The world is a dark place. And no matter how much we try to fight that darkness, it always returns. But it is those flickering lights that make life worth living, no matter how fleetingly they remain with us. We live for them, and do our best to become a light for others. The light of others never illuminated my world. My heart has been shrouded in shadows since the day I was born. I was born of shadows and forged by darkness. I thrived in the deepest shadows, no longer concerned with gaining a light of my own. I was of the darkness and that suited me just fine. Until I met her. She became my light, my sun that drove away the shadows that had been my only companion for as long as I could remember. I have finally learned what I had been denied throughout my life, and I will not lose it. Any who threaten my light will learn fear of the dark. Who am I? I am Death.


Rathan stood apart from his fellow passengers as their transport passed over the city of Vale. His orange eyes were locked on the skyline as he tried to block out the irritating chatter or so many other teenagers crammed into a single place. His fingers clicked as they tapped on the glass of the window.

"You alright?" a voice asked coming up beside him. The speaker was massive. He stood an even seven feet tall and was covered from head to toe in muscles. Crystal blue eyes stood out against his dark brown skin and crimson armor. He wore a pair of dark red pants and a white t-shirt that were mostly hidden under the heavy plate and scalemail he wore. None of it brought the message across quite so much however as the scarlet dragon head, or at least the top half of it, that adorned his right shoulder. And if the mountain of muscle or the crazy dragon themed armor wasn't intimidating enough, the speaker also carried with him a massive broadsword. However massive didn't do the blade justice. The blade itself was an almost six and a half feet, coming to an even seven when considering the hilt. A large red crystal was also set in the base of the blade, adding to the intimidating feeling.

"Draeg." Rathan greeted, not at all fazed by his companions appearance, turning his attention back to the city. "I'm fine. I just can't stand being around this many people."

Draeg just nodded, knowing full well how antisocial Rathan could be. But there was something else about his friend that seemed off. Rathan, unlike himself had foregone the use of armor, preferring to avoid harm, or to let his aura handle what he couldn't. So he had instead gone with clothing that wouldn't impede his movement at all. Instead of armor over his black shirt and pants, Rathan was garbed in swathes or green bandages, wrapping around his arms, his legs, even his chest and neck. His hands and feet were the only slightly armored part on his body. Lightly armored gloves and boots adorned each appendage, making the only place any of his pale skin was shown was Rathans face-but that was standard. What wasn't normal was the tapping of his fingertips on the glass of the window. Or the way his eyes shifted under the shadow of his vantablack hair as he stared at nothing. "You haven't been sleeping."

He said it quietly. In a voice that was so soft, despite its deep timber that Rathan knew no one else could hear. He also knew that it wasn't a question. "No." he responded, not shifting his gaze to meet the swordsman's crystal blue eyes. He could hear Draeg grit his teeth, but any further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of two girls, one the same age as Draeg and himself, the other a few years younger.

"Would you guys please help me out here?" the elder of the two, a gorgeous blonde sighed exasperatedly as the other, a shorted red haired girl, struggled to escape her headlock. "Ruby doesn't want anyone thinking she's special."

Rathan closed his eyes and let out a breath through his nose, his lips quirking briefly into something almost like a smile. Then he opened them and turned to give the new arrivals his full attention. He enjoyed the sight of the two sisters together briefly.

One was tall and confident. She was dressed in a yellow crop top, the black flaming heart design partially hidden by her leather jacket that bared her midriff. An orange scarf was wrapped around her neck and her orange socks were pulled up to different heights as well. A purple bandana was tied just above her boot on the left side. She was also wearing a pair of incredibly short shorts and some kind of half skirt around her waist. She wore a pair of fingerless gloves on each hand with golden metal bracelets on her wrists.

The other sister was shorter. This was to be expected since she was also two years younger. She was dressed in a long sleeved black blouse and a black cincher that was tied up with red laces. She had a black skirt trimmed with red on and a pair of black stockings and black and red combat boots. A belt hung round her waist with a silver rose symbol, her emblem, pinned to it. Her look was brought together by the hooded, long red cloak she wore, pinned to her shoulders by two small crosses.

"Yang. Ruby looks like she's about to bite you." Rathan warned in a bored tone, noticing how the younger girl was wiggling her head, trying to get a better angle.

Yang released Ruby with a yelp. "Gah! You little-"

Ruby just stuck her tongue out. "That's what you get for trying to smother me!"

"Okay you two. Chill." Draeg said stepping between them. "You don't want to get in trouble before we even get to Beacon." Ruby yelped and looked around nervously, as if she was expecting to see an angry huntress bearing down on her.

"Ah, relax" Yang shrugged him off. "It's not like there's anyone watching."

Suddenly there was a soft whine from near the windows as holographic projectors kicked on. The projection was of a beautiful woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun save for a curl on the right side of her face. She had emerald eyes covered by oval glasses. Like Ruby she wore a blouse with a cincher. Her blouse however was white and parted near the top, just below her buttoned collar to show off some cleavage. Her black cincher was held together by a series of gold buttons. Below that she wore a tight fitting pencil skirt and stockings. The tops of her boots were just visible inside the projection, coming almost to her knees. A handle of some kind was visible on the inside of her right boot. The outfit was brought together by a purple and black cape that instead of flowing like Ruby's, instead looked like flames and arrows at the end.

Rathan turned to Yang with a slight smirk. "You were saying?".

"Shut up." the brawler hissed, punching him in the ribs. "Who is she anyway?"

"Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch." the projection answered.

"Oh."

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy." the projection, one Rathan knew now to be a Huntress, continued. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it." Here Rathan rolled his eyes. Peace? Please. The world was teetering on the brink of war. "You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world." the machinery hummed again as the projection faded and Beacon came into view.

"Wow!" Ruby whispered in awe, pressing her face against the window. "Look!" she exclaimed happily, "You can see Signal from up here! I guess home isn't so far after all."

Yang came and wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Beacon's our home now." Just then, a boy with messy blond hair, dressed in blue jeans, a came running by with his hands over his mouth. "Well, I guess the view isn't for everyone."

"It was a nice moment while it lasted." Ruby shrugged.

"I wonder who we're gonna meet." Yang grinned.

"As long as they're better than 'Vomit Boy' I can't wait." Draeg muttered.

"Vomit Boy." Ruby snickered.

"Yang. Your shoe." Rathan broke in, flicking is orange globes down at one of her brown boots. That now had a few flecks of puke splattering the heel.

"Gross. Gross. Gross." Yang repeated, sounding disgusted.

"Get away from me! Get away!" Ruby shrieked as Yang leaned on her, shaking her foot in an attempt to try to get the vomit off her shoe without having to touch it.

"Oh for the love of-here!" Rathan muttered, unwinding one of the green bandaged from around his leg and passing it to Yang.

"Heh, thanks." Yang sighs, but grins as she takes the strip of fabric from him.

"Just toss it when you're done." he rolled his eyes, jerking his chin in the direction of the trashcan where the same blond from before is hunched over emptying his stomach.

Yang wrinkled her nose. "Do I have to?" she pouted.

"Yes." Rathan rolled his eyes.

The airships turned smoothly in the air as they approached the docs. As soon as the doors opened, the scrawny blond from before raced through them and began emptying his stomach in the nearest trash can. Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Yang reached over him to drop the used piece of fabric in as well.

"This is gonna be a great year!" she exclaimed as she caught up the the others who had been walking more slowly than the other passengers to avoid getting caught up in the crowd. "I just know it!"

"We'll see." Draeg laughed at her exuberance. "Why don't we-" He trailed off as a student passed in front of Ruby. "Here we go again." he groaned.

Ruby however hadn't heard him. She was too busy gazing starstruck at any of the weapons that passed her by. "Oh, oh, look! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!" she nearly swooned, starting in the direction of the other girl. "Ow, ow, ow." She whimpered as Yang reached out and dragged her back by her hood.

"Easy there little sister. They're just weapons."

"Just weapons?" Ruby stared at her sister in shock for a moment. "They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"

"Well why can't you swoon over your own weapon." Yang wondered. "Aren't you happy with it?"

"Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose!" Ruby shot back, deploying her weapon and hugging it. "I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people. But better." she added shyly.

"Ruby, come on. Why don't you go and try to make some friends of your own." the blonde encouraged with a laugh, reaching out and pulling her sisters hood down over her face.

"Why would I need to make friends when I have you guys?" Ruby wondered, pushing the hood out of her face, only to realize that Rathan was gone.

Draeg sighed. "I'm gonna go make sure he doesn't start anything." he called out, walking off with a wave.

"Yang?" Ruby turned to her sister, feeling nervous, only to see that a crowd of people had surrounded her sister as soon as the other reaper and the knight had disappeared.

" .Kayseeyabye!" Yang blurted out, racing off with the other kids so fast it left Ruby spinning.

"Wait! Where are you going? Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms? I don't know what I'm doing." Ruby sighed, before falling over backwards and knocking over a set of white suitcases.

"What are you doing!" A shrill voice cried out as the suitcases tumbled to the ground.

"Ug, sorry." Ruby groaned as one of the cases bounced off her head.

"Sorry?" the speaker, a pale girl with white hair and blue eyes snapped. She was dressed in white as well, save for the inside of her jacket and boots with stylized rapier on her hip. "Do you have any idea the kind of damage you could have caused?"

"Uh…" Ruby didn't know what to say as she passed on of the cases to the other girl.

"Give me that!" the other girl snapped, snatching the case out of Ruby's hands and opening it. "This is dust. Mined and purified at the Schnee Quarry." She told Ruby proudly, pulling out a glass vial of red powder."

"Uh…" Ruby didn't have any idea how to respond to the other girl's words. But she was cut off before she could really try by the other girl who was really working herself into a frenzy.

"What are you, brain dead?" she snapped the case closed, releasing a puff of blue powder. "Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!" She shook the vial in her hand with each word and each shake released another puff of the powder. "Are you even listening to me?"

Clambering to her feet, Ruby was about to respond, only to be caught in the face by the multicolored cloud.

"Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?" The other girl asked, gesturing at Ruby with the vial. That was the final straw. Ruby sneezed, igniting the volatile substance and engulfing the two of them in a cloud of fire, ice and electricity. The explosion knocked the vial of dust from the pale girl's hand hand sent it rolling down the pavement.

It came to a stop at the feet of a girl wearing black low heeled combat shoes, dark purple leggings, a white undershirt and a black vest. A black ribbon wound it's way around her right forearm that matched the black bow on top of her head. She also wore a detached left sleeve held in place by a silver cuff on her bicep. Reaching down she picked up the vial, taking a moment to finish the sentence she was reading before looking at the vial. She turned it slightly to get a better look at the snowflake insignia emblazoned on the glass, then turned her eyes to the two girls.

"Unbelievable!" the girl in white screeched, stamping her foot and dislodging the soot that had turned her gray. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby tried again to apologize, poking her index fingers together nervously.

"Ugh, you complete dolt!" the girl in white scoffed. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well, I-"Ruby started, but was cut off again.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It isn't just sparring and practice you know. We're here to fight monsters! So, watch where you're going!"

"Actually, I'd say that one was all on you." a new voice cut in from above. Looking up, the two girls found themselves staring at a boy dressed mostly in white reclining of the lamp post above them. He had on gray cargo pants, black combat boots and wore a white hoodie that mostly covered what appeared to be a chainmail shirt, he also had two large pistols hanging from holsters at his hip. "After all," he continued. "You're the one who was shaking all that dust around." He grinned. "Honestly, you should know better Princess."

"Why you-How dare-" the girl in white spluttered furiously.

"It's heiress actually." a flat voice added. Turning to look, the three of them noticed the girl in black walking up, still holding the glass vial. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

"Finally, some-" the heiress started.

"The same company," the girl in black continued, ignoring her. "Infamous for it's controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

"Wait." the boy with the guns broke in with a gasp. "You mean you're that Weiss Schnee?"

"Yes," the girl said, obviously trying to regain some footing in the conversation. "I am."

Instantly the shock and awe vanished from the boy's face, replaced with another wicked grin. "Well, then you should really know better than to go throwing that stuff around. Oh well I guess there are some things money can't buy. I could offer you some tips but-huh?" He broke off as something began beeping from one of his many pockets. Pulling out his scroll, the boy took one look and paled dramatically. "Oh crap! She's gonna kill me! Sorry rich girl, no private lessons today!" he shouted over his shoulder, already running down the walkway towards the main building.

Weiss glared after him venomously. With a huff, she snatched the vial of red dust from the new girl and stormed off. "I swear I'll make this up to you!" Ruby called after her. "I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day." Perking up she turned to the girl who had helped her out. "So! What's your-" but the other girl was already walking away, her eyes back on her book. With a defeated sigh Ruby slumped to her knees, then flopped over backwards to stare at the sky. "Welcome to Beacon." she told herself softly.

She lay there for a moment before someone held out a hand to help her up.


Rathan scowled as he strode around Beacon's campus, determined to memorize the layout as soon as possible. He knew some might consider it paranoid but they hadn't had his experience.

"They think you're gonna kill someone." A voice said casually from of to his right.

"So?" Rathan shot back, his bloodshot eyes shooting a quick glare at Draeg who walked just a few paces behind him.

"I'm just saying," Draeg continued, completely unaffected by his friends hostility. "This is a new place and a fresh start. It might not be a good idea to start of by making everyone else think you're going to murder them in their sleep."

"Let them." Rathan scoffed, casting his eyes around at the nervous students balefully. "I have more important things to do than worry about how they see me." Draeg shook his head but chose not to say anything else as they walked the school's perimeter. When they arrived back at the docks Rathan changed course, striding straight down the center walkway.

"How do you even know where we're going?" Draeg asked, thankful that his longer legs let him keep up with his friends brisk pace.

"I memorised a map before we got here. I just wanted to compare it to the actual layout." Rathan shrugged. "Come on. The central auditorium should be this way."

It didn't take the two long to get to the auditorium, which was already filled with people. They started scanning the crowd until a voice caught their attention. "Hey guys! Over here!" Yang waved at them, indicating the empty space next to her. "So! You break anything?" she asked, throwing an arm around Rathan's shoulders.

"No, I didn't break anything." Rathan sighed, ducking out from under her arm. "I just had a walk to get a handle on the layout.

"Well that's boring." She turned to Draeg. "Why didn't you have him do something more exciting?"

"Yeah," Draeg drawled "I'll get right on that. By the way how do you like your classmates? Shredded or charred?"

Yang winced. "Point." she conceded. She knew that Rathan didn't get along well with others, herself Draeg and Ruby being the exceptions rather than the rule. If Draeg hadn't been there he could have easily gotten into a fight with someone, and a fight with him never turned out well.

"Hey Gigantor! Down in front I can't see the stage!" Someone shouted from behind them. Grinning Draeg held up his middle finger in the general direction of the voice.

"Ruby's here." Rathan's monotone cut in. With a start, Draeg yanked his hand back down like he's been burned, his head whipping back and forth in an attempt to see where she was.

"Where-" Yang started.

"In the back. With Vomit Boy." Rathan didn't bother letting her finish.

"Hey, I said down in front Gigantor!" the same voice as before called out.

"Okay, you know what." Draeg growled, turning around. "Say hi to Ruby for me. I've got something to do." he told Rathan and Yang as he marched off in the direction of the voice. Rathan nodded but Yang was too busy scanning the new arrivals for her sister to pay him any attention.

"Ruby! Over here!" Yang called out, turning in the direction he pointed out and waving at the shorter girl. "We saved you a spot!" In a blur of red and a few rose petals the younger girl made her way across the crowded room in record time. "How's your first day going little sister?" Yang asked with a grin, happy that she had managed to get Ruby to make at least one friend.

"You mean since you guys ditched me and I exploded?" Ruby snapped.

"Yikes. Meltdown already?" Yang winced.

"No! I literally exploded a hole in front of the school. There was fire and I think some ice…"

"Are you being sarcastic?" Yang asked, a grin forming on her face.

"Ugh! I wish!" Ruby complained. "I tripped over some crabby girls luggage and then she yelled at me. And then I sneezed and then I exploded, and then she yelled again! And I felt really really bad and I just wanted her to stop yelling-"

"You!" Orange eyes narrowed as he looked at the 'Crabby Girl'.

"Oh god it's happening again!" Ruby wailed, leaping into Yang's arms.

"You're lucky we weren't blown of the side of the cliff!" the other girl snapped.

"Oh my god you really exploded." Yang murmured in shock.

"It was an accident. It was an accident!" Ruby told the heiress desperately. The girl in white ignored her pleas in favor of sticking a pamphlet titles 'Dust for Dummies' in her face. "What's this?" Ruby asked.

"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee family highly encourages our customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy-to-follow guide to dust application in the field."

"Uhh." Ruby muttered.

"You really want to start making things up to me?" the crabby girl asked.

"Absolutely." Ruby said, sounding nervous.

"Read this and don't ever talk to me again."

"Alright, that's enough." Rathan broke in, sliding between the two girls, while keeping his eyes of the stage. "If you just came over here to continue something that should have ended the second you walked away, then you can leave."

"Excuse you!" the girl shrieked. "Do you have any idea the kind of damage that could have been-"

"I said leave!" Weiss shuddered as those two orange globes locked onto her. There was something in them that unnerved her. There was anger in those eyes. Hatred, and not a shred of mercy. She took a step back, instinctively shying away as one of his hands came up to one of the two weapons that hung across his back.

"Rathan!" A large figure stepped between them, shielding her from those unsettling eyes. "That's enough!" the larger of the two snapped. The one with orange eyes, Rathan he'd been called, scoffed and moved his eyes back to her, but the bubbly blonde wrapped an arm around his shoulders from behind.

"Hey, it's all good. No need to get all bent out of shape." she smiled at him. He scoffed, but turned back to the stage, ducking out from under the blonde's arm.

"Sorry about that." the one who'd interrupted the bloodlust told her. "Rathan can be a bit extreme when he feels like it. But he's really not a bad-Weiss?"

Weiss was confused for a moment,then her eyes locked onto one of his pauldrons that had been stylized into the head of a dragon. "D-Draeg?" she asked, scarcely able to believe it.

"Yeah!" he nodded, a confused smile on his face. "What are you doing here? I would've thought you'd be going to school back in Atlas?"

"I, um, I had to get away from my father." she told.

"Ah, say no more." Draeg nodded in understanding. And he actually did she supposed. If anyone would understand the need to get away from a poisonous home life it would be Draeg. Unlike her however, he'd been able to do it four years early, fleeing Atlas to attend Signal Academy. "I'm not surprised you chose to study abroad but what made you choose Beacon?"

"I did some research. Beacon has been the school that produces the highest number and the highest quality of Huntsmen and Huntresses. It was only natural I'd chose come here." Weiss snapped, suddenly feeling the need to defend her choice.

"Easy." Draeg chuckled. "I'm not criticizing you. It'd be kind of hypocritical of me, don't you think."

"I-you're right. I'm sorry." Weiss sighed. "I'm just feeling a bit stressed I suppose. And some hooligans I met earlier didn't help matters."

Draeg cocked his head to the side. "Hooligans?"

"Yes!" Weiss stomped her foot in annoyance. "Like those two over there!" She jabbed a finger in the direction Yang had lead Rathan and Ruby off in.

Draeg raised an eyebrow. "Rathan I get, I guess. But how do they qualify as hooligans?"

"That one," Weiss sneered, pointing her finger at Ruby, "Not only tripped over my luggage, scattering my dust, she even set some of it off. Luckily the explosion wasn't too bad but-What's so funny?"

Draeg couldn't help it. He doubled over laughing. "Come on Ruby!" he choked out when he could breathe again. "I know you're socially awkward, but come on!"

"That brings to mind the question. How do you even know them?" Weiss asked, feeling somewhat annoyed that Draeg didn't seem to see the problem.

"Those three?" he asked, catching his breath. "I met them at Signal. Rathan and Yang were in my class, so we got to know each other. Ruby's Yang's little sister so I got to know her too."

"And what is she even doing here? Students aren't supposed to attend Beacon until they're seventeen!"

"She got caught up in a dust robbery in Vale not too long ago." Draeg shrugged. "She impressed some of the right people and Professor Ozpin offered to move her up. She needs some help with the book work but she passed the combat entrance exam without a problem."

"I find that hard to believe." Weiss growled, still glaring at the redhead.

Draeg ran a hand over his hair. "Look, I get you might not have had the best start. To be honest I'm not surprised since you exploded, but Ruby's a sweet girl. Give her a chance."

"She's clumsy, awkward and childish." Weiss snapped. "She doesn't belong here." She would have continued, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

"I should get going." Draeg told her. "Rathan looks like he's about to come over here and I don't see that ending well.

"I-I'll speak with you another time then." Weiss told him, eager to get away from the baleful stare now locked onto them.

"My lady." Draeg said with a flourishing bow before going over to rejoin his friends.

"Did you have fun with the princess?" Rathan sneered as he came over.

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Yang asked. "You were over there for a long time."

"I was there for two minutes." Draeg corrected her. He sighed. "It turns out she's an old friend of mine from before I attended Signal. We were just catching up a little bit."

"How are you friends with her? She's mean." Ruby pouted.

Draeg and Yang stared at her, then at Rathan, then back to Ruby. "Really sis?" Yang deadpanned. A quick whine of speaker feedback, followed by the sound of someone clearing their throat cut off any further conversation.

"I'll keep this brief." Professor Ozpin said, pushing his glasses further up his nose. The headmaster was dressed in a fine green suit with a cane in his left hand. He stood at the forefront of the stage, in front of a lone microphone with Professor Goodwitch stood off to his left side. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

With his speech finished Professor Ozpin left the stage as Professor Goodwitch took his place. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

"He seemed kind of...off." Yang said quietly.

"It was almost like he wasn't even there." Ruby agreed.

"Here or not it doesn't matter." Rathan said, walking away. "Let's just find a place for the night."

"You heard the man." Yang shrugged, following him away from the stage.


As night fell over Vale, sleeping bags had been laid out all over the floor of the ballroom as the new students set themselves up for the night.

"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang grinned, flopping down onto her sleeping bag next to Ruby who had been determinedly writing something in a notebook.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys though." Ruby muttered, glancing up at several teenage boys who were all dressed for sleep in nothing but pajama pants.

"I know I do." Yang purred, eyeing the group of guys. Several of them were wrestling with each other, while another boy, this one dressed in loose sweats and a light hoodie, with the hood still up looked over at them and winked, an easy grin sliding onto his face. Then it slid right off again as the blood seemed to drain from his face. He turned and jogged over to where a girl with long red hair, that was pulled back into a ponytail was sitting and sat down, making sure that she was between him and them. "Well that was weird." Yang noted.

"Yeah." Draeg drawled as he walked over from behind them, dressed in nothing but a pair of dark red pajama pants and propped his sleeping bag against the wall where Rathan was leaning. "Real strange that." A moment later, Ruby's friend Vomit Boy, who they all had learned was named Jaune, walked by dressed in a light blue onesie with a bunny head on the chest. They all stared as he walked through the room, oblivious to all the eyes following him. "Anyway." Draeg continued after a moment. "What that?" he asked Ruby, glancing down at her notebook.

"It's a letter to the gang back at Signal." Ruby explained. "I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Aww, that's so cute!" Yang couldn't help but squeal. It was cut short by a flying pillow.

"Shut up!" Ruby snapped. "I didn't get to take my friends with me to school. It's weird not knowing anybody here."

Rathan raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Really Ruby?"

"No-it's not like-you know what I mean!" the redhead stuttered, pouting at that dark haired boy.

Unlike most of the other boys, Rathan was dressed in black pajama pants, a dark gray long sleeved shirt and gloves. "I'm skin shy." he had told them years ago when they asked why he was so covered up.

"What about Jaune" Yang pointed out, determined to cheer up her sister. "He's, uh, nice. See, there you go, plus one friend!"

"I'm pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend." Ruby muttered causing Draeg to wince. "Back to zero."

"There's no such thing as a negative friend." Yang told her, trying to remain optimistic."You just made one friend and one enemy."

"You didn't really think that one through did you?" Draeg muttered as he watched Yang get bowled over by a pillow in the shape of the face of their family dog Zwei.

She glared at him before turning back to Ruby. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

Ruby might have responded, but the sound of a match being lit caught her attention. Looking over to where the new source of light was emanating from she realized that the figure sitting next to the candelabra was a familiar one. "That girl…" she muttered, thinking back to the scene in the courtyard.

"You know her?" Yang asked, sitting up to see where she was looking.

"Not really." Ruby shook her head. "She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."

"Well, now's your chance." Yang grinned, grabbing Ruby's hand and dragging her up. The girl had dark hair, a bow and a black yukata with white trim. She looked up as they approached. "Hello~" she sang happily, still easily dragging Ruby along behind her. "I believe you two may know each other."

"Aren't you that girl that exploded?" she asked, looking at Ruby.

"Uh, yeah." Ruby nodded. "My name's Ruby, but you can just call me Crater-actually you can just call me Ruby."

"Okay." the girl said, shifting her attention back to her book.

"What are you doing?" Yang hissed.

"I don't know, help me!" Ruby whispered back.

"So…what's your name?" Yang asked, trying to find a way to keep the conversation going.

The girl sighed and shifted her eyes back to the two sisters. "Blake."

"Well Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!"

"Thanks."

"It goes great with your…pajamas."

"Right…"

"Nice night don't you think?"

"Yes. It's lovely. Almost as lovely as this book." neither of them moved. "That I will continue to read." Still nothing. "As soon as you leave."

"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause." Yang groaned to her sister.

"What's it about?" Ruby asked.

"Huh?" Blake asked, caught off guard by the question.

"Your book. Does it have a name?" Ruby asked.

"Well," Blake started, sounding a little unsure. "It's about a man with two souls. Each fighting for control over his body."

"Oh yeah. That's real lovely." Yang rolled her eyes.

"I love books." Ruby said, ignoring her sister and taking a small step forward. "Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters, they're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress."

"Why is that?" Blake laughed softly. "Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will." Ruby told her. "As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books. Someone who fought for what was right and who protected people who couldn't protect themselves."

"That's very ambitious for a child." Blake smiled. "Unfortunately the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here." Ruby gave a small smile of her own. "To make it better."

"Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang squealed again, swooping in and catching Ruby in a bearhug.

"Gah, cut it out!" Ruby grunted, punching Yang square on the chin.

"Well, Ruby, Yang," Blake started as the sisters descended into a cloud of violence that bordered on the cartoonish. "It's a pleasure to-"

"What in the world is going on over here!" another familiar snobbish voice cut her off. "Don't you realize that some of us are trying to sleep?"

"Oh not you again!" Weiss and Yang both snapped at the same time.

"Shh!" Ruby shushed. "Guys she's right, people are trying to sleep!"

"Oh, so now you're on my side!" Weiss sneered.

"I was always on your side!" Ruby shot back.

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister?" Yang snapped. "She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a hazard to my health!" Weiss nearly growled.

"Alright, let's break it up." Draeg said, walking over. "Yelling at each other isn't going to do any good now."

"I'm perfectly capable of-" Weiss started to say, but the words died in her mouth. Having turned to speak to Draeg, she had found herself face to face, or rather, face to muscle, with his bare chest. Her pale face flushed bright red as her eyes went wide. "I'm just going to go-that way." she finally choked out before fleeing back down the ballroom to where she'd been trying to sleep.

"What's up with her?" the gentle giant asked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction she'd ran. Neither of the sisters could take it and both burst out laughing. Blake gave a grin and rolled her eyes before blowing out the candelabra and plunging them into darkness.