I have a few things I have to say, just about my profile in general. I write for fun, not for accuracy and what if situations. So when people leave insulting PM's just because they don't want to read something other authors have done, it messes with my determination to write. There are simply some stories I have been writing that I was hopeful to write, and wanted to go far. Now I have college applications, long term projects, and my own free time to juggle around. To put it simply, I don't know how long I will be able to keep writing at the rate I am. I understand I take a while to update, but I try to make the best from what I have.
How does this affect my stories? Well, I can guarantee that I will not stop writing The Armored Alchemist, Aurum and Argentum Oculi, and The Resurrection Relic. I will be putting 'A Dusty Old Qrow', 'Into Non-Being', 'The-One-Who-Collects', 'Chaotic Chaos' and 'Dummy!' on an irregular schedule, so they are being continued but will not be a priority of mine. Everything else is on indefinite Hiatus as of now. If I have inspiration for them, I will continue those stories, but as of today I simply don't know if I can complete them because of the story putting itself into a corner, the show revealing new info that makes the story obsolete, or just the lack of plot I had. Thanks for reading. I hope you understand.
Edward scanned his ticket into the terminal as his baggage was scanned. His golden eyes swept across the crowds, naturally looking for danger and keeping an eye on his surroundings. He watched as groups of teens chatted, already settling into groups based on social status and personality before they even got to the school. He shook his head ruefully, thanking the fact he never had to deal with social situations as a teen, being in the military before school, and was mostly self taught.
"We hope you enjoy your flight, sir!" an employee said cheerfully. He nodded to her, ignoring the feeling of dread in the back of his head. He was going to be someone's subordinate yet again simply to gain access to a library. Goddamn it. If only he had said no, he could have remained with Tukson. He hoped the old panther would be fine without him.
He made his way into the Bullhead. His temporary leg clacked slightly as he walked, leaving him with a limping gait from a minor difference in height between his legs. Edward placed his gear under his seat and tilted his head back to take a nap on the way.
Yang hugged Ruby tightly as the Bullhead took off. "I'm so happy you're here with me!" Yang shouted in glee.
Ruby squirmed. "Yaaang! Please stop!"
Yang let go with a sigh. "I know you're excited to give the thing Edward commissioned to him, but you should be focusing more on the school than some other student."
Ruby frowned slightly. "Yang, I know you have a grudge with Edward, but he paid me to make this. I will Literally have enough money to afford upgrades for Crimson Rose, as well as enough rounds to last me weeks! You just have to get used to him and you'll see he's not such a bad guy. Ooh, I wonder if I'll be on his team?" Ruby blushed slightly. "If you join our team too, we could be great!"
Yang's grin weakened at Ruby's innocent enthusiasm. "It's not that simple Ruby..." Yang winced. How do I explain her first friend in Dust knows how long was hurt by me? It would break her heart. I can't just do that to her. It has to be a secret.
"You say that, but you won't elaborate!" Ruby complained. Yang pinched her nose in frustration. "I'll tell you eventually, but not now, alright? Once we get more settled into Beacon." Or never. Never would be nice.
Blake's eyes flicked from side to side as she looked for a place to sit. Boisterous trainees filled the aisles, most of them were too loud for her taste. Then she turned to find a seat in the corner that was thankfully empty. She made her way over to it, claiming it before anyone else could. A sigh escaped her lips and she calmed herself down. Come on Belladonna, you are here to make a difference. You will forget about Adam. Forget about hi- she was broken from her thoughts by a muffled snort from next to her.
In her focus to find some peace and quiet she completely missed the fact that a familiar figure was passed out next to her, his face covered by a worn notebook. He was definitely recognizable, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Then she saw his ponytail hanging over the seat and it all came together. It was that man from the book store. "Edward?" There was no response. Blake eyed the book and practically salivated at its apparent age. She glanced around and didn't see anyone looking her way. She carefully picked up the notebook off of him and turned it over. She glanced through it, seeing scribbles of random numbers and sketches of Dust. There was a weird image of a door and some intricate circles that looked ancient. The rest of it was gibberish, with random phrases from an engineering book in it and most of it in another language altogether. That was unusual in itself. Very few languages existed in Remnant, and the ones that did were known except for some very remote dialects and villages. Maybe he was a researcher before he decided to go to Beacon? Hang on, wasn't he older than the age limit?
Edward snorted, eyes blinking open. Blake closed the book in a flash and placed it next to him, the pages in the exact same order as she found it.
"Oh, it's you. Didn't expect to see a friendly face so soon. At least, not yours." The blonde man said blearily as he woke up. He stretched, and a flash of light caught her eye. She glanced down to see a metal leg where she could have sworn he had a whole one a while back. Blake gasped when she realized he had a prosthetic leg.
"What happened to you?!" Blake said in shock, quietly enough to hide the topic of their conversation.
Edward sighed, knocking on the fake limb. "Some hothead started a fight at a bar I was at. As a friend of the owner I decided to step in. This was ages ago. I actually had it when we first met. You did notice my arm?"
Blake remembered seeing a flash of what she though was armor under his sleeve back in Tukson's shop. "So your arm is artificial as well?" she said, much more controlled.
Ed nodded, not explaining any more.
Blake frowned. "How will you participate in student initiation if you're..."
"Crippled? Don't have an aura? Simple, I won't." Edward laughed at her expression. "I never said I was going to the school as a student, now did I? I'm twenty five, remember?"
Blake widened her eyes at the revelation. "Wait, you're a teacher?" she exclaimed.
He waved her off. "Please, I'm just a combat instructor, you don't have to go out of your way to be respectful. My Father would be the Professor, if he were here. I'm more of the assistant. Ozpin was impressed with my skill despite the handicap I have. He wants me to teach the students aspects of combat you don't go over at the competitive level. Yes, you will mostly fight against other teams at school, but your ultimate job is to counter the Grimm. Grimm don't fight fair, so I'm going to teach you some skills."
"Ah. Thanks for answering my questions, I didn't mean to be nosy. I won't tell anyone." Blake said, putting away her book.
"Just like I won't mention your ears, kitty cat." Ed chuckled, Blake glaring as the mentioned ears twitched again. They were interrupted by a crackle overhead.
"Please remain in your seats, we are approaching our destination. Do not stand up until the crew signals you to do so. Enjoy your time at Beacon Academy." A female voice said over the intercom.
"Well, we're almost there. I'll be seeing you in class then?" Edward asked.
"Of course." Blake replied. They felt the Bullhead landing on the ground.
"Welp, I'd best be going ahead to meet with Ozpin." He nodded to her as he stood, and picked up his bag as he walked to the exit.
Ruby bounced with excitement as she made her way off of the Bullheads, dragging Yang along. "C'mon! We're going to be late!" she shouted.
Yang smiled at Ruby's enthusiasm. "I bet you can't wait for classes, huh?" she smiled.
Ruby nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I can't wait to show Crescent Rose since I built her myself!" She glanced surreptitiously at the briefcase she held in her arms.
Yang noticed Ruby's expression. "What, you're still thinking about Him?"
Ruby pouted. "Just because you have issues with Edward and he was there when you were arrested doesn't mean you should be angry that I want to see him. Why can't you tell me the reason you hate him? I finished the le- er- the weapon he asked for. You would probably get along great."
Yang stared at her for a few moments, growing uncomfortable. Ruby really was too innocent for her own good. "It's not that simple." She glanced around for a few seconds before blurting a response. "Oh! I think I see some friends from Signal! Gotta go!" she turn and dashed off towards some friends, leaving Ruby standing there, slightly downcast, but mostly confused.
"Oh, okay! See you later!" she called, oblivious to Yang's avoidance. She turned to the crowds around her and scanned them, having to jump to see over people's heads. On her third attempt to see over the crowd she saw golden hair. "Edward!" she shouted, rushing through the crowd. She jumped around a group of people, trying to keep him in sight. As she twisted under a mace of a large teen's back, she slammed into something with a clang and fell to the ground.
"Ow..." Ruby muttered. She glanced down to see the briefcase completely fine, and hugged it against her chest. If anything had happened to it she would be so upset! She hadn't brought any tools to fix the ports of the limb if it had been damaged.
"Watch where you're going!" a high voice said. Ruby turned to see a girl with white hair and piercing blue eyes glaring down at her. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?"
Ruby stared in fear at the girl. She already had someone mad at her on the first day! The girl snatched up a case from the ground. "This is Dust! Mined and purified from the Schnee Dust Company's Quarry!" The girl began shaking a Dust phial in Ruby's face. "What are you, brain dead?! Dust! Fire! Water! Does any of this ring a bell? Are you even listening to me?" A cloud of red Dust floated into the air, settling on their clothes.
Ruby realized the small amount of Dust that was leaking was causing her to sneeze, which might then set off the- "ACHOO!"
Ruby sneezed, igniting the very reactive Dust in the air. AS she could literally see the air about to explode, a gloved hand entered her view. With a crackle of lightning, the combusting Dust re-condensed into a dust crystal again, the excess energy going... somewhere.
"Ms. Snow, Ms. Rose." Edward said as he tapped the crystal into a container of his own. He slipped the container into his luggage, securing his notes within at the same time. "What exactly is going on here that cause you to nearly blow up the courtyard?" his voice was calm and collected, but a hint of worry was laced through it. Ruby turned to him with a relieved smile, happy that someone she knew had arrived. Edward heard someone stop behind him, watching the conversation. He saw a flicker of black. 'Ah, that would be Blake then.'
"What did you do, you cretin?" Weiss asked. Her teachings on Dust had practically been blasted out of the window. He had just converted energy into Dust! That was something that could only happen when it formed under the earth! Quite literally the opposite of what it was meant to do, and he did it with his bare hands!
"Aw, thanks for remembering me." he said cheekily. "I don't know what you're talking about. I saw Ms. Rose here in danger, and stepped in as is my duty as a Professor at this fine establishment."
"You're a teacher? You?" Weiss gasped, conflicted in how she should respond. "I don't believe it." Ruby had stars in her eyes with excitement, but he ignored her for a moment.
Edward raised an eyebrow. "Neither do I. Unfortunately it is a circumstance we must deal with. Now, hurry up, I will deal with Miss Rose. Miss Snow, in the future, please do keep an eye on your belongings. Someone could have been hurt. Oh, and do remember our agreement." Weiss twitched, hands clenching in annoyance, but didn't want to take the chance that he was, in fact, in a higher position than her at that moment. With a hmph, she stalked away, pulling the boxes of Dust with her.
"Miss Belladonna, please hurry on as well." Edward said. Blake nodded from her position behind him, and made her way into the school.
Once the others were out of earshot, he slumped, and sent a wry grin towards Ruby. "Finally. I had no idea being as professional as Mustang was so difficult." he moaned, rubbing his nose. He turned to her eagerly, glancing at the briefcase. "Now, Ruby, do you have what I commissioned?"
Ruby jumped, not expecting the change in his behavior. "O-oh! Yes, I do!" She held out the box towards him. He took it eagerly and unlatched the lid. The top opened silently and he gazed in awe at the smooth piece of art that was his new leg. It was much smoother than any of his other limbs. Rather than the previous thicker limb that was made of several layered plates, this limb was much more compact, yet just as stable. As requested, it was carbon fiber, with metal edges so it could be used to hit without breaking the fiber. It was a beautiful lacquered black color with red highlights, and a silver flamel was emblazoned on the kneecap. He smiled in childish glee. "This is amazing! I wasn't sure if you could do it!" he exclaimed. He pushed a button on the back to see a compartment that could store Dust cartridges.
"You... didn't believe in me?" Ruby said softly.
He looked up at Ruby's suddenly downcast face and waved an arm around in embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant this technology is kept pretty quiet here due to it's experimental state, so the fact you made something so complex from just a blueprint was a test of skill on its own. Could you do it again?!" he asked.
Ruby blinked in surprise. "You mean for your arm?"
Edward nodded. "Exactly. This old thing is so clunky compared to this new limb, I have got to get it upgraded. I mean, I'm pretty attached to it and wouldn't want to see it go, but I really need a new one. I could probably put it up on my wall or something. I'll pay you more, since you deserve it."
Ruby shook her head. "I don't need that much! How about we call it the same price, since you're a repeat customer, and I'll throw in free maintenance for if it needs tuning up."
Edward stuck out his left hand. "Sounds good!" They shook hands. He blinked in surprise. "Speaking of payment, I forgot, here's your payment for the leg." He drew out five 1000 lien chips. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Ruby cheered, hugging him.
"Woah there." he said, "No need to get all touchy feely."
She stepped back, blushing. "Sorry!"
He closed the case and put it in the hand with his luggage. "Don't worry about it. I'll put on the leg later." She nodded and turned towards the school, and paused.
"So..." Ruby said, shifting from side to side awkwardly. "Do you know where we need to go?" she asked.
Edward grinned sheepishly. "Not at all. It's my first day here. Let's find out together." Ruby followed him as they made their way into the school.
Weiss grumbled as she typed away on her scroll. First Elric had shown up to interrupt her. Then it turns out he was actual authority?! The last straw was being chewed out by that girl in black after she had left. What had Professor Elric called her? Ah, yes, Miss Belladonna. The girl had insulted the SDC and claimed they enslaved faunus. Just who did she think she was?! She glared at her scroll as she wrapped up her email to Winter.
Dearest Winter,
I am writing to inform you that I have arrived at Beacon Academy and am awaiting the orientation speech. The ride in the bullheads was quite enjoyable, but I cannot say the same for the rest of the day.
When I first set foot upon the campus I was run into by another student. I berated her for her ignorance, and she nearly set off a large amount of Dust in the courtyard. We were interrupted by a young man I met in one of our Dust stores. I believe I mentioned in our last correspondence he had challenged me to a duel? I found out to my complete surprise that he is in fact a Professor at this school. I don't understand the reasons for Professor Ozpin's actions. Speaking of, the girl who ran into me had to be at least fourteen. Is he hiring interns or underage secretaries now? I would appreciate it if you could research Mr. Elric, as something about him doesn't seem to fit. He claims to be from a town known as Risembool, and speaks a language I haven't heard of. He claims my name translates to White Snow in his language.
I was quite enamored by the architecture here, although the squabbling students ruined the atmosphere. A quite rude girl who was referred to as Miss Belladonna insulted our name and made the ridiculous claim that we enslave faunus. I nearly lost my temper, but thankfully she left for the opening speech. The other students seem to be equally inept and rude, and a blond boy has already attempted to flirt with me in a horrific fashion, labeling me 'Snow Angel'. I am debating my choice to learn at Beacon.
Ah, it appears we are about to begin the opening ceremony. Professor Elric is nowhere to be seen, nor is the girl who ran into me earlier.
I shall keep you informed of my achievements as the school year continues.
Yours truly,
Weiss
END CHAPTER
Truthfully, it's been so long since I've updated this I had trouble getting into the character's personalities. I hope I did alright. If you notice any continuity errors let me know as well please! I also have been so busy with College applications and digital art practice that I haven't been writing. Thankfully I have been accepted into three colleges so far, so I have more time. To add to that, due to the fires here in California I have no school for 2 weeks from now. I have no schedule for updates, I'm pretty much writing as I have time between school and Nier: Automata, so I barely managed to finish this today.
Leave a review! Thanks for reading!