If Halora taught me anything, it was the power of observation. I don't mean using your eyes, it was more than that. While the everyday human has five basic, mages have six. "Aether Sense" is our inate ability to acquire information by means independent of known senses or previous experience. But more important than a sixth sense, was the art of reading. Reading people, or Grimm…
The armor smith threw down my uniform on the table separating us. "There ya go, son," He laughed heartily, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, "A little heavier than ya used to. But when you're staring down a Grimm's throat, you'll thank me." It was my Halora uniform, altered significantly. It was a forest green and black suit tied together with a vest and secured by black straps. A pair of goggles sat on top of black boots and forearm spanning gauntlets. And the centerpiece, a dark belt embellished with the Arc of Faith, the amulet I took.
"Thank you, I don't know how to repay you," He shook his head and pushed the armor set towards me.
"Don't gotta say anything, put it on," He pointed toward a stall fastened onto the side of the store. I took them and pushed my way into the stall. He was right. The added plating my the normal lightweight fabric denser. Alas, a small price to pay to be able to help people.
Slipping the goggles on, I looked myself over in the mirror. It hugged my lean body frame, hiding my tanned body and showing off my upper arms. Guilt had crawled its way into my heart, painting my approve of this? No, I didn't have time to think about that. I was a rogue. Someone the high-council would have to find and deal with. Someone they would kill with no qualms.
I walked out of the store, making sure to thank the armor smith again, and stepped under a myriad of stars. Night in Vale was a beauty to behold. A blanket of darkness dotted with millions of shining lights. The fractured moon shone with all her glory, illuminating the city below. With one errand done, I had one more thing to do before leaving the city. Dust. I needed Dust. Not for combat usage, mind you, but for potions and the like. And the nearest store was the "From Dust til Dawn."
The bell overhead rung as I pushed my way into the store. The Shopkeep, an elderly man whose silver hair trailed to the back of his head, looked up from a newspaper. The headline: "Torchwick at Large", made my face warm.
'Torchwick'
A migraine washed over me, an Aether warning? Of what? I couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding I got from reading that. The elderly man smiled kindly at me, not noticing my current plight.
"Can I help you?" He gestured toward the whole selection of Dust crystals surrounding us. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" I shook my head in response. His smile wavered as nodded and looked back down at his newspaper. So I perused the wide isle, picking out the Dust I needed. Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind... Til something caught my attention.
"P-please! Take my Lien and leave!," I peeked my head around an isle shelf, observing the situation. A man in a redlined white suit, surrounded himself with black suited goons. Roman Torchwick, a man I had read about before. No wonder my Aether Sense was reacting, it was a semi-precognitive warning.
"Calm down, we're not here for your money," Roman spoke with eerie reassurance. He snapped his gloved finger, "Grab the Dust."
One henchman slams a black case on the display counter. Inside were several empty cylinders. The goons snatched them up with speed and got to work. They began emptying the tubes that lined the walls, another minion opened a case in front of the shopkeep.
"Crystals. Burn. Uncut," His voice was deep and booming. The poor shopkeep complied with his captor's wishes, filling the case to the brim. I ducked back behind the shelf, a plan beginning to unfold in my head. With our limited Mana pools and frail bodies, Mages aren't built for long drawn out battles. Taking that into account, I decided on my plan. I would pick off goons one by one until I could work my way to to Torchwi-
"This will be the day we've waited for."
"This will be the day we open up the door."
My head shot over toward the source of the noise. There she sat. A girl, about my age if not a little younger, clad in a red hood. This girl seemed to be completely oblivious to our situation. Her headphones blasted music while she had her head down in a Weapons magazine. I started to rework things in my head, taking into account the extra person. Before I could put my plan into action,
"Alright, hands where I can see 'em," The henchman unsheathed his sword. The girl didn't reply, the music too loud to be able to hear much of anything, "I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something?!" The henchman forcefully turned her around, motioning for her to lower her headphones.
"Yes?" I saw her face, but in particular, her eyes. A bright silver, the same that matched a few strands of my hair.
"I said, hands in the air, now!" The red hooded girl face contorted in confusion, then realization.
"Are you… robbing me?" The nameless goon facepalmed at the girl's idiocy.
"Yes!"
"Ooohhh..." The girl slammed her fist into the man's stomach. He staggered in pain. The girl smashed her foot into him, sending the goon hurtling out of the store's display window. Roman calmly motioned for another of his goons to handle the girl. The girl activated, what I assumed was, her semblance. She dissipated in a flash of rose petals, carrying more goons along with her.
With the fight being taken to a wider space, I took advantage. I slid my goggles over my eyes. They whirred to life. The green tinted lenses displayed pivotal information, my mana and aura levels. I ran to the front where the other men were. Outside of the shattered window, the red hooded teen rose up unfolding her weapon. It was rose red with black trims, with its large scythe blade forged into a crescent shape. Roman scowled in respone. The girl smiled back. She twirled her weapon and impaled it into the ground. She tapped her side to turn her still playing headphones off.
"Okay…," He turned to his remaining henchman, "Get her!" The henchmen rushed out in droves, rushing the girl. Showing stunning confidence, she spun around on top of her scythe. She kicked the first approaching criminal in the face. She retrieved her scythe out of the ground and fired it off to hit another one with the butt of her weapon. She fired again and slammed the side down on one attacker. She dodged the next's gunfire with her rifle's great speed. She got close enough to knock him into the air and followed him upward. The criminal was sent spiraling downward to the ground, right back to his bosses feet.
'Surronded'
I was lost. So lost in her display of skill that I didn't realize my Aether Sense going off. A group of thugs had surrounded me. The air around us grew thick as Mana swirled within my stomach. My hands grew numb as they shone a green energy. I let loose a burst of energy, sending the goons every which way. Roman shot his head towards me with no discernible hostility.
"Evening, Green" Roman tipped his hat, "Didn't see you there. Pray tell, are you a friend of hers'," He pointed his cane toward the girl still fighting outside.
Put off by his unexpected formality, I said, "Um, no. I've never met her before."
"Ah, wonderful," His cane's handle detached a hook and shot off toward me. He used the tether to sling me out of the shattered window. I hit the concrete hard, my aura protecting me from any lethal damage.
"Are you okay?" I rose to my feet, dusting myself off. I turned toward the girl.
"Yeah, you?" She nodded. Roman held a Dust crystal in his hand, inspecting it's form with great detail.
"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were," He dropped his cigar to the gravel below, grinding it under his heel. Down the street, I heard the approaching sirens. The shopkeep must have been responsible for that, "Well, Red, Green. I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around." Torchwick raised his cane in the hand that didn't hold the crystal. Metal shifted around and the bottom flipped open to reveal a rifle's cross guard. He trained it on me and my new companion, "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
The migraine returned. Roman tossed the Dust gem into the air, shooting it mid-flight. A wave of flame descended over us. My Mana swirled around again, numbing my hand and emitting the same green it did before. The energy burst forth from my hand and capsuled the both of us. The force field faded and Roman was gone. Instead, he was ascending the nearby ladder.
"Woah, how'd you do that?" She asked, stary eyed.
"Explanations will have to wait. He's getting away," I turned and ran after the crime boss, using energy as propulsion. Roman rolled onto the roof with me right on his heels. He was on the edge of the roof when he stopped.
"Persistent, aren't we,"
"You left me," The red girl pouted, rushing to my side. "My name's Ruby, by the way." I smiled at her adorable naivety.
"Aero." I replied. We were ready to fight, but the sound of a propeller caught me off guard. A getaway Bullhead flew skyward, opening it's hatch to allow Roman inside.
"End of the line, kiddies," Roman threw another red Dust gem at us, resulting in a large burst of energy. I readied myself to cast another shield spell, but before I could someone did it for me. A woman in a purple cape stood in front of us, casting a circle of protection over us with her riding crop. The woman waved her weapon and summoned several streaks of purple at the craft. The Bullhead was thrown about, no doubt rocking the crew inside. Roman went deep inside the bullhead and a woman in red took his place.
The woman glowed purple for a moment. She aimed another blast above the craft, resulting in a dark storm-cloud right over the jet. With a flick of her riding crop, large jagged hail pummeled the jet.
The woman in red's arms and chest lit up like a burning flame. She aimed a blast at the woman in purple. The Huntress blocked it, but the flame splattered behind her. The witch back-flipped out of the explosion that destroyed part of the roof. With a swish of her riding crop, she gathered the shards to form a large arrow. She hurtled it at the craft, but the fiery woman shattered it with several blasts. It reformed in time to hit the side of the jet due to Roman's quick aerial lean. The wreckage separated and reshaped into more arrows. They encircled the jet, but the woman summoned several glowing rings around herself. The rings expanded and destroyed the shards.
I watched the display with a special hunger. I watched how she used her crop, her finesse, her abilities. That moment I recognize this woman...was a magic user. I was so lost in her magnificence that I didn't recognize what was going on. Ruby transformed her scythe into a rifle form and fired at the woman in the Bullhead. She blocked each shot and created several blazing circles around each of us.
'Dodge'
I threw up my hands, Ruby and Glynda were covered in my green energy, and pushed the two out of the way. I formed a shield around me again when the explosion went off. When the dust settled, the hatched had closed and the craft flew away. I fell to my knees. Checking my goggles, my mana level read: 65% and my aura said: 80%. I used more Mana that I wanted to, but the fight was over. I considered that a victory.
"You're a Huntress!" Ruby's face was one of awe-stricken glee, "Can I have your autograph?!" The Huntress's face was stern. Her expression was unmoving, and her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth thinned. She wasn't very happy…
"I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly. You two put yourselves and others in great danger." Glynda paced around the room, a tablet settled within her grasp. Ruby, the red hooded girl, and I were seated right underneath a blinding light in an otherwise dark room. I ground my nails between my teeth.
"They started it," Ruby retorted. Glynda stopped pacing and glared at us.
"If it were up to me, you two would be sent home with a pat on the back," Ruby perked up at the thought. Glynda noticed this and violently slammed her riding crop down on the table, "And a slap on the wrist. But… it's not up to me. There's someone who wants to meet you."
She moved out of the way so someone else could enter the room. A man in a deep green came through the doorway, in his hand he held a mug and a plate of cookies. He set the plate down and looked us once over, "Silver…"
Ruby's discomfort was clear, she looked at me, but my gaze was trained on Glynda. She returned my gaze with an even greater intensity.
"So! Ruby Rose," The man in green slashed through the silence that clouded the room, "Where did you learn to do this?" The tablet showed Ruby's fight with the goons. I had to admit, the girl was good. Damn good.
"S-Signal Academy," She stuttered out. The man in green raised an eyebrow.
"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"
"Well, one teacher in particular."
"I see," He pushed the plate of cookies toward us. Ruby tentatively picked one up and with a single bite, she devoured it whole. When she saw no rebuttal, she shoveled the rest into her mouth. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow…"
She mumbled something, her speech distorted by her full mouth. She swallowed heavily and wiped her mouth, "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like-," She made the stereotypical karate styles poses and sounds. I couldn't help but giggle at her display. She must of heard me because a small blush reached her cheeks.
"So I've noticed," He placed his cup on the table and leaned in. He sat down the opposite to us. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"
"Well…," Ruby hesitated before stating her reason, "I want to be a Huntress."
"You want to slay monsters?"
Ruby's eyes turned into stars, "Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I'm going to apply to Beacon!" She began to talk faster and faster as her enthusiasm grew. "You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it!" She giggled, "I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, gosh, you know!" She flipped out at that last part, staring at the two adults with a wide, crazy smile. Glynda and the green man studied us for a moment.
"Do you know who I am?" He took a sip out of his mug.
Ruby nodded, "You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon."
"Hello," He smiled at us.
Ruby smiled back, just as bright, "Nice to meet you."
"You want to come to my school?"
"More than anything."
Ozpin exchanged glances with Glynda. Her disapproval was clear. She huffed as Ozpin turned back to Ruby, "Well, okay," Ozpin stood up and opened the door behind him. "You'd better get ready for tomorrow."
Ruby squealed at such a pitch, I'm sure dogs started howling, "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She shook the man's hand with ferocity, "I won't let you down!" She ran out, leaving me alone with the two adults. The atmosphere in the room changed drastically. The lightness left with Ruby. Glynda and Ozpin's eyes were trained on me with vigor. The tablet's footage changed from Ruby to me using magic.
"As I live and breathe…," I swallowed shallowly, fear swirling in my stomach like mana. "You shouldn't bite your nails. They'll start bleeding," He pulled a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, "Like that."
I looked at the finger I was biting. Indeed, it was bleeding badly at this point. I took the white cloth and wrapped it around my finger. The white turned pink as Ozpin began speaking again. "I never thought I would ever see a mage outside of Halora…" Those words struck me hard. He knew about Halora?! Why!? How!?
"How do you…?"
"What's your name?" He asked calmly. He didn't flinch, he only took a sip out of his mug.
I hesitated a moment, then I said, "Aero Deforest." Glynda dropped her tablet on the ground, the screen splintered into pieces. Her skin had turned a ghostly shade. Her eyebrows raised and her posture stiffened.
"Deforest…," Glynda fixed his glasses and locked her eyes on me. "Young man, this isn't a joking matter."
"But I'm not joking," Glynda bit her lip to the point of drawing blood. She was trembling like a frightened child. What was going on? Did I set her off somehow?
"Calm yourself, Glynda," Ozpin gingerly reassured Glynda. Slowly and uneasily, she calmed down. She exhaled before approaching the table.
"I haven't heard that name in a long time..." A depressing silence cascaded the room. Ozpin looked up at my hair, "Silver strands…," Ozpin fixed his glasses again, "So you are her son..."
"Her? Who is her?"
"So, why are you wandering outside of Halora's walls." He ignored my question. It was a little infuriating, but I complied.
"What do you mean," I feigned innocence. He didn't believe my act.
"You know what I mean."
"..."
"Young man..."
"I was tired," I sighed. He motioned for me to continue. "People are being killed every da. Whether it be; Grimm or The White Fang or Torchwick," I spoke heavily, "We're told not to do anything. To be quiet and hidden and focus on our studies. But for what?! Magic is this amazing power! Mages can do so much, but we don't do anything." I looked to gauge his reaction. His face didn't show any emotion, but I kept going. "Don't you think that if we have the power to help, we should?"
Ozpin took in my spiel, absorbing my philosophy. Before long, he said, "You know the consequences, right?" I nodded, "And you're willing to face those consequences, all for the sake of helping people?" I nodded again, "So, what will you do?"
I gave it a thought, "I don't know..." Ozpin finally broke his stoic expression. He smiled and extended his hand in a deal.
"I think you'd make a fine Hunter," I looked down at his hand in hesitation. "Willingness to go so far to help, an admirable trait for a hunter." After a moment, my hand met his. He smirked at a thought he must've had. "Especially under the tutelage of Professor Goodwitch, here." Glynda's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?! I hardly think-"
"Professor, you have the tools and the ability to teach this young man better than anyone else." Ozpin's smirk didn't leave. Professor Goodwitch opened her mouth to argue, but I guess found it pointless. She huffed and crossed her arms. Ozpin stood up and pulled a card out of his breast pocket. He slid it toward me, on it read the takeoff time for the ship and where to be when it does. I took it with no hesitation. He opened the door and I left, taking the leftover cookie off the plate.
Anxiety spread throughout my bones as Beacon's airship lifted. The engine's gentle hummed helped to ease some on it, but the anxiety wouldn't leave. But of course it didn't leave, I was a stranger to these people. I didn't have a weapon, I didn't have any formal training, and worst of all. I was young. Two or three years younger than everyone. I took a strand of silver hair in hand and began to twirl it in fear.
"Aero!"
My head shot up. I located the source of the sound. Ruby, the girl who I fought with the night prior, was waving frantically. At her side was a girl much older than her. She was fair-skinned with lilac eyes. Her bright golden hair was worn loose that faded to paler gold at the tips with a cowlick sticking out at the top. A childhood friend? I made my way over.
"Sis, you didn't tell me your little friend was a boy," The yellow haired girl elbowed her now blushing sister.
"Yang!" Ruby waved her arms, red-faced. I smiled at the girl's awkwardness.
"Mage," they looked at me, not sure what I was talking about, "I'm a mage, not a wizard. I'm only fifteen."
"And he's your age too," Yang was smirking, making Ruby a tomato faced mess. I didn't pay much mind to it, my attention was focused on the newscast playing nearby. It changed to show last night's robbery and Roman's mug shot. I had to hand it to him, the guy could take a good picture.
"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa," The mugshot changes to Lisa Lavender, with a photo of animal-eared demonstrators holding signs saying "WE ARE NOT ANIMALS!" followed by an image of the logo of a growling red wolf's head with three scratch marks.
"Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted…," The news feed was cut, and a hologram of my "teacher" replaced it.
"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." Professor Goodwitch said.
"Who's that?" Yang questioned
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch," Professor Goodwitch indirectly answered
"Oh," Yang said, her curiosity satisfied.
"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." With that, the hologram disappeared leaving many tense students.
"Oh, wow! Look, you can see Signal from up here!" Ruby and other students looked through the glass walls onto the town miles below "I guess home isn't too far after all."
"Beacon's our home, now," Yang pulled her sister into a one armed hug. Wind whipped past me as someone hurried to the back of the ship. From the sound of it, their stomach didn't agree with them. Most likely airsickness.
"Well... I guess the view isn't for everyone," Yang rolled her eyes.
"It was a nice moment while it lasted," Ruby sighed as crossed an ocean. On the other side sat a shining Beacon Academy.
Ruby weaseled her way out of her sister's grasp and strolled over to where I was, "I wonder who we're gonna meet! I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy," I shrugged in response. Ruby looked down at the ground before her eyes widened, "Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!"
"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" Yang freaked out, shaking her leg as if it caught fire.
"Get-Get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Ruby hid behind me. I watched, a laugh escaping my throat. As the two chased each other around the ship, a song replayed in my mind. I hummed the lyrics I remembered.
'This will be the day we've waited for.'
'This will be the day we open up the door.'
"Ruby Rose, huh?" I thought, "What a nice name..."
Here we are, the first episode. We see a little more magic and learn a little bit more about mages. You know the drill. Good? Bad? Thoughts, comments, or questions? Let me know by writing a review. A personal thank you to Kevito100 and quiseytwo for following this story. See you in the next episode.
