A few days later, everyone gathered at the front door of the Xiao Long residents. Shade and Hunter had packed everything that Tai and the sisters had gotten them and their Jaeger pilot armor was stored in a duffle bag that Tai had in storage. They were hoping that Beacon has the right tools to repair the armor. Even considering Ruby's collection, there were some tools they still needed for the more important repairs.
Ruby had all of her stuff that she needed packed away in a red and black duffle bag and suitcase. Yang had two full rolling suitcases filled to the brim with clothes and other necessities. Teresa had her small pack packed with some clothes that she had gotten and she was wearing her normal claymore uniform with the extra armor and her weapons.
All five of them grouped up to take a memoritive photo by Tai. Shade and Hunter stood next to the sisters with Teresa standing behind them. Both pilots struck a pose while Ruby and Yang just smiled. Teresa had her infamous faint smile on her face. Tai held up Ruby's scroll and took a picture. He then handed back Ruby her scroll. Ruby messed with it for a bit then sent everyone the picture with the words 'OFF TO BEACON!' at the bottom of the picture.
"Teresa, please take good care of them for me." Tai said with a few tears forming in his eyes.
"I will." she said as she began to follow the four teens to Patch's air docks.
[...]
The airship leaving for Beacon academy took off from Patch's air docks with the small group onboard.
"Ooooooh! I can't believe my little sister's going to Beacon with me!" Yang said as she held Ruby in a bone breaking hug.
"Please… Stop… Air… Help..." Ruby cried trying to free herself. Though Ruby felt more embarrassed than suffocating at that moment.
Teresa reached over and separated the two sisters. Ruby quietly thanking the gods for Teresa saving her from total embarrassment.
"Now, now, Yang. We can't have Ruby die from suffocation now, do we?" Teresa said.
"So… how exactly does this work?" Hunter asked while trying his best to hold back a laugh. "I mean, me and Shade can hold our own in a fight, but I'm not sure about a school for warriors."
"You're having second thoughts now? We are on a freaking airship heading to Beacon!" Shade exclaimed. "We have fought things thousands of times our own size, and you're worried about school?!"
"Hey, I'm not saying I'm worried, I just have no clue how this works." Hunter remarked.
"It's easy!" Yang stated "You two go in, get put on a team, and there you go!"
"And how many people are on a team?" Shade asked.
"Four!" Ruby remarked cheerfully.
"Well at least there's a chance we can get put on the same team." Shade said.
"I doubt it, I mean, four people that know each other? That's a stretch." Hunter replied.
Shade noticed a holographic screen nearby was playing the local news. "... Yet again the infamous Roman Torchwick continues to avoid capture…" a voice on the screen said.
"Hey, doesn't that look like the guy that was trying to rob that Dust shop the other day?" Hunter asked looking at the screen.
"In other news the Faunus civil rights protest turned dark last week, as members of the White Fang-" the screen was cut off.
A second later, the blonde woman from the other night appeared on the screen.
"Hello, and welcome to Beacon."
"Who's that?" Yang asked.
"I am Professor Glynda Goodwitch," professor Goodwitch said.
"Oh!" Yang said as her question was answered.
"You are among the privileged few to have been selected to attend this prestigious academy." Goodwitch continued. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsman and huntresses, its is our duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed to uphold the task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge, and the training, to protect our world."
As she finished speaking, the screen faded and the nearby windows let in light to reveal the city below. Multiple future students of Beacon flooded towards the windows and gazed down upon the city.
"Wow!"
"Look!"
"I can see my house from here!"
Multiple people said as they looked out the windows.
"You'd think they'd never seen a view before," Shade deadpanned.
"You forget, you're used to seeing these kinds of things from a 290 foot tall steel giant. These people don't exactly have that luxury." Hunter remarked.
"True," Shade replied.
"Hey look! You can see Signal from up here!" Ruby cheered.
"Looks like Beacon's gonna be our home for awhile. Right guys?" Yang asked.
The two pilots nodded.
"I suppose…" Teresa said as she smiled at the sisters, then in a quick motion she grabbed Yang by the arm and pulled her away as a blonde boy emptied his stomach where Yang was just standing.
"Quick save there Teresa!" Hunter called.
[...]
A good thirty minutes later Teresa, Hunter, Shade, Ruby and Yang all started walking off the airship but they were pushed aside by the same guy. He ran out the door and started throwing up in a trash can that should have been on the inside instead of the outside for whatever reason.
"I guess air travel isn't for everyone." Hunter remarked.
They all continued towards the school and were all stuck in awe of the school, except for Teresa.
"Woaaaah," the sisters and the two pilots said in unison.
"That's big." Hunter said staring at the massive structure that was Beacon Academy.
"We're actually here!" Ruby shouted excitedly.
Seemingly out of nowhere, other students started walking all over the place. Ruby began practically drooling as she saw all the weapons that the other students held.
"Oooooh! Look sis! That kid has a collapsible staff! And she has a fire sword!" Ruby exclaimed with glee.
"Well I see your obsession with weapons isn't going anywhere" Shade said.
"Easy sis, why can't you go crazy over your own weapon?" Yang asked.
Ruby suddenly extended Crescent Rose into its scythe form.
"Weapons are an extension of ourselves, they're part of us! Right guys? Don't get me wrong, I love Crescent Rose, I just really like meeting new ones!" Ruby answered.
Teresa thought about what she had just said for a moment. It was true what Ruby had just said, her claymore was always her identity, considering it has her symbol of when she was a warrior of the organization.
"Correct Ruby, they are indeed part of ourselves, not only that, it shows who we are." Teresa replied as she unsheathed her claymore and began inspecting it. The emblem in the sword reminded her of her life with the sword.
Her own initiation…
Her rise to number one…
Killing the Yoma and meeting Clare for the first time…
Killing the bandits…
Now, she will use her sword to protect another innocent soul… looking back at Ruby while said girl was having a small discussion with her sister, sheathing her sword, yes… Ruby Rose is just like Clare in some ways more than one. Losing someone precious and still be cheerful, and most of all innocent and naive to the truth of the world, Clare knew it considering being used by those Yoma… she shook off her thoughts for a while.
"Why don't you, ya'know, try making friends?" Yang asked.
"Why would I need friends when I have you four?" Ruby asked.
"Ouch." Hunter remarked.
"Well…" suddenly Yang was surrounded by people "My friends are here now! Gotta go! Cya!"
And with that Yang and her 'friends' zoomed off leaving Ruby spinning.
"Wait! Don't we have to go to our dorms? Do we have dorms? Ooooh…" Ruby fell onto some luggage.
"Watch it you dolt!" a voice said.
Teresa, Shade and Hunter turned and saw the person who was yelling at Ruby. She wore a white 'combat skirt' as Ruby called it, high heels, and had long white hair.
"Hey, looks like you're not the only naturally white after all," Hunter told Shade.
They saw the girl in white continue to yell at Ruby.
"Let's get out of here. I'd rather not get involved." Shade said.
The two pilots picked a random direction and walked off. Later they heard an explosion and wondered what it was.
[...]
The girl in white continued yelling at Ruby while shaking a vial of fire dust at her. A very fine cloud of fire dust leaked from the vial and started to cover Ruby's face. In that moment Ruby sneezed and activated the dust causing an explosion. The vial the girl was holding flew out of her hand and Teresa caught it out of the air.
"Unbelievable! This is exactly what I was talking about!" the girl shrieked.
"Well now. That explosion was partially your fault as well." Teresa said interrupting the girl. "You really shouldn't shake dust in front of people's faces." Teresa held up the vial of dust to the girl.
The girl was just fuming in rage. "Why I never! Just who do you think you are?" She snapped at Teresa.
"I am Teresa and also your future instructor." Teresa said handing the vial of dust back to the girl.
The girl just stood there in shock for a few moments before years of proper etiquette took over.
"S… Sorry. Where are my manners. Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Weiss said introducing herself. Although she did feel extremely embarrassed for snapping at a teacher before the school year began.
Teresa simply nodded. "If you two don't mind, I have to go talk to Professor Ozpin before the entrance ceremony." She said giving off a smile that Weiss swore her soul came from a caring mother or that of a goddess. Teresa gave the area a quick look over before heading towards the center of Beacon.
[...]
Golden eyes looked on warily as Teresa left the two girls. A young woman with long black hair, black and white clothes and a black bow on her head, let her breath go. She didn't know she could hold it in that long like that. Multiple things ran through her head as the woman hid from view. That… woman somehow… she doesn't smell like a human does, nor did she smell like a faunus either… what was she? Why did she have that sword, especially that sword? The young woman thought.
She felt like she needed to be careful around her, and better yet try and find ways to know her try identity. With that the young woman made her own way to the auditorium.
[...]
After awhile of wandering around the campus. The two pilots began to head towards the auditorium.
"I wonder who we're gonna meet," Hunter wondered out loud.
"Lets just hope the teachers aren't as stuck up as the Marshall back home." Shade remarked as they walked underneath some kind of archway.
"Heh, you can say that again," Hunter said, "I never thought someone with his experience in the military would be so…"
"Up tight?" a voice finished his sentence for him.
Both Shade and Hunter turned around to see a girl, most likely another first year student, leaning against a tree.
She wore brown pants and had what looked to be a brown jacket with the sleeves cut off just below the elbows as well as a tan baseball cap, underneath that she wore a tan T-shirt. She had long, light brown hair with bright green eyes. She also had what looked to be a metal gauntlet-glove on her right hand.
"The names Petra, what's yours?" Petra asked.
"I'm Hunter and this is my partner, Shade," Hunter answered "and how much of our conversation did you hear?"
"Enough to know that you two know someone in the Atlas military," She answered.
"Well, you're half right," Shade responded "but we don't like to go into details."
"Say no more! So, you're going to be staying here a Beacon?" she asked.
"Yep! Finally managed to squirm our way in here." Hunter answered.
"Well I'll say good luck, my older sister is a third year student here, so I at least have someone to talk to if my team weighs me down." She remarked.
"Well I guess we'll be seeing you," Hunter said. "Good luck!"
"Good luck to yourself!" she answered before walking off.
[...]
After a bit Shade and Hunter finally managed to find their way to the school auditorium where the headmaster was supposed to give a speech.
"Hey! Shade! Hunter!" the two heard a voice call out. Turning to the source of the voice, they spotted Yang waving at them, "I saved you guys a spot!"
"Thanks Yang," Hunter said walking over.
"Hey, where's Ruby and Teresa?" Shade asked scanning the crowd "I don't see them."
"I saw Teresa follow professor Goodwitch backstage a while ago. As for Ruby, she's probably making her way here… oh there she is!" Yang said as she spotted Ruby enter the auditorium.
"Ruby! Over here!"
Ruby quickly said goodbye to the person she was talking to before heading over to the three.
"Guys! You left me!" She scolded.
"Sorry," they all apologized.
"I almost exploded back there!" Ruby complained.
"Oh, I'm sure you would've been fine." Yang said.
"What exactly happened?" Hunter asked.
"Well, Yang left, then I tripped over this girl's luggage, then there was some dust, and I sneezed, there was fire and think some ice?" Ruby continued her explanation, but Hunter stopped paying attention when he spotted Weiss, walking up behind Ruby.
"You!" Weiss shouted when she reached Ruby.
"GAH! It's happening again!" Ruby cried as she jumped into Yang's arms.
"You almost got us blown off a cliff!"
Yang quickly did a double take, "Oh my Oum, you actually exploded."
"I said I was sorry Okay!" Ruby complained.
"You want to make this up to me?" Weiss asked.
"Absolutely!"
Weiss held up a pamphlet titled, 'Dust for dummies, and other unintelligent people'.
"The Schnee dust company is not responsibleforanydamages-" Weiss started talking very fast, so fast that Ruby, Hunter, Shade, or Yang couldn't really understand what she was saying.
"Uh-" Ruby started.
"Read this, and don't ever speak to me again."
Hunter and Shade simply stared as Weiss walked away.
"And who is she?" Hunter asked turning to the two siblings.
"Weiss Schnee, heiress to some big dust manufacturer or something." Ruby said.
"Really? You'd think she'd be a bit more polite." Shade said.
"Oh! Look there's Teresa and professor Goodwitch!" Yang announced.
Professor Ozpin stepped forward onto the stage, with professor Goodwitch and Teresa, gone was her armor, replaced with a silver work dress with see through sleeves that had a silver trimming dancing over the arms and shoulders. Both Teresa and professor Goodwitch stood behind the headmaster as he began his speech.
"I'll… keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."
After his speech, Ozpin surveyed the gathered students as he continued on, "And also I would like to welcome you all to professor Teresa Silver, she will be assisting professor Glynda Goodwitch in your combat classes." Ozpin stepped back allowing Teresa to introduce herself. She gave a slight bow and addressed the students with a short "I am professor Teresa Silver and I am honored to teach you all what I know", then she took a step back as professor Goodwitch Stepped up to the mic to give the new students their next instructions.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."
After that, Teresa, Glynda, and Ozpin walked off the stage and headed to the headmaster's office for a private meeting between the three.
[...]
Teresa sat down in front of professor Ozpin's desk with said professor sitting in his seat facing her. Professor Goodwitch was also standing off to the side a bit behind Ozpin. Ozpin questioned Teresa about herself, which she mostly answered, some things though she kept to herself.
"So let me get this straight, you died and were brought here?" Ozpin asked.
"Correct, I have no idea why I was given this second chance at life but I was tasked with a mission to protect Ruby and teach her to fully learn a hidden talent passed on to her from one of her ancestors, by her late grandmother and said ancestor," Teresa replied.
"I see, so Emilia brought you here to protect miss Rose from harm and I guess there is something else in return?
"As I said earlier, I was sent here to guard Ruby. And yes, the one who sent me here promised me in return they would reunite me with someone I deeply care about."
"Oh? And who would this person be?" Ozpin inquired, someone with such ability could either help or hinder their cause and Teresa might have an idea on this person's motives.
"He is known as Rabona, he is the chief god of the holy city that bears his name, where I'm from." Teresa said surprising both Ozpin and Glynda.
"I see…" well that went… well, he supposed whomever Rabona is he is a wildcard, but back to matters at hand. "In the police station you mentioned that you are both a silver-eyed warrior and not as one to clarify?" Ozpin asked.
"I suppose as I have said the last time, I am a silver-eyed warrior but my eyes are not silver in nature, the topic is sensitive and I will tell you when I feel it is time. But for now I will tell you that where I am from, we do not have Grimm, but monsters called Yoma." Teresa explained.
"Yoma?" professor Goodwitch asked.
"Imagine a Human or a… Faunus look-a-like but inside they are monsters that feast on the flesh of a living person and not animals of course."
"That is disturbing information, Teresa." Ozpin said clearly troubled at the information. "Disturbing indeed, such creatures could instill panic and fear in the populace bringing in Grimm to the border. How do you know if one is a Yoma?"
"Either you sense their Yoki, or accidentally cut them, revealing their purple blood. The first is achieved by me and other Claymores which is the race of beings that fight these creatures. We were given that name after the swords that we all carry throughout our lifetime. Also when I first met Ruby in the woods near her home. She was facing a large pack of Beowolves, and I sensed Yoki emitting from them." Teresa explained.
"You are saying that the Grimm gives off Yoki or some kind?" professor Goodwitch asked.
"I am not entirely sure as all I have seen is Beowolves and an Ursa. Why is it strange, you said that all living things have an Aura?"
"Yes all living things except the Grimm, unless you count this Yoki, but what is Yoki?" Glynda asked.
"Yoki is like energy given off by a Yoma, in other words, akin to an Aura to you. That is why it is strange for Grimm, as you all say do not posses a soul, yet I can sense them…" Teresa explained.
"Can you teach this ability to the students?" Ozpin asked clearly interested.
"Only if they have the talent I can teach them, but I've theorized that only those with silver eyes can sense Yoki. The reason for this, I believe, is because either they are a Claymore or a descendant of one, which I have found out that Ruby is one. Her grandmother carried a Claymore's claymore, but it was lost with her death. If I could see the emblem on it I could tell who exactly who their ancestor is. So far I only have a name, but there have been a few Claymores with that name over the years." Teresa explained in detail.
"Okay and final question, do you possess an Aura?" Ozpin asked.
"No I do not, but I am intrigued by it." Teresa said further surprising the two professors.
"You mean to say you do not have an Aura?" Glynda exclaimed in surprise.
"No, I do not. But I have seen Hunter Green and Shade Royal unlock theirs, and they are from a different world than mine. Would you two know how to release one's Aura?" Teresa asked.
"We have a technique for it, and I suppose we could try to release yours." Ozpin said.
"Then shall we begin?"
[...]
Shade and Hunter were sitting in the corner of the ballroom on their own sleeping bags. Shade was reading a history book, while Hunter looked like he was playing games on his scroll.
Professor Goodwitch said that the initiation would start tomorrow, but neither of them knew what to expect. But their wondrous silence would not last long.
"Hello, gentlemen!" they heard Petra's voice call out.
Hunter paused his game and Shade looked up from his book.
"Hey Petra," Hunter greeted "whatcha up to?"
"Well," Petra turned around and grabbed at what the pilots thought was air, until the colors of whatever she grabbed seemed to morph until the colors formed a person.
"Meet Rona Ebony! Antisocial loudmouth of Vale." she introduced her friend.
"Please, just call me Rona." Rona said in a timid voice.
Rona wore modest black pajamas with purple stripes. She also had short black wavy hair and brown eyes.
"Hi," Shade said. Not being a very social person himself he knew what Rona must be feeling like in a place filled with as many people as there were. Shade had learned to just ignore most of the people around him when he first started living in the Shatterdomes around the Pan Pacific. He was rarely ever alone anywhere, and the majority of the time he was around a hundred plus people.
"I'm Shade," He introduced himself "And this is my partner, Hunter."
"Yo." Hunter said mildly, not really into the conversation.
"So… what are you two up to tonight?" Petra asked.
"I was just reading a book, and Hunter was… well, being Hunter." Shade gestured to Hunter, who was again playing a game on his scroll, "Anyway, what are you two up to?"
"I was actually wondering if you guys had plans for what teams you wanted to be on." Petra asked.
"Well, we've got a couple of people here we might team up with, but other than that we're pretty clear." Shade explained.
Petra nodded, "Ok, ok, think being on a team with me or Rona would be ok?" She asked.
"I don't see why not, but fair warning, we've got two people already after us" Shade said.
"Fair enough." petra stated "Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow then!"
"See ya!"
They heard someone yell, and the lights went out.
[...]
After unlocking her Aura, Teresa slept in her own teachers room that Ozpin had provided for the staff at Beacon. As she slept, she had a vision of Clare, not the young girl she knew. No… this Clare was different.
"Clare?" Teresa asked as she neared the girl. Her eyes were closed and Teresa noticed the blonde color of Clare's hair and feared the worst, "No…"
"Do not worry Teresa I… I will avenge you… I swear I will kill Priscilla!" with that statement Clare opened her eyes, Teresa gasped as she saw not the innocent hazel eyes of her charge but… silver, like hers…
Teresa jolted awake at her dream… her death must have affected Clare so much… it nearly broke her heart at knowing that she had become a Claymore… but how? How did Clare do it? Teresa felt as if she was part of Clare, "Don't Tell me…" Teresa whispered but the pieces were coming together. "She did… didn't she?" she asked herself.
It's because Clare didn't use a Yoma's flesh to become a Claymore, she used something else… Something that the Organization would experiment on, Clare used had used Teresa's own flesh and blood to make herself into a Claymore.
"Oh… Clare…" Teresa said as she tried to go back to sleep, sobbing softly at this revelation.
[...]
A/N: well sorry about that delay I wanted to get this chapter out earlier but I had a few real life distractions. Also I was not happy with how many times I had to rewrite this chapter but I think I did ok.
Side note my 25th birthday is happening tomorrow and I plan on getting a few things for this story. So look forward to some future artwork.
