Chapter 36: Class Begins
With the Team Trials having concluded, so too had the day reached it's end. Many of the students had retired from the long day. Having to returned to the dorms or gone off to eat at the Cafeteria. Pyrrha, Qrow and Blake walked through the hallway of the dorms. Pyrrha, having passed the first stage of her training, not just in the basics and now much closer to training with her predecessor.
"Got to say, Red, you really got me going." Qrow insisted, glancing to Pyrrha.
"The way you all took down that Hydra. Though I got to admit, you all were cutting it a bit close back there."
Pyrrha glanced to the side, rubbing the back of her head. She didn't want to worry him.
"I'm Sorry, Qrow." Pyrrha said.
"I didn't mean to worry you."
Qrow erupted with Laughter, shaking his head.
"Hey, don't be sorry, Red." He insisted to her.
"You did great back there. That was even better then I thought it was gonna be. You took down a Water Hydra. A Water Hydra!"
Pyrrha Glanced back at Blake, who shifted her eyes to her, smiling. While she appreciated Qrow's encouragement, she couldn't take all the credit for it. This was a team effort after all. It was the efforts of her, Blake, Auron, Keith and Hanako that truly brought down the Hydra.
"Thank you, Qrow, But I can't tale all the credit," Pyrr ha insisted to him.
"It wasn't for Blake and the others, I never would have been able to defeat the Hydra."
Blake glanced to the side, smiling.
"Well then, you both managed to pull off something only few ever have." Qrow insisted to them.
"Hell, I'm still wondering how you two were flying."
Blake shifted her glance tp Pyrrha, wondering the same thing. Of the creature that had come to their aid during the Trial. Pyrrha seemed to recognized. As if she knew whatever it was. Pyrrha shifted her eyes to the side with a sly smirk.
"Let's just say, we got some help from an old friend." Pyrrha insisted to him.
Though that only left them even more confused then before. Though Qrow was quick to dismiss this with shake his head.
"Whatever you say, Red" He insisted, giving her a punch on the shoulder.
"Now come on, I'm starving. How about I make us a fresh pot of my famous Ramen?"
Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head.
"That sounds lovely, Qrow." Pyrrha insisted.
Passing by the other students who were standing out in the hallway. Many of which gestured them a glance.
Hey, check it out." One of the students said.
"It's them."
"Wow, no way!" Another proclaimed.
"You guys saw how they took down that Hydra?"
Pyrrha and Blake paused for a moment, glancing back toward them. Their praises brought a feeling of pride and admiration from Pyrrha, who felt her cheeks blush a bright red. Though she couldn't take all the credit. It was a team effort after all. If it wasn't for Blake, Auron, Hanako and Keith, she never would have defeated the water Hydra.
Though while Pyrrha was enthralled by their praise, Blake was taken back. Though they appeared much like the glances that Blake was accustomed to seeing. Glancing to the side, her ears went flat over her head. Overhearing what they were saying, it was clear it was not out of distain that she was a Faunus. Rather it was from admiration at the sight of her and Pyrrha. Something she never would have expected for a human to say about her. None the less, look to her in a such a way
All of this... it felt so... different.
Pyrrha came up to her, taking her by the hand. Blake glanced up to her.
"Come on." she said, as she then pulled her along.
Qrow walked in through the door to their dorm, where immediately came into the kitchen. He glanced back at Pyrrha and Blake, who paused for a moment.
"Why don't you two get rest up." Qrow said, gesturing her head to the living room.
"I'll cook us up some ramen."
"You sure you sure don't need help?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
Qrow smiled, shaking his head. Pyrrha had often helped him prepare their meals in the past, regardless of the amount of hours they had trained in the stadium. Despite his insistence, she was willing to help regardless of how she feels.
"Not this time, Red," he said to her.
"Let your old man handle this. Besides you guys should get some rest. You deserve it."
Though reluctant, Pyrrha smiled and nodded her head to him.
"Well, okay." she said.
"Thank you, Qrow."
Pyrrha then turned as she and Blake walked into the living Room. Sitting down in the arm chair, Pyrrha glanced down to herself. Thinking back to the events that had transpired during the events of the trial. The power that she had displayed in defeating the water Hydra and it not being her semblance.
She glanced down at her own hand. What was this power? Where did it come from?
Blake sat down over the couch next to her. Glancing to Pyrrha, she saw her glancing down at her hands with a look of awe and confusion. Deep in thought of what she presumed to be the strange power she used. Having seen Pyrrha dealt the final blow against the beast with such power. Blake was memorized to say the least. Though judging from Pyrrha reaction, she herself shared the same feelings of the matter as her.
"Are you... alright?" Blake asked, curiously.
Pyrrha glanced up at her and after a moments pause, she nodded her head to her.
"Y-yes." She insisted to her.
"I'm just... a bit confused..."
She glanced back down at her hands. Blake squinted her eyes to her, curiously.
"Did you... know you could... do that?" Blake asked, curiously.
Pyrrha shook her head.
"No...I... I had no idea." She said, turning to look at her.
From the kitchen, Qrow overhead the conversation their conversation. Cocking his head, he glanced into the living room at the two. Blake squinted her eyes, curiously.
"What was that?" Blake asked, curiously.
Pyrrha shifted her eyes back down at her own hands. Of what this power she had, she could not say. However, she could guess as to who it was that granted her them. Though it was not something that she could say. At least, not now.
She shook her head.
"I... I don't know." She insisted to her.
Qrow frowned, seeing the look of dismay. Just as Blake and everyone else, he had witnessed the power that Pyrrha had used during the trial. A power that both her and Rueben had recognized. And it was one that she was not ready to wield. To see her use such a power at an early stage, it could only mean that her training with Akara was already well underway.
There was a sudden knocking at the door, causing him to glance back. Both Pyrrha and Blake glance up toward the doorway, curiously. Qrow emerged from the kitchen as he came up to door. Upon opening it, he was greeted by the three students that he had saw fight along side Pyrrha and Blake.
"Can I help you?" Qrow asked, curiously.
The sight of the middle aged man answering the door, Auron, Keith and Hanako were left in a state of confusion.
"Uh, yeah, is Pyrrha here?" Auron asked, curiously.
Qrow glanced back at Pyrrha, who stood up from the chair as she walked into view.
"Auron, what are you doing here?" she asked, curiously.
"Well we're a team now," Auron insisted to her.
"Academy code states that teams share the same Dorm."
"Yeah, teammates got to stick together."
Qrow was hesitant. As a professor of the Atarian Academy, he was well aware of the Acadmy's rule of team and that they were to share the same dorm. Though the idea of having more students sharing the same dorm, especially boys for that matter, he found to be unsettling. Pyrrha may not be his daughter, but he wasn't about to go back on his word to her father to protect her.
Glancing back at Pyrrha, she simply smiled and nodded her head to him.
"It's okay, Qrow," She insisted to him.
"They're friends. Besides, I think we should follow the Academy's code."
Qrow uttered a sigh as he stood to the side, allowing them in. Hanako was the first to enter the dorm, passing by Qrow who gave her no thought. Auron and Keith were just about to follow after her. Only for to have Qrow to place his hand over Auron's shoulder, stopping him in the doorway.
Auron glanced up to him, curiously.
"Don't get any ideas, you two." He said to them.
"Your all teammates, that's it. Keep it that way."
Keith threw a glance of disbelief to Auron, who looked up at Qrow, seemingly more understanding. The usually look he would normally show to those he considered a superior officer. Growing up in a military family, one learned to respect the authority of their elders.
Auron nodded his head.
"Yes, sir." He said.
"It won't be a problem."
"Drop the soldier act, Kid." Qrow insisted, turning back to the kitchen.
"This ain't the military."
Qrow's comment earned a stern glance from Auron. Though he was quick to drop it as he turned and walked into the dorm. The two them came up to Pyrrha, Blake and Hanako, who turned to face them. Having noticed Qrow's intervention toward him and Keith.
"Geez, who's that guy?" Keith asked, curiously.
"Yes, he's my...uh... well..." She said, thinking about what to say.
From the Kitchen, they then heard Qrow speak up.
"I'm her Uncle." Qrow said.
The five shifted their gaze back to Qrow, who had already started boiling a large pot of water. Blake squinted her
"Uncle?" Auron asked, curiously.
Pyrrha paused for moment before nodding her head to them.
"Uh, yeah." She said with a grin.
"Your uncle lives with you?" Keith asked, curiously.
"Well..." Pyrrha said, trying to find a way to describe it.
"No, we live together actually." Qrow said from the Kitchen.
"Live together?" Auron asked, glancing to Pyrrha, curiously.
Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head.
"Well, anyway, make yourselves at home," Pyrrha proclaimed to them.
"There's two other rooms down the hall. Don't worry about my Uncle, he sleeps here in the living room."
"I hope you guys like Ramen." Qrow said.
The mention of Ramen had certainly earned the attention of Keith. Grinning with anticipation and out of hunger from enduring the long Trial.
"Oh, now your speaking my language!" Keith proclaimed.
"Thanks, Pyrrha." Auron said with a nod of his head.
Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head to them. He then turned to Keith, gesturing with his head to follow. Hanako followed after.
"You two take the room on the right," She said to them.
"I'll take the one on the left."
Pyrrha glanced to Hanako.
"Hanako, me and Blake are happy to share a room with you." Pyrrha insisted to her.
Hanako paused for a moment, shaking her head to her.
"Thanks, but I prefer to be alone." Hanako insisted to her.
With that, she turned and walked down the hallway with Auron and Keith. Pyrrha glanced back to Qrow, who turned to her with a uncertain look. While understanding that they were a team and her new friends, there was still the reality that she was Akara's prodigy. There was no doubt in her mind that if they ever would find out, word would no doubt spread. Thus attracting the attention of any spy for the Grimm Empire, who may be within the Kingdom.
Pyrrha and Blake woke to the sound of the Alarm over the Nightstand. Leaning her head from her pillow, Pyrrha gasped in excitement. It was the first day of class. Her first day as a student at the Academy. Throwing aside the covers, she leaped out of bed.
"Blake, wake up!" she exclaimed to her.
Blake slowly leaning up out of bed, pressing her head in her hands as she groaned.
"Come on, we have to get ready." Pyrrha insisted to her.
"Today the first day of classes."
Blake shifted her tired gaze up at Pyrrha. Her expression less then ecstatic at the mention of the first day of classes. Unlike Pyrrha, she was less then excited at the prospect of attending the Academy of the Kingdom that had wronged he people for so long. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy learning or training. Rather this was the only way for her to maintain her cover at the Academy.
She uttered a sigh of contempt.
"Right." she said, getting out of bed.
Pyrrha came out into the hallway, where she heard a grunting sound from the room down the hall. She came up to Auron and Kieth's room, where she found the door was open. Inside, she saw Auron preforming pushups over the floor of their room, completely shirtless. Pyrrha felt her cheeks blush red at the sight of his bear, muscular form.
Auron performed his final push up before stranding up, where he saw Pyrrha standing in the doorway.
"Hey, morning." He said.
Pyrrha felt even more awkward then before, seeing his body in it's full form, dripping and glistening with the sweat. Drifting the locks of her red hair behind her eyes, shifting her eyes to the side.
"Uh, Morning," she said.
"Sorry, I heard you from down the hall and..."
"Oh, sorry, I hope I didn't wake you up," Auron said, rubbing the back of his head.
"I was just..."
Pyrrha shook her head to him.
"No, not at all." She insisted to him.
"We're just... getting ready for..."
"Oh, right, I should probably hit the shower." Auron said, glancing down at himself.
Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head in agreement.
"Of course." she said, smiling.
Auron turned to Keith, who was still sleeping in his bed off to the left side of the room.
"Keith, get up," He said, flicking him over the forehead.
"We got to get going."
Pyrrha stood before the mirror in their room, buttoned up the dark red coat of her school uniform. She then looked up at he reflection, seeing herself wearing the uniform of the Academy of another Kingdom. A kingdom she never would have expected to be.
She uttered a sigh, turning back to face Blake, who had finished buttoning up her uniform.
"You look nice." Pyrrha said.
Blake glanced up at Pyrrha.
"Uh, thanks," She said.
"You look good, too. Red suits you."
Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head back to her.
"Thank you." She said.
"I can't believe I'm finally a student here."
She then turned, glancing back at her reflection in the mirror. While proud at seeing how far she had come, passing the Team Trial in a way she had never imagined. The words of her father long ago still resided within her memories. Both her mother and father were still not here to see all that she had become. Unable to see their dreams of her becoming a Knight coming to be.
She frowned.
"I just wish they could be here to see it." She said, shifting her eyes to the side.
Blake glanced up to her.
"What?" She asked, curiously.
Pyrrha turned back to her, shaking her head.
"Nothing." She insisted to her.
The two heard the sound of the Academy bell Tower ring, signaling the beginning of classes.
"It's Time!" She said with excitement.
Auron, Keith and Hanako, dressed in their Academy uniforms, came in into the doorway.
"Come on, we need to move!" Auron insisted to them.
Pyrrha turned back to Blake, grabbing hold of her hand. The two then rushed out of the room as the five raced toward the doorway. Passing by Qrow, who was still fast asleep in the living room.
"See you later, Uncle Qrow!" Pyrrha said as she and her team ran out the door.
Qrow uttered a snore before waking up, glancing around the dorm to see Pyrrha and the others were gone.
Pyrrha and her Team hurried along with their fellow students the path toward the main building of the Academy. As the bell continuing to ring out over the grounds.
Walking into the classroom, Pyrrha and Blake sat down next to each other in the stands. Pyrrha reached down into her bag, where she pulled out her books over the countertop. As she waited for class to start, Pyrrha then shifted her eyes to Blake and the others. Auron and Hanako seemed as eager as she was for class to start. Keith though appeared to be less then enthused out of all of them.
Leaning back in his seat with a bored with a look which said 'Let's just get this over with.'
Though as she glanced to Blake, she noticed that she seemed to be gazing out to the window at Kasadar's tree. Though it was not the tree that had Blake's focus. Rather she was worried about how she was going to find the Vault. She had only been on the Academy for two days now and with all that had transpired, she still haven't been able to locate it. She knew Adam's patients would wear thin eventually.
The only thing buying her time was the presence of the Lothadarian Military still residing within the city. But if she hadn't found the Vault by the time things had settle, there was no doubt that Adam would try more drastic measures. Something that she couldn't allow to happen. Not again.
"It's a beautiful tree, isn't is?" She asked, curiously.
Blake was snapped from her thoughts. She cocked her head head, glancing back to Pyrrha.
"What..." Blake said.
"Oh, uh, yeah... I guess."
"It's called the tree of Kassadar," Pyrrha proclaimed
"Professor Rueben said that it' was named after a once great wizard, who was said to have committed a great tragedy against the..."
Pyrrha suddenly paused before uttering the next word. She shifted her eyes back to Blake, only to be met with a stern glance from her. Seeming to know what she was about to say and the legend she was talking about. Pyrrha shifted her eyes to the side, frowning.
"I'm sorry." She said.
Blake turned her head away, glancing up at the trees red leaves.
"Kassadar was no great wizard," Blake proclaimed to her.
"He brought a deadly plague over the Faunus in this Kingdom. The blood of my people is on his hands."
"But it wasn't his choice to do it," Pyrrha insisted to her.
"King Larr's Ancestor was the one who forced him to do it. Otherwise, he would have had his family be put to death."
Blake narrowed her eyes. Though she was not at all convinced by Pyrrha's word. Rather it only anger her further, knowing that it was the Royal family of the Lothadarian family that was responsible for the death of her people all those years ago.
"Does it really matter?" Blake proclaimed.
"Kassadar is still responsible for what happened. He still carried out the deed. He still killed those people."
Blake glanced to her.
"Humans always think their entitled to everything," Blake insisted to her.
"And they'll do anything to get what they want. Even if it means hurting their own to do it."
Pyrrha was left speechless at Blakes words. She frowned as he eyes shifted to the side, not knowing what to say at that point. While she still believed that it wasn't Kassadar that was to blame, it was true that he still carried out the King's orders. There was no excusing such actions, no matter what the reason.
At the far end of the stand, Hanako glanced in their direction, having overhead the discussion they were having. She squinted her eyes, staring mainly at Blake. Much of what she said while wouldn't seem out of the ordinary for any Faunus to say, she could still feel a sort of anger from the words she uttered.
Much like...
They then heard a voice from below the stands.
"Settle down, everyone!"
Glancing down to the center of the classroom, they saw professor Rueben staggering into the room. He took his place at the very center, placing his Cain before himself. He then gazing up at the students.
"I would like to be the first to welcome all of you to the first day of a great journey," The headmaster proclaimed to them.
"Each one of you in this room has been given a great destiny by the fates. To serve your Kingdom and bring prosperity to your Kingdom and all the realms."
Rueben shifted his gazed to Pyrrha. As if to say that what he had said was referring to her, being the prodigy of Akara.
"Now, let us begin." Rueben then said.
