Weiss looked up at the tower of Beacon staring up at it in wonder. This school was one of the original schools of art in the world and to this day was one of the best in world. Beacon was the primary art school and one of the four major universities throughout all the kingdoms. The kingdom of Vale held Beacon Academy, the center of the arts. To the north her homeland, Atlas, held Atlas Academy, the center of technological development. To the west the kingdom of Vacuo held Shade Academy, the center of agricultural development. Across the sea to the west was the kingdom of Mistral and its Academy, Haven, the center of natural development, ecology, and natural sciences. Trade flowed freely from each kingdom in airships and boats, trading goods, dust, culture and even the people of each kingdom. Movement between kingdoms was uninhibited and peace had become a lasting cause.

I'm finally here. Weiss though looking around the exit of the airship pad. Weiss Schnee is the middle child of the three in the Schnee family. Her older sister, Winter, stayed and went to Atlas Academy and moved into the army as a lead programmer of its mechanized units, having risen through the ranks she now commanded an airship that took these units out to explore the frozen north of the arctic sea, wherever the orders sent her. Her younger brother, Whitley, still had two years before being of age to go to academy, however, he was staying at home and would learn to run their family's company from him. That left Weiss.

Alone again, hundreds of miles away from my family. With a half dejected sigh she took a step forward out into the warm Valean climate, a far cry from the snowbound Atlas the airship left from. She had a bag slung over her shoulder dangling near her hip and her case in her hand. She looked down and smiled sadly,

"At least you won't leave me." She hugged the case to her chest as she walked, her one true companion since the age of six and the only one still by her side twelve years later in college. Her oboe was special, it wasn't her first because she outgrew that one, which now stayed on a stand in her bedroom back home, but it was truly hers. When she knew she was growing too big and too good to play on her learners oboe, she started saving her money and with a little help from her sister went out and bought her own. Now, eight years later she was walking around around hugging her case and smiling like an idiot. She caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye and stopped immediately, returning it to her side and straightening her posture.

Compose yourself, you are here to make your family legacy stronger. She gave a slight shake of her head and then pressed on. As she walked through Beacon her mind wandered along the trails of the past drifting in and out of focus. She smiled fondly at the memory of her teacher, more of a parent to her than just an instrumentalist. Her first days of playing when she was kicked to the other side of the house to save everyone's ears and her teacher's helpful encouraging smiles. He was the one who was at every life accomplishment she had, the one who strived to make her live more than the life her father wanted.

It was always like this whenever she played for her father, should could just never be good enough. She stormed into the lesson for the day and sat down putting her music on her stand. Her instructor looked up from where he was sitting as she opened her case and put her instrument together in anger. "And why are we upset?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes and glared at him with her reed hanging out of her mouth. "That is none of your business."

He nodded. "Very well, when you are ready, two and a half octave chromatic scale." She nodded and a few moments later after a few notes she straightened her posture to a perfect extent and played it. Her instrument climbed up and up as her fingers flowed flawlessly sending it into the upper register and back down.

He nodded. "Good, two and a sixth." Again, her fingers moved flawlessly sending it up and then another note and back down.

"All twelve, two octaves." A couple of minutes later she finished all of the scales flawlessly with no hiccups and then moved her instrument away from her mouth. The moment it left her body shifted some in the chair moving to a more comfortable position, it was a minor shift but enough for the trained eyes of her instructor to notice. He pursed his lips,

"Again." She looked at him then sighed returning to that stiff and unmovable position playing all of the scales. Once she stopped she returned to the more comfortable position while still sitting up and playing. Her instructor narrowed his eyes,

"Again." She huffed then again returned to the unmovable position and played them all exactly the same as before. Once again at the end she shifted a bit and her instructor snapped up quickly.

"Again."

She full out glared at him. "Mr. Ironwood, why are you having me play this over and over? You know I can."

He returned the glare just as much as she gave it to him then sighed sitting up in his chair to a comfortable position much like the one she was in now and picked up his oboe. "Listen." He played letting his sound ring through the air. As he played he moved slightly swaying and bit and staying loose sending his own instrument up and back down. The instruments sounded the same but there was a clear difference between the two, his sound rang out melodious and pure, entrancing his younger student. He set his instrument back down and pulled his scroll out hitting a few buttons.

"Same thing I just did. Go." Weiss nodded and played her chromatic scale sending it up and back down. When she finished she returned to the more comfortable position again. James set his scroll down pressing play on the recording he made and watched as she listened to it.

She nodded as the recording finished. "It is correct, is it not?"

He held a hand his nose taking a deep breath. "Yes, it is very well played, I just wanted to show you how you sound. Now let's see the music you are working on this month." She nodded then opened the folder on her music stand and glared at the music that was there returning to the mood she had when she entered the room.

James noticed this and nodded. "Alright let's hear the legato one first." She sighed and then returned to that perfect posture and started in on the flowing piece. In moved and waved in the wind, running up and down like a ship on the ocean in huge swells. As she played though her face became more and more scrunched up in distaste and even though it retained that beautiful moving motion and note accuracy the calm swells of the ocean turned into a raging storm and the waving wind turned into an arctic blast.

James sighed and waved his hand. "Stop." Weiss stopped and looked at him still holding her instrument at the ready.

"Is something wrong?"

He ran his head along his chin feeling the small amount of hairs move under his hand. "What did he say this time?"

Weiss's eyes flashed in a bright flare of anger and then a massive amount of sadness. "That doesn't matter to you."

James sighed and stood up and walked to the stand taking the music. "Play. Now." Weiss glared in anger staring at him standing there. She straightened her posture and started playing, the opening to the piece she was playing coming from memory. "Stop," James snapped out. " I didn't say play this to play." She looked at him in confusion and then started playing a piece from last month until James stopped her again. "No song, just play." She nodded and was about to return to her position until she was stopped by his voice. "And don't move, stay relaxed like that." ,

She got even more puzzled."But this isn't perfect playing position?"

He nodded. "That's true, but it's the right position for you, now. I know you're pissed with your father now show me! Play like you are angry!" She glared then looked down at the instrument and just unleashed. Her fingers flew across the instrument as the sound jumped around or twirled in the air running up to trills or back down to the lower register, it made no musical sense at all but still sounded good. Five minutes later she let the instrument lay across her lap leaning back against the chair and breathing hard. James looked at her."Now. What is music?"

She took a deep breath and paused, "A collection of notes and rhythms."

He nodded. "Correct, but now what truly is music?"

She looked at him in confusion still breathing harder than usual. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Music is a collection of notes and rhythms but what truly IS music?" He asked emphasizing his speech.

She sighed. "Well it's sound waves produced by the air we put through the instruments and the vibrations it creates." James sighed,

"Fine you got me there, but…" He trailed off thinking, "What is music to you."

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He raised his eyebrow looking at her, "Why do you play music, why do you devote yourself so completely to this instrument?"

She sighed and leaned back further into the chair. "It's just what I do, I've played music since I was young, you were there when I started, music has just been what makes me… me." She paused deep in thought. "I… don't know why I play music, I started because my father told me to, but…"

James smiled as she started understanding. "You need to find what drives you, and what motivates you. When you sit down and play, what do you feel, what do you want those who listen to to feel? When you listen to a piece, what do you want to feel from it. Even better," he looked at her instrument, "what did you feel when you just played that?"

She looked down at her instrument still in thought. "Free." He nodded urging her on. "There was no limit to what I could do, I was playing and I just did what I wanted to do. There was nothing to guide me, nothing to order me, nothing to control me. That was true freedom."

He nodded and then placed her sheet music on the stand directing her attention to it. "These symbols show you want notes to play and when to play them. They show you how to play them and how long to play them but that is not the end of it. Music is a language, you can interpret it however you want. Just because this note has a crescendo doesn't mean you have to equally crescendo. You are playing solos, pieces where you are the only thing that is playing so feel free to play however you wish. You play music for freedom, so show it! When you play, let it out. Put your emotion into it and play! Now start from measure 32."

James Ironwood was her instructor for her entire life and the one who originally showed her recordings of the professors at Beacon and pushed her to leave home to study there. Ahead of her was the tower of Beacon, an architectural masterpiece that served as the main offices and staff rooms at Beacon. She walked through the doors and into the entrance of the tower. Despite its massive size the interior of the office was sparse with paintings decorating the walls. She walked up to the receptionist and was a bit taken back as she stopped working and looked up smiling. "Hello! How can I help you today?"

Weiss stared for a moment, the people in her home were subdued and almost expressionless. This person was smiling, stopped working to talk to someone and was truly happy. Weiss swallowed and smiled some. "I have a meeting with Professor Ozpin."

The lady smiled. "Yes you do!" She stood up, "Come with me I'll take you to his office." She walked out from behind her desk and over to an elevator door on the far side of the office, after she hit a button she paused and waiting.

"I'm judging by the clothes you came from Atlas?" Weiss nodded and licked her lips suddenly feel her throat and mouth dry up. "Don't worry." Weiss looked at her and she laughed, "Ozpin is in control of the school, but he is not a bad person. He is actually a nice person and a big softie." She put a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "If you were good enough to get a meeting with him, you are good enough to be at this school, I promise."

The doors opened with a pleasant ding and Weiss followed in her in. The receptionist put a key card in a look a slot and pressed the button for the top floor. Weiss put a hand over her mouth and snickered, the receptionist looked over at her quizzically and Weiss kept snickering while point at the buttons, "Fort Port?"

The receptionist smiled and laughed out loud, "Yea, that is what Professor Port calls his floor, he is the percussion instructor here and is one of our more interesting people."

Weiss smiled and nodded much more at ease after seeing that. "You can be anything you want here, can't you?"

She smiled and nodded. "Beacon is special place, who you were doesn't matter. What you do doesn't matter. People judge others based on their own actions, you can make yourself new and do whatever you please."

Weiss nodded. "So what do you do?"

She looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Anybody can do anything, so what do you do?"

She smiled and put her hand on her neck blushing in embarrassment, "Well… I…" She sighed and looked up at Weiss, "I go out and spar with people." Weiss looked in shock,

"You what?"

"I go and hit people!" She smiled cheerily, "They can't hit me because I'm too fast so usually just end up hitting other people."

Weiss stared in shock for a few moments then smiled. "That is so cool! I did fencing for a bit and it was so much fun but my dad decided that a girl shouldn't be fighting so I started music but I want to look into that now."

She nodded and smiled as the door dinged and opened. "Alright let's go!" She stepped out, followed by Weiss. They walked for a few moments until she knocked on the door, "Professor! You have someone here to see you!"

Weiss smiled as she almost heard the sigh before the professor answered. "You could have just used the phone and I could have come down there?" The receptionist smiled and snickered.

"Nope!" She called back popping the 'p' in a childish way.

"You may enter now." The two girls walked in and saw the professor sitting at his desk.

"Miss Schnee to see you sir."

Ozpin nodded and set his pen down standing up. "Thank you Summer, you may go now."

She smiled and nodded then looked at Weiss. "You have fun now!" With that she turned and walked happily out of the room back towards the elevators.

Weiss turned back to Ozpin as he approached her and offered his hand. "Professor Ozpin."

She shifted her bag back on her shoulder freeing her arm and shook it. "Weiss Schnee."

He smiled. "I know, my dean of students is running a bit late, I believe it was a pranking involving a paint balloon in a trombone?" Weiss snicked again and Ozpin smiled, "Since we have time, may I see your instrument?" She nodded and walked over to his desk putting down her bag and laid her case on the desk. He went back to his chair and sat down as she took it out and assembled it then handed it to him. He took it gently cradling it not wanted to touch the keys on it as he looked over it. It was a tad bit longer than most other oboes, but that was just do to a longer bell piece. The keywork was all immaculately done and highly polished, despite this there was tarnish building on the keys from the years of playing. Without even pressing the keys he could tell that all the pins were balanced perfectly, every screw tightened to its most effective position. The silver keys gave a bright contrast to the dark wood below, the grain of it emphasized by the dark brown reddish lacquer that covered it and made it shine. However the most unique thing about the instrument was the bell and the design on it. Etched in white along the bell was a canine of some variety with its held thrown back howling at the moon. Ozpin looked over it a for a long time turning it ever so slightly to watch the light reflect off of it,

"That is very impressive."

Weiss smiled and nodded. "Thank you, but I can't claim credit for it, my sister took it a few weeks after she helped me buy the instrument and when she returned it with this and said she named it."

Ozpin raised his eyebrow. "She named it?"

Weiss smiled and nodded quickly. "She technically bought it and I paid her back throughout the years so it was hers to name. I'm glad she did because I wasn't planning on naming it at all."

"And what name does this beauty have?"

Weiss pointed to the bell. "It's carved on the inside of the bell, Conduit of Freedom."

At this Ozpin raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Most people give their instrument human names, that sounds more like a title."

Weiss sheepishly nodded. "Well she is an explorer so she names things like that, plus my instrument is a tool, another part of me, and not a separate entity from who I am."

Ozpin nodded. "That is a good way to think of it. From what I understand it is a fitting name."

"What is?" Both of them turned towards the side door as the sound of heels became clear.

Ozpin smiled. "Ah, you are here now we can begin," He turned to Weiss, "This is Glynda-"

"Goodwitch." She cut him off staring in awe. Glynda walked completely into the office looking down at the clipboard shaking your head,

"You won't believe this one." Weiss stood there staring at her mouth open slightly as Glynda talked to Ozpin, "One of our engineering minors rigged a trombone with a balloon projectile filled with non staining ink that covered about a third of the orchestra class when it flew out." She sighed as Ozpin chuckled some and then turned to face Weiss, "You know me?"

Weiss nodded quickly. "You're the reason I want to come to Beacon."

She tilted her head a bit and looked at her. "Really?"

"Yes, I heard you play a few months after I started and was captivated and I still am. I try to watch every single one of your performances and wanted to come to Beacon to train under you."

Glynda nodded and smiled. "Well, if that's what you want perhaps would should discuss what we came here to discuss, no? I like your instrument by the way." Glynda sat down as she spoke as did Ozpin, Weiss blushed slightly at the compliment and sat down starting to put her instrument away as Glynda tapped on what Weiss mistook for a clipboard and was in reality a tablet.

Ozpin leaned over his desk putting his elbows on it. "So Miss Schnee. Convince us." She looked at him blankly,

""What?"

Glynda didn't look up from her tablet. "You know there is a spot for an oboe player this year, convince us as to why it should be you."

Weiss nodded dumbly for a moment then took a breath and started. "Well at the age of eight I played."

Ozpin cut her off. "We know you can play, we listened to your recordings and some of the other ones. If you couldn't play you wouldn't be sitting there. We want to know why we should take you over anyone else. Who are you and what have you learned that has defined your life."

Weiss looked down at her lap at the case for a moment then looked up at the two. "May I ask you a question?" Glynda looked up from her tablet in surprise, not many of the students asked questions of them during this.

Ozpin nodded. "Of course Miss Schnee."

"Why do you play music?"

Glynda looked at her putting her tablet down. "For the sake of time let's say we answered your question, where are you going with this?"

Weiss nodded and took a deep breath. "Right, ok. I started music because my father made me and the only reason I played for the first five years of my music career was to please him. At the point in my life when I was growing up and wanting to leave him and his stupid rules behind my instructor showed me the meaning of music. He showed me how when I sat down and played, truly played and didn't think how I could use music as freedom. The only reason I am still sane is because everyday I could escape from my father and play music. For me it is my release, I feel better more confident just holding an instrument than I do when I'm not. When I am just living my life I feel so wrong but when I play music it feels so right. There is nothing that anyone can do that can take away that feeling from me. You want me to convince you why I should be allowed to come here? Well for me music is the only reason I exist, if I left here and returned home I would be at the beck and call of my father and be stuck living a meaningless life. Here I can make something of myself and I won't stop until I do." She sat still in her chair, her head held higher than before looking at them definitely, challenging them to call her off.

Ozpin leaned back in his chair and looked at Glynda. "What do you think?"

She leaned in her chair, her hand idly playing with the edge of her chin. "Who did you learn from?"

Weiss looked at the two of them. "I trained for twelve years almost daily under James Ironwood."

Glynda's shot over to Ozpin and back at Weiss quickly. "The former Atlesian military bandmaster?" Weiss nodded. "Well that explains a lot of your views on the purpose of music."

Ozpin looked at Glynda slightly angrily. "She means that as James' views on why we play music were some of the most important beliefs that he had, he could listen to anything and appreciate it as long as he felt it was being played for the right reasons." Ozpin looked at Glynda.

"Well?" Glynda bit the edge of her lip and Ozpin just nodded, "I agree."

Weiss looked at them in confusion. "What is going on right now?"

Ozpin smiled and hit a button on his desk. "Hey Summer?"

The receptionist's voice came out from the microphone there on desk. "Yes Oz?"

"Can you please find an open room and begin arrangements to register it to a new student?"

"Right away sir!"

Ozpin smiled then turned to Weiss. "Welcome to Beacon Academy of the Arts Miss Schnee."

A/N Well I can safely say I never thought I'd be doing this. My first thing here or actually anywhere for that matter. I plan on writing more, just not sure when. Depends on if anyone reads this or if I am just talking to myself. If you would like to let me know that I am not talking to myself in the comments I would probably write more. I have plans about some characters but if you have ideas, again just tell me, I'd love to hear. I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.