It was a beautiful day in the kingdom of Vale, as well as Beacon. Airships were flying in and out of the area, unloading the students of the school, both old and new. Currently, the black haired amber eyed teen Caylin was walking through the school grounds with the hooded Huntress Ruby. They both carried their bags through grounds, Caylin with a slight huff. Ruby with a smile on her face.
The silver eyed Huntress looked back at the boy, her smile soon fading when she saw his head hanging down at his feet. She then stopped, tilting her head with a slight worried expression. "Is something wrong?"
The Huntsman in Training then shot his head up, looking to the sound of the voice. A slight grin appeared on his face. "Oh sorry, what?" he asked, stopping in his tracks. "I'm fine...just dandy..."
"Caylin, something's bothering you, I can tell." Ruby stated, walking off the brick trail tie a bench and sitting down. She sat on the bench, gesturing the boy to sit with her. He did. "What's wrong?"
Caylin then turned his head to her, groaning slightly. "Why me?" he questioned her. "Why choose me? What makes me so special?"
"A lot of things. Trust me." she replied, placing her arm around his neck with a grin. "My Uncle chose you for a reason. I may not know what reason, but I just know there's a reason."
A small smile then appeared on the teen's face, looking at the black and red haired girl. But one thing still wasn't clear to him. "Okay, then tell me why I agreed to this?"
"Okay I don't think you understand," Caylin exclaimed, getting up from his seat. "I don't want to join Beacon!" he slammed his fist into the table.
This caused the hooded Huntress to step back slightly, staring at the boy in front of her. Her Uncle Qrow didn't seem phased by it however. He merely looked at the two, then at the table. There was a dent where he slammed his fist.
Caylin sighed, flopping back into his chair and rubbing his temple. "Look, I'm sorry. I really am. But I've got nothing to offer to you guys. I'm just a normal kid..."
Ruby looked at the floor, then to the amber eyed teen. She opened her mouth, ready to say something. Qrow stopped her.
"Hey Rubes, could you wait outside?" the Veteran Hunter asked with a sly smirk. "I'd like to talk to Mr. Monté alone." the girl only looked at him, then at the boy. Sighing she turned to the door and exited the area, leaving the two men.
"Okay, I'm gonna be straight with you here Cay'. Things haven't exactly been all sunshine and rainbows." Qrow stated, getting on his feet, walking around the table and sitting on the edge near the young man. "We're gonna need all the help we can get for this. We need someone like you."
Caylin only looked at the man, a slight frown on his face.
"You don't think I understand? You don't even know half of it." he continued, taking a sip of his favorite beverage: Alcohol. "I've seen what you can. We both know what you can do. You think you're normal now? You're far from it." this made the teen hang his head in shame. All he wanted at that point was to end the conversation and go back home. He just wanted curl up and cry. He knew he was different, ever since he saw his eye. He just wanted to die.
"Then why do you want me?" Caylin asked weakly, gripping the handles of the seat as a tear began to fill the corner of his eye. "Why tell me this? Why not let me just rot with this?!"
Qrow only looked at him, gaining a genuine smile as he finally said. "You're one of a kind. Theirs no one else like you. You truly are one in a million. The world is going to need you, and so will we."
The amber eyed teen opened his eyes in slight disbelief. "R-Really?" he asked, looking at the old crow.
"Yeah...not to mention, I think you and my niece would work great together." Qrow noted. "If you're up for it, I need you to take care of her."
There was a moment of silence in the room. A look of real doubt on his face, until Caylin smiled. A look of determination on his face. "Okay. For her, and Remnant!"
The boy looked down with a chuckle, clapping his hands together. "Don't know whether I joined to save Remnant, or because of your smile." he jokingly said.
This comment caused Ruby's pale cheeks to fill with a pink blush. She looked down, grabbing her red hood. "You...like my smile?" she asked, growing one across her face.
Then Caylin's head shot up, his eyes full of regret. He quickly got up from the bench, waving his arms wildly. "No! I mean-well I do, but-not in a creepy way..." he justified nervously, scratching the back of his head.
"Caylin, it's okay..." Ruby stood from the bench, looking at the teen. All he could do was smile.
"So, you must be Miss Rose, then?" the two heard from a distance away. The hooded Huntress turned at the sound of her name, while the amber eyed Huntsman just tried to get a better viewpoint. He was tall. 5'9 at least. He just needed to see better.
The sentence they heard wasn't directed to them. At another bench stood a teen with spiky black hair and yellow outlines on the sides, with dark blue eyes. He wore a navy blue jacket with white pieces of armor on his right shoulder, as well as light blue metal gauntlets. He was speaking to another pair of students, two girls of which he seemed confused with.
"Coin, you dunce! She's over here!" shouted a pale woman behind the black haired teen beside Ruby. She had snow white hair, with light-blue eyes. She wore a light blue waist long jacket with a snowflake symbol on the back, a white dress and combat skirt underneath.
Ruby slowly turned her head, a huge grin growing on her face. She knew that voice. That tone! That use of the word 'Dunce'! Could it be? It was! It was...
"Weiss!" she screamed, lunging at her teammate and straddling her in a hug. "You're here! I'm so glad!" she continued, tightening her grip.
"Ruby...let...go!" Weiss shouted through her ever shortening breaths. Finally the silver eyed Huntress released her grip, quickly backing away.
"I...take it you two know each other?" Caylin asked sarcastically with a smile.
"I can only assume" spoke another voice. It was the teen from the benches, standing behind the amber eyed boy with a grin. "So, this is the right one, right?" he questioned while pointing down at Ruby.
"Yep." Ruby replied, turning to face the man with yellow highlights. "My name's Ruby Rose!"
"Well, my name is Coin Merc, of the Atlas Slums. A pleasure to meet you." he greeted, bowing to her enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Merc." the red head replied. She then turned to Caylin and Weiss. "Caylin, this is Weiss. She's my teammate. Weiss, this is Caylin. Part of the new batch of students."
The Ice Queen inspected the boy, coldly, before turning to the hooded girl. "You obviously have terrible taste in this, Ruby."
"Well so do you!" Ruby retorted, gesturing Coin as...wait...where was he?
"Well I'm not exactly transparent." Coin's voice spoke from nowhere, making the hooded Huntress shriek and jump slightly. She turned quickly, seeing the teen walk beside her teammate. Both had a sly smirk, the Slum giving the Queen a low-five.
"Well glad we're all acquainted." Caylin said, looking around. "You guys heading to the dorms?" he asked, gesturing a building at the side of the campus.
"Indeed we are." Weiss nodded with a smile. "If I remember correctly that is the right building..."
"Okay then. Hey why don't you guys catch up on some stuff. I'll just get settled." he then grabbed the bags on the ground and began to run down the concrete path. Ruby only grinned once more, grabbing a bag and following after him.
"Hey! Get back here you!" she yelled as they both ran off.
The amber eyed teen continued to run down the path as fast as he could, so that the hooded Huntress couldn't catch up. Only to see rose petals fall down gently from the ground. He halted, looking at the hooded figure in front of him. A genuine smile imprinted on her face.
"Okay come on. How is that fair?" Caylin questioned the girl as she walked to him.
"Who said anything about being fair?" she simply replied.
Before she could get closer, something fell to the ground between them. It was a banana peel. Both of them looked up to see a man with short spiky blonde hair. He wore a white jacket with blue jeans. And he hung upside down with a yellow monkey tail repelling him up the light pole.
"Sun?" Ruby asked, a hint of playful annoyance in her voice.
"Ruby!" the monkey Faunas replied, falling down to his feet with a grin. "What's up, Little Red?"
"Nothing really. I was just checking in a new friend." the black and red head girl stated, gesturing the amber eyed teen, who only waved calmly.
"Caylin Monté, new batch of students." said the black haired boy.
"Huh...so you recruited someone too?" Sun questioned, looking at Ruby with confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.
"Well I was asked by Glynda to find someone. Turns out-" before the blonde could finish, a boy flew past them, landing on his back. In motion he grabbed hold of the ground with one hand, throwing himself up into the air, landing onto his feet.
The boy had silk white hair, with bangs covering his red optical eyes. He wore a black trench coat with red accents. He wore leather gloves and cargo pants.
"Co'mon big guy! I know you can do better than that!" yelled a voice. A boy in a green hoodie walked up, both hands in his pockets. He had orange hair, slid back with small bangs in his emerald eyes, his fox ears twitching.
The boy slowly looked up from the floor, getting into a stable stance. "Very well then." six metal pipes the launched out his back, arching and forming spider like blades. All pointing to the teen in green.
The white haired boy lunged at the fox Faunus, reeling one of the spider legs back. Just inches away from his throat the boy stopped at the sound of his name.
"Delsin!" a masculine voice yelled. A man in a white suit and badges. He had a shadowed shave, with neatly slick black and gray hair.
The boy quickly turned to the man, standing straight with a salute. "Forgive me, General Ironwood. I was attacked by a hostile."
"That would be me." the fox eared teen mentioned with a smirk.
"Eren, what is wrong with you?!" Sun questioned his fellow Faunus. "You just got here. No need to get kicked out right away."
"I'm fine by the way. Thank you, you're welcome." Eren replied in a sarcastic tone, crossing his arms together.
"Sun?" Ruby started, walking to the two animal humans. "Is this your...recruit?"
"Huh? Recruit?" the emerald eyed teen questioned, looking at the group of students around him. "What are we? The army?"
"That's...kinda the idea." Caylin replied, putting his hands on his hips.
"I would like to apologize for Mr. Rouge's reaction. He just hasn't had a chance to survey his surroundings." Ironwood stated to the group, gesturing the white haired boy beside him.
"It's fine, Tinman." Eren bluntly replied. He looked at the group, seeing looks of confusion from all but Delsin. He then grinned. "Come on boys, girls. We've got a chapter to finish!" he then began to walk away, Sun following...and slipping on a banana peel.
Finally, the two got to their main destination: the Academy Auditorium. The pair walked in, facing a crowd of students inside. They just barely squeezed through it, pushing past several individuals.
"Are you sure we're supposed to be here...?" Caylin questioned the hooded Huntress, who he couldn't hear clearly from the endless conversation of the people around him.
"If I remember correctly...!" she replied, stumbling slightly. She began to trip over the feet on the floor, making her fall and hit the ground. But she didn't. The amber eyed boy had caught her by the wrist and pulled her back onto her feet. She only looked at him with a smile. "Thanks!"
"No problem!" he replied, letting go of her.
They all heard the echo of a microphone and went silent. Up on the stage stood the old man Qrow, holding the handle of a cane. A smile on his face. "Welcome students." he said into the microphone. "My name is Qrow Branwen. Some of you may know me as a teacher of Signal...and as the drunk Huntsman of the Vytal Festival three years ago." he chuckled, looking down at the floor. His smile disappearing, replaced with a look of slight regret. "Believe it or not, you all are here for a reason. Some are more important than others, but they're still important. You are all the next generation to protect our world. Some of you will struggle. Some of you will fail. No matter the fact...you'll all find a way to succeed. Children...welcome to Beacon."
The crowd of students cheered on the old sober drunk, filling the room with more chatter, which neither of the two could understand clearly.
"Okay! Now that that's out of the way, let's go check out the dorms! Shall we?!" Caylin yelled at Ruby so as to overcome the high volume in the room.
Ruby only looked around, then to the amber eyed boy. "Actually..."
"Are you kidding me?" Coin asked his escort, Weiss, looking around the ballroom where all the new students had set up to sleep. He sighed, dropping his bags.
"It is only traditional for new year students to sleep in the ballroom their first night here." the Ice Queen explained.
"Then why aren't you sleeping here with us?" the Slum asked with a frown.
"Because I am a second year student. I already have my team and my dorm." she replied.
The spiky black and yellow haired boy then threw his hands up with a smile. "Alright. I won't that."
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST GET A ROOM ALREADY!" they heard a yell, and turned to the orange haired fox Faunus in his green shirt and sweatpants. "Seriously. The Author is just gonna shove this ship down our throats anyway! Co'mon! Phantom Glyph! Phantom Glyph!" he chanted at them with a grin.
"Huh...I actually thought this place would be a little smaller." Caylin said, walking through the doors of the building, Ruby following.
"Yeah...it's pretty big..." Ruby replied, looking around. "It's where we host our annual Formal Dance."
The black haired teen then gained a sly smirk, turning his head to the cloaked girl. "Well, maybe at one point I could ask you to one of these?" he said, causing her attention to shift to his eyes. "Sounds like a plan?"
"I...I would like that..." she replied with a genuine smile.
"Grim Rose! Grim Rose! Grim Rose!" Wren chanted at Caylin and Ruby. Causing them both to blush a bright red.
Minutes went by and the boys had gotten unpacked. Caylin resting on a flat sheet, covering himself with his gray jacket hoodie, looking up at the ceiling. He didn't blink for a while. It wasn't that he was in deep thought, it was thought he was trying not to think at all. He didn't exactly know the process of sleeping. But he did know what happened next wasn't gonna help.
"So...you and the Principal's niece, huh?" Eren asked, flopping down beside the teen with a grin.
Caylin only turned his head to the Faunus laying by his side. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Yeah I've been there brother." the fox continued, putting his arms behind his head. "We all got our ship. Hey that's good man. It means people like you. Think about it. Pretty soon everyone's gonna know."
"Yeah okay. Whatever...I don't see that happening right now." the amber eyed teen stated, turning back to the roof of the complex. "I mean, I don't know her. She doesn't know me. How are you so sure?"
The fox eared teen just sighed, turning his head to the side to face the boy. "I just do man...I just do..."