Astra's fear of the dark wasn't something she had ever told anyone about, though she suspected her mother knew.
It was embarrassing, after all. Being afraid of the dark was already something adults found silly, but it was even more so in Astra's case, because she could literally create her own light. And, ironically enough, her fear of the dark had come from the same event that had caused her to unlock that Semblance- getting lost in the night as a child.
But even when she had her light, the idea of being in the dark still made Astra incredibly nervous at best, and downright terrified at worst. It usually depended on where she was and who else was around. If she was in her dorm room with her team and there was a blackout, sure, she could handle that. If she somehow wound up alone at night in the outskirts of a town or something though, she couldn't see herself coping all-to-well. Yes, she had her Semblance, but it only gave off so much light of its own, and Astra was constantly terrified of running out of aura and not being able to use it anymore.
Right now, though, there wasn't even any point in using her light- she was blindfolded. The whole class was, being led into the Forest of Forever Fall by Coco and Professor Fallow, the navigation teacher, for some kind of training exercise. Astra was trying not to let her panic show, though she was sure she was shaking.
She pressed herself closer to Luna- able to tell it was her only from the spell of her deodorant, a specific type aimed at active people that had an indescribable smell to it; nothing too flowery but not the kind that smelled like motorcycle varnish. Luna was the only person she knew that wore it.
Coco and Professor Fallow hadn't said anything about what they were doing since they'd left Beacon, only speaking to make sure everyone was following their voices. No explanation as to what they were doing, no reassurance that everything would be okay, nothing. Personally, Astra couldn't see how the teachers could question the late Professor Ozpin on his teaching methods, when this hardly felt any different.
"Hey," Luna's voice sounded in Astra's ear, a helpful assurance that she was definitely walking up against the right person. "Are you okay?" The girl's voice was filled with her characteristic concern. "It feels like you're shaking."
Oh great, so she could tell. Astra was just glad it was only through touch; nobody else would be able to tell how nervous she was.
"I'm fine," she lied. "I just don't like how this feels."
"It is pretty confusing," Luna agreed. "I keep worrying I'll trip over something."
Well, that gave her an excuse, then. "Right," she replied, "Falling over in front of the whole class would be so embarrassing." Not at embarrassing as people knowing you're afraid of the dark, though. She hoped she was keeping her tone lighthearted enough.
"Mmm," Luna didn't sound convinced. "Something tells me that's not your problem, though."
Shit. Right. Astra had somehow forgotten about her own girlfriend's Semblance- again. There was no hiding any kind of feelings from her. It made her wonder if she could ever feel Astra's uncertainty whenever she felt like their relationship was moving too fast. Hopefully, she'd simply not thought to use it during those times.
"You don't have to tell me what it is," Luna added quickly, clearly sensing her hesitance for this occasion, at least. "I just hope you're going to be okay."
Astra felt a wave of gratefulness towards her and smiled, though she knew Luna wouldn't be able to see it. "Thanks. I should be." As soon as I can get this thing off my face.
Thankfully, it was as if the universe had finally heard her prayers as Coco's voice rang out over the crowd.
"Alright everyone, you can stop walking and remove your blindfolds."
There was the slightest sigh of relief as the footsteps stopped. Astra almost ripped her blindfold off, the reflected sunlight from the surrounding trees making her squint until her eyes adjusted.
They were in Forever Fall, alright. Astra had only been here one other time before, earlier that year, but it was still just as beautiful the second time. Red trees everywhere, leaves floating to the ground, and the sunlight dappling the forest floor with golden pools. Even the fact that just about any forest would be looking like this in a couple of months was not enough to take away from the beauty.
"Okay class," Professor Fallow announced, "You've been brought here to undergo a navigation test. Each of you will be split into your assigned partners for this exercise, except for Team SCY."
Astra stole a glance at the smaller team and wondered if that was a good or bad thing. On one hand, if Cherry and Yarrow were split up, it would devastate them. On the other, being together for this probably meant that they'd flirt so much they'd forget to focus on the task at hand. Astra stifled a giggle at the thought of Storm trying to keep them on track.
"Your goal will be to split up and find your way through the forest to where Coco and I will be waiting for you," Fallow continued, "Your score will be based on how quickly you're able to get back, and what your method for navigation was."
Astra glanced at Cobalt and Lily. Making it through would be a breeze for them, between Cobalt's hearing and Lily's camping skills. Lily's Semblance would probably help too, Astra realized; she could make path-clearing look as simple as sweeping dirt away with a broom. The two would have no problem making their way and avoiding danger, certainly less of a problem than Astra and Luna. Maybe if they teamed up…
"Teaming up with other students is not permitted," As if he could read her thoughts, Fallow instantly crushed Astra's hopes. "A whole group relying on one person to guide them through will only defeat the point of the test. Points will be docked significantly if you and your partner are not able to make it out on your own."
Astra suppressed a sigh. It made sense, at least.
Coco stepped forward. "Remember that this forest is abundant with Grimm," she warned, "So be on your guard. While other students may not help you navigate, nobody will lose points for helping a classmate in a fight. Battling is not what you're being assessed on here."
"If you get lost or are in dire need of help, contact me or Professor Adel and we will be there to assist you," Fallow added, "But you will, once again, have significant points removed from your final score if we have to lead you out. We will also be collecting any student who has not returned by sundown."
Astra exchanged a look with Luna. With any luck, they could at least avoid the shame of getting lost and needing to be bailed out by their teachers.
"As on final note, this assessment will not impact on your final grade for the term, so try not to panic over getting a high score," Fallow's words were reassuring, and a sigh of relief resounded from the class. "The goal of this task is for me to see what you've learned and what you each still need help with, so that I can curate my teachings to each of you individually."
Despite her initial misgivings, Astra found herself impressed. When most teachers just taught every student the same thing regardless of how different they all were, it was nice to have one that was willing to cater to each student's needs instead.
"With that said, please prepare yourselves, and remember to try your best." As Fallow finished speaking, Coco placed a hand on his shoulder, then, with a snap of Fallow's fingers, both teachers winked out of view.
Of course, Astra figured. Follow's Semblance allowed him to travel anywhere he could visualize accurately enough, and to take people along if they were touching him. It made navigation easier in places he'd been before, but it also meant that no students could cheat on this particular exercise by simply following him and Coco out of the forest.
"Well," Luna sighed. "Guess we should get going." She didn't seem to be looking forward to this any more than Astra was.
Cobalt and Lily walked up to them, looking far more at ease. "Good luck," Cobalt told them. "I'll keep an ear out for any Grimm that might be heading your way."
"Thanks," Luna replied warmly. "I'd wish you two luck too, but I doubt you'll need it."
Cobalt twitched his ears. "You're probably right."
"But I'm sure you'll both do great as well," Lily added, nudging her partner in the ribs. "Just try to remember not to panic."
As the pairs split off, Cobalt and Lily headed in one direction, while Astra and Luna went a different way. The sounds of students talking among themselves faded away behind them as they put distance between themselves and other people. Eventually, all they could hear was birdsong and the rustling of rodents in the foliage.
If there was one thing about this that Astra liked, it was that she had an excuse to enjoy the scenery. The first time she'd been here was as a combat test, where the class had been split into groups of eight, were taken into one part of the forest, and had been tasked with sparring until at least one Grimm had shown up, which they'd been expected to kill. It had been fun and all, but the focus on battle hadn't left much room for sightseeing.
Astra took the chance to climb into a tree and begin traversing that way, leaping from branch to branch with the sun on her back and Luna watching her with affection in her eyes, just like when they'd first met.
"While you're up there," Luna spoke for the first time since they'd left, "How about climbing higher and finding out what you can see from the top?"
Astra stopped. "Ooh, good idea." She felt a glow of pride towards her girlfriend, and a rush of satisfaction. Climbing high was not something she got to do very often. She began pulling herself to higher branches, testing each one for strength first.
"Be careful!" Luna called after her.
"Don't worry!" Astra glanced down at her as she got higher. "I'm pretty used to this!" Climbing trees was easier than buildings, after all. Much more places to put your hands and feet, and much more fun.
As she neared the top of the tree and the branches began tilting upright, climbing got more difficult, and she eventually stopped close to the crown, peering out across the other treetops. Nothing. In all directions, every tree looked the same, and it was hard to tell where exactly the forest ended, even with mountains visible in the distance. With a sigh, she climbed back down, until she thumbed down beside Luna on the ground.
"Just nothing but red trees in every direction," she reported, shaking her head. "Sorry."
Luna sighed. "It was worth a shot. Let's keep moving."
As they walked, Astra stared around at the trees. They were all the same kind as far as she could tell, the same dark trunks, the same-shaped crimson leaves, the same kind of bark. The fact that there was also no other foliage aside from the occasional tuft of grass was almost as weird as the fact that the leaves were never green.
"What's up with this place, anyway?" She asked Luna. "Does anyone actually know why it's…forever fall?"
"I've read about it, actually," Luna replied. "Apparently, it used to be a farm. These are actually a specific tree that's supposed to have green leaves and bear fruit in spring and summer. But hundreds of years ago, people discovered a small batch of mutated trees that couldn't photosynthesize properly, meaning the fruit never grew and the leaves remained mostly dead all year-round."
That didn't really explain things to Astra at all. "So…if they can't bear fruit, why would anyone farm them?"
"Sap." Luna walked up to one of the trees and peeled a chunk of bark back, revealing a dark pink substance that seeped out from the exposed area. "All the nutrients and sweetness that was supposed to go into the leaves and fruit remained within the trunk instead, creating what many consider to be the best syrup in all of Remnant."
"Ooh," Astra walked over and swiped some of the sap with her finger, before licking it off. Though sticky and in need of processing, Luna was definitely right, the flavour was bright, fruity, and very sweet. "That is good!" She glanced around at the trees, expanding in all directions. "But, uh…something tells me it's not just a farm anymore. What happened?"
"It was long before huntsmen were commonplace," Luna explained. "The Grimm here made farming too difficult, and so it was abandoned. The trees were left to run wild until they overtook the place." She tasted some of the sap herself, licking her lips. "Luckily, having huntsman now means that they can be sent out to collect sap for factories and the such. Beacon students are sometimes brought here for that exact purpose."
Astra sighed and kicked at a small rock. "Man, that sounds way easier than what we're doing."
Luna patted her shoulder. "Maybe one day. Come on."
They continued on their way, and Astra desperately hoped they weren't just heading deeper into the woods. The thicker the trees, the more likely they were to be victim to a Grimm attack, and as fun as it'd be, Astra didn't want to risk the waste of time.
Ugh, look how practical you're being, she scolded herself, prioritizing the assessment over a good old Grimm battle.
After a short while, a vague, quiet buzzing sounded in her ear, and she slapped at the side of her head to get it out. "Ugh, I hate it when this happens."
Luna had frozen on the spot. "I…don't think that's just in your head."
Astra stopped and listened. True to Luna's word, the buzzing was definitely coming from somewhere else, and it was getting louder. She squinted as what looked like a group of flies, or maybe bees, appeared in the distance.
"Shit," Luna hissed. Astra glanced at her quizzically. Were they not flies?
Luna grabbed her arm. "Run."