'm just deep in thought; I've a lot to think about."

"Understandably," she said. "Shall I leave you to it?"

"You can stay if you wish, I don't know that I'll be sleeping much tonight."

"If I'm able to assist, then I'd like to."

Jayden laughed quietly as she talked, causing a small amount of concern from Dawn. "Are you anything like your sister? It seems that you only share a likeness."

"I didn't spend much time with my sister growing up."

"Why not?"

"It's a private matter, but I spent more time with my Aunt Blake and Eden than I did my own family, not that I regret it. I believe it was a much needed time there."

"So what was it like growing up with Yang Xiao Long and Wyatt James as parents?"

"My father was a very patient man and my mother wasn't so much. But it was amazing to watch them work. We were able to see them teach a few classes at the school in the Gray Isles. Even after all the years apart I know for sure that Ally takes a lot after him. My mother likes to think she took the worst from her and the worst from my father and it made Ally. But she's far more than she seems."

"Why's that?"

"Our lives haven't been easy; we've faced our own trials. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of the good times in life, Ally strives to never forget those."

"I understand."

"We share a lot in common. We are still sisters after all. On times when my mother and father would be out on a hunt, we'd spend time with any portion of our extended family. Ally always wanted us to remember the good in life, and it's something I've grown to appreciate."

"I can imagine," he said in a yawn.

"I'd better let you rest, as Ally said we've 'a big adventure' on our hands tomorrow."

"Yes, thank you Dawn, I needed that."

"My pleasure."

Jayden sighed and closed his eyes again, this time ignoring his own thoughts and pushing them out. This time Jayden was able to sleep.

XXX

The majority of the first years stood overlooking the large forest from their perch on the cliff. A magnificent view in of itself, it was only made more impressive by the slow breezes that bent the landscape to its will. The trees shimmered in the wind and from their perch, and though it was a pleasantly warm day, the breeze chilled Jayden sending him into shivers. He wore his combat attire now: an off-white shirt that covered most of his arms, leaving only his forearms free. On top of that his armor, which gave him the appearance he'd grown to appreciate in his youth as well as protected him. His cane by his side and the brace on his leg gave him far more maneuverability than he had the day before. Finally his bowler cap that he held beside him as the wind had threatened to steal it.

"Ya look like yer headed out fer a night out 'stead of ta fight!" Ally commented.

"Perhaps both," he said with a smirk. Dawn and Eden readied themselves on their platforms silently awaiting their turn. Headmaster Arc had already given them their instructions and now they were waiting. Jayden shook his head and tried to prepare himself, the brace wouldn't protect him from such a heavy impact. He'd have to use what his mother taught him if he wanted to spare the damage. He could hear the loud snap of each platform throwing their target towards the wooded area. He felt the tremors from the machines grow closer as he prepared himself; finally he felt the world around him shift as he flew through the air.

He'd seen others just dive into the woods, trying to get there faster but he knew his navigation wasn't as strong as others. He knew the direction based on the sun's position, but he wouldn't have that advantage beneath the canopy. He got his bearings and threw down a few shining glyphs above the canopy. He stood tall as he plotted his course, when he felt ready he landed beneath the trees and began his trek. He elongated his cane into a walking stick as he hiked on the unforgiving terrain. The summer rains did nothing for the integrity of the soil and he was slipping and falling almost every other step. He'd walked his chosen path for almost twenty minutes without incident until he heard a commotion beside him. He positioned himself and saw Eden fighting a trio of Beowolves; Eden seemed to be taking care of things himself with his sword but as more approached Jayden had to step in.

Eden and Jayden made eye-contact for only a moment before they nodded and set to work. Jayden took the positioning his mother had taught him and drew the thin blade from his cane. Two Beowolves stood before him, their blood red maws gaping and snarling at him. No sooner had they launched at him had Jayden put up a new glyph, the first one smashed into it face first and Jayden pierced its skull with the thin blade through his glyph. It had no death cry as it started melting away. The second tried to jump over it but Jayden dropped the glyph and let the Beowolf land on nothing, Jayden spun to his right and brought the blade straight through the beast's neck. It fell with no sound as it disintegrated. By the time he turned back to Eden there were three dissolving bodies beside of him. The two men stood gathering their wits as they sheathed their weapons, both using them as walking sticks.

"This will be interesting," Eden said after a quiet hour of hiking.

"At the very least, it shall be entertaining to our teammates."

XXX

Ally flew through the sky with her back to the ground, her hands behind her head just staring as the clouds flew by. She couldn't have cared less about where she was going; only when she felt the leaves touch her back did she withdraw her staff and use it to direct her weight past the loose limbs and broken trunks. She lodged her staff in between two branches and spun around like a gymnast on a bar. On her downward swing she dislodged and gracefully landed on the forest floor.

"Nailed it!" she sung to herself as she strolled on through. She hummed soft songs to herself as she skipped her way through the thick foliage and dense flora. She heard nothing of interest for almost thirty minutes until she heard the distinct death whine of a Borbatusk, she crested the hill to see Dawn in fighting stance staring down the charging swine. It stared at her as it ran, but Dawn stayed calm even as it spun to charge at her. Ally whistled just as she threw her staff like a spear to knock it off balance. Dawn took the assistance and maneuvered the beast so that it careened off of a nearby tree back at her. She took her stance and in a split second threw her fist hard enough to break through the outer shell and straight through the creature's spine. It whined in death and began to disintegrate.

"Did you follow me to protect me, Ally?" Dawn asked with a hint of concern.

"Naw, I was just enjoyin' the view! Yer the first person I seen all day!"

"Well then," Dawn asked as she took a deep breath and calmed herself, letting her bracers reform themselves on her wrists. "Shall we?"

"We shall! We're off ta see the wizard!" She grabbed her sister's hand and began to skip away.

XXX

"The last two pairs have been formed," Pyrrha said happily. "One is Eden Belladonna and Jayden Schnee."

Both Pyrrha and Jaune sighed. "I hope they can work together," Jaune said quietly.

"As do I, but the last pair are Dawn and Alabaster James."

"Good, that should be a great boon for Dawn."

"It seems history repeats itself yet again."

"It would have to; I don't think they could have formed another way."

"Perhaps, although the same thing happened with our son," Pyrrha said incredulously.

"You still think I planned that?" Jaune asked with a smirk.

"Please," she said in a laugh. But he maintained an innocent smile. "So the name JPTR was an accident then?"

"A happy coincidence."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Pyrrha said as she scanned over her scroll. "Though there's a large concentration of Grimm near their target, bigger than in years past."

"Then I want to see how they overcome it, I've faith in them."

XXX

Eden and Jayden stared at the clearing in horror. There a mere hundred or so yards away laid their prize, the relics for them to claim. And less than seventy-five yards away at least a dozen Ursas guarded them.

"So any bright ideas?" Eden asked.

"Ones that don't involve running away, you mean?"

"I just thought that would come after your brilliant plan failed."

"I'm not sure what's worse, the mockery or the accuracy."

A snapping twig behind them drew their guard up but soon Dawn and Ally relieved only a few of their fears.

"Man this place is borin', I thought fer sure we'd see some action by now!" she complained. Eden and Jayden could only give a breathy chuckle in response. "What?"

The two pointed down toward the relics and what waited for them.

"Ah, where's Aunt Nora when you need her?" she asked quietly.

"Do we have a plan?" Dawn asked.

"We're somewhere in the middle of charging them or running away," Eden said.

"The clearing is too large to sneak around, and with all four of us, we'd be smelled out quickly."

"And we can't go straight through, it'd be a massacre," Dawn agreed.

"So we can't go through, we can't go around, and we can't go below," Eden said slowly.

"Easy as pie, we go from above!" Ally said happily.

"Indulge us then, how do we do that?"

"We use Jayden's glyphs, he can give us a launchin' pad and we go flyin'!"

The others paused for a moment.

"Is this one of those so crazy it could work things?" Eden asked.

"I'm more aligned with just crazy, but it's the only idea we've got. Dawn and Eden can go first and grab the relics, Ally and I will come from behind to get their attentions away from you. Sound good?" Jayden asked.

The others nodded and Jayden prepared a glyph big enough for the two hunters. He held his hand out and took long slow breaths as the glyphs were pulled back and changed colors.

"Are you ready?" Eden and Dawn nodded, and Jayden threw his hand out and sent them flying out. The moment he did Ally charged out and attracted the attention of the Ursas and sent them away from the two flying hunters. Eden and Dawn landed at the same time and each grabbed their relics, four golden colored chess pieces and began to run back towards the fleeing pack of Ursas.

Ally was too distracted in messing with them; they were already enraged so her antics were all the more humorous to her. She spun around trees to send four of them crashing down the steep slope and slammed into one of the older trees, snapping their necks and watching them disintegrate.

"QUAD KILL!" she shouted happily. Dawn and Eden came rejoined the group just as the remaining ten Ursas bore down on them.

"Stick together!" Jayden shouted.

Jayden drew his sword and readied himself letting the Ursas charge uselessly against his glyphs as he slashed at them from behind them. He used the glyphs to keep the others off of him as he took them on one at a time. He would put up more glyphs only when needed. He needed to make sure he had enough aura to keep his leg in top condition. He would not be a weak link any longer. An Ursa charged at him just as the last glyph faltered, but Jayden sheathed his sword and flipped his cane, slamming the butt of the cane into the Ursa's open mouth. He pulled the trigger and let the bullet fly through the Ursa's skull and crash on the ground. Jayden sighed and re-adjusted his clothing as he set his eyes on the next one.

Dawn kept her control about her, even as the beasts descended. She used her training to use the beast's momentum against them and then go for the kill. Her bracers folded over her hands, guarding them and giving her additional power. She kept her forms tight and controlled, and she was fine. She re-directed the strike of an Ursa and broke its leg at the joints, as it recoiled and retreated she turned her attention to the one charging behind her. She used the forms she knew and shattered the skull beneath her fist. The third Ursa decided against a charging tactic and stood on its hind legs to crush her. Dawn took a deep breath and as the Ursa was landing she dashed beneath its striking paws and punched at its exposed underbelly. The gaping hole left in its body left it crumbling around Dawn as she calmed herself again.

Eden looked at the Ursas that charged at him with just the faintest hint of a smile, the canopy cover created exceptional space for his maneuvers. Just as one of the Ursas swung its massive paw at him, he disappeared in the shadows, only to reappear behind it and take out its legs with his sword. It tried to limp away but he disappeared again to take out its head. The next Ursa swiped quickly with its paws trying to keep eyes on his prey, but Eden just melted into the shadows again and this time slashed the underbelly of the Ursa in a dive. The last Ursa just stared at him as he approached. Eden was less than a yard away when the Ursa lunged at him with its teeth. The shadows melted away in the Ursas jaws and Eden appeared above the Ursa and slammed his sword into the Ursas skull. He withdrew his sword and slid it along the cloth on his scabbard to clean it before sheathing it.

Ally was having a blast. She danced around all along the forest floor smacking random Ursas as she went. Once she'd gathered the attentions of a few she twirled her staff around as she continued to laugh. One of the Ursas swiped at her but she smacked its paw away and bounced the heavy staff off of its head. The Grimm whined in pain and recoiled, giving Ally enough time to take its legs out from under it and send it rolling down the hill and into another tree.

"Hey, I'm on a roll!" she shouted happily. A groan of frustration echoed from the others as she continued her dancing. Another Ursa tried to tackle her but she sent the end of her staff into its gut and let the momentum carry it over her head and crashed onto its head, killing it instantly.

"I've got my head in the game!"

Another groan as Ally turned toward the last Ursa that Jayden had chased towards her. Ally used her staff like a pole vault and hurled herself into the air. She brought the very end of her staff straight into the fleeing Ursas head, crushing it beneath the weight. She rolled out of her attack and cleaned off her staff at the same time, she looked at the others with a stupid smirk.

"Don't say it," Jayden said.

She smiled even bigger.

"Ally, don't say it!" Dawn warned.

"He must have a splitting headache!"

Another groan echoed out of the forest.

XXX

"And those were the last 'relics' to obtain." Pyrrha let her scroll shrink and slid it in her blouse's chest pocket. "Did Professor Ozpin ever explain why he picked chess pieces?"

"He told me that it was a sort of personality test they used when he was younger. And I think it worked."

"Perhaps, shall we begin to head back?"

"Yes, the students will begin to gather here soon. After that comes putting them in dorms and letting them mingle amongst the upperclassmen."

"Well we should enjoy the little things," Pyrrha said happily. She turned to leave and was greeted with a well placed hand along the back of her leg that was slowly climbing.

"Maybe we should."

"You're just incorrigible, you know that right?"

"You can't believe I'd matured all they way did you?" He slowly moved his hand closer to her backside as she blushed.

"What would the students think?" she asked in a fit of giggles.

XXX

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Eden shouted as they ran from the three packs of Beowolves that they'd tripped over. Currently they were running towards the cliff walls with more than three dozen Beowolves chasing after them.

"Just keep running!" Jayden yelled back.

"Well it's not like it could get worse!"

They'd jumped into a small clearing and ran toward a small abandoned stone building. They'd no sooner done that then all fell silent, they turned back to the woods and saw the Beowolves retreating, small whimpers echoing in the woods. They stared for a moment before they heard a skittering noise replace the mad howling. Just as they turned around they had to dodge the golden stinger from the giant Deathstalker that slammed down on their previous location.

"So Eden, how do you like your foot in your mouth? Medium Well or Rare?"

"I'll take it well done if we make it out of here!"

Ally had already taken Dawn to the side as had Eden to Jayden.

"Well any other bright ideas, Jayden?!"

"Give me a minute!" Jayden shouted back. The group spent their time hiding behind pillars, the Deathstalker couldn't see well. It was well aged and relied on its clicking sonar. Jayden gave his plan to Eden who disappeared into the shadows and reappeared beside the two girls. They nodded from their positions as Eden leapt back out into the center of the clearing staring down the beast as it roared. Eden held his sword to his side and began to concentrate.

The Deathstalker skittered towards him and moved to crush him in its pincers. Dawn leapt out from her cover as it did and caught the pincer in her hands and with a swift motion ripped the pincers apart and soon off of the beast's arm completely. The Deathstalker whirled back in pain but Jayden was ready and took out its back legs with his sword. It didn't fall over completely but it lost its balance and crashed down just as Ally slammed her staff on its head. It whined in pain and just as it readied itself for the next attack, Dawn repeated the process with the other pincer and left the arena. The whole time Eden's sword had been charging with energy and shining brightly from its sheath. On Jayden's command Eden threw his sword out in a straight horizontal line and watched a beam of bright red energy blaze out in front of him. Eden panted from the exertion the attack caused. In a flash of red steel he sheathed his sword in a menacing click, and the moment it did the beast slid apart in a straight line. The four of them stood in front of the disintegrating beast with a well deserved sigh of relief.

"Well done, Eden," Jayden said. Eden stood again, forced to use his sword as a cane.

"How'd ya do that?" Ally asked.

"Poured some of my aura into my weapon and used it to strengthen the energy attack of my weapon. Usually I can only do that in small bursts," he said through pants. "I think I used too much."

"We're almost there, don't worry." Dawn placed his arm on her shoulder as did Ally, but he pulled back forcefully.

"I'm fine, I just need a minute."

As he finished his sentence the chilling and echoing howl of the Beowolves returned, their predator now taken out they could resume their chase. Eden spewed more profanities as they ran across the narrow bridge. The beasts poured out from the forest in a black flood.

"Dawn can ya give us time?" Ally asked.

Dawn nodded and knelt at the edge of the bridge with a deep breath. The beasts saw their chance and began their frenzied sprint towards her. She sat and held her arms out in front of her, slowly adjusting the bracers on her arms. There was no movement from her except her slowed breathing and all it did was worry Eden more.

"Dawn, what are you-?!"

Ally held him back with a nod. "Just trust her."

The Beowolves closed in on Dawn and in a flash Dawn stood as loud whirring replaced her calmed breathing. Her arms starting glowing a dazzling gold as the bracers moved over her fists and up to her shoulders. In a split second the leaping Beowolves met a powerful punch that sent a few Beowolves bouncing down back into the woods. Her strikes were sure and well placed as she did, and every one of them taking out multiple enemies. They watched in wonder as she used her power effectively.

"How are we doing?" Jayden asked. Eden steadied himself as he watched his aura regenerate slowly but surely.

"I can run now, but we still need to get up the cliff."

They turned back to the sheer cliff wall.

"I'll worry about that, you get over there. Ally you get Dawn and we'll make our move."

"Ya got it boss!" Ally moved to run back along the bridge but everything stopped as they heard…something.

It was a low, dark, rumble that echoed harshly against the dark forest. Out of the clearing stepped out a Beowolf that far out-sized even the biggest Ursa they'd ever seen. It howled again and it sent the other smaller ones scattering.

"Screw it! Get to the cliff now!" Jayden shouted. Dawn started running across the bridge and just barely made it when the Beowolf slashed at her. The other three were at the cliff wall when Dawn turned back and slammed her fists onto the bridge sending brick and stone flying away and letting the bridge crumble away. It didn't fall all the way but it was struggling to climb back onto the bridge.

"Now's our chance, c'mon!" Eden yelled out. They all were there now and waiting on Jayden. "So what's our plan now?" Jayden threw down a few glyphs leading up the cliff wall.

"Start climbing!" Dawn took Eden and leapt up to the first glyph, as the others did. They got up three glyphs before the Beowulf was free and chased after them again. Jayden took out the first two glyphs they'd climbed but the beast could still jump out at them. He told the others to keep going as he acted as a red cape. The Beowulf leapt at Jayden only to smash face first into a new glyph. The resounding tremor nearly caused the others to fall but Jayden kept the glyphs steady. As the beast fell Jayden re-arranged the glyphs and used them to throw the Beowolf straight past the bridge and into the mist below. They were calmer in their final approach of the cliff top and finally reached the top. They panted in relief and were set to move until Eden looked back towards the cliff and ran back suddenly looking down.

"Oh shit," he muttered. The others went to look down and saw the Beowolf frantically clawing his way up the cliff after them.

"Fine," Jayden said in a frustrated groan. He pulled out his cane and aimed straight down. The Beowolf looked up and roared just as Jayden unloaded fifteen rounds into its open mouth. It let out a pathetic whine and fell back with no fanfare. He turned away and walked off using his cane to its fullest ability.

"So," Ally said happily as they strolled away. "That was a thing."