R _ _ _

What is your favourite fairy tale?

There are infinite stories, passed down from generation to generation, as inherent as the air we breathe and the water we drink. Tales that bring us together, to unite us in rapture at figures whom we might one day emulate, to show us a fictional hope that we will one day make real. Indeed, these tales, these legends of bravery, triumph, and despair, have become the very foundation of our world.

And every story… needs a hero.

Some heroes are the strongest in the world - paragons that all others aspire to become. Heroes who take up their swords only because they must, and find themselves more capable than a thousand barbarians who throw themselves laughing into battle. Heroes who appear as the foulest of villains in the eyes of those who oppose them.

Truly, there are many kinds of heroes. Yet more often that not, the truest signs of heroism come from within. The world may be complex, yet the greatest of heroes...are those possessed of a simple soul.

The wind was howling, screaming aimlessly into the night as snow descended onto the fields below, blanketing all in white. Across the vast landscape, there were no signs of life outside of a single black bird, flying boldly through the chilling storm, safety above the treacherous dangers below. The hordes of dark Grimm, their black masses contrasting against the pure white expanses as they wandered towards some rare shared purpose.

A single shade of red stood solemnly in the snow, their cape billowing violently in the wind. A young girl, alone in the blizzard, surrounded by a legion of darkness, forces of pure hatred that sought to tear and destroy all life that existed in the world. To anyone, she would seem to be nothing but easy prey for a starving predator. If the Grimm could think, they would think the same as they crept towards their target.

But they would be wrong about one thing. The girl was not prey - no, she was the predator.

Silently, she drew her weapon, a massive scythe as blood-red as her cape, smiling as she eyed her approaching foes. Her enemy, who felt no fear and did not flinch at death, charged without pause, growling and gnashing their teeth as they bore their claws at her. The girl sidestepped the first, slicing its body in two like a hot knife through butter. The second lost its head in a swift stroke of the weapon, and the third was cut into pieces before it could even move.

Now it was the girl who was on the offensive, cutting down her foes without a shred of mercy or hesitation. The Grimm, embodiments of destruction itself, fell like flies before her indomitable might as she ripped, tore, and slashed through them all. Showers of bullets rained from the barrel of her scythe, blasting them into pulverized bits as she danced gracefully through the snow. When the last monster remained, it seemed to pause, almost as though it were a living creature that understood it should flee, that it was up against something it could never beat. But of course, it was too late, as the girl cleanly removed its beastly head from its shoulders.

Victorious, the girl planted her scythe in the ground, sighing in relief as she removed her hood. It was incredibly cold, but to her it was no big deal. The enemy did not fear the cold, so she would have to do the same if she wanted to survive against them. That was the way of the warrior, the way of the Huntsman. And the way of the Huntsman was what she knew best.

"That was easier than I thought," she said, admiring the icy cloud that formed from her breath. Smiling, she turned to look behind her. "How did I do, Uncle Qrow?"

"...Heh, not bad for a pipsqueak." The dark-haired man, appearing from seemingly nowhere, emerged from the snow with his own cape fluttering behind him. In his hand he held a large greatsword, worn from years upon years of use. "You've come far, Ruby…"

Qrow didn't finish his sentence, as Ruby disappeared in a flurry of rose petals in front of him. Unperturbed, the warrior drew his weapon and swiftly turned around, easily deflecting the girl's own blade as he threw her to the side with his superior weight.

With a battle cry, Ruby charged at him, and he simply grinned, shaking his head at her predictability. He sidestepped her, but his eyes widened in surprise as she simply disappeared once more. Taken aback for just one second, he saw Ruby's scythe heading directly towards his face, and he knew he was too late to stop it.

The weapon struck true, but though Qrow felt a sharp rush of pain, he was not hurt. After all, he was an experienced Huntsman, and was protected by a force far stronger than his own flesh. Shrugging off the impact, he simply swung his greatsword with a mighty force, hitting Ruby right in the chest. The girl was sent flying with a loud cry, landing in the snow some distance away.

"... But you've still got a ways to go," Qrow finally finished, walking over to where his student lay. "I'll give you points for the surprise attack, though. You actually got a hit on me this time - not bad."

"Ow ow ow… it hurts," Ruby groaned melodramatically, while happily making a snow angel as she grinned at Qrow. "I'll get you next time, Uncle Qrow. And remember, when I win you're buying me all the cookies in the store. You promised!"

"Ha! In your dreams, kiddo!" Qrow pulled her up, gently brushing some snow off her cape. "Well, that was a good training session. We should get back soon or your dad's gonna get worried...but I bet you'd still like to see her first, huh?"

Ruby's smile suddenly faded, and she gave him a somber nod. "I thought so," he said softly. "Let's make this quick then - she's not too far up ahead, if I remember right."

The vast snowy landscape came to an end at the edge of a large cliff, upon which a stone monument rested. Standing before it, with Qrow by her side, Ruby knelt down and brushed off the snow that had come to rest upon its surface. Underneath, the sigil of a rose was engraved above a set of words, words that meant much to her.

Summer Rose

Thus Kindly I Scatter

"Hi mom," Ruby said quietly, awkwardly placing her hood back over her head; suddenly, the cold felt sharper, more painful than it was before. "Just thought I'd stop by and tell you that...well, my training's going well, and Qrow says it I keep it up I'll be sure to get into Beacon." She let out a nervous laugh. "Though Dad doesn't seem to happy about it...I'll do anything to become a great Huntress, just like you."

"Sadly, she hasn't gotten any taller," Qrow said with a grin. "If this keeps up, she might get rejected cause they'll think she's too young to get into the academy."

Ruby pouted. "Heeeyyy, you jerk." She turned back to her mother's gravestone. "See you soon, mom. I promise I'll bring Yang next time, okay?"

Qrow sighed. "Ready to head back, then?" He walked over to the grave, and from his pocket he retrieved a single rose, laying it down gently onto the monument. As luck would have it, at that moment a large gust of wind came and blew the flower away, off the edge of the cliff and into the sky. The Huntsman simply watched it go, his expression unchanged.

"Yep," Ruby said with a nod. As the pair headed away, Ruby turned to her uncle with a curious expression. "Uncle Qrow...you knew my mom, right? You studied together, the three of you - you, Mom and Dad. Dad tells me you all fought on the same team when you were at Beacon. Can you tell me more about your time there? And...more about her?"

"Well, I hope you like long stories, kiddo," Qrow replied, not turning to meet her gaze. He took a small whiskey flask from his belt, and took a generous swig of it as they continued to walk. "Tell you what. Instead of a mountain of cookies, let's make a better deal. When you manage to win, the day I decide you're better than me as a Huntsman, I'll tell you everything I know about your mom. Deal?"

"Deal!" Ruby agreed chirpily. And as the two made their way home, their conversations were of nothing but weapons, bullets, and the many battles that were to come.

"So, do tell me, Miss Rose, why did you do it?"

Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Ruby glanced up nervously at the man who had asked her the question. The room was dimly lit, and the lack of any weapons or cookies in sight made her extremely anxious.

"I-I didn't start it," she said defensively. And it was true, of course. She had simply been minding her own business, listening to her favourite song while reading her favourite magazine in the corner of her favourite store. It was a special issue, too - all about the latest advancements in Atlesian prosthetics - a promise of revolutionary artificial limbs that also functioned as weapons: swords, staves, and of course, guns. She had been in the middle of fantasizing about having a robotic arm cannon when she'd felt a rude tug on her shoulder.

"Hey!" The man behind her had growled. "Turn around and put your hands up, missy!"

She'd turned around and glanced at him, confused. The man wore garish red sunglasses and had a seemingly perpetual leer on his ugly face. Several similarly dressed men had filled the store, and were hoarding large amounts of Dust and other valuable products without paying for them. That was also very rude.

Finally, it had dawned on her. "Is this a robbery?" She asked curiously.

"Obviously!" The man snapped. "What, are you dumb or something?"

"Oh… okay," Ruby had said, and drew her weapon. The rest had been history; the robbers clearly hadn't expected such strong opposition, and certainly not from a fifteen-year old girl. She'd knocked them all clean out, with the exception of one - clearly the leader of the group, he had held his own against her with nothing more than his cane, grinning as he fought what he'd known was a powerful opponent.

"Did you know who you were up against?" In the present, the man in the shadows asked Ruby another question. "Roman Torchwick, the most dangerous criminal in all of Vale. Many Huntsmen have tried and failed to bring him down in the past, and a few have even lost their lives. Were you aware of that?"

"No, I wasn't," Ruby said, shaking her head. "I didn't know who he was, I just, well, I did…"

She had done exactly what her instincts had told her to do. She'd pursued Roman Torchwick even as he fled, his stash of stolen Dust in hand. Even while carrying a heavy load, the man was unexpectedly fast, easily climbing up a tall building with one free hand. Not willing to let him escape, Ruby had leapt up with all her might, disappearing into petals as she soared to the roof.

"Hmmph, you're persistent, little Red," Roman said mockingly, aiming his gun at her. "And what exactly do you think you're doing out here, all alone? Looking at you, I doubt you're even a Huntress in training. Shouldn't you be with your parents right now?"

Ruby readied her weapon. "My name is Ruby Rose! And I don't need to be a Huntress to know people like you have to be stopped. Now hand over the Dust and surrender!" She'd felt quite proud of herself for saying that.

"Oh boy, have I heard this speech a thousand times," Roman sighed. "Listen here, Red. You're still young, and you're all innocent and brave and you believe in heroes. I get it, we've all been there. But that's not gonna do you any good - it's all just lies and tricks in the end. There's no such things as heroes in this world! I know it, and you'll know it soon enough, whether ya like it or not."

"That's not true!" Ruby retorted. "Huntsmen and Huntresses are true heroes, and they're everywhere! They stop men like you every day! And I'm gonna be just like them when I grow up!"

The crime lord just shook his head sadly.. .and was that pity she'd seen in his gaze? "You still have time, you know - to reconsider. Whatever path you think you wanna follow, it's just gonna lead to a dead end. Literally, if you're unlucky enough. The only way to survive? You gotta play things smart, like me." Grinning, Roman raised his arms in a dramatic gesture. "Case in point."

Suddenly, Ruby heard a loud whirring noise, and felt a gust of wind stir her cape. Blinking in surprise, she saw something rise behind Roman - a large aircraft. "Ah!" she gasped, realizing just a bit too late. "You were… stalling?"

"Oh dear! You are young!" Laughing, Roman leapt onto the aircraft. "The oldest trick in the book, and you fell for it hook, line and sinker. A silly mistake," He smirked as the craft's machine gun turret turned towards Ruby. "But a silly mistake can easily be your last. So long, little Red!"

Panicking, Ruby tried to dash away, but knew that it was too late, and her fear had left her frozen in the one moment where she couldn't afford to be standing still. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced her impact… but none came.

"Huh?" Blinking in surprise, she saw a new figure had appeared in front of her: a woman, wearing a sleek white vest and black cape, brandishing a fancy-looking riding crop that was radiating a bright purple energy. Forming at the weapon's tip was a vibrant hard-light shield, shielding them from the gunfire. The moment the turret paused its fire to reload, the woman swung her crop, and the shield morphed into bolts of purple lightning that struck the airship head-on.

"Uh oh," Roman muttered, a look of genuine fear on his face as he staggered into the ship's cabin, slamming the door shut behind him. "See you around, Red! Think long and hard about what I told you!" The airship flew off into the distance, and before long was out of their sight.

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew… that was a close one." Turning, she got a closer look at her mysterious saviour. The woman was very beautiful, with flowing platinum blonde hair, lime-green eyes, and a stern expression that did little to diminish her looks. As Ruby stared at her, she realized that the woman looked somewhat familiar - she'd never met her in person before, but she'd definitely seen her on something, like in a picture or on TV. And then, it hit her.

"Oh my gods!" she exclaimed, practically leaping into the sky as her heart began pounding fiercely. "Y-you're… you're Glynda Goodwitch! You're, like, one of the most powerful Huntresses in all of Vale! C-can I...can I please have your autograph?!"

She did not get Glynda Goodwitch's autograph. What she did get, instead, was a stern escort to the nearby police station, where she now found herself face to face with the peculiar old man sitting there with a mug of piping hot coffee, who seemed to know exactly who she was. The fact that she'd been rescued by a world-class Huntress was still a thrilling thought, but she wasn't as happy about it as she'd been a few minutes ago.

"You still haven't answered my initial question," the strange man said, taking a generous sip of his coffee. He wore a sleek black suit over an emerald-green vest, and there was an aura of mystery about him that Ruby found fascinating. "Whether you knew who it was or not, you went up against a band of dangerous criminals. And unscrupulous lot, who would have killed you without hesitation if you'd been less skilled. Most people would have run, yet you chose to fight. Why?"

"Why?" Ruby blinked in confusion. Still, she decided to give it her best shot, even if she honestly didn't really know the answer. "Well, those robbers, and that Roman Torchwick person...they're the bad guys. They hurt innocent people, just like the Grimm. I… can't stand people who do that. I want to stop them, and to protect those who can't protect themselves."

She smiled, a strange, warm feeling rising in her heart. "My mom, dad, and uncle… they were all Huntsmen, superheroes that protected people at all cost. I… never really knew my mom, but everyone says I'm just like how she was at my age, so I wanna follow in her footsteps. I want to be a Huntress. And," Ruby met the old man's gaze. "I want to study at Beacon one day, just like she did."

The man smiled, and pushed up his glass spectacles. "You know who I am." It wasn't a question.

"You're…... Professor Ozpin," Ruby said in awe. "You're Beacon's headmaster, right? Your school's the best Huntsman academy on the entire planet! I...I... I'm not worthy to be in your presence, sir!" Abruptly, she stood up and tried to bow to Ozpin, smacking her head on the table in the process.

Ozpin chuckled. "Now, now, calm yourself, Miss Rose. I'm hardly worth bowing down to, I can assure you of that. The truth is, I simply came to see you because I had something to request of you. If you don't mind, of course."

"A request? Of me?" Ruby blinked, surprised.

"Yes. You wouldn't know, of course, but I've heard many wonderful things about you. Things from your uncle, that dusty old crow...and others, too. I've heard of your gifts, and your willingness to fight for what is right. And tonight you reaffirmed those beliefs and proved yourself to be true. So," Ozpin leaned forward. "Miss Rose, how would you like to attend Beacon Academy, right now?"

Ruby didn't comprehend at first, but the realization slowly dawned on her until it struck her like an Atlesian battle tank. "Now?!" she gasped. "Like, right now now?"

"Well, not now. In a few weeks, to be more accurate," Ozpin chuckled. "I'm aware that this is on very short notice, and you'll need to prepare and reschedule and get ready for the new school term. Not to mention, you'd be two years younger than the other students, so the workload may be a bit tough for you. If you'd need some time to think it over-"

"I'll do it," Ruby said. "I'll do anything to become a Huntress."

Ozpin's eyes widened in surprise. There was happiness in his gaze, but Ruby also thought she saw something else. Was it...sorrow? "Then it's settled," he said quietly. "I just have one more question to ask you, Miss Rose, before we part ways. Has anyone ever told you that you have silver eyes?"

"What?" Out of all the questions he could have possibly asked her, Ruby certainly hadn't expecting anything like that. "Umm...yes, my eyes are silver. I mean, I don't think anyone's ever really commented on it before."

"But you've never met anyone with eyes like yours, have you? Silver is hardly a common colour for one's eyes, don't you think?"

"I guess not." She'd never really thought about it, but Ozpin was right. "Is… is that important, professor? W-wait, is this some sort of test?"

Professor Ozpin let out a soft laugh. "Oh no, this isn't a test. Just think of it as the ramblings of an old man." He picked up his coffee and stood up, nodding amicably at the girl in front of him. "Have a good night, Miss Rose...I look forward to seeing you again."

Shortly afterward, Ruby found herself outside the station. For a full minute, she simply stood there, dead to the crowds of people around her, staring blankly into the distance. Then without warning, she leapt up and threw her hands up in the sky.

"YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She cheered as loudly as her lungs could muster, earning her quite a few surprised and irate stares from passerby, but she didn't care at all. Nothing else seemed to matter, not anymore.

She couldn't wait to tell Yang, Qrow and her dad. Yang would be ecstatic, of course, just a week ago she'd been saddened by the thought of parting ways with her little sister, and now the two of them would be together at the Academy. Uncle Qrow would probably howl with laughter at the absurdity of the situation, and tell her she had the devil's luck. Her father would lose his head worrying about her going away, but he'd come around soon enough. Hopefully.

Ruby could scarcely believe it. In a way, she was still processing what had happened. The road ahead would be full of trials and tribulations, that was for sure, but for now it seemed like all of her dreams were finally coming true.

She was going to Beacon.

A/N:

I suppose you can consider this a sort of part-rewrite, part-novelization of the series. Mostly, I wanted to explore the world of Remnant and its characters through a medium that doesn't have the limitations of an animated show with a tight budget. Updates for this series will likely be irregular for now, but once I have more time I think I'll be able to put out a chapter a week...hopefully.

Also, there will be no OCs in this fic. I will only use characters that appear in the actual show.

P.S. If anyone reading this also reads my other fic, Stark, there might just be an update for that coming out in the near future...about time, I'd say.

Cheers,

donutkirby