RWBY: Beacon's Fading Light

Chapter 5

oxoxoxo

"It must be this way..." muttered Francois as he led his companions through the caves.

"Uh noble boy," muttered Thatch "maybe we should let someone else make the plans for a bit. Especially after your last one."

"You mean the one that saved our lives?"

"Yes, the one that almost buried us alive." Thatch countered.

"Oh get a freaking room you two..." grumbled Thrush as the group continued to walk. It hadn't been too long since the battle with the Draculings and the group had been walking through the catacombs ever since, making sure to watch the ceiling in every new room they entered and staying silent in each new room.

Thatch and Francois grumbled something as Lark chuckled quietly.

The laughter and grumbling, however, ceased when they entered the next room, as the boys all looked to one end of the room. Upon that wall was a large metal door. It covered more than three quarters of the massive wall and reached almost to the ceiling. It looked as though it had once been an ornate thing of beauty, but now stood battered and covered in huge dents and scratches as well as rust, completely ruining what had likely once been beautiful carvings.

"What do you suppose this is?" wondered Thatch, tracing a hand over the door. He pulled his hand back and looked over it. "By the layers of dust on this door, there hasn't been anyone here in a while..."

Francois ran a finger over the door and looked at it, seeing that Thatch was right, this room had to have been collecting dust for a while.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Lark was already pushing on the door.

"What are you doing mate?" demanded Thatch.

"This is the biggest door we've seen yet," replied Lark "Obviously, something important is behind it or it wouldn't be so huge. This is probably where the relic is, so help me out here."

Thrush Francois and Thatch all looked to each other before giving a collective shrug and moving to help Lark with the door.

With a collective grunt of effort from the huntsmen and a loud groan from the hinges of the long unused door, it slowly opened, and from behind a cloud of dust, the inside of the room was revealed.

The initiate huntsmen looked over the inside of the massive chamber, seeing the walls covered in what appeared to be carvings of massive, reptilian creatures of all shapes and sizes, some bipedal, some quadruped, and some were even serpentine.

However, the boys didn't have time to appreciate the beauty of the room before they noticed its only occupant.

"Mon Dieu..." muttered Francois.

From the reaches of the cave, a sound was heard, a combination of four screams and a what sounded like almost a hissing roar.

oxoxoxo

How a fight could go so wrong, Maria Gaia had no idea.

Things had started good enough, her team had gotten the jump on the Ursae, having approached quickly and quietly and attacked swiftly, Maria opening fire with her shield, Alison attacking with pinpoint dust blasts, Dove shooting down any that got too close and Cardin crushing the skull of one that he missed.

It was right after that that things started going horribly wrong.

Cardin pulled his mace off the dead Ursa as his companions all ceased fire. The remaining Ursae had stopped their charge and were now simply glaring at the hunters in training, growling and occasionally roaring. "Why are they stopping?"

"I don't know." Muttered Maria "But I can't imagine it's a good thing."

Alison was wracking her brain, trying to think of a reason why this would be happening. Why would an Ursa, let alone a pack of them suddenly stop attacking their prey? To her knowledge, Ursae only stopped attacking when their foes were dead or-

Oh dear. This was bad. With a bad feeling in her gut, Alison looked up to the ceiling. "I think I know why."

Maria followed the quiet girl's gaze upwards and her eyes widened when she saw what was above them. On the ceiling, several red eyes opened. The centurion barely had time to yell "Get down!" before the Draculings descended from above, one nearly clasping its jaws over Alison before she ducked. The giant bats began to circle the chamber, every so often flying out of the shadows for an attack only to be beaten back by the hunters.

That was when the Ursae remembered that there was food here and charged.

Cardin smacked the first one with his mace, Dove finishing it with a blast from his halberd before Maria had to save them from a Draculing with a stream of bullets from her chain gun.

"There are too many..." Maria muttered as she ran an Ursa through with her Gladius. Now was one of those moments she wished her semblance was more like her rival's, 'controlling metal or rock would be great right now...' she thought.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice the Draculing heading straight for her until Alison smacked it with her Zhua. Maria nodded to the other girl before the resumed the battle.

Outnumbered as they were, the hunters were holding their own against the creatures, but there was no way they could continue. They would run out of bullets, or dust, or maybe just get unlucky and die. Something needed to change if they were to have any hope of survival.

That was when something did change, just not for the better.

From another point on the massive chamber, higher off the ground than they were, another massive door was blown open by a huge dust blast, knocking it right off its hinges and smashing right into a Draculing, sending it to the floor.

They didn't have time to admire the shot before four boys ran out and clung to the walls beside the doorway, followed immediately by a monstrous creature that charged right out behind them and fell to the ground. When the creature rose, the light of the crystal revealed its form.

It was massive, its body alone was the size of a house, and that didn't even include the legs. The pitch black body was divided into two halves, a head and an abdomen, the head containing eight eyes, each black as night, and a massive set of fangs, dripping with what looked like saliva but sizzled when it touched the ground. Its upper side was coated in a layer of polished white bone that extended to cover its legs, ceasing only for the joints. When it rose on all eight of its legs, the bottom of the abdomen could be seen, marked with a large, red, hour glass shaped mark. It was a giant spider, and it looked hungry.

Thatch grasped the wall as the beast charged through the doorway and crashed into the ground. "I didn't think spiders could move that fast..." he said, in between panting. "What is that thing?"

"If I'm correct, it's a Goliath Widow." Francois replied "Don't let it bite you, if the impalement doesn't kill you, the venom will."

Lark looked across the room. "I think I see the other initiates down there."

Thrush looked where he was pointing and nodded. "That's them alright, looks like they need help."

"I never would have guessed," replied a sarcastic Thatch "You know, with the bats and the bears and now our big friend down there."

"This is not the time." Francois interjected "Kill the Grimm now, and we'll argue later."

"Agreed," said Thatch "Lark, you and I will head down and help them out, Noble Boy, you and Thrush stay up here and take pot shots."

"What am I doing here?" demanded Thrush.

Before the Renegade could answer he was forced to duck to avoid an incoming Draculing. "If any of them get too close, shoot 'em down." He replied.

With that, Thatch and Lark leapt down from the ledge, landing atop the Widow as Francois and Lark began to shoot down the Draculings.

Thatch drove both his swords through the head of the Goliath, but all he got in return was a roar and a bucking that threatened to toss him and Lark off as the beast began to rampage through the chamber. "Come on you big ugly bugger!" said Thatch as he used his swords to try and steer the monster and Lark blasted anything that got too close.

The Goliath charged, smashing through the Ursae and just missing the other hunters as they leapt out of the way. Maria looked at the path of destruction being carved by Thatch and muttered "Why couldn't he have found us?"

She never got her answer, as the remaining Ursae resumed their charge. Alison met them with a blast of dust, felling one of the beasts as another charged only for her to smack it with the claw end of her weapon, sending it right to the ground.

Meanwhile, Maria bashed an incoming Draculing with her shield before running it through on her sword and blasting another one with a stream of lead, ducking down behind her shield as an Ursa swiped at her with a claw, a strike that was deflected off the shield's surface. She soon ended the offender with a sword to the eye socket, shoving the creature off her blade with a mighty kick.

Cardin saw two of the Draculings approaching him from different angles. He knew he wasn't Alison with her crazy accuracy, but what kind of man would he be if he didn't try this? Waiting for one of the beasts to get close to him, the knight stepped out of the way and with a swing of his mighty mace sent it flying right into the other, the second one careening into the ground where Dove casually impaled it with his halberd.

Cardin smirked before he noticed something. "Look out!" he cried as another Draculing approached Dove from behind. Time seemed to slow as Dove spun around, but he wasn't moving quick enough to stop the creature before its glinting fangs met his neck. Dove shut his eyes as he made a last ditch thrust with his halberd. He needn't have bothered. When the creature was nearly upon him, a loud 'BANG' was heard and it fell to the ground, a hole in its head.

Cardin and dove turned to the hill to see Fancois give them a wave before returning to shooting the bats.

Meanwhile, Thatch was having a less than pleasant time on the Goliath, as the creature began to reject his commands more and more. He watched as Lark blasted the last of the Ursae before the other boy was flung off by a particularly powerful buck of the creature.

Lark landed next to Cardin and Dove, Dove keeping the Grimm away while Cardin helped the other boy to his feet.

Thatch held on for dear life as the creature did everything it could to throw him off. It finally succeeded with one last buck, throwing its pesky rider off and freeing the swords from its head.

Thatch curled into a ball, rolling as he landed on the ground next to Maria and Alison. The Centurion offered him a hand, something the renegade gladly accepted as she helped him to his feet.

He shook his head to clear it as he looked around the chamber. The Draculings were still flying around the shadows in great numbers, and the Widow was beginning to advance on them. "This is even worse than the last Draculing room..." Thatch muttered.

Maria, however, overheard it. "What do you mean the last one? What happened then?"

Thatch explained how he and the others were attacked by the flying Grimm and their strategy that managed to beat them. Maria took in all the details, memorizing everything she could. If she could just get the image in her head, she just might be able to make use of her semblance after all...

Meanwhile, Cardin, Dove and Lark were in a bit of a bad situation. They had gotten Lark back on his feet, but the Widow was now advancing on them. They began to attack it with shotgun shells, dust blasts and even fire bolts from Cardin's mace, but nothing seemed to deter the creature as it approached them.

That said, the beast was beginning to get annoyed. It stopped where it was and spat a stream of webbing that entangled the three hunters. They screamed as they tried to break free of the webs, but they could barely move.

It began to approach again, venom dripping from its fangs onto the floor where it sizzled and hissed. Several shots from a heavier weapon hit its carapace, but they either bounced off or embedded themselves in the armour to no effect. The beast was nearly at its prey when something happened that enraged it.

A stream of bullets hit the underside of its abdomen and a voice called out "Hey bugger! Remember me?"

It turned around to see a being that had caused him such pain before. It was that boy who drove blades into its head. It cast a look back to the trapped boys. They weren't going anywhere. They could wait. This one needed to die. The beast lumbered after its new prey.

Thatch ran for his life. He knew none of his weapons would have any significant effect on the creature, and if he was caught in that webbing he was done for. He rounded a corner and immediately ducked as several bright yellow dust blasts were fired over his head and into the eyes of the Goliath. It roared in pain as it was blinded by the blasts. Thatch smiled at Alison as she acted exactly as planned by Maria. She smiled back, but there wasn't time enough for too much of it as the beast could still smell them and there was still work to be done.

Slowed by the loss of its sight, the widow crept along the cave floor, smelling for any sign of its prey. That was when it felt it, a stream of bullets impacting one of its legs. It turned to where the blast had come from only to feel a great pain as a blade cut right through one of its legs, sending it to the ground. The beast spat venom where the leg used to be, but whatever caused it such pain was gone.

Then another leg was lost, a blast of fire severing it right at the joint between leg and body. Alison Zu grinned to herself as her precision paid off. The plan was coming together perfectly.

Thatch ran up behind her as the beast stumbled, trying to regain its footing with two of its legs missing. He gestured away, and she knew he was ready for the next stage.

Francois Delatrois meanwhile surveyed the battlefield through his carbine. His fire had been focused primarily on any Grimm attacking the now immobile Cardin Dove and Lark, but he couldn't help but let his eyesight stray from that to watch as Alison and Thatch severed the legs of the Goliath Widow.

'What is he up to?' the nobleman wondered. That was when he felt his skin crawl in a familiar way. "Oh merde..." he muttered as he turned to Thrush. "I know what he's doing." He said before returning to fire on the Draculings getting near Cardin and company. His eyes began to glow gold as he opened fire.

Back on the ground, Alison and Thatch returned to where Maria waited for them. The centurion looked to the other hunters quizzically. They both nodded in response. She then spoke a simple command: "Do it."

Thatch nodded and turned to Alison. "Ready when you are."

The Oriental girl nodded in response and Thatch closed his eyes, re opening them glowing red. He let out a sinister chuckle that chilled Maria and Alison to the bone and revealed slowly growing fangs in his mouth. The shadows in the fringes of the room began to seem darker as the light from the crystal seemed to dim. The darkness brought with it an eerie chill as Thatch just continued the let out that low laugh. That was when a palpable pulse came from the renegade, spreading through the room, sending chills up the spines of the hunters.

That was when the screams began as the Draculings circling in the shadows let out a collective screech and flew as fast as they could toward the Goliath, surrounding it and flying around it. The beast could barely move without hitting one, causing it pain with each movement.

Maria turned to Alison and barked another command to the smaller girl: "Now!"

Alison nodded and raised her Zhua claw, glowing and fired a powerful blast of energy at the ceiling above the creatures and the stalactites thereupon, causing the section to fall, landing directly on the Widow and the Draculings and flattening the Grimm with that one blast.

Above the battlefield, Francois and Thrush stood ready to run should the cave being to collapse like the last time. Not another rock fell or even shifted. He smiled. "Quelle Surprise, it actually worked." Said Francois, genuinely impressed.

oxoxoxo

The hunters met up at the shrine beneath the crystal, Alison holding up Thatch as he had exerted his energy using his semblance so much.

They arrived at the shrine and looked aver its design. It was the only thing in the chamber to not in some way be damaged by the battle. The crystal was still suspended over it, and the arching structure may have been old and somewhat decrepit looking, it was still standing and looked as though it would continue to stand for years after they left. Lining the base of the shrine were several pedestals each one holding "Chess pieces?" demanded Maria "We risked our necks for chess pieces?"

"Normally I'd be right with you on the outrage," said Thatch "but right now I'm just way too tired to care."

Francois walked up to a pedestal and picked up the piece thereupon, a black piece resembling a horse. "I've seen enough of this cavern to last a lifetime. If this is what it takes to go back to Beacon for a hot meal and a shower, I'll take it."

Thatch muttered something about pampering before letting out what seemed to be a combination yawn and chuckle. Cardin and Thrush followed the nobleman's advice and took their pieces, both taking the same black painted piece.

Maria grumbled something about stupid tests before giving in and taking a piece for herself. "Let's get out of here." She said "After all," she grinned "Francois' hot meal is waiting."

oxoxoxo

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark." Said Ozpin as the four boys recently returned from their initiation stepped up to the stage. The headmaster and Professor Goodwitch stood on the stage as did Marlow and Fantine. Ozpin continued his speech "The four of you retrieved the Black Bishop pieces, from this day forward you will be known as 'Team Cardinal,' led by Cardin Winchester." The crowd cheered as the boys' faces appeared on the big screen with the letters CDRL appearing below them.

The four boys nodded and left the stage as the next team rose. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Norah Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces, from this day forward you will work together as 'Team Juniper.'" Norah jumped up to hug Ren as she heard this. "Led by," Ozpin continued "Jaune Arc!" The crowd cheered and Pyrrha gave Jaune a congratulatory punch in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground as he yelped in surprise. Ozpin smiled "Congratulations young man."

While Ozpin may have been smiling and congratulating Jaune, across the stage, Professor Marlow took a sudden interest in his shoes as the letters JNPR appeared below their pictures.

This didn't escape the notice of Jaune, who made a note to ask the professor what was his problem later.

He didn't have time at the moment as the next team was called up to the stage by Ozpin. "Alison Zhu, Thatch Edwards, Francois Delatrois, Maria Gaia," Ozpin began "The four of you collected the Black Knight pieces, so from this day forward you will be known as 'Team Emerald,' led by Maria Gaia." Maria did not cheer at this, merely casting a glance to her bronze clad rival and her team.

Not noticed by her was how a black clad professor took notice of her team as the letters EMAD appeared below pictures of them.

"And finally," continued the headmaster "Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long, the four of you retrieved the White Knight pices. From this day forward you will be known as 'Team Ruby," led by Ruby Rose!" Weiss gasped and Yang flying hug tackled her sister as the letters RWBY appeared below their names.

Ozpin gave the newly formed teams a small smile. They were in for a long four years, but at least they would have each other.

oxoxoxo

And there's another chapter.

Teams are formed, bet nobody saw that coming, and the year is about to begin. What will happen to our heroes? You'll have to wait for the next chapter for that.

Either way, I hope you liked this one, and as always please leave a review. I want to know if you liked it, and if not what you think could have been changed.