Small Issues

AN: Welcome to Small Issues. Some of you might know me from my Big Issues series but don't worry, that will be continuing for quite a while yet... probably hitting 100+ chapters. But this series is meant to be the prequel to Big Issues and will build up to where that series began. There are no plans for this series to be anywhere as long as the other, probably no more than thirty chapters max... though I'm bad at estimating how far a chapter will be and how much they will actually cover, so don't expect this to match that estimation. Writing this may slow down the production of Big Issues a bit but I do hope to finish the arc there this year, possibly even this series as well.

Either way, I hope you all enjoy Small Issues and come to check out Big Issues if you have the time. Until then, enjoy!

The Beginning

The world of Remnant is an odd place. Some areas are well known for their scenery, others for the culture. Yet for as beautiful as Remnant may be, it is a very dangerous place to live. The normal wildlife of the planet could be lethal if given the opportunity but there was more than what was considered normal life.

There are three dominant species on Remnant, though one is more of a catch-all term; that one is called Grimm. The Grimm come in many forms but can be classified into several distinct categories with some variations within them.

As for what Grimm are, nobody has really been able to figure that out even after generations of studying them. They are beasts born of unknown means with their only apparent purpose being to destroy the other dominant species on the planet.

The beasts themselves have black hides usually covered in equally dark fur, feathers, or scales. In addition to that, every Grimm has a skull-like mask on their heads and white bony protrusions that formed plates and spikes that serve as armor. Many of those masks had red lines on them that formed a symmetrical design of sorts and their eyes are bright red with a touch of yellow that acted as their 'pupils'.

Unfortunately, their behaviors and how best to kill them are all that could really be known of the Grimm as upon death they begin to disintegrate into smoke and they wouldn't last long if they were captured, usually less than a few days at best. But they do not need food or water nor sleep, but they would feed on their victims- the other species. Yet they also tend to leave the other animals of the world alone, aside from territorial disputes.

The next dominant species on Remnant are humans, bipedal mammals with skin colors that varied from pale tan to dark brown, though the hair on their heads has a tendency to have a much wider variety of colors. They also tend to have a distinct sexual dimorphism between male and female though they can also have a wide margin between adult sizes and builds.

The humans are the most populous of the latter two dominant species and control most of the civilizations on Remnant, though they had the constantly fight the Grimm for territory and survival at every moment.

The last species are known as Faunus. They are very similar to humans in almost every way except for a few key differences that set them apart. For one, nearly all Faunus have night vision, allowing them to see quite clearly in dim lighting where humans would be blind. Their other senses tend to be a bit sharper than humans, on average.

But their real distinctions come from the single trait that they tend to share with wild animals, varying from tails, claws, teeth, scales, horns, to ears… the last one normally granting the Faunus that bear them an extra pair of ears that work with their human ones.

For the planet itself, the majority is covered in oceans and the land is divided into four continents and several large islands with a plethora of smaller islands. The northern continent of Solitas occupies the North Pole of Remnant and the surrounding latitudes that barely reaches temperate climates .

The Eastern hemisphere is dominated by the largest continent of Anima, primarily in the northern reaches of that side of the planet, and has a wide range of environments thanks to its reach and landscapes.

South of Anima lies the largest island of Remnant, known as Menagerie. That land is dominated by deserts on its eastern side but lush forested lands on the west.

The western hemisphere has two continents, the smaller of the two consists of several archipelago's that form a draconian image on the maps. Unfortunately, it is the least explored of all lands on Remnant due to so much harsh terrain and unpredictable currents and weather as it sits between Solitas and the next landmass.

The other continent, Sanus, is the second largest landmass with distinct halves thanks to the western half being mostly desert and the eastern being far more temperate and forested mountains.

But what may set the world of Remnant apart from all others are unique minerals that are simply known as Dust. Dust being a crystalline substance that holds power of elements such as fire, wind, and lightning within it, though it is unknown exactly how that happens. What is known is that once the humans and Faunus discovered Dust, they found the power to truly fight back against the Grimm.

With that power in hand, civilization was finally able to begin. Small communities became towns, then into cities. Sometimes, those cities went to war with each other over differences, and they learned that doing so would draw the Grimm with the strife and suffering and anger.

War was always a messy ordeal in the best of times but having to reserve half of one's forces to deal with Grimm rather than with the chosen enemy.

But peace has proven to be preferable, though civilizations rose and fell over the millennia, they persisted until the present day where most humans and Faunus were gathered into four major kingdoms with several major villages, each of them having been developed in well defensible locations. And with Dust helping to power and advancing the technology, civilization has reached its current peak.

—-

Off of the northern coast of Sanus, a sea cut into the landmass leaving an island as the largest mass in the area aside from the mainland continent. This island is known as Patch and the town on it goes by the same name, likely out of convenience. Patch is often said to be the little sister of the main Kingdom, Vale, on the mainland thanks to the small strait between them.

But today was a day of excitement for Patch as the local school was having its final exams.

Now, for most schools, final exams tend to reduce many students to nervous wrecks as they worry about the tests and passing them. However, these aren't the average tests on paper on varying subjects, though they did have them for all of the students. It just happens that a fair few of those students were in training to become Huntsmen.

In the world of Remnant, Huntsmen and Huntresses are individuals who have extensive training and education in ways to combat the forces of Grimm. And given that there are many differences between them, a standardized training will only take them so far and they have begun to rely on individual combat styles and personally crafted weapons to suit them.

The more rigid structure of the military handles the basic defenses of the Kingdoms and other combat related roles and rescue operations but their training primarily comes after a full public education. They also tend to have many of the Huntsmen hopefuls among their ranks who couldn't quite cut the needs of the specialized training.

But at the school on Patch, known as Signal Academy, where the Huntsman classes had already undergone their written tests and had moved onto the practical. That would involve a series of tests to put the students through their paces evaluating their agility, combat skills, and reactions.

First up is the obstacle course, though it had been altered from how the students normally ran it. It was now forcing them to deal with swinging logs, rope climbing, balance beams, turning tables, water jets, flamethrowers, gusts of wind, and projectiles among other things.

It was needless to say that few of the thirty participants made it to the end successfully, though the test wasn't passed or failed upon completion of the course. Students would be graded on how far they did get through and how well they handled the challenges up to that point, along with their speed.

"Ah, c'mon Iris! You did pretty good out there!" A young woman with a mane of long blonde hair greets her friend. Said friend is easily taller than the blonde though her hair is purple.

"Says the one who made it through the entire thing." Iris grumbles as she towels off, the weather is cool and the water pits under the course are cold.

"I'm not the only one!"

"Yang, just help me dry off so I can warm up."

"Okay!" Yang cheerfully chirps as she grabs a towel and wraps it around her friends torso before rubbing vigorously. That also had the very intended effects of tickling the girl's ribs and making her laugh.

Yang is a young woman in her mid teens who only stood up to eye level with Iris yet was taller than most of the other girls in the class. But what made her stand out besides her bright personality was her wavy mane of golden hair that she let flow loosely down to her hips. She was also notable for her very athletic build, her limbs well muscled but not overly so as well as… boasting the largest bust of any students on campus. Her lilac colored eyes and softly rounded face drew the attention of many.

In contrast, Iris is much thinner with wiry muscles and her defining features being a beautiful face and her sheer height, being the tallest girl in the class and on campus.

But they both wore the athletic uniforms of Signal, a grey shirt with the schools emblem- a lighthouse printed in black- a dark green track jacket that also bore the emblem in white on the back, and a pair of black shorts with comfortable sneakers.

Though Iris kept her jacket zipped up and the shorts reached her knees, Yang preferred to leave the jacket open and rolled up her shorts to expose more leg.

"Come on, you're doing pretty good so far. I'm sure you aced the written tests and you did better on the obstacle course than half the class."

"Yeah? I'm still not sure I'm going to make the cut for the big schools at this rate." Iris sighs as she hands off the towel to one of the assistants for the test.

"Don't get all mopey just yet, there's still more to do and you need to keep your head in the game!" Yang gives her friend a light jab to the shoulder… light for her but still enough to push the taller girl a step to the side.

"I know, I just want to get into Beacon or Haven."

"Well, I know I'm only applying for Beacon!" Yang states proudly, putting her hands on her hips and puffing her chest a bit for the dramatic effect.

"Keeping it in the family, huh?" Iris asks as they find an open bench to sit and watch as the tests continue around them.

"I guess. Kinda wish Uncle Qrow could be here but he got called away for a mission."

"Hehe, best history teacher we ever had, huh?"

"You know it."

"Heard anything from your buddy in Vacuo? It's been a while." Iris watched as a boy was making good time through the course… until he got a water jet to the face that blinded him from seeing the beanbag shot out of an air cannon until it struck a VERY sensitive spot that made him squeal in pain. Then one of the swinging logs swept him off the platform and into the water below.

"Not lately. It's been too quiet here without them." Yang rested her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. "Makes me wonder what they are up to at Shade."

"I guess you'll have to call once we're done today." Iris stands up and stretches her back until she got a satisfying pop. "Let's get some lunch."

"Sounds good to me, it's tacos on the menu."

—-

"Miss Rose, please stay in your seat." The teacher calls out the young girl in her class.

"S-sorry." Ruby Rose, a girl in her mid teens who had been bouncing in her seat as if she were in an earthquake, had to force herself to sit still while class was in session.

Her black hair is cut short and a bit messy, only chin length at longest, though the tips are red. Average size and build for a teen, but with deceptively strong shoulders and arms. What stood out most, besides the red cloak she wore with her uniform, are her silver eyes.

There were other students who had a range of eye colors; shades of blue, green, yellow, purple, red, and grey… but she was unique with silver.

The Signal uniform was kept simple, a white button down shirt/blouse, a dark green vest or jacket, and khaki pants, shorts, or skirt. Footwear was up to their discretion though most stuck with sneakers.

The reason for her anxiety was because her sister, Yang, was undergoing the graduation exam. Her own class had gone through their own tests as well but their physical tests had been performed early in the morning. Ruby still had two more years until she would graduate and she wanted to go to Beacon like her parents did and sister planned to.

She was just grateful that her class was getting a small break between tests or she really would have been in trouble for disturbing her classmates.

She needed something to occupy her mind and not entirely school related, so she pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pencil and began drawing weapons.

—-

A camp existed deep in the forest for a few weeks. White tents stood out against the red foliage that dominated the area, though the forest was given the name, Forever Fall because of that coloring.

The trees are a particular species that rarely has green leaves at all throughout its lifespan but still photosynthesis like any other plant does. The leaves simply were shades of red.

But looking over that camp from a nearby hill, a woman watches through binoculars as the Faunus in matching uniforms go about their tasks.

Glancing down at her scroll, she sees her notes detailing her plans. She had been given a massive task but knew that she could not do it alone. She may be powerful but she wasn't stupid enough to think that she could take on a camp full of armed soldiers alone. And those in charge of the camp, they would make things much more difficult.

One is a massive man, head and shoulders taller than her with big muscles. She had witnessed him fighting an Ursa that morning and won, without his weapon. He had raw strength and durability to spare, making him someone to be wary of, especially if he wasn't alone.

Another is a teenage girl who held her black hair back with an equally dark ribbon. She had skills, mostly for sneak attacks, but is quite fast and her weapons provided her with options in a fight.

But it was the leader of the camp who she was warned to not pick a fight with alone, stating that he was at the very least equal to her in power by himself. But the young man was driven and cunning along with his combat prowess.

She would need some very good help to make this group join her cause.

There were rumors of a thief in Anima who nobody could catch. While the thefts were mostly petty things like food and basic necessities, more than a few high value items have vanished, seemingly without the owner's knowledge.

She also knew of a highly skilled man who lived out in another forested region of Sanus. An assassin would be an excellent enforcer for her purposes and she had the backings to keep him loyal to her paychecks.

One last glance at the camp and she watched as the leader and the ribbon wearing girl met and embraced. Clearly they were quite familiar with each other… something that she'll have to keep in mind for later, if needed.

She returns to her airship and flies away, confident that she'll get her recruits and the camp wouldn't move far in that time.

—-

It is cold on Solitas.

For the most part, that is what anyone would say about any place on the continent, even during the height of summer in the southernmost reaches.

But few places seemed to be as cold as a certain manor owned by the richest man on Remnant. It wasn't that he was skimping on his heating bills; it was certainly warmer inside than out, it was simply the attitude the man has that is so pervasive that the atmosphere was chilling.

A tall man with white hair swept back neatly and a mustache to match, the white suit and blue vest only seemed to make him appear more glacial, especially since his expression only seemed to be calculating. Soon he came to a room where a much shorter and plumper butler stood outside of.

"Does she still think she'll become a Huntress?" The man asks the servant.

"She is training extensively as we speak, sir."

"Hmm… I may have allowed her to have her way and hired a tutor to train her to fight, but that was solely for her own protection against those animals."

It didn't take a genius to know what the man was referring to, especially with the venom in his tone for the last word.

Klein withheld a sigh, knowing that his employer was referring to the White Fang. The organization had begun as a peaceful protest group who fought for equal rights for Faunus but over the past few years, when the founder retired from leadership, they had turned towards violence.

And it wasn't exactly a secret that Atlas wasn't the nicest to Faunus, and the Schnee Dust Company had many dark rumors about how it treated the species.

And unfortunately, Klein knew that Jacques wasn't only speaking of the group but the species as a whole. That disdain was something he never agreed with but this was still his boss holding his tongue and not putting on an act in public.

And Klein put up with it so he could continue to care for those he really cared about: the man's family. And one of the family members was in the next room.

"Sir, Miss Schnee's skills far surpass what the tutor had expected. There have been few tests that she has not exceeded since she began."

Jacques didn't seem to be surprised, no doubt having received reports but had hoped that the training would dissuade his daughter from pursuing this endeavor she set herself upon.

"Then it may be best that I provide her with a true test of her skills if she refuses to give up this farce. My heir should not be distracting herself with such petty matters."

Klein felt the air around him grow colder at those words, but he was used to it. Of course his boss would be more focused on what would benefit himself over anything else, including his own daughter's will.

"I assume that you will provide this test, sir?"

"I'll come up with something, I always do. This will be no different than some of my more stubborn competitors." With that claim, he walks back the way he came and soon the hallway seemed to warm up.

"He's determined to keep me under his thumb, isn't he?" A soft voice pierces the door behind the butler once Jacques was far enough away to speak freely.

"I'm sorry about that, Miss Schnee." Klein apologizes sincerely.

"No matter, now that I know that he plans to push me beyond my limits to hold me here, I'll increase my training so I can break those chains he's making."

"And I wish you the best of luck, Miss Schnee. I'll do my best to help you in any way."

"Thank you Klein."

"By the way, Miss Schnee, it is nearly dinner time."

"Thank you, I'll get cleaned up."

—-

"Hyah!" BONK! A massive hammer came down on the head of a Beowolf and crushed its skull even before the weapon brought the body to the ground.

That hammer belongs to a short, ginger girl with turquoise eyes and a bright smile filled with enthusiasm and desire to fight.

Nearby, a young man her age shot twin submachine guns into another beast in a burst that brought it down for good. Another Beowolf leapt over a bush with the intent to rip his throat out, only for him to flow around the outstretched claws and plunge a blade attached to his weapon into its skull.

"Nice one, Renny!"

The black-haired boy with an odd pink streak in his bangs looks over at the girl and his best friend and his eyes widened in panic. "Nora! Behind you!"

Nora glances over her shoulder to spot an Ursa, a Grimm resembling a bear, charging at her and with a flick of her wrist, the hammer in her hand changed into a grenade launcher with the head forming the main body of the weapon. Casually, she turns and fires one at the beast, detonating against its chest and tearing it open easily.

"Nothing to worry about." Nora boasts as she shoulders her weapon with a grin.

"I suppose not. Let's go back to school."

—-

"And now for the Mistral Regional Tournament Finals!" An announcer declares as two figures step out onto the arena.

Both are tall, one a young man with an axe and dressed in heavy plate armor, complete with helmet. Despite his age, he already had a dark beard to go with his stout and sturdy build.

The other is a woman with long red hair and wore bronze armor primarily on her legs and arms, her corset is armored as well and her skirt matched her hair. Her weapons are a sword and shield.

"Begin!"

The two fighters clashed and they demonstrated exactly why they were the ones who made it to the finals as their techniques were sharp and precise, every attack timed as well as the blocks and parries. The woman proved to be the more nimble fighter while the man could take the hits that landed well.

The fight was intense and both took their hits and came back for more. They had the endurance and skills to keep the fight going for five minutes until a winner was decided.

"And the Champion this year is Pyrrha Nikos! And for the fourth time in a row to set a new record! Let's give this little lady what she deserves!" The announcer declares proudly as the crowd goes wild in celebration.

Down in the arena, Pyrrha offers a hand to her fallen opponent. "You did well to get this far and pushed me harder than anyone else. Congratulations and thank you for the good fight."

"Heh, you're welcome. Maybe we could try this again sometime."

"That would be grand!" Pulling him to his feet, they both waved to the crowd who seemed to be riled up by the sportsmanship on display.

"I'm sure you'll have no problem getting into Haven after this."

"Oh, thank you, but I'm not planning to go to Haven."

"Really? Then where, Atlas?"

—-

A young man in a hoodie and jeans looked at the papers in his hands, shaking. Somehow, he had managed to work out a deal with a man who had connections.

Connections that had gotten him some forms that he knew he shouldn't have and lacked the qualifications required.

Yet it was his greatest dream to become a Huntsman.

He'd spent years swinging sticks as if they were swords in the woods but that couldn't compare to the real thing. He had gotten ahold of his fathers old training armor. It's not the best or has the most protection ability, but it was something. And he'd put it on and off enough times that he was familiar with the process and do it quickly.

But he would really need to get his great-great-grandfather's sword from its display rack to complete the crazy idea he has.

The blonde sat down at his desk and began filling the forms out before his nerves could betray him. As wrong as he knew this to be, he was letting his desires override those fears.

—-

Qrow was out on a mission, again. Nothing new and it's what he had trained for years to do, but sometimes he wished he could have kept his teaching job at Signal. That was a good job during trying times but at least those bad times were behind him and his family… mostly.

Tracking down leads on the big bad on Remnant was often tough but he was among the best in the territory and he could fight even better. It was bad news that a crazy murderer had escaped in Mistral territory but a team had taken care of that problem a few years ago, with the current Headmaster of Haven among that group. They had taken losses on that mission but stopping that man one way or another was the goal and they were successful.

His own mission, he hoped that it was just his bosses paranoia acting up but the man knew what he was doing, he just needed someone to get a better view of the situations. Caution was always what the man preached over being reactionary.

Rumor had it that a certain young woman was in the area and he was only going to check up on her. Honestly, it made him feel like a babysitter.

Yet he was sure Amber wouldn't mind a day or two of company, they could catch up on things and maybe go wipe out some Grimm together for fun.

—-

The Headmaster of Beacon Academy looked out his office windows and took in the sights that his position offered him. Not only was his office located at the top of the tallest structure at his school but the school sat on a cliff that overlooks the kingdom of Vale. On clear days he could see the ocean just a few miles away. Even better nights allowed him to see the lighthouse of Signal Academy on Patch just over the horizon… and with a bit of atmospheric refraction helped.

The current classes were still ongoing and would be for a few more months. The four big Huntsman academies had a slightly different schedule than the combat schools that fed their students to them: Beacon, Shade, Atlas, and Haven started their years early in the spring while the other schools ended late in the fall. That allowed the four schools to receive and go through the applications that were sent in for their potential students and have them go through a final acceptance test so they could display their skills firsthand.

That unfortunately made for a fair amount of extra work for his staff every year and the tests were usually held during the winter, not particularly an enviable job but it would push the potential students even harder thanks to the harsher weather.

This coming year should be interesting with the Vytal Festival and Tournament being held in Vale this time. Glancing down at the grounds below him, he saw Team CFVY walking by the tower. They were a team that was setting themselves apart in their own year as a nearly unstoppable force in combat.

Every so often there would be a standout, team or student, that would really catch his attention over the years. Ones that could really show exceptional skill, morals, and determination beyond the standard. The past few years haven't had such examples, though not to fault the students or teachers, they were all great and powerful upon graduation… they just didn't have a certain spark that really made them exemplary among the rest.

He had a team that did so nearly thirty years ago now, standing out since their first year. A few random students did as well, though one young man on that list quit school after his sister had a mission gone tragic. Another showed great promise and skill and he would check in on her from time to time as she did her work wandering Sanus.

But this was the time of year that often drew his mind to the future. What things may happen in the coming months, good or ill. The next batch of students… will they be truly dedicated or will the pressures drive them from pursuing the life of a Huntsman or Huntress? How many of them may potentially die during their training? It would be four years of education, training, and field work that would pit them against the monsters that threaten the safety of every mortal life in the Kingdoms.

A sip of hot chocolate from his mug warned him from the inside. Winter would be coming soon and he hoped that his agent in the field would handle things well. Then again, he wouldn't be his most trusted agent if he couldn't do the job.

—-

Taiyang Xiao Long watched over the arena where the Huntsman class sparred in their own small tournament. While winning was generally a demonstration of their strength and skills, it also meant that the more matches a student had, the more footage they had to send to whichever school they chose to help with their acceptance there.

Of course, there were always options such as joining the military where they would be almost guaranteed a higher rank from the start and be part of the special forces units. Then there was the option to stay at Signal and finish the next four years of training here or even go to another school. Granted, they don't have the same quality facilities that Beacon, Shade, Atlas, or Haven do but with a much smaller class, they'd have more one on one training and focus. Signal does have a significant graduate record of its own that is worth just as much as one from Beacon.

But as the Combat teacher, it was his duty to be familiar with many weapons and tactics and pass on that knowledge to his students. Four years in his class would make or break many hopefuls and he was used to it after over a decade of experience.

And just because his own daughters were in his class, that didn't mean that they received any special treatment. He actually made it a point to be harder on them than anyone else to avoid such accusations.

Then again, they didn't do too much to get themselves in trouble in his classes and he knew of what they got for homework and did in their other classes.

But now, he was watching as his eldest beat down a taller classmate with a series of punches that broke his guard and left him open for the finishing uppercut to the gut that also sent the young man out of the ring… where he lost his lunch.

"Winner! Yang!" Tai announces as he walks over to the sick boy and helps him up. "Go and sit over here. Rest for a bit."

Already the little sanitation robots were at work to clean up the mess. There were enough accidents like this that they were kept on hand. Plus Dr. Hemo was on his way over.

Glancing over at the other side of the ring, Yang was with her friends who patted her on the back for the win. Their eyes met and he saw hers flick to the boy. In turn, he gave a small smile and nod that he'd be fine.

And this was only the third match of the day that they'd needed to get through.

—-

Amber eyes darted around as she checked if the area was clear. Confident that the halls were empty, the cameras had been blocked, and she couldn't hear anyone nearby, she got to work with her lock picks on a door.

Infiltration was her specialty but she could hold her own in a fight if needed, and the lock was opened in just a few seconds. Silently, she slips inside and uses a small, dim flashlight to help navigate the otherwise dark office, her ability to see well in the dark coming in handy for things like this.

She began scanning through the files in the drawers, specifically for a certain one, one that a tip from the network said should be here. All she needed to do was verify the information and copy the file for later use.

It took a few minutes but she found the right train schedule and indeed the contact was correct. A few quick photos with her scrolls camera of the pages that included the times it should be leaving which stations, the cargo expected, the crew, even which type of train it was to be running the cargo.

An extra page caught her eye showing that there was to be extra cargo that isn't going to be on the official manifest along with some extra protection for it. It was vague but valuable enough that they shouldn't be surprised if there is resistance.

One last photo of that page and she made sure that everything was back just the way it was when she came in. A pause at the door to check for anyone coming by alerted her to someone just outside.

A key slid into the lock and the door opened to allow a pudgy elderly man inside who went straight for the desk and from his scroll began to play music, leading to him dancing his way through the shelves.

Above the door, the girl had pressed herself into the joint of wall and ceiling, using the doorframe as her only real support. She was lucky that the man had completely missed her and given that he didn't bother to close the door, she took the opportunity to swing out and into the hallway.

A few seconds later, she was gone.

AN: Yes, this was more of an introductory chapter than anything else and not even everyone was named. More focus will be given to them in the coming chapters and especially when we hit where Volume 1 begins. Since I have this chapter done, it's back to focusing on Big Issues until that chapter is done, maybe if I'm lucky I'll have that finished for the weekend, work has been giving me lots of overtime and little else to do during that time.

Until then, reviews are welcome and I hope you all enjoy the Issues series!