Sorry about quality. Midterms are upon us...

REAPER IN RED

Chapter 41

I yawned as I stepped out of the shower, my hair in a disarray. The day had already gotten off to a rocky start, with my waking up tired, and then realizing I had misplaced my favourite hairbrush. I didn't notice my magic had been slipping, and now there was a big hole in my territory right where the cafeteria was. Grumbling, I forced out some power to close that gap, hoping that it wouldn't reset my so-called 'thirty-one day timer'.

"Today's the day!" Weiss cheered excitedly, which somehow managed to turn my sleepiness-headache into a real headache.

Ugh, I needed coffee. And my hairbrush.

Preferably the hairbrush first, then the coffee.

"Yeesh Weiss." Yang barked out, finger-combing her hair. Oh, that was a good idea.

"What's going on today?" I decided to ask, between a long and drawn out yawn. My fingers twirled through my hair, catching on knots. Now this brought back memories of my life pre the introduction to hairbrushes. What a sad, sad existence I had lived. "It's not another huntress-y mission, is it?"

Yang smirked. "You're already game for another one?"

I shook my head. "Maybe tomorrow. I'm too tired right now."

"Ya, what's up with that? Getting a cold or something?"

"Or something," I helpfully responded.

"Blake, you got any ideas?"

Blake let out a "hmmph!" in response, followed by a strange look in my direction. I frowned. What was that even about? "Oh, Blake? Mind meeting up later today, I have to tell you something… about the project we're working on?"

"Project?" Yang jumped up. "When was somebody going to tell me about a project? Which class is it? Its History isn't it. Totally history. No, Grimm Bio. C'mon! you have to tell me!"

"It's not history," Weiss rolled her eyes. "Or Grimm Bio. Just something Blake and I are working on together. Sorta like extra credit?"

"Personal project." Blake cleared up, her eyes focused entirely on Yang.

"Does this have anything to do with…" Yang motioned to her head, miming Blake's bow.

"No-"

"-Yes."

Blake and Weiss looked at each other.

"Yes-"

"-No."

"Well, when you guys can figure out… whatever it is, I'll be here. Rubes, any idea where I put my Aura Essentials textbook? I'm not getting detention from Goodwitch again for forgetting it again."

"Check under your bed."

Yang shot me finger guns and went to searching. I packed up my own books, slinging the bag over my shoulder.

A few minutes later and we were out the door, following the throngs of other students to class with Professor Goodwitch.

Class itself was as interesting as it usually was. Even if it was mainly a lecture about something or other that had to do with maintaining aura when engaged in fighting multiple stronger targets. Weiss seemed to be taking notes rapid fire -as was the norm for her- but spent little time trying to get me to take notes myself.

There was enough time at the end of class for a single fight. Pyrrha faced off against Nora. It went about how I had expected it to go. Pyrrha pulled a Pyrrha, and Nora had too much fun attempting to break her legs. At the end, Pyrrha helped her teammate to her feet and the two walked back to the changerooms, chatting about something I couldn't quite hear.

Professor Goodwitch let us go with a few pages of material to read and not much else in the way of homework.

Professor Oobleck's class was as equally interesting as the previous one, but without the fight to wrap it up. There was a great deal about the creation of the modern huntsman. Lots of politics, scheming, interplay between kingdoms, the general Grimm-fighting community and the newly formed huntsman academies. Humans were doing so much while I was young. Well, younger.

I wanted to ask him about the statue in the center of Beacon, but I couldn't figure out when was the appropriate time to ask. His breaths were much too short to try and interrupt him.

All too soon, it was time for an assembly in the amphitheater. An assembly which I had completely forgotten about yet had left Weiss an excited mess. It was probably what she was so excited about this morning.

Was it just me, or was the area a lot more crowded than usual?

Everyone from our year, as well as those from above us were there. But, there were also lots of people wearing matching uniforms, and others in summer clothes. I looked around to my teammates. Nope, they were all in their school uniforms like me. All of them with long sleeves, because it was colder outside. I wasn't misunderstanding the weather.

I noticed someone approaching us. Two someones. Was that-

"Sun!" Weiss shouted, bumbling up to the monkey Faunus, the two descending into a tight hug.

"Sup, girl. How's the school life been treating you," Sun said with a smile, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. He could use a hairbrush.

Weiss smirked. "Top grades, as per usual. You should really try it sometime."

That was when Sun's friend stepped forward, swinging an arm over his shoulder with a hearty laugh. "There can only be one scholar on Team SSSN and that's me. Howdy you do. I'm Neptune. This guy's partner, best friend, resident cool guy, and bestower of punishments for ditching us."

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" Sun rattled off with a laugh.

"Hello," Weiss greeted. "Oh, where are my manners. Sun, you know the team. Neptune, this is Yang, Blake and my partner-slash-team leader, Ruby."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Neptune said, nodding to each of us.

As Weiss was about to continue talking to her new friends, Professor Goodwitch's voice rang out across the halls. "Attention students!"

Slowly but surely, everyone quieted down and faced her. Beacon's headmaster took her spot, repositioning the microphone in front of him to his own height. "Good afternoon and welcome to Beacon Academy. Before me are those of you who wish to shepherd in the next age of peace for this world. Those of us from Vale, Mistral, Atlas and Vacuo. We are all citizens of Remnant with a purpose. A mission, to help the helpless and destroy the wicked. We as huntsmen battle the challenges of monsters and nightmares that seek to eradicate us, one and all." He paused to allow his eyes to glance across the smattering of students. "It is for us to use the knowledge we have learned from out schooling, as well as our experiences and forethought, to determine what is a nightmare, a demon, and what is a dream, an angel. It may be difficult to distinguish the two, but we as your teachers have the utmost faith… It is true that all of this began with war. But, it is peace that has served to guide humanity on its ascension to greatness. May we never stray from that path. Good luck in the upcoming Vytal Festival."

There was a round of applause to his speech, though some strange looks. Headmaster Ozpin always had some weird speeches. Blake side-eyed me. "What?" I whispered to her.

She shook her head and returned to clapping as the next person took the headmaster's place.

"Good afternoon, my name is General Ironwood, and I am the headmaster to Atlas Academy. Since the beginning days of the huntsman professions, we have strived to improve ourselves through competition and sport. It is, after all, a safer metric of training than the constant war against the Grimm."

He held for laughter. There wasn't much.

"To be a huntsman or huntress, is to be strong. To be intelligent. To be loyal. But most of all, to be rigorous in your pursuit of justice. It is the Vytal Festival, which has come to symbolize our duty to this pursuit and our willingness to learn from others. As much as the Vytal Festival is a competition between our best and brightest, it is also a cultural exchange. Learn from your fellow students, just as you will all learn from us in the coming weeks. You only stop improving when you think yourself at the pinnacle.

"A wise woman once said, 'a foolish huntsman is one who does not consider'. So, as you all prepare for the tournament ahead, consider. Your strengths and your weaknesses. Your friends and your foes. The strengths of your compatriots and how to best help one another. Remember, after all is said and done, we are all huntsmen with one goal. To defeat the Grimm and the Higher Order. The duty of a huntsman is never done."

More smattering of applause. I rolled my eyes. What did either speech really say? 'Hello and welcome to the Vytal Festival. You're all huntsmen, so start acting like it.' I giggled quietly, trying not to ruin the gravitas of whatever the next person on stage was talking about. Probably more of the same.

"It was fifty years ago, nearly to the day, that my father was standing in this very hall, listening to his own headmasters discuss the upcoming festival…"

Instead of listening, I shut my eyes and reached out with my magic, willing myself to feel the extent of my territory. Like the day prior, I could only really feel the very tip of my power, the edges of what my territory would one day hold.

"-it… it… huh. Moving on, it is with great pride that I stand before you today as a previous Vytal Tournament winner, and Vacuan Huntress of fourteen years…"

Hopefully, it wouldn't always be like that. My thoughts barreled ahead. Aside from being quite exhausting to have to keep my magic running constantly, I wasn't getting the sensory information I was used to.

In Reaper form, I could sense when things were going to naturally die. There was a fair bit of range to it, and it helped me to differentiate between sentient and non-sentient life. It could mostly differentiate between what was human and what wasn't. With some exceptions, obviously. Only Salem was said to be that good. Mom had told me that Salem was so powerful, she could recognize and remember the aura of anyone she had come into contact with before.

So cool, I wish I had that power.

"The Vytal Festival is not the first time humanity has come together, using competition to foster peace and wellbeing. Nor will it be the last."

The person standing on stage immediately took my attention. Her voice was calming, soothing in a way that quirked at my mind. A semblance of a memory forming, as I tried to recall where I had heard it before.

"Ugh," I huffed, trying to see past Yang, who thought now would be the best time to use her height to my disadvantage and stand directly in front of me.

"She's pretty hot," Yang half-whispered. "Wonder what she's gonna teach."

"The tournament is but the next incarnation in a long line of methods of bringing people together. To overcome their differences and ward off the threats of the unknown. Even with the monsters of Grimm, and the beings humanity has come to refer to as the Higher Order, it is not and has never been such things that cause humans to fear." Her voice flowed melodically, with a hint of amusement in her words.

I shuffled my way around Yang, trying to get a better look and assuage my brain and finally put a face to the remembered voice.

"What humans, what people fear above all else, is that which they do not know. It was not the Grimm which scared people, but the inability to fight against them. It is not the beings of Higher Orders that humanity fears, but the lack of knowledge in where they come from. Of what they are. And of how they came to be. The single greatest invention of humanity is its ability to communicate. To share knowledge and spread it across the world. Through events such as this one. So, let us one and all come together in our sharing of knowledge and information, so that we may push back the unknown, and embrace our fears."

As I finally regained a clear view of the stage, I saw two silver eyes piercing into my own. Long black hair flowed over one shoulder and a sultry smile graced her lips.

"Good afternoon, my name is Cinder Fall."

A bit of a boring chapter, this one was, but that's what happens when studying for midterms takes up your time and you forget to build up a backlog. Sorry!

C3l3st14 - No, Reapers cannot use disease as a weapon. This mainly has to do with the purpose of a Reaper, which will be more clearly explained in an upcoming chapter (I haven't written it yet, so I can't say exactly which one).

Alucard45 - Oh I totally agree with that headcanon. In my head, he is sort of like Bumi from Legend of Korra in that regard.

Dragonqueen1993 - His classes are soooo boring! He should just stick to the fun stuff!

Dragon Lord Draco - Well, it technically is a pretty efficient way of killing monsters. It's not like vampires are human/sentient/living, riiight? ;)

TM Calypso - Next chapter! (probably)

firewyrm2 - Soon things shall be revealed. I will probably insert a more action packed chapter in the future, to keep things from getting too stale, but some more setup/railroading was required first.

Somebody Someone - I have a framework for how I want Ruby to be revealed, as well as parts of the 'Qrow Arc'. How likely will my initial idea stay the same? Fairly likely, though I can't promise it will be 100% the same. What that essentially means is that I am indeed building up to something, but there is about a 40-60 chance that it will not be what my outline says (not that it matters too much on your end, since I don't plan on sharing that outline anytime soon. ;P )