Ruby Rose stood alone at the back of a shop named From Dust Till Dawn. She had a pair of red headphones covering her ears, blasting her favorite song into her brain. Her nose was stuck in a magazine about weapons, so she hadn't noticed the man who had walked up behind her until he grabbed her hood and pulled it down. She turned to look at him, surprised. When he pointed to his ear, indicating that he was trying to speak to her, she obliged and moved her headphones down to around her neck.
She only noticed the sword in his hand when he shoved its point at her. "I said, put your hands up!"
She squinted at him. "Are you… robbing me?"
"Yes!" The man answered, exasperated.
"Oh…" Ruby was far from letting that happen. In the blink of an eye she drove her foot into his stomach, causing him to crumple over. Taking a step back, she jumped in the air and spun around, letting out a war cry as she delivered a hefty kick straight to the man's face. He flew across the store, crashing into a shelf just in front of the window.
She smirked at the sight of her handiwork, but celebration was cut short as another man appeared. He was dressed exactly the same as the first, so she figured they were working together. Either that or she had missed a fashion trend. She charged at the second man and leaped into the air, landing both feet on his chest and barreling out the window on top of him. She landed on the street, shattered glass and one beat mook hitting the ground around her. He let out a groan and just lay there instead of making an attempt to get back up.
Thinking that there might have been more, she reached behind her back and grabbed her weapon. She pressed the activation button and let Crescent Rose unfold over her shoulder. Three men stepped out of the shop. Two more were dressed the same as the first two, so she assumed they were mere thugs, but the last man wore a stylish white suit. He had a cigar sticking out of his mouth, a cane in one hand, and a red dust crystal in the other.
The man, who was obviously the leader, looked at his minions and motioned toward her. "Well? Get her."
Ruby grinned. Now was the time to let Crescent Rose do the talking. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Weiss Schnee sat in her father's office, staring across the room at the man who had come to visit her. He had gray hair, which surprised her. He didn't look old enough for gray hair. Not even the small glasses on his face made him actually look old, in spite of being the exact kind typical of most old people she'd encountered. This man's age was indiscernible as far as Weiss was concerned.
He was Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy. It was the most prestigious fighting school there was, which was saying a lot, and she couldn't care less. He was here on her father's request, to evaluate her eligibility for Beacon. She had no say in the matter. She had never had a say in the matter. She hoped Ozpin would see that and refuse to accept her.
She knew better, of course. She was a good fighter and any school would be foolish not to accept her. The best thing about the whole situation was that she had chosen Beacon. She didn't want to go, but at least at Beacon she could get herself expelled and then disappear where her father couldn't find her. There was no such chance any other place in the world.
Her father talked to Ozpin, though, thwarting any attempt the man made to speak to Weiss directly or privately. She could see that it was going to happen. She didn't understand why her father wanted her to go to a fighting school anyway, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it. She would prefer Ozpin just tell him to let her make her own way in the world, but again, she knew better.
Eventually, Ozpin stood up and made to leave. He smiled down at Weiss. "Congratulations. You've been accepted into Beacon, Miss Schnee."
Ozpin walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Weiss' father waited a minute before speaking. She could feel it coming long before he actually said anything. He was not happy with her. What did he want? She was accepted, wasn't she?
"Weiss, I am very disappointed." She hung her head. Whatever it was, she was sure he was right. He continued. "Yes, you were accepted, but it grieves me to know that your scores were barely enough. You qualified, but you were just above the bar. When you finish Beacon, I expect you to be at the very top of the class."
Weiss couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She was determined to beat this test. Maybe then, after Beacon, her dream would be realized. She had tried to slack on her grades so she wouldn't qualify for any of the big fighting schools, but she started too late. So now she would do everything the best she could. She would beat it all, surpass everyone, with flying colors. Then, maybe then, she would be allowed to sing.
Blake Belladonna slipped through the shadows silently, making her way through the building without a trace. No one would see her. She was too good to let that happen. The man was waiting for her, but both of them knew what would happen if they were caught. She had entered the building only minute earlier, and she had already reached the door she was looking for. She opened it and slipped inside, closing it behind her.
Inside, she was faced with the man she came to meet. He was a big man with a short black beard covering his face and a pair of red sunglasses hiding his eyes. Blake smiled cautiously, holding out a handful of money. The man took the Lien and counted it, then smiled.
"Miss Belladonna, it's been a pleasure doing business with you." He reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of folders. "The first one has all your information. The falsified documents are untraceable, and will pass for real. If you can think of a clever way to hide those ears, no one will know you're a Faunus."
Blake nodded and took the folder. "I've got it covered. Both of them, actually." The pointed black ears on top of her head twitched in a strange sort of confirmation. "What's the other one for, Junior?"
He hoisted the folder in question. "Now, this is where I ask you a favor." Blake's ears perked up at this. He grinned and held it out to her. "This folder has two fake application forms for Beacon Academy. One is for you, but I would like you to deliver the other one for me."
"This wasn't part of the deal, but I'll decide when you tell me who I'm delivering it to."
He opened the folder and glanced into it, nodding to himself. "All information you need is right in there, on a third piece of paper. The boy's name is Jaune. He's a klutz, so I don't expect he'll last long in Beacon, but his old man is a friend of mine. The kid thought he could convince me to lend him a hand. He's paid up, so I'm just holding my end of the deal. Although… I suggest being stealthy about it. Don't want him recognizing you when you're at Beacon together."
Blake nodded and turned to leave. "Alright, I'll get it done. Thank you." She didn't particularly want to risk it, but if she played it right there wouldn't be any real danger.
Lie Ren sat on the edge of his bed. He knew what would happen if he went to sleep. He would wake up, and it would suddenly be morning. Tomorrow morning was going to be full of excitement and stress, and that was something he really didn't want. He was looking forward to going to Beacon, that was only natural. What he didn't like was all the hustle and bustle so early in the morning.
He supposed that it wasn't so bad, considering he'd be going to Beacon with his friend Nora Valkyrie. She was so excited to go to Beacon that she had tired herself out in a way only she could. Now she was snoozing happily on the floor on the other side of his room. She'd get up before him, obviously, and be the driving force getting him up and going. She always was.
Eventually, he lay down and closed his eyes. He could only imagine what it would be like at Beacon. Tomorrow, he would see it for real. Maybe when they were at Beacon he would finally be able to gather up the courage to tell Nora…
Jaune Arc walked alone down the streets. He could see up ahead where someone was waiting for him. Whoever it was, they were hiding in the shadows of the alley. He took a moment to reassure himself. Junior was a friend of the family. If Junior said this person was safe, then they were safe. Jaune wouldn't come to harm.
Having steeled himself enough, he stepped forward. The person hiding in the shadows glared at him, their yellow eyes glowing with danger. The light from a nearby street lamp showed some of their face, as well as a pair of cat-like ears on their head. It was a Faunus, which gave him some cause to worry.
A hand reached out of the darkness, holding the piece of paper Jaune had come for. He took it, being as careful as he could to not go too fast or too slow. A female voice followed, whispering quietly to him.
"Good luck, Jaune."
With that, the Faunus woman turned and vanished into the alley. After standing their for a minute or so, Jaune walked away. He looked over the paper as he went. It looked perfect. With this, he would be able to get into Beacon Academy and fulfill his dreams.
Pyrrha Nikos stood waiting for the airship to arrive. It was her last connection, and it would take her to Beacon Academy. She could feel the sense of destiny sweeping over her. This school was the key to her future. She was going to pass and be known as one of Beacon's finest warriors. She could hardly wait.
The crowd around her was full of other students that would be her classmates. More were arriving every minute, but she knew that none of her friends would be there. It was a simple equation. You can't meet old friends at a new school if you didn't have any friends before.
Another girl bumped into her, turning and smiling at her. "Oh, sorry." The tall blonde held her hand out to Pyrrha. "Hi, I'm Yang."
Pyrrha smiled back, hoping she might be able to make friends at Beacon. It would be a change for her. She shook Yang's hand. "Hello, Yang. I'm Pyrrha. Let's be friends."
Yang laughed and nodded. "I like your approach. I need to remember that. My sister could use some advice making friends, and who can refuse an approach that simple?" She looked around for a moment. "I should probably find my sister and make sure she settles in first. She's got no clue what she's doing here. She jumped ahead two years."
Pyrrha sighed. "I can imagine how hard that must be on her."
Yang rubbed the back of her head idly. "Yeah… I should go find her. I'll catch you later." She turned and left, letting Pyrrha ponder how tough it would be on all of them.
Beacon wasn't an easy place to be at, but as far as Pyrrha knew everyone who went to Beacon came out as a strong and powerful Huntsman or Huntress. It was something to look forward to.
Cardin Winchester watched as the airship touched down. It was time to go. He was one of the first on board, and quickly found a good spot to sit down. He was strong and no one would beat him. That's how he lived, and that's how he got this far. Beacon was eager to accept him, and he was eager to take that chance. He was ready and willing to show everyone that he was the strongest student at Beacon.
Russel Thrush leaned back against the window, watching as all the other students flooded in. He struggled to hold back a laugh at how much armor they all seemed to be wearing. Every now and again, there would be someone without armor, but most opted to keep themselves protected. As far as he was concerned, if he couldn't dodge it and his aura wasn't enough to keep him alive, then it was his time.
Dove Bronzewing watched from his seat, silently keeping an eye on a group of boys. They had already moved in to pick on the easier targets. He thought it amazing how bullies could be found even on the way to a place like Beacon. He hoped her wouldn't be another bully at Beacon, but he knew it was likely. It was in his nature. The unfortunate girl with rabbit ears wouldn't get help from him, to his secret regret.
Sky Lark felt the ship touch down. The doors opened and the students moved out. He stepped out and looked up at Beacon. This was the day they were all waiting for. This would be the place where he would prove himself as a worthy warrior. For honor and glory, he would not walk away from this place as a failure.
Velvet Scarlatina waited until the other students went ahead, then followed behind at a safe distance. So this was Beacon Academy. She had suspected as much, and now she knew for sure. As big and prestigious as it was, Beacon was no different from anywhere else. It had been confirmed on the airship that she would suffer at the hands of bullies because she was a Faunus. She wasn't the only one, she was sure, but she had been singled out as weak.
Beacon wouldn't be different. It would just be fancier. She'd still be the target of discrimination no matter where she went. She looked up at the gates in front of her and prepared to step through. She would persevere. She would succeed. For her family and her friends. For everyone praying for her back home.
She spoke to herself, quietly trying to muster the strength. "Welcome to Beacon." She held her breath and took the step through the gates.
Then darkness.
Author's Note: Other than the characters we've already met there will also be Melanie and Miltiades Malachite, who will be inexplicably attending Beacon, and an unimportant OC named Carl who will be there to fill in as the expendable guy.
Chapter 1 refurbished.
