Chapter Text
Auburn Ren entered the school halls, the familiar scent of pine and musty books bringing back a hint of nostalgia to his chest.
He felt the corners of his mouth lift up into his usual bubbly smile. He was genuinely excited to be back at Sanctuary Academy, feeling a sense of pride as he had successfully navigated his first year here.
But not alone. He could not have done it without his team mates.
Jasper Polendina, Onyx Ren, and Peridot Zaiden.
Auburn let the last name linger in his mind.
He squared his shoulders back, taking a light deep breath in before letting it out through his teeth. He did one more for good measure, before he gave his head a little shake and went through the hallways, greeting familiar students.
He reached the dorm door, gently twisting the door knob, opening to the fresh start of a new school year.
Auburn peered into the room, seeing his sister, Onyx, sitting on the couch reading a book as usual.
He noticed Peridot, gingerly holding a small plant in his bright green claws. The pot looked frail in the claws that clinked against the side as he tried to carefully sit it on the bookshelf.
Peridot looked over at Auburn, a shy smile on his lips.
Auburn felt his heart beat louder for a second, before he walked in confidently saying, "Goood morning Team JAPO! What is going on in the dorm?"
A light giggle came from the bunks, as Auburn noticed the team's leader, Jasper, standing near the bunk beds, a picture frame in her hand.
"Well, hello to you, Auburn! It is nice to see everyone after the break."
Auburn gave her a cheerful grin, "Indeed it is! What you got there Jasper?"
Jasper lowered the frame a bit, revealing a picture of two young girls in front of a fancy looking school.
"It's a picture of my mama's when they were younger. I got it as a gift during the break."
Auburn nodded, "I thought one of them looked familiar, since we met Ruby during your birthday party a few months back. The other one though..."
"Looks like the statue in the school gardens?" Onyx chimed in, closing her book.
"Hey, I was gonna say that! Why do you always have to sound like the smart one?" Auburn pretended to pout.
"I knew it when I first saw the picture. It was a no-brainer."
"Guys, could we please not squabble so?" Peridot asked nervously.
"Oh we aren't squabbling Per Per, and if we are, then it is the typical sibling squabble." Auburn flashed him a reassuring grin.
Jasper set the picture frame up on her nightstand, as if facing it toward her upper bunk so she could look at it before she slept and when she woke up.
"It's actually so refreshing to be back at the Academy, getting to see and hear you all again." She smiled up at the other team members.
Onyx nodded, coming to stand by Auburn, "I agree. I was able to train more at home. That way I can be ready for whatever comes our way."
"Hey, that is a great idea!" Auburn loudly exclaimed, causing Onyx to wince at the loudness, "Let's train!"
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Standing in the large training room, a gentle hum from the fluorescent lighting as Team JAPO stood, holding their weapons.
Jasper looked around, "Right, so we are all here. But who should go first?"
"Oh I know, Onyx should go first!" Auburn called out.
"Sure, let's let the eager beaver go first." Jasper said with a chuckle, shaking her head a little.
Onyx rolled her eyes, something Jasper felt she missed seeing.
"Trust me, if I had a Fanus trait, a beaver would not be one of them."
The team stood off to one side, as Onyx readied her bow with an arrow. Light yellow flakes sparkled from out of it, hovering around the tip of the arrow point.
She aimed the arrow, taking a quick breath in, before releasing the arrow at a target.
The arrow whistled into the target, and the target exploded with a flash of yellow light.
Yet, Onyx was already reading her next arrow, her body parallel to the ground, a leg under her as she shot at another target, then another at lightning speed.
Until all the targets were lit up. One of them clattered onto the ground as Onyx stood up slowly, turning to face the astonished faces of her team.
Jasper started clapping quickly, exclaiming, "Wow Onyx! I am really impressed at your speed and aim! It's just so accurate!"
Onyx brushed a fleck off her bow, shouldering it, "Well, yeah, that is the name of my semblance, Accurate Aim. Yet, that was not my semblance at work, just a move I have been practicing and want to get better at."
"What is in the arrow?" Peridot asked curiously.
Onyx grabbed one from her quiver, "It is light dust, extremely rare and valuable. I had a family friend help craft a few arrows as prototypes."
"So that is why you were firing them left and right willy nilly." Auburn grumbled.
Onyx scowled at him, "Like I said, there are only a few for now. I wanted to test them here with the technology, then send notes back so we can better refine the arrows."
"You've definitely gotten faster! Almost as fast as me!" Jasper said with a warm smile on her face.
Onyx looked down and fiddled with the bow string, "You were kind of the inspiration for the speed. After watching you last year and in our training sessions. I just had to build up my endurance and gain some confidence to move fast."
"Well, hey, I think you have gotten better," Peridot said, stepping in front of Onyx, "In fact, I have been training to strengthen my aura, if you all want to see?"
The team members stood back. Peridot stood in the center of the room, his claws overtop of one another.
Peridot closed his eyes, slowly letting out a deep breath. A few seconds went by.
Then a minute.
Then another minute.
Auburn cleared his throat awkwardly.
Onyx casted a confused glance at Jasper, who then spoke up, "Hey Peridot, it's okay if yo-"
At that moment a faint glimmer of lime green glowed from his claws. However, the glow appeared brighter than normal, shining in the team's eyes.
Peridot let out an excited gasp, but the glow then disappeared.
"Did you guys see that! I have gotten a little bit better!"
Jasper smiled warmly at him, "Yes! I saw it! You did such a great job!"
Peridot looked down, scuffing his boot on the ground, "I am almost there. I find in distressing moments, I can get the aura to stay a bit longer."
"Guess we have to wait until battle, eh?" Auburn asked.
Peridot rejoined the team, "Yeah. I guess so."
"Alright, I am up next!" Jasper moved to the center of the floor, collapsing her scythe into its sniper form.
As the targets began to move back and forth, Jasper steadied the weapon, her eye level with the scope.
Jasper managed to hit the targets, some with bullseye in the centers, while others were swinging at the impact, twirling around.
Jasper quickly reloaded the cartridge, as a variety of different types of dust cartridges hit the targets, a rainbow of sparkles flying in the air.
As the last target was hit, the bullet slammed on it, knocking the target onto the floor.
Jasper stood up, blowing the bangs from over her eyes.
She peered over at her team and grinned, "Well, what do you all think?"
Auburn gave a low whistle, "Pretty good I'd say!"
"You need to work on your aim a bit more, some of the targets were missed." Onyx said.
Jasper held her sniper, her thumb brushing on the cool metal, "Yeah, I usually use the blade part of Crescent Blossom. I thought I could train and use the sniper part, and figure out my sniper strategy for future fights."
Onyx nodded, "Makes sense."
"Alright, but enough from me. Onto the last weapon showoff! Auburn you are up!" Jasper said with glee.
Auburn went to the center of the training room floor. He stood up a bit straighter, rolling his shoulders back, his hammer gripped between his gloved hands.
He held up his hammer, then lowered it, the bottom of the pole thumping the ground.
"I do have an upgrade, but it is loud and takes a lot of aura out of me. Seeing that we are in the school and have class tomorrow, I think I will not show you all today."
Peridot gasped while Onyx just shrugged.
"Oh boo! You just don't want to show us!" Jasper said impatiently.
Auburn smiled and winked over at her, "Trust me, dear Jasper, all good things in their own time."
To be continued.