Ruby Trigger

(Prologue)

Life had never been normal for young Ruby Rose. Born with eyes that shimmered with silver irises and dark red hair that seemed to, just like the rest of her body, refused to grow beyond a certain point, she had always stood out from the other children she had grown up with.

The fact that she was practically raised by her older sister, who both looked nothing like her and had a day job of fighting monsters from another dimension, probably had something to do with that.

But we'll talk more about that 'monster-fighting' thing in a second.

Ruby couldn't remember who her parents were. In fact, she couldn't remember anyone besides her older sister being there for her when she was growing up. That was probably why she was so obsessed with her blonde sibling. She remembered sitting at home one time, cheering Yang on through the TV screen as she watched a live broadcast of the teenager beating the crap out of one of the largest monsters to ever come through the Gate.

What's the Gate? That's not important right now. We'll come back to it.

Ruby clearly remembered never being afraid of Yang getting hurt. Her sister was simply invincible. That's all there was to it. She could take on any monster and come out of it A-Ok! In fact, that was exactly what she had told Ruby on multiple occasions.

But Ruby also remembered the time she walked in on Yang sobbing in bed, clutching her sides to try to ease the pain.

Fake bodies were never easy to get used to.

That incident only boosted Ruby's opinion of her sister. Not only was Yang the toughest person in the world, but she was also so brave for taking on the pain of her invisible injuries!

Ruby would never really know how much Yang appreciated her baby sister telling her that.

Basically, the point is that Ruby admired her sister above anyone else in the whole wide world of Remnant. And this, in turn, led to her wanting to follow the example set by her caretaker and become a "super-awesome monster hunter." Yang was all for this idea, but she was not prepared for how… obsessed Ruby would become with the concept.

The blonde still had flashbacks to that day. If she hadn't been patrolling that area of the city when the Gate opened…

Anyway, Ruby had promised Yang she wouldn't try to hunt the monsters on her own anymore, but this did not stop the girl from training at home as best she could, preparing for the day when she could fight alongside her sister.

So, for several years, that's how the young girl's days were spent: long, boring days at school followed by any sort of training Ruby could think of. Most of it was imaginary battles in her head, but she still felt like she was improving from them. In the evenings, Yang would come home, and Ruby would greet her excitedly at the door. It was a little tradition of theirs; even after Ruby turned fifteen, they continued the practice. For Yang, it was the highlight of her day.

But then, everything changed on that fateful day…

The day Ruby began high school.

Chapter 1: Warriors Shouldn't Have to Go to Class

It was orientation day at Beacon High: The day where many new souls would enter into the ranks of the menagerie that was the student body. But first, all of these brave youths would have to pass through the most challenging trial of their lives… The orientation speech. And Ruby was trying her best to pay attention; honest, she was! But this Headmaster Ozpin guy was SO. FREAKING. BORING! What was he even doing, giving an orientation speech? Shouldn't this be something that a staff member with… any sort of emotion in there voice was supposed to handle? As it was, Ruby felt like she was listening to one of those talking calculators she had back in grade school.

Except this one had been talking for almost an hour!

Eventually, the excitable freshman could sit still no longer, and her gaze wandered to the people sitting around her. They were, obviously, all freshmen as well. Additionally, they were all somewhere in between paying attention and completely zoning out what going on. This proved especially true for a young blonde teen sitting directly behind Ruby, for just as her gaze fell on him, he let out a loud snore.

Ruby could feel the gaze of others upon this kid, and knew that, if any of the officials who dotted the large gym in which orientation was being held heard the noise, the boy would get in trouble for disrupting the headmaster's speech. As much as she didn't want to 'socialize' with all the people here, she also couldn't just sit by and let this stranger get punished.

So, a stealthily as she could, she leaned her metal chair back, and carefully slapped him in the face.

As was expected, he woke with a start, and Ruby quickly lifted a finger to her lips with one hand and pointed to the elevated platform from which Ozpin was speaking with the other. Immediately, the young man grasped the situation, blushed, and mouthed "thanks" to Ruby before refocusing his gaze on the speaker. Obviously, he was straining to keep his eyes open, but hopefully he would have enough will-power to last till the end of orientation.

The hopeful huntress smiled. That wasn't nearly as bad as she had been expecting. Maybe Yang was right… Maybe she really could fit in just fine here…

"I'm so sorry!" Ruby gasped, still crawling around on her hands and knees. It was partly to help pick up all the papers that had fallen into the grass after she had bumped into the girl that was carrying them, but mostly because she didn't dare look up at whoever this new party was that she had collided with.

It wasn't her fault! She had just been really focused on a new combat situation that had occurred to her during homeroom, and she was just running through it in her head as she walked to her next class.

Ok, so maybe it was kind of her fault.

"Sorry?! If you're sorry, then help me pick these papers up!" The voice of the offended student demanded. Ruby was pretty certain she was already doing exactly as this stranger asked, but at this point, she didn't dare bring that up.

Besides, it wasn't like she could get a word in edge-wise.

"Honestly! I'm going to be so late to the student council meeting now because of this!" The upper-classman ranted, Ruby also not raising the point that this girl wasn't doing anything to help her pick up the papers. "I swear, if any single one of those documents is damaged, I will have you reprimanded by the Headmaster!"

That put a bit of vigor into Ruby's crawling, as she quickly snatched up the last few pages, stacked them together, and stood to hand them over to the very angry lady. She winced as the pile of paper was practically lashed out of her hands, the girl angrily counting them to make sure they were all accounted for.

This was the first chance Ruby had to examine the girl she had figuratively run-over, and… she was surprised to say the least. The lady, for that a better word, was only slightly taller than Ruby, and was clothed in the same standard black-and-blue school uniform that all the girls wore. Yet, somehow, she had far more presence than anyone else Ruby had run into.

Her snow-white hair probably had something to do with it.

She was also wearing ear-rings, but Ruby didn't get a chance to see what shape they were in, as the angry student suddenly turned on her, anger flooding her sky-blue eyes.

"What's your name?!" She demanded, the younger girl instinctively taking a few steps back.

"R-r-ruby! My name's Ruby Rose." This only seemed to make the girl's glare more piercing, and Ruby could feel herself shrinking smaller and smaller, until she just wanted the mean lady to go away.

"Ruby… I'll remember your name." The girl growled, before turning around. "I don't like it when people get in my way. Remember that."

"Y-yes ma'am!" Ruby called weakly, as the mysterious white-haired monster walked off. Even after she had vanished back into the throng of students shuffling from class-to-class, along with those who had stopped to watch the previous confrontation, the young red-head could only stand in the same spot, part of her afraid to even move lest she get reprimanded again.

"H-hey! Are you alright?"

Ruby practically jumped at the voice from right behind her, quickly turning around to see… the blonde boy from orientation. Rather than the button-up shirt and skirt that all the girls around Beacon High School wore, he, and all the male teens here, wore what seemed more like a black-and-blue formal suit. It must have been as uncomfortable as it looked, as he was nervously tugging at his collar while waiting for Ruby's response.

"Y-y-yeah, I'm fine." Ruby stuttered back, before letting out a sigh. "My first day, and I already made people mad at me. So much for fitting in…"

"It wasn't your fault!" The boy practically shouted, causing a few people to look their way as he blushed and coughed. "I-I mean, yeah, you ran into her. But you picked up all the papers for her! She had no reason to yell at you like that."

"I guess she was a little rude…" Ruby nodded, starting to feel a little better. "But I do hope I didn't make her late for anything important…"

"You didn't." A third voice chimed in, the two freshmen turning their heads to see a pale girl with black hair sitting under a nearby tree. At first, neither of them was certain it was she who had spoken, as her gaze was transfixed on the book she was reading. But then her eyes turned to meet Ruby's.

The silver-eyed girl couldn't help but shiver under the yellow gaze of this stranger.

Why did she keep meeting weird people today?

"That was Weiss Schnee. She's a member of the student council. She thinks she's above any of the other students here because of who her family is." The mysterious girl stated simply, turning her eyes back to her book.

"You… Don't seem to like her very much." The boy stated, he too shivering as the girl affixed her eyes on him.

"No. I don't."

There was an awkward silence, which threatened to span infinitively until Ruby finally mustered up enough courage to state…

"I'm… Ruby! What are your names?" The red-head chuckled nervously, looking between her two new 'friends.'

"I'm Jaune Arc… Thanks for waking me up back there." The boy, Jaune, apparently, rubbed the back of his head, his own nervousness fading. "If you hadn't helped me out, I'd probably be in detention already."

"Oh, no problem! I'd hate to see you get in trouble for not being able to stay awake during that snore fest!" Ruby giggled, Jaune joining her in laughter, before she turned her head to look over at…

"Huh?" She blinked, her new male friend glancing over at the tree the mysterious girl had been under a second ago.

Emphasis on the past tense.

"Where… Where did she go?" Ruby murmured, looking around. "Is she… is she…" Suddenly, her face burst into a wide smile, "A ninja?!"

"You… Don't think she actually is, do you?" Jaune stammered, wildly swinging his head back and forth to try and locate the missing woman.

"Ooh, I hope she is! That would be so cool!" Ruby hugged herself tightly, shivering all over for a new reason. "High School Shinobi Girls! I wonder if they have a secret club room on campus somewhere!"

"I… seriously doubt that." Jaune Arc muttered, but Ruby was paying him no attention now. "And, um… Don't you need to get to class?"

That didn't seem to work either, as Ruby was now caught up in the idea of a group of high school assassins. Jaune was debating whether he should try and snap her out of it or just head on to class before he was late, when his mind was suddenly made up for him.

In the form of a loud siren.

Immediately, every student stopped in their tracks, and an immediate feeling for dread fell upon the entire congregation.

"Attention! Attention! Gate activity detected within the city! All civilians please evacuate to the nearest safe-zone immediately!"

But no one within the school grounds moved an inch, for their eyes were all transfixed on a single point directly above them. A single black dot had appeared in the sky over Beacon High, shimmering in the mid-day sun, before rapidly expanding into a massive orb of dark energy. Black lightning crackled across it as it pulsated, before a single massive shape pushed its way out of the strange ball, falling from the sky and crashing down into the school's courtyard.

Directly in front of Jaune and Ruby.

Neither of the two teens found it within themselves to move, as the monster rose up from the crater it made in the sidewalk in front of them. It was twice as tall as Jaune, and its eyes, which seemed to be little more than red lines in the white mask that covered its head, glowed with anger. It was bipedal, standing on two round legs that more resembled tree trunks than actual appendages, and its body was covered entirely in solid black chitin, interlaced with bright green lines that seemed to hold it all together. The monster's mouth, which was comprised of two large pincers, opened wide as it looked up at the sky and let out a loud, shrill screech.

Then, it stretched out its arms, and they split open, revealing two shiny, metal scythes.

There was a loud crash on the other side of the school, as a second monster crashed down into the main building.

But the two had more pressing concerns at the moment…

Jaune was just about to lunge forward to try and protect Ruby from the encroaching bug-thing, when the girl whirled around and rushed past him, taking hold of his hand.

"Mantis! Run!" She yelled, pulling the bewildered boy with her as said monster suddenly rushed at them, swinging its two massive arm-blades sporadically. A part of Jaune felt amazed, as he watched the beast slice right through that tree the two had stood across from a moment ago. He had always imagined this day would come, had been anticipating it with every fiber of his being…

And now… he was face-to-face with the Grimm.

And he was running away.

"Ruby, wait!" He called, attempting to separate himself from the death-grip the girl had on his hand.

"Are you crazy?! That Mantis is trying to kill us! You'd have to be a BEACON agent to try and take it on!" The girl yelled back, continuing to try and put some distance between the soldier-class Grimm and the two of them.

"But I AM a BEACON agent!"

"What?!"

Well, at least she let go of his hand. The two teens skidded to a stop, and Jaune wasted no time in whirling around to face the encroaching Mantis. He quickly reached into his suit pocket, and pulled out a small grey crystal. Raising it to the sky, he yelled out dramatically.

"Trigger, on!"

Ruby had only ever seen this once before, when Yang transformed right in front of her that day she wandered into a pack of hunting-class Grimm. And it still stuck out in her mind as one of the coolest things she had ever seen in her life.

So, when Jaune pulled out his Dust Crystal, she was practically squealing with excitement, even in the face of the scythe-wielding bug.

The transformation itself only took a split-second. For BEACON agents, time was of the essence. Still, she could catch a glimpse of what exactly happened, thanks to knowing exactly what to look for.

First, Dust burst out of Jaune's body, enveloping the boy and forming a new body on top of his natural one. In this form, he wore a simple black t-shirt, blue jeans with a simple black belt, and comfortable-looking tennis shoes. More importantly, though, the transformation added a metal chest-plate and arm guards. But still, the best was yet to come…

In Jaune's hands, two shapes instantly took form, like his armor, they were forged from the boy's own Dust. In his right hand, a metal-longsword appeared, and in his left, a small metal shield, emblazoned with the BEACON symbol. The entire transformation finished with a bright flash, and Jaune dropped into a combat position, subtly testing the weight of the sword in his hand.

… Compared to Yang, Jaune was just a little underwhelming.

Still, that did nothing to diminish the wide grin on Ruby's face. That right there was what she wanted to be more than anything. A real agent of BEACON! Someone who could call forth their body's natural power, their Dust, to do battle against evil monsters!

However, she'd once again have to settle for watching from the sidelines.

Still, she did her best to cheer loudly as Jaune charged forward with a yell, the Mantis having actually stopped in its tracks at seeing the boy transform into a Hunter. Still, it recovered just before the young man reached it, and wildly swung one of its scythes at him, determined to cleave this new foe in two. However, Jaune's shield quickly proved its worth, the creature's weapon-arm bouncing harmlessly off the defensive armament with a loud 'clank'. The young Hunter did not waste this opportunity, stepping in close to the Grimm and thrusting his sword forward to pierce the monster's chest.

Ruby's eyes widened in anticipation… And then grew even wider from fear as, with a sound like breaking glass, Jaune's weapon shattered harmlessly against the Mantis' chitin. Time froze for a second, as the girl had time to take in the shocked face of the Hunter… Before the Mantis suddenly swung down its other scythe.

Ruby screamed as the unnatural blade cut halfway through the strangely silent boy, but thankfully, it did not possess the strength to slice all the way through Jaune's Dust body. Instead, the Grimm settled on tossing the young man aside, Jaune's still form colliding with the side of the school building before he slumped to the ground.

The young girl started to call out his name, but stopped when her attention became drawn back to the Mantis, which had now set its sights on her. Slowly, she began to back away, as the Grimm slung towards her, chattering menacingly.

"S-s-s-stay b-b-back!" Ruby commanded, raising up a shaky hand. She tried to calm herself down. 'Just do what Yang said, and you'll be fine.'

It wasn't working.

"I… I'm warning you…" She gasped, suddenly stumbling over a very inconveniently placed chunk of rubble. As she fell backwards, the monster lunged at her, raising both of its scythes into the air.

And then, there was a flash of red… And rose petals filled the air.

And Now: World Building With RWBY (And Guests)

Ruby: Hey everyone! Wow, that was break-neck first episode, huh? I hope I'm still alive by the next chapter.

Jaune: Don't worry, Ruby! I'm sure you'll be fine... Probably.

Ruby: Thank you for that vote of confidence, Jaune. Though, I have to admit, you were pretty cool for a few seconds there.

Jaune: Um… Thanks? Sorry I couldn't be much help. I'm still a rookie Hunter.

Ruby: That reminds me, why are we the only ones here? Isn't the whole cast supposed to be present for these outros?

Jaune: Well, we're the only ones who have been properly introduced. Unless you want the Mantis to co-star…

Ruby: Eep! No thanks, I'm good! Though… Why are the Grimm so different here? And why is Dust something completely different than it is in Remnant? And why is BEACON not an Academy? And why…

Jaune: We'll get to that later, Ruby. But… I think we're out of time.

Ruby: Aw, really? Ok. See you later!

Jaune: Let's hope we're all still alive next chapter.