A/N

I am much prouder of how this chapter came out than the last one. I attribute this to all the helpful comments I have received. So remember if you have something bad to say then say it and explain it.

You may be happy to know that this covers both chapter 2 and 3 of RWBY since they are both short and meant to be viewed as one part. As a result of this I had to remove one of the ending themes however it will instead be featured in a chapter that doesn't originally have one.

In response to comments:

They can hear the songs whenever they like as soon as they have reached that point.

When it comes to people telling me to do certain things in the story, if I do them then that means I would have done it anyway if I had thought of it, you are just giving me reminders.

I have looked over the chapters adding full stops (periods) and fixing some of the capitalisation issues however this takes time and as a fanfic reader I much prefer when people post new chapters rather than fixing errors.

I am looking forward to volume 3, that is when things should really pick up, also at the volume 1 post credit scene.

Looking back, Pyrrha's characterisation is weaker than the others in this fanfic. I have tried to fix this while doing my error checks. The main theme behind her should be someone who is a talented fighter that had few friends before Beacon so she tries really hard to make everyone get along (this should make the volume 3 finale even more heart wrenching) but she is very polite when she speaks because she doesn't want to offend anyone. This is my character analysis of her from the show, tell me if you think I'm wrong in some way or that I missed a key detail.

I have decided to use present tense from now on. Tell me if you see anything that contradicts this.

If you're looking for the canonical order I will be releasing in, it is now on my profile.

Since I know eventually someone will ask I will say now that post credit scenes will be included with the exception of Volume 2 (because that was retconned)

And thanks to everyone who commented using the code. It means a lot. Special thanks to the person who knew the reference and reminded me of one of the better OST's.


Volume 1: Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon

"So this will be about Beacon?" Yang wonders.

The opening ends to a view of several ships carrying students and docking at the entrance of the school.

As soon as one lands, Jaune emerges and goes over to the nearest trash can, hunching over it as he loses his lunch.

Jaune's head dips in shame and Pyrrha tries to comfort him. "Everyone here knows how you improve, so don't beat yourself up over it."

"That's not the part I'm worried about." Jaune doesn't go into any more detail.

Ruby and Yang walk out of the ship and head down the paved path to the front of the school where they are amazed by the size of Beacon.

The perspective zooms out to show Beacon in its entirety.

"The view from Vale's got nothing on this!" Yang comments.

"I can't help but wonder why we have to see this?" Weiss says. "We already know everything and it's not as if it relates to anything important."

All eyes turn to Jaune.

"Hey, don't look at me." He responds. "I don't know everything about this. I've just seen some shows that use a similar format."

Ruby turns starry eyed pointing at the people nearby. "Ohmygosh, sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!"

Yang pulls Ruby by the hood as she starts to drift of. "Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!"

"Just weapons?" Ruby acts offended by Yang's comment. "They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"

"You can tell a lot about a person by the weapon they use and how they carry it." Pyrrha mentions, wanting to contribute something like Jaune does.

"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?" Yang tries to calm her sister down.

Ruby pridefully transforms her weapon into its scythe form. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better..."

"I'll remember to get you a pet long-sword for your birthday." Blake jokes.

"That's boring." Nora remarks. "We should get her a crossbow that shoots explosions!"

"I get it. Stop making fun of me." Ruby complains.

Yang playfully pushes her sister's hood down over her face. "Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?"

Ruby puts her hood back. "But... why would I need friends if I have you?"

"Well..." Several figures appear behind Yang. "Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!" They rush past Ruby.

"What happened to those friends of yours?" Pyrrha asks.

"Most of them failed the initiation and the rest I just grew distant from." Yang explains.

'I hope that never happens to us.' Pyrrha thinks to herself.

Ruby gets spun around by the people rushing past making her go dizzy-eyed. "Wait, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" But Yang is to far away to hear. "I don't know what I'm doing..."

"How could you leave me alone like that?" Ruby demands to know.

"Are you still mad about that." Yang asks, only to be met with a glare. "I'm sorry, I thought it would be a good experience for you."

"We should probably forgive each other for anything we see ourselves do in the past." Jaune points out, wanting to make things easier on himself for the future.

"Of course you would say that." Weiss comments.

Ruby falls backwards into a luggage cart, sending cases flying. Someone stands over her in white heels.

"What are you doing?!" Weiss berates Ruby.

"Uh, sorry!" Ruby apologises.

"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?" Weiss complains.

"You want to do what Jaune said now?" Ren asks.

Weiss turns slightly red. 'I can't have been that bad.'

"Uuuhhhh..." Ruby has no idea how to respond so she picks up one of the fallen briefcases.

"Give me that!" Weiss snatches the briefcase from Ruby, opening it to reveal several Dust bottles. "This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"

Weiss looks at herself in shock. 'Did I really act like that?' At the time she thought she was being reasonable, but looking at it now she finds it hard not to admit she was being a bitch.

"Uuuhhhh..." Ruby awkwardly responds

"What are you, brain-dead?" Weiss barely gives Ruby a chance to speak. "Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!" She shakes a bottle in front of Ruby releasing some of the Dust.

This shocks Weiss even more. How didn't she notice the Dust being released? Was she the one responsible for the explosion?

Ruby starts coughing from the Dust pouring into her face.

"Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!" Weiss doesn't notice the Dust she is continuously released in Ruby's face.

"This could end badly." Ren observes. Causing Ruby and Weiss to shiver.

Ruby can't hold it anymore and sneezes setting of the Dust and creating a large fireball that engulfs Weiss while shooting out ice and lightning.

"So it was your fault!" Yang yells angrily at Weiss for blaming Ruby for something that she obviously caused herself.

"I…Well…I don't…" Weiss stutters her words trying to think of what to say.

"You had best make it up to her." Yang demands.

"Yang please, Jaune was right, we should overlook these things." Ruby tries to calm her sister down.

Weiss finally collects herself and decides to say it. "I'm sorry Ruby."

This shocks most of them. Weiss isn't a person who apologises, at least not with an audience.

"Are you feeling alright?" Yang asks.

"Hey, I know how to apologise." Weiss puts up her noble demeanour again.

"That's the Ice Queen we know and love." Nora jokes.

'I need to improve my social abilities.' Weiss decides, ignoring Nora.

The bottle Weiss had been holding flies over the courtyard and at some new persons boots.

This person is Blake, who picks up the bottle and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene.

'I remember this.' Blake thinks 'I was worried that putting up with a Schnee would make life at Beacon unbearable.' She is very happy that she was proved wrong.

Weiss is now covered in soot, though it quickly disappears. "Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" She scolds Ruby.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby touches her index fingers together apologetically.

"Ugh, you complete dolt!" Weiss snaps. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

'What did I do to deserve this?' Weiss looks down at her lap, hoping everyone else would spare her another lecture on how she acts. To her surprise, they do.

"Well, I-I..." Ruby tries to explain.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school." Weiss interrupts "It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going!" She crosses her arms and turns her head away.

Ruby is finally fed up. "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"

'At least I stood up for myself in the end.' Ruby is proud of herself.

"It's heiress, actually." Blake enters the scene. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

Weiss smiles smugly. "Finally! Some recognition!"

"The same company infamous for its controversial labour forces and questionable business partners." Blake turns the entire conversation around.

Blake looks at past Weiss with accusation before remembering what she said in Mountain Glenn.

'I know what my fathers company is like.' Weiss thinks. 'And I've decided I will change it.'

"Wha- How dare…" Weiss gets angry as Ruby chuckles at this. "The nerve of... Ugh!"

Weiss gets up in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow.

"You have servants?" Nora asks. "Do they open doors and do your homework for you?"

"Of course not." Weiss replies. "As soon as they had brought my belongings to the school they were sent back to Atlas."

Ruby calls to the storming Weiss. "I promise I'll make this up to you!" She then sighs. "I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day."

"So, what's…" Ruby turns to see Blake walking off as well. She then collapses to the ground on her back. "Welcome to Beacon." She has no enthusiasm as she says these words.

'I shouldn't have left Ruby alone.' Yang thinks. 'I know she has trouble socialising. How could I choose to let her go through this?'

Someone's shadow appears over her. "Hey... I'm Jaune." Jaune introduces himself.

"Thanks Jaune, I needed someone to help me back on my feet." Ruby smiles.

"It was nothing." Jaune is feeling good about himself for doing the right thing.

Ruby takes his hand. "Ruby." She replies, standing up. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

Suddenly Jaune feels less good about himself.

The scene changes to Ruby and Jaune walking alongside a pond.

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune tries to defend his dignity.

Ruby laughs cheerfully. "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" Jaune counters.

"Crater face, I have got to use that in the future." Yang teases.

"Yang!" Ruby whines.

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" Ruby complains.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!" Jaune tries to act cool.

"How did that work out for you?" Yang asks sarcastically.

"Can we just get past this bit?" Jaune starts fiddling with his fingers.

"I think it sounds lovely." Pyrrha comforts her partner.

Jaune smiles at this. "Thanks Pyrrha."

Ruby is sceptical. "Do they?"

"They will!" Jaune quickly responds, destroying the cool façade he was going for. "Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind." He decides mentioning his mother would be digging himself a bigger hole.

Ruby chuckles, then pauses not knowing how to continue the conversation. She decides to try and bring it to a subject she is comfortable with. "So… I got this thing!" She pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground.

"What did I tell you about introducing yourself with your weapon?" Weiss lectures.

"That it intimidates them and is very rude." Ruby recites back.

"Whoa!" Jaune jumps back in shock. "Is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby says, now completely confident in herself.

"A-wha...?" Jaune doesn't understand Ruby talking too quickly.

Ruby cocks her weapon, smiling. "It's also a gun."

"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune says.

"Almost every weapon I've seen is also a gun." Blake comments.

"It makes sense, that way you can fight from a distance while your enemy charges forward." Pyrrha explains.

Jaune looks over his shoulder to Crocea Mors leaning against a wall, the only weapon without any ranged capabilities.

"So what've you got?" Ruby is curious.

"Oh! I, uh..." Jaune unsheathes his blade. "I got this sword!"

Ruby looks at it. "Ooooohh!"

"Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" Jaune gets his scabbard, raises his arm and expands the metal into his defence.

"I've been thinking about this for a while but…" Jaune asks. "Should I change weapon? We all know Crocea Mors is not the most impressive weapon."

Ruby starts contemplating interesting designs but Pyrrha answers first. "You have put a lot of training into that sword. If you swapped for something else, you would be unfamiliar with the weight. But more importantly it's best to have a weapon you feel you can trust, that's why most of the best Hunters made their own weapons."

"So I'm pretty much screwed." Jaune summarises.

"No…That's not…" Pyrrha struggles to explain.

"So, what do they do?" Ruby asks while touching the shield.

Jaune's shield suddenly retracts off his arm and he has to fumble about for a bit trying to hold it properly.

Finally back to normal Jaune answers. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..."

"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby deduces.

"Yeah, it does..." Jaune responds dejectedly.

"It's so you can hold it with you during daily life. That way you're ready at any time and you can familiarise yourself with carrying the weight." Pyrrha takes the opportunity to try make Jaune feel better.

"I guess." Jaune mumbles.

Ruby giggles. "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, so... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it."

"Wait - you made that?!" Jaune is shocked and impressed.

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?" Ruby asks.

"It's a hand-me-down." Jaune explains. "My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby laughs in a friendly manner. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics..." Jaune says dejectedly.

Pyrrha takes this opportunity to hold Jaune's hand. Jaune looks at her unsure about the situation only for Pyrrha to give a comforting smile.

"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?" Ruby starts walking again.

Jaune walks alongside her. "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"

"That's a very optimistic view to have." Blake says. "But you should be cautious, you never know who might end up being an enemy." 'It's the reason I wear a bow.' The last part goes unspoken.

"I would rather not think bad of people before I know them." Jaune responds. "It's better to have faith in people and give them an opportunity to prove you right."

Blake smiles at this. 'If only all humans thought like that.'

"Hmm." Ruby looks around "Hey, where are we going?"

"Oh, I don't know! I was following you." Jaune answers. "Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognisable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?"

Ruby laughs "That's a no."

"So you were just walking around with no idea where you were going?" Weiss asks.

"Sorta." Ruby answers. "In the end Jaune decided to ask someone for directions."

The scene changes to an aerial view of Ruby and Jaune entering Beacon Academy's giant auditorium, filled to the brim with people. Ruby looks over when she hears Yang's voice.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" Yang waves he over.

"Oh!" Ruby turns to Jaune. "Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" She then leaves.

"Hey, wait!" Jaune sighs "Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?!" He moves on to reveal Pyrrha standing behind him, hand on her hips as she watches him walk away.

"Now that can't be a coincidence." Yang laughs.

"It does seem unlikely." Ren notes.

"I had decided to wait near the entrance, so I could see what kind of people I would be spending my time with." Pyrrha explains. 'I was also hoping to spot someone nice.' She reminisces. 'When I overheard Jaune I considered introducing myself but was worried he would recognise me.'

Ruby stands next to Yang with arms.

"How's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asks.

"You mean since you ditched me, and I exploded?" Ruby is upset with Yang.

"Yikes! Meltdown already?" Yang misunderstands.

"No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school!" Ruby explains. "And there was some fire, and I think some ice...?"

"Again. I must say, I'm sorry for leaving you alone sis." Yang apologises.

"This was ages ago." Ruby forgives. "I was just joking before."

Yang smiles broadly. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"I wish!" Ruby doesn't notice Weiss standing behind her. "I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

"This is like a horror movie." Nora jokes. "Weiss the big bad monster is creeping up on poor innocent Ruby, who just wants everyone to get along."

"I don't think that's how most horror movies work." Ren comments.

Weiss decides to ignore Nora's rude remark, after all it's Nora, what else can she expect.

"YOU!" Weiss yells at Ruby.

Ruby quickly jumps into her sister's arms. "Oh, God, it's happening again!"

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss yells angrily at Ruby.

Yang deadpans. "Oh my God, you really exploded."

Ruby explains to Yang. "It was an accident." She then gets out of Yang's arms and apologises to Weiss. "It was an accident!"

Weiss holds a pamphlet in Ruby's face.

"What's this?" Ruby asks.

Weiss lists off policies to a clueless and horrified Ruby, going faster and higher pitched with each word. "The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarise themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field."

"Urm?" Ruby doesn't know how to respond.

"And where in the guide does it say you should wave Dust bottles in people's faces?" Blake asks, having fun with the idea of kicking Weiss of her high horse.

Weiss bows her head apologetically. "It was my first day at Beacon and I was nervous, I wanted something to focus on and I was annoyed that Ruby skipped years."

This was a relatively humble response from Weiss, so everyone decided to let it go.

"You really wanna start making things up to me?" Weiss asks.

"Absolutely." Ruby says in a timid voice.

Weiss hands the pamphlet to Ruby. "Read this, and don't ever speak to me again."

'How could I act so arrogant?' Weiss thinks, not wanting to be like her father.

"Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang tries to remedy the situation.

"Yeah! Great idea, sis!" Ruby holds out her hand as she clears her throat. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"

Weiss respond with sarcastic enthusiasm "Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!" Weiss points to Jaune in the background who perks up at hearing part of the conversation.

Jaune groans, finally knowing about the misunderstanding. 'Will we have to watch all of my stupid attempts at trying to date Weiss?' He is not looking forward to the idea.

"Wow, really?!" Ruby doesn't notice the sarcasm.

Weiss glares in dead silence before responding. "No."

The girls' attention is drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin is readying the microphone, with Professor Goodwitch beside him.

Weiss narrows her eyes, now suspicious of Ozpin and his intentions she decides to try and solve the mystery of what he has planned. "Listen closely everyone, Ozpin is clearly up to something and we need to know if we can trust him."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks.

"I mean we will eventually leave this place." Weiss explains. "And when we do it would be best if we could share our knowledge with someone who has a high level of authority. If we find that we can trust Ozpin, then I think he would be an excellent choice. Ironwood would also be a good bet."

"Someone's been thinking this through." Yang comments.

Ren who hasn't had much to do this chapter decides to write this down.

"I'll... keep this brief." Ozpin starts the orientation "You have travelled 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."

"What do you think he means?" Jaune asks.

Blake responds. "I think he means that being taught isn't enough. We need to be proactive in finding a goal and trying to achieve it." She recalls how Ozpin let them investigate Mountain Glenn.

Ozpin leaves and Goodwitch steps up to talk "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

"He seemed kind of... off." Yang comments.

Ruby agrees. "It's almost like he wasn't even there."

Jaune approaches Weiss from the side. "I'm a natural blond, you know!"

Weiss puts her hand to her face in exasperation.

Weiss and Jaune both cringe at this.

'Will I have to put up with Jaune's insufferable flirting again?' Weiss thinks. 'And after finally gotten things cleared between us.' Weiss had enough people fawning over her back in Atlas, Jaune's flirting was a reminder how how people couldn't look past her appearance or name.

The scene changes.

The first night at Beacon, students are splayed out in sleeping bags. Ruby, in her pyjamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, is writing in a journal when Yang crashes next to her, similarly dressed.

"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang says.

'They should have told us that we would be sleeping on the ground for a night earlier.' Weiss thinks. 'I didn't have anything prepared and the sleeping bag they gave me hurt my back.'

Ruby doesn't look up. "I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though."

"I know I do!" Yang purrs as she watches several muscular, shirtless guys... and Jaune, dressed in feetie pyjamas, waving to her.

"Way to ruin the mood Jaune." Yang jokingly complains.

"I would rather not be put in the same category as them." Jaune responds, At least he never thought that looks were all it took to get a girl.

This makes Yang groan before she returns her attention to Ruby. "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal." Ruby explains. "I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Aw, that's so cuuuute!" Yang gets a pillow thrown in her face for this comment.

"Do you still keep in touch?" Pyrrha asks, wanting to know how things would be between the group after graduation.

"We did at first but in the end, we could never see each other so they decided it would be best to stop." Ruby gets a bit sad talking about it, but then perks up since she is much closer to everyone in the room than she ever was with her old friends. She was always the outlier with them and it meant she could never get to close to anyone without them pushing her away.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" Ruby complains.

"What about Jaune? He's…." Yang pauses a moment to consider the best word. "Nice. There you go. Plus one friend. That's a hundred percent increase."

"You could have said something a bit more positive than 'nice'" Pyrrha says.

"Hey. I didn't know Jaune well yet, so I didn't know any of his better qualities." Yang argues.

Ruby turns on her back. "Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero..."

"There's no such things as negative friends. You just made one friend and one enemy." Yang gets hit with another pillow, this one looks like a dog. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

"That sounds like what I said." Jaune mentions. "What are the chances?"

"It is a good motivational quote for someone in unfamiliar circumstances." Ren gives his insight.

The two sisters notice the sound of a candle being lit nearby. The look over so see Blake leaning against a wall, reading her book.

Ruby says "That girl..."

Blake smiles at this, thinking herself fortunate to meet such good people.

Yang asks, "You know her?"

"Not really." Ruby replies. "She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."

'I should have stayed to help her.' Blake thinks, but then remembers how she was keeping her distance from people back then. 'Perhaps it's for the best that Jaune was the one to help her.'

"Well, now's your chance!" Yang grabs Ruby's arm and lifts her up.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Ruby tries to resist.

Blake looks up from her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip as she leads her sister over to Blake's spot before letting go.

'Perhaps I was being to forward.' Yang thinks, then dismisses that though when she remembers that Blake wasn't the type to start a conversation herself, so this was the only way they could be introduced.

"Hel-looooo!" Yang sings. "I believe you two may know each other?"

"Aren't you... that girl that exploded?" Blake asks.

"Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater..." Ruby pauses realising that is a bad idea. "Actually, you can just call me Ruby."

"I wondered what you were about to say." Blake says. "Now I know, Crater Face." She jokes.

"Hey that wasn't my fault!" Ruby protests.

Weiss meanwhile refuses to make eye contact.

Blake resumes her reading while responding. "Okay."

"What are you doing?" Yang whispers to Ruby.

"I don't know - help me!" Ruby whispers back, then returns to smiling at Blake.

"I could clearly hear you." Blake reveals. Ruby scratches the side of her neck while Yang plays with her hair, neither wanting to continue the conversation.

"So... What's your name?" Yang tries to start a conversation.

"Blake." She gives the quickest answer and goes back to reading.

"Social much?" Nora jokes.

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!" Yang tries a compliment.

Blake is irritated by the constant interruptions. "Thanks."

It goes great with your... pyjamas!" Yang struggles to make any progress.

"I don't think you're making much progress." Pyrrha comments.

"At least I was trying." Yang argues.

"Right..." Blake barely pays attention to the conversation.

Yang tries another approach. "Nice night, don't you think?"

Blake replies "Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!"

Ruby and Yang stand there.

"That I will continue to read." Blake continues.

Ruby and Yang continue standing.

"As soon as you leave!" Blake makes it clear she wants to be alone.

'I was being far too antisocial.' Blake thinks. 'How did I expect to become a Huntress without making any friends?'

Yang remarks to Ruby. "Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."

Ruby asks Blake. "What's it about?"

Blake is surprised. "Huh?"

Ruby clarifies. "Your book. Does it have a name?"

"Well..." Blake chooses to give a full answer. "I-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

"Is it any good?" Ruby asks, she never asked before and was only reminded of it right now.

"It's considered a cult classic." Blake explains, "The two are at odds at first but they eventually work together and become a single entity."

"Spoilers!" Nora yells.

"I doubt any of you would have read it anyway." Blake looks at them, each agrees one way or another, be it nodding or looking away.

"Oh, yeah... That's real lovely!" Yang responds sarcastically.

"I love books." Ruby no longer has any nervousness in her voice. "Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!"

"And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?" Blake is curious and amused.

Ruby explains. "Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"

"With that attitude, I'm sure you will make an excellent Huntress one day." Pyrrha compliments Ruby.

"That's... very ambitious for a child." Blake's smile turns into a frown "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better." Ruby replies.

Present Ruby continues. "And with this gift, we should learn exactly how to do so."

"It's not going to be easy." Weiss counters. "Whatever is coming, I'm sure we will have to work hard to stop it."

Many people nod at this. No matter how useful the information they gain, it will be their actions that decide if this Catastrophe will be averted. Ozpin's speech rings true even now.

Yang butts in. "Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister." She hugs Ruby into the air.

"Cut it out!" Ruby complains as they fight for a bit.

Blake laughs slightly. "Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to have…"

She is suddenly interrupted by Weiss who storms in looking cross. "What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realise some of us are trying to sleep?"

"We were being a bit loud." Ruby admits.

"Exactly! It was already enough trouble having to sleep in such a crowded area and then you two start making a ruckus." Weiss complains.

"Didn't we agree to forgive each other for what we've done in the past?" Yang retorts.

Weiss and Yang look at each other for a moment "Oh, not you again!" They both yell.

Ruby tries to calm things down. "Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!"

"Oh, now you're on my side!" Weiss sarcastically says while Blake rolls her eyes at the entire confrontation.

"I was always on your side!" Ruby argues.

'I suppose she was.' Weiss admits to herself.

Yang supports her sister. "Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a hazard to my health!" Weiss complains

Blake, simply closes her book, reaches over to grab her candle, and blows it out, enveloping the scene in black.

The chapter ends with the song Gold.

"That wasn't too important." Ren states, looking at his notes. The music still plays as he talks.

"All it's done is let us get to know each other better." Blake adds.

"How about we take a break?" Jaune suggests, feeling sorta nervous.

"It hasn't been that long, we can keep watching." Ren responds.

"Look Ren. As much as I'm sure you want to see the future, we have all the time in the world. Quite literally if what the note said is correct." Jaune argues back. "And I think it's best if we spend some time training, after all it's better to keep up a constant training schedule." Jaune subconsciously quotes Pyrrha.

Most of them agree with the exception of Yang who is too focused on the music to pay attention.

"Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day"

'What does this mean?' She thinks. Not missing the reference to Summer Rose. 'Could it be about how I took care of Ruby after our mom died.' She ponders this for a while, with each new line of the song she becomes surer of her theory. 'Why is it so important? Should I be worried?'

As the song finishes she notices that several people have left the room.

"Hey sis, I was out of it for a moment there. Mind telling me what happened?" Yang asks Ruby.

"We decided to take a break for training. Ren said he saw detailed school books in the library so he Weiss and Blake decided to go study. Nora tagged along." Ruby explains. "Pyrrha and Jaune went to the training grounds to practice."

"Well no bets on who wins that fight." Yang jokes.

Ruby looks at her sister surprised. "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Yang asks, confused.

"Pyrrha has been training Jaune in their spare time for months now." Ruby says.

"Really? I noticed he has improved." Yang comments.


Meanwhile with Pyrrha and Jaune.

"Now, I'm going to attack you. Remember to keep you shield up and sword in a position to parry." Pyrrha instructs Jaune.

"Okay." Jaune responds, getting into a fighting stance.

Pyrrha then lunges forward with her spear but Jaune uses his shield to knock it to the side, Pyrrha gets back into a fighting stance and continues attacking his, each hit comes faster that the last until Jaune tries to parry with his sword, but they connect at the wrong parts so Pyrrha is able to overpower him and use this opportunity to disarm Jaune of both his sword and shield.

With the spar over they decide to take a break. Jaune sits on a chair tired from the heavy workout.

"Are you okay, normally you would have parried that attack?" Pyrrha asks, worried about Jaune.

"I just… it's…" Jaune struggles for the right words. "I'm worried."

"About what?" Pyrrha asks.

"About watching the past with everyone. I did a lot of stupid things that I don't want to relive." He sounds desperate, gripping Crocea Mors for stress relief.

"Jaune, we both know you've improved." Pyrrha sits next to him. "And even then, you were always a good person."

"That's now what I'm worried about."

"Then what is it?"

"It's Weiss."

Pyrrha's smile suddenly fades upon hearing this, but Jaune doesn't notice.

"Before the dance I tried hitting on her so many times, and now I'm over it but…" He pauses for a moment thinking how to say this. "I'm worried she will make fun of me, and that would be really embarrassing."

Pyrrha smiles in understanding. "In that case. I think I know how to fix it." She gets up and starts dragging Jaune by the hand.

"Hey. Pyrrha. Wait." Jaune struggles but isn't able to break her iron grip.

Pyrrha ignores his complaining as he leads him and says. "What you're forgetting is that you're not the only one going through this."


In the library with Weiss

Weiss sits at a desk by herself. She is amazed by the variety of books they available to them. Many don't even have an author and are instead collections of various researchers works, put together in an easy to understand manner.

She is trying to read a book about Grimm behaviour, but a thought keeps nagging her mind.

'How am I going to deal with watching myself be such a Bi…'

Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted by Pyrrha dragging Jaune into the room. They pass Ren and Nora's desk and head straight for her.

"Jaune has something to say to you." Pyrrha says then turns to Jaune "Tell her about your worries."

Jaune waits for a moment looking for a way out of this situation. He eventually decides to trust his partner though.

"I… Erm…" Jaune struggles for the best words. "We both know I used to hit on you and I was worried you would make fun of me." Jaune feels like a child being forced to read a note they gave a friend in front of the class.

Weiss on the other hand sees this as an opportunity. "I promise not to mention it in any way as long as you don't comment on my more…" She tries to think of the best word. "…unsociable behaviour."

Jaune is surprised by this. "Sure!" He considers the exchange to be a bargain.

Pyrrha smiles at this, glad her gamble paid off.

"Now if you excuse me." Weiss addresses them both. "I have a book to read." She returns to her reading now finding it easier to concentrate.

Jaune and Pyrrha leave to resume their training.


In the viewing room

Yang and Ruby are listening to the music together, trying to figure out what it means.

"So what do you think?" Yang asks Ruby about the song Gold.

Ruby pauses for a bit.

"I think it's about you." She says.

"I think so too, but explain why." Yang wants to hear Ruby's reasons.

"Well the most important part is that it's called gold, and out of all the people to appear on the screen you're the only one I can think of it applying to."

"And?"

"And, it's sorta embarrassing to say but." Ruby takes a second. "You've always been there for me since mom died. The song very clearly implies supporting someone else so…It just makes sense."

Yang smiles at this. "I think so too."


Ren's notes: Can we trust Ozpin.

-Hiding something

+Has enough resources to support us

+Enemy to the CCT woman (probably)


A/N

To the person who commented Pyrrha's character was written weaker than the others. TAKE THAT! Bet you don't think so anymore. (I actually really enjoyed writing her thoughts and feelings. Who do you think is the next weakest character?)

The final part is my attempt at creating character drama. The issues were solved in a single chapter, so this is mainly a test. Do you think I did it well? Too little detail? Too much? Please tell me.

Since the show doesn't give a person's inner monologue I decided this is a great opportunity for the characters to recall what they were thinking. This should help fill in the empty gaps so that this doesn't feel like you readers aren't just reading RWBY in written form while not forcing the characters to comment on every little thing.

If you haven't noticed this will contain some Arkos, the main reason is because it is practically cannon. Any other ships introduced will be the ones that happen in the show (minus anything involving Jaune), so at this point (Volume 5) the only one I'm sure about is Ren/Nora but that will be done more subtly. Bumblebee also looks like it might become a thing but I'm not making any bets.