Beta: Jefardi
Cover Art: Natzo
Flower
Ozpin's Speech
Violet couldn't believe it.
They had actually made it to the amphitheatre. The massive room now housed several dozen clamoring students who had all gathered around a small stage set up in the front. It would appear the headmaster had yet to make his appearance so it looked like they had actually made it on time too.
"I assured you that the fairies knew the way, did I not?" Wanda looked proud, making it hard for Violet to doubt that this pink-haired girl had been stringing her along and knew where they were going the whole time. Instead, it appeared she actually believe these so-called "fairies" had led them here.
"Well, well." Not again. Violet turned to see Rue smirking at her from the edge of the assembled students, silver eyes gleaming with sarcastic glee. "I know you hate losing, Arc, but I didn't think you would go and make a friend so fast."
"Isn't it enough that I had to deal with you once today already, Sylvia?" Violet rubbed her forehead, trying to fight off the impeded migraine that would come from talking with her old classmate.
"Normally I would agree, but I'm actually interested in meeting this new girl you've somehow managed to befriend." Rue stepped up to Wanda, placing a hand on either hip as she inspected her from top to bottom… pausing specifically at the bottom. "Where… are your shoes?"
"Shoes? I do not own any." Wanda said this like that wasn't completely insane. Just what kind of life did nomads live that they didn't wear shoes? Weren't they walking all day on the cold, hard earth? Who knew how many different terrains they had to traverse! And she didn't even own shoes for any of that?
Rue looked equally taken aback, perhaps one of the first things her and Violet had ever shared. She fiddled with one of the black bows that held her looped twintails together, before leaning over to Violet close enough to whisper in her ear. "Hey… is she okay?"
"I wish I knew. She followed the 'fairies' to get us here." Rue cocked an eyebrow. "That's the same thing I said."
"But she did not say anything."
"Exactly." Rue and Violet responded in perfect sync. It took both of them several seconds to realize this had happened. They turned to one another, and then promptly looked away, letting out an overlapping grunt of displeasure.
The whole act, Wanda seemed to find greatly amusing as she stifled a giggle with her hand. "I confess myself a little jealous. You two are such excellent friends."
"Friends?" Rue uttered in disbelief.
"With her?" Violet pointed at Rue, just to make absolute sure Wanda was talking about the two of them.
"Why yes." Wanda nodded, looking back and forth between them. With each subsequent turn of the head, her eyes filled slightly more with doubt. "Was I mistaken?"
Neither of them got the chance to tell her just how 'mistaken' she was, before the loud sound of microphone feedback cut across the whole amphitheatre. All three girls turned to the source, the headmaster of Beacon himself standing front and center. Ozpin, hair as white as Rue's, and eyes hidden behind his spectacles silently regarded them all.
This was one of the most powerful men in the world. His words carried with them great weight and he literally had the power to determine the whole rest of their future with a simple command. Violet had never met him before, but she had immense respect for this man. She could only hope to someday have the same influence he held.
"Looking at you now…" Ozpin started slow, speaking methodically. "I see young men and women who are under the impression that they are already students at this Academy. Allow me to assure you now; you are not." Low murmurs broke out as he gave pause to allow these words to sink in. Violet and Rue shared a concerned glance and she even noticed Wanda shift uncomfortably. "You do not become official trainees of Beacon until you have a partner and a team. Once the test begins, your partner will be chosen by the first person you make eye contact with. Your team… will be chosen on the path you take. I wish you all luck."
With that, he turned and walked off stage.
Was that… it?
Violet blinked several times. She suddenly felt stupid for having been so worried about missing his speech if that was all he was going to say. There had to be more to it than that, right? Like, maybe his words had some kind of deeper meaning to them that she just didn't understand.
In the headmaster's place, a bespectacled blonde woman began giving out instructions, but she wasn't really paying attention, still trying to figure out what it was she had missed. Glancing around, she saw most of the others looking forward blankly, just as bewildered as she felt.
"That was most odd." Wanda really had no right to be the one to say that, but at the very least she was correct. Odd was an understatement, really.
"People with power usually are." The bitterness in Rue's tone wasn't lost on anyone within earshot, but not one of them made comment. Most of them too busy still trying to figure out if there really was anything underneath the surface of Ozpin's cryptic words.
The alternative being that there wasn't, and that was far worse. Because if there wasn't, that meant Ozpin was just plain crazy. And no one wanted to be stuck at this school for the next four years if it was run by a guy that was off his rocker.
Too bad they were all stuck here now.
Chapter End
