A/N: Hey guys, happy Easter, or spring, or national bulldog day, or whatever you want to celebrate! This is kind of a second part of the last chapter which is convenient because I couldn't think of a separate name for it. I kind of wish I had just stuck to plain old numbers. But anyway, hope you enjoy!

-Jay

River grabbed a knife and twirled it between her fingers "Let's do this."

Ember nodded, "Here we go."

Team BLCK turned towards team RECK. They had split into pairs: Braxton and Larson, and Kassandra and Chazz. River immediately stepped up to Braxton's pair and Clara followed.

"I'm about to mop the floor with you suckers." Braxton grinned in a very unfriendly way.

"Really? And how are you planning to mop grass?" Clara asked.

"Well- I," Braxton stuttered. He growled, "Shutup!"

"Everyone, you may begin fighting." Goodwitch called across the field.

Braxton heaved his sword above his shoulder and charged toward Clara and River. Clara met his sword with hers while River dodged around them and struck Braxton in the side with the butt of her knife. Larson quickly took on River and punched her to the ground with his brass knuckles. She scrambled to roll back up and got into a fighting stance.

Clara and Braxton had locked swords and were in a battle of strength as they pushed back and forth.

"I beat you once. What makes you think you'll win this time?" Clara grunted, shoving her weight into her sword.

Braxton smirked. "Because I'm ten times stronger." He shoved back, and Clara was forced to give up. Her sword slid down his, leaving sparks in their wake. Clara spun around and faced Braxton. Already, he was coming at her again and they fell into another bout of fighting.

Meanwhile, Ember and Kiara were doing their best to fight Kassandra and Chazz. It didn't help that Kassandra was strengthened by her burning anger at the fact that she got pummeled by a first year who was more than half a foot shorter than herself.

Ember almost caught Chazz in the shoulder with her staff, but he managed to dive forward and knock Ember off her feet.

"Had fun with Larson, didn't you? Unfortunately I'm not as much of an idiot as he is," Chazz said.

"Talking about your teammates behind their back?" Ember jumped up and activated her semblance of invisibility. "That's a little rude, don't you think?" She slammed the tip of her staff into his stomach, then flipped it around his back to shove him forwards onto the ground behind her. He yelped and just barely got his hands out in front of him to stop his fall. He flipped around so that he had his hands on the ground behind him.

Ember charged forwards but Chazz kicked his legs into her stomach and sent her flying over his head right into Kiara. The two girls fell sprawled onto the ground. Ember was the first to scramble up and grab Kiara's hand to pull her up as well.

Kassandra and Chazz re-grouped and took the opening to charge at the two girls together. Ember and Kiara got into stance, arm to arm, and blocked their oncoming attackers.

Kassandra and Ember locked weapons. "C'mon and give up and we'll take you down easy," Kassandra growled.

"Over my dead body!" Ember grunted and shoved harder against the other girl.

"It might come to that." Kassandra answered darkly.

Ember rolled her eyes and stopped shoving, letting Kassandra fall forward and slam into Kiara.

Kiara yelled as she fell to the ground again. "Can you guys please stop shoving people on me!"

"Sorry!" Ember yelled back. She lunged forward and shoved Chazz backwards with her staff to stop him from jumping Kiara.

Kassandra and Kiara both scrambled up and faced each other once again. Kiara's bout of confidence had worn off between fights and her anxiety returned tenfold as Kassandra charged at her with a dangerous look in her eyes. She quickly took a step back and focused, launching herself off the ground. With her new aerial view she could see her teammates and opponents fighting amongst themselves.

River was having a very hard time dodging Larson's fast kicks and punches, and Clara wasn't doing much better.

River ducked under Larson's roundhouse kick and spun her knife in her hand to face downwards before thrusting it into her opponents side. Larson yelled as his aura shuddered at the blow and jumped out of the way of River's blade.

River noticed the hand that reached into his pocket, but what she didn't see was the handful of almost invisible, toxically dangerous projectiles that he pulled out. It happened so fast she had almost no time to react. The next thing she knew, she felt a piercing pain through her body, like a thousand flaming razor blades slicing through her skin. She screamed and fell onto her knees.

Whatever Larson had used, it had broken through River's aura completely. She had lost the fight, and left Clara alone. She felt the sharp jab of self-disappointment prick her almost as sharply as the… whatever Larson had thrown at her.

River, who had squeezed her eyes shut in pain, opened them to examine what was causing her such pain. To her surprise and confusion, she found small glowing shards of something almost glass like all over her body. She looked at them in shock. It didn't look like dust. In fact, it didn't look like anything she had ever seen before. She looked back up at Larson and was startled to see a malicious look in his eyes. He clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance.

What is he doing? My aura's clearly down already. Is he trying to fight? River thought wildly as she struggled and failed to stand and fell back down to her knees.

Clara and Braxton were dueling with the same fierceness as before. Their blades clanged against each other. Clara tried to keep an eye on River, but just as she did back in training with Tom at home, she lost focus on everything except what was right in front of her. Braxton became the only thing in her sight as they rhythmically danced around each other in close combat.

It wasn't until she heard River's scream that she finally snapped out of her trance and reawoke to the world around her. She slipped out of range from Braxton and glanced over to see River on her knees. She saw River's aura flash forest-green, indicating that it had broken.

Clara gritted her teeth. She wouldn't be able to fight off the two second-years by herself. The match was practically lost already.

As if proving her point, Braxton lunged at her and knocked her blade from her hand. He grinned. "What're you gonna do now?"

Clara was about to give a retort, when she noticed something was off. She glanced at Larson and noticed his clenched fists and tense posture. Instead of stepping down, Larson seemed to be building himself up for another attack. Was she seeing things? Wait.… Yeah, no he was definitely planning to attack.

"Hey, loser!" She yelled, "Her aura's already down!"

Larson's gaze flickered to Clara for a fraction of a second. He had definitely heard her, but he wasn't backing down.

"What the hell!?" Clara slipped around Braxton and swiftly starting walking towards the other pair.

"Hey, get back here!" Braxton yelled after her.

Panic filled Clara's brain as Larson raised his fists. River was half-kneeling, half-standing as she tried and failed to stand up. Clara started walking faster, eyes darting back and forth between the two.

Larson yelled out and charged at River.

"No!" Clara broke into a run. She jumped and slid in front of River just as Larson was about to deliver his blow. Clara gasped as she realized a second too late that without her sword, she'd have nothing to block the bone-crushing brass knuckles. She crossed her arms in front if her face and squeezed her eyes shut, one thought running clear through her mind: Don't let River get hurt. She tensed her muscles as she prepared herself physically and mentally for the blow that was to come

… But it never did. Clara vaguely heard the sounds around her: River's heavy breathing in her ear. Larson's gasp of surprise. Braxton's exclamation of shock. The strange buzzing, humming sound that sounded almost like flowing electricity.

Slowly, Clara opened her eyes. She nearly fell over backwards when she saw the purple, shield-like, oval of light that was blocking Larson's fist from making contact with her head. It seemed to be coming from her. It was directly in front of her right hand, which felt tingly and warm.

After a solid three seconds of shock, Larson seemed to realize his predicament and leapt away from the two girls.

"What are you doing?" River asked Clara in wonder.

"I… I don't know. Is this my aura? It feels different."

Clara didn't get to keep questioning the strange new power as Braxton lunged forward to strike her with his sword. Clara moved her hand in front of her again. When Braxton's blade made contact with the strange shield it reverberated off with a force that flung the sword backwards, along with person holding it. Braxton stumbled backwards wide-eyed and confused.

Clara looked at the circle of light just as it flickered and died out.

"Students, would you like to explain what just happened over here?" Professor Goodwitch pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she came marching across the grass.

Clara helped River up from the ground and said, "He saw River's aura break and he was about to attack her again!" She pointed angrily at Larson.

Professor Goodwitch turned to him. "Is this true?"

"No! I didn't see her aura break!" Larson yelled back.

"There's literally no way you couldn't have. Plus, I saw you look at me when I shouted it to you across the field!"

"I didn't do anything! Braxton, tell her I didn't do anything-"

"That's enough." Professor Goodwitch took a step forwards. "It is a crime to attack someone with a broken aura in a tournament, and I don't care what happened, but I never want to hear something like this in my class again, do you understand me?"

Larson balled up his fists and said through a clenched jaw, "Yes… mam."

"But what about that weapon he used on me?" River spoke suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" The professor asked.

"The reason why my aura broke is because he threw a handful of weird shards at me." River looked down at herself, but to her surprise she could no longer see any remains of the fragments on herself.

"What are you talking about, Riv?" Clara asked.

River stuttered in confusion and panic, "I- what? Just… check his pockets." She said.

Everyone looked at Larson expectantly. The boy just smirked a little and emptied his pockets. The only thing in them was his scroll and a wrapper from something.

Professor Goodwitch turned towards River sternly. "I think we've had enough unnecessary drama for one day."

River stared at Larson in astonishment, while he smirked back.

Professor Goodwitch looked at her scroll, then back up at the field of students. "May I have everyone's attention," She yelled across the field, "Stop your fights and start heading inside. We've run out of time and will have to continue this next class. Remember, if you're looking for extra practice we will be holding more practice duels on the weekends to prepare for the Vytal Festival. Thank you."

The students (Some reluctantly and some gratefully) made their way across the wide field and back towards the combat classroom. Ember and Kiara ran up beside River and Clara, out of breath.

"What happened? Did you guys lose?" Ember asked them.

"We didn't get to finish our fight," River replied. "What about you?"

"We lost ours." Kiara frowned.

"Why was Goodwitch talking to you? Did something happen?" Ember continued to question.

"Hey, there they are!" Finn shouted across the field from where he and his team were standing. "We're gonna be late to class. Let's go!"

River frowned. "We'll tell you later," she told Ember and Kiara.

Ember sighed, "Yeah, I'm used to hearing that one." She looked up to see her teammates already jogging away from her and towards team RYFL. "Hey, get back here!" She yelled, and took off after them.

R…..E…..C…..K

Team RECK had finally made it back to their dorm after a tiring day of academics and training. Kiara was sitting on her bed. River and Clara were sitting on chairs and Clara was brushing her hair. Ember was laying spread out on her back on the ground.

"So… combat class- Larson. What happened?" Ember asked, reaching her arms above her head before letting them fall back down.

River sighed, "Well, It was a good thing we ended the matches earlier. My aura broke thanks to that jerk. We would have lost."

"And you would have gotten hurt." Clara said. She pulled the brush that she was holding through her silky brown hair and turned to Ember and Kiara. "Larson tried to attack her after her aura had already broken."

"What?!" Ember exclaimed

"Why would he do something like that?" Kiara asked, shocked.

"Beats me. But if Clara hadn't come and blocked me I'd probably have a broken nose and a concussion or something." River told them, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair. "What was that anyway, Clara? You blocked that with your bare hands, and there was a purple light. Either you have supernatural powers, or you have the most developed aura I've ever seen."

"I don't know what it was," Clara set her hairbrush beside her on the chair and frowned. "I've never done that before. It's been bothering me all day. But… I've been thinking..."

"About what?" Ember asked.

"Well, what if it's… I mean, I'm not sure, but I was thinking maybe-"

"Clara, what is it?" River asked impatiently, uncrossing her legs.

Clara frowned. "Well, I just thought, what if it was my semblance?"

A long silence filled the room and Clara looked away from her teammates nervously.

"...O-ooh." River said quietly.

Ember sat up, leaning backwards on her hands. "Y'know that would actually make sense."

Clara almost smiled when she saw her friend's reactions. So maybe she wasn't crazy.

"I'm not sure though," Clara said, "It was new but… it didn't feel new. Like, when you find your aura, it feels a certain way. Like you can feel it, almost like a switch you can turn on and off. But what I did, didn't feel much different. Aura works kind of like a shield, so what if that was just some crazy boost of aura or something?"

"Well you're forgetting that semblance is kind of attached to aura," Kiara pointed out. "Your semblance is powered by aura, but it's unlocked separately. Most people think that aura is kind of a mental and spiritual thing. What were you thinking when… whatever happened, happened?"

Clara looked at her lap in thought. "I don't know. I was just trying to keep River from getting hurt. I guess that's all I was thinking about; so much that I forgot I didn't have my sword."

Kiara nodded. "Well that makes sense. As someone who found their semblance a little bit later, I kind of remember the moment. I think for me, at the time it wasn't working to improve or get to a final goal, or about trying attempt something. It was like 'I need to do this'. No: 'I'm going to do this'. And I did, just not in the way that I expected. I think that's just the power of will; being bigger than yourself."

Everyone was silent as they pondered their quiet teammate's words.

Ember broke the silence, "I think Kiara's right. And if it's really your semblance then you should be able to do it again, right?" She stood up.

"Yeah, try and do it again." River encouraged.

"Are you sure? I don't know if I can remember how to control it." Clara said.

"Well if you try it then maybe you'll find out." River crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Fine... " Clara stood up and looked at her hands. It was on my hand, right? So try it on that hand… wait which hand was it? Clara growled in frustration as she tried to remember which hand she had put out in front of her the first time. It was my right hand; my sword hand.

She raised her right hand and focused on it. Her hand shook as she strained the muscles in it and her face contorted into an expression of concentration. She tried to recall how it had felt the first time, but it felt like trying to remember a foggy dream. After 8 solid seconds she dropped her hand and gasped.

"I told you, I don't know how to do it again." Clara said in frustration, "Maybe it was just a fluke."

"That's because you're trying to do it physically. Semblance is a muscle, but not a physical one." Ember pointed out.

"Yeah, start by activating your aura," River said, "If semblance is rooted to aura then you'll need to use aura to harness it."

"Right," Clara huffed. She closed her eyes and focused on her aura. Soon she felt the warm glow surround her and she let out her frustration in a deep breath. When she wasn't in the middle of a battle she found her aura to be soothing: releasing the stiffness in her sore muscles and giving her a sense of safety and comfort. Again, she raised her right hand.

"Just relax," Ember coaxed, "Tap into your aura, but go beyond it. It'll be like a door in your mind. You're so close to it, and now all you have to do is open it up."

Clara lifted her chin and tried to focus with her mind. She did feel something new inside of her, but it was almost unnoticeable. The only way she could describe it was that it had always been there, but it was only now that she could see it as well as feel it. She focused on that part of her mind, almost like she was reaching towards it to touch it.

It was as if she had been on one side of a curtain, and had pushed it aside to pass through. Suddenly she heard the low humming sound again, but whether it was in her mind or could be heard in the physical world she couldn't tell.

When she heard River gasp, she slowly opened her eyes. To her surprise, it didn't feel very strange. She had always expected her semblance to feel foreign, like a new sense of power. But the purple light that she was admitting felt natural. It was her same energy, but in a different form.

Ember laughed out loud, "You did it!" She clenched her fists in front of her and rocked up and down in excitement. River and Kiara cheered and laughed as well.

Their laughter proved contagious and Clara had to let out a laugh of joy. "I did it! I finally found my aura. I've waited so long, and I finally found it."

Clara's teeth showed in the brightest smile she'd exhibited in a very long time. She couldn't contain the joy that bubbled up inside of her.

"I think it's a kind of force field," she told her teammates. As she watched the purple light that shone, she noticed it slowly spreading up her arm. Curious, she focused her energy to the other hand. The light flickered and died on her right hand and sprung up again on her left. "I can control where it's centered too."

"That's so cool!" River said.

Clara's spontaneous joy faded away quickly as she felt a sudden wave of fatigue hit her. She gasped, quickly released her semblance.

"That gets really tiring, really fast," she panted, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.

"Using an undeveloped semblance usually would," River smiled knowingly.

"It's going to take a lot of work to get your semblance built up." Kiara nodded seriously.

Ember smiled. "Don't worry! We'll help you train," she said, pointing at Clara with finger guns and a grin.

River put her hand to her chin, "Hmmm, training…" she muttered.

"What?" Kiara asked.

River's face grew firm and she looked up at her team. "Guys, I've been thinking."

"That's a dangerous pastime." Ember piped up.

River gave her a deadpan expression. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," she said, "Anyway, I kind of realized that I haven't once really acted out as a leader of our team."

"That's not entirely true," Clara said.

"No, I mean think about it. There were some times when I should have stepped up to the plate, but instead I hung back because I was worrying about myself. It made me feel guilty and it got me thinking: since we've gotten to Beacon we've done nothing to strengthen ourselves as a team. I mean, sure we spend time together as friends and we live in the same room, but that's about it. And seeing team RWBY's dynamics made me realize how important a strong team is, and how far we were missing that mark."

"Well, you have to remember that team RWBY has been together over four years and have been through a lot," Ember said, "And we've only known each other for a semester. We'll never be at the same level as them."

"No, but isn't that more of a reason to try and work for that?" River asked. "I just feel like we're going through the motions of basic training and classes. I mean, we're supposed to be apart of the next generation of huntsmen! If we were here to take classes and spend our lives always just pulling through to get that good grade then we wouldn't be at one of the most prestigious academies on all of Remnant. If we really want to be something, then we need to go the extra mile. Put in the most effort. Because if everyone in this school was here to be at the same level, have the same training as everyone else around them, and follow the same path, then they might as well be an army of robots."

The room fell silent. River's teammates stared at her, digesting what she had just thrown upon them.

River breathed out deeply and gripped the back of the chair in front of her. "We're not robots. And I'm not going to be a robot. I'm going to be me. And if we work our hardest to be our best selves then there is nothing in the world that can replace us."

Clara looked her teammate in the eyes, "You know, this wasn't how I expected my life to turn out. But I couldn't escape it if I tried. And if I'm going to be forced to become a huntress then I'm going to become the best damn huntress you'll ever meet. I'm with you."

"So am I," Kiara spoke. "All my life, I knew I wanted to be a huntress. To be more than anyone thought I could be, including myself. So that's what I plan on doing."

Ember shrugged, "I just wanted to have a life worth living. Not for myself, but for others. I always thought that the right cause would come. One that I would fight for." She smiled. "I think you guys are a pretty good cause. I'll fight with you."

River grinned. "I feel like we should do a 'Let's go team!' thing or something."

"How about we go to sleep instead?" Clara suggested abruptly .

"Okay," Kiara said quickly, sliding into her bed, "I'm so tired I was about to fall asleep on my feet."

Ember laughed but got cut off by a yawn. "That's sounds perfect." She said, rubbing her eyes.

River pouted. "You guys suck."

The four teammates laughed.

A/N: So… which parts did you maybe find awkward or out of place? Because I think there were a few but it's nice to have more opinions. Other than that, I think we wrote what we envisioned pretty well and are satisfied with it. Thank for all your support even if it's not much.

Also, just a heads up that the four of us will be busy or out of town and stuff next week and won't be able to post the next chapter on time, so sorry about that guys but we'll try and make it nice and long to make up for it. Sorry for the long A/N. We'll see you later! (in two weeks?)

-Jay