Team HART- TNG (the next generation)

Chapter 1

Autumn's Day : A 'coming of age' story and a new beginning.


In the darkened bedroom a young girl dreams of the past.

The first tantrum when Mommy leaves for a mission, crying herself to sleep and waking to find her father slumbering on the floor by her bed, keeping her company through the long night.

Visiting her uncle's farm to meet her grandparents, followed by a sharper memory of her first adventure on horseback. "I'm as tall as anyone!" she mumbles, turning over under the sheets.

This triggers another vivid dream, riding the shoulders of the (to her) giant soldier Aldus looking down on the upturned faces of his comrades. She giggles in her sleep at the memory of his strained smile as she pulls his ears like reins.

One giant leads to another, her arms straining against the blanket as she tries to lift her mother's sword. Despite her best efforts, her six year old muscles can't seem to move it at all. "This one's a little big for you!" says her mother, sweeping the girl into a hug. "Maybe someday you'll have one of your own."

Someday... someday...someday...

The word circles around in her mind like a bothersome fly, changing into an repeating buzz of the bedside alarm. Hazel eyes open, staring at the clock.

As of seven hours ago I'm officially twelve, she thinks fuzzily.

Today! Now! Her eyes widened as she recalled what this day meant.

A kick of the feet sent the blankets flying to the bottom of the bed, allowing the girl to twist herself off the mattress and land with a flat footed thump on the hardwood floor.

Today's the day!

Dashing down the short hallway, she tossed her t-shirt aside and dove into the shower. A few minutes of hot water and a little soap later, she stood in front of the mirror with a toothbrush in her mouth. A few quick strokes were sufficient to satisfy her.

It's not like Mom is going to check today anyway!

She did, however, take her time dressing. She was sure that many important ( at least to her ) people would be here today and she didn't want to make a bad impression on any of them.

Not today.

The white blouse was carefully tucked into the new pants. She spread her arms over her head, reveling in the feel of the silken material stretching to give a full range of motion. She checked the front and back for wrinkles, knowing Akiko would never let her live down messing up the present on the first day. She ran her hands down the fine leather pants and sent a silent thanks to her Aunt Hart for them. The new boots, courtesy of Uncle Tan, fit like they should. Not too tight to walk, but supporting her ankles and lower legs like gloves. The small wheat sheaves, his sigil, were stitched in silver on the sides.

Taking a white cord from its hook on the back of the door, she bound her dark red hair into a high ponytail in imitation of her godmother, leaving two strands framing her face on each side. These she braided with thinner golden cords, hoping Aunt Akiko would be pleased with the results. Checking the results in the mirror, she took a moment to brush the fur of her Faunas ears again, pulling the fine white interior hairs slightly to lay flat against the red fur of the exterior. She twitched them twice to make sure that the braids would stay in place.

"Honey! Hurry up! They'll be here soon!"

Her mother's voice pulled her away from the mirror and out into the hall, albeit in a more sedate walk this time. Ambling down the hall, she stopped at the kitchen door and peered in.

"Morning Mom! Hi Dad! What do you think?"

Her father set down the napkin he'd been wiping his mouth with and smiled at her display. He turned and winked at the brawny faunas woman holding a plate for the girl. "She does clean up nice, don't she?"

Taking two long steps into the kitchen, Autumn whacked him on the arm with a disapproving look.

"C'mon Dad! An honest opinion please... without the sarcasm!"

Gundar Ulfur crossed his arms and regarded his offspring critically. "Honey, I honestly think you're beautiful. But I'm probably not the best choice for an impartial decision. But since you asked..." his finger thrust toward her waistline, "...your gig-line is crooked. Sergeant-Major'll be all over you for that."

Looking down, she saw that he was right. The line of her shirt buttons led down a full inch to the left of her pants button. Grumbling, she quickly adjusted herself. "Better?" she asked. A final inspection and he pronounced her fit to pass muster.

Flopping into a chair, her hands beat a rapid tattoo on the table. He mother placed a plate with a thick slice of bread smeared with butter and syrup in front of her, then handed over a large napkin.

"Get anything on that blouse, and you know what will happen don't you?", she warned.

Tying the napkin around her neck, the girl nodded agreement.

Akiko will use my butt for target practice!

Spreading out the rest of the napkin on the table, she place the plate squarely in the center before leaning over it. Spreading her elbows, she bit down into the bread.

Her father stood up and walked behind her, delivering a kiss to the temple as he passed.

"It's your day, my girl. Do me proud!"

Swallowing quickly, she kissed his chin before he could straighten. "I will Dad!" she promised.


Lifting her end of the picnic table with one hand she waited until her father had shifted the other end against the second table before setting it down. Flexing the arm, she patted the raised muscle and grinned at him. "Whattaya think?"

Gundar grinned back at her, not the least amazed at her ease of lifting the solid wood table. She wasn't as bulky as her mother, but she'd definitely gotten her strength from somewhere other than his genes. And despite her young age, she could look him squarely in the collar bone already!

"Impressive!" he admitted, gesturing towards the tablecloths waiting on a nearby chair. "Now let's see you lift those before everyone gets here."

Watching her pat the material into place, he felt a stab of memory, seeing the toddler he'd held... was it only yesterday? Where did those years go? His hand lifted to wipe the wetness from his eyes.

"I'm going to tell Hath I saw you crying." she warned, turning from the table.

"You would too, brat!" He chuckled at her mock severe tone. Her arms went around his waist in a tight hug that he returned with the same enthusiasm.

"I love you Dad!"

Not caring about a wrinkled blouse, he tightened his arms around her. "I love you too, kiddo!"


The rest of her team arrived just as Renee was laying out the final dishes of food. Hands were shaken, cheeks were kissed, and hugs distributed by the family until everyone had been properly greeted.

Akiko made a show of inspecting the new clothes, making exasperated sounds at the wrinkles on the back of the blouse. She drew back slightly as a finger was waved under her nose.

"Don't you dare say a word, Aunt Akiko! You know full well that you hugged me just as hard as anyone else!"

The woman's raised hand brushed the objection aside. "Oh very well!" The hand dropped slightly to stroke a braid with its golden cord. "Thank you for this, little one." she added in a milder tone. Akiko straightened slightly, gauging the distance down to the girl's eyes. So tall, and still so young. "I don't know how much longer I can call you that. You grow as fast as a weed!"

"Yes'M! Blame my dad for that one! Guess I'll end up as tall as him eventually."

She broke away as the sound of approaching feet marching in time to a whistled military tune caused her ears to twitch in the direction of the road. A broad smile broke out on her face as she whirled to her parents.

"They're here!" she shouted, dashing around the house.

Gundar shook his head ruefully at her reaction. Turning to his spouse, he held out a hand. "Shall we go meet them?"

Renee smirked as she took the hand, following their child at a more leisurely pace. "We better, before she does something we'll regret."

Turning the corner, they saw that their daughter had jumped onto the low wall separating the yard from the road, one hand waving a greeting at the two lines of armored men marching towards her. Gundar quickly moved to the gate, opening it just in time for the older man in the lead to make a right turn, the column behind repeating the movement as each man reached the same spot.

The young girl could barely contain her excitement, jumping off the wall to follow them into the back yard where they halted.

The Ninety Fifth had arrived! Her father's comrades in arms stood in straight lines as the oldest of them nodded to her parents.

Sergeant Major Harper doffed his helmet and winked at her before turning towards his troops.

"Fall out and let's have a party!" he commanded. The others began taking their own helmets off, revealing faces she'd come to know and love since childhood. Unable to contain herself any longer she threw her arms around his armored chest.

"You guys made it!" she cried.

Harper smiled fondly down at her head, gently returning the hug. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!" he assured her.

"Sergeant Major! Is armor really necessary for this?"

Goodwitch's stern voice made them draw apart as the Professor approached. Harper nodded to the older woman before replying. "Yes, Ma'am. In this particular instance, it is." he assured her. His hand rested on the youngster's shoulder. "We're honoring one of our own today."

Glynda rolled her eyes at his comment, then looked down to the girl standing next to him. "Miss Delacourt. I believe we may be ready now. Shall we begin?"Two of the troopers were setting a metal crate next to the table as she led the girl to the center of the yard. "Gather around, please!" she called to the looked down at the expectant face next to her. She wished Ozpin were here to do this, but she knew the words he would have said.

"A moment please, Professor." Harper took two steps to stand at the girl's side. "We have a gift to bestow first." He waved to the platoon's armor specialist

McCoy, who opened the crate and lifted out a metal breastplate decorated with a red, three pointed leaf centered in a round white background. The raised edgeat the neckline bore a tiny replica of the soldier's own insignia. Lighter than her mother's by far, but almost as heavy as the regular trooper armor, it was sized to fit her growing frame. McCoy stepped forward, setting the piece in place as her father stepped behind with the back plate. She heard a light 'click' as the pieces joined together around her, the internal padding distributing the weight across her young shoulders.

"We'll finish kitting you out with the rest of it afterwards." he whispered in her ear before stepping back to join the circle of armored men.

Hand brushing the leaf design, she turned to face Goodwitch.

The Professor's stern face looked down at her. "Autumn Hart Delacourt. Do you wish to become a Huntress?"

Autumn's breath caught for a moment. "Yes Ma'am! I do!" she finally replied.

Glynda looked across to the girl's mother. "Renee? Do you want to do this yourself?"

Renee looked to the woman standing to her right. "Hart? As her godmother, would you...?" The other Faunas touched a hand to her friend's arm.

"Of course. I'd be honored to."

Moving to face the girl, Hart laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "You can close your eyes if you like. Some people prefer to." Feeling the skin beneath her hand tremble, she gave it a reassuring pat to hide her own nervousness. Twelve was too young for this, but it wasn't her decision to make.

Autumn drew a deep breath and decided that closed eyes were the way she preferred it, too. Her mother had explained the ceremony she was about to undergo when the girl had decided a year ago that this was what she truly wanted to be. The words might vary between Kingdoms and regions, but it needed someone who had a personal relationship with student-to-be to perform the awakening of Aura. Souls that touched formed a bond that went beyond death itself and would forever tie the two together.

The person who chose to perform the youngster's ceremony would probably not say the same words that Renee had heard, she told her daughter. None of the people who might take the responsibility had been trained in the kingdom of Atlas. Autumn wondered what form they might take today as her godmother smiled down at her. Trying to relax, she let her eyelids fall and listened to Hart's warm voice.

"For it is in the passing of this sacred duty that we achieve immortality... A soul not bound by death is infinite in breadth. Through this choice you become a paragon of virtue and glory, destined to rise above all others... By my hand I release your soul, and will forever stand by thy shoulder to aid thee!"

The young girl felt something stirring inside her, suddenly feeling lighter and taller than she had. Her heart beat faster and she felt... bigger was the only word that could describe it. She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face.

So this is what Aura feels like!

Her eyes opened as voices began murmuring around her, seeing her smile echoed on Hart's face.

"Look at yourself." her godmother whispered.

Autumn's raised hands were suffused with an orange glow, the same color as her mother's sword when it was fully charged. Catching sight of her parents over the outstretched fingers, she nearly burst out laughing. Seeing the grip her mother had on his arm and the mixed pain and pride on her father's face was too much to bear so she focused her attention back on Goodwitch.

"Thank you, Miss D'Ore. Please return to your place now and we'll continue." she said, politely dismissing her former pupil. "Now Miss Delacourt, I believe there is something more for you." She stretched her left hand to the side, waiting until McCoy had placed the metal rod he removed from the chest in it before showing it to the girl. Pressure on a hidden button caused it to lengthen dramatically.

Autumns heart sank a little bit. Of all the weapons that were available, a staff was probably not the one she would have chosen first even if it was sized to fit her.

"This weapon is yours until you make one of your own. But first you must find a teacher to help you master it!"

Unsurprisingly, it was Akiko who stepped forward, clasping a hand to the staff. The tiny Huntress faced the line of witnesses. "This is my task! She shall learn the Way of the Fire, and will dance with flames. Her enemies will rue the day that she was born!"

Having seen the petite woman at practice, Autumn could well believe the boast. Her Aunt could create a firestorm or, if she chose, break a concrete wall with a single blow. Placing her smaller hand over Akiko's, she promised to do her best to learn everything she could.

"Of course you will, child." her aunt replied mildly, pulling their hands away from the metal, "Or I will know the reason why!"

Autumn flinched slightly at the steel in the last remark, resolving to never fail in her lessons.

Akiko stepped back as her new student turned back to the Professor whose hand was pressing another recessed button below the first.

Autumn's eyes widened as the shaft suddenly began to shorten, thickening at the middle and base as the upper surface narrowed until Goodwitch held a double-edged sword in her hand. Not so thick and heavy as her mother's, yet not so slim as her godmother's, the blade appeared somewhere in between the two.

"You must also find one to teach you mastery of this weapon." Glynda said, a smile hovering on her lips as the girl stretched a hand out towards the shining metal.

She couldn't bear to wait for her godmother to step forward again, turning her head to search for the woman.

"Haaarrrttt?" she pleaded.

The smile stood out against her new teacher's dark skin as one hand rested on the blade. "Of course I will!" Her smile faded away as she faced the girl's parents. "I will teach her the way of the Point and the Edge, that she may carve a path through her enemies! All that I know, she will learn. By my oath, I swear it!" the Huntress said in a formal tone.

The girl gulped, shocked that Hart had sworn an oath for her sake. She knew how seriously the woman took such words. Steeling herself, she reached out and covered the dark hand with her own. She had to do this right. When her godmother looked into her eyes, she spoke the words from her heart.

"By my oath, I swear that I will learn everything you can teach me!" She resisted the impulse to blink as those green eyes stared deep into her own.

With a small ' ah! ' of satisfaction, Hart nodded sharply before pulling their hands away so Goodwitch could continue. Autumn looked back to the Professor as the other woman stepped back.

Once again the finger searched out a recessed button, the blade extending into a tube again, longer than before though. The pommel of the sword moved at right angles to the grip, sliding backwards to form a brace. A trigger dropped down from the center, a small scope forming on the opposite side.

In a few seconds she held a rifle in her hands, it's shape nearly the same as the sniper rifle the girl's father used. "You must find a teacher for this also."

Her faunas ears twitched to the right, expecting to hear her father's voice but instantly changed direction as another spoke instead.

"Guess I'll do that!" Specialist Hath tossed an offhand salute to his partner, then turned serious as he faced Goodwitch. "I'll teach her the Way of the Marksman, to shoot true and bring death to her enemies from further than they can see!" he promised.

Alright! Even her father admitted that his partner was the best shot he'd ever seen. And to learn from a man who, her father had confirmed, could bring down a Grim from almost a mile away was the best possible thing in the world.

"And... " the armored man continued, "I'll teach her the ways of Silence, so she can move among them as a ghost!"

Again, this was no unsubstantiated boasting on his part. She'd witnessed one of his feats last year, sitting quietly in the tree as he snuck into the middle of a herd of grazing deer. They never knew he was there until, rising up from what concealment he found, he slapped the rump of the dominant buck sending the frightened herd bounding in all directions chased by his good natured laughter.

In all her short life she'd never heard him speak so formally. Her head swam with the opportunity to be trained by a top graduate of the elite Scout/Sniper school in Atlas. Straightening her shoulders, she thanked him as earnestly as she could, striving to keep her voice even.

"And if she loses her weapon?" Glynda asked, handing the re-formed staff back to McCoy.

A tall woman with a mass of blonde hair stepped around the last of the troopers in line. "That one's mine!" she claimed cheerfully.

Autumn's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open.

Yang Xiao Long?! When did she get here? For a moment she felt dizzy as the Huntress stepped up next to her old instructor. The golden alloy of her right arm reflected the sunlight as it swept up, the hand closing into a fist before opening again, palm inward. This was the woman her mother had told her about. The only person in Vale who stood a chance of besting Renee Delacourt in a stand-up brawl. Her Uncle Tan had told her the story of their first match and how this woman had overcome her mother's Semblance with one blow. Was she... ?

"I'll teach her the Way of the Empty Hand! She may not have a weapon, but she'll never be defenseless!" the blonde promised.

The aspiring Huntress closed her eyes tightly. I will not faint!, she told herself. Yang's smile was partly challenging as her eyes opened again. Stepping forward, Autumn raised her right hand to clasp the surprisingly warm metal one. "I won't let you down!" she promised.

Yang pulled gently, appraising the strength in that young arm. "Nah! This should be easy for you!"

The girl suppressed a giggle as one lavender eye closed in a wink. Releasing the girl's hand, Yang turned to Autumn's parents for a double hug.

"Thanks, Yang." Renee whispered. "I know this was short notice, but we appreciate what you can do for her."

Yang stepped back, still holding their hands. "Hey! It's not like she's the only student I'm going to have here. Goodwitch asked me to teach others too. It's not Beacon as we knew it, but it is a start!" The golden hand waved towards the girl in question, now standing next to Goodwitch as the various parts if her new weapon were explained. "Glynda wants them to form teams, and I think she wants to do it the same way we did." Her voice changed, mimicking Ozpin's. "The first person you lay eyes on.."

Ulfur looked on in confusion as his wife guffawed at the memory of how she met her partner Tan

Yang smiled and shrugged at him. "I remember those days too, y'know."

Ulfur kissed his spouse on the cheek as Harper began waving him over. "Excuse me. But it looks like the guys have decided it's time to finish kitting her out," he explained before walking over to his own partner.


Hart joined them as the two women moved over to the table for drinks. The tall faunas chuckled as the troopers surrounded the birthday girl, hiding her from view. The soldiers had doted on Autumn since she'd been born, claiming her as one of their own from the time she could walk. Turning back to the others, her smile faded at her teammate's serious look. "Something wrong?"

Renee stared into her cup for a moment, lost in thought. "Hart. Tell me truthfully, what do you think of her?" she asked quietly.

The three turned as the crowd around them began to applaud. The troopers had finished with the youngster's apparel and had parted to let everyone else have a look.

Yang's drink landed in the grass as her hand spasmed open. "She's... she's...!"

Hart's eyes were suddenly wet with unshed tears. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. "Yeah! I see it." She managed to gasp out.

Standing straight and proud in the sunlight, they gazed on a bittersweet memory. With the red hair bound high in the back and the metal band across her forehead, the young girl could have passed for a slightly altered version of their friend Pyrrha Nikos, dead these many years. Only the color of the metal and the details of the armor made any difference at all. The look in the girl's eyes was exactly the same as the Huntress she resembled.

Hart gripped Renee's shoulder. "I do believe she will do well." she whispered.


A/N:

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Autumn Hart Delacourt."

And the saga continues with a new generation, new ( and old ) characters, and new adventures. Mostly because I wondered what it was like for teams RWBY and HART as they grew up. And for those of you who wonder at the twelve year jump in the timeline : From personal experience I can state that these things can happen. Someday it might happen to you and you will wonder where those years went, just as Gundar and I did. I'm still wondering forty years down the road.

I hope you will follow along as Autumn begins her training, and then enters a rebuilt Beacon Academy. In the not too distant future, four young people will come together to discover that becoming a Hunter or Huntress is full of uncertainties, excitement, and not a little pain.

As Professor Oobleck said : " I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be!"

Keep writing!

Vindictious