RWBY: Beacon's Fading Light

Chapter 6

Author's Note: In case you didn't see it already, I changed Maria, Francois, Thatch and Alison's team name to Emerald (EMAD). It sounded better in my opinion.

Also, My fellow writer Undaed15 brought to my attention that my characters need music to go along with them, so the next time they get major action scenes, I'll throw in a bit of music to go with it, maybe post the soundtrack on my profile. Needless to say, I own none of the songs I use.

oxoxoxo

The red coat of Curtis Marlow trailed behind him as he walked away from the assembly hall. He couldn't bear to be there for another moment. Not with him. Not after what he had done to the boy... Ozpin might disapprove, but he had long since stopped caring about what that man thought. After what had happened long ago, and what the headmaster had nearly made him do this day, coming to care for the headmaster at all would be difficult.

Right now, he just wanted to be gone. He wanted to retire to his chambers for the night and maybe stay there for a week, claiming to be sick.

"Mr. Marlow?"

That voice hurled him out of his thoughts. He turned to see the very reason for his troubled state standing before him. His blonde hair cascading over his head and white armour managing to gleam in the dim light, Jaune Arc stood before him, curiosity in his eyes.

"Yes, mister Arc?" Marlow replied, looking anywhere but back to Jaune's eyes.

"What's your problem with me?" Jaune demanded, raising his voice slightly.

"What do you mean?" Marlow replied, looking for any escape he could find.

"I feel like I've met you before," Jaune began "and that should be a good thing, but you won't even look me in the eye. In fact, when my team stepped up to the stage, you looked to the floor. If I'm going to be your student for the next four years, I want to know what your problem with me is."

Marlow let out a deep sigh as the student interrogated him before he gave a sigh. "Mister Arc, it's been a long day for both of us. You've done your test and I've been doing a lot of work for my classes this year. I don't have time to tell you stories or give you explanations of my behaviour today."

The professor took off walking down the corridor, but Jaune was not going to give up so easily. "Professor! At least tell me if you do have a problem with me!"

Marlow stopped just in front of the door to his office and chambers. The professor let out a heavy sigh but didn't turn as he spoke to the boy. "You were right about one thing Jaune. I do know you."

With that, the professor closed his door. Jaune could only think of more questions to ask as he heard the deadbolt on the door lock in place. He was about to leave when he felt a cold wind blow down the hall, sending chills up his spine and making him look desperately for the nearest exit. He looked around as the shadows in the room seemed to deepen, and the room grew colder and less welcoming as the lights dimmed and took on a bluish tinge.

He turned to walk away when a shadow flashed across his field of view, sending him stumbling back as he shivered.

"A word of advice:" said an eerily familiar voice, tinged with an unholy edge as if two other voices were speaking with him, one deeper and the other speaking in a hiss. "Let this man go, boy. It won't end well for you or for him. Leave him alone. If you don't, I'll know."

With those final words, the hall seemed to return to normal, the lights brightening, the shadows receding, and the temperature returning to normal. Jaune had no idea what had just happened, but he was not about to question his seemingly good fortune. As soon as he regained feeling in his legs, he ran as fast as he could, stopping only when he reached his room.

As he left, a pair of eyes watched him, the glow from one blue eye fading.

Jaune burst through the door and shut it behind him, an action that confused his new teammates.

"Jaune?" said Pyrrha "Is something wrong?"

Jaune didn't speak for a moment, simply running through the events of the past few minutes in his head. How could he tell that to his team? How did Professor Marlow know him? Who or what was it that spoke to him? That was the question that weighted heaviest on him. But now wasn't the time to think about that, his team was looking at him and he was only making it worse by staying silent.

"Jaune?" Lie Ren said, leaning closer "What's going on?" the martial artist asked, his constant companion Nora looking meaningfully over his shoulder at the knight.

Jaune hesitated for a moment before giving a short laugh and coming up with an excuse for his actions. "Oh, it's nothing you guys."

"Is sure seemed like something." Pyrrha replied.

"Well," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his neck. After the voice in the hall, he was in no hurry to tell his team about Marlow. "I had to go to the bathroom, and on my way back to the room I sort of took a wrong turn and ran into a couple who were, well, 'celebrating' their success in the initiation..."

Ren took a small step back, seeming to understand what he meant, but Nora only leaned further forward. "What do you mean 'celebrating?' Is there a party? We should totally go to the party!"

"Nora." The peppy girl turned to her stoic companion. "That's not the type of celebrating that Jaune was talking about."

"Well, what did he mean?"

Ren opened his mouth to say something, but closed it shortly after. "It's... complicated..." he tried.

It failed. "What do you mean by complicated? Come on, tell me. I can understand it."

Jaune sighed in relief internally. Crisis averted.

Had he looked to his remaining teammate before walking to his bunk, he would have seen two worried green eyes following his movement wondering just what was wrong with their new leader.

oxoxoxo

The next day, classes began.

And team RWBY was late.

And team JNPR stumbled in right behind them.

Maria Gaia watched from her seat as her rival and her team arrived, charging right into the room, hoping that the professor would let them in.

They needn't have been worried though, as their instructor, Professor Port, was in the middle of one of his many tales of his youth as he traveled the kingdoms performing feats of courage as he slaughtered Grimm by the hundreds and saved fair maidens from peril. Maria had no trouble believing that at one point the man before them had been a great warrior, but if he couldn't notice the two teams running in late and the currently sleeping Thatch Edwards with his feet up on his desk and his tricorne hat over his eyes, then she doubted he could throw his axe with the accuracy necessary to behead a Nevermore...

Because of this, Maria was barely paying attention to his story, instead worrying about how to maximize the efficiency of her team. She had already asserted her command just this morning when she brought the lot of them out of bed. There had been groans from Francois, grumbles from Thatch and yawns from Alison, but she had managed to get them up and bring them all to class early enough to get good seats. So for class she was covered, but what about combat? None of her teammates had anything in common with regards to combat styles, so fighting as a cohesive unit would be difficult.

Reviewing her teammates' skills in her head, she began to think about each one as a single fighter, with their strengths and weaknesses contributing to what she would do with them in combat. First off was Francois. The boy was definitely proficient with his rifle, and from what Thatch had told her he was a decent swordsman as well. She would likely have him use his semblance to motivate the team before having him cover them from afar.

Then there was Thatch. The renegade was another good swordsman, and with the addition of guns to his blades he had become a very useful medium to close range fighter. Add to that, his semblance which could save them all from any difficult situations by terrifying the enemy. She could have him break the enemy morale before either engaging them or protecting Francois.

Now what to do with Alison? The girl's accuracy could be put to use in a number of situations. She could breach armour at close range and at long range her dust blasts could be rather useful. The girl was versatile and she could use her in any way she wanted to at just about any range. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a jab to the ribs from the quiet girl as she pointed to the front of the room where Professor Port had brought in a large cage, a pair of glowing red eyes glaring out of it.

The centurion turned to the old hunter who was finishing his speech. "So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Almost instantly, and simultaneously, Francois and Thatch raised their hands. As one, they turned to glare at each other. Maria was ready to end a fight if it erupted, but in the end, Port chose one of the girls he had been staring at earlier in the class: Weiss Schnee. The heiress stood up from her seat and marched, head held high to a side room where she changed into her combat skirt and coat, stepping out, Myrtenaster already drawn as she approached the cage.

Port stood next to the cage as Weiss' team cheered her on.

"Go Weiss!" cried Yang.

"Fight well." added Blake, waving a small 'RWBY' flag.

"Yeah! Represent Team RWBY!" her team leader yelled out. Ruby had been looking forward to this ever since Weiss volunteered. She loved watching the heiress use her considerable skill to make art with her weapon.

Unfortunately, what Weiss said next shot the cheery leader right back down to earth. "Ruby! I'm trying to focus!"

"Oh. Sorry..." Ruby muttered.

The class had moved down to the front rows to watch the action. Pyrrha deciding to take a seat next to Jaune, deciding to maybe give her leader some pointers on swordplay from the fight. "Hoping to gain her favour by cheering?" she asked, Jaune looking over as she said it.

"Wha?" Jaune responded "No, no, I just wanted a better view."

"A likely story." said a third voice. One Pyrrha knew all too well. She turned to her other side to see Maria Gaia taking that seat. "Tell me," she said "You've seen Snow White there fighting, is she any good?"

"Weiss?"said Pyrrha "She's a good fighter, if a little..."

"A little what?"

"Um..."

"Well?"

Pyrrha was about to answer when the fight began. Port smashed the lock on the cage with his axe and out of it charged a Boarbatusk, a large, piglike Grimm with two long, sharp tusks.

The beast charged, but Weiss dodged out of the way and delivered a slash with her sword, glancing right off the creature's armour.

Ruby continued to cheer as Weiss and the Boarbatusk charged each other again, Weiss going for the eyes with a thrust. Her strike connected, but only with the armour, glancing off and getting her blade tangled in the Grimm's tusks. Both struggled for control as Ruby continued to encourage her partner. Weiss turned to glare at her, but in her distraction, her sword was torn from her grasp and hurled across the room.

"Ho ho!" said Professor Port "Now what will you do without your weapon?"

Weiss' eyes widened as the creature charged her again, only just missing her as she rolled out of the way and charged for her blade, catching it in a slide.

"Weiss!" cried Ruby "Go for its belly! There's no armour underneath!"

Weiss turned to her leader, a cold fury in her bright blue eyes. "Stop telling me what to do!"

Ruby's face fell quicker than Jaune in the initiation, but Weiss didn't even pay attention to that, turning her attention back to the Grimm as it rolled into a ball and charged again, rolling at her with the speed of a buzz saw. Quickly, Weiss created a pair of glyphs, one in front of her and one behind, the first one stopping the Grimm and hurling it onto its back and the second being used as a spring board as Weiss leapt at the creature, sword pointed, driving the blade into its chest as the beast stopped moving.

As Port congratulated Weiss, Maria turned back to Pyrrha. "She is good, but she's also too proud. It'll get her in trouble one day." Maria said no more as Port dismissed the class and she got up to leave. At the front of the class, Weiss stalked off, abandoning her team as they all stared after her. Ruby got up to follow her partner, but it seemed things wouldn't end well between the two.

"Sheesh," muttered Jaune, catching Pyrrha's attention "what's wrong with her?"

Pyrrha sighed. She didn't know which her Jaune referred to.

Now wasn't the time for questions though, as they had another class in only a few minutes.

oxoxoxo

Teams EMAD JNPR and RWBY – minus Weiss – walked into their next class: single combat with Professor Goodwitch.

"Class," Goodwitch began "The duty of a huntsman or huntress is to safeguard humanity, and while the creatures of Grimm are a great threat to the safety of the world, they are not the only one. Some of your opponents will be human or faunus, and the goal of this class will be to prepare you for those enemies."

As Goodwitch began to give her lecture, Yang looked over to her sister. Apparently, she and Weiss had gotten into an argument after class. Words were said, some dug deeper than others, and Ruby had barely spoken since.

The red hooded girl was barely paying attention to the lecture, her eyes flitting every so often between the professor and the door, hoping her white haired partner would walk in. Hoping...

At that moment, her prayers were seemingly answered as Weiss walked in, eyes focused on the floor. Ruby instantly brightened.

"Miss Schnee," said Goodwitch, turning to face her tardy student. "So good of you to join us."

"Sorry professor," Weiss apologized "I had to talk to Professor Port after the last class." She thought back to everything he had said. Everything about her, her team and especially her leader... After that, she needed time to think, and she needed some space.

"I see." Goodwitch replied "Well, take a seat, class has already begun."

Weiss nodded, taking a seat at the very back of the room. Ruby cautioned a glance back to her partner. Weiss looked back to her, the fury of earlier replaced with... was that sadness? It couldn't be. At the very least it looked like her expression had softened somewhat.

Ruby didn't have time to think on it as Goodwitch began to speak again. "Today I'll be testing you in randomly selected pairs for single combat." She walked over to her podium at the front of the class and pressed a button. Suddenly, the front of the class began to shift and change, the podium moving off to the side and a portion of the room rising to form a stage of some kind. The front wall then opened to reveal two large screens each having a box and a bar one on each side of the stage. "Two of you will be selected at random from the lot of you." Goodwitch continued "If you see your face in one of these screens, you will be fighting. The rules are simple: combat will last until one party's aura enters the red zone, indicating that in a tournament style battle they would be considered unfit to continue. Any questions?" Jaune raised his hand. "Good, let's pick the combatants."

The two screens began to flash, shuffling between the many faces of the students in the class. The first screen suddenly stopped, the image shown being a familiar looking girl with a long, blonde mane and purple eyes.

Blake Belladonna turned to her partner, the two of them sharing a smile as Yang got up and walked to a side room to change into her combat gear.

Thatch turned to Francois. "I pity the poor sod who has to fight her." He muttered.

Francois turned to the front of the class and suddenly burst into laughter. Thatch turned t see what was so funny, but immediately wished he hadn't. As if in response to his words from before, he second screen had stopped moving, and staring back at him on it was his own visage.

Looking to his team, he saw they were all enjoying this. Alison hid a quiet giggle behind her hand, Francois was now pounding the desk in laughter and even Maria had a smile on her face that threatened to turn into laughter. The swordsman rose from his seat and walked off to go change. "It's not that funny!" he yelled back at his teammates.

In a few minutes time, both combatants stood on the stage in full combat gear. With a flick of her wrist, Yang activated Ember Celica, the yellow gauntlets rising to cover her forearms and barrels emerging. "Do you want to just give up now?" she asked.

On the other side of the stage, Thatch drew Anne and Elizabeth, the twin swords glinting in the spotlights as he got into a fighting stance. He gave his opponent one of his famous smirks. "Hey, just because you beat me at signal doesn't mean you'll have it so easy here."

"I guess we'll just have to find out," Yang said, giving a few practice swings before getting into her stance "won't we?"

"I guess we will." Thatch answered, turning off the safeties on his swords.

"Ready," called Goodwitch "And... Go!"