One year has passed since the day I first met Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch and thanks to Ozpin's friend Qrow, I can now use my Semblance properly. He had been a... strange teacher but since he helped to bring out my Semblance, I thanked him profusely. The problem that we found out with my Semblance is that normally I can only sense people and buildings a metre around me. Now with my Semblance, I can now sense where most people and buildings are around me. It just takes a lot out of me. Qrow has been training me to use my Semblance for longer durations, but I remain tired after every time I use it.
Like my friend Blake in the White Fang, he wasn't put off by my way of feeding, nor about me being a Faunus. He talked about his nieces that are enrolling to Beacon Academy soon. By the way he was speaking about them, he was very close to his nieces. Qrow wasn't the only professional Huntsman that I had run in while I had stayed at Beacon for a year. I also met Professor Port, with his stories of his old battles with the Grimm, and Professor Oobleck, he was kind of eccentric, with the way he talked. He talked so fast that he made my head spin.
Near the end of my training with Qrow; Qrow himself, Ozpin, Glynda, myself and a man called Ironwood all met in Ozpin's office. They told me that they are part of a secret group that protects the four Maidens and that keeps the piece between the four Kingdoms. They told me that the reason why the Winter Maiden before me unknowingly died was because she didn't seek the help from Ozpin and the others. They explained that there are forces that want to harness the Maidens's power for evil intent. There is one being that is hell bent on destroying Ozpin and the peace that had spread around Remnant.
Salem.
She's the one responsible for the Winter Maiden before me die. The reason why I am being hunted by an unknown force. And she's the reason why everyone has to put their lives on the line for me and the other Maidens. She has employed several people to work under her and carry out operations in her name as a sort of inner circle. Qrow, Ozpin, Miss Goodwitch and General Ironwood told me their names.
Tyrian Callows. A Scorpion Faunus and overall batshit insane as Qrow eloquently put it.
Dr Arthur Watts. Arrogant and condescending, but severely dangerous.
Finally, Hazel Rainart. Tall and insanely powerful. One not to be trifled with.
Once our talk was over, Ozpin, Qrow and the others led me to an underground facility 'where prying eyes cannot see us unannounced' as Ozpin put it. In the back, I picked up on a body signal that was growing weaker and weaker by the second. Ozpin explained that she is the Fall Maiden, Amber. She was attacked by one of Salem's people and was put into this state. Thankfully she is inside a pod that is the only thing keeping her alive. I placed my hand on the pod, trying to give her some comfort. "You must be in so much pain... I'm so sorry."
When they had pulled me away from Amber, they led me back to Ozpin's office where Qrow and Ironwood shortly left, as did I to my own room. In a couple of weeks, a new semester will start and Ozpin gave me permission to officially attend. I hope that I can make some friends when the semester starts. Obviously, I can't let them know about my Maiden Powers, but I don't think I could keep my Faunus heritage a secret for long though.
***
Months passed rather quickly leading up to the start of the new semester. I was told by Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch that I should go to the Main Avenue to see all the other Students. I used my Semblance to navigate from Ozpin's office to where the other soon-to-be-students were hanging out. I had my pink cloak on so no one could see my bat ears, and my Bat wings also bound underneath my cloak. I heard the feet of everyone walking passed by, ignoring me.
The Main Avenue was mostly empty apart from a herd of people. I sensed around seven people still around. Four out of the seven were harassing a rabbit eared Faunus. Somehow the other two students couldn't hear the girl being bullied by the four human students. Oh not on my watch. No one is getting bullied by Faunus haters, not while I'm here.
"Hey... You stay away from her." I shouted at the four bullies. I readied my Bow, just in case this turned ugly.
"What... You want this Faunus trash?" One of the bullies said as he grabbed the Faunus girl and pulled her so she was in front of me but out of reach. "Come and get her!" He then pushed the Faunus girl to one of his friends. They stood there and snickered at me.
Oh boy, they don't know what they have gotten themselves into.
"It's going to be okay." I said as I tried to calm her down.
"I would be more worried about yourself!" One of the bullies said. I then sensed him take out his weapon and tried to attack me. I waited for the right moment and coughed his mace-like weapon with my hand. He seemed surprised because he staggered away, I then elbowed his stomach with my arm. He shortly fell to the floor, clutching his stomach.
"Cardin! You bitch, you'll pay for that!" One of his friends growled out as I sensed him go over to this 'Cardin' and helped him up. "Sky, Dove come on, leave the freak. Let's teach this bitch a lesson."
Four on one, that doesn't seem fair... for you.
All four of them attacked me at one so I gracefully dodged them. I tried to counter attack but one of them managed to grab my cloak but I managed to quickly evade his grasp. I then turned and hit one of the four in the gut with my elbow, rendering him unconscious.
"Russel!" While they were stunned about their unconscious friend, I managed to take two more of them down. "Shit! Sky and Dove too." I then turned my attention to the last of the bullies. "H-Hey I get the message, no more picking on the tra-Faunus girl. Can I please go?"
I turned away from him as he muttered his thanks and collected his unconscious friends. "Just don't you dare do this again. To her or any other Faunus." I said firmly as I walked away to check on the scared Faunus girl.
"Hey, you are going to be okay now. You won't have to worry about them." I said softly, trying to calm her down. What caught me off guard was that she immediately launched herself at me, wrapping me into a tight embrace.
"Thank you!" she said as her hands made her way near to my binded wings, which she then pushed herself away from me.
"I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me." The girl said.
I collected myself and said, "It's fine, it was a spur of the moment thing. I understand."
We both fell into an uncomfortable silence. "So... You're a Faunus too, Miss?"
"Frandoll Scarlet. And you are?"
"Velvet Scarlatina. Please to meet you, Miss Scarlet."
"Oh please, there's no need to be formal with me Miss Scarlatina. You can call me Fran."
"Okay then, no more Miss Scarlatina. You can call me Velvet, okay." She said as she gave me a warm smile.
I blushed and I nodded my head out of embarrassment. "S-So are you a new student?" She shook her head.
"No. I'm a Second Year. I just went to grab food for them, but I ran into them. Coco's probably gone to look for me." Velvet said as I heard a voice behind me, my bat ears perked up at the new voice. I heard the pattering of feet running towards us. "Oh, here she is now."
"Bun Bun... Are you okay? Are you hurt? I heard from some passing classmates, you ran into trouble" This 'Coco' said as I heard her pull Velvet into a hug. Wait, Bun Bun?
"It's fine Coco. I'm fine, thanks to Fran, here."
"Umm... Hi! I'm Frandoll Scarlet. Pleased to meet you."
"Coco Adel. I'm Velvet's partner and team leader of team CFVY."
"It's good to meet you, Miss Adel." I said as I heard a soft giggle escape from Velvet. Did I say something strange "Is something wrong Velvet?"
"Umm. Please don't call me 'Miss Adel', it reminds me of my parents. Just Coco is fine."
I nodded my head. "Okay then Coco. Can I ask you a question?"
She nodded her head. "Shoot."
"Why did you call Velvet 'Bun Bun'?" I asked.
"I'm a Rabbit Faunus, as you can probably tell with my ears." I heard Velvet say.
"Got a problem with that!" Coco suddenly growled out.
"No! Why would I?" I said as I lowered my hood to show them my pointed ears. "You see, I'm a Faunus too. If I should be more precise, I am a Vampire Bat Faunus."
"A bat you say? Cool! Does that mean you have wings too? I heard that bats in general are a rare kind of Faunus. A Vampire Bat Faunus must be even rarer."
"Yeah, Mama and I are a rare breed. Most vampire bats can see like my Mama, however there are those that are unlucky and born blind." I explained to them both.
"When you say that there are Vampire Bat Faunus that are blind, do you mean that you are one of them?" Velvet asked as I laughed a little.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Mama and Papa said they were a bit worried at first, but I learned to use my ears instead of my eyes. I mean yeah it has been hard, but I've learned to adapt."
"Really, that's awesome." Coco said.
"Coco, we really should be going. Fox and Yatsu are probably hungry."
"Yeah, okay Velvet. Sorry Fran, but we have to go. Oh, yeah... Sorry for accusing you for hating Velvet."
I waved my hand in front of me, trying to ease her worries. "It's okay Coco, I understand. It has been a pleasure to meet you both." I said as I raised my hood to hide my ears.
"We'll see you later, Fran." Velvet said as I heard her and Coco walk away.
They both seem nice, I just hope more are like them and not like Cardin and the others. I hope they come to accept me for being a Faunus, like Coco was, and my Maiden powers. I guess I should try and find the other students.