Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.
The next morning had Raine rising in the dark. Soft, pale light shown into their dorm room from the shattered moon. Given the size of their team, they were assigned a larger room to properly accommodate five people. The beds spread out evenly, one in each corner with the fifth centered under the window on the far wall. To the side was a private bathroom. RRWBY wasn't the first five man team, in fact there had been cases with as many as six during certain periods of Grimm activity that warranted the need for more students. Their room was located on the far end of the hallway, conveniently placed next to JNPR.
The swordsman let out a long, drawn out yawn as he swung his legs from the covers. His roommates were still sound asleep and probably would be for awhile. It was going to be... interesting sharing a room with four, admittedly attractive girls. His old friends in Vacuo would probably want to kill him for such an opportunity. He shook his head of dirty thoughts, it wasn't something the team needed to deal with. Smacking his lips, he grabbed his hygiene kit and went into the bathroom to start his morning routine, stepping around luggage bags as he went. He was the only one who had bothered to unpack yet, having done so after the Initiation test.
His master referred to morning routines as "Shit, shower, shave," reasoning that when duty called, there was no place for a luxurious start. Of course now he had all the time in the world, at least till the girls started waking up. Old habits died hard he supposed. Raine rubbed at his chin as he stood in front of the mirror. A light stubble was forming. He didn't like the feel of facial hair to begin with and honestly felt he looked better without it. More professional. All in all, the whole process took him little more than 10 minutes, resulting in a fresh, clean Raine.
Slipping out of the bathroom as quietly as he could, he stowed away his things and pulled on some light workout clothes; a simple, dark blue running jacket and long, black pants. It had been awhile since he exercised just for the fun of it. The better part of two months had been on the road trying to survive. He relished the chance. Eager to get started, he eased out of the door, not noticing a certain rose petal stirring in her sleep.
The morning air was cool and crisp, the high altitude of Beacon making each breath free of taint from the City proper. He broke into a light jog around the grounds, making a game out of it by vaulting over obstacles and weaving through trees. It was one of those things he was quickly beginning to enjoy about Vale; all the green. Vacuo was nice, but the further west you went the more vegetation died, eventually giving way to a sea of sand. He heightened his regime, focusing his aura and turning what started as a light jog into a furious reflex exercise. Anyone passing by would only catch glimpses of the boy as he flashed in and out of sight. He needed to practice if he wanted any shot of using such speed in battle. Image training, his master called it, using the mind's eye to form and play out combat scenarios and using the body to respond appropriately. On the outside, he was bouncing between pillars, arches, statues and vegetation, but on the inside he was dodging, weaving, and evading through hordes of Grimm.
The Grimm; the very thought of those beasts brought a sneer of disgust to his face. Never had he heard of or encountered any other creatures in this world that could rival their wanton lust for despair and destruction. He skid to a stop, after vaulting backwards off the Hunter's Monument in the center of the main plaza. A frown marred his features. Why had they been created in the first place? If the ruins across the countryside was any indication, Mankind had once risen up before, in what could have been even greater heights than what they achieved today. Were they some sort of divine punishment? Had his species violated some universal law, a law of such importance and magnitude the gods sought to punish them eternally? The thought left a sour taste in his mouth, but he swallowed it down. He was a warrior first, philosopher second.
Raine figured he had been doing his drills for longer than expected; the sun was beginning its slow ascent into the sky. He checked his watch; 07:00 it told him, still giving him two hours till the first class. He let his breathing level out and sat with his legs crossed. This next part he still had trouble with; meditation. While it did help when his mind was in turmoil, it was only a fleeting chance at best whenever he got the full benefit. Still, he was young and needed practice, he wouldn't have gotten even this far otherwise.
Slow, evenly paced breaths circulated through his lungs, each exhale carrying with it his aura. The energy radiated from him calmly like a tamed fire, its heat creating light currents of wind in the plaza. The troubles of the world disappeared, replaced only by the natural phenomena that was life; rustling leaves, chirping of birds, warmth of the sun, kiss of the breeze, such a still perfection at risk of being shattered in an instant.
"Mr. Zaffre," spoke an aged, curious voice.
Raine opened his eyes and turned, finding Headmaster Ozpin staring down at him, coffee mug in one hand, cane in the other, and silver spectacles glinting in the sun.
"You're up fairly early," the man commented, taking a sip from his morning brew.
"It's an old habit I would do back home; exercising every morning then meditation. It keeps my mind and body honed and prepared," the boy explained as he stood.
"It is good to see one so young take an interest in such discipline. Most of your peers are likely just beginning to get out of bed," Ozpin smiled slightly. "How are you enjoying the school so far? Is it what you've been expecting?"
Raine shrugged. "It certainly seems to live up to its name." His gaze swept the campus. "A shining 'beacon' of hope for the Kingdom of Vale. Honestly it seems like something out of a fairy tale to me."
Ozpin chuckled. "I had similar thoughts when I was your age. I remember sitting here in this very spot. But even fairy tales have an inkling of truth to them."
"Like my eyes?"
Ozpin paused for a moment. "I suppose there is some merit to that train of thought, yes."
"That night at the police station, the first thing you said to Ruby and I was that we have silver eyes. What did you mean by that?"
"I see Urdin has made sure your education was quite extensive before sending you on your journey."
Raine didn't comment, despite the fact he had never spoken to Ozpin about his late mentor.
"Let's try this, how about you tell me what you know already and I'll help you fill in the blanks?"
"Well to be honest that's very little. I only know that those with silver eyes were always destined to be great warriors, that the strongest of them were capable of slaying Grimm with a single look."
"And what do you make of that?"
"Considering there are still plenty of Grimm around, either the power wasn't strong enough to eradicate them completely or the warriors were beaten and left forgotten to history."
Ozpin pondered those words for a moment. "It is true, those born with silver eyes had profoundly greater prowess on the battlefield, but they indeed were not all invincible like the legends made them out to be. In many cases, most were just like any of the citizens we protect; normal people without any special traits beyond an unusual pigment of the irises. But the few who chose to stand, to break the mold, became capable of great and sometimes terrible things."
"Terrible?"
"Oh yes, its roots taking place in the very existence of the Grimm. Tell me Raine, what do you believe to be the greatest flaw of humanity?"
Raine paused. He hadn't expected a question like that.
"That's a bit of a loaded question if I've ever heard one. We have plenty of flaws, but if I had to pick the biggest one? I'd have to say... pride."
"Your insight serves you well," Ozpin told him with a nod of approval. "Humans are fickle creatures. United we are capable of amazing accomplishments, as shown by the Four Kingdoms, yet we are always left yearning for something more, and while many civilizations have risen in our relatively short existence, all that came before us now have fallen to ruin and left forgotten in time. We are but Remnants of stories long gone. It is because of our pride; it drove us to become envious, loathsome, destructive, but worst of all, unrepentant. The Silver Eyed Warriors were no exception to this fatal flaw, and thus perished among the many wars that ravaged this world. It is why the Grimm exist as they do, they are physical manifestations of Humanity's collective inner demons, personified by the largely misunderstood wilds that lie beyond our borders. This misunderstanding spreads to the Faunus, a species even younger than we are yet more in-tuned with the natural world we readily destroy."
Ozpin adjusted his spectacles. "Whether or not you believe in legends or fairy tales, just know that despite all of our flaws as we struggle in darkness, there is always potential for even the smallest of lights to become great beacons to lead us when we need them most."
The headmaster straightened and made to leave. "I believe your peers will be looking for you soon, and breakfast has already started. Do try the omelets, they are quite exquisite at the start of term."
"Thank you for speaking with me, Headmaster."
"Always a pleasure to impart some wisdom."
Raine slowed his pace as he approached his dorm room. Was that... construction noise? Curious and perhaps a bit hesitant, he gripped the door knob and twisted, revealing an odd sight.
"What... are you guys doing?"
The girls all jumped at the voice and turned, all of them dressed in their school uniforms; a red plaid skirt, and a brown jacket with a tan vest and white shirt with a red ribbon tied at the collar. The only difference between them was Ruby, who kept her signature hooded cape.
"Oh there you are Raine!" said Ruby as she rubbed her head. "Well we got to unpacking but when we were done we kinda... ran out of room."
"So we made some awesome bunk beds! Pretty cool huh?" added Yang.
Raine lifted a brow and observed their renovations. In one corner, two beds were haphazardly balanced on top of each other, each post supported by a stack of Blake's, at least he assumed to be Blake's, many books. Opposite of that, another bed was hung from the ceiling with rope, with a pink sheet drawn like a curtain to create a canopy. More ropes tied the posts to those of the bed below it to keep it from swinging too much. Thankfully, his own was left untouched in the corner towards his left, opposite of the bathroom. Their reasoning with bunk beds became apparent with just how much stuff they had brought.
Yang and Weiss had notoriously large wardrobes, the latter even having brought suitcases designed to be entire pieces of snow white furniture for storage, among them being a vanity, chest of drawers and even an armoire. Blake had brought along what was essentially a miniature library, entire bookshelves filled with various works of literature. And Ruby, true to her enthusiasm for weaponry, had commandeered the coffee table and turned it into a makeshift workbench strewn with spare parts for her scythe.
Raine sighed and palmed his face. "At least you guys saved me a chest of drawers. What time is it anyway?"
"It is precisely 8 in the morning, we still have an hour before classes," answered Weiss.
"Where were you this morning anyway?" asked Blake.
"Went for a run," he answered nonchalantly as he grabbed his uniform and hygiene bag and disappeared into the bathroom.
As the door shut, a smirk grew on Yang's face as she noticed their fearless leader coloring up as she stared at the steam drifting from underneath the door.
"You're not much for subtlety are you sis?" the blonde asked, earning an 'eep' from Ruby.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" she denied.
"Of course you don't," snipped Weiss. "Try to keep your hormones in check? We don't need you fraternizing with our sole male teammate. You're the team leader now," she ground that last part out through clenched teeth.
"Weiss!"
"Leave her alone Weiss, she's not used to this kind of living," Blake stepped in. "And I doubt Raine is the type of person to try and take advantage. He's too disciplined for that."
"I'll say," Yang chimed back in. "He practically threw me off of him that first night. I hadn't even intended to take it very far, just push a few buttons."
"That looked a lot more than just 'a few buttons'," Ruby retorted.
"I can still hear all of you!" Raine yelled from the bathroom.
If there was one phrase that Raine could use to describe Professor Port's class, it was this; boring, as, shit. There was really only so much one could cover about Grimm and their different forms, save for the various weaknesses each one was supposedly subject to, except that's exactly what Port wasn't doing. The man had an ego about him, and rather than teach like he was meant to, he instead regaled them of past battles in his youth. The swordsman let out a sigh as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Please God, don't let every class be exactly like this."
Ruby was far from subtle about her own wandering attention span. She scribbled out a comical doodle of the Professor, giggling and carelessly showing off to Weiss that constantly grated on the Heiress' nerves.
"I can't believe that dunce! THIS is our team leader?!" Weiss thought angrily.
It was insane, unfair, and downright insulting that she was under the command of an utter imbecile. What the hell was Ozpin thinking? At least she would have understood if Raine got the spot, he had command of most of the battle.
"No, play it cool Weiss, you're in better control than this. Deep breath... relax your body... clear your- IS SHE PICKING HER NOSE?!"
"Now, who here believes they embody these qualities?" Professor Port asked his students.
She immediately raised her hand. "I do!"
"Ms. Schnee! Excellent excellent, please do step down here to the floor, and bring your weapon with you."
Weiss stood stoically, pushing past Ruby with a bit more aggression than she probably intended to show. Dainty heels clicked their way down the stairs as she took her position opposite of a wrought-iron box with various breathing holes, per Port's instructions.
"As Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale, it will be your sworn duty to uphold justice and protect the innocent. As such, you must show unwavering resolve and ferocity each and every time you step forth on the battlefield. Let us see if Ms. Schnee can do so!"
As he finished his sentence, Port pulled a lever on the side of the box, its front face falling forward with a crash. Snarling and growling could be heard from within, prompting Weiss to take her family's battle stance; sword hand forward and angled 45 degrees at the elbow, free hand at the small of her back, lead foot forward shoulder length. Launching out of the crate came a small but equally menacing pig-grimm; a Boarbatusk.
It looked every bit the part of an untainted wild boar, save for the usual bone protrusions and mask shared by all Grimm, and the larger than normal tusks that jutted from its jaws. With an angry squeal, the boar charged Weiss, intent on gutting her. She rolled to the left, letting Myrtenaster dig into its hide. She stood and turned with confidence, only to find her weapon barely scratched it.
"Go Weiss!" cheered Yang.
"Represent Team RRWBY!" added Ruby.
"Just ignore them Weiss."
Raine and Blake leaned forward and stayed silent.
"Oh ho!" Port bellowed jovially. "Do not be fooled by the look of a Boarbatusk. They are tougher than they initially seem. What now shall you do?"
Weiss grit her teeth. "Just watch."
The grimm jumped and flipped forward, landing in an unusual rolling motion. Weiss' eyes widened as it shot forward with incredible speed, its bone growths giving it traction on an otherwise smooth granite floor. She didn't have time to react and took the blow head on, knocking her backwards several meters. A gasp of air forced its way from her lungs, as well as a tiny bit of blood.
"Weiss be careful!" cried Ruby.
"Ruby, stop distracting me!" she spat back, making her team leader deflate.
"Think, you've studied these things before back home. Winter made sure you researched them all extensively."
"Hit the underbelly," Raine spoke out calmly.
Of course! How could she forget that detail? She made a flick with her rapier and a gravity glyph formed beneath the boarbatusk's hooves, holding it in place. It looked down in confusion. With an upward motion from Weiss' hand, the glyph reversed its force and shot the grimm up into the air, tumbling head over heels by the blast. Myrtenaster poised, she skated forward for the killing blow, burying her blade into the beast's belly. She made sure she planted the grimm into the floor as they landed. It struggled a few seconds and then, letting out a death rattle, laid still, its body naturally breaking away into black ash.
"Bravo Ms. Schnee! Excellent action on your part. She does indeed have the makings of a successful huntress!" Port applauded.
She wasn't listening. Outwardly she remained her usual cold self, but inside she was seething. She barely noticed Port announcing that class was over and reminding them of their homework due in three days on beowolves. Without sparing even a minute, she grabbed her bags and left, leaving her confused teammates behind. Weiss needed time alone, time to think and mull over how her life was going. She didn't expect Ruby to come running after her.
"Weiss!" Ruby called out to her.
"What?!"
"What's gotten into you? All day you've been-"
"What's gotten into me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader, yet all you've been so far is a nuisance!"
Ruby scoffed. "What did I do?"
"That's just it! You've done nothing to earn your position. Back in the forest you did nothing but act like a child, and you still continue to do so!"
Ruby was trembling as her teammates words set in. "Weiss, where is all this coming from? What about all that talk about working together and being a team?"
"Not a team led by you."
Those words stung.
"I have studied, and trained, and quite frankly deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake."
The Heiress was done. Arms crossed, she turned on her heel and left, leaving Ruby on the verge of tears. The young girl curled in on herself, turning to run only to bump into the Headmaster himself.
"Well that didn't go very well did it," he commented.
"Is she right though? Did you make a mistake?"
He gave her a small, not so reassuring smile. "That remains to be seen."
"What do you mean?"
"Ruby this is only the first day. I have made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet, yet I do not believe your appointment as leader to be one of them. Do you?"
"Kinda yeah, I mean Raine was in command of all of us, and not once did he lose his cool."
"True, he was able to think tactically and relay orders in the heat of battle soundly, but there's one thing you did that he didn't. Can you guess what that is?"
She shook her head no.
"You inspired. Not just your group but Team JNPR as well. It was your words at the temple that brought everyone together as a cohesive unit. Even though the two of you were in the lead, it was you they were following, not Raine."
He took a sip of his coffee as Ruby started to feel better.
"That being said, it is important for you to know that being a leader isn't just a badge that you carry with you into battle. It's a way of life, a higher standard you must pledge yourself to. How can you expect others to follow and respect you if you're not at your very best everyday?"
She mulled over his words.
"You've been given a daunting responsibility Ruby. I advise you take some time and decide how you plan to uphold it."
"How are you feeling, Princess? You seemed more agitated than usual in class today."
"Go away Raine."
She came up to one of the observation balconies to watch the sunset and clear her head. Raine ignored the comment and joined her at the railing, placing a hand on her shoulder. She violently shrugged it away.
"Hey your worship, I'm only trying to help!"
"Will you stop referring to me like that?" she snapped back.
"Sure Weiss."
A silence fell over them, Raine choosing to keep his mouth shut and let her work through her thoughts at her own pace. When she realized he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, she took a deep breath.
"One of us should have been the leader of Team RWBY."
Raine tilted his head in confusion. "You'll have to explain that one to me."
"Don't play dumb. We both know we're the most qualified for the job. You've fought Grimm plenty of times before, I could tell by the way you carried yourself out there. And I've had the best teachers Atlas has to offer over my entire life. We both deserve better."
"I disagree. On both counts."
"Excuse me?"
"Let me explain. Being a leader isn't just about books and battle prowess. It's about character and attitude. When the teachers look at you, they see a girl who has had everything she's ever wanted her entire life. That type of upbringing tends to lead to a bad attitude."
"How dare you! That's not even remotely true!" she retorted before catching herself. "Well... it's not mostly true."
"As for me, well my record kind of speaks for itself."
It was Weiss' turn to be surprised.
"I came here from Vacuo, made the trip by myself on foot in fact. I told Ozpin as much the day he invited Ruby and I to Beacon. When he asked why, I said it was training. That wasn't entirely true."
He took a deep breath as he continued. "I used to be a student at Shade, in a similar position as Ruby I might add, only a year older than her. I was hailed by both other students and teachers as a prodigy, soaking up all the material like a sponge and soaring past all of my peers with incredible skill. They didn't hesitate to put me in command of a team of my own."
Weiss was hanging onto his words. She didn't expect to feel any kinship with the wayward swordsman.
"Unlike Beacon, Shade ran three-man teams for its top students. I still remember their names; Cyan and Arianna. Team ARC." Raine let out a chuckle. "I bet Jaune would love that."
Weiss allowed a smile of her own.
"It went well for a time, we were unbeatable and on the fast track to graduating top of our class. I loved every minute of it."
"What happened?"
His face grew dark. "Another difference between the two academies; Shade preferred field missions over classroom lectures. We were sent north up the coast to gather a certain type of herb used to combat poisons, when we were ambushed by a pair of aquatic King Taijitu."
Weiss shuddered at the the thought.
"A good leader would have ordered a retreat, but my ego was inflated. I felt like we could handle anything."
He gripped the railing with force, knuckles turning white and lightly bending it from his aura enhanced strength.
"It went bad, quick. Ariana was poisoned badly and Cyan lost a leg. I was able to force the Grimm away and tend to my team's wounds but it was a Pyrrhic Victory."
Raine swallowed.
"Raine I... I'm sorry," Weiss tried to console him.
He shook his head. "It's done and in the past now; it's fine. Anyway, they claimed not to blame me but I could tell they looked at me differently. I knew they blamed me just as I blamed myself, and they had every right to. I withdrew from Shade the next day."
Raine snorted to himself. "Despite my knowledge and skill, I still failed and it nearly cost two of my dearest friends their lives." He sighed.
"I'm not trying to spill my life story out to you. What I'm trying to say is that Ruby has a characteristic that neither of us have; it's innocence. She's an endearing person, it was that pure and honest spirit that rallied us at the temple, not my tactical know-how or your training. That's why Ozpin picked her."
Weiss bit her lip. She wanted to challenge that but couldn't find the heart nor words.
"Sure she can be immature, but she's still 15 and despite the giant sniper rifle/scythe, she's still a fairly normal girl. I don't want to see her fail like I did, and despite the differences between you two, I doubt you'd want to either. She's your partner Weiss. It's your approval she wants the most."
He pushed himself off the railing and turned to leave. "It's getting late, I think we should turn in. We have Goodwitch first thing tomorrow with combat training, and I hear she's a slave driver."
Weiss nodded but stayed where she was. "Thanks but I think I want to stay here for a bit longer."
Raine waved in understanding. "Take your time."
It was late in the evening when Weiss returned to her dorm. Raine, Blake and Yang were all fast asleep, and it seemed Ruby was too, covers thrown completely over her head. Weiss would have been convinced if the lamp wasn't left on. She walked over and gently pulled the covers back. Her mouth fell open to see numerous books strew about haphazardly all on topics they had gone over today. Ruby had ended up passing out on her notes. With a sad smile and remembering Raine's words, she gently shook her awake.
Ruby snorted as she was jostled awake. "Gah, Weiss! I-I was studying and then I fell asleep, I'm sorry!"
Weiss quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, shushing her as she motioned to their sleeping team.
"How do you take your coffee?"
"Uh I- I don't-"
"Answer the question!"
"Ah! Cream and five sugars!"
Weiss sighed. "Don't move."
Ruby laid there in confusion, wondering if she had done something wrong again. She was surprised to see Weiss holding a fresh cup for her.
"Um, thanks Weiss."
"Ruby, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted today. I really do think you have what it takes to be a team leader and I let my jealousy get in the way."
Ruby felt her heart swell.
"Just so you know, I'm going to be the best teammate you've ever had," she declared with an honest smile. "Good luck studying." She left to grab her bed clothes, but popped back up quickly.
"That's wrong by the way," she declared as she pointed to a spot in Ruby's notes.
Ruby couldn't believe what was happening. Weiss really did believe in her. And it didn't just give her that giddy, excited feeling she usually got. This was warmer, more heartfelt. It felt right.
"Hey Ruby?"
She turned to see Weiss stopped at the bathroom door.
"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid," she told her and shut the door.
Unbeknownst to the two girls, Raine was wide awake. He heard everything and he smiled.
A/N: Decided to get a bit deeper with this chapter. Some friction between Ruby and Weiss leads to the latter having a bit of a moment with Raine. I also revealed more of his own background, particularly his motives for coming to Vale in the first place. Hopefully, this will answer anyone who questions why the OC isn't leading the group. As always, let me know your thoughts on the story so far in the review section if you have the time. To those who have already done so, thank you so much, it's a massive encouragement to continue the show.