(Present Day:Beacon Academy, Anima POV)

"You actually made it in huh?" I hold up my hand and the faunus girl, Blake Belladonna, high fives me. I remember how cautious she was when we first met, but we've became good friends in a month's time. Sadly she still hides her cat ears, which I think were quite adorable.

"I think I won that bet"

"Later, it's a secret remember"

"Fine" Blake rolls her eyes while wearing a playful smile.

"Umm, you two know each other?"

"Yep, this is Blake Belladonna, resident ninja and very scary when pissed"

"Ninja, yes, but I don't bite"

After a few seconds both the cat and I start to laugh quietly at the inside joke, while Ruby just looks confused. Blake and I started talking about of past few days since we were out of contact for a while. She had been honing her skills and studying to pass the Beacon entry exam, which was starting tomorrow. After our brief chat, including talks about the Schnee company, talks of my robbery foiling, and the gruesome murders which have occurred once each week, we headed into the academy at the sound of Glynda calling all first years into the auditorium.

"Hey Ruby I saved you a spot!" Yang yells out.

"Uh, gotta go, see you guys" She vanishes into rose petals, and reappears by her sister. I think that took almost a whole second for her to travel through the crowd...not pissing off the godspeed reaper.

"So, watch from the rafters?"

"Sure" Blake says and disappears, leaving behind a hardlight copy to take her place, while I just climbed up to her. We sat overlooking the event from a metal bar parallel to the stage, which Ozpin ascended.

"I'll... keep this brief. 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"

"He seems distant" Blake notes.

"Agreed, he was not this spaced out two days ago"

"Wonder what happened"

"Get that book I sent you?" I say to change the flow of the conversation, and I chuckle a little as Blake's cheeks turn red.

"Y-yeah…"

"Did you like it?"

"Wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it's good"

I smile and nudge her arm. "Looks like the second in command has some words to say"

Glynda takes Ozpin's place. " You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed"

I whisper quietly and slyly to Blake "Wanna just sleep up here? We can read that book"

"B bu but it has-" Her face lights up so fast, so terribly, so I simply pull her over on my lap.

"I know what's in the book, I read it before I sent it. Wanna read it or not?"

Checkmate, I believe "S sure"

So, for the next couple of hours until they pass out Anima lays on the taller girl while they read the book Ninjas Of Love. I didn't read, knowing the feelings that book inspires, but Blake did, thinking I was reading. I could feel her shift her weight a few times, a bit nervously. Luckily for us our stuff was placed in lockers but Blake for some odd reason, I smile deviously, had this book on hand.

I woke up right after the most wonderful dream, which not even my inner thoughts get to know. Blake was still sleeping and had one arm wrapped around me so I wouldn't accidentally fall. Since I can't really get up without waking her I use some ice dust to create a slide down and rolls off onto it, pulling her with me. As we are about halfway down I hear "WHAT THE HELL?!" And then some light laughter as we hit a pile of snow I made at the end of this with some of the dust that was once forming the ice at the top of the slide.

"Morning, you can let go now"

"Oh uh...ok" She lets me go, and I stretch and get off her, then extend a hand and she takes it, so I pull her up.

"So, get a new reason to come to Beacon yet?"

"Yeah, I figure if I graduate and everyone respects me I'll be able to reveal my faunus nature, and deal with the consequences, and with hunter authority I'll be able to help make a change to this world for the betterment of faunus kind"

"Aww that's so sweet, making my life better" I smile and pat her head after a quick glance for any watchers, and she kicks me in the shin after a light hearted purring sound comes from her. I can't tell if it was worth it or not because I stumbled over a piece of the slide and smacked the back of my head on the ground while I was hopping around on one leg.

"Ow!"

"Serves you right!"

"Why?"

Blake strides over and, with strength I didn't know she possessed, pulled me up on my feet by my hood and whispered, "don't touch my ears when someone might be nearby"

"Ok ok" I get up and pat her shoulder, then turn around and hold my hand down at my side, subtly dropping the hint for her to take it, while at the same time making it seem like I was just letting my arm hang down. She didn't take it...damn. Anyways, we walked to the cliffside instead of the locker room since Blake had her weapon on a magnetic strip of metal on her back, while I kept my knife sheathed in a small slot on the right thigh of my armor. I fight with my right hand regardless of being left handed, instead focusing my dust with my left hand, which combined with my wonderful constant manipulation semblance, allows powdered dust to become flexible like using a crystal until the energy produced by the activation dies out, a skill which is quite handy when using things like ice magic as I can split ice spikes out from larger ice, which uses the ice from the larger structure, moving it in constant flow.

Once at the cliffs we both can see that there are launc plates bearing the symbol of Vale. Two axes cross themselves surrounded by a circle, with olive branch like symbols at the base of the axes which progress up to the halfway mark of the blades.

We were there early I guess, since no one was around, and I went into beowolf form for a moment to confirm that everyone was still far off, so Blake asked the question.

"How do you do that?"

I sigh internally, but tell her anyways. "There are three paradigms of aura, a fourth is available for faunus. They are the light, the dark, the grimm, and the beast. The light uses a power from the sun to allow aura to be shared from the light user to others, as protection or to add to their attack powers. They can illuminate dark areas and are primarily a support role in groups" Blake seems to be waiting for me to go on, so I do. "Dark users are solo or shadow like hit and run tactic fighters. Speed, vanishing acts, and illusions are what their aura is imbued with upon activation. Grimm, which is the path I chose, allows you to consume aura from fallen grimm, which is briefly available at the moment of their death, so you have to fight them close and be quick about it. So far I have the beowolf, ursa, and nevermore forms, but in theory you can gain forms of all grimm. You use your aura to manifest a mask to conceal you in their shadows, and their mind can be accessed by yours' allowing their senses and knowledge to be used by you, but it only includes hunting and natural instincts. The final one is the beast path, in which a faunus uses their aura to tap further into their animal counterpart, the effects vary by faunus. You would probably gain a swift boost to your speed and much better nightvision, as well as claws that could shred metal. Probably a reflex speed increase too. You may only commit to one paradigm. I don't expect you to make a snap decision, so think on it"

As I look back at Blake it seems the information was actually sinking in quite well, I could tell because that confused look she had a few seconds after I started was giving way to understanding.

"I will"

Taking a quick sniff of the air my beowolf senses detected Ozpin and Goodwitch on their way, along with the students, so I quickly peel off the mask and stand up with Blake as we wait for them to get here.

(In my story Blake is a little more open to people who know her secret and are her friends, given why her and Anima are friendly towards each other, even if she never notices Anima's intent behind some of the things she does)