A/N: Hello! Well this story is something I have contemplated for a very long time and when Monty passed it made me want to really write it out and put it up regardless of how it turned out. Monty gave us this incredible world and its our job as a fanbase to keep it alive. If you read this and enjoyed any of it I hope you continue reading.
"Thoughts"-Italics
"Speech"-Regular
"Past/Flashback"-Bold
The Copycat
Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains. Forgetting so easily that we are byproducts of a forgotten past. Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful. But he was born into a unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction, the creatures of Grimm; set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed and it seemed that the darkness was intent on returning mans brief existence to the void. However even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change and in time mans passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity lead them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power appropriately named dust. Natures wrath in hand man lit their way through the darkness and in the shadows absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly life. But even the most brilliant lights flicker and die...and when they are gone...darkness will return. So you may prepare your guardians. Build your monuments to a so called free world. But take heed, there will be no victory in strength.
"But perhaps victory is in the simpler things you have long forgotten...things that require and smaller...more honest soul."
The city of Vale. One of the four major kingdoms of Remnant, it stood as one of mans greatest achievements in their ability to persevere, create, and thrive. The world was currently going through one of its greatest periods of peace. Vale is also home to one of the prestigious academies in all of Remnant, Beacon Academy.
Among the rooftops of the city stood a black-haired boy, peering down at a local dust shop known as "From Dust Till Dawn"
"Well this is as good a opportunity as i'll get." He thought adjusting his scarf to his face. He had unruly black hair with orange-red tips that spiked around wildly around and a checkered black and orange shemagh scarf tied around his neck, which was pulled up over his mouth. He had a short-sleeve black shirt that fit him snugly with orange cargo pants that were tucked at the bottom to a pair of black combat boots. His left arm was bandaged from his fingertips right below his shoulder and his right arm he wore a black finger-less gloves with white cuffs. Taking a running start off from the building he jumped and tucked his knees to his chest before placing his hands on the sides of his feet. With his eyes closed his scarf turned into an orange dust that began to swirl around his feet, his hair glowed as if on fire, and his eyes opened shining bright orange.
"Trace. On." He recited before his boots changed into skates with two wheels, they were orange-red and black and seemed to motorize themselves as the wheels spun loudly as if a engine was revving up.
"I said put your hands up!"
A silver-eyed girl dressed in a black blouse and a skirt with red trimmings, complete with a red cloak stared in confusion before taking her headphones off, "Yes?"
"I said put your hand in the air now!"
The girl seemed even more confused than before, "Are you...robbing me?"
"YES!" The large man yelled exasperated.
"Ohhhhh." She said with a nod.
A crash erupted from the store as the large man was sent barreling from the back of the room. Roman Torchwick notorious thief stared impassively as he watched one of his mooks sail past him, stopping his inspection of dust for merely a moment before looking over at his other hired thugs and pointed his head towards the back.
A resounding crash of glass erupted from the still night air as a man was sent flying through the window of the building. Roman and the other thieves all quickly snapped their heads around to see a small girl with a red cloak swing a...scythe gun around he back and slam it into the ground.
"Okayyyyyy..." Roman said taking his cigar out of his mouth before staring at his compatriots, "Well...GET HER." He said in an annoyed voice.
The other three thugs charged out of the store with a roar, the front thug swiped at her with a blade. She quickly dodged, pulling herself up over her planted scythe before spinning around and sending a vicious kick into his face. Not missing a step she carried herself with the momentum and landing on her feet. Firing off a round she spun around and smacked another thug with the back of her scythe. turning on her heel to slam he scythe down onto another thug she had to quickly fire off two rounds to avoid the shots being fired at her. Speeding at her last victim she knocked him into the air before slamming her scythe down and spinning around for one last hit.
In the middle of all the chaos a lone figure appeared next to Roman in a line of flames. Roman turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the new face.
"And now the brat is here." He said with a roll of his eyes.
The ebony-haired boy seemed to smirk from behind his scarf, "Rough day Torch?" He said before grabbing a few vials/crystals of dust, "I would love to stay and chat but you got a little trouble here so..." With a quick turn on his heel he turned around and bowed to Roman, "I bid you adieu~ Hehehe!" In a streak of flame he was gone again and Roman growled, "Snot nosed little-" He turned around to see his grunt fall to the floor in front of him.
"Oh goodie." He said dropping his cigar to the ground, "You were worth every penny, truly you were..." He said stamping it into the ground with his cane.
"Well red it's been fun, truly it has but...im afraid this is where we part ways." He said raising his cane and shooting off a large blast of dust which she dodged with a quick jump.
The ebony-haired boy stared at all dust he had acquired with a grin before he heard several concussive explosions shake the streets. Thinking back at the young girl that defended the shop he sighed, "No no no Ash don't get caught up by a pretty face!" He said to himself as he heard her in hot pursuit.
"Im gonna regret this aren't I?" He said aloud rubbing his forehead, "Im totally going to regret this." He said before his skates revved up.
"End of the line red!" Roman shouted before shooting at the crystal he had thrown. She had no time to react as a fiery explosion lit up in front of her. Ruby closed her eyes awaiting the explosion but it never came. Ruby felt the shake of the explosion but no impact on her body, opening her eyes she looked up to see boy that didn't look much older than herself.
"That's pretty nice looking scythe..." He commented his skates glowed turned back into orange dust, "Mind if I try it out?"
Ruby was going to ask what he meant but her eyes widened as he held out his hand, "Trace. On." He shouted before the dust connected and compressed like a line of circuits before forming into a orange/black version of crescent rose. Ash lifted up the scythe and spun it over his shoulders before slamming the blade into the ground and firing away at Roman inside the bullhead. Roman stumbled into the cockpit with a growl, "IT'S THE COPY BRAT!" He yelled taking over the control ship.
A woman in a red dress glared and raised her hands upward and Ash noticed red spots appearing below their feet, "Shit!" he said pushing back just in time to dodge the fiery burst of fire. Turning his head he saw the red headed girl being pulled back by a blonde haired woman with piercing green eyes.
With a raise of her riding crop the broken pieces of the building raised with a purple glow and spiraled into a stream of debris, the woman in the ship shot apart the debris which reformed and chipped away at the ship. In frustration the woman crossed her arms, runes of bright orange surrounded her and expanded outward, turning the projectiles into ash.
Roman quickly gained back control of the ship before flipping the jets and making their escape.
The red haired girl stared in awe, "You're huntress?" She asked in adoration, "Can I have your autograph?!" She said with an audible squeak.
The blonde haired woman walked past the young girl to grab Ash who was currently trying to sneak away, with a wave of crop Ash felt himself being pulled backward. She wasted no time and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.
"You." She said with a pointed glare.
"Eheheheh...Glyndaaaaaa" Ash muttered quietly, "I regret this." He mumbled quietly to himself.
"I hope you two realize that your actions today will not be taken lightly!" Glynda said, "You put yourself and others in great danger!"
"They started it/I didn't do anything!" The young girl and Ash said in unison.
"I don't know where to start with either of you...Especially YOU Ash." She said with a pointed glare.
"Oh come on Im not that bad..."
"Countless infractions, misdemeanors, and a handful of felonies!"
"Okay some of those aren't my fault!"
"Public indecency?" She said reading the list.
"There was a fire..." He mumbled.
"4 instances?" She said narrowing her eyes.
"...Several fires..." He said sheepishly.
"Assault?" She checked off.
"HE HIT ME FIRST!" He argued.
"Sexual harassment?" She said with a twitch.
"Okay so the whole public indecency thing...that was part of that..." Ash said sheepishly.
"Theft, arson, juvenile delinquency, forgery, larceny, your rap sheet is larger than most convicted criminals and you're only 15!" She said flipping through the pages.
"Yeah Yeah Okay! Helps that you have my criminal history on hand...And delinquency is a crime?!" He said with a scowl.
"Nevertheless there is someone here that wants the meet the both of you." She said with a sigh before the door opened to show a man wearing shaded glass spectacles and a dark-green scarf with a small, purple, cross-shaped emblem on it. He wears an un-zipped black suit over a black-buttoned vest, with a green undershirt underneath. He also wears black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants. He was professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon.
He slowly walked in with a plain face, a coffee mug in hand, "Ruby Rose..." He said staring closely at the young red haired girl, "You have silver eyes..." He said abruptly, "Ash aka "Mimic"...You are a wanted fugitive..."
Both Ruby and Ash looked at one another before looking back at the professor.
"So where did you two learn how to fight like this?" He said motioning to the screen behind him.
"My uncle Qrow" Ruby replied
"Ah so that dusty old Qrow taught you did he? And you Mr. Mimic how exactly did you replicate Miss Rose's weapon?" Ozpin said curiously.
Ash squirmed under the gaze of the two adults, "It involves my semblance..."
"Interesting...Let me ask you two something. Do you know who I am?" He said placing his hands together.
"You're Professor Ozpin." Ruby said quickly.
"Headmaster of Beacon, who in Vale doesn't know who you are?" Ash asked incredulously.
"Hm quite...Hello." He said with a warm smile.
Both Ruby and Ash seemed to relax, "Nice to meet you/ Hiya"
Ozpin leaned in close and let his smile grow slightly, "Would you like to enroll in my school?"
"More than anything!" Ruby said in awe at the prospect.
"B-but I-Im a..." Ash squirmed in his seat a little bit, "Im a criminal..." He muttered.
"That's not what I asked you Mr. Mimic, I said, would you like to enroll in my school?"
"Of course!" He replied quickly.
Ozpin turned his head to Glynda and gave her a knowing stare, Ash couldn't help but laugh at the conversation they had with only their eyes.
"They're young."
"They're talented."
"Its dangerous."
"What they did today was dangerous too."
"Dust, fine. Not like you would listen anyway."
Glynda rolled her eyes at Ozpin, she knew him too well to even begin to argue with his pre-made decision.
Ozpin looked back at the two youngsters before smirking, "Well...Okay."
"Ooooh I can't believe my baby sister is coming to Beacon with me this is the best day ever!"
"Pwease stahp" Ruby managed to push out between the two giant mounds of flesh that were her sisters lovely bosom.
"But I'm so proud of youuuuu" The older blonde hair girl cheered excitedly.
"Really Yang...it was nothing..."
"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is gonna think you're the bees knees!"
"I don't wanna be the bees knees! I don't wanna be any type of knees! I just wanna be a normal girl with normal knees!" She said in distraught.
"What's wrong with you? Aren't you excited!?" Her sister frowned at her sister moody demeanor.
"Of course I am but...I skipped two years! I don't want anyone to think im special or anything." She said dejectedly.
"But you are special." A voice interjected from behind the pair.
"GYAH!" Yang jumped to the side as the Ash appeared next to her. A sly smile spread across his cheeks, "Sorry sorry, I forget how quiet I can be."
"Ash!" Ruby said with wide eyes, "You're here!...You're in handcuffs..." She said pointing down at his hands.
Ash looked sheepish and shrugged, "Glynda doesn't trust me not to steal stuff."
"Would you?" Ruby asked curiously.
"...You can't prove anything." He said through narrowed eyes.
"Honestly, they're giving you amnesty from all your crimes!" Ruby said with a disappointed frown. Ash scowled at the pout he was receiving, looking away he bit his lower lip, "Yeah yeah I know, re-lax, it just makes the pilot of the ship a bit more...comfortable..."
"More comfortable?"
"I may have stolen a plane before."
"Anything else? Boat, jet, maybe a horse?" She said with a shake of her head.
"Yes, no, and yes...it was for a friend." He said resolutely.
"You're impossible." She dead-panned.
"And you're special!" He responded shoving her shoulder lightly making Ruby smile ever so slightly at his praise, "Just relax your sisters right!" Ash said with a quick wave to Yang who was currently looking in-between her little sister and Ash with a stunned expression, "A-are you a friend of Rubys? Ruby made a friend? You're not made of metal are you?" She said poking his side.
"Yang!" Ruby said jabbing her sister in the side, "This is the person I was telling you about, he was the guy the stole dust from Roman then he made Cresecent Rose!"
Ash chuckled sheepishly before taking a step back and bowing down, "Hehe yeah Im that guy," He said taking a step back and jamming his thumb into his chest, "Ash! At your service!"