So...RWBY Vol 3's first episode was released...It was epic...I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!

Okay, got that out of my system.

Anyways, here's chapter 1 of A Simple Spectator. Hope you guys enjoy it. If you guys feel like there are problems in writing such as phrasing or OOC, don't hesitate to leave a review. They always help me when I'm writing these stories!

Are we all ready? Okay!

Here...we...go.


Curtains Unraveled

Ruby Rose didn't know how to feel right now.

It still felt like a dream. One minute, she was taking down baddies with her beloved partner, Crescent Rose. The next thing she knew, she was on a bullhead headed to Beacon Academy as one of the youngest students ever to enroll in the academy.

No words could describe how she was feeling now. The shock. The surprise. The excitement. The anxiety. These were only a few of the emotions that were waiting to burst out of her head.

And yet, there was still something bothering her. Was it the comment Professor Ozpin made about her eyes? Or the strange looks she had received the moment she stepped on the bullhead? Or the feeling of discomfort when they had finally left the docking bay, knowing there was no going back now?

She had absolutely no idea.

Maybe I should stop thinking about these things… Ruby thought as she looked around for her older sister in the crowd of people. Otherwise, I'll have a massive headache before I even get to Beacon!

Speaking of her older sister, it was strange that Ruby couldn't spot her out of the swarm of people. One would think that long, blonde hair would be easy to notice out of a crowd, but with the amount of people crowding the hallways and decks of the bullhead, it would be much more difficult than Ruby had thought it would be.

Just my luck too… Ruby grumbled to herself, a sigh of exasperation escaping her mouth. First day at Beacon and I already lose my sister in the crowd! Well, hopefully I'll find her before we reach land and-

A sudden blur of yellow and a crushing hug interrupted her thoughts. The next thing she knew, her sister was right in front of her, embracing her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" Yang smiled proudly at her sister before pulling her closer, tightening her grip on her.

Oxygen...escaping...Need...air...Ruby could barely make out these thoughts in her head, almost passing out from Yang's powerful hug. It was Yang, right? Blonde hair, check. Ember Celica on her hands, check. Rather...apparent...She let that thought trail off. Yep, it was definitely her sister, alright. She realized that much at least.

She also realized that she was losing a large amount of air. Fast.

"P-please stop." Ruby managed to mutter out of desperation for air, to which Yang immediately released her sister from the bone-crushing hug, still with the proud smile on her face.

"But I'm so proud of you!" Her sister exclaimed, eyes flashing with admiration. A tired sigh escaped Ruby's mouth. Why did everyone have to make such a big deal out of it?

"Really Sis, it was nothing..." She tried to say, but Yang cut her off with a bewildered look.

"What do you mean 'it was nothing'!? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're like, the bee's knees!" Ruby emitted another sigh. Her sister really didn't understand the situation she was in, did she?

"I don't want to be the 'bee's knees,' okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees!" Ruby waved her arms to emphasize the problem. "I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees who goes to a normal academy and-"

"Oof."

Both girls were surprised to hear a voice behind them and a thud on the ground before turning towards said voice. Laying on the ground was another person, apparently hit from Ruby's arm flailing.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Ruby nearly had a panic attack when she noticed what she did. "A-are you okay? I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" She gestured a hand to help the stranger back up.

The stranger simply shook their head. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." He/She took Ruby's hand to pull themselves off the ground with relative ease.

Once Ruby got a better look at the victim of her arm flailing, a single question rose in her mind.

Was this person a girl or boy?

Their clothes didn't seem to spell out the answer: the person was wearing a simple, gray hoodie with dark-coloured pants. Sure, the person had attractive eyes and a soft, delicate voice, just like any regular girl would usually have. But there was something else that made this person seem...masculine. Perhaps it was the short, black hair accompanied with the rather,,,flat chest that the stranger had. What did Yang call them again? Basically non-existent?

Anyways, the point was that there was no clear evidence of what the stranger's gender was. And apparently, Yang had the same thought as well, because she blurted out loud the very same question Ruby had in her mind, "You a girl or a boy?"

Hearing what her older sister's question was, the scythe user's face immediately turned red in embarrassment and hushed Yang. "Yang, that was rude!"

The stranger shook their head. "It's alright. People seem to always confuse my gender anyway." When the stares coming from the two girls didn't leave, she added, "I'm a girl."

"O-oh!" The expression on Ruby's face displayed her surprise. "I-I'm sorry! It's just that...We had no idea...And we didn't want to be rude...And-"

"Like I said, I get that comment a lot." The stranger nodded her head in understanding. It seemed like it didn't bother her that much. "I understand your confusion."

An awkward silence filled the area after, only to be broken by Yang. "So, moving aside from the whole 'gender' topic, what's your name anyway?"

There was a bit of a pause before the stranger answered back.

"...Rei."


"Sooooo, Rei? I'm guessing that you're also a student Beacon too, huh?"

After they had introduced each other, they decided to hang out a bit as they waited for the bullship to arrive at Beacon Academy. So far, Ruby and Yang had discussed various topics, ranging from why they decided to attend Beacon to their respective weapons. Now, they were asking similar questions to Rei.

Rei nodded. "That is correct. My partner and I have both registered in hopes of becoming a huntress." She slightly frowned at the mention of her partner, her eyes quickly scanning the surrounding groups of people. "However, it seems like I can't find her amiss this crowd of people."

"Don't worry!" Ruby smiled in hopes of soothing the girl's worries. "I'm sure you'll be able to find each other once we reach Beacon Academy."

Rei nodded at the girl. "Thank you, Ruby. I hope you are right. Azure tends to be...a bit distant towards others when I am not with her."

Yang casted a suspicious look at the slight pause in Rei's voice. "Why? Is she just like little Ruby here? Shy and awkward with people?"

"Yang!" Ruby shot a glare at her older sister in which Yang playfully punched her in the shoulder, a smirk on her face.

"I'm kidding, Ruby. Relax, will ya?"

At this, Rei decided to pipe in. "Quite the opposite, actually. She tends to glare at people if they choose to approach her, almost as if they were threatening her life. One time, she even knocked someone out simply because they asked for directions."

Ruby and Yang's response was a stunned silence accompanied with shocked looks. Yang, the first to recover from the shock, stuttered, "W-Why would she do that!? Does she really not like talking to people!?"

Rei shook her head. "Once you get to know her, you'll understand why she chooses to act like this." Suddenly pulling out a pocket watch out of the pocket of her hoodie, she quickly added, "And that is why I need to continue my search for my partner. Who knows what may happen if I leave her unattended any longer..."

"...Maybe we should help you find her..." Yang muttered, deep concern in both her eyes and voice. "I suddenly feel very insecure on this bullhead."

Ruby's shaky voice was heard next. "S-same here."

To their surprise however, Rei shook her head. "Don't worry. Azure has not done anything life-threatening whenever I am gone, I can promise you that much." Checking her watch once more, Rei turned towards Ruby and Yang. "Well, it seems as though I should return to my search for Azure again. Thank you for your time, Ruby. Yang. It was certainly...an entertaining conversation."

And before any of them had the chance of replying back, Rei quickly headed towards the crowd and disappeared among the mob of people. There was another moment of silence before Yang spoke up again.

"Hmm..." She tilted her head as she stared at the direction Rei had left. "Strange girl, don't you think, Ruby?" When Yang didn't get a response, she turned towards her sister. "Ruby?"

Her sister remained silent, a blank look on her face. Concerned, Yang was about to ask what was wrong when Ruby suddenly cried out, "I didn't get to see her weapon! I should've asked when I had the chance!"

A questioning look came from Yang before she sighed in disbelief. "You really are a weapon-frantic, aren't ya, Sis?"

Ruby crossed her arms and turned her back towards her sister, hiding the pout on her face. "Hey! Weapon enthusiastic, thank you very much!"


However, unknown to Ruby and Yang's knowledge, Rei did not leave the area. In fact, she wasn't even looking for Azure.

As soon as she was out of the girls' sight, Rei immediately headed to the helm of the bullship, located at the very top. Not to her surprise, her partner was patiently waiting for her, gazing at the ongoing clouds while keeping an eye on the other passengers.

"So? How did your little conversation with our 'targets' went?" Azure stole a quick glance at her master, the usual ice, cold tone coming from her mouth.

In an instant, Rei stood right next to Azure, her gaze also set on the clouds now. "Quite interesting, actually. I was able to spend some time with them. We had an interesting chat, and I was even able to bring up the subject about your incident with the boy in-"

At the mention of the subject, Azure immediately turned away, her voice pleading for her master to stop talking. "Hey! That was only once, okay!?" She tried to hide it, but Rei could still see the faint blushes on her cheeks. "Don't know why you always have to bring it up when I'm gone..." She finished her sentence with a grumble and a glare directed at Rei.

Rei slightly chuckled at this. "You can't deny it is true, my apprentice."

"...I know." Azure admitted, her head dropping in acknowledgement.

A brief moment of silence. The pair continued to gaze at the clouds. It seemed like an eternity before Azure's voice was heard again.

"Alright. Jokes aside, any changes with our 'targets'? The last thing we need are changes to the balance..."

A sigh could be heard from her master, shortly followed by her faint voice. "Ruby and Yang seem to be the ordinary, excited, cheerful girls who are thrilled to enter Beacon Academy. Just like the files described them to be."

Azure's shoulders relaxed when she heard the news. "Good. The last thing we needed was extra work to fix." Another sigh. "I swear, the things we do to keep things in order..."

Rei nodded in agreement. "How were things from your side?"

Tapping her head to remember the events from the previous day, Azure recounted them. "Everything went out as planned. Ruby encountered Roman and his goons, took them out with ease, and met up Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch after their little battle with Cinder. After that, the interview went pretty well, considering we've seen worse. But...there was one thing that bothered me..."

Noticing the concern and hesitation in her apprentice's voice, Rei raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? Pray tell what that might be, my apprentice?"

"...Cinder and Roman were expecting something like this to happen. There was an extra armful of goons with Roman that night, and Cinder seemed to have been waiting for Glynda to appear. So either this was pure coincidence..."

"Or someone already notified them of the upcoming danger." Rei quietly finished the sentence, subconsciously closing her left hand into a fist.

"...He's here, isn't he. Just like the operatives had warned us." Azure cautiously asked, eyes flashing with concern. The mention of him would always bring fear in her mind.

"Indeed..." Rei muttered while still gazing at the clouds. "It's faint...But I sense his presence..."

"...What do you propose we do? After all, he was..." Azure trailed off, now noticing the change in her master's demeanor.

It was rare to see emotions on her master's face. After all, one of the most crucial rules the league had created was to never openly reveal their emotions to others. The rule was drilled into their heads, constantly reminded until they were able to perfect it. However, few were able to as it was nearly impossible to remain emotionless for every single second in their life.

Rei was one of those few.

To an outsider, Rei would have the same expression on her face. No smile. No frown. Nothing.

But Azure had spent enough time with her master to be able to read her. And she knew that even though there was no change in her facial features, her eyes would often narrow whenever Rei was conflicted with a situation. Of course, this one was no exception, and Azure could only imagine what was going in her master's head.

"The mission still stands." Rei concluded, surprising her apprentice with the eerie calmness in her voice. "We will use all of our necessary power to make sure nothing is disturbed, that nothing unrecorded will happen. Like I said, if he chooses to interfere, he will face the extent of my power."

The venom in her voice at the end of her sentence was clear, and Azure dared not to question her master anymore for the remainder of the trip. Speaking of which, they remained like that for the rest of the trip. Watching the clouds, remaining silent, it almost seemed like they were stone statues. Motionless. Lifeless. Always watching.

Well, that silence would have lasted longer until they heard an announcement notifying them of their arrival at Beacon. Turning to her apprentice, Rei gestured to the exit. "It seems like we have arrived. Shall we?"


"Huh. So this is Beacon Academy."

As soon as they left the bullhead along with the other thousands of students, the pair immediately took notice of their surroundings. It seemed like the files were spot on with the mission location, because Beacon appeared exactly as the files described it to be. Marked with trees and flag-draped light-poles, filled with many impressive sights like the Beacon tower and the Beacon Academy statue, there was no question as to why many students wanted to enroll in the school. It truly was a sight to take in.

Speaking of which, Azure continued to inspect the area, clear interest in her voice. "I'll admit, it's more impressive than I thought it would be. The architecture appeals to my interests and the view here is quite breath-taking. Maybe this trip was worth it after all."

"Oh?" Rei threw a questioning glance at her apprentice. It was unlike her to speak such words. "You would be the last person I'd expect to enjoy a mission like this."

Azure ignored the comment. "But we're not here for a vacation, right?" Already knowing the answer, she scanned the area for any hostile movements that could potentially belong to their enemies.

Rei nodded, proud that Azure was already taking things seriously. "That's right. Starting now, we'll have to keep a close eye on our 'targets'. Let's just hope we're not too late before-"

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion rocked the area and shook the ground. The pair both turned towards the direction of the source of the noise, a trail of black smoke which could be seen in the distance.

The two stood in silence, taking time to absorb what just happened. It didn't take long before the pair quickly looked at each other, nodded simultaneously, and sprinted towards the trail of smoke. While running, Azure muttered to Rei in a deadpanned voice. "You really need to stop doing that."


Ruby was really not having a good day.

Sure, it was one thing for almost losing her sister on the bullhead. It was another when Yang, her own sister, ditched her for her friends, not bothering to tell her where they were supposed to go. The final straw was when she accidently fell on a girl's luggage, which caused said girl to chew her out for her clumsy action, accidently sneezed when the dust was released, which triggered a dust explosion, and spilled all the dust everywhere.

Yep. She was having a fantastic day.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" The white-haired girl's shouting jolted Ruby back to reality as she shot her an annoyed look.

Not wanting to annoy the girl anymore, Ruby tried to apologize. "I...I'm s-sorry..."

Apparently, the apology wasn't enough to lift the girl's sour mood. She opened her mouth to chew Ruby out, only to be interrupted by another person's voice.

"Is everyone okay?"

The addition of another person's voice made both Ruby and the white-haired girl to turn around. Walking towards them were two girls, to which Ruby recognised as Rei and, what was presumed to be, her partner.

Rei was still wearing her usual gray hoodie, but her partner was a different story in appearance. A sleek uniform, both top and bottom parts pale white, covered her entire body, accompanied with dark, red gloves on her hands and what appeared to be a symbol on the person's uniform. Narrow eyes and long, green hair tied with red ribbons completed her physical appearance, and at her side was a steel suitcase, presumed to be the person's weapon.

"I heard the explosion. Are both of you unharmed from the blast?" Rei asked, a concerned expression on her face.

Weiss huffed and glared at Ruby. "By some miracle, yes!" Pointing a finger at her, the girl continued. "Because of this girl, we might have been critically injured, or worse, killed! Besides," Now, the girl took a step closer, a suspicious look mixed with her annoyed expression. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

Gulping, Ruby tried to quickly find an answer. Telling the truth was the ideal answer, but considering her age, it was likely that the girl would not believe her explanation. Of course, telling a lie would only make matters worse. It seemed as though nothing could be said to calm the girl's annoyance.

"Well, I-I..." Ruby tried once again to speak up.

"If I may," Rei interrupted once again, standing right next to her in a protective position. "Ruby here has been selected by Professor Ozpin himself to attend Beacon as a huntress in training. And I can assure you, it was no mistake. Please do not judge her of her age."

There was a moment of silence after Rei finished talking. Considering the look on her face, the white-haired girl was surprised by the given news, given what she said next.

"Pr-Professor Ozpin himself?!" There was a heavy amount of surprise in her voice as well. "B-but, she's only, what? Fifteen? Are you sure she-"

Rei gave a curt nod, the expression on her face filled with determination. "I know for a fact that she was selected to enroll in Beacon. I am 100% sure."

It took a moment for the girl to digest the news. When she finally spoke, her voice was quavering. "I-I see. Erm, if you excuse me..."

With that said, the girl wandered off, leaving the group behind. It was quiet before Azure commented on the past discussion.

"Wierd. But could have gone weirder, to be honest." Really, it could have, taking into account of what the escalation could have resulted in.

Rei simply hummed in agreement. Now that she thought about it, things could have gotten ugly. Real fast. They were lucky they had broken up the argument before the pair would start bickering like crazy. "Yes, it was. Now, onto more important matters..."

Turning towards Ruby, who instantly backed away, Rei asked, "Ruby, are you alright?"

Ruby blinked at the question, not realizing the concern in Rei's voice. "Y-yeah. I guess so."

A nod was what she received. "Good. Now, would you please explain why-"

Rei trailed off, her eyes now looking at something that wasn't Ruby. When Ruby directed her eyes to the object Rei was looking at, Rei sighed. "Oh dear."

It seemed as though in the midst of the arguing, the white-haired girl had accidently left a piece of luggage behind. A white suitcase sat in the middle of the now empty path. Luckily, it wasn't damaged, or worse, had its contents stolen.

"It seems as if she accidently left a bag of luggage behind. I should return that to her this instance."Rei picked up the suitcase, making sure it was locked and secure. The last thing she wanted was the heiress to lose her temper at her. "Azure, please accompany Ruby to the auditorium for the opening speech. I'll meet you two there." Seeing that there would be no trouble, Rei bowed to the others as she departed for her search for the heiress.

A sudden thought came up in Ruby's mind, and instantly the calm expression on Ruby's face turned into a pale, ghastly white colour. Before the girl could leave, Ruby quickly ran next to her and yelled, "W-Wait, Rei!"

Rei turned around at the mention of her name, eyebrow raised as she asked, "Yes, Ruby?"

"I-isn't that girl your partner?"

"Yes."

"Th-then isn't she the one who-"

"Yes."

"...Are you sure I'll be safe with-"

"Yes."

"Oh." That was all the answer she needed. She could breathe easily now. "Okay!"

"She can also hear you Ruby."

It took a second for Ruby to understand what Rei said, and all she could come up was, "Wait, wh-"

All that was left of Rei was a trail of dust and her figure disappearing down the main avenue. Ruby's jaw was left open in shock, before she felt a terrifying aura coming from behind her. Fearing for the worst, she slowly turned around, only to be greeted by a death glare sent from Azure.

"...Why does this always happen to me?" Ruby groaned as she hung her head. This day had to be the worst day of her life.

"You two new here as well?" A new voice spoke up, making Azure and Ruby to see who the speaker was. It belonged to a blonde boy, waving his hand as a greeting.

Ruby slowly nodded. "Yeah." For some reason, the person didn't seem like a total stranger. "Hey, you look kinda familiar..."

The boy threw a questioning look. "Really? Strange, considering this is the first time I've seen the two of you. Name's Jaune Arc, by the way."

"Ruby." Now she remembered how she knew this guy. "Oh, now I remember! Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

Azure internally groaned as she watched the pair beginning to bicker, the shenanigans already unfolding. Why did you place me in such an awkward position, Rei?


Frustration and confusion.

Those two emotions could summarize what was going on in Weiss's head. Frustration towards the clumsiness of the little girl. Confusion as to why on earth Professor Ozpin would accept someone like that. considering she nearly killed the two of them in that dust explosion.

"How could Ozpin just accept her in the academy?" Weiss's scowl deepened as she pondered on the question out loud. No matter how many times she looked at it, the logic didn't make sense. "She does realize that this is Beacon, one of the most prestigious huntsmen academies, right? And she thinks she can just waltz in and..."

"Ms. Schnee?" The soft voice snapped Weiss out of her muttering and turned her attention towards the source of the voice. It was one of the two girls, the one wearing the hoodie, who checked on Weiss and the clumsy girl after they had heard the explosion.

Almost instantly, Weiss discarded her annoyed scowl and produced a polite expression on her face. Besides, this person had taken the effort of making sure both of them were unharmed: there was no need for any conflict. At least, for now.

"Yes? Is there something you need?"

"You seem to have left a piece of your luggage behind." The stranger replied, gesturing to the suitcase in their hand. "I thought it would be for the best to return your belonging."

Weiss blinked at the unexpected answer, but nevertheless accepted the luggage from the stranger. "I-thank you for taking your time in returning this to me."

"Your gratitude is unnecessary. It was my pleasure to serve the heiress of the Schnee Company." The stranger bowed in an act of politeness. "Though you should take better care of your belongings next time. Valuables can be easily stolen when left unguarded."

"...I'll keep that in mind." Weiss eyed the person with a strange look. Normally, people would never be this polite, even those she met in the higher classes. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you've given me your name."

"...Rei. Again, a pleasure to meet you." The now named "Rei" gestured a hand for a handshake.

"...Weiss." She returned the gesture, again with a questioning glance directed towards Rei. This person truly was a strange one. Polite, but strange.

Very quickly, a brief period of silence was exchanged between the two. From Rei's perspective, it seemed as though Weiss wished to ask the girl something, but was hesitant to do so. After a few seconds of this charade, Rei spoke up.

"Well, I believe that is all I have to tell you. If you would be so kind, I must meet with my partner at the auditorium for the opening speech. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Weiss." She finished with another bow and prepared to leave, intent on finding Azure once more. God knows how the poor girl would be faring with both Ruby, and possibly, Jaune at her side.

"Um, e-excuse me!"

It was now Weiss's voice which stopped Rei from heading back. Casting a confused look, Rei turned towards Weiss and asked, "Yes, Weiss?"

"W-well…" Again, Weiss hesitated to speak up, to which Rei motioned for the heiress to continue. "...Why did Professor Ozpin accept that girl into Beacon?"

"...You're comparing yourself with Ruby, aren't you?"

Weiss's initial reaction was to deny the girl's question. "Wh-what?! No, of course not!" When the questioning look didn't lift, she added weakly. "...Maybe a bit."

Internally, Rei sighed, both in discomfort and out of fatigue. She knew that what she said from here on would affect the relationship Weiss would have with Ruby in the future, potentially shattering the bond between the two huntresses. Careful thinking was required here, and Rei had no intention of fixing anymore mistakes.

"I don't know what Professor Ozpin's motives are, nor do I wish to spend time trying to understand what they are." Rei slowly said, gaining a questioning look from Weiss. "From what I gather, our headmaster works in mysterious ways. I could list dozens of theories as to why Ozpin enlisted Ruby, and I can assure you none of them would be correct. Besides, it would be unwise to only focus on the unknown and not concentrate on the present, Weiss."

It took a moment for Weiss to process what Rei had said, and another moment to accept it. In short Rei did not know the reason why Ozpin chose this girl, and had no intention of focusing on the matter of hand. "Y-yes. I see what you mean..."Bowing her head, Weiss added, "I'm sorry I bothered you with such meaningless questions..."

"But if you want my opinion," The sudden sign of Rei talking swiftly brought Weiss's head back up. "I believe the reason why Professor Ozpin accept Ruby was because he saw potential in her." Rei paused, then stared straight in Weiss's eyes."Just like he saw potential in you as well."

"...Me?" This time, the strong, cold voice was gone, and what replaced it was a voice filled in awe and uncertainty. How could this person say this and not know anything about her?

Rei nodded and continued. "Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, yet wishes to follow a different path. Sheltered from danger by those around her, but whose will is as strong as fire. Confident in her abilities, yet acknowledges the weaknesses and strives to become stronger." She paused again, giving Weiss the time to process what was heard. She added, "You should not sell yourself short, Weiss. You truly deserve your spot here, just like your peers."

Shocked, Weiss stood rigid, her mouth trying to put words together. She had only met this person five minutes ago, and they already knew what kind of person she was. Not only that, but Rei knew who she was, understood why she was here, and even acknowledged the difficulties she had gone through during her life.

Again, this was all done in around five minutes.

"I..." Weiss tried to say something, to express how she felt when she heard those compliments. But her dry mouth could not make out complete sentences: the shock was too much for her.

"I'm merely stating the truth. Besides, Weiss?"

Closing her mouth, Weiss regained her attention, this time seeing Rei walking away, only to turn around to say something.

"It seems like this was bothering you quite a bit. I hoped it had lifted the burden from your shoulders, even if it was only by a little."

With that said, Rei quietly walked away and headed towards the auditorium, leaving a stunned Weiss to recollect her disorganized thoughts. How much of that burden has been lifted, I do not know. Rei thought, the auditorium now in her sight.


Not to her surprise, the auditorium was packed full with all the new students, either chatting aimlessly amongst each other or waiting patiently for what was to come. Regardless, it was definitely noisy inside the auditorium and Rei could only imagine the strain it was causing Azure's hearing.

Reminder: purchase earmuffs for Azure. Rei told herself as she scanned the rows of students. It didn't take long before she finally found her apprentice at the exit of the auditorium, separated from Ruby and Jaune, whom she presumed had left to get better spots.

"I'm back, Azure." In an instance, Rei was right next to Azure, who winced at her master's voice. Cupping her ears together, she released one and brought a finger to her lips, hinting that she wished for quiet.

Rei nodded and quietly asked, "Let me guess: earache?"

Azure nodded in response and cupped her ears tighter as the surrounding students' chatter became much louder. Rei sighed, mentally cursing to herself of her own mistake. "I should have told you that those two would talk a lot, considering how sensitive your hearing can be. And I should have warned you how loud it would be in here. Sorry about not telling you in advance."

A simple nod of the head and the expression on her face indicated that Azure understood.

"Huh. Ozpin's speech is about to begin."

Ozpin cleared his throat. "I'll...keep this brief. 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." There was an excited murmur amongst the sea of students, to which Ozpin continued. "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."

It was almost ironic how the excited murmurs instantly turned into whispers of fear and confusion when Ozpin finished his speech and stepped off the stage. Shortly after, Glynda Goodwitch spoke up, gaining every single student's attention.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." With that said, the sound of thousands of feet stampeding on the ground with students murmuring amongst each other quickly filled the auditorium as they prepared to leave for the ballroom.

Well, all except two.

Azure quickly casted a worried look at her master, who looked as though she was deep in thought. "Rei, will he be-"

"Yes. An obstacle which will stand in our path of completing the mission."

"...What do you suggest we do?"

Indeed, what was to be done? No doubt would Ozpin be curious of what they were doing at Beacon, especially if he caught wind of their actions. The files specified that the headmaster of Beacon would interfere with their mission, either by accident or under some...helpful influence. Whatever the cause would be, it did not matter: they had to make sure it did not happen.

"The mission still stands." Rei finally said. It was their duty, after all, to complete the mission. Failure was not tolerated by the operatives. "We will make sure he will not interfere with the will move swiftly as the shadows, remain quiet like the dark night. It is essential Ozpin does not know the real reason why we are here."

The dark expression returned to Azure's face. "Agreed."

The pair exited the auditorium.


Time really did seem to fly by quickly.

It was already nighttime, the ballroom jammed full with all the new students. Some were talking quietly with each other, some were wandering about, and some were already getting ready to go to sleep.

No doubt, Rei and Azure joined them in their preparations of going to sleep. The short-haired girl was still wearing her gray hoodie, but beneath it was her usual sleeping gear. To her side, Azure was tying her hair back, deciding to wear an emerald green nightgown tonight.

Sighing, Rei looked out of the window, gazing upon the light the moon was emitting. All in all, today was a success. Nothing dangerous had occurred, and all of the 'targets' had arrived safely at Beacon.

Still, there was something unsettling about what just had happened today.

Why does something feel off though? Rei pondered while staring off in the distance, deep in thought. Many times other students gave her strange looks, but chose to ignore her. Today went perfectly fine, exactly how the files described it to be. Ruby enrolled in Beacon, met Weiss after their little 'incident', and met Bl-

A jolt went through her spine as she stood up, standing rigid in shock and frustration. How did she not see the problem before? She must have not been focusing on the mission if she were to let a mistake like that to almost pass.

"Azure."

Hearing her name being called and the concern in her master's voice, her apprentice asked, "Yes?"

Rei simply pointed at Ruby and Yang, then at Blake. It took a second before Azure fully understood what the problem was.

"...Shit."


Meanwhile, Ruby and Yang were having a complete different discussion. One about making friends.

"Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!" Yang tried to cheer her sister up, only to be met with a groan emitted from Ruby.

This was the first problem Yang was worried about when she caught news of her sister's transfer to Beacon. No matter how skilled, how strong she was, there would be a time when she would need to depend on others. To do that, she would have to learn how to not become socially awkward with others, and things were looking pretty bad so far.

Yang opened her mouth, intent of giving her sister more encouragement. Instead, another person's voice piped in. "Good evening, Ruby. Yang."

They turned around, revealing Rei and Azure walking towards the two of them. Rei had the same, calm look on her face while Azure portrayed the usual, cold stare at the two of them.

"Rei! Azure!" The depressed expression on Ruby's face quickly changed to a look of joy. "Where were you guys?! You disappeared after Ozpin's speech!"

Rei waved her hand as a sign of greeting. "We simply wandered around the academy. I thought it would be nice to at least get a look around before tomorrow's initiation."

A light bulb seemed to go off in Yang's head, sparking a small, sly grin on her face. "Oh! Speaking of which, you guys have any idea what this initiation supposed to be? Apparently, rumor has it that-"

"Nope." Rei gave a quick shake, emphasizing the word with a click of her tongue.

"No clue." Azure dismissed the question, acting as if it was useless information that needed to be answered..

Their reactions to the question, generally surprised Ruby and Yang. Sure, it made sense that not many people would have any idea what the initiation would be. But the way they said it almost made it seem as if they knew the details already, just not letting others know about it yet.

Before things got out of hand, Rei quickly changed the topic. If they knew she and Azure had already known about the initiation, their suspicion would only arise. And suspicion would no doubt attract Ozpin. "Moving along, you were talking about getting to know people, right Ruby?"

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. No one else was with them when she and her sister were discussing the topic. "How did you-"

Rei waved her hand, not wanting to trail off from the main point. "Not important." It actually was, but Ruby didn't need to know why. Or more importantly, how. "But what is important is trying to make friends. Yang has a point, Ruby. You can't always isolate yourself from others. Being a huntress means helping and forming bonds with others. If you choose to only depend on yourself, you'll end up hurting yourself."

Even though she wanted to go against everything Rei said, Ruby knew she was right. "I-I guess you have a point." Ruby admitted, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Still. I really don't know anyone here..." She finished the sentence with a groan.

Displaying a false expression of deep thought, Rei internally smirked at the situation at hand. This was the perfect opportunity to introduce the others to Blake Belladonna. "That can be solved quite quickly." Pointing to the quiet, bow wearing girl in the corner, Rei asked, "Do you recognise that girl, Ruby?"

The confusion was apparent on Ruby's face. "Not really. I think she saw what happened this morning, but I'm not really sure."

"Then all you need is a little push." Everything was now set. All she needed was a little influence. "Yang? If you would."

It took a second for Yang to understand where Rei was going at, but no sooner was the confused look replaced with a sly grin and a twinkle in her eyes. "No problem." Yang pulled her sister to her side, grabbing her attention. "Hey Ruby! Now's your chance!"

Wide eyed, Ruby soon found herself being dragged to the bow wearing girl, frantically crying out. "Wait! What are you doing?!" Behind her, Rei and Azure quietly followed the pair.

Eyes out of her book, Blake raised an eyebrow at the scene before her. Two girls, one with darkish, red hair, the other with bright, blonde hair, were bickering amongst each other. The other two girls, the black and the green-haired one, were silently watching the antics enfold. It wasn't until Blake coughed that the two stopped arguing amongst each other and turned towards her.

"Hel-looooo! Nice evening, don't you think?" Yang was the one to speak out, waving her hand as a means of greeting.

There was a short pause. "Yes, almost as lovely as this book. Which I will continue to read. As soon as you leave." Perhaps it was a bit rude of her to act so coldly, taking in account of the bewildered looks on the red-haired and blonde-haired girl's face, but Blake wanted so desperately to finish this chapter.

"Ninjas of Love?" Blake froze at the mention of the book's title, raising her eyes out of her book once more to look at Rei, her expression one of understanding.

Surprised, Ruby asked, "You know the book, Rei? What kinda book is it?" The title seemed pretty interesting, and she was always eager to read more novels in her spare time.

Blake, on the other hand, was horrified that someone else other than her knew what book she was reading. More importantly, what the book was mainly focused on. "Y-you recognise the series?"

Considering Ruby's question, Rei pondered on her options. What would be the best method to explain this to her?

"...How old are you, Ruby?" Rei finally asked, the calm expression still remaining on her face. This would be quite...embarrassing if Ruby were to hear what it was about.

A questioning look was all she got until Ruby answered, "15. Why?" Unknownst to her, everyone else got the message and turned away, either producing a faint blush or trying their hardest not to laugh.

Yep. Definitely did not want to corrupt her innocent mind. At least, not yet.

"Yang, cover her ears. You help too, Azure."

Ruby started to protest, but Yang and Azure immediately acted on instinct and covered her ears, already knowing where this was going. Blake on the other hand, had a horrified look on her face as Rei sat down. She's not really going to, is she?

"Alright, let's start from the beginning, shall we?"


"...And that's the basic idea of it." Rei concluded, hoping she didn't mix her facts with another series she was thinking about. It certainly had been a long time since she had last read Ninjas of Love.

"Uhhhhhhh..."

What stood in front of her were 3 blushing teenagers, their eyes and jaws wide open, and one very confused Ruby.

...It seemed as though she recounted it accurately enough...Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing...would be decided on them.

"W-was it really necessary to mention all of that?! Especially n the public?!" Blake exclaimed, her face as red as a tomato. Now that Rei thought about it, perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to explain what the novel was about, considering the amount of looks she was receiving.

"It is a good novel. The idea of a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body, is quite intriguing...It isn't something a reader can come upon very often, much less an author can write about."

There was another moment of silence. Blake was the first to regain her composure, stating in a shaky voice, "I-I see."

Relieved with how the situation turned out, Rei turned to the confused Ruby and asked, "Ruby, what do you think of-"

"What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?" A shrill voice echoed through the auditorium, and Weiss stormed towards them, the usual annoyed expression on her face.

One look at Weiss and a scowl instantly appeared on Yang's face. Whatever happened between the two of them when Rei was absent, it was definitely unpleasant. "Oh, not you again!"

This conversation would become more heated with every second that passed. To make sure that would not happen, Rei decided to interfere and stop the pointless bickering. Besides, they would need the rest for tomorrow's initiation. Especially if they were to make sure nothing would go wrong tomorrow.

"Ms. Schnee is right. We are all exhausted from our trips, especially those who had travelled a long distance. It would be wise to call it a night for now. The rest will be essential for tomorrow's initiation."

Taking the opportunity to stop anymore arguing, Ruby eagerly added, "Rei's right, you guys!" She pulled her sister aside, almost dragging her to their sleeping bags. "Come on, Yang. Let's go to sleep."

Yang gave one last glare at Weiss, whom returned said glare back, and muttered, "Sometimes, I have no idea how bad your luck is, Ruby."

"Yang, she can still hear you!" Ruby warned as they quickly left the others.

Weiss, on the other hand, shot one last glare at the pair before returning to her own sleeping bag. Only when she passed Rei did she stop and give a court nod in her direction. In return, Rei returned the gesture with a formal bow, to which Weiss produced the smallest smile and headed towards the back of the ballroom.

As for Blake, the faunus in hiding sighed, disappointed that she wasn't able to finish her book. Grabbing her candle and telling the others goodnight, she blew the candle's flame out with a quick breath and quickly went to sleep. It wasn't long until every student did the same, and the room was quickly encased in darkness, the only sounds coming from the snores of the students.

Quietly, Rei and Azure moved to their own resting place, located near the balcony of the room. They quickly settled down, still listening to the tranquil silence which filled the room.

Not before long, exhaustion was catching up to the two of them, though Azure was the only one to show this through a yawn. "Azure, we should also get some rest as well." Rei recommended, pulling out the large blanket they regularly used during missions.

Azure frowned, intent on not showing any weakness of her fatigue. "I'm fine. Besides, what if-"

"Even in sleep, I'll keep my guard up. You have no reason to fear him, for I will be there to protect you."

When her master put it that way, Azure knew there was no method of convincing her master otherwise. She took half of the blanket and covered herself in it, her eyelids already drooping. A quick "Night." was heard from her before she too, fell in a deep slumber.

"Until morning, my little apprentice." Rei quietly answered back, watching the sleeping form of her partner.

Soon, the only person awake was Rei. It was nice, having no one interfering with her line of concentration and distracting her from her deep thinking.

"...The setting has been decided. The characters are in play. The plot has begun its movement. All I have to do now...is wait for you to make the first move."

A deep exhale, then a pair of eyes flashed in the darkness.

"Let the game begin..."