Kisdota: I don't know if this story is doing well or not. Also guys when I make a mistake I'd like to know about it if possible. I'm a bit lazy when it comes to proof reading and I'm also impatient.
Also I missed a word in my last notes. There is NO MercuryxYang in this fic, I prefer a different pairing.
Pyrrha Age 17
"I'll...keep this brief," Ozpin spoke to the crowd, "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. 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."
Ozpin had finished his speech and Glynda had explained the next steps of their initiation. The large group of friends had gathered their sleeping wear and picked up a school sleeping bag. While Glynda had made it explicitly clear that boys and girls were to stay on opposite sides the group had gathered in the middle at the very center of the large room keeping close at the invisible border that separated the two groups. Jaune, Ren, Oscar, and Mercury kept to one side in a disorganized random layout of sleeping bags. The girls of RWBY along with Pyrrha, Nora, Emerald, and Penny stayed on their side with an even more messy organization of sleeping bags.
"MNNNNNNN," Nora whined as she huddled under the covers of her blanket watching Ren, "Why do they have to keep us so far apart?"
"Nora I'm right here," Ren told her.
"We just got away from your parents and now the teachers won't let us be together," Nora sadly cried.
"They let us be together, just… not alone," Ren said.
"It's been so long," Nora told him.
"It… kind of has," Ren silently agreed.
"I was hoping for a nicer welcome," Mercury said, "Ozpin seems way too uptight, does he not think any of us are good enough, or that we won't end up helping people or fighting Grimm?"
"Ozpin is known for his wisdom, I'm sure there was some deeper meaning in his words," Pyrrha said.
"Right well on that note elephant in the room I gotta ask Jaune buddy why is Pyrrha Nikos here?" Mercury asked him, Pyrrha gave a look of concern at his question.
"Mercury!" Jaune hissed at him.
"What? It's a legitimate question," Mercury defended.
"Is she really that famous?" Oscar asked, he had seen her before like everyone but only on a box of cereal.
"Pyrrha Nikos has won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times a current record, and is also Sanctums highest graded graduate," Penny spoke, "She is also currently sponsored by Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes."
"That's… correct," Pyrrha said, a part of her was disheartened that people still knew of her this far out.
"So you're really strong to," Oscar was even more unsure of himself now.
"Well I wouldn't say I'm that strong," Pyrrha spoke, "Honestly I got lucky in a lot of my fights."
"So why are you friends with Jaune?" Mercury asked.
"Mercury!" Yang hissed at him this time.
"It's fine," Pyrrha spoke, "Jaune and I were pen pals for a long time. The first note I got from him was after my first win in the Mistral tournament. He said he wanted to know how I got so strong and wanted to learn so that he could be strong to."
"And you just answered back to a complete stranger? And kept speaking to said stranger?" Mercury asked her.
"It was… nice, I usually didn't have a lot of other people to talk to being so busy," Pyrrha said.
"Aw."
Everyone heard the small adoring sound and looked to Emerald who immediately slapped her hands over her mouth.
"Uh… 'ah'… that's interesting," Emerald answered.
"Did you just think that Pyrrha and Jaunes story was cute?" Mercury teased.
"Shut up, it's a nice story about a guy who isn't a flirt to girls," Emerald taunted.
"Hey, I am a gentleman to girls," Mercury told her, "The pretty ones at least. I gotta say Jaune I was thinking that you were… you know… with the fact that you spent so much time around girls and haven't made move on any of them," Pyrrha's attention suddenly spiked. How long had Jaune known all these other people?
"Dude come on seriously? Why is everyone ruining this day for me?" Jaune told him annoyed.
"Well the footie pajamas didn't help," Mercury commented.
"The hell's that supposed to mean!? My mother made this it's comfy," Jaune argued defending his bunny onesie.
"Still can't believe you decided to wear that," Weiss spoke.
"So then Mercury tell me, how is it that Jaune came to associate with you?" Pyrrha asked Mercury.
"I met him through Yang and Rubes," Mercury said.
"And… Jaune, how did you meet everyone here?" Pyrrha asked him wondering about his relationship with the many women.
"Oh well it's a really long story. I met Ruby and Yang when we were kids when me and my parents took a trip to Vale, and by that time they were already friends with Weiss and Blake," Jaune said.
"Ah I remember that time," Ruby said, "Weiss's dad was still cruel and Blake and her parents were protesting her father. You weren't protesting yet though right Emerald?"
"No I still needed some time to myself back then," Emerald spoke thinking of her past.
"Anyway Weiss escaped her father during that protest and Blake met her and then me and Yang me them," Ruby told her.
"You four met through a protest?" Pyrrha questioned Ruby and her three friends. The idea sounded ludicrous to Pyrrha, even more so knowing that two girls on the opposite sides could be friends so easily in what they said was a day.
"Yeah, Weiss's father was an asshole and she wanted to get away from him. Me and Rubes saw her and Blake and somehow the four of us hit it off," Yang told them.
"Ruby and I met in Vale during a family trip. I made friends with her and that's how I got to know the rest," Jaune answered.
"And… Nora?" Pyrrha questioned him.
"Oh she and Ren were friends with Ruby and Yang too," Jaune explained.
"Nora and I owe a lot to Ruby and Yang's uncle Qrow," Ren explained, "He was one of the people who were able to save our village from a Grimm invasion."
"Yeah that guy's great, I also met Ruby and Yang through him," Mercury said, "He helped me out to."
"My family works for Mrs. Schnee and she's been kind enough to let me into her circle of friends," Oscar spoke.
"So… you've all been together for so long," Pyrrha questioned.
When Pyrrha had learned that Jaune would be attending Beacon with her she was ecstatic to finally have a friend. Part of her would worry that her status would cause people to avoid her like it did at home. However now she felt even more of an outcast. While she spoke to Jaune on several occasions she didn't know nearly as much about him as she had hoped and now he was surrounded by friends most of who spoke together with each other as though they were family.
She felt like a different kind of outcast to this group of people.
"Well all of us except Penny, she just got here," Jaune spoke noticing her slightly grim expression.
Pyrrha looked at the other new girl who was speaking to Weiss and Ruby with what looked like complete ease. Pyrrha wondered if she was really going to be able to fit in with Jaune and his group. The two had only recently started video calling each other though Pyrrha had been to shy to learn as much as she could about Jaune. The only things that she could get was that his family consisted of seven sisters, he was part of his village's guard, and that he was also a fan of X-ray and Vav. She had been cautious about letting someone she knew only through letters about knowing too much about her, but now she wished that she had taken the risk despite her manager and parents objection.
Yang Age 17
The bright hours of the yet to rise sun had arrived, the grand majority of students and even teachers had yet to awaken. Yet Oscar had grown so accustom to farm life's early dawn mornings that he had already woken up, forced to wait for morning. Oscar grabbed ahold of his new Scroll and did a new web search on the new girl. Sure enough all the info that Penny had mentioned turned out to be true, Pyrrha was a strong and well-known girl who had faced off and won against many different challengers.
"Can't sleep?"
"A-" *slap* The surprise had almost caused Oscar to cry out in shock and he immediately muffled his cry. Looking over he could see Yang laying on her shoulder smirking at him.
"Y-Yeah, just… I always get up early in the morning," Oscar said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Meh it's fine," Yang told him, "I've learned to wake up the moment I hear a noise in the morning. What're you looking at? I hope you're not planning on taking P-money from vomit boy are you?"
"What? No," Oscar had to force a whisper almost yelling out at Yang's accusation.
"So what were you looking up P-money for then?" Yang asked him.
"I just… Penny said she did a bunch of these things so I wanted to know if what she said was really true," Oscar said.
"Man Penny can really talk huh? She's like a machine," Yang held back her laughs.
"Y-Yh-Yeah s-she… she can be really talkative," Oscar stuttered at Yang's words.
"So what did you find out?" Yang asked him.
"That… Pyrrha is really strong like everyone else," Oscar said.
"Aaaaand?" Yang lead him, "Come on Oscar I can tell that's not all."
"Sigh I'm just worried how I'll do compared to a lot of people," Oscar said, "I'm not as strong as the others."
"Eh you're pretty tough," Yang said.
"But you guys are really strong," Oscar told her, "Miss Schnee had all her really expensive combat instructors and Blake grew up in Menagerie which is close to a lot of badlands."
"She's also leaned to take a beating," Yang told him.
"You sort of just turned into a legend traveling and fighting, at a really young age," Oscar told her, "How did you get strong?"
"Oh, well it wasn't easy for me," Yang told him, "Come to think of it have I ever told you my story?"
"Oh well no actually," Oscar answered.
"You need to hang out with us more," Yang told him.
"Well the farm has kept me really busy, and I didn't think it would be appropriate to join Miss Schnee when it was just girls," Oscar said.
"That never stopped Jaune," Yang told him, "When I was starting out at Signal I joined up a bit of a… guild… work… group? Group, I joined a group. The group was made to get people to help with villages who were too poor to hire real Hunters, it was basically a charity job."
"There's a group like that?" Oscar asked.
"Not officially," Yang told him, "It was a dangerous job for inexperienced fighters, a lot of people died taking on too much, and you were never covered for travel expense. Nobody wanted to get involved in it because while the message was nice the risk weren't worth it."
"Wait you went out to face the Grimm when you just started going to Signal!? And your father just let you do this?" Oscar asked her now concerned for his friend.
"He never knew," Yang told him, "He thought I was just being a rebellious teen at the time. Leaving the house for days kept thinking I'd come home pregnant."
"U-Uh," Oscar started to feel uncomfortable with Yang's honesty, "You went out to face the Grimm at a young age and never told your parents?" he questioned, the thought of going somewhere and not letting his own parents know was frightening to him.
"Yup," Yang told him, "It was dangerous… luckily I was able to handle myself. There were some moments I almost died but I've been able to help out a lot of people. Though most of the time I needed all the help I could get to handle the big Grimm, but I guess people really liked me because a lot of them started praising me. Enough to get my dad to find out and ground me for a month."
"But why? Why would you have gone out and risked you life like that?" Oscar asked her. Yang risking her life in many different dangerous situations was news to him.
"Honestly… my mother," Yang told him.
"She… inspired you?" Oscar asked her.
"Technically," Yang told him, "My mother is the leader of a group of thieves who go around killing and stealing to survive."
"Oh… that's… interesting?" Oscar said, this was even more news to him.
"Yeah interesting," Yang said sarcastic, "For a long time I wanted to know who my mother was and why she left me and my sister, then I find out it was to lead her other 'family'. Turns out being a mother was too much for her and not worth the responsibility. I mean I would have liked to at least get a phone call from time to time but no she just decided that I didn't exist. The rejection wasn't easy for me to take at first. I had decided that if my mother was going to prey on the weak then I would defend them. A bit of an F U to her. It was dangerous but it felt fun," she said remembering the past.
"Do you… miss her," Oscar asked.
"Not anymore, she made it clear to me that she didn't want to be a part of my life. I gave up on her," Yang told him, "So… in answer to your question Oscar; mother issues. Mother issues pushed me to be stronger than I've ever been before. You still want to be strong like me."
"No...well… kind of," Oscar answered, "But not if it means I have to give up on my parents."
"We all get stronger in different ways Oscar," Yang told him, "You just need to find your own reason."
"Yang, Oscar," the two of them peeked at this new voice, "I know you're having a moment, but please shut up now it's too damn early," Mercury told them.
"Sorry," Oscar said quickly hiding back under the covers of his sleeping bag.
Ruby Age 15
The morning passed the same as before. Nora telling Ren to wake up and following him through his morning routine before getting all the pancakes she could get her hands on with Ren.
"Reph meh me ingrafef wlelf feen naf roof."
"Nora, swallow," Ren told her.
After which everyone met up in the locker rooms where the entire first year all gathered putting on their armor and gathering their weapons. Discussions about teaming up were heard amongst the group of people. Oscar took notice and began to get curious.
"What do they mean by groups?" Oscar asked them.
"Here at Beacon they try to teach us about teamwork and cooperation. At the beginning of the year Beacon will pair us up in a team comprising of four people," Weiss told him.
"Oh, that sounds-."
"For the entirety of our four years here," Weiss finished.
"What!?" Oscar questioned shocked.
"Oh HELL yes!" Mercury cheered, "Hey Yang-?"
"No," Yang answered.
"Blake?" Mercury asked.
"No," Blake answered.
"Weiss?"
"No."
"Emerald?"
"Absolutely not."
"Ruby how old are you again?"
"Mercury I swear if you try anything-," Yang threatened.
"No no never mind, I fear you and your family slightly more than I want to get laid," Mercury answered.
"So we're just expected to work with people for four years? Oscar questioned, "Do we at least get to decide?"
"The process of team selection completely random," Penny told them, "According to records last year they put tags on Grimm in the forest and students were instructed to collect one and teams were created based on matching tags collected. Team matchup today will most likely be different and just as random."
"Wow, you seem really informed," Emerald commented on Penny.
"Yeah tell me about it, she has more information than a computer," Yang joked.
"HA HA HA HA!" Oscar let out a deafening awkward sounding laugh which got the groups and several other people's attention, "L-Let's go Penny!" he said pushing her away from the group.
"Goodbye friends," Penny called being pushed away.
"That was weird," Emerald commented.
"Yang stop," Weiss angrily whisper hissed at her, "You're not supposed to know yet, you're going to drive the poor boy insane. He feels responsible for me."
"No way, this is far too good an opportunity," Yang told her.
"I can't have people know who she is yet it's too soon I'll get in trouble," Weiss told her.
"Nobody will know relax," Yang told her.
*Ding Dong* The speakers sounded signaling a message.
"Will all students please report to the cliffs for initiation," Glynda's voice was heard.
"Ooh me first!" Mercury called out, "I'm gonna figure out how to group up with just girls without you," he rushed out.
"What? He can't-… I gotta go!" Emerald rushed following Mercury.
Ruby Age 15
"This is nice," Ruby commented. She couldn't recall the last time she and the others could look out at the Emerald Forest surrounding Beacon. It was a long time ago, some idiot thought it would be smart to try and take the school back with a meager amount of soldiers, and she was the rescue party who failed to rescue anyone.
Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora, and Ren all had the same look on their face.
"Now I'm sure that many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda spoke to them all, "Well allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates today."
"This is an important decision which will affect the next four years of your life and perhaps beyond," Ozpin said sipping his coffee, "With that in mind, the first person you make eye contact with will become your partner."
A few of the students looked around eying everyone who they thought they'd like. Others began to panic at the thought of who they would pair with.
"Once you have found your partner you shall make your way to the ruins in the center of the forest and collect for yourselves a relic," Ozpin said as he faced the students, "You will be expected to deal with any threat that would impede you. Destroy everything in your path. Are there any questions."
"Just so we're clear," Ruby said raising her hand, "We're free to land in any way we want and do anything while we're in the air?"
"I see no reason why not," Ozpin answered sipping his coffee again, "Now then, let us begin."
The sound of a mechanical device clicking was heard, immediately followed by a student being launched in the air. After three seconds the same event took place. Ozpin and Glynda turned to look at the air as they watched all the students flying in the air and descending to the forest below them.
However Ozpin began to notice eight students who seemed to close in on each other. Ruby used her Scythe to blast herself through a Glyph that sent her flying right to Weiss and the two grasped their hands together before landing. Yang had caught the blade Blake had thrown at her allowing the two to reel each other in. Nora stood on her hammer letting it launch her into Lie Ren before she caught him. Jaune in a quick burst of white light allowed himself to seemingly glide right into Pyrrha.
*Ding ding ding ding* Glynda looked at her scroll to see the four new messages had popped up.
"It… seems we have our first four teammates," Glynda spoke.
"Hmm… perhaps next time we'll launch them in different groups next year," Ozpin spoke.
Ruby Age 15
"Oh thank goodness we pulled that off," Ruby cried when she and Weiss both landed with a combination of sniper recoil and glyphs in a small clearing, "Hey you don't think they can hear us do you?" she asked.
"No the cameras that survey the area have no audio devices to them," Weiss told her.
"Finally," Ruby said, "It's so nice to finally stop pretending."
"I agree, though we should still stay vigilant we have no idea who may be watching," Weiss told her.
"So… temple is in that direction and we have all day, let's take the leisure route," Ruby said as the two began their trek, "So how have Oscar and Penny been? The two seem to get along."
"I've let Oscar know what Penny is, it'll make things less awkward for him in the future," Weiss told her, "The boy really reminds me of Jaune, he's fully convinced himself that he can't become anything more than a farmer. I nearly had to forced him to come with me. Which reminds me, how was Roman when you met him."
"He reacted to me as well as I hoped. Still did his job but he felt guilty attacking the only person who's ever treated him like a human being," Ruby told her.
"I still think we should have just let him get arrested," Weiss argued with her.
"He had a hand in a lot of the coming events that we need to happen, and he might have stolen but he wasn't a killer. He didn't deserve what happened to him," Ruby told her.
"He kind of did," Weiss said.
"Okay yeah he did do things that got him what he deserved near the end, but I'll change his mind this time," Ruby told her, "We'll prevent Beacon and Vale from falling this time."
"And then what?" Weiss asked, "We know everything that will happen up to then but after that we'll be just as blind as before."
"We'll take them all down, we just need to play smart," Ruby said, "We know each of the people of Slaem's circle and where she is. We'll go after them one at a time. Plus they all hate each other."
"We may have beaten them before but we've been severely weakened from our previous selves and you lost your power of the silver eye," Weiss told her.
"I can re-learn that… in time… I hope," Ruby said, "And we also know who the four maidens are this time so we just need to make sure they stay safe."
"sigh I wish we brought those powers with us, it would have made our problems so much easier," Weiss said.
"So now the fun stuff, what are you going to do when you meet Neptune?" Ruby asked her.
"We're taking about saving the human race from extinction and you want to gossip?" Weiss complained.
"Yes! I'm super bored with how slowly things have gone, I'm glad the worlds experiencing peace for now but I haven't had anything fun to do for a long time. I'm the youngest out of everyone my dad still thinks I shouldn't have the talk yet," Ruby said.
"groan, well I'm not entirely sure," Weiss said, the antics and habits of her old boyfriend had plagued her patience, "I do miss him, but now I have to try and get him out of his flirting phase. It was a pain last time trying to fix him."
"I don't think he fully stopped," Ruby said, "He always seemed very polite to all the and I quote "kind looking girls" well until he- u-uh well he-."
"He died Ruby I know, every one of our families died back then," Weiss said, "At least yours didn't go down hated there were still people who wanted me dead."
"And Blakes still gotta meet Sun again," Ruby said recalling Blakes, "I really hope they hold back on role playing this time."
"Oh my god I know, as soon as Sun read her books with her the two of them kept it up non stop," Weiss said her cheeks red as she remembered her past encounters with the two.
Oscar Age 17
Oscar could feel the sharp wind pushing against his body as he fell to the earth below. Below him was a large tree dense with foliage. Oscar covered his face as he felt the branches of the tree move and caress him through its wood and leaves slowing his momentum. He reached out and grabbed a long straight branch near the bottom of the trees top half. The branch bent down far enough to reach the ground as he lightly touched the ground and landed on his feet.
"Thanks," he said patting the tree and facing the open, "Now… I need to find a partner next."
Oscar took out his shovel blade and let it extend to its full length keeping an eye on his surrounding area. Weiss had told him to always be aware of his surroundings and to keep a clear mind. The Grimm would be attracted to negative thinking of any kind, but even if he was focused and positive that did not mean Grimm wouldn't attack if they saw you.
Looking up at the current position of the sun he figured out the general location of the temple he needed to find.
"Grrrrr."
Oscar tensed up and turned around to the source of the noise. It was a lone Ursa Grimm about the size of a refrigerator. It marched forward clearly intent on attacking Oscar.
"Alright just… just stay calm," Oscar told himself, "Plan this out, you have the advantage."
"GRAAAARRR!" the Ursa charged at him with thundering steps. It lunged at Oscar who rolled to the side dodging the attack. Oscar dug his shovel into the ground and pulled up a chunk of the earth. With a light jerk of the shovel he sent the dirt clod directly up in the air and let it fall straight down.
*WHAM* Oscar whacked the clod with his shovel like a baseball letting the dirt clod hit the Ursa dead center in its eyes.
"RGAARGH!" the dirt irritated the Ursa effectively blinding him as it struggled to wipe it's face clear with it's paws. Oscar took this opportunity to run up to the Grimm and swing the pickaxe side of his weapon right in the Grimm's forehead.
*SHUNK* The Ursa's eyes instantly stopped glowing and the large creature's body fell with a thud.
"I… I did it?" Oscar looked down at the slowly dissolving Ursa, "Ha… HA HA I can't believe- I mean- This is amazing! I killed an Ursa!" Oscar knew they were one of the low tier Grimm to face but he still felt great being able to kill one.
"RRRRRGH!"
A new growl was heard and Oscar saw another Ursa similar to the other one he had just killed. After the rush he felt from his first kill he didn't back down this time, he just readied his weapon.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRR… rnh?"
The Ursa looked like he was about to charge Oscar, but something caught his attention. The Ursa saw something in the sky coming down right on top of it.
*BOOOOOM* Oscar shielded himself from the large impact of whatever hit the ground, and it was it was heavy enough to make a shallow crater and billow up dust and debris. As soon as it cleared up Oscar could see that the impact had crushed the Ursa in half.
Between the two pieces of slowly dissolving Ursa was a little girl.
"Wh- Penny!?" Oscar questioned.
"Oscar hello!" Penny said happily as she rose from the ground and dusted herself off. Even after hitting the ground she appeared to be perfectly fine.
"What happened?" Oscar questioned looking her over for any damages or signs of her metal body frame.
"Oh… well as you may recall me and the other students were launched into the Emerald forest. I was the last one to be launched," Penny stated.
"I know that, why did you just let yourself hit the ground?" Oscar questioned still concerned.
"My body is designed to withstand heavy impacts, this includes falls from high distances," Penny told him.
"You were supposed to make a landing strategy," Oscar told her.
"I did, it was to hit the ground," Penny told him, "From a high distance, and I would be okay."
"Penny normally people don't allow themselves to just hit the ground," Oscar told her.
"Really? I've seen documentation of many different hunters who can take the impact of a fall after reaching terminal velocity and live with no negative effects," Penny said.
"Did those people voluntarily let themselves be launched in the air or fall?" Oscar asked her.
"Ooh… no all my records indicated that these incidents were in combat and emergency situations," Penny said in realization, "I see, so humans always defend themselves from anything that could cause any pain at all times. This high level of self preservation awareness may take time for me to adjust to."
"Also could you stop with your over analyzation? Saying things like 'My records' kind of make you sound like a machine, I think Yang might be getting suspicious," Oscar told her.
"Oh yes, now that you mention it Yang did seems to joke about me having machine like capabilities, very well I will archive that observation and plan accordingly," Penny told him.
"Kind of… missing the point," Oscar was dejected at her choice of words.
"… wait… are you alone?" Penny questioned looking around.
"OH… yeah I HRRGH!"
"Sensational!" Penny cheered immediately hugging Oscar, "This means that by the rules of our initiation we are now partners! I was worried about who I would be paired with! There were many concerns about endangering Weiss and my father by revealing my origin but with you those odds have now drastically decreased, and you are one of the people I enjoy socializing with!"
"PENGHY," Oscar cried struggling to get out of Penny's grasp around his neck.
"Our next objective should be for the Ruins," Penny said and pointed in a new direction, "Based on the layout and clues left by Ozpin they are most likely in that direction."
"HACK, great," Oscar coughed.
"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot that you need to breath at all times," Penny commented, "There's just so much for me to remember at times and when I'm in a dangerous situation or I'm excited I lose a bit of processing power-."
"Penny! Human," Oscar told her.
"Oh uh… I get… forgetful?" Penny answered.
"Better," Oscar told her, "Let's just go now," he told her.
Kisdota: I guess a few things are going to be predictable from here on out. I plan to add a few things to this new timeline though to keep things interesting. Also if you see a mistake or something that looks off tell me. I read it through but I know I missed something. Also I gave a hint at what Oscars abilities are I think they're fitting.