Chapter 3

The next day brought on the first classes, and having Dr. Oobleck for History was a difficult morning class. The girls could barely keep up with the professor as he zipped around the room, alternating between slapping his map with a pointer and sipping what was likely pure caffeine from a small shooter. Oobleck spoke so quickly that only the most studious could keep up with him, meaning that Weiss was the only one taking notes. Blake was reading another one of her books, Yang was barely staying awake, and Ruby was drawing a picture of Oobleck running around the world. The rest of the class battled boredom in similar fashions, except for Cardin Winchester. The large, muscular jock that led team CRDL was sitting with his back straight, studiously taking notes. Sweat dripped from his large brow as his eyes alternated between focusing on his paper and Dr. Oobleck. This strange behavior was likely caused by Professor Horst sitting right beside him, wearing his full armor and Chimera on his back.

Horst had insisted on attending Dr. Oobleck's class for two reasons. The first was that he had no first period class, which was devoted to Glynda preparing the training room for the day's activities. While she appreciated any help he might offer, Goodwitch preferred to handle her classroom herself, and it was a concession Horst had no problems making. The second reason was that Horst felt some history was necessary, so that he could learn Remnant's story and incorporate some lessons into his own training. And he already had a few ideas. Cardin had no wish to irritate the larger warrior, because just prior to class Horst had already declared that Cardin was going to be the day's sparring aide. That didn't spell good things for the mace wielding boy.

After an hour of Oobleck's spirited lecture, he assigned the class with some readings and dismissed them, zipping out the door in a blur. As the students stood up, Cardin was the second one out, on the excuse that he had to go get his armor ready. The other students started to file out as well, and Horst made it to the door at the same time team RWBY did. Because combat training was their next class, the girls decided to walk with their large teacher.

"Professor Horst, if you don't mind me asking, why were you sitting in Dr. Oobleck's class?" Weiss asked as they walked.

"I don't mind you asking, and it's because I want to reinforce what Oobleck said at the first of class: learn from history, or be doomed to repeat it." Horst said mysteriously. Team RWBY shared some looks, unsure of which lesson he was referring to.

"When we do combat training this semester, do you think we'll have any live exercises?" Ruby prodded. "Professor Goodwitch took us into Forever Fall a couple times last semester, but we were always doing things besides fighting."

"It's not my place to question Professor Goodwitch, but yes, we will have a few training exercises involving Grimm. That being said, you must remember that being a Huntress is more than just hunting Grimm." Horst said seriously. "There are threats to Vale that can think, you know." In that, he meant people like Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. Ozpin had clued him in on the mysterious group's activities as of late, and it concerned Horst. If they were going to combat the Darkness, it was to be a unified front. Any traitorous elements operating during a fight like that could prove disastrous. The five made their way to the training room, where RWBY took their seats and Horst joined Glynda Goodwitch in the center of the room.

The training room was built like a Colosseum, with the seats raised above the fighting area in a half circle. The floor itself was smooth, with a high ceiling to allow for acrobatics and powerful abilities. Curiously enough, the windows behind the seats had been covered, with the only source of light being the single white light that shone from above the fighting arena. Goodwitch and Horst definitely had something in mind for their first combat lesson.

"Everyone take your seats, please. Professor Horst will explain your assignment momentarily." The stern blonde woman instructed. Teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL found their seats with little difficulty, though the lighting change definitely caused some curiosity. Once the students were all seated, Horst stepped forward and surveyed the assembled teams silently. The assembled young adults fidgeted under his helmeted gaze for a few seconds, before Ruby tentatively raised her hand.

"Uh, Professor? What exactly ARE we doing today?" She asked nervously. To everyone's surprise, Horst's reaction was to laugh.

"It took the youngest and nearly the smallest among you to actually question why we were sitting here? For shame." Ruby's face glowed red at that, and everyone looked at her for a moment before returning their attention to the Titan.

"Today, I want to visit two hard truths about war. The first will be a reflection on Dr. Oobleck's class. Ms. Belladonna?" Horst said, startling the Faunus as all eyes were on her. "In Dr. Oobleck's class, what was the primary reason for General Legune's defeat at the battle of Fort Castle?" Blake looked around at her classmates for a second, and then the reason for the blotted out windows dawned on her.

"The general tried to ambush the Faunus at night, and didn't realize that many Faunus have near perfect night vision." She said, her eyes narrowing at the new professor. Had he singled her out because of her Faunus heritage, or had she simply been selected at random? In any case, Horst nodded and continued.

"That's correct. General Legune overlooked an advantage that his enemy had over his own forces. In many cases, this lesson can be applied today. But our foes are not our fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses. Today, our enemy is the Darkness itself." With that, the single light above them went out, causing an inky blackness to overtake the room. The only light available was from Horst's helmet, and the small circular light on his forehead. The light bobbed in the darkness as he looked around, and then continued his lecture.

"Grimm boast stellar night vision and glow in the dark. In a Deathstalker nest or attempting to chase an Ursa into its cave, you will find yourselves fighting in the dark." The light above them returned slowly to the room, but not completely. It remained dim enough for them to see Professor Horst, but Glynda Goodwitch had disappeared. And Horst had drawn his sword.

"Our next lesson is a hard one to learn if ever practiced in real combat. On important missions, or even during an invasion of Grimm, there is no guarantee that you will be able to stay with your team. Thus, you should be able to fight alongside any Huntsman or Huntress you ally with. In a situation where you are separated from your team, or worse, that your team has fallen, you will need to fight together to survive. Our enemy is merciless, resourceful, and relentless. Now then, I will choose one person from each team to step down here." The students began muttering among themselves as Horst finished his instruction, nervous about fighting in total darkness without their friends. Fighting solo was something they trained for, but fighting with another team? What if they attacked each other by mistake?

"Cardin Winchester, Nora Valkyrie, and Yang Xiao Long. Ready your weapons and come down here." Horst called out. Cardin stood up in his full armor, an iron-colored chest plate emblazoned with a golden eagle with similar vambraces, greaves, and an armored skirt that covered his thighs. In his hand was a massive black mace, flanged at the end with bladed wings curling inwards like a cruel rose. If the weapon made contact, someone was having a bad day. The large boy jumped down into the dimly lit circle, followed by the forever cheerful Nora Valkyrie.

Nora was the heavy hitter of team JNPR, with her silver grenade launcher turned war hammer Magnhild. She wore a sleeveless top that was cream colored and pink, with a keyhole in the shape of a heart just below her throat, with a metal harness to hold Magnhild. Her orange hair was cut to reach her chin, and her sea foam eyes danced happily as she pounced onto the ground. Nora giggled mischievously as she landed, tightening her fingerless gloves. Yang jumped down last, extending Ember Celica around her fists and somersaulting into the ring in a show of style. Once the impromptu team had landed, Horst nodded to Glynda in the darkness. Yang saw him do this and frowned, scratching her head in confusion.

"Uh, professor? Who are we supposed to be fighting?" Cardin and Nora nodded as well, and all three looked up as the lights dimmed slowly. Horst flourished Chimera one handed as the darkness fell, and soon they could see nothing. View screens rolled up in front of the spectating students, displaying Aura signatures and protecting them from harm. When the darkness consumed the room completely, Horst's light on his forehead went out.

"Me."

Yang and Nora slid together, back to back as they listened closely for the large Titan to make his move. Alone in the darkness, Cardin strained his ears and his eyes for some hint of Horst's location. They could hear air moving, but little else over the blood pounding in their ears. The eerie quiet unnerved all three students.

"How can someone that big make no noise?" Cardin whispered quietly, though the words echoed in the silent darkness. Air moving nearby caused him to turn, and then a hand grabbed his bicep from behind.

"By not talking, for one." Horst uttered, and landed two lightning jabs into the knight's side before dancing back into the darkness. Cardin cried out in surprise and pain, sliding towards the two girls as he reeled from the blows. Nora grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him closer, so that all three faced outward into the dark.

"You are separated from your teams, fighting an unknown enemy in total darkness." Horst stated from the shadows, his echoing voice proving too difficult to track his location. "And yet, you have made no attempts to communicate or formulate a strategy. Will you merely stare the Darkness to death?" In the stands, the other students watched Horst's vibrant Aura approach the three huddled together, circling at the edge of them. Cardin and Nora remained silent, but Yang got the hint.

"Cardin, you've got the most reach. If anything happens, Nora and I will duck and you need to swing over our heads. Knock him outta the park, slugger." Yang said quietly. She felt Cardin nod from their proximity, and she heard Magnhild convert into its grenade launcher form.

"I've got some fireworks! We can see him for a little bit, and attack from there!" She stage whispered, far too loudly for Yang's taste. Cardin chuckled at that.

"You losers light him up, and I'll take it from there." He tapped his mace in emphasis, causing a dull ring to pervade the training area. It almost drowned out the chuckle heard from in between the three students.

"That's an excellent strategy. Now you just have to implement it." Horst's presence shocked all of them. Yang and Nora ducked and rolled away, and Cardin swung his mace toward the middle of their little triangle as hard as he could. Horst brought up Chimera and blocked the blow, the sparks from the two weapons meeting exposing the two warriors for a split second of golden. Cardin rotated his mace slightly, catching Chimera between the prongs, and angled the head downward. Horst felt his grip become compromised as the motion torqued his wrists, and freed his blade with a kick to Cardin's midsection. The big warrior 'oof'ed as he was sent back a ways. Nora prevented further action with a trio of grenades in the air, exploding and creating three seconds of illumination, casting a pink shade of light across the training floor. Horst stood where he was as the light burned, and brought up Chimera in a guard as Yang charged him, her gauntlets at the ready to crush him. The light faded just before Yang reached the Titan, but she swung where she estimated he would be. She was met with partial success as her gauntlet made contact with a shoulder pauldron, the professor rolling away into darkness as he did so. However, his dodge caused his footfalls to be slightly heavier, and Yang followed him doggedly. Several red blasts shot from Ember Celica, none connecting as the wily Titan avoided her shots, bled light into the arena as the Titan led her around the ring.

"Nora! Another flare would be nice!" Yang called out. Almost before she finished the sentence, another grenade went off, bathing the ring in pink light once more. Horst became much easier to see, and Yang had just chased him into Cardin's waiting mace. The leader of team CRDL swung high, while Yang slid forward to take out Horst's legs. Horst let the mace slide over him as he bent backwards, but wasn't prepared for Yang's slide to take out his legs. He hit the ground with a thud and rolled to recover, climbing to his feet just as the light faded. Yang could detect two large people close by, and she swung at the closest one with all her might. She smirked in satisfaction when the hit connected solidly, sending her target flying away. The satisfaction bled away, however, when she heard the pained voice of Cardin.

"Oooowwww..." The young man moaned as he skidded across the floor, his mace forgotten as he recovered from a full powered Yang punch. The brawler winced in sympathy.

"Sorry, Cardin!" She apologized, already looking for Horst in the inky darkness. The flares were a good idea, but they were ruining her night vision. Still, the next flare that went up was welcome as she turned to find her opponent – and he was standing right behind her. Chimera blocked another punch as she tried to gain some distance, only for Horst to grab her up and slam her down into the ground with a bone jarring tackle. The impact of the armored giant into her gut knocked to air right out of Yang, and she almost didn't see Nora come flying in, Magnhild extended in its hammer form as she clobbered Horst with all her might. The force of the blow sent the professor flying from on top of Yang and back into the darkness. Nora helped Yang up to her feet, and the two stood back to back once more. More mechanical clanking signified that Magnhild was going back to grenade launcher mode, and Yang could hear pounding footsteps coming from her right. Yang sent a preemptive shot from Ember Celica into the ground, singeing the Titan's mark as he rushed the duo.

Horst swung a fist into Nora's chest right as she fired a flare, giving Yang a chance to land an uppercut on the towering Titan. She did not expect him to catch her incoming fist, nor the throw into Nora that fetched them both up against the still prone Cardin. Before the three could regain their footing, the light slowly returned to the room, allowing the three students to adjust from the total darkness. When everything was bright again, they saw Horst standing at the far side of the room, Chimera slung over his shoulder.

"Well done, you three. Nora and Yang have fought together before, but you two worked together with Cardin better than we could have expected." Horst turned to face the leader of team CRDL. "And you, Cardin. From the disciplinary reports and video clips I reviewed from last semester, this level of cooperation is a marked improvement. And your tactic with the mace wings was clever." Horst praised, and all three students beamed at his words. Their smiles disintegrated as he continued.

"However. Cardin was largely left out of the planning. Nora also did little to support the team aside from her flares. And Yang decided that the chance of landing a strike on her enemy was worth the risk of striking her teammate." His words did not have bite, but they felt the sting nonetheless. Cardin frowned at all of this and crossed his arms.

"What, did you actually expect us to beat a teacher? We're nowhere near ready for someone like you." The knight complained, and the other two agreed with his words. Horst shook his head slowly, disappointed that they had missed the point.

"I am not here to beat you into the ground. There is a lesson to all of this. In this exercise, you were asked to work with unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar environment. All three of you performed well for your first time, beyond what I expected. But victory against someone like me is above you now. And you should not look to win every encounter you have with your enemy." Horst reached up and grabbed his helmet with both hands, twisting slightly to disengage the seals that kept it in place and pressurized. A soft hiss came from his neck as the armor separated, and he revealed his bald head and scarred visage for all to see. Some had seen him in the dining hall, but the jagged scar and milky white eye startled everyone in the room, except for Goodwitch.

"Your top priority in the battle against the Darkness is survival. Slay the Grimm, save the people, secure the perimeter: these are all objectives. But your most important job is to make it back in one piece, and make sure your team survives. Heroes rise and fall, but legends live on forever. Defiant last stands and martyrs are noble, heroic ways to die. But your friends would not tolerate such a sacrifice if it is unnecessary. And the practical point is this: your kill count stops when you die." Horst's words were iron, and he saw that the tone had taken a serious, almost somber note.

"I have seen friends walk to the edge of the abyss, and not return. I have had my retreat covered by warriors far greater than I, and watched them fall while I survived. Sometimes, the right choice is to go down fighting, to make sure your team makes it. But that should never be a part of the plan. We need all of you, and I intend for you to survive until the end of days. No Grimm deserves your life, no criminal your honor. Even if it means turning tail and running for the hills, you must survive." Horst stared down the students as he let this lesson sink in, before he smiled lightly.

"I don't think any of you will be dying on us just yet though. Ms. Valkyrie nearly knocked my helmet off." Said girl giggled and grinned widely, breaking up the deathly pallor that had fallen over the room. The students began murmuring to each other, until a certain team leader raised her hand.

"Professor Horst, will we be having exercises like this every day?" Ruby asked. The fight had been intense, but a battle like that every day would break someone's spirit. Horst chuckled and shook his head.

"This was something I brought to Professor Goodwitch and her curriculum. This is her class, and she will instruct you as she sees fit. However, I may add a scenario or two to drive some difficult points home." The class collectively sighed in relief; no one looked forward to being utterly destroyed by Titan Horst. Of course, he picked up on that immediately.

"But enough talking." He said, pulling his helmet on and securing it with a twist. "Blake Belladonna, Jaune Arc, and Dove Bronzewing: front and center."

After three more bouts, one of which sent Sky Lark into the protective screen that had sprung up in front of the audience, the students were dismissed and left to attend their next class. Glynda and Horst watched them leave passively, waiting for the next class to enter. After the last first year student left the classroom, Glynda turned to Horst.

"Was it really necessary to defeat them so soundly? We are here to build them up, not break them." She wasn't complaining, as every student needed to be resilient. She was really after Horst's reasoning behind the brutal lesson.

"They kept me from going harder on them. The students are gifted for their age. I did it both to take their measure, and to give them a reference for facing a stronger opponent. That way, they know when to cut and run if they're outclassed, instead of fighting and dying." Horst said simply, stretching his arm across his chest with the other one.

"That's a dark way of thinking." Glynda offered.

"On the contrary, Ms. Goodwitch. That's the only way to think. A student told that a clever plan can save him from three Ursa Majors is a student killed. They need to know that they can fight, and they can also flee. We can't teach them victory or death; we need to teach survival."

"But what if they get scared? We don't need Huntsmen that run from every battle."

"If they lacked the resolve to fight, would they be here?" His reasoning was sound, but Glynda didn't like his approach. Still, as he had said, it was largely her class and her curriculum. That did not mean she wouldn't have words with Ozpin later, however. The seconds years that entered the training room suffered the same lesson, and then Glynda and Horst went to lunch. Unlike the previous day, Horst carried a plate stacked with food to his dorm and locked himself away from Beacon. He devoured the food quickly, and then set about stropping a whetstone across Chimera's blade to maintain its razor edge.

While the Titan maintained his weapon, Switch made his presence known. The Ghost appeared in front of Horst, watching the Titan methodically drag the stone across the edge of the blade with a metallic rasp each time. The sat in silence for some time, but Switch wasn't known for his ability to keep quiet.

"That was a harsh lesson for their first day." Horst did not pause in his strop, but he didn't look up either.

"The hardest lessons must be taught first. If they aren't ready to be Huntsmen, then I'd rather they figure that out here, where their lives aren't at stake." Horst replied gruffly. He hadn't enjoyed crushing the students, but he hadn't gone all out on them either. It had been a careful balance to make sure that they got the point, without crushing them completely.

"If you pound them down into submission now, they won't have the resolve for the tasks ahead. You were too hard on them." Switch persisted.

"Didn't Vell Tarlowe say, 'war upon a wall of stone and it grows weaker. War upon a wall of men and it grows stronger'?" Horst asked rhetorically, anger creeping into his voice. He and Switch were as tight as any Ghost and Guardian were, but his companion had been second guessing him a lot since they had landed on Remnant. True to that thought, Switch shook himself sideways in a negative.

"Vell Tarlowe was a veteran Titan, talking about other veteran Titans. These are children, barely on the cusp of adulthood."

"They wield weapons of destruction and possess abilities that would make most Hunters blush. They are no longer children."

"But do they know that?" Switch was insistent. "They come to school, spend time with their friends, and study the enemy. Save the harsh realities for their second year." Horst growled and stopped his maintenance of Chimera, setting the blade down angrily.

"It's better they learn those realities now than when they're comrades are dying around them. They need these lessons!"

"The likelihood of them seeing outright combat is incredibly low. If you start covering triage and funeral services, you'll erode the innocence in them. They're still kids."

"That innocence will erode a lot faster after they see their first comrade fall." Horst spat.

"Enough!" Switch's facets spun angrily as he flew into Horst's face, holding level with the single blue eye. "You were resurrected and thrown into a war that had been fought for centuries. You woke up alone, and fought tooth and nail for every day you lived. And even for some days that you died." Switch tilted slightly, as someone with a body might tilt their head. "These kids have not been forced to do any of that. If you teach from that point of view, you'll send them all packing. And what will they have learned then?" Horst glared at the hovering embodiment of Light for several tense moments, but after a while he let out a long breath and sat back down. Switch was right.

He had no recollection of his time before becoming a Guardian, the only truth being that he had died in combat. Once he had been resurrected, a revenant of Light against the encroaching Darkness, he had killed and fought and died nearly every day of his life. In his genesis, stray packs of Fallen and Hive had been his prey, and they had offered measured resistance against him. As he had grown in power, learning and improving after every foe fell, his eyes had turned toward the other planets the Darkness had taken. Venus, Mars, even the moon bore evidence of his stride, countless boot prints from his extermination of all that would extinguish the Light. Weeks spent in the field, surrounded by corpses and ruins, had dulled his sense of hope for a future. Where a child was told bright and cheerful stories of heroes fighting for good and defeating the monsters, Horst only had a grim determination to destroy every foe in his path until none were left standing. He had made many friends, only to watch most of them meet their end in some form or fashion.

The students of Beacon did not have that experience. Some came from villages harassed by Grimm more often than not, but only a few were unfortunate enough to have experienced any real form of carnage or loss. They laughed and joked as they went from class to class, enjoying the peace and the presence of their friends. None had been forced to bury comrades, nor had they witnessed innocent civilians torn to shreds by the nightmares in the dark.

The Grimm presented a real threat for those experiences to come about, and Horst would be a fool to think that every student before him would reach their winter years. However, to rob them of their precious times and bog them down with responsibility was a disservice to them. He would let them have their gleaming years of adolescence, their time before the war. It was something he had been denied, but they deserved to have a bright past to look back on when everything went to hell.

When things got bad for Horst, his responsibility and rage just made him kill.

"You're right, Switch. I'll take it easier on them." Horst admitted, and his Ghost nodded in affirmation.

"Damned right I'm right."

The rest of the afternoon was spent compiling data for the Vanguard – Iron Symphony still floated in orbit, transmitting their messages – and recording video logs. After he closed a personal message to Shaax, Horst shed his armor and donned his blue jacket for less combat oriented activity. The day was still young, and a talk with Ozpin was in order. Horst left the dormitories and walked the cobblestone path towards Ozpin's clock tower, passing several teams along the way. He recognized a few second year teams, and they definitely recognized him by the way they moved to the other side of the path in panicked haste. It seemed his brutal lesson in the arena had earned him a reputation among the students of Beacon. Similar responses – quick glances and hushed whispers – followed him as he continued toward his meeting, and it was somewhat disappointing that he had garnered such fear from the student body. I mean really; giant bird that shoots feathers like black tipped javelins? We'll take it on no problem. New teacher that can fight a few off balanced teams in the dark? Run screaming. That wasn't quite the reaction, but the knowledge that fear was the most common thing he faced here put the Titan in a foul mood as he ascended the mechanical steps of Ozpin's tower. He was there to make them better, to prepare them for the unforgiving world they were about to face. He could only imagine the carnage if the Hive discovered Remnant.

When the door cycled open to reveal Beacon's headmaster seated at his desk with a scroll in hand, Horst's fiery temper had cooled to a more manageable level. His quarrel was not with Ozpin, and such the man did not deserve the heat that coursed through the Titan's veins. When Ozpin looked up at him from his scroll, the Headmaster raised an eyebrow.

"Normally I'm the one that arranges these meetings, but I can only assume that this is important." Ozpin said without a hint of irritation. Horst had to commend Beacon's headmaster; the man was in far more control of his emotions than any other Horst had met in his travels.

"I apologize for the lack of notice, but I had questions. I also wanted to discuss the results of the first class I taught with Professor Goodwitch." Horst said tightly, as if he stood before a general, and not the wizened Headmaster of a Huntsmen academy. Ozpin tilted his head curiously, then set his scroll down on his desk and leaned forward, his fingers steepled in front of him.

"There's no need to be so formal. I understand that the Vanguard maintain a certain amount of discipline, but we are much more familiar here at Beacon. I cannot force you to call a colleague by her first name, but I can only hope that doing so will smooth things over with our...predicament." Ozpin's pause was likely in reference to the looming elephant in the room. Even though he had fit in well enough with the new teacher persona, Horst's primary mission remained: recruit soldiers to defend humanity from the forces of Darkness. Technically as a teacher at Beacon he was fulfilling that role, but the need to reconnect with Earth was still present. On top of that, the teachers of Beacon had been granted barely a day to come to terms with the news of extraterrestrial life, let alone the descendants of the Golden Age still fought a war of attrition in another solar system.

"I appreciate that, sir. However, I think it would be best to remain professional until things here become more settled, and my story is confirmed." Horst held up his hands in a placating manner. "I know how hard it is to accept my words as truth, but with time and a line of communication to Earth, I may be able to arrange for more concrete evidence. That being said, I came here to discuss the exercise myself and Professor Goodwitch supervised today." Ozpin nodded, and pressed a few buttons on his desk to open a private terminal. With a few more commands entered, a holographic projection of Horst's lesson with Cardin, Yang, and Nora appeared in front of Ozpin, the frame frozen on the moment when Horst had punched Nora while grappling with Yang. Ozpin took in the scene for several seconds, then focused his eyes on Horst once more.

"Glynda explained to me the lesson you taught, and frankly I approve of it. While they are indeed children, the truths you brought up today are definitely better learned in the controlled environment of a classroom, rather than on a bloody battlefield." Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "However, the brutality you used in your strikes were a little much for the first day of class." Horst looked at the image again, remembering the punches Yang had tried to use to stop him, and the subsequent throw that had knocked all three students out of the fight. He had swatted them like flies, their only real retaliation being Nora's hammer to his face, and even that had merely dislodged him. Perhaps he had been a little rough.

"That is true. That's also why I submitted to Professor Goodwitch for a majority of these classes. I will assist her, but any classes where I control the lesson will be few and far between. And the next class I teach will likely be outside of Beacon, in combat with the real enemy. There is no reason to senselessly beat upon the students when they won't learn from it, and a Grimm will fall long before I will." Ozpin nodded at Horst's reasoning.

"You agreed to forgo the attempt at communication until after the Vytal festival. Have you changed your mind?"

"No, Headmaster. I simply want to send them messages and data, not hold a conversation with them. With a data packet of Remnant's history and culture, along with my own observations, the Vanguard will be more prepared for when we finally make contact. And of course, anything I send them I will forward to you first." Horst said reassuringly. Ozpin accepted the motion for what it was, and leaned back in his chair in a more relaxed manner. Whatever tension that had pervaded the room with Horst's unscheduled arrival had eased considerably, allowing the two men a moment to breathe. Not that the two needed it; Ozpin was unflappable as ever, and Horst had been in much more tense situations than this.

"That would be agreeable. I just hope that every time you have an epiphany like this, you use your scroll instead of charging across campus like a towering Goliath." Clearly, Ozpin had been monitoring his movements before Horst had even made it to the tower. Every interaction Horst had with the Headmaster only showed the wisdom and complexity of the man. It also showed why such an insightful leader had taken his words to heart; the man could read people, even a Guardian in full armor and a Ghost he had never seen before. In the coming reunion between Earth and Remnant, Horst wondered just what would happen to the wily old Professor Ozpin.

"I felt that these matters were of the utmost importance. That, and I needed time to walk. Switch and I had just endured a debate that left me somewhat...ill." Horst rarely admitted to his failings, but he had been hot tempered afterwards. The words still made him grumpy, but his Ghost had spoken truthfully.

"I can only imagine the kind of debate that would make a Guardian so angry he left his weapon in his dorm." Ozpin said with a mirthless chuckle. Horst sighed and took a seat across from Ozpin, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped before him. With only the desk between them, its internal cogs spinning to some unknown purpose, Horst was again reminded just how much larger he was than Ozpin. And yet, he still wasn't sure if he could handle the Headmaster if their alliance went terribly wrong. The man had no tells, no visible weaknesses, and nothing but exaggerated stories of his prowess as a Huntsman. Not that he expected Ozpin to trust him completely after only knowing him for a day and a half.

"It's better that I not have it when I lose my temper. I'm more level headed than many Guardians, but no one is immune to life's struggles. Or the smart mouth on a Ghost." Horst muttered the last part under his breath, but Ozpin caught it anyway.

"Quite. I do appreciate the fact that you came to me, and overall I approve of your teaching methods. Just try to remember that they are children, if only for a while longer." Ozpin chided. "Now, I am expecting a great many visitors to Beacon, so when you see several airships floating near the landing pads tomorrow, try not to be alarmed. My associates in Atlas have informed me that General Ironwood himself is coming to the Vytal Festival."

That got Horst's attention. In their general overview of the four kingdoms, General James Ironwood and Atlas were most commonly mentioned together because the man ran half of the country. Here in Vale, a commonwealth militia kept the peace and repelled any Grimm attacks under the direction of Vale's civilian council, while the more serious issues were handled by Huntsmen under the command of Headmaster Ozpin. In Atlas, the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the arctic country were part of the military itself, and General Ironwood was more or less the commander in chief of Atlas' military, as well as the Headmaster of the country's Huntsmen academy. For the great General to leave Atlas and come to Vale over something as common as the Vytal Festival, something else was stirring.

"I believe that may be something to worry about." Horst said tentatively, and Ozpin nodded his head in agreement.

"It is, on two fronts. The first, your position as a newly arrived teacher might have sated the curiosities of anyone in Vale, but the General is a very cautious man. He may demand your credentials, and I doubt he would be as...receptive to the tale of the Traveler as we have been. At best, he will throw you in chains and interrogate you. At worst, you would be subjected to a vivisection and in depth study, during which you would undoubtedly expire no matter how proficient Switch is in bringing you back." Ozpin held up two fingers. "The second point, and one just as grave, is that Vale's civilian council has been maneuvering behind my back. I've interdicted several communiques between the councilors and Atlas. That, coupled with the dust robberies and rebellious actions of the White Fang, might be enough to bring General Ironwood into a semi permanent security position for the Vytal Festival. Judging by the messages they have been trading, the councilors have been arranging this little coup d'etat for several weeks." The man sipped his tea calmly and focused on Horst's face, as if searching for a reaction. Horst's eyes widened slightly, but he did not appear overly worried.

"That is unfortunate, on the last account. As for the General focusing on me, you shouldn't have to worry about that. Glynda and I have discussed a training curriculum for next month that will place one team in Emerald Forest with me per week. At the end of each week, I will send the team back and the new team will come to me. That will put me in the wilderness for most of the month, and by the end of the year he will be too busy with the security situation to care about me." Horst frowned. "I can't say I'll be comfortable in the forest now that I'm aware of all the political games being played, but under my circumstances I would be more of a hindrance to you than help." Horst would contact the Vanguard after the festival was over, and only then would he have the evidence necessary to defend himself from Remnant's more skeptical inhabitants.

"Unfortunately, I agree with you on in that respect. I was hoping to keep you confined to the dorms, or send you into the city after the White Fang, but this curriculum will make things easier. Which teams will you be taking?"

"The first year teams: RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL. I'll take them in that order, and they'll learn many practical skills. I've been working with Glynda to excuse the students from Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck's classes, and I will be bringing Switch with supplies." Horst tapped his fingers on the table. "The White Fang are a marked concern, however. I could take a look at the situation over the weekend, in between excursions. I have to come back for supplies every week anyway, and I haven't been fully associated with Beacon yet. If one of the White Fang see me, they will think I'm simply another civilian. I'll send Switch to you with what I learn, so that nothing can be traced back to us in case things go sour. Plausible deniability and all that rot." Horst was used to tracking down leads in the City, though usually he was trailing emissaries from the Reef that were spying on the City. He could blend in well enough, and he could fight without his armor.

"I suspect that you will run into Ms. Rose and her friends on that venture. I would consider it a personal favor if you watched over them during your investigation. As I have said before, they are adept at finding trouble." Ozpin grinned at that, and Horst had to agree. Judging by their action at the docks the previous semester, as well as Ruby's encounter with Roman Torchwick that had earned her enrollment into Beacon, team RWBY was more likely than most to dig up any hidden plot. For one reason or another, the four girls were very good at sniffing out White Fang plots.

"Done deal. I've only worked with them for a very short time, but Ruby in particular grows on you. Like a red, hyperactive tumor." Horst quipped.

"Again, I agree completely. For her age, she shows remarkable skill and is becoming a fine leader. I only hope that we can unleash her full potential." Ozpin seemed quite fond of the young girl, and Horst couldn't help but agree. The leader of team RWBY was a happy, energetic girl that seemed to have retained her innocence in an unforgiving world. She was caring, compassionate, and despite her nervousness at the first of the year, she had really grown to fill her position as team leader.

"I'll pass on some techniques if she's willing; my lessons are more beneficial to fighter light Ms. Xiao Long or Mr. Winchester, but I've worked together with enough Hunters to pick up some tips. If anything, another challenge will help her grow as both a leader and a Huntress." Horst offered. There had been several Bladedancers in Horst's travels that had used him as a wall while they recuperated in battle. His work alongside them had given him an insight on their techniques, enough to where he could at least impart Light manipulation. An electrically charged Ruby that could become invisible would be a terror on the battlefield, as long as she was compatible with his lessons.

"Very well. I'll speak with Professor Port and send a message to Dr. Oobleck about the classes. In the meantime, you should prepare for tomorrow's classes. From what Glynda said earlier, you have some spars to oversee." Ozpin stood and offered a hand. Horst rose and shook it, again impressed that someone smaller than him offered the same amount of strength that Horst put into the shake. With business concluded, Horst turned and walked back down the stairs, descending quickly thanks to the mechanical segments that dropped several flights at a time. The Titan felt better than he had when he'd climbed the tower, but the Atlas problem raised concerns, as did the White Fang activity.

The White Fang had originally emerged as a Faunus rights activist group, conducting perfectly legal protests, boycotts, and sit ins in an attempt to bring about equal treatment for their people. Despite the opposition they faced, their leader stressed that peaceful demonstration was the only way the Faunus would earn their rights. Unfortunately, the years dragged on without success, until five years ago the leader of the White Fang stepped down, and a new one took his place. The new head of the White Fang enacted many changes, but the majority difference changed the White Fang from a civil rights movement to a terrorist organization. Their faction meetings became mission briefings, their protests turned into organized riots. Every company that openly discriminated the Faunus was targeted, harassed, or even wiped out. In the rising fear, Faunus citizens were being treated better, not out of respect, but out of fear of the White Fang. To a few, that was a good thing, but to many it was the wrong means to a right end. Senseless slaughter was no way to bring about peaceful coexistence, and Horst despised what the White Fang was doing. With their efforts increasing in Vale, he was in a position to do something about it.