All right, now that initiation's over, I'll give you this outline for the rest of this fic. It will cover Team SAIJ's four years of education at Beacon. Each year will be 15 chapters or so, and I have the outline of each year planned out. Sigh… the trouble with this is that I have to write the scenes in chronological order, but they sure don't come into my head that way! I have a few that I'm very excited about, but I can't get to them quite yet.

From here on, I'm going to stop doing "xxxxx" to distinguish a change in POV. I'll continue using it to describe a new scene, but I might change perspective a few times within said scene. I might also switch to the POV of somebody outside the main characters.

I own nothing you recognize from the show.

Settling In

After dinner, the three new teams were shown to their dorms. They would be living in these rooms for the next four years, until they graduated, and then the rooms would be given to incoming first-year teams. Skye looked around the room that the newly-designated Team SAIJ had been assigned. Two sets of bunk beds, four small desks with a chair at each, and a long, low dresser that stretched between the beds. There was also a closet on each side of the door, large enough for two people to share as long as they weren't greedy, and bookshelves attached to the walls above the desks. The bathroom contained a sink, shower, and toilet; there was a large mirror above the sink.

"Let's set up," Indie suggested. "It's only six-thirty, we've got plenty of time to get situated before lights-out."

Aurum stared. "Lights-out? We have a curfew?"

Jade shook her head. "Did you even glance at your student handbook?"

Aurum raised and lowered one shoulder in reply.

Skye was still taking in the dimensions of the room. "I think Indie's right. We should get unpacked now, so it's done before we have to be in class tomorrow." She motioned toward the pile of luggage that had been delivered to the room before they got there. "It'll go faster if we delegate. Aurum, can you make the beds?"

"Only if I get a top bunk."

"Any arguments?" Skye looked at Jade and Indie. "Personally, I'm fine with a lower bunk."

"Same," Jade agreed. "I'm just looking forward to having an actual mattress for a change. Indie, the second top bunk's yours if you want it."

"Awesome!"

"Indie, can you hang our clothes and put them in the closets?" Skye asked. "I see they brought our uniforms up."

"Okay, but some of it'll have to go in the dresser instead." Indie was eyeing her own duffel that was nearly bursting at the seams.

"Jade, if you could hang our pictures, I'll set up our books on the shelves."

"Deal. But first, let's separate out our stuff."

For a few minutes, the room became quiet as the four girls deposited their books on a desk, their pictures on the dresser, their clothes on one bunk, and their bedding on another, before picking up their assigned pile and beginning to set up. Skye stood on a desk and arranged books according to whose they were, noting with some amusement that Indie had brought several textbooks and that Jade seemed to have brought every novel she owned—which wasn't many, considering Jade had lived out of a suitcase for most of her life. Aurum, surprisingly, had brought several different kinds of books, from school books to fantasy novels to comics. Skye hadn't realized Aurum was that much of a reader.

Indie had hung all of their uniform skirts, blouses, and blazers and put her own stuff in a closet along with Jade's, and put Aurum and Skye's things in the other closet. Their combat outfits would also be stored in the closets; everything else would go into the dresser.

Aurum was enjoying hanging off the top bunks as she pulled sheets over the mattresses. It was pretty easy to tell what belonged to who: Indie's had a dark blue theme with embroidery on the edges that looked like arrow fletching. Jade's were bright green with geometric patterns in darker green. Skye's were grayish-blue and her bedspread had an elemental theme. Aurum's own sheets were purple—her favorite color, though she didn't wear it very often—and her own quilt had alternating black and gold cat faces on it. It didn't take her long to finish.

Jade had set up the two posters: Indie's poster of a cute boy band and Skye's Atlas military recruitment poster that Jade sincerely hoped was a joke. After hanging the sketch of the mountains of Mistral she'd drawn a few years ago, she'd moved on to photos. There was one of Aurum at nine years old, grinning hugely as she hefted Blake's katana, a freshly decapitated Grimm dummy at her side. Another picture was very recent—Indie in her Signal Academy graduate's robe, with the black and red trim that marked her as class valedictorian.

Each of them had at least one family portrait. The Belladonna family photo had Aqua sitting obediently between Blake and Sun, while Aurum had had to be sat on Blake's lap in order to keep her from squirming away. The twins looked to be about five. Another picture depicted Ruby and Ilia with the two-year-old Indie on Ruby's shoulders—the first photo they'd taken as a family after adopting Indie. Skye's photo had her twelve-year-old self posing with her saber, while Weiss did the same with her rapier; both were smiling happily. Jade's own family portrait had her and Yang standing in front of Yang's motorcycle, with helmets tucked under their arms; this photo had been taken only last year.

"We need a team photo."

Jade jumped; she hadn't noticed Aurum standing behind her. "Huh?"

"We need a team photo," Aurum repeated. "Right now, that's the closest we've got."

She pointed at a picture Jade hadn't gotten to yet. It was of the five kids on a picnic blanket at three years old. It was far from a masterpiece: right before the photo had been taken, Aurum had punched Jade in the face, and Jade had wrestled her into the ground. Aqua had been hidden behind the brawl. Indie was watching a butterfly, facing to the right of the camera. Skye was the only one paying attention.

"I was actually thinking the same thing," Jade agreed. "But… I also think we should have a picture of Team RWBY."

Aurum's eyes lit up. "Oooh, good idea! Speaking of Team RWBY, we should probably call our parents to tell them the news."

"Actually, let's call them tomorrow. It's getting late," Indie noted.

The others agreed that that was probably the best idea, since their parents would probably want to talk for a while. Indie and Jade then settled into their bunks, each of them with a book.

Aurum yawned as she checked her social media feeds.

Skye unbound her hair—it was even longer than Aurum's when she let it down. She fiddled with something on her scroll. "I'm setting the alarm for eight tomorrow morning. We don't want to be late to class." That statement elicited snickers from her teammates; they all knew how their parents had almost been late to their first class on their first day. "That'll give us time to get breakfast beforehand."

She turned off the light and headed for bed.

"Wait, Skye, you're gonna—"

There was a crash, a thud, and a yelp of pain. Aurum sighed. "—trip over your suitcase." She went over and turned the light back on to reveal Skye sprawled on the floor, looking dazed. "How about I'm in charge of lights-out from now on? Since I can see in the dark and all."

Skye, sitting up, nodded. Aurum waited for her to get up and reach her bed before hitting the light switch. After she'd made her way to her own bed, she pulled out her much-loved Ursa plushie and curled up on her pillow.

It's been a long day… I hope tomorrow goes smoothly…

xxxxx

Skye was awake a solid half hour before her alarm went off. Groaning, she got out of bed and headed for the closet. There better be coffee at breakfast… After changing into her uniform, she headed for the bathroom to fix her hair. She stopped short when she realized she wasn't the only one in there. Jade was standing at the mirror with a comb, trying in vain to tame the cowlick on top of her head. She was already in her uniform.

When Aurum came back inside with a coffee mug in her hand, Skye was hugely relieved. Indie was the only one still sleeping when the alarm went off. She quickly put on her own uniform, though not without grumbling about having to wear a skirt. Skye noted with some satisfaction that despite their differences in size, shape, and complexion, the uniforms flattered them all equally. She herself was five feet nothing and thin, with a porcelain skin tone. The black, white, and burgundy color scheme suited her nicely, and the style of the blazer made it look like she had more of a figure than she did. She'd decided against wearing any jewelry.

Aurum was barely taller than Skye, but was the most well-muscled of the four, with a healthy tan from all the time she spent outdoors. She had kept her bow on with her uniform and the gold complemented it well. Jade, who was tall and curvy with a dark complexion, had opted for no accessories other than her glasses, but tucked her tonfa into her sleeves. Indie was fair-skinned, tall and wiry with a modest figure. She'd pinned her hood to the back of her blazer. That done, they set off toward the dining hall, where Skye immediately headed for the coffee machine. They ate their breakfast without conversation, though the other students were making plenty of noise. In what felt like no time at all, it was time for their first class, History of Remnant.

Team RWBY had described the history professor as an energetic man who drank coffee like his life depended on it, and did everything at hyperspeed as a result. Jade was a little disappointed that he simply sat on a desk and introduced himself.

"Welcome! I am Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, and I will be teaching this history class so that hopefully the current generation will learn from the mistakes of the past." He gesticulated emphatically as he spoke, but wasn't exactly flying around the room. Jade assumed that his coffee mug contained decaf. "Here is a rough outline for the semester, but be warned that we will quite likely deviate from it at some point, depending on what we need to cover. There will be a short quiz at the beginning of every week—" He held up a hand as a number of new students groaned. "The quizzes will only count for ten percent of your grade. They are more of a way for me to gauge your understanding of the topics we have covered, and determine what, if anything, we need to spend more time covering. Most of this class will be discussion-style, but please try to take notes."

He turned to the board. "For class today, we will be discussing Faunus rights in the last twenty years. Who can tell me what was the major turning point in the Faunus Rights Movement? Miss Montanya?"

Esmeralda lowered her hand as she replied, "The major turning point came eighteen years ago, when Weiss Schnee, head of the Schnee Dust Company, and Blake Belladonna, leader of the reestablished White Fang, announced that they were forming a partnership to ensure equal rights for Faunus employees."

Skye began sliding under her table in embarrassment.

Esmeralda continued, "This was an unprecedented alliance at the time, but almost immediately resulted in increased wages, improved benefits, and better working conditions for Faunus employees. Other companies soon followed their example, and the two leaders were often called in to negotiate terms for those businesses." She paused a moment, then added, "Although Weiss Schnee still appears in the news from time to time, usually in conjunction with a charity event of some sort, Blake Belladonna faded from the public eye several years ago, preferring to focus on her career as a Huntress and spend time with her family."

"Well said, Miss Montanya. Now, who can tell me some of the positive changes that have affected Faunus as a result of this alliance? Yes, you; I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."

The boy he'd acknowledged had buzzed whitish-gray hair and the image of a phoenix with outstretched wings on the brown tie he wore, clearly not school-issue. Indie vaguely recognized him as being from Team AZSR. "Saphed Achamba, sir. There are laws now that prohibit any business from refusing to serve Faunus."

"Very true, Mister Achamba … Anyone else? Miss Belladonna?"

Aurum lowered her hand and stood to answer. "Over the last fifteen years, the population in Menagerie has decreased by nearly forty percent as young adults and families are moving to the kingdoms for work. Eighty percent of those emigrating Faunus are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. As a result of the decreased population, living conditions in Menagerie have improved significantly."

"Very good statistics, Miss Belladonna. Is there anything else that the class can think of?"

The discussion continued in the same vein until the bell rang, signaling the end of class. The students filed into the hallway and headed for their next class, Field Medicine.

The professor for this class was a woman that Skye guessed to be in her mid to late forties. She had mint-green hair worn in a simple ponytail. "My name is Emerald Planis, and in this class we will be learning about emergency measures you can take to help someone who has been injured in the field, as many missions take place far outside the kingdoms and you may not be able to evacuate an injured person to a hospital right away. We will cover more primitive techniques in addition to the modern medical practices you may already be familiar with." She handed out an outline for the semester, along with textbooks, then returned to the front of the room. "That… that is all I had planned for today. You are dismissed until your next class. Please read the first chapter in your books, and remember, I will not be doing this again!"

Aurum looked at her, shocked. We've only been in here for five minutes! But everyone else was pulling their books and bags together and leaving, so she did the same. Jade brushed up against her shoulder, muttering, "That was weird."

xxxxx

After all the students had left, Emerald gripped the corner of her desk in one hand. It had been more than a year since her last flashback, and she'd started to hope that maybe she wouldn't have them anymore… but as soon as she'd seen the names on her roster, she'd begun feeling the spiraling sensation that always preceded them. She'd managed to keep it at bay until dismissing the students, but now she was at the mercy of her own memories…

The room was filled with smoke and flames… she couldn't see anything, but the sounds of battle were all around her…

Emerald opened her eyes onto her classroom once more. The problem with these flashbacks, other than causing her to relive painful memories, was that they sent her into a depressive spiral that often lasted several days. This one actually hadn't been too bad. She sat down in her desk chair to try and clear her mind.

After the battle for Haven had failed, Emerald had been half-crazy with grief at losing the only person she cared about. That, coupled with the effects of overusing her semblance, had led to the irrational reaction of fleeing into the forest, in no shape to fight. The only reason she'd survived was because her emotions had been too incoherent for any Grimm to home in on her, and she hadn't encountered any by chance. She'd never known just how many days she'd stumbled around the forest before collapsing, half-dead, on the outskirts of a village.

When she'd awoken, there had been an older woman sitting next to her, waiting.

You certainly did a number on yourself out there, girl. Here, have some soup; eat it slowly, or you'll make yourself sick. What's your name?

She'd managed to gasp out the word Emerald before falling back into a memory; it had been the last she spoke for weeks. After that first flashback, they happened almost daily until she'd recovered enough strength to venture outdoors. The old healer, Perla, hadn't questioned her further, instead giving her small tasks meant to keep her busy. It had been the first time in her life that anyone had shown her such kindness without expecting anything in return.

If it hadn't been for the Ursa clawing at the village gate two months after her arrival, she might never have regained her fortitude. The fighters had struggled against such a large opponent; they'd been amazed when she'd snatched up her blades and sliced the beast in half easily. She'd begun to speak again after that, slowly at first, then becoming more confident. At that point, Perla had offered her an apprenticeship; she'd accepted. She'd soon found that the villagers referred to her as Emerald Planis—Emerald, the Wanderer. It was as good a name as any, she decided; after all, she'd never known her family.

Her flashbacks remained, so vivid that Emerald had wondered if she was somehow using her semblance on herself, but her mentor had explained that such things were not unusual after traumatic experiences, and that time was the only cure.

Emerald became so caught up in becoming a healer that she barely noticed the time passing. She'd been living in the village for six years when Perla announced that she was moving to Vale to live with her daughter. Emerald had been shocked to find herself crying at the news; she hadn't realized she'd grown to care for the old woman so much. She'd been even more shocked when the Perla had added that she'd pulled some strings to get Emerald an internship at a medical center in Vale.

But… why?

You've learned all I can teach you. Whether or not you accept the internship is your choice, but it would be a shame to see your talents go to waste.

Emerald had ended up accepting, and three years later, when she'd completed it, her supervisor had asked to speak with her.

We would like to offer you a full-time job here.

I don't think I can accept. Working here doesn't feel right to me.

In that case, I believe the teacher of field medicine at Beacon is retiring at the end of this year. Why don't you apply for that job?

She'd done as he suggested, though she'd been somewhat startled when she'd been hired almost immediately. Guilt had set in a few weeks later; many of the faculty members were the same as the ones who'd worked there when her team had infiltrated the school. It had gotten to the point where she'd gone to Headmistress Goodwitch and begged to resign. The formidable woman had asked her why; she'd been unable to lie.

I'm not who you think I am.

I'm well aware of your history, although I did wonder how long it would take you to tell me.

You… you knew?

There are not many green-haired, red-eyed illusionists in Remnant; dare I say, none but yourself. You didn't even change your first name.

Why did you hire me if you knew?

Because everyone deserves another chance…

xxxxx

In the courtyard outside, Team SAIJ propped open their textbooks, oblivious to the emotional turmoil their teacher was experiencing.

Emerald is hands down my favorite villain in this series, between her tragic backstory and ability to pick pockets. This is one of several theories I have about what happened to Emerald after Volume 5, and really, of all the villains, I think she's the one that's most likely to have a Zuko-esque redemption arc. I can't see her staying and fighting for Salem (in her own words, "I don't care about Salem…"). Cinder may or may not return (that last scene was majorly ambiguous) but what matters is that Emerald thinks she's dead. I gave her a Greek last name (planis means "roamer," not "wanderer" like I have here, but I liked the sound of it) because the word emerald comes from the Greek word smaragdos, meaning "green stone."

Another character introduction: "Saphed Achamba" translates to "white phoenix" in Hindi.

I've also cleared up one of the points that I hinted at earlier. After Weiss retakes control of the company and Blake returns the White Fang to its peaceful origins, they team up in order to end discrimination against Faunus once and for all. The SDC has a lot of influence, even after the "questionable" methods that Jacques Schnee engaged in (of course, Weiss put a stop to that, too) so this alliance set a precedent that a lot of other businesses scrambled to emulate. For reference, there are still a few idiots who discriminate against Faunus, but overall, it's not nearly the blind prejudice that we see in the show.