Guiding Light

Narrator POV:

In a dark room in an unknown location, four familiar figures stand at attention facing another figure cloaked in shadow.

"Well, did you secure the target?" The shadowed figure asks in a deep voice.

"N-n-no sir, s-she was too powerful for us" a brown-haired huntsman answers in a shaky voice.

"B-but if we get another chance, we will definitely succeed," the only woman in the group adds.

"Yea" The two other male's in the group hastily agree.

"That's quite unfortunate isn't it," the shadowed figure says, and snaps his fingers.

-BANG BANG BANG

-BANG BANG BANG

Gunshots ring out as the four figures are gunned down from out of view,

"There are no second chances," The shadowed figure ends.

POV Sapphire:

It's been a week since I accepted Ozpin's offer. Old man Qrow had left shortly after Ozpin did, as he had a mission to finish or something. This left me the week to rest and recover, and I am glad to say that I am fully healed. All that's left of that wound is a thin scar running around the left side of my abdomen.

"Haah," I sigh at the thought of another scar being added to my collection.

After I was discharged from the hospital I booked a hotel room for a few days, as I had no reason to return to that cabin. The day I was being discharged I got a visit from Ozpin where he explained that I will be participating in some sort of initiation on the first day of the week.

It is currently late night on a Sunday, and as much as I would like to go out and enjoy the nightscape like I usually do, I have to be on an early airship ride to Beacon tomorrow, so I will sleep.

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-Beep Beep Beep

-Beep Beep Beep

-Beep Beep Beep

-Beep Be---

I am woken up by an alarm I had set on my scroll. I set it a couple of hours before the scheduled departure in order to give myself enough time to do my morning routine and make it to the airship with time to spare.

That being said time is not infinite, so I lift myself off the bed and move to get my day going.

After I finish getting cleaned up and ready for the day, I put on my gear, and pick up the photo off the bed.

I look at the photo and say, "Wish me, luck guys." before putting it away in the storage trunk with the rest of my stuff. I do a final check of the room to make sure I have everything before throwing my scroll into the leather pouch at my waist. I pick up my storage trunk and make my way to the front desk to check out. After leaving the hotel I head straight to the airport.

-----------------

White fluffy clouds.

Blue sky.

And a wondrous view of the city below.

I have to say, this truly is a unique experience.

I feel a smile come to my face.

"Look guys, we can see the whole city from up here," I say while holding up the photo of 12 children of varying ages and looks, all wearing the same white robes that all the test subjects were required to wear.

Even with my mistrust toward Ozpin, I can't help but grow excited at the prospect of attending Beacon, after all, who hasn't, at one point, dreamed of being a huntress or a huntsman.

Stories of huntsmen and huntresses braving unimaginable danger were available, even to us back at that facility. I remember, on the most horrendous days in that hellscape, I'd dreamed that one of those brave heroes would rush in to save us from those awful experiments, but no one ever came. There was a point that I grew bitter and threw all my hatred onto what I saw as false heroes, but that has long passed. After all, I don't blame them. Stories are just that, stories, and, in reality, heroes don't exist.

Even if I know those fairy tales to be ungrounded in reality, I still can't help but find myself hoping that it isn't all fake. That somewhere out there is a huntress or huntsman that embodies those heroes. One who puts others before themselves, and stands for what they think is right. One who will do anything in their power to save people from suffering, even if that means suffering themselves.

Someone that would have saved us.

I grip the picture frame tightly, as I realize my thoughts.

No.

I refuse to wait helplessly as people suffer when I have the power to intervene.

If I have to suffer instead, so be it.

I refuse to stand aside and pray for a hero to come to the rescue.

If I have to bear that burden instead, so be it.

I will be the huntress that the storybook heroes can be proud of.

And if I am to become a huntress,

I will be one that those storybook heroes can be proud of.

With new determination, I look onward toward my guiding light.

Beacon.