AN: Hey, guys! Fear: Reap has been on hiatus for a while. I felt like the story got a bit crazy and I lost touch with where it was going. Guess I kept taking it in too many directions and wound up fairly unhappy with it. This time, I've brought it back and decided to flesh out some things a bit more, especially the beginning. I did get a few complaints that it was like the characters were aware of things that the reader wasn't and I'd like to go back and fix that! Actually, the Initiation has been stretched out to four chapters on its own, and while the story has changed a bit, it will be a lot more focused and little less crazy. Without further ago, on with the story!


Are you absolutely sure you don't want my power?

Yes.

Not even the tiniest sliver?

Of that, I am certain…

Hahaha, Little Rose, you will push me away, but like all the others before you, you will one day beg on your hands and knees...

I will never need you… Reaper…

And like all the others, I will lift you to your feet and welcome you with open arms and we will stand proudly as one – as master and monster.

Silver eyes fluttered open, taking in the tiny dark avian blurs that flapped their wings just beyond the thick reinforced glass. Each little bird traveled seamlessly as one, blindly following their leader toward the peaks of the distant bold structures that spoke of the strength and wisdom of Vale – a destination they both shared. Sighing to herself, she peered out at the vast canopies below the giant Bullhead that air-bussed "Beacon's future" to their new home for the next four years.

So many thoughts weighed on her mind as she considered the exciting and trying times ahead of her and maybe, for once, she could get a taste of normalcy, even if just for a bit. She leaned back, suspending her weight from the bar she had previously rested herself on and a louder sigh escaped her. Somewhere further off, some guy gagged on his own bile, adding a most unpleasant soundtrack to their long journey. As her silver eyes probed the other passengers for the origin of the aforementioned sounds, a flash of yellow and brown latched itself onto her, with a firm smack to her back. Ruby doubled over and coughed as her lungs attempted to recover from the sudden force, but she found her head locked between a single arm and a pair of huge breasts.

"Aw! Baby sis! You made it!" The blonde excitedly hugged her crimson-cloaked sister closer. "I'm so proud of youuu!"

"Ack, Yang! Seriously!" Ruby struggled against her to no avail. "Lemme go!" The harder she struggled, the wider Yang's grin became… until she simply let go and Ruby crashed to the ground. "Ow! That was mean, Yang," Ruby whined.

"Ah, you'll get over it! You'll be fine," Yang brushed her off. "Anyway, you excited yet?"

"Well, I mean, yeah, we've basically spent the last eight years preparing for this!" Ruby gave her a "duh" expression. "I guess I'm just a little nervous about how things are gonna' end up. New place. New people…" Ruby turned face her sister, who had been anticipating this and replied with a grin. "I doubt anyone will know who we are…"

"Aw, Rubes! Don't be so," a sly look spread across Yang's face as she paused for dramatic effect. "Yang-xious!" Yang stared expectantly at her sister now frozen face, savoring every moment of her silence.

"Did... Did you just?" Yang's smirk became a toothless grin. "… I don't even know why it surprises me anymo-". Ruby was rudely interrupted as Yang rubbed her cheek against Ruby's face. Once more, the sounds of the skysick boy echoed through the ship. Finally, the sisters traced the sound back to the pathetic sight of an ill-armored blonde boy.

"Ooh… That's just sad," Yang stated. "Well, at least we're not in for a future as rough as Barf Boy, right there." As if on cue, the Bullhead rocked as it hit turbulence and Barf Boy finally lost the ability to contain himself. Someone in the distance cursed about their shoes, followed by the weak apologies of the sickly boy. The two sisters focused on the screen parallel to them and cringed at the sight. An image of two cloaked women stood menacingly on a ship somewhat reminiscent of an armored yacht.

"Locals in Patch were overjoyed, to say the least, when they were paid a visit by the infamous duo, Reaper and Scylla." A girl with orange hair squealed with excitement and dragged a boy over to the screen.

"Renny! Look!" The girl danced around and Yang gritted her teeth, balling her hands into a fist.

"Yang…" Ruby placed a hand firmly on the blonde's shoulder and spoke with a stern voice. She looked back at her sister, who shut her eyes and moved her head slowly back and forth. She was right. This wasn't the time or place. She let go of her anger and turned back to this screen. There was no reason to explode over this.

"The pair dispatched a large population of Beowolves that had made their home in a neighboring forest. As always, it's exciting to hear what these two are doing, but I'm sure we are all wondering if we'll see them participating in this year's UHC fights! Won't that be exciting?... Back to you, Lisa!" The screen switched to a lavender female newscaster that droned on about uninteresting events and bored the sisters to death, until that same squeal from earlier sounded off.

"Oh my Dust! Ruby! Yang! Is that you?!" The orange-haired bundle of excitement bounced over to the duo with her friend in tow.

"Ack! Nora, please! Air!"

"Air is for the weak, Ren!" Nora imitated a drill sergeant. "Defeat your weakness!"

"Hey, Ruby," Yang whispered. "Was she always this crazy?"

"You tell me!" The red-head whispered loudly. "You trained with her!"

"Yeah! For, like, a year!" Unaware of the conversation, Nora sudden locked her determined sights onto the sisters. "Oh, hi, Nora! We didn't see you here!... On this particular bullhead!..." An arm clawed at the air from beneath Nora. "Um… Nora, I don't think Ren is supposed to be that shade of blue… or any shade of blue."

"Whaaat?" She looked down at her suffocating comrade and dismissed it. "Pshhhh! He's fine! He got some air earlier!" Her foot began to jar as he started to cough. "Geez! Overreact much?" She lifted her foot and he sat up, gasping for the sweet oxygen that now filled his lungs.

"Nora, you gotta' be better to your boyfriend."

"Whaaat? B-boyfriend?!" Nora withdrew and began to twiddle her fingers. "I mean we're together, but we're not together –together. I mean," she threw her hand behind her head. "That would be so weird! Right, Renny? Hahahahah!" That laugh was fake.

"Uh… yeah…" The quiet boy looked away, clearly hurt by her lack of understanding. Maybe one day she'd realize why he put up with her crazy antics. "What are you two doing here?"

"Um, well, this is the Bullhead to Beacon, right?" Yang answered with a question.

"Well, yeah, but that's my point. Why?"

"Renny means that you two don't even need to be here." She paused. "We came over because we couldn't agree. He thought you were two different people because there's no reason for you to be here. Are you just hitching a ride to Vale? Cuz there are other ways."

"No, no. Yang and I are attending Beacon and getting licensed," Ruby answered plainly.

"But why not just take the licensing test?" Nora asked thoughtfully. "Wouldn't that be faster?"

"Well, as Uncle Qrow says, nothing like hands-on experience!" Yang pumped her arms excitedly and Ruby sighed.

"The Hall thinks that we're missing something that we need to find for ourselves and Beacon is the place to do it, so we're doing as they asked," Ruby smiled. "Our hands are tied and there's nothing we can do."

"In other news, an armed robbery was thwarted by Signal Academy Student, Ruby Rose." The image of an orange-haired man with a white petticoat flashed across the screen. "While we were unable to get a few words from her, we have been told that a full scholarship to Beacon Academy has been awarded. It seems that Beacon truly looks for the best for Remnant's future. If anyone has any information about the man in this picture, please alert your local authorities."

"That's so cool, Rubes! You're totally gonna' have to tell me about it later! I gotta' hear about how my baby sis became a child prodigy AND a hero!" Yang followed up with another bear hug.

"Yang, it's not that big of a deal! You know I'm no hero!" Ruby thought back to the entire ordeal the news had referenced. Just as the news reported, it had gotten Beacon's attention and landed her a spot in the largely coveted academy. Truth be told, if they hadn't had their eye on a few particular individuals, Ruby wouldn't have even cared to have gone looking into the recent string of Dust robberies… but then there was that woman… Ruby smirked to herself as she recalled the shocked look in that woman's eyes every time they met. That moment where the only ones that mattered in the world were herself and the woman that knew it was only a matter of time before her own life slipped from her fingertips and she would never know her killer's face… but then Ozpin's assistant had appeared and ruined the hun-… the moment. Hunting implied she enjoyed herself… Hunting was for Grimm, not humans… but they were so boring… always the same. She longed for an opponent who would looked her dead-on and give her the challenge she desired… The thrill…

While Glynda had been hesitant about Ruby's admission, Ozpin had been overly excited to have Ruby join their ranks, muttering something about silver eyes. But he couldn't have known, could he? Then again, she had once been told to seek out Ozpin if she was in a bind. Of course, Ruby wasn't, so that was neither here nor there. It had been very unnerving, the way Glynda had been eying her the entire time and Ruby was almost certain that she had picked up that Ruby was anything but normal. That could make life at Beacon very difficult if she wasn't careful.

"Of course it is!" Yang dropped Ruby and got into a defensive stance and began punching at the air. "I bet you were all like – haht! Hyut! Hyuh! HIYAAAAH!"

"… You've been playing Legend of Zorldo again, haven't you?" Ruby deadpanned at her sister.

"Hey! It's a fun game!" The brawler defended. "I'm just sayin', you went in all heroic and stuff and saved the day! You're gonna' be popular! Like, so deep in…" Yang considered what she was about to say to her baby sister. "You'll be the bee's knees."

"But I don't want to be popular. For once, I just want to be a normal girl. You know the kind with normal knees?" Ruby lamented. A tranquil DING hummed over the speakers and a video display of a blonde woman with her hair in a sophisticated bun – Glynda - began an introductory video to Beacon.

ooOOoo

Several students trudged along, aimlessly searching for their destinations. Boots clanking against the Bullhead's off-ramp, Yang reached toward the sky in a powerful stretch and let out a loud yawn to chase away the stiffness from the long flight. Opening a single eye, she decided to cut her moment of bliss short and look for the sister that ran ahead of her. As she scanned the area, Nora bounded off shouting a farewell and promising to see the blonde and her sister at a later time. With a loud grunt, she dragged the dark haired boy in green with her.

Suddenly, a low rumble shook the ground, followed by an almost Harpy-like shriek and the older sister honed in on a painfully bright-dressed girl who appeared to be really laying into her baby sis. As the girl in white ranted, another girl with a black bow perched atop her head crept up behind the agitated looking girl, waiting for the perfect moment to chime in. Before the new girl said anything, Yang noted a look of terror spread across the winter-schemed girl's eyes and made a mental note to ask Ruby about it later. For now, Yang decided to watch how it all played out and observe her little sister's… "people skillz".

ooOOoo

"Seriously, you dolt! The least you can do is watch where you're going! Do you even know what this is? This is Dust… You know, DUST!" The irate girl in white held up a vial of red powdered Dust for emphasis. "Mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry!"

"Sorry?" Ruby held up her hands defensively. Of course she knew what the hell Dust was! She worked with it every single day, but she needed to calm the girl's tirade down. Still upset, the girl waved around the vial, sending barely visible clouds in Ruby's direction and continued on her rant. Ruby sniffled a little as her nose became irritated by the unseen particles. "uuu… uwwww….uoaaauhh….Aaa-"

"Are you even listening? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"CHOO!" An explosion encased the angry girl as the sudden force of Ruby's sneeze came into contact with the highly flammable dust. A silent rage permeated through the air as the rampaging girl's pristine white clothes were singed by flames. This was the calm before the storm and Ruby gulped as she prepared for the worst. A loud shriek suddenly pierced Ruby's ears as the singed girl exploded with anger.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly what I was talking about! Aren't you a little young to be here? What are you even doing here?!" This girl was really beginning to wear on Ruby's patience. She could almost envision herself choking this girl out. Somewhere along the way, Ruby had tuned her out in preference of her own imagination. When she finally returned to reality, the girl had begun to slow her words and a short-lived look of terror flashed through her eyes. I swear to Dust, if she questions my ability one more time… Ah, crap. Fix your face, Ruby. You don't want her afraid.

"I said I was sorry, Princess," Ruby spat back.

"It's heiress, actually," a new voice calmly corrected her. Their attention turned to a new girl – one dressed in black and white with golden eyes and flowing black hair. Atop her head sat a neatly tied black bow, and in her hands, she held a book and a red dust vial. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company – one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world." A smug expression weaved across Weiss' face, as she folded her arms.

"Finally, some recognition!"

"Also, known for their questionable business practices." Weiss was taken aback at this accusation.

"What! How dare you!" As Ruby giggled to herself, Weiss snatched the dust vial from the new girl's hands and stormed off. Ruby turned back to ask for the new girl's name, but she was nowhere to be found. The crimson girl pouted to herself.

"Awww… where'd kitty go?" Ruby fell backward and exhaled in frustration. "Welcome to Beacon…" It was already off to a pretty rough start and she wasn't particularly fond of dealing with people to begin with. Normally, this was Yang's job. It was different having to get to know new people all over again.

"Hey..." Barf boy? The sickly blonde boy in armor from earlier offered a hand toward her. "I'm Jaune." From her seat on the ground, Ruby laughed and took his hand.

"Ruby." She replied. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

ooOOoo

"Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuubes!" A giant mane of blonde hair tackled Ruby and she found herself suffocated in her sister's chest once more. After struggling for a minute, she finally broke free of the infamous Xiao Long Hugger Hold. "I am so superstoked right now! How's your first day been going?! I see you made a friend!" She eagerly looked at Jaune.

"First off, Yang, how did you find me in this crowd of people? Second… Horrible… I managed to blow someone up and she yelled at me!" Yang straightened up and grinned from ear to ear.

"I know! Oh ho ho ho!" She laughed haughtily.

"What do you mean 'you know'?!" Ruby asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah! I watched the whole thing! Man, she reamed you a new one! I even took commemorative photos! See!" Yang pulled out her Scroll and started showing images to Jaune. "This is the first time Ruby stared out the window on the way to Beacon! This is the first time Ruby fangirled over weapons also on the way to Beacon! And this… this is my favorite - the first time Ruby got yelled at by a Schnee at Beacon!..." As Ruby scrambled for Yang's phone, Yang held her at arm's length via the hand-to-forehead technique. "Nope, sis! We're doing this!"

"Yaaaaang," Ruby whined. Suddenly, she froze. It felt as if daggers were being stared into her back.

"Look, Rubes! Your favoritest friend!"

"YOU!" Oh no… Ruby silently prayed to herself before she looked back to find the infamous Weiss Schnee tromping towards her. The crimson-caped girl jumped into her sister's arms for protection and squeaked inwardly.

"Oh God, it's happening again!"

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of a cliff," Weiss scolded.

"Oh my god, you really exploded," Yang mumbled in shock.

"You said you were watching!" Ruby yelled.

"Well… I saw the whole yelling part," Yang laughed weakly. As she let Ruby down, Ruby was met with a pamphlet in her face, boldly labeled with the Schnee name.

"Uh, what's this?" Ruby took it and flipped through it, as Weiss effortlessly recited some sort of ridiculous company disclaimer that Ruby could have sworn she had heard a million times in commercials. The ivory girl took a deep breath before ordering Ruby to read through it and never speak to her again. Yang tried to play peacekeeper between them to no avail and just as she was about to lose her temper, Headmaster Ozpin began his welcome speech. Shortly after, he was followed up by his assistant, Glynda, who laid out the itinerary for the next few days.

ooOOoo

Mind drifting, she counted the knots in the oak panels of the auditorium walls and spread herself across the sleeping mat on the floor. Having not been assigned rooms, the new students were to sleep in an easily accessed and neutral area. Outside of being told that tomorrow's initiation would determine their teams, they were only informed that rooms would be co-ed, so they had best get comfortable with the idea.

Still staring at the ceiling, she absently ran her right hand along her left arm, tracing the grooves hidden beneath the long sleeve. It was almost a nightly ritual. Her thoughts would drift to simpler times; times when her family was still whole; times before she had been injured. Her fingers came across a rounded area and brushed against sensitive flesh, causing her to hiss in pain. So much still needed to be done, but she was still in so, so much pain; pain that would remain with her throughout the rest of her life, but all that mattered was that she had been able to regain the use of her injured limb. It was just… tedious to keep up a normal façade.

You can never go back…

I thought I told you I didn't need you...

"Didn't?" Heh heh. Reminiscing about the past will only drown you in its allure.

I DON'T need you. This is your fault anyway.

Very well. Despise me, if you will, but do stay sane. You wouldn't want to… lose yourself, would you?

Ever the swift reminder that she was indeed cursed, the voice always taunted her when she least wanted its presence. Oh, how she wished it would go away, but it was a part of her – something that would always exist. Cursed and injured – that was who Ruby Rose was. This was what defined her and she had to make it her own. It was such a daunting task, but if Mom could do it, she too would tame the darkness within herself. THUMP! The crimson and coal girl snapped from her trance, with her attention now drawn to the boisterous blonde that had made a point of her arrival.

"Hey, cheer up," Yang said softly. Taking notice of Ruby's vacant stare, the older sister motioned to her arm. "C'mon, you're all worried about that when you should be making friends, Rubes! You know, people to hang out with!" Yang took a huge sweeping look across the room and waggled her eye brows. "Guys to look at!"

"Who? Jaune?" They giggled as the aforementioned boy strutted past proudly in a baby blue onesie. Ruby turned back to Yang, but a pillow firmly planted itself against her face.

"No! Bleh! Bad! Bad, Ruby!" The same pillow plowed into Ruby's face once again and she fell over. "We don't say things like that here!"

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys here, anyway, Yang."

"Well, I approve," Yang teased, earning a pillow to the face as payback. With a grin, Yang patted the mat Ruby laid on and pulled her up. "C'mon! Let's find you some friends!"

"Yang, I don't know anyone here!" Ruby turned away from Yang and instantly spotted the dark-haired girl from earlier curled up with candlelight and a book. "Oh, wait, her! The girl from earlier." Seeing an opportunity, Yang grabbed Ruby's hand and eagerly dragged her toward the raven-haired girl, stopping only when they reached her. "Yang, I don't want to do this," Ruby hissed. Yang stood in front of the girl expectantly until she was acknowledged.

"Too late," Yang jeered at Ruby. "Hi!" The girl's golden eyes focused back onto her book.

"…Hi…" She eventually replied when she realized they weren't leaving. Recalling the earlier incident with the Schnee heiress, she was drawn to the more sheepish, younger sister. "Aren't you that girl that blew up earlier?"

"Er, yeah," Ruby scratched at her head and laughed weakly. "Name's Ruby!" She reached out for a hopeful handshake. "But you can just call me… er… Well… Ruby." The darker girl turned back to her book and cracked a smile at Ruby's awkwardness.

"Okay." The darker girl was a woman of few words, but her voice held an amused quality to it. That much was obvious.

"What are you doing?!" Yang whispered.

"I don't know!" Ruby panicked. "Help me!"

"Sooo, I'm Yang – Ruby's totally hot stuff big sister!" The busty blonde chimed in. "What's your name?"

"Blake…" Blake emphasized her answer with a flip of a page and remained engrossed with the story. Yang looked from Blake to Ruby and then back to Blake, noticing Ruby intently staring at the darker girl's hair bow.

"I like your bow! It's pretty awesome!" Yang tried to drive the conversation.

"Yeah… it's almost as awesome as this book!... Which I will continue to read… As soon as you're gone…" Yang got the hint.

"Nupe! Boooring! This one's a lost cause. Let's get outta' here, Rubes." Yang turned to walk away but realized Ruby wasn't following. "Rubes?"

"What's it about?" Ruby's question was met with Blake's eyes. "The story, I mean." Blake seemed to be contemplating for a moment.

"A man with two souls that fights for control over his body." As Blake described the story, Yang felt her body run cold and she looked at Ruby's arm. Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth and remembered what lay ahead in her baby sister's future. Dammit… and I'm the one that told her not to think about it…

"As a kid, Yang used to read to me when I got scared. Stories about heroes that made the world a better place and drove away evil… That's kinda' why I'm here. I decided to fix all of our mistakes." At the sound of her name, Yang eased into a softer expression as she remembered the days when Ruby was scared and needed her big sister. Hell, now they both needed each other. They were all the other really had… but her sister's words held a deeper meaning to her. She yawned to herself as the two continued to talk and began to inch towards their sleeping mats. It was best to dwell on her concerns later. Yang collapsed onto her mat and made herself comfortable. Rubes would be along any minute, so she would wait.

"That's awfully ambitious for a kid, Ruby. The world can be a terrible place and you can't shoulder all of its problems. If you want to live in a world of dreams, you'll never see the world for what it truly is." Blake and Ruby's eyes connected as if to share their individual stories. They could both see a history of pain and hurt mirror in the other's eyes. Eyes still locked, Ruby knelt down and cocked her head to the side.

"Is that why you hide, Blake?"

"Excuse me?" Breaking eye contact for a moment, Ruby peered over her shoulder to make sure Yang had gone.

"I don't know about you, but our most precious secrets are often hidden in plain sight. I have a talent for finding these truths." Ruby gave a supportive smile and spoke quietly. "And the truth is that the more you deny yourself, the more you will hurt… but don't worry. Your secret's safe, kitty. I'll shoulder your mistakes too. I just wanted to say thank you for earlier, but now, I want you to know that dreams are worth fighting for… and so is freedom." Reflecting the moon's light, silver eyes gazed deeply into Blake's golden irises, connecting on a spiritual level. Standing tall, the redhead shifted a glance toward the shattered moon beyond the window and spoke in a distant voice. "The dreams of today are the foundation for the dreams of tomorrow… Someone once told me that." With that, Ruby stood up and clumsily waltzed over to Yang, leaving Blake sickly and pale, yet feeling as if she had just experienced something profound… Did Ruby know who she was?


AN: Next chapter starts the Initiation. If you're interested in how the original story went, you can find it on my profile. The ultimate goal is the same, but how they get their will differ drastically. You'll still find similarities though. Anyway, don't be afraid to let me know what you think.