I wake to slight beeping and a muttering nurse. I slowly uncurl myself and sit up. My muscles and joints HURT! The nurse, seeing me awake, hurries over. "Mr. Black! How is it that you were born without aura veins in your body and no one found out?!"
"Aura veins?" I question the nurse confused. The hell are aura veins?
"Yes! Aura veins, they are in every creature with a soul! When you unlocked your aura, it forcible forged them into your muscles! You should be dead, but you show remarkable healing, even an advance healer would have trouble getting that kind of recovery!"
"No wonder everything is sore. Well, I think with a little blood, I should be fit for combat." I pull another flask and take a sip. I really need to tune down the drinking, been a day and I'm down a week supply.
The nurse stares at me, then continues, "The ears and tail, I have no idea where they came from. Maybe you had dormant animal genes that was forced out with the aura. Professional curiosity, are you really a vampire?"
"Yeah, blood gives me energy, but I can't turn into mist or a bat or anything like that. Well... Maybe the bat, but I need to learn my animal form before I can really say in that regard, though it will probably be a dog or something judging by the tail. I think I'm some sort of hybrid though, so I can go out in the sun and survive without blood everyday. If I couldn't, school life would be far too uncomfortable to stay in." I have to chuckle at the image of a blood thirsty vampire trying to sit through potions, figgiting and glancing around.
"I see... Well I can give you a clean bill of health and send you on your way. If you have any further pains, I can give you a little pain killer, but that's it. You are at the moment, a medical mystery."
Sighing, I pull out a my combat gear. Leather boots for flexibility, black cargo pants for stealth and carry things easily, last with a regular forest green shirt and a Kevlar lined dark gray parka for protection and more carry space. I leave the nurse and head back to the ballroom. It is only dawn, so I have an hour before initiation starts. I keep my hood up, so I don't get sunburned. I may not have any negative effects to the sun, but I am still an albino. I burn from clouds if I'm not careful.
I arrive in the room and sit on the stairs and mediate while everyone sleeps. Looking in my mind, I see aura pulsing all around my magic, with strands of said magic connected to the aura, making it slowly brighten. I love magic and its adaptability. I can even feel the aura supply get stronger now that I focus on the feeling.
Finally, people start waking and soon, we line up in front of lockers which we put our weapons in.. I seem to have neglected this and claimed an empty one as my own with its own password. I make it Potter. Everyone giving me glances once in a while as well as hate filled looks. Nothing new, but I wonder what I did? Jaune tries to team up with Weiss and another hot woman who looks to be taking after an amazon in her dress, but was shot down.
We leave and find ourselves lined up on a platform. The headmaster and professor in front of us, "Today, your mission is to get to the ruins and find a relic while bringing it back. The matter of teams, well your teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here. The first person you make eye contact with upon landing will be your partner for the rest of your stay here. So it is your best interest will be with someone you can work with. The relics are on the other side of the forest. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path or you will die."
Jaune spoke up as people started to launch from their platform. He was questioning how to land and if we got parachutes. We didn't. The man gets launched mid-question and I follow the group right after him with a playful little wink to Ms. Goodwitch.
As I fly through the air, I wonder, "Why am I here, doing all this?" Then I think, "why not?" and my mind shuts up. I start to descend and I look for the right tree. I unsheathed the sword of Gryffindor and slam the blade into a passing tree, allow the momentum to go to my legs so I can flip in the air and land next to the blade of a branch. If only Sirius could see me now! I take my sword and start tree hopping at high speeds. When I no longer can, I let myself drop and by instinct, start running through the woods, vaulting fallen trees, sliding under them when I can't jump. Dodging from one side to another and making minute corrections so I don't fall on my face. I can't help but give a yip of joy as I smash through the forest at vampiric speeds.
I reach the relics far too soon for my liking. I approach the relics and examine them. They are all chess pieces. Regular, I've played enough wizarding chess to know the difference by heart. Smirking, I snatch up the white pawn, for that was what I was. A pawn in the game of light and dark. Finishing my short musing, I apperate back to the side of the headmaster.
"Greetings Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. I got the relic." The two jump at the sound of my voice as I show them my pawn.
The headmaster takes it and examines it. "Well done Mr. Black. You however don't seem to have a partner."
"Do I need one? I can go back and look if I do. I'm sure not everyone has found one yet."
"No need Mr. Black. There is a odd number of hopefuls this year and I believe you will do well without a partner over someone else. You will however be the fifth member of a team because of it."
"More the merrier. Well, since I am done, I'm going to go hunt for some Grimms. I wonder what they taste like," I mutter to myself as I draw my sword after I had put it away for the run of my life. I apperate back to the ruins, just in time to see an orange haired girl take down a giant black bear with her pink-eyed friend bringing up the rear.
"Seems the gangs almost all here. We just need the amazon, Ruby, Weiss and Jaune. Nevermind, it's not an almost yet." All the teens jump at my sudden voice and spin to see me sitting on an empty pedestal.
Right when I say that, a scream is heard overhead. I look up to see Ruby plummeting to the earth. As I was about to catch her, Jaune flies out of absolutely nowhere and slam into her, carrying the two into the canopy of the tree lines.
As I laugh my ass off at this, a mixture now made of laughs and yips. Becoming more like Padfoot than Sirius was. The Amazon and a giant scorpion burst into the clearing. I time it and send an overpowered reducto at the creature's head, bursting it like a tomato. Surprising me by the armor because that should have punched a hole through a few stone walls.
"Weakling." I hop off my perch and stalk to the dead Grimm. I take a scoop of blood and taste it, only to immediately spit it out in disgust. "You taste like mud! I came back here for this! Fuck you!" I lash out and deliver an aura charged, so I don't break my toes on that armor, kick to the things flank and it flies across the clearing and back into the trees.
Silence meets this. "Wow... Aura kicks all kinds of ass!" I give a loud laugh as I look to the sky. I see Weiss is still clinging to the bird Ruby jumped from... never mind, she's now falling, I see Jaune in the tree preparing to catch her. Good man. He dives and succeeds to a degree, didn't think of a landing plan... Again. I hear a slight crack as Weiss lands on his back. I go over and assist the lady to her feet as a gentleman should, then pull up Jaune to make sure he is okay. Little soreness, but should be fine.
Ruby and the other teams grab their relic piece and we all head back to the cliffs together after convincing Weiss, it is not a good idea to just go kill monsters willy-nilly. I had no part in the conversation, so they can't call me a hypocrite. I was secretly on Weiss's side of the argument.
We arrive back at the base to see... the giant bird circling around a large ruins. It spots us and starts firing feathers at us. That looks all kinds of painful for the bird. I walk to nearby cover as the bird bombards us. I keep a shield up so I don't get impaled by a stray shot. No need to run when I can walk.
I am also assured that I can just teleport out of any lethal threats. I let the others fight and watch them. They all swarm the creature, jumping around the great bird like jumping beans, firing hundreds of high-caliber rounds into it. The bullets look like they are little bee stings to the bird.
Nora slams the bird down from above with her warhammer, causing it to fall into Ruby's range. Doubling with Weiss, the girls wail on it until Weiss freezes it down on the ground, letting Ruby get the leverage to slice its head from its shoulders as it tried to flap with all its might to get loose.
We all cheer as we leave to turn in the pieces. I help Jaune up the cliff while the others run up it. The guy has a good heart, but is not too skilled in the art of heavy combat. Neither am I, but I have magic on my side and when one of the spells conjure rope to mount on the side of the cliff, I have to say I have an advantage.
When we arrive, we are herded into a room for our teams to be announced. The first up became team, CRDL. They look tough. Next team that was called up is Jaune, Amazon, who I learned was Pyrrha, Nora the Orange, and Ren the pink haired man. They became JNPR. Surprisingly lead by Jaune. Reminds me of Neville, he does. Shy to start with, but easily can be seen as a true leader with a little confidence boost.
"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xio Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will be known as team RWBY, lead by Ruby Rose." Everyone applauded. The team walks off stage, celebrating.
"Now finally, Sirius Black." I step up to the stage alone. Everyone is silently looking at me. Waiting. "You picked up the white pawn. The only one to do so. We will be putting you with RWBY as an extra member. The team name will not be changed." I give him a crisp salute, which is marred by my wagging tail, that is sticking out from the bottom of my coat, and walk off stage. Yang slaps me on the back while Ruby hugs me.
We make our way to our new dorm. I am apparently bunking with four girls that helped me last night, joyous day, joyous day. We enter and find...! Four beds. Dammit! I just belly flop down on the carpeted floor in front of the window, which we keep open because it is HOT! "Mine!"
Blake questioned me, "Are you sure?" I look up at her.
"Anyone offering to share a bed with me?... No? Whelp then I claim the floor!" With my claim set and territory established, I get up and go change into my night wear. Getting back, I knock on the door just in case they are still changing. Getting confirmation, I enter and see them all in their night wear as well.
I go and curl up on the floor. Adding a cushioning charm to the carpet to add a bit of give to it. Like a really fluffy exercise mat. I am out like a lamp in seconds. I taught myself in the month it took to get here how to immediately fall asleep after suffering from a few nightmares. Not visions mind you, just really bad, grief filled, nightmares.
A whistle sounds and I am up and jumping backwards in a second. Vernon would always blow a whistle at me if I woke up late and then stomp on my legs. Well not this time you bastard! Black is ready for yo-! Oh shit I'm falling out the fifth story window! The ground comes up fast when I remember, I have magic! Too bad I came to that realization three feet up and slam spine first into the unyielding stone work before I could react to that thought and apperate back to the room. It may not stop momentum, but carpet is better than stone any day.
Ruptured organs and shattered back on my first day of school... New record! Eat your heart out madam Pomfrey! Thankfully, I don't think my hand is broken by the plummet, so I feel around my waist, but find my pouch is still in my room. Magic it is then. I focus it and have it coat my organs and bones. They slowly fix from being lethal to non-lethal. I add in aura which causes me to glow blackish red from head to toe. I pump more and more into myself until I can no longer feel any pain.
When I stop, I almost pass out from exhaustion. That! Took a lot out of me. I stagger to my feet, only to drop to my hands when my legs give out. Crawling it is! Hand over hand, I drag my useless legs back to the building's door and headbutt the door open. "Okay Sirius, you can do this! You've train for the crawling marathon all your life!" I egg myself on with ridiculous lies.
"What would Tom think man?! Seeing you crawl this fucking slow! He'd stomp your ass to the dirt! C'mon man! Move those arms!" by this point, I am at the stairs and now the hard part begins. I do a push up jump to the next step, and using that momentum continue the streak up the stairs. Arms dead by the time I get to the third set of stairs, three stories below my room.
I am just about to begin the next stairs when a heavy weight lands on my back. "Dammit, who did I piss off?!"
"Sirius! You're okay!" I'm picked up a spun around by Yang. My ribs! She's like Hermione on steroids!
"Yang! I don't have enough power to fix my ribs if they break again!" She drops me sheepishly. Literally drops me, because my legs wouldn't stay under me.
"Um... Yang, I think we need to get him upstairs." Blake said to the excited girl. She picks me up by the armpits and starts dragging me up the stairs.
"Gratia Blake." I thank her as she drags me up the stairs, easily with her upper body strength. We arrive at the room and I grab my pack and down two flasks of blood. I am almost comatose in exhaustion, I need more than one. Screw saving my supply! Daddy needs his fix while he is still alive!
I feel my stores boost and muscles repair under the blood's guidance. I use the window frame as a support and climb to my feet. holding on to it, so I can make sure they won't give and take a few steps. "Okay, fixed it. Note to self, never sleep under a window!"
"Um... I'm really sorry Sirius," Ruby meekly apologized while pushing her index fingers together. I rub her head and go to change. Happy that my legs are still working. The aura must be strengthening my body more than I thought if I can still move around after that drop with little to no pain. Normally, I'd be still down there trying to put myself back together. Not that I tested it... Don't be ridiculous, that is all theory.
"Just never blew a whistle near me when I sleep, I have a bad habit of jumping when it goes off." rubbing my still ringing dog ears, I add, "Plus, now as a dog, it hurts!" I go slip on my uniform in the restroom and enter the room again. I see Weiss still changing, I note she has a nice figure, but not what I look for in a woman. I make this note in a millisecond and need to get out of the room, so I go with my step and about-face back into the hall. Weiss squeaks when she saw me, but didn't scold me because of my immediate departure. Yang called me in when she was decent.
Ruby sheepishly said, "Well before I accidentally scared Sirius out the window, I was going to say we needed to decorate this room."
They all start unpacking things and I just put an unmoving picture of my parents on an empty shelf above where I am going to sleep, a corner by the door, along with me and Sirius rough housing in his old house. I keep copies in my bag in case I loss any, that is why I wasn't upset when I left a copy at Hogwarts. I also have my photo album which I set down under the pictures.
I give a sad smile and sit down under the still pictures to watch the girls decorate. Yang put up a few poster, Blake set up books, Weiss a nice painting, and I don't know what Ruby was doing. By the end, the beds somehow get piled in the middle of the room. Ruby suggest bunk beds and then they make one of the shottiest crafted bunk beds ever. It looks really dangerous and I've seen people try to make the Gryffindor beds bunk beds. Be they one of the dumbest set of people I've ever had the fortune of meeting, they at least used copious amount of magic and nails.
I wave my hand and with half my reserves I got from the blood, I change the frames permanently to a hardened wood that is solidly connected while the mattresses stayed the same. I learned permanent transfiguration in my late fifth year. Just a little key word, a LOT more power, and something is permanently changed. Now they don't look like they will come down on the first use. I didn't do this to my clothes because the Dursleys would know something was up.
The girls all stare at their new beds and back to my grinning self. I clap my hands and pull them apart with an illusion of a rainbow expanding from my palms, a little cantrip I made for fun after wanting to try my hand at spell crafting. All I really did, before I figured out I sucked at it, "Magic my ladies!" I get up and stretch, cracking my bones into place. "Let's get to class. Best not to be late on the first day." They all yell and bolt.
I follow after them and we soon get to a class with a rather portly gentleman. The class is about grimms. The man went on and on about traits and how he was a handsome warrior in his youth. He is like this dimension's Lockheart. I notice Weiss is getting very annoyed by Ruby's antics, so I nudge her gentle and quietly told her, "Pay attention Ruby, even though he is rambling, he is a teacher at Beacon so he is high class. Pay attention to his stories, even if they are embellished, you can sometime use what he does in a desperate situation. Also, you are team leader now, you represent the group, not just yourself. Goofing off is fine, but not in the middle of a teacher's speech."
She takes the words to heart and stops her antics and starts paying attention, not taking notes, but listening to his words. The teacher ends by listing quality traits of a hunter. He asks if we think we have them and no one raises their hand. "Ah, yes, well... Mr. Black, please step forward."
"Yes Professor." I get up and step up to the front of class.
He moves over to a growling cage, I smell mud, so it is probably a Grimm. Old fool. It's like second year all over again. "Be prepared student." He pulls an axe from nowhere and I stop him before he can bring it down.
"Wait sir, I don't want blood all over my clothing." I take off my top shirt and jacket, stacking them on my desk. "Okay, ready." He slams the axe into the lock on the cage and the door falls. A boar Grimm came charging out. I sidestep it. It charges a few more times, getting more and more mad. "C'mon you... Mudblood! Hit me!" I taunt the beast. This seems like a much better use of the term mudblood than some derogatory term for muggleborn. I hear Ruby loudly cheering me on with Yang.
I seemed to understand me and took a charging stances. "That's more like it." I crouch low to the ground and put my hands out in front of me. It shoots off like a bullet. I grab the tusks right before it impales me and going with the motion, letting my shoulder drop and lifting it to the side, I fling the boar over my shoulder with just my arm strength and its own speed. The ground cracks under the impact of the boar.
I follow up with a heavy stomp to the ribs, pinning it to the floor while further cracking the ground. Not my fault the floor is damaged, it's a casualty of combat! I take a glance at the snarling creature and just saw madness in its eyes. Nothing else, but pure madness. Sighing, I shift my grip to the side of its head, digging my fingers in and start pulling. With a heave, I rip the creature's head off. Spraying blood all over the floor.
I drop the head which makes a splat. I lick a little blood off my hand and find it far better than the scorpion, but still with a heavy earthy undertone. Like a REALLY strong mushroom got mix with the same amount of blood.
I dance around the blood to my seat to clothe myself. When I pull my shirt on, I notice the silence. I look to the teacher and see him staring wide-eyed at the dead Grimm. I hold my hand up for a high five from Ruby which she enthusiastically does.
When the teacher gets his mind back into his body, he just says class dismissed. He looks kind of annoyed. Must be hard to capture Grimms. I hurry out of the room before he can hand the task off to me, we skipped breakfast and I am Hungry. I take to the roofs and jump across them until I reach the other side of campus where the cafeteria is. I've never been in there so as I enter for the first time, I can't help but grin as I look around. Now I can apperate to this place, Cool!
I pick the rawest steak they have and some potatoes. I sit at a table and eat while waiting for the rest of the team. Ruby comes in looking a little sad, but okay, while Yang is her usual cheery self. I can't read Blake well, but she looks to be okay. Weiss is nowhere to be seen.
They get their food and we joke around, by the end, Weiss hasn't joined us. "Where is the princess?"
This seemed to make Ruby more upset, "She said that I wasn't good enough to be leader and that she deserved better. Ozpin said that he stands by making me leader, but I think she's right."
I silently growl over Weiss's words. "Come now Red. You just need to have more confidence in yourself. If you really feel this way, get better. Read a few strategy books, study a little more, practice harder. You are a fine leader, just believe you are and you should be fine."
She chuckles, "Ozpin said something like that too, professor Black." The girls share a laugh at my expense this time around and we head out back to the dorm to study and do whatever. Not a really steady curriculum. I believe it is due to how many missions a student is required to do to pass the year.
I take a nap to replenish my power, Yang goes off to hang out with her friends, while Ruby and Blake cracks open a book. I awaken at night by a conversation with Ruby and Weiss. She was apologizing to Ruby for her behavior. I smirk and just go back to the land of dreams, which is full of nightmares and scenes of betrayal with some death thrown in. 'I need therapy' I thought to myself as I hear my mother's dying scream for the hundredth time.
A month of lessons pass and we fall into routine. Finally, we have a trial of combat to judge our fighting rank. I bring my sword just in case we have to fight some Grimms. One is fine to beat with hand to hand, but I would like a sword at my hip. I even got some lessons from Blake on basic stances and correct forms. My skill is atrocious, no better then a high class bandit, but it is slowly getting better as I practice a few hours a day, with some breaks to study and meditate. Yang has also been teaching me formal martial arts after seeing my brawling style. That, I took to much better than the blade because I am already in touch with my body and fine movement after all the days of magic practice.
We all line up with our weapons and pick a partner, I try to get one, but no one will come near me after seeing me tear the head off that Boar. I am the odd man out again. I hear miss Goodwitch call over, "Mr. Black, seeing as you do not have a partner, I will be fighting you. Remember to come at me as if to kill me." I turn to see her toss me something.
I catch and find it to be a blood pack. I drain it quickly and grin as the power rushes through my body. "Alright professor." The field goes up around us as the others take their place. This is going to be fun. I have very little confidence I will beat someone of her station, but I can give it my all and maybe get lucky. She will probably underestimate my skill with me being a first year and she a world renown huntress.
The bell rings and I take off. The professor draws a familiar object and sends a series of purple beams at me. I dive to the side and start laughing at the scene, Goodwitch has out a two foot wand. "Just like old times! Wizarding duel! Let's do this!" I pull my wand from a holster that is hidden on my arm and give it a jab and a twist, sending curses down the field, blocking any she sends in retaliation with my other hand to keep up the offensive. I keep on the move and dodge when I can. She shows remarkable control over elements, must be an aura thing.
"Inflecto Telum" A hail of arrows speed out of my wand as I dodge another spell from Goodwitch. A large fireball. I conjure up a pack of snakes and shout to them, "Subdue the witch!" I give them covering fire as they advance to the rapidly changing battlefield. The teacher starts blasting them away, so I charge at my top speed and sucker punch her backwards. The snakes take their chance and cling to her limbs, only for a burst of aura to come out and rip them apart.
She starts floating up with glowing eyes and a visible aura around her person. "Oh shit." Is all I get out before she starts bombarding me with high impact spells. The first destroys my hastily raised shield, the seconds winds me, then it is all downhill. I fly back and feel a tearing in my elbow and an absence. Arm's gone, doesn't matter. Fight the fight and win! You can fix the damage after you've won Potter! She is going to kill you if you stop! I later remark that without the safety features that limits damage by 50%, I would probably be missing more than my arm.
I raise my remaining arm and bellow out the smashing spell, far more overpowered then it is safe to do. It impacts in front of the witch and the ground in a thirty feet diameter explodes out and away. I give an inhuman roar and blur towards the cloud of ash and dust and jump over the hole to land on top of the witch. whose knocked unconscious from the impact of me just kicking her to the chest and slamming her into the dirt. I grab her by the scruff of the shirt and drag her out of the arena. I have to do this fast before the pain catches me. I notice chunks of my body missing. A rib is missing, my arm is somewhere in the field, I feel my tail missing a large section, and I have scorch marks all over my torso. The smell of burnt flesh is strong around me.
I throw the woman at the shocked inspectors feet. Moving off to the side, I shrug off my coat and shredded shirt. I reach into my pouch and grab every last flask I have. Ten in total. About a gallon of blood. I start downing it like water, tossing the spent ones until I have gotten the last drop. I feel the blood rush around my remaining body parts and I guide it to only my arm and command it to fix the problem.
Slowly, a skeletal hand forms from my stump, then comes the arm. The muscles lash out and connect the bones. Next comes the veins and aura veins which glow softly. I feel myself running low on energy. Fuck I can't half ass this, it needs to be one go! I push almost all my aura into the arm. My veins burst with light and skin slowly grows out of the arm. It is slow going even with everything I am putting into it. I roar at the healing injury in frustration, "I have given you EVERYTHING! Fix yourself!" I pump my remaining magic in it, keeping just a bit of aura and magic to keep me conscious, if paralyzed.
Finally the layers of skin heals and I collapse to my knees and wheeze out, "Now the rib." I hysterically laugh, "Can't forget that rib Potter!" I direct my efforts to my ribs to grow the bone back. What I wouldn't give for some skele-gro. I feel when the injure fixes itself, but I don't dare fix the flesh or I will die from exhaustion if I don't get blood right now.
I puke up my guts from the effort. I bring my tail up front to see the damage, . If a medic does come along, they can fix it. The damage is bad. There is a long chunk is missing from the middle. My fur is already dyed in my blood. She really fucked me up. I don't even know when she hit the tail.
I suddenly sniff the scent of sweet blood. I whip my head around and see Blake holding out a bleeding arm out to me. I don't hesitate and begin lapping it up and taking only what I deem safe, so about two small vials worth. I send the blood not to fix my body, but to give me energy. I kiss the girl's hand in gratitude and stagger to my feet and to the useless medics. "Medic! Give me a pint of blood before I am out. I need some energy if I am going to survive this."
"Wha?" I grab the nearest medic, a recruit and push him to the tent, hissing at him with my fangs fully exposed.
"Blood man! Take me to some before I use you as a blood bank!" He sprints off and I follow as fast as I can. He barges into the tent where I see Nora, Jaune, Goodwitch and some guy with a ridiculous mohawk. The medic throws the bags at me. With no grace, I tore one open and poured it down my throat, not caring if I missed a little. I do the same for the rest and fix up my damaged flesh and reserves. My body will need rest, but I will not have to wake in five days because of exhaustion. "Thank you good medic! And if you find my arm on the field, please burn it."
With that said, I fall forward and slam my face into the tiled floor.