Proper note and disclaimer at the bottom for now enjoy!

Stardust

Chapter 7

Interaction

It was a bright new at Lighthouse Academy. The birds were singing, the sunlight was bright, a feeling that anything was possible was in the air.

Such pleasantries died when entering team CCTS's room.

The events of yesterday were still heavy with three out of the group of four and were as follows:

Cerise and Smoke were doing their best to keep their backs to each other as they got ready.

Citrine was keeping his back to both boys and while wasn't talking to Titania, he was at least willing to interact with her.

Titania was dealing with all this unhappily.

As everyone finished their preparations Titania sitting on the bed finally said "really so I'm going to be the mature one in all this?"

Silence reigned supreme; this was coming from the girl who blew up the lab which they still had detention for!

Titania let out a huff. Turns out once you got past her strange appearance she actually quite animated.

A moment later Cerise left and once he was a reasonable distance away Smoke left too.

As Citrine was halfway out the door when Titania tried to communicate again only this time she used logic.

"You know behavior like this will get us killed in a fight right?"

Citrine paused in the door way which gave Titania slight pause for hope. Is he actually going to speak to me? She wondered.

For Citrine it was a slight internal war as his irritation with her waged war with the truth of what she had said.

Petty squabbles like this can get us killed against Grimm or even trained fighters if the situation ever comes up. He thought as he turned conceding to Titania.

"Agreed" he said with a sigh "but I'm not sure what can be done in this situation."

Titania said to this with a deadpan stare "aren't you supposed to be able to see the future."

At this Citrine tossed her a dark look "visual only and what I see is pretty limited."

Titania sighed and thought for a second before speaking.

"Well as those two partners we need to bring them to their senses. You in particular."

Citrine gave her a questioning look "hmm?" He asked.

"You are Cerise's partner and he is our leader. So it falls to you to wake him up!"

Citrine blushed brightly and with a squeak looked away which Titania found a slightly weird reaction. Come to think of it he seemed nervous when we all were assigned to a team at the ceremony she thought to herself.

At breakfast it was worth noting that while they were staring past each other and sitting on opposite sides on the table they were at least sitting near each other.

As Titania sat next to Smoke and across from Cerise and Citrine did vice versa the two eyed the tense situation.

Citrine cleared his throat and said to his partner "So Cerise" and was broke off midsentence as Cerise turned a glance on him and those eyes may have been cold but they were flames for they burned.

He squeaked and sank low into his seat under that smolder and stayed put till Cerise went to staring past Titania again.

Titania observed Citrine's behavior in confusion. That was… odd. She thought.

Smoke took all this in without really looking at Cerise but the wolf faunas said nothing.

Turns out Titania would get her answer to why Citrine had such odd behavior later on that day.

The quartet sat in the order of their names going left to right. The teacher in front of them was ranting about the horrors she's seen humans, faunas, and Grimm commit and proceeded to rant about the Anim.

As Cerise took notes fast paced Smoke watched him with contempt from the far right. Titania elbowed Citrine and she watched as the male tried to talk to Cerise again but at the moment he whispered.

"Mr. Seeress!"

Citrine froze and looked at the professor who asked him a really basic question.

"Now what do humans, faunas, and the Anima inspire in all of us that calls the Grimm?"

As everyone in the room eyes looked at him Citrine squeaked and sank lower and lower in his seat until he was visible only to those sitting next to him and the rows behind CCTS.

Nothing happened as everyone waited for Citrine to say something be he all but melted into his chair and he gave incomprehensible squeaks for an answer.

The professor finally gave up and called on another student as Smoke and Cerise stared at Citrine in confusion and, Titania's eyes widened in realization as she screamed in her head.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HE SUFFERS FROM STAGE FRIGHT! REALLY? REALLY?!

Then the girl's eyes went even wider as iris and pupils shrank and she drew the attention on everyone in the room when she slammed her head down the desk and laid there thinking oh god I'm gonna have to bring those two to their senses by myself aren't I?!

The class just stared at all this in bewilderment and then shock as she put the arms on her desk and actually sobbed a little bit.

Citrine watched this in guilt, Smoke in confusion, and Cerise was actually considering running back to the lands outside Stronghold but when he compared this to begging to his Uncle Silver and what may come after and this he found this more preferable somewhat.

Eventually the professor called back order and the class went on. Titania though put on a face that showed nothing less than unhappiness as the day went on and with her looks they drew more attention that what one would expect considering how well her attitude contrasted with them.

Citrine had become nothing more than a shadow really considering he made himself unnoticeable and silent as possible.

Luckily though Citrine couldn't make himself invisible when they gathered together in the auditorium for their first day of Sparring Class.

Titania's look though worsened. The reason why?

Cerise and Smoke were on stage with Professor Rust. Cerise had his fan out and Smoke was wielding his short sword. Their pictures, name, and two green meters were on the screen.

The two were about to kill each other if the outright vicious looks on their faces were any indication.

Professor Rust holding a large scroll in his hand with monitoring programs on it and in a strange tone he said "okay kiddos this a basic sparring match, it will go on for either ten minutes or whoever gets disqualified first." He looked at both of them paying no heed to the bloodthirsty expressions they both had.

"Nebula, Carver, you ready?"

"Yes!" The practically growled.

Titania thought this is going to help things SO much.

Then on the screen a countdown started and when it hit zero a timer appeared not that anyone was paying attention.

Smoke moved first, hefting his sword he ran for Cerise and with a leap swung it at him. Cerise merely flicked his face shut and called his glyph in front of him and Smoke's sword hit it the empty space in the middle of it.

Cerise opened it and watched as the ring expanded wide and out of existence as Smoke was flung backwards.

As Smoke regained his stance Cerise had made a new move.

Calling his glyph under his feet this time Cerise waved his fan and into existence appeared three orbs of pink light, waving his fan in the opposite direction turned them into streaks that shot right after Smoke who ducked and rolled along the floor letting them explode in pink bursts behind him.

Cerise took a deep breath and held his fan ready and Smoke tightened his grip on his sword.

Then the faunas smiled holding out his left hand he made it glow with the color of his namesake and the glow sort of oozed away from him and while the glow ceased the detached the blob did not as it reformed into a stream of smoke that Smoke was somehow controlling and the notable thing about the streak was the front end where his control was focused was shaped like a wolfs head.

Citrine watched that in awe while Titania clearly having seen it before watched with slight interest.

Cerise observed it with narrow eyes. It's one thing to hear about his Semblance another to see it in action. He thinks.

With a gesture Smoke sent it towards him but instead of going for him it burst into a cloud that formed around him and Cerise frowned as he saw two more streams heading right for him.

He's going for cover Cerise thinks.

Sighing he called his glyph under him again but flicked the fan up and the ring sifted so moved up becoming a three dimensional ring around hovering around his feet.

With that in place it became apparent that the column the ring made created a clear space around him.

Rust raised an eyebrow at this as the smoke swirled around him in a cloud as he pressed a button upon his scroll temporarily turning off the fire alarms in the room.

Cerise just looked patient clearly waiting for Smoke's strike and come it did.

To the spectators they watched as Smoke dove into the cloud obscuring him from sight. And only the two combatants and the teacher were able to watch happened next.

Smoke went right for him not noticing the ring and swung at him striking empty air. Smoke looked down and then noticed the ring "oh crap." He said.

Cerise shut his fan and again Smoke went flying the explosion also dissipating the smoke in the process and disarming him.

As Smoke got back to his feet again Cerise had opened his fan and transformed both hand and fan into his energy blade and charged forward.

Smoke looked up and seeing this went from his sword lying in front of him, thrusting a hand and sending a smoke stream at him.

Cerise halted his charge and made his blade vanish though his hand and fan were still encased in aura.

Waving a hand with a yell he sent a wave of pink light at the smoke stream and Smoke himself. The energy engulfed the stream making it go and just as Smoke regained his sword the energy slammed into him knocking him down and his sword from his grip again.

As the faunas leaped up to grab a voice said "hold!"

The two looked toward the speaker Professor Rust. "The match is over Nebula has won."

Smoke ear's perked up as with slight outrage he said "what?!"

Professor Rust raised an eyebrow saying "your aura has dropped into the red, Nebula's has not."

Looking towards the monitor the two had realized this was true. Smoke's green bar had become a little red one. Cerise's was shorter too but it was longer than Smoke's and still yellow.

Smoke snarled and left the stage in a huff while Cerise just stared blankly after him for a moment before following as the two sat down.

Professor Rust turned to his scroll and began to call up the next pairing…

(CCTS)

Bbbrrrring!

There went the bel marking the end of the day and by happy coincidence the last class of the day.

As the students all filed out Smoke hung back not really wishing to stay with his team.

Then a hand came down on Smoke's shoulder and the boy paled as his pupils shrank. The grip was familiar to him. With slight dread Smoke turned and faced the person he dreaded.

The boy next to him was the same age as Cerise, seventeen but a second year. He was human with dark skin and black eyes which contrasted quite well with his white hair. This was Angelo Blanc and someone Smoke did NOT want to see again.

The reason why?

Angelo gave a feral grin and said "hello mutt I'm happy to see you again."

He was a bully and quite possibly worse than that.

Gripping him by the shoulder Angelo took him to a nearby hall and for what little good it did Smoke did squirm.

"I have to get going my team will be wondering where I am."

Angelo laughed "not really you don't want to be near deserter stock now do you?" He asked put emphasis on the words Smoke had thrown at Cerise yesterday and making Smoke cease his struggles.

As they rounded a hallway Smoke internally groaned at the sight of three people leaning against the wall.

As Smoke and Angelo neared them one of the figures detached themselves and sauntered over to them as Angelo said "Look whose here guys our lovely pet and now we can pick things up where they left off!"

The figured who approached was female, human, and the same age was Angelo. But then that would only make sense since she was his twin complete with the same skin tone, eye and hair color. Parker Blanc smiled nastily at Smoke and said "hello mutt."

This comment was enough to get Smoke to act as he snarled and said "like hell I'm doing that again." But the male yelped as Angel grabbed by the collar and held him up choking Smoke.

Angelo stared dead into his eyes and said "oh there's every way in hell you're doing what we say or otherwise. Well both our dads serve in the military and remind me again whose father serves under who again?" He finished with a dark smirk.

Nothing was said and from their positions along the wall the other two boys. One with brown hair, eyes, white skin, and a solid build. The other with pasty skin, green eyes, and blonde hair. Both of them merely traded glances.

Then finally Parker leaned forward and said "So mutt, you'll listen to us?"

Smoke looked down at the floor, and tighten his fists as he said through gritted teeth. "Yes."

"Yes what?"

Smoke shook for a second before saying "yes sir."

Angelo finally released his grip on Smoke who made no move to run away as Parker laughed and Angelo said "then you are now the property of team APPL."

The other two boys traded glances again and as they did none of the five noticed how the glowing blue line near the ceiling running through the halls brightened just a bit…

Author's Note: Alright so this chapter marks the end of the re-write. You'll also notice a big difference I did between the version of this chapter and the old one. That being the focus with Angelo, back in version one he was just a character I was using for plot power and nott much else but then with the review inspiring me to polish this and whatnot I realized that such a move was pretty bad and I can do better so I re-did Angelo's design and created a proper team for him starting by including a sister. The bio for the twins can be found on DeviantArt and Tumblr. On that note I hope you liked this chapter, the new one's next. I do not own RWBY in any, way, shape, or form. My OC's are my own design. Reviews welcome.