Hello. Thank you for checking out my story. Keep in mind that I originally wrote this for a friend that had never heard of RWBY. As such, it's intended to make sense to someone unfamiliar with the show. I'm aware it's not perfect as a standalone work, but I'm trying.

Chapter 1: Ruby Rose

An outsider might find it strange that the kingdoms of the continent of Remnant ever cooperated, even out of necessity. History has taught us that geographic, economic, cultural, and political differences are humanity's great dividers. Remnant, however, is held together by a force far stronger: the threat posed by the creatures of Grimm, and the need to collectively oppose them. Once there were many Kingdoms, but now only four remain.

Over eighty years ago, a war was fought between those kingdoms, shattering the fragile peace between them in a display of bloodshed. The toll they inflicted on each other was immense, but the majority of casualties came from an increase in the number of attacks by Grimm. After the war, the attacks returned to their usual numbers. Even the creatures themselves seemed more docile, as if respecting the newfound peace.

From this, the people of Remnant realized two things. First, the threat posed by the Grimm was too great to fight amongst themselves. They needed to cooperate, or die. Second, the increased presence of Grimm was no accident. Some primal power within them grants them the ability to sense pain, fear, and hatred, the way an animal might smell blood on the wind. War has a way of stirring those up, so in order to placate the monsters, peace had to come about between the powers of the continent.

Vacuo, Vale, Mistral, and Atlas, formerly known as Mantle. The four nations that after so many years continue to stand against the darkness. They do so only thanks to the stalwart bravery of hunters and huntresses, men and women who pledge their lives to the protection of those who can't. Four main academies, technically independent but associated with their neighboring kingdom, are responsible for the training of these heroes.

Huntsman and huntresses are highly skilled, but they are aided by a mysterious force: their aura. Individuals powerful enough can coalesce their soul into a shield to protect them from harm. While their aura stands, they are free from injury but not pain. Aura can also manifest in a more unique and obvious way, known as a semblance. It is a mysterious power fueled by aura, unique and random for most individuals who possess it, but in some cases it is hereditary. While a semblance can be any sort of power, ones involving clones, movement, or changing one's appearance are common.

Lastly, it is impossible to talk of Remnant without mentioning Dust. Its discovery and subsequent use leveled the playing field between humanity and the Grimm. Dust is a mysterious crystalline mineral found in a variety of colors, mined from locations all over the continent. This multifunctional substance can generate vast amounts of energy, either by slowly emptying it or releasing it all at once. This makes it ideal for power generation, as well as ammo and explosives. Mysteriously, it loses all power upon leaving the borders of Remnant, making it useless as an export.

With the powers of Dust at their disposal, man fought back the Grimm and ushered in a new age. For the first time, you could live your entire life within the safety of a kingdom's walls, never once seeing a Grimm outside of a movie or picture. Naturally, some people grew complacent. The huntsman and huntresses were not among them. They respected the threat posed by the incarnate darkness and trained hard as ever to protect the tenuous peace. Dust revolutionized Remnant, in more ways than one.

It's funny then, to think that it was once just known as a pretty stone. All along, their savior was among them. The same was about to be true again.

How pretty Vale is in the evening, the man thought. What a fine time to be taking care of business.

The shattered moon hung low in the sky, illuminating the dark alleyways otherwise untouched by the dust-powered streetlights. The light was just enough that the silhouettes of people could be made out — not, of course, that there were many. Summer had gone and with it the long, bright evenings and general optimism. Civil and well-meaning folk had long since retired to the safety and comfort of their homes. Shops were closed; doors locked and barred. At the end of the boulevard, only a single store remained open.

Inside the store, the shopkeeper ran his bony finger over the counter with mindless repetition. It had been a long day, but it wasn't quite late enough yet to justify his counting the lien or locking the door. As such, he continued his silent vigil, reflecting on the long life he had lived.

Many years before, he was much younger, living in Mistral. Like all young people, he had visions of adventure, wealth, and power. More importantly, he wanted to get as far away from the squabbling bureaucracy, culture, and corruption of his birthplace. Eventually, he made it to Vale, but there his journey stopped. Why? He couldn't say. Of course, the stop was meant to be temporary. Travelling had sucked up more of his savings than he had anticipated, and he had planned to stop only to save up enough lien to continue his journey.

In need of a way to support himself, he opened an upscale Dust shop, selling the lifeblood of society in all manner of forms, plus some other convenience items. The business was such a success that for decades he couldn't convince himself to sell it, and old age had crept up on him. Sometimes he wished that his wanderlust had pushed him farther than it did, but most days he was content with his choices.

Only one customer was browsing his store, a young girl in a red cloak. He paid no attention to her as she perused the weapons magazines in silence, her back to the front of the store. He didn't mind really when kids hung around. As long as they didn't steal anything or trash the magazines.

A jingling bell announced the entrance of new customers: a tall man and several shady thugs. The man brushed his flaming orange hair back and straightened his loose white coat. He carried a cane but reached the shopkeeper without using it. He finished his cigar and ground it into the counter, eliciting a frown from the man behind it.

"I'm in the market for some dust," the new customer said. "The name's Roman."

"Of course, sir," said the shopkeeper. "What exactly is it you would like to buy?"

He smiled a, slow crooked grin. "Who said anything about paying?"

Realization dawned on him. "You're Roman Torchwick, aren't you? You're wanted for grand larceny," said the shopkeeper. "I got suspicious when I saw your hair."

"I guess you weren't suspicious enough."

As if on cue, Roman's henchmen rushed forward, flanking the shopkeeper on both sides as they drew their pistols. The shopkeeper glanced desperately at the back of the store, but the girl in red seemed oblivious to the commotion.

"I don't want any trouble," the shopkeeper conceded. "I'll give you the money, just don't hurt me."

Roman scoffed. "Do I look like I need whatever petty cash you keep in your register? Keep it. We're here for the dust."

At his direction, two of the henchmen split off and began draining dust from the canisters on the wall, while the other two kept their weapons leveled at the distressed shopkeeper.

Ruby Rose's eyes scanned the back cover of the magazine, focusing on a small notice about new collapsable staves. Her headphones were sliding off so she on shifted them so they were once again centered on her ears. She was aware she had been loitering a while without buying anything and considered purchasing a copy of Modern Dust Enhancement just to be polite.

Her magazine had just closed when she felt a rough prod on her shoulder, accompanied by a muffled voice. Ruby turned, replacing the magazine and removing her headphones, expecting to see the owner of the shop or perhaps an irritated customer in line for the magazines.

"—in the air," the man said.

Who was this guy? Why was he wearing sunglasses? "Sorry?" she replied, frowning.

"Don't sorry me, you clueless idiot," the man snapped. He drew a gleaming red machete and leveled it at her. "Stick your hands up, and go to the front of the store."

Ruby's eyes widened. What was his problem? She glanced at the front and noticed identical thugs with guns trained at the shopkeeper. They were scowling as their apparent leader rifled through the display case. Her frown deepened. "Are you robbing me?"

The thug smiled, extending his palm. "You could call it that. The boss said to leave the register, but he didn't say nothin 'bout strays like you. Hand over what you've got and consider it a lesson against staying out this late, a little girl like you."

Had he been paying better attention, he would have noticed a change in Ruby as he said 'little girl': a slight tightening of her jaw, a clenching of her fists, a shifting of her feet. But he didn't notice, and the last thing he remembered was a fierce anger emanating from the girl's piercing silver eyes before a colossal force slammed into his gut, propelling him against the wall in a heap.

Roman leaped up, his eyes sweeping the room for threats and brandishing his cane. He looked around further, finally meeting Ruby's defiant gaze at the back of the store. At the snap of his fingers, the remaining henchmen warily advanced.

Ruby dashed forward, gaining speed rapidly even in the confined space of the shop. Taking a small hop, she staggered the thug with an explosive kick to his chest, their momentum sending them both tumbling through the front window.

"Get her!" hissed Roman, snapping his briefcase closed. He had what he wanted, and knew he shouldn't draw attention to the heist by starting a violent brawl in the middle of the street. He kicked the door open, flipping open the base of his cane.

Ruby rolled as she landed, stabilizing on one knee as she unclipped a large object from her belt. She clicked a button. It emitted a mechanical whirr, expanding laterally and forming a vicious crimson scythe larger than she was. Torchwick's remaining thugs skidded in their tracks. Ruby felt more confident with her scythe, Crescent Rose, in her hands. It had been too cramped inside the store to expand it, and hand-to-hand combat wasn't her specialty. Finally, she could teach these crooks a lesson. It was her chance to be the hero.

Spurred on by Roman, the remainder of his squad rushed towards her. All too aware of her scythe's lethality, Ruby flipped the blade over. As they approached she used her range to her advantage, clubbing the legs of her opponents with the blunt edge of her scythe and knocking them to the ground.

The fight became more complicated when Roman fired a hissing projectile from the end of his cane. Ruby leaped backward too late but managed to deflect the bullet with the edge of her weapon. She gritted her teeth and quickly glanced around. No one had noticed the gunshot. Calling for help on her scroll would be too slow. She was tired of being gentle with these clowns.

Ruby spun her scythe in a circle, watching as it mechanically morphed into a gun. She fired it downward, letting the weapon's recoil vault her into the air. As she fell, she changed it back to a scythe and smashed the heads of both thugs, who had just stumbled back to their feet.

Roman whistled as the last of his posse slammed unmoving into the ground. "Well, Red, things were a bit more eventful than I anticipated. I'd love to stick around and chat, but really, I don't get on well with police folk. They are such a bore."

Roman hefted his stuffed briefcase in one hand, pointing his cane with the other. A bullet flew out of the end. Ruby spun her scythe to deflect it but it exploded before it reached her, sending billowing smoke into the air. Diving out of the growing cloud, she spotted her target nearing the top of a nearby ladder. She dashed after him.

"I'm finished here," whispered Roman into an earpiece. "It was messy but we've got the dust. I'm being tailed and you'll need to grab me from a new spot. I'm sending you coordinates." He paced to the far edge of the roof, rapidly keying commands into his scroll. Cinder was supposed to be his escape. All he could do was hope she had picked up his location, and that the Bullhead wouldn't attract too much attention.

The complete failure of his men irked him immensely. Junior hadn't specified how much training they had, but since they worked as bouncers he assumed they could at least shoot straight. Hopefully, they would get to rot in jail a few years for the failure.

Ruby dashed up the ladder, firing Crescent Rose once to propel her over the edge of the roof. Her feet hit the rooftop with a thud that could hardly be called subtle. Roman turned to face her just as a sleek silver aircraft swooped into position, hovering over the edge of the roof behind him.

So his bomb hadn't worked. "You're fast, Red," he shouted over the sputtering engine. "But you weren't fast enough. Let's see how you handle this little present."

Roman stepped onto the open deck of the Bullhead, tossing a crystalline red object at Ruby's feet.

Not another bomb! Ruby scrambled backward, knowing she was probably too late.

A figure dropped to the roof, holding out its arm to summon a purple ward. Roman fired at the crystal with his cane. It exploded, sending another boom echoing through the alleyways, but any force it had was sucked into the glowing shield.

The ward faded, revealing the figure more clearly: a stern blond woman in a purple cape and half-moon glasses. She extended one arm toward the Bullhead and motioned for Ruby to stand back with the other.

"Don't let him get away!" Ruby shouted. She couldn't bear to see the criminal escape, not when they were so close to catching him.

The woman called up a grid of sharp stones to float in the air, then flicked a wrist; they were sent flying toward Roman's escape craft.

"Dammit!" Roman hissed as rocks battered the hull of the Bullhead. He dashed to the cockpit and threw open the door. "Cinder, get that Huntress. I'll fly us out of here."

The woman piloting the craft stood up, pressing a finger against his lips. Her eyes were regarding him with disdain. "Oh Roman," she sneered, "you overestimate our plight. I'll end them long before you get the engines turned around."

Cinder deftly stepped out to stand by the open door of the Bullhead, dissipating the latest shower of rocks with a blast of orange energy. She then summoned a column of flame, barely missing the two figures on the roof.

Ruby's mysterious protector wasted no time. With a complex hand motion, she split the array of rocks into three columns and began weaving them into a spear. Ruby switched back to her gun and began firing at the Bullhead.

"You...you're Glynda Goodwitch!" said Ruby. "You work at Beacon."

"Yes, child," said Ms. Goodwitch. "But now is really not the time." She completed her spear and launched it toward the Bullhead with another flick of her hand.

Cinder struck the spear with concentrated surges of flame, slicing it to bits but failing to stop its momentum. A moment before impact, the Bullhead's engine came alive. It swerved out of the spear's path and away into the night.

Ruby immediately turned to Glynda. "Are you really Glynda Goodwitch? The one that works at Beacon? I really, really want to go there! Can you put in a good word for me on account of me, um… meeting you! Here. And stuff. And…" Her squealing petered off at the sight of Glynda's expression.

"We," said Glynda, "will discuss that later."

Later turned out to mean after Glynda had chewed her out over her 'reckless behavior', after the police had come, and after those police had left without even thanking her. Ruby's thoughts were on Beacon, so she nodded through the interrogation and waited for it to be over. Finally, Glynda approached her again. "Miss Rose, someone wishes to speak with you. Come with me."

Some time later they arrived at a dark, ornate building. Ruby recognized it as the registration office for Beacon Academy. She had come here last spring when her older sister Yang had applied to the prestigious school. Glynda led Ruby to a small conference room set off of the main hallway.

"Miss Rose," said Glynda, "I don't want to give the impression that you are being rewarded for your vigilante justice, but there is someone here who has an opportunity they would like to share with you."

"Thank you, Glynda," a voice said. "I'll take it from here." Ruby straightened in her chair as a slight, gray-haired man entered.

"Ruby Rose." he said, leaning in slightly "You have...silver eyes."

"Uhm...yeah," she mumbled. "Is that—"

"No matter. Tell me what happened tonight. The way you saw it."

"Don't you know already?" Hadn't the police already told him?

He didn't answer but continued to look at her expectantly.

"Well, I was, uh, in the store. The Dust shop. But I was actually just reading this magazine. It was kinda cool. Then these thugs came in and tried to rob the store!"

"And you stopped them?" he said, anticipating her answer.

"Only because they tried to rob me! It wasn't like they ignored me or anything," she paused. "You mean I should have just let them take my money?"

Ruby couldn't believe it. Her dad, her teachers, basically every adult in the whole world decided right about her age that everything was your responsibility. If there was a problem, and you could fix it, you should do so. If you couldn't defend yourself, then don't trust yourself to. But she could defend herself, and others as well. Now Ozpin was turning that on its head.

"Well, it's a tough call," he said. "You weighed the risks — or at least I hope you did — and in this case, it paid off. Or did it? You failed to stop the robbery, and you caused extensive property damage."

"The window was an accident! And they were the ones who set off bombs, not me." Ruby complained. That crazy guy had shot fire Dust at her! He hadn't even bothered to shape it into a proper form, he had just blown it up. Did they think her response was inappropriate?

"Perhaps. But had you not engaged, they wouldn't have needed to."

Ruby squirmed in her seat. The stark room she was in only accentuated the feeling of interrogation.

"You are not in trouble, Miss Rose. I just want to be sure you understand the limits of your abilities and the consequences of your actions. That's something your uncle always had trouble with."

"You mean Uncle Qrow? How do you know him?" This guy was about as different from her laid-back and badass Uncle as she could picture.

He didn't answer but instead removed a pair of spectacles from his pocket and put them on.

Suddenly, she realized. "Oh, I recognize you now. You're Professor Ozpin! You're the headmaster of Beacon, but I guess you used to teach. Uncle Qrow mentioned you."

"He did, did he?" said Ozpin. "It's gratifying to hear he holds such...fond memories of his time in my class." Ruby couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic.

"They weren't exactly fond memories." She said, blushing a little. From what she had heard, Qrow respected Ozpin's skill and intelligence but had more than a few qualms about his teaching style.

"I'm not surprised. Qrow might not have had the most respect for my authority, but he was very talented." He paused to consider. "He trained you to use your scythe, did he not? I can't think of anyone else qualified enough with such an uncommon weapon."

"Yeah, he did. He taught me everything. But why am I here?" said Ruby, recalling hours spent at Signal and back home at Patch, where Qrow had drilled into her every advantage, disadvantage, attack, and counterattack possible.

"Of course. You are here because, despite your recklessness, you managed to impress me. That's not an everyday occurrence."

"Uhm, thanks," she said, the compliment catching her off guard.

"Two more years at Signal Academy. Are you looking forward to them?"

"Sure. It's what I need in order to apply to your school, right? And that's the best way for me to become a Huntress." Technically anyone could say they were a huntsman, but without an accompanying diploma from a well-regarded school, you could forget about making a career out of it.

Ozpin smiled. "I appreciate your kind words, but I feel you are qualified to attend Beacon already.

"What?" She already worried about being good enough to get in after two more years.

Glynda stepped back in, clearing her throat. "Miss Rose, few students your age, or older, could fight like you did back there. I also see you listed at the top of all your current classes at Signal. Moving you ahead would be unusual, but considering where you are now, it might be preferable."

"So you're telling me to move ahead two years to start at Beacon? But I'd leave all of my friends behind!"

"I'm asking you," Ozpin corrected.

"I want to, it's just that I wouldn't know…wait, did you say two years? So I'd be in the same year as Yang! Yess!"

Glynda nodded. "You'll have some classes with her. I'll make sure."

"What are we waiting for then? Call my dad! Can I sign up now?"

"Tomorrow, Miss Rose," said Glynda, exasperated. "You must rest, even if you don't feel like you need it."

I can't believe it, thought Ruby. I thought they were just going to yell at me more, but now I might go – no, I am going — to Beacon!

The haggard concierge accepted the duffle from the student with a sigh of relief. The first day of the Beacon semester seemed endless. It took three full airships to transport all the students, and from the weight of their bags, it felt as though they were taking everything they owned with them. He placed the last bag atop the orderly pile and admired the symmetry.

A blunt object struck the back of his head, toppling him into the stack. Staring at the ruins of his efforts, the concierge examined the small red suitcase that had hit him. R. Rose, the tag on it read.

Gonna be late! I can't be late! thought Ruby as she sprinted toward the airship. She noticed a hatch labeled "Baggage" and lobbed her bag in its general direction, not even looking to see if someone grabbed it. She took the stairs three at a time and squeezed on board just as the automated doors slid closed.

Yang Xiao-Long was starting to be concerned. It was 1:59, the doors were about to close, and this was the final airship. Ruby still hadn't arrived. Should I be panicking?

Of course, her sister could have snuck past her, but that possibility was neither likely nor appealing. Maybe Ruby just didn't see her, but it was hard to miss Yang's hair: it fell nearly down to her waist and was so blond it appeared golden in the sunlight.

"Ruby!" Yang said, grabbing hold of her sister and hugging her. "You're here!"

"Ughh," said Ruby, her voice muffled. "Yang, let go of me."

"Ah, chill out. I was just worried you wouldn't make it." She bounced energetically on her feet.

"Were you hoping I wouldn't?" she teased.

"Of course not. Why wouldn't I want my favorite sister at Beacon with me?" Yang laughed and hugged her again.

"What would I need to do to not be your favorite?" Ruby smirked.

"Well technically, you're my least favorite too. Anyway, at least you didn't miss the flight, that's what matters. For all your enthusiasm, you sure took your time getting here." She wasn't exaggerating. Since Ruby had returned home a week ago, she hadn't stopped talking about going to Beacon, and the events of that fateful night.

"Well, I'm glad I made it," Ruby said with relief. "Hey, we're taking off!"

The airship broke free from its dock, engines smoothly lifting it into the air. Students pushed their way to the windows, looking down at the glimmering skyline of Vale.

"Look!" said Ruby, pointing. "You can see Signal from here.

"Missing it already?" asked Yang.

"Not yet. I told my friends I'd write. They didn't blame me for going, at least." She was lying, but only sort of. Her classmates did want to hear about her new school, but she really hadn't had any close friends there.

"That's nice. I have some friends going to Beacon, but I don't think we'll be that close anymore."

"What? Why?"

"You. You'll drive them all away," she said, laughing.

"Yang!" Ruby pouted, turning away.

"Kidding. I don't think I'll see them much, for real. We'll spend most of our time with our teams."

"Team, you mean." Ruby couldn't imagine not being on a team with her sister. Being the youngest and not knowing anyone? Not a recipe for a fun year.

"Maybe we won't be on the same team. It'd be good for you. New friends."

"Professor Ozpin said we'd share classes, so I can fit in and stuff."

"Classes, fine. But I don't think Ozpin picks the teams." Yang didn't know that for sure, but she'd heard some rumors.

Some of the students were clustered around a projector screen. A white-haired, businesslike woman was describing regional crime trends. A news report, or something. Then Ruby noticed a familiar face. "Yang!" she said. "It's the guy from the store. He's on the news!"

The two girls walked over to watch.

A male voice was speaking. "—notorious criminal, Roman Torchwick, is still at large," he said. If you have any information as to his whereabouts, contact the Vale Police Department."

The white-haired woman returned as the mug shots of a much younger Torchwick faded from view. "Thank you, Cyril," she said. "Our next story is about the chaos that occurred at the Faunus Civil Rights protest. This annual event mobilizes the Faunus population peacefully in their ongoing fight for equal rights and representation."

A new image appeared, an outline of red claws behind a wolf's head. "However," she continued, "the event was interrupted by the arrival of the White Fang, who terrorized civilians. The leaders of the protest claim to have no affiliation with the Faunus revolutionary group. The White Fang have been growing increasingly violent, and—"

The screen fuzzed and was replaced by static. Then the expressionless face of a blond woman appeared. "Hey!" Ruby said. "I know her too!"

"Good afternoon, students," she said. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. Your acceptance to Beacon Academy is out acknowledgment of your desire to protect the innocent, serve as a force of justice, and if necessary sacrifice yourself for the good of society. This is not a responsibility to be taken lightly. That is our job as teachers: to prepare you for anything and anyone you might come across." After one last stern look, Glynda disappeared.

"Intense, right?" said Yang. "Are they trying to scare us?"

"I think they just want to make sure we're taking it seriously."

The airship crossed the peak of a small mountain, revealing Beacon Academy in all its splendor. The school was nestled in a valley with hills on three sides. Elegant towers topped the thick walls, which were protective but not unsightly. Yang was admiring the view when a blond and sickly-looking boy vomited his breakfast all over her shoes.

"Sorry," he groaned. The boy stumbled away.

Yang just stared, as if not believing what had just happened.

"Well, at least it wasn't your hair," Ruby said quietly. "Oh, too soon?"

Thanks for reading. Please review or PM me if you have any criticism/questions.