Well, sorry to keep you guys waiting for the second chapter of Under the Light of the Shattered Moon. But before I go any further, I'd like to announce a couple of things. If you haven't noticed, I have posted the first three chapters of Girl Genius' Animagus as a full story, with a further four chapters already completed, ready to be posted. The fourth chapter will be posted a short while from now.
Secondly, I am currently working on an Overlord crossover. Not the video game series, but the light novels/anime, though, like Kakistocracy, I am transplanting the characters from the Tomb of Nazarick (with modifications) to the Potterverse, sans Momonga and the trappings of Overlord's fantasy world or the MMORPG Yggdrassil. The working title is Yield to the Darkness. A sample chapter may be ready for tomorrow.
Now, finally, back to this story. You'll notice a lot of Red vs Blue references. Besides the fact that RWBY was produced by the same company, I found it easy to use the characters from Red vs Blue as OCs for this. Most of them will be members of Talon or affiliates, though I have plans for Caboose to be one of Roman's more incompetent (but adorable) henchmen (hmm, maybe ship him with Neopolitan?).
Oh, and I decided partway through writing this that it would be a threeway pairing between Harry, Blake, and Ilia. Ilia, for those who haven't watched the fourth season of RWBY, is a chameleon Faunus working with White Fang, at least in canon (and that's not really a spoiler). Out of idle curiosity, I had watched a trailer for the fifth series, the Blake character trailer, where Blake and Ilia discuss Ilia's past. I found Ilia rather endearing, despite the violent end of her anecdote and her later becoming an enemy of Blake, so I wanted to include her from the beginning as part of Talon in this story rather than White Fang. The decision to make her part of a threeway pairing was a later one.
Anyway, I do want to do this as a full story, but you guys will have to wait until I watch more of RWBY, so I can get a better feel for it. Hope you enjoy...
UNDER THE LIGHT OF THE SHATTERED MOON (ORIGINAL)
CHAPTER 2:
ARRIVAL AT BEACON
As he passed the blonde puking into the bin at the airship dock, Harry said, "Next time, get a ginger pill or something, mate." He had discreetly cast a Scourgify on his shoes, grateful that his father had taught him that much.
The boy moaned weakly, but nodded. "And he's a wannabe Huntsman?" Ilia asked as they followed Ruby and Yang.
"Hey, maybe he just gets motion sickness easily," Harry said with a shrug, before watching Ruby fangirl out at all the weapons on display. "What do you reckon about Little Miss Weaponmeister there?"
"Well, you said her skills were good. She just needs more experience in how to handle herself in a fight," Ilia said. "I did some digging before we came here. Her mother is Summer Rose, a hunter of some renown. I guess she's following in her mother's footsteps. I'm guessing she was taught how to wield that scythe by Qrow Branwen. He's an instructor at Signal who's known for using a scythe, one of the few who does."
Suddenly, Yang saw some friends, and went off with them, leaving Ruby alone, until she saw the three Faunus approach. "Oh, hey!" she said, smiling. "You guys want to hang out?"
"You sure you want to hang out with Faunus?" Ilia asked.
Ruby shrugged. "I don't care, as long as you're not bad guys. I like your ears, Harry, and your ears, Blake. I wish I had ears like yours. But what sort of Faunus are you, Ilia?"
"Chameleon," Ilia said, her skin shifting to different colours. Normally, she looked like a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl with spots that could pass for freckles or birthmarks on her skin. In fact, her parents sent her to Atlas Academy because they knew she could pass for human as long as she didn't show her ability to change colour.
"Cool! Can you be all, like, stealthy and stuff?" Ruby asked.
"She changes colour based on mood," Blake said quietly. "It's not exactly camouflage, Ruby, though Ilia can use it to help hide."
Ilia nodded. "Though I'm glad you like it, Ruby. Not many people do. When my parents died in a collapse at a Dust mine, some people mocked them, not knowing I was a Faunus. In my grief, I turned blue…and they mocked me when they got over their fear." She didn't mention that this was at Atlas Academy. "I broke their teeth."
Ruby winced, before asking, solemnly, "A Schnee Dust mine?"
"Yeah."
"I heard a bit on the news about you guys going around exposing their dirty laundry," Ruby said. "I don't get why they do that to Faunus. I mean, you're people too, right?"
"Not according to some people," Blake muttered. She looked at Harry. "Do you mind if I have a wander before the opening ceremony?"
"Sure."
As Blake walked off, Ruby frowned. "Where's she going?"
"Blake likes peace and quiet every now and then," Harry explained. "Sometimes, all she wants is a nice quiet corner to read a book in, or a peaceful walk. I know my girlfriend long enough to know when she gets this way, and I just let her be."
"Wait, wait, you two are girlfriend and boyfriend?" Ruby asked.
Ilia chuckled, though she wasn't yet about to reveal that she was Harry's girlfriend and lover as well. "Yep. Blake's pretty lucky to have Harry. Her first boyfriend…was not the nicest person."
Harry scowled at the reminder. "Bastard murdered my father," he said quietly.
Ruby, understandably, looked shocked. "Because you dated her?"
"Amongst other reasons," Harry said bitterly. "Let's put it this way, Ruby. Pray you never meet Adam Taurus. It's people like him that was the reason we broke away from White Fang, and he wouldn't hesitate to torture anyone he thought we cared about just to hurt us. Plus, he's VERY skilled."
"Hey, Harry, don't scare her," Ilia said. "I'm not sure she realises that not all monsters look like the Grimm."
Before they could get into any further discussion, the blonde boy with the motion sickness issues wandered up. "Hey, I'm Jaune."
"Ruby," Ruby replied, before remarking, with a distinct lack of tact, "Aren't you the guy who barfed on the ship?"
Harry found himself wandering with Ilia, following Jaune and Ruby as they discussed their weapons. Like Ruby and Yang, Jaune didn't seem to have any issues with Faunus, only White Fang. Harry did have to wonder how someone like him got into Beacon, though. Coasting on the Arc family's reputation, maybe, as the Arcs did have at least one famous ancestor, to his knowledge. Oh, he seemed earnest enough, beneath the nervousness and awkwardness.
That being said, Harry and Ilia had to escort the two back to the auditorium when the time came for the opening ceremony. Blake joined them soon after. "Enjoy your walk, Blake?" Harry asked.
The cat-eared girl nodded. "Is this a new friend?"
"Well, as I told these guys, my mother told me that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," Jaune said. "I'm Jaune Arc."
"Blake Belladonna," she replied courteously.
They reached the auditorium by that time, and Ruby was called over by Yang. Ruby made her excuses and scurried off, while Jaune, after a moment, wandered off despondently. Ilia frowned as she looked around, and noticed a red-haired girl with green eyes, wearing vaguely Grecian armour. "Huh. Looks like we have a celebrity. That's Pyrrha Nikos."
"The one who's on the cereal boxes? The one who won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times in a row?" Harry asked. "Huh. People are going to be queuing up to be her teammate, I'm sure."
"She looks pretty subdued for a celebrity," Blake observed.
They waited, until finally, at a lectern at the other end of the auditorium, Ozpin appeared, clearing his throat to get their attention. "I'll keep this brief. You have journeyed here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and at the end of that, you intend to dedicate your life to protecting people. But I gaze amongst you all, and what I see is wasted energy that requires purpose and direction. You believe that knowledge will set you free of such problems, but your time here at Beacon will show you that knowledge will only take you so far. Taking the first step is up to you." Throughout it, his voice was calm, but also somewhat flat.
"Okay, I've heard better motivational speeches from Adam," Harry muttered, sotto voce, as Ozpin walked away and Goodwitch made her announcements.
"Yeah. I mean, I get what he's saying, and being a Hunter is no picnic, but you'd think he'd try and get you motivated, not depressed," Ilia said.
"I'm motivated," Blake said, completely deadpan. "Yay. Woo."
The students were to sleep together in the hall en masse, like some big slumber part. Harry and Blake were sitting side by side, Blake reading The Man with Two Souls. Ilia had gone to her new quarters. "I really hope we're on the same team," Harry said quietly. "We've worked together for so long…though Oum knows how the team assignments are made."
"I hope we are too. What's your thoughts on the Arc boy?"
"In over his head. He might be competent, but becoming Hunters is not for the faint-hearted or weak. He's going to either sink or swim. That being said, I really hope we're not on the same team as that wanker over there."
Blake noticed his glare at a tall boy with reddish-brown hair. The boy noticed his scrutiny, and sneered, and mouthed Filthy animals at them. Blake sighed, and muttered, "I wish you hadn't talked me out of wearing the bow."
"Blake, I love you the way you are." He gently stroked one of her ears, and she closed her eyes and smiled, all but purring from his gentle ministrations. "At least the others we met don't give a damn. Ruby, Yang, Jaune…they're some of the nicest humans we've met."
"Well, you said you were human once, remember? Before you came to this world with your father?"
"And? Even then, Dad was ostracised for being a werewolf, and me for being his son, not to mention not being the Boy Who Lived," Harry muttered bitterly. "I'm glad I came to Remnant, even if I thought I was going to die. I'm glad I met you, Blake. And that's before we bring Ilia and the others into the equation."
"I'm glad I met you too, Harry," Blake said quietly. Then, an impish smirk touched her lips. "You do know that we'll be sleeping in dorms, with our teammates? So we won't have much privacy for…you know."
"That's what the trunk is for, remember? They won't be able to complain about the noise we make if we go in there," Harry said with an equally impish smirk. "We can even get Ilia in on it if we're discreet."
The two shared a soft chuckle at the thought, and sat there, sharing each other's company, while waiting for sleep to finally claim them…
His father was bisected, his blood and offal spilling into a gory puddle on the floor. He stared in horror at the sight, before he returned his gaze to where his father's murderer had managed to knock Blake down. His mask had been knocked off, revealing icy green eyes(1), not the emerald he had, but cold. Red hair and a pair of horns grew from his head. His face was handsome, but twisted into ugliness by cruelty. Adam Taurus.
He had been knocked out by Adam's initial attack, and had recovered in time to see the last stages of the fight. "Now, don't move, Blake. I want you to see why it was a mistake to make me hurt you."
He glared at Adam, before he snarled, "I'm not going down without a fight. You murdered my father."
"You brought it upon yourself when you stole Blake from me," Adam sneered. "And you're no match for me. You're no wolf, just a dog, a mongrel content to be under the humans for your life! Putting you down is a favour!"
He felt his anger surge at Adam's words, before he clenched his fist, fire beginning to burn around it. He had only seen his father use this once, trying to drive off a Nevermore attacking one of the settlements they visited. "I am a wolf, and you are prey, Bully Boy. AND YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY FATHER!" With that, he flung out his hand, and unleashed Fiendfyre.
Adam, rather cockily, brought up his sword, Wilt, ready to absorb the cursed flames. For a moment, it looked like it was working, and he would have enough power to unleash his Semblance, Moonslice. But then, Wilt began to melt, and then, it shattered. Adam had barely enough time to dodge when the Fiendfyre continued…but it was too late. The diabolical fire still burned the right side of his face, and he screamed in agony.
Harry, however, had set the house ablaze in his fury. Blake dashed over to grab him, before leaping out of the nearest window. They ran off into the night, hoping that the Fiendfyre would make a funeral pyre for not just Remus Lupin, but also Adam Taurus. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be so lucky…
Those events weren't far from Ilia's mind (she had heard about it from Harry and Blake afterwards) as she walked with Ozpin and Glynda to the cliff where the initiation was to begin. While she had to admit to being a little irritated that she wasn't an active member of Talon at the moment, just being linked to Beacon would help raise their profile. And she was still able to head to Vale to do the patrols like they used to. Plus, it meant staying close to her lovers.
Ozpin had found her old files from the Atlas Academy, and despite it describing the circumstances of her desertion, he was…well, he didn't show pity towards her. Not in a condescending way, anyway. Instead, he showed her sympathy, and told her, bluntly, that none of his staff, to his knowledge, harboured any anti-Faunus sentiment, save towards the White Fang as it was now. Students were potentially another matter, but as many of his students were Faunus, he expected everyone to be on their best behaviour, though he admitted he couldn't control how people thought.
Bringing herself out of her reverie, they came to the cliff edge, and Ilia frowned as she looked out across the vast forested area. "Let me guess, the forest is filled with Grimm?"
"Yes," Ozpin said. "Your friends can handle it, I'm sure."
"It's not them I'm worried about," Ilia muttered. "Hell, we even had something like this back in Atlas. It's the others I'm worried about. That's one thing about training in White Fang, and Talon. It's at least as good, if not better, than anything Signal or the like could do. Though I have to ask, Professor Ozpin, why did you allow Ruby Rose to join early? Was it her mother? Her skill?"
"Something like that, though don't mistake my decision for having nepotistic reasons," Ozpin said. "She has the silver eyes of her mother."
Silver eyes? Ilia wondered. What does that have to do with anything?
As if hearing her thoughts, Ozpin said, "Those born with silver eyes are destined to become warriors, feared by the Grimm, so the legends say. Ruby certainly has the skills to pass this. What she needs is refinement and tempering. As do they all."
"Even so, White Fang's attacks aside, we're living in a period of relative peace," Ilia pointed out.
"One lesson that can be taken from history, Ilia, is that peace is ephemeral and fragile. A storm is coming, and we need to weather it."
Before Ilia could remark on how fucking ominous that sounded (and she had to admit, Ozpin had a point), the students began arriving. Harry was holding forth in a discussion with an orange-haired girl who seemed overly excited for some reason. "…I'm saying is, Grif's a sloth Faunus, and if you made that noise in front of him, he'd wonder what you were smoking, and whether he could share it(2)."
Ilia snorted. Grif WAS infamously lazy, though he was also a pretty smart guy, and a great driver. He usually did surveillance work for Talon along with a beaver Faunus called Simmons(3), as well as writing their more interesting insults for vandalising Schnee Dust Company property.
As the students stood on the catapult platforms they were directed to, Ozpin said, "For years, you've been training as warriors. Today, that training will be put to the test here in the Emerald Forest."
Glynda nodded, and added, "Let me put the rumours of how we pick teams to rest. You will be given teammates today."
"Those teammates will be your comrades throughout your time here," Ozpin continued, "so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone you would work well with. That being said, after landing, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years."
"WHAT?!" Ruby yelped.
Ilia noted, with some amusement, that Harry was glaring at Ozpin. "You're a bloody troll, Ozpin. In the unlikely event that I die giving some Nevermore indigestion, I thought you should know that."
A wave of laughter, some of it strained, swept the line of students. Even Ozpin chuckled, before his expression became solemn once more. "After you've partnered up, head to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, opposition that you must strike down, or else you will die." As Jaune, and a couple of others, got more nervous at that, Ozpin continued, "You will be monitored and graded throughout by the instructors here, but they will not interfere. There's an abandoned temple at the end of the path with relics. Each pair must choose one, and then return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, and your standing, and grade you appropriately. Any questions?" Jaune put his hand up, only for Ozpin to say, "Good! Now, take your positions."
"Again, you're a bloody troll, Ozpin," Harry muttered, only to be nudged by Blake.
"Um, sir, what about, well, landing?" Jaune asked as the catapult platforms began to be activated. "Are you dropping us off?"
"No. You'll be falling. And no parachutes. Students have to figure out their own landing strategy."
Blake got launched into the air, and Harry, after waving his hand at Jaune, looked askance at Ozpin. "Has anyone told you you're a bloody TROLLLLLLL?!" Harry yelled, just as he was launched into the air.
As Jaune soon followed, Ozpin took a sip of his hot chocolate, and remarked to Ilia and Glynda, "It has been noted…"
CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:
Seriously, Ozpin is a troll.
1. I thought about what colour eyes to give Adam, as he doesn't yet have a canonical eye colour, what with the mask. I decided on green, to compare and contrast with Harry, as well as mark his envy and jealousy towards Harry and Blake.
2. This came about when I posted the first chapter in The Cauldron, and one reviewer, solitaire, suggested I make Grif a sloth Faunus, and make a link to Nora's 'sloth noise'.
3. Why a beaver? Well, Simmons is a noted sycophant, and while you could call him a 'toady', I decided to make him a beaver. As in an 'eager beaver'.
