"Unlike what most Professors will tell you," Professor Sterling stood with his hands behind his perfectly straight back. "Semblances are not to be trusted in during a fight. They weaken your aura, and you never know if your enemy is stronger. You may ask why I am suggesting you would fight an opponent with a semblance when you are looking to be Huntsmen and Huntresses. Not all your foes will be Grimm. There are many thieves and bandits in the Kingdoms from whom the villages need protecting. However, as I said, semblances cannot be counted on. This is why you need to hone your other skills. Learn to avoid attacks instead of deflecting them."
Onyx listened with interest as the lecture continued. There were two hours in the class and she hoped that it would be more than the lecture. Not that she didn't like it, but she wanted to see the skills of her team. Maybe after classes they could do some sparring together.
Professor Sterling glanced at the door as Team Galena straggled in, five minutes behind Team Jasmine. A wrinkle in his forehead was the only sign of dissatisfaction on his face. His stance remained as tense as before, making him look more like a General than a Professor.
Glancing at the late teams Onyx shook her head. She couldn't understand it. Why would one be late to Combat Class? Out of all the classes, this one? She turned her attention back to Professor Sterling.
"I was quite disappointed when all but a few of this year's First Year Students used their auras," He said, as soon as the latecomers were seated. "I will say I'm disappointed usually every year. However at the final examines my students are significantly better. Do not expect any grace in this class. You will receive no mercy, only training."
"Speaking of training," Professor Sterling smiled. "And no mercy...since two of our teams decided to join us at their leisure. Team Jasmine and Team Galena, enter the combat arena."
Jazpeer glanced apologetically at the others of his team. Sakura still looked angry and Cally was not far behind her. Moegi still looked...well like Moegi, but there was a determination in her soft almond yellow eyes. They stood, walking down into the arena, a stage surrounded by the seats, lights.
Team Galena joined them before Professor Sterling surveyed the teams. "Jazpeer Aldenwood step up please."
Jazpeer looked around, doing as he was instructed.
"You were the one of the few during Initiation that didn't use your semblance," Professor Sterling nodded. "I hope you won't ruin the good standing you've placed yourself in with me by being late constantly."
"No sir," Jazpeer stared at the ground.
"Good," Professor Sterling nodded. "Team Jasmine and Team Galena will engage in combat until only one team is left standing with sufficient aura. You may use whatever fighting styles you wish, including semblances. However if you want to make a good impression on me, show me how long you can fight without them. When the buzzer rings, begin."
Professor Sterling stepped away, sitting down in the front row of seats and picking up a huge notebook. On a screen above the arena, the two teams appeared, their aura levels gaged by sensors in the room. The buzzer rang.
Moegi smirked a little and grasped her weapon as it unfolded into a scythe. Cally grabbed her boomerang off her back, settling into a fighting stance. Sakura grasped her katanas ready to make Galena pay for her nasty comments on animals and faunas. Jazpeer unsheathed his sword, taking a step forward. He was ready for this, ready to lead them.
Team Galena stepped forward. Galena's weapon was a long spear with a wicked looking point. To her right, Lavender had forearm blades strapped to her arms from the elbow down, the blades extending past her gloved hands. Navajo had a longbow, a dust arrow already glowing on it. Albino swung a gun into his arms, placing an extended magazine on it.
"Moegi?" Jazpeer noted the rifle look to her green and brown scythe. "Can you cover us?"
"Yeah," Moegi nodded seriously.
She turned and headed a few paces away, covering them from left portion of the arena. Jazpeer directed Cally to his left, and Sakura to his right. Moegi could easily fire over Sakura's head if need be. Taking a deep breath he faced Galena's taunting face.
"Let's do this," he said quietly.
The other team had no qualms about getting on Professor Sterling's bad side. They used their semblances almost immediately. Navajo could dissolve his molecular structure, so that when your weapon made contact, it swung through empty air. He solidified and knocked Cally to the ground. Growling, she stood up, catching her boomerang and hurdling it towards him. Once again it passed through him.
Albino was trading shots with Moegi, dissolving her bullets with laser beams shot from his free hand. She scowled and decided she didn't care if Professor Sterling didn't like semblances. Her aura was being depleted while Albino's was still full.
Lavender and Sakura were locked in a blaze of red and purple. Their weapons clashed endlessly against each other, Sakura fighting off the older girl's brutal attacks. Lavender teleported easily around Sakura, making her spin around to fight her, then appearing at her back.
Jazpeer's sword crashed against Galena's spear shaft. She smiled and kicked him in the legs. She had yet to reveal her semblance until they had locked again and he had swung at her face. A mistake, as he learned at that moment. Her face turned to steel before he could retract his punch and his fist jammed against solid metal.
Cally charged forward, her boomerang transforming into the double scythe. Whirling it she attacked Navajo, his bow changing into a blowdart gun, shooting tiny barbed dust darts. She avoided his attacks, the few lucky barbs bouncing off her aura.
Albino blinked searching for the girl. She had been there a moment ago and now she was gone. He raised his gun cautiously, stepping forward as he searched the shadows at the edges of the arena for her.
Sakura bit her lip. She was strong, but how long could she last under this? Lavender landed three more strikes and Sakura glanced at the screen, seeing her aura levels were almost depleted. What would she do?
Jazpeer glared at Galena and hit a button on his sword. Suddenly, it disconnected into small pieces of his sword attached to a flexible cord extending from the hilt. Swinging back he whipped it around, catching her off guard as it wrapped several times around the spear shaft, yanking it from her hands. It clattered as it crossed the room. His whip sword popped as it jerked forwards in the aftermath of the lash. She smiled, suddenly turning into steel. Her leg came in contact with his middle and he was sent flying across the room. Galena picked up her spear and walked over to him.
"Thanks for the fighting tip," Galena smirked, watching him gasp for breath. "Hit that solar plexus if you want someone to stay down."
She raised her spear, ready to deliver a last blow. Jazpeer rolled, hitting the button to reactivate his sword. The pieces pulled together forming the sword, the dragon decoration arching up from the hilt spewed dust, holding her spear in a pillar of ice. Galena shouted a curse as Jazpeer as he brought his hilt down on her, her aura on the screen falling into the red zone.
"Galena Aberdeen is out," Professor Sterling's voice rose above the clatter of battle.
The explosion caught him off guard. Picking up one of her balls she held it tightly in one hand as she changed her scythe back into a boomerang. Cally supercharged it and threw the boomerang. Once again he dissipated, but before he could reform she threw the ball at him. Fortunately for him, he saw it coming and reformed. The yellow explosion sent him flying across the wall, instead of sending his molecules all over the arena. The screen buzzed.
"Navajo York is out," Professor Sterling shouted.
Abino began to look nervous. Where was she? All of a sudden he caught a flash of green and brown right before Moegi's sniper rifle butt slammed into his head, knocking him unconscious. Again the buzzer rang and Professor Sterling called Albino Talbot out.
Sakura struggled falling to the ground after Lavender kicked her in the back. She looked up in surprise as her aura fell into the red, the buzzer sounding. Lavender looked pleased and spun around to meet another challenge.
The attack caught her unawares.
A red tabby cat was suddenly in the arena, flying at Lavender's face. She screamed, as it landed, claws extended and yowling as it attacked the girl.
"Team Jasmine wins," Professor Sterling stood up, ending the match. "Lavender York remove that cat from your person."
"Headmaster Odran, what a surprise," Professor Magenta blinked as he entered her classroom. "How may I help you?"
"I am here to observe your students," Headmaster Odran replied. "Please continue."
Professor Magenta smiled and turned back to the classroom. "Now who is next...Jazpeer Aldenwood!"
Jazpeer paled slightly as he moved almost mechanically towards Professor Magenta. He didn't need to mess this up. Especially in front of Galena and Sakura, the latter he was more afraid of.
"Please demonstrate your semblance," Professor Magenta waved her conductor's baton at him.
Taking a deep breath, he glanced up at Sakura, who was all smiles after they had beaten Team Galena in the first hour of combat class. She had been excused from using her semblance in class this time after being depleted in combat. He wished they could trade places.
Raising a hand he held it out. Under the chairs, above the hanging lights it came to him, forming around his feet. Shadows wrapped around his hand, sliding down his body, and pooling on the ground at his feet.
"Thank you," Professor Magenta nodded. "Since your Aura was almost depleted in Combat class you may rest for now."
Jazpeer returned to his seat by Sakura quickly. He didn't dare look at her, pretending to listen to Professor Magenta explain his semblance, trying to ignore the Headmaster's quiet gaze.
Cloud smiled as she picked up her books. She hadn't minded the hour break in between combat class and semblance. It had been a good study hour. Standing, she left her seat and headed towards the door. She heard footsteps beside her, forcing herself not to jump as a hand touched her arm.
"Yes?" she asked.
She was surprised when she was not answered with words. There was a tapping to her left, like knuckles against wood. It took her a moment to realize what the tapping meant.
"That's Azure Morse language for the…" she trailed off. "Deaf."
"I can read lips, but I have to communicate this way. I'm surprised you knew this language."
"I learned a lot of things," Cloud said slowly. "I thought I was the only one here that was...disabled," the last word rolled bitterly off her tongue.
"Nope. I'm Nickle Gemini," he answered. "Your name is Cloud, right?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Your semblance was vibration generation, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Nickle replied. "And yours was aura catching?"
"Yes," Cloud grinned. "I have to go meet my team...walk and talk?"
"Happy to."
"Hey little sister! I caught that first hour of combat class! You kick butt!"
Cally grinned, "Aster!"
"Miss me?" Aster Magnolia grinned.
"You bet!" Cally bear hugged him. "Where is your team?"
"Aw, you know," Aster shrugged. "Doing fourth year student things. Mostly training and lots of working out. But I figured I would say hi to my favorite sister, give her some advice."
"I'm your only sister," Cally rolled her eyes.
"Hey, keep that up and I'll keep the advice to myself," Aster smirked.
"Naw," Cally grabbed his hand. "Come, I want you to meet my partner!"
She dragged him over to the soda machine where Moegi was standing. "Moegi, this is my brother, Aster. Aster, this is my partner, Moegi."
"Nice to meet you," Aster nodded. "You looked pretty awesome in that arena. Looked like that one dude couldn't even see you."
"Thanks," Moegi said softly.
"Now advice!" Cally reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah," Aster sat down in a chair. "Let me tell you…"
Later that night…
Jazpeer sat on the building ledge, overlooking the school's inner yard. The moon overhead shone brilliantly, it's shattered pieces scattered across the midnight sky. Sakura, a sleeping Mochi cuddled in her arms, climbed out the window onto the roof beside Jazpeer.
"Are y-you going to c-come in?" she asked quietly, noting how he had avoided her after semblance class.
"Yeah," Jazpeer sighed.
"Are you okay?" Sakura queried worriedly. What if he had gotten hurt during Combat class and hadn't show it?
"Yeah...I," Jazpeer heaved a heavy breath.
"You what?" Sakura held Mochi close, seeking courage to continue speaking from his little warm body.
"Nothing," Jazpeer shook his head.
Sakura came a little closer, sitting down beside him, cuddling Mochi. "Why are you here?" She asked, then stammered. "I-I mean...why do y-you want to b-be a huntsman?"
Jazpeer looked out at the moon, his eyes flickering. "My mother was a Huntress. She would tell me stories about her adventures. We were close."
"Were?" Sakura asked, sadness in her eyes.
"She…" Jazpeer looked away. "Die….no," he turned back to her. "You're my partner, you get to know the truth. She...committed suicide a couple of years ago…" he heaved another sigh, his silver eyes glimmering. "I wanted to be what she always called me, her Little Warrior. Why did you join?"
Sakura shook the horrified look from her face away. She needed to be supportive. "I want to stop innocent creatures and people from being hurt by the Grimm. I want to help. Thank you for helping me when Galena…"
"Yeah," Jazpeer smiled a little. "That's what partners are for."
Sakura nodded. "I think your semblance is cool," she said quietly.
He blinked in surprise, "Really?"
"Really," Sakura affirmed.
Jazpeer stared at her for a moment, before looking down. "I'm afraid I haven't been much of a partner...I promise to do better from now on."
Sakura smiled, "Together we are better."
Ooh a long chapter! Enjoy! I had a lot of fun writing this one :D Also (note) there is no chemistry between Jazpeer and Sakura. They are simply partners. Didn't want anyone to get too excited ;)