Markus Frude leaned out his window, observing the great airships that were bringing the new students in for the year. "It begins again," he said.

"Yes it does," a voice from behind him replied, "but since you are finally of age, you will be joining them."

Markus turned. "Will I be facing the Emerald Forest with them?"

"No. You've already proven yourself in that regard."

"What about a team?"

"For the time being, you will be your own team. We were fortunate this year. This incoming group is cleanly divisible by four." His sipped his drink. "Also, for other reasons you already know."

Markus nodded. "I understand, Professor Ozpin."

"But, that does not mean you have to sit up here for the first day. She would want you to go down and mingle with your new classmates." He took another sip. "Perhaps show them around. See who you can meet."

"Just like last year?"

"Minus the destruction of one of the spires, thank you."

Markus held out his hands. "Hey, like I said, that was all on team CFVY."

"Then why did you accept the full blame?"

"Because it was my idea, and I didn't realize that Velvet would be so timid."

"Still," Ozpin said as he stood, "they did take quite a liking to you afterward."

"That they did." Mark moved to his dresser. "I'll do my best to keep everything intact this year."

"That is all I ask." Professor Ozpin let himself out the door, leaving Markus in solitude once again.

Markus opened the top drawer of his dresser, revealing his collection of dogi. Perhaps one of calming colors.

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on," Jaune said to Ruby as they walked along the stone path.

"Look, I'm sorry, but 'Vomit Boy' was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh yeah? Well what if I called you 'Crater Face?'"

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!"

"Well the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

Ruby paused. "Do they?"

"They will! I-I mean I hope they will. I think my mom always said… nevermind."

Ruby gave an uneasy laugh. "So… I got this thing," she said as she unclasped and extended her weapon.

"Whoa, is that a scythe?" Jaune asked in amazement.

"It's also a customizable, high impact sniper rifle."

"A wha…"

"She said it's also a gun," a voice joined in, coming from the far side of the path. Jaune and Ruby looked to see a man of paler complexion, wearing a forest green dogi, blue short sleeved undershirt, with black soft boots. The man turned, his golden wheat blonde hair shimmering in the afternoon sun, dark blue eyes studying the pair intently, a pronounced red scar that ran from his scalp, to between his eyes, and under his left eye, following the arch of his cheek.

"That's exactly what I was going to say!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Formidable, intimidating, and adjustable," the new voice said as he studied Ruby's weapon. "A fine peacekeeping implement."

"Yep! I let it do the talking most of the time." Ruby collapsed her scythe. "What about you, Jaune?"

"Oh! I have this," Jaune drew his sword out of its scabbard, "and this!" His left forearm came forward, revealing a collapsible shield.

"Oh, that's cool," Ruby said, waiting for Jaune to continue demonstrating his arsenal. "Do they do anything else?"

"Well, the shield folds away, making it lighter and easier to carry!"

The other man raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't it weigh the same even when -"

"Yeah, it does," Jaune said with an exhausted sigh.

"But… your weapon," he continued, eyeing the sword. "May I?" he asked, extending his hands.

"Sure." Jaune put the sword in his hands. "It's a hand-me-down. It was my great grandfather's when he fought in the war."

"Oh, no. This is no simple hand-me-down," the unnamed said, admiring the temper of the blade by sliding a palm down the blade flat. "This -" he gave the sword two swings, cutting an "x" into the air, "- is an heirloom… nay, a relic." He put forward the point of the blade, giving a thrust. He feet glided across the ground as he slid toward a nearby tree. He stopped just short of making contact, bringing the sword back to eye-level. "Look at the folds. Never have I seen steel hold so tight."

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Jaune said as the wielder walked back to the pair.

"Like it? This weapon should be under glass, a testament to a simpler time."

Jaune took his weapon and placed it back in its scabbard. "You seem to be a swordsman yourself. What do you use… uh… I never got your name."

The unnamed man smiled, bringing his hands back into his resting pose; together at his heart, with only his index fingers extended. "My name is Markus, and my preferred weapon… is no weapon."

Ruby and Jaune's mouths dropped at what they heard. "No weapon!?"

"Yes, I know, it's strange," Markus said calmly. He held out the upsides of his palms, arms by his side. "My mentor trained me in such a way, that I would never need such an implement. Speed is all I need, and that is reflected in -" he gestured to his attire, "- my dogi, or outfit. It is specifically designed for speed and flexibility. That being said, it is unarmored. Because of this, I require to be quick on my feet, and it is best I do not have a weapon throwing me off-balance."

"You must have had quite the teacher," Ruby said. "Perhaps we can spar sometime and you can show me what you can do."

Markus smiled and nodded. "I had the best mentor, and I would very much like to test my mettle against yours. By the by, I got your name was Jaune," Markus pointed at the other blonde, "but who are you?" he asked, pointing to Ruby.

"Oh, I'm Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, guys, where are we going?" Jaune asked, now unfamiliar with the surroundings.

"I dunno. I was following you," Ruby said with a panicked tone.

"Don't worry. I know exactly where we are." Mark motioned to the path behind them. "Come. We grow tardy for Professor Ozpin's introductory speech."

As the trio approached the common hall, a voice called from across the courtyard. "Hey, Markus!"

Markus turned to face the caller, and held out a waving hand. "Hey, Coco! Good to see you, again!"

"Haven't destroyed any spires yet, have you?" a larger man who was following Coco yelled.

"Not yet, Yatsuhashi! But there's still daylight left!" Markus yelled back.

A Faunus girl following Yatsuhashi also stopped as he did. She gave a wave as well, but not as pronounced as the others. "Hey, Markus!" she called out, notably quieter than the others.

"Hey, Velvet," Mark said back to her with a gentle wave. "It's good to see you again."

The three on the other side disappeared into another building as Ruby, Jaune, and Markus continued toward the main spire. "Who were they?" Ruby asked.

"That was three of the four members of Team C-F-V-Y, or 'coffee' for short," Markus said as they crossed the threshold into the main antechamber, already filled with students. "Fox must have gone ahead of them. They're a second year team."

"Wait," Ruby stopped her walk to mentally process. "What year are you?"

"One."

"How do you know a second year team then?"

Applause filled the room. "Another story for another time," Markus loudly said above the noise.

"Ruby!" another woman's voice called. Ruby turned to face the familiar sound of her sister's voice. She waved.

"Well," Ruby turned back to Markus, "it was good meeting you. I'll see you around."

"I'm sure you will," Markus said as she turned to leave. Markus then faced Jaune. "You gonna go join them?"

"Huh? Oh!" was his reaction as he sped toward the others. Markus couldn't stifle a small laugh.

Markus himself brought his attention to the raised area that acted as a stage. Professor Ozpin started his speech with his usual "in search of knowledge" rhetoric, and the predicted stunted silence that followed as he reached his "wasted energy" part of his speech. But it was true. "Energy needs to be focused to be used the most effectively," he had once said to him. "That is what we do here."

The speech ended, and the shuffling of feet toward the exit told Markus to follow suit. Just outside, Ruby caught up with him. "Hey, Markus!"

"Ruby Rose. Good to see you again."

She laughed. "Even though it was just five minutes ago?"

"It always warms my heart to see my friends again, regardless of the timespan."

"Wow," the taller blonde accompanying her admired, "if that tongue of yours gets any sharper, it'll have to be classified as a weapon."

Markus hummed and smiled. "It's already illegal in Atlas." They shared in a laugh. "I don't believe we've met."

"Nope!" she said with cheer. "I'm Yang! Ruby's sister."

Markus gave the two girls a quick back and forth comparison. There were some minor similarities in their faces, but summarized they must have come from two different mothers. "It is nice to meet you."

"See? We haven't even been here a day, and you're already plus one friend."

Ruby sighed. "I'm pretty sure that Weiss counts as a negative friend, so I'm back at zero."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Yang told her sister with a light punch. "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. And this place is full of 'em."

"Quite so," Markus began, "but until then, you have had a big day today, and face a bigger one tomorrow. You should rest."

"Right," Yang said, grabbing her sister's hood. "Which way is the ballroom?"

"Just passed the second spire there," Markus said as he pointed in its general direction.

"Thanks!"

As Ruby was being dragged away by Yang, she saw Markus turn back toward the main hall when he made a sudden stop. She followed his direction to see the other girl from the Dust incident, the one in black, meet his gaze. She looked away, then back up sheepishly before he made his final approach. He said a few words into her ear before walking again. The girl stood a little taller than before, following their path.

Markus stood at his window, watching the shattered moon crest over the mountains. He sipped on his night tea. "I did manage to meet your star pupil."

"Ruby Rose?"

"Yes."

"What are your first impressions?"

"She seems to be a capable fighter. Slight timidation, and a bit young, but time has a funny way of fixing that."

"Team leader material?"

Markus took another sip. "I leave that judgement up to you. You've always been a better judge of character than I am."

Professor Ozpin stood. "I did see that your little experiment came to fruition."

"It is an outcome better than I had even hoped."

"What could you sense, this time around?"

"There is still doubt in her heart, but it is not nearly as pronounced as it once was."

"Keep in mind that the only reason I approved her entry was based on your personal council."

"You have nothing to fear. I sensed no deceit. She is on the redeeming path, but it begs a question of why she hides her Faunus heritage behind that bow."

"Perhaps for her sake, or the sake of others. But she cannot hide it forever."

"You are not wrong." Markus was about to ask Ozpin another question when he sensed he was no longer in the room. Spinning confirmed his assumption. He gave a huff for a laugh, went through his nightly routine of kneeling before the moon, and promptly fell asleep.

Phyrra awoke to the sound of birds singing, and the snores of several other students. She sat up and glanced out a window to see the Sun had not yet risen over the horizon, but the glow of its light revealed a student was already outside.

A ways outside, nearing a cliff, with a mat roll tucked under an arm.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she quickly roused from her bed roll and into the cool morning air.

The male student was sat upon a mat, facing eastward over the valley. His arms and legs were neatly tucked away, and as she approached, she could hear him taking long, deep breaths. He was also wearing an outfit she had never seen before.

Something about her step must have alerted him to her presence, as he gave his head a small turn. "Good morning," he said with an eye cracked.

"Oh, hello," Phyrra said nervously. "I didn't mean to interrupt your… activity."

Markus stood and fully faced Phyrra. "Think nothing of it. I can't seem to bring myself to focus this morning anyway." He gave the newcomer a quick study. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you."

"No, I think this is our first time." She held out a hand.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Markus said as he took her hand. "Markus Frude. And who might you be?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You… don't recognize me?"

Markus gave a confused eye. "Uhm... please forgive my ignorance, but should I?"

"Have you heard of the Mistral Region Tournament?"

Markus shook his head. "I'm familiar with the region, but not the tournament itself, no."

"Oh, well," Phyrra pushed back an errant hair from her face, "I was the winner of the tournament last year, and the three previous years." She looked away bashfully. "I may have had some endorsement deals with various products."

"I see," Markus said. "What kind of products?"

"Mainly a breakfast cereal line," she said, looking back. "The cereal isn't very good for you, but it helped pay for the expense to get to Beacon."

"Ah. We do what we must in order to achieve our goals and dreams," Markus said, facing back eastward. "I tend to stay out of the processed grains aisle. My body demands a breakfast that's a bit… hearty-er, if that's even a word."

Phyrra gave a small laugh. "Well, my name is Phyrra Nikos. And I must say, it is actually nice to not be recognized for a change."

Markus gave her a caring smile. "Growing tired of the spotlight?"

"It's hard," she started with a sigh, "because people put you upon a pedestal without even saying a word to you." She clasped her hands together. "It makes it difficult to relate to others when people see you as their 'hero.'"

Markus turned to Phyrra, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, I consider you my friend, nothing more, and nothing less."

She gave a happy sigh. "Thank you. You have no idea just how much that means." She herself turned eastward. "I'm relieved to see someone up and about already. I was worried I would be the only one here who would be an early riser."

Markus laughed. "Blame it on my mentor. She was always up before the Sun, which meant I also was always up then." The Sun crested over the horizon, and he raised both open hands to the sky. "But I suppose it's not all that bad. Mornings are beautiful here."

Phyrra gave Markus a quick study. "You are not from Vale, are you?"

Markus shook his head. "What gave me away?"

"Well, you do have a fairer complexion, for one."

A puff of air came through Markus's nose. "You should have seen me when I got off the boat. I bet I glowed."

"I am sure it was not that bad."

"I was the color of a cooked crustacean after ten minutes."

"Oh," Phyrra said in awe. "Well, at least you aren't as pale as you were!"

"Quite so," Markus said as he brought his arms back down. "There are many things I have had to become acclimated to."

"Like what?" she asked inquisitively.

"There are too many to list, and I doubt that we have that much time this morning." Markus stood toward the Sun, arms to his side, extended palms facing outward. "Excuse me," he said before uttering words Phyrra didn't recognize. No longer than ten seconds passed before Markus broke his still stance and began collecting his things.

"Did I interrupt something I shouldn't have?" Phyrra asked.

"No," Markus said, standing back upright. "Just a little morning ritual that's part of a custom back home."

"And where might home be?"

"Camaden." Markus saw Phyrra's blank stare. "It's an island nation to the west of Atlas."

"Oh! I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with it."

"Many people aren't, so you're in good company." They began to walk back toward the main school grounds. "People assume that the scattered islands around it are part of the Atlasian kingdom, but over a thousand years ago, the Camadens fought for and won their independence. It has since fallen on the wayside since then, since many think of their traditions and customs as 'backward.'"

"Like what?"

"A healthy dose of xenophobia, a strange pride in isolationism, and a distrust of technology. I mean, I learned how to read via whale oil lamp."

Phyrra glanced at Markus in wide-eyed awe. "Goodness."

"Yes. You can imagine my culture shock when I first arrived in Vale."

"It appears you have adjusted well."

"It's the benefit of youth, I'm told," Markus said with a smirk. "We take change better than most."

A ringing came from the distance. "It appears the cafeteria is open," Phyrra said. "Would you like to accompany me for breakfast?"

"Unfortunately, I have already eaten, and have other morning duties to which I must attend." Markus sadly said.

"Oh," Phyrra also sadly said. "Well, I will be seeing you later, then? For our first trial?"

"No, actually. I will not be joining the other first year students in the Emerald Forest."

Phyrra squinted in confusion. "Is it not a requirement for the first year students to participate?"

Markus opened his mouth to speak, but he quickly stopped himself as he fought for the right words. "My situation is… different. I have already faced the Emerald Forest." He could immediately tell he had only added to Phyrra's bewilderment. "There isn't much that I am allowed to discuss about my… unique status. But, when you return, and I have no doubt that you will return, perhaps I can -" he held up his hands and gave quote symbols "- 'accidentally' let some information go."

She smiled. "I look forward to our next encounter, then."

"As do I." Markus gave a head bow. "Earth Mother guide you." He saw her turn toward the cafeteria before about-facing. "Though I have a feeling you will not need it," he said under his breath.