March 18th
En Route To Beacon Academy
City Of Vale
Vale
3:13 PM

Yang excitedly threw her arms around her cousin for not the first time in the last week. "Oh, I can't believe you're going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"

"Please stop," Ruby said through a gasp.

Yang, albeit hesitantly, released her. "But I'm so proud of you."

"Really, Yang," Ruby said awkwardly. "It was nothing."

"What do you mean?" Yang exclaimed, staring at her as if she had gone mad. "It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees."

Ruby groaned. "I don't want to be the bee's knees, okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."

"What's with you?" Yang asked her in slight confusion. "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited...I just…" Ruby sighed. "I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."

Yang gave her an awkward, one armed hug. "But you are special."

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick," The Valerian News Network declared from where it was playing nearby and gaining the attention of both girls by the mention of Torchwick. "If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa."

"Thank you, Cyril," She said as the image of the White Fang appeared. "In other news, this saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organisation has now disrupted -"

Yang stared as a hologram appeared, cutting off the news feed.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honour of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage need for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training you need to protect our world."

Ruby, whose attention had been long since lost, gasped as she looked through the glass walls of the airship as it flew over Patch. "Oh, wow! Look, you can see Signal from up here! I guess home isn't too far after all!"

Yang smiled as she placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Beacon's our home now."

Ruby nodded. "Hey, what time is it?"

Yang glanced at her scroll. "Three thirty, why?"

"What classes does Caitlin have today?" Ruby asked her, pulling out her own scroll. "I want to call her."

Yang shrugged. "In order, she has her research biology class, her honours psychology class, the required last year of phys ed, and theatre. You took the last one with her, and -"

"She should be in that class right now!" Ruby smirked. "I'm going to call her."

"The only reason that's not going to anger her," Yang warned as she sent out the video call. "Is because she feels that it is far below her intellectual capacity."

Ruby shrugged as she waited. "I'd still -"

"I love you, you know that?" Caitlin said upon answering her scroll. "She stepped out of the room so now it's just a bunch of rambunctious students. You know there's a used condom on that black couch over there?"

Yang grimaced as she gestured towards the couch and brought it into the video feed. "Who the hell does that?"

"I don't know, but it disgusts me," She shook her head. "Honestly, that kind of thing -"

"Branwen," A female voice that was falsely sweet as she entered the room said. "Get off your scroll."

Caitlin held it up to her ear and acted as if she was still talking. "But I'm talking to my mother."

Ruby and Yang stifled back giggles.

"Give that to me," She said. "Now."

"If I were anyone else in this room you wouldn't be doing this," Caitlin retorted. "Because since I don't think like you, because I don't walk, talk, and act like you, you don't like me. You can't understand or accept people who think for themselves, which, coincidentally, I do."

She had no response for several moments. "See me after class."

"Uh, one more thing," Caitlin said, and shuffling was heard. "I'm leaving early."

"What?" She asked, drawing out the word far longer than was necessary.

"I have a pass," She replied, pulling something out of her bag. "So you have to let me go."

An angry grunt was heard. "You going home is not more important than you being here."

"Nothing stimulating or that has any intellectual value ever occurs in here," Caitlin muttered. "I think I'd find more stimulation by talking with Zwei."

"What was that?" The woman asked.

"Nothing," Caitlin said airily, and more shuffling and footsteps were heard. "I'm not coming back today. I'm going to..."

Yang started making faces to Ruby as her sister trailed off and didn't stop until Caitlin spoke again.

"I'm back," She told them. "Sorry about that."

Yang grinned. "I think it was pretty funny."

Caitlin shrugged. "Supposedly I have a reputation for mouthing off in class."

"In that class you do," Ruby said as Yang punched her shoulder. "But it makes sense."

"Yeah, well -" Caitlin started though she paused when she heard a rather loud sound akin to retching on Yang and Ruby's end. "Uh..."

"Well..." Yang said, rolling her eyes. "I guess the view isn't for everyone."

"I wonder who we're going to meet!" Ruby squealed. "I just hope they're better than vomit boy...oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!"

Yang started hopping frantically, causing Caitlin to start laughing even as Tai came into the frame on her end.

"You okay?" She asked her, and Yang shook her head.

"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" She exclaimed, pointing at her shoe.

Ruby squeaked, taking a step back and bringing her scroll with her. "Get...get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!"

Tai looked at her in amusement. "What exactly happened, and why are you and my daughter screaming?"

"Someone puked on Yang's shoe," Caitlin said as they buzzed out and got to the replacement car. "And I like the new car. See, mommy was right to get a Jeep. We can even take the doors and roof off and everything! And it's practically a tank so Ruby can't blow it up!"

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Hey..."

"Sorry," Caitlin said as Tai began to drive. "But you did blow up the last car."

"I didn't mean to blow up Zippy!" Ruby exclaimed, stomping her foot. "It was an accident."

"An accident," Caitlin started slowly, adjusting her glasses. "That is part of the reason why I'm afraid to drive."

"Are you going to be eighteen when you finally get your license?" Ruby asked her.

"Yes," Caitlin replied.

"No," Tai said with finality. "You're getting your license around the time you're seventeen and a half. Like it or not, you have to learn how to drive."

Caitlin groaned. "But I don't want to. It's scary."

"You still have to," Tai told her. "So, Ruby, are you and Yang almost to Beacon?"

"I got it off!" Yang declared triumphantly. "I managed to find disinfectant wipes in my bag from that camping trip Ruby and I went on the other month with uncle Qrow."

Caitlin sighed. "Camping, yet another activity in which I do not take part in because it involves sleeping on the cold hard ground. I'll take my bed, thanks."

Yang laughed. "You're funny, you know that? A diva...and a bit bossy...but funny."

Caitlin's green eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "I'm not bossy! Say I'm not -"

"You're proving her point," Tai warned her, and she opted to stop. "Like I said, you're a geeky version of your mother."

"Nerdy with a passion for the arts!" Caitlin insisted irritably. "Why does no one get that? I'm not a scientist, and math is my weakest subject!"

"An eighty percent on one of your grades half way through the semester with the rest of them being in the mid to high eighties and nineties has brought you to tears," Tai reminded her. "You've never fallen below an eighty percent in math, and your current average - out of a hundred - is an eighty five. You're are perfectly stable, and you're not failing everything."

"You have an odd definition of that," Yang added. "A very odd definition."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Thanks."


Approximately an hour and a half later, after walking off of the airship and onto the path leading up to the front of Beacon, Yang and Ruby stood in awe as they took in the entirety of Beacon Academy and forgot about how the blonde boy had continued to vomit even after they landed.

"Wow..." They said in unison.

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

Ruby began squealing in excitement for not the first time that day. "Oh my gosh, Yang! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword! Ow...owwww..."

Yang pulled her back by the hood of her red cape with a smile. "Easy there, Rubes. They're just weapons."

"Just weapons?" Ruby stared at her as if she was doing a great injustice. "They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"

"Well, can't you swoon over your own weapon?" Yang asked her. "Aren't you happy with it?"

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

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

Ruby took off her hood and stared at her with her silver eyes wide. "But...why would I need friends if I have you?"

"Well..." Yang said as she beckoned Coco amongst others to surround her. "Actually, my friends are here. Got to go catch up. Okay, see you, bye!"

Ruby felt herself spinning as Yang and her friends took off and, even through her dizziness, she could hear the faint argument that had been behind them a few minutes ago becoming clearer - particularly when she fell into a small white haired girl causing them both to topple to the ground and rather unfortunately activating an open vial of fire Dust that exploded around them.

"Sorry!" She squeaked awkwardly, coughing and not realising she was still on top of her.

The girl stared at her for a moment and then shook her head. "Can you get off of me?"

Ruby glanced down but the scrambled aside to let the white haired girl push herself up. "Oh! I'm so -"

"Thank god your scythe isn't -" A rather familiar voice muttered, drawing Ruby's attention.

"Cristal!" She exclaimed, glancing from her to the other girl. "I...uh...didn't -"

The white haired girl took advantage of Cristal's temporary distraction. "At least I'm not personally infamous for my sexual traunts as a young woman."

Ruby took a step back.

"That..." Cristal started, visibly angered. "Weiss, that was years ago, and I -"

"Oh, yes," She said irritably. "You've settled down! You have Edward and Lana...and you took my sister away from me -"

"I took Winter away from Jacques," Cristal replied defensively, not keen to recognise him as her niece's father when James truly was. "And I damn right tried with you."

Weiss clenched her fists. "You had no right to come and take -"

"Jacques," Cristal began evenly. "Whether or not you care to admit it, is a terrible -"

"That's not -"

"Listen, princess -" Cristal snapped.

"Princess?" Ruby said in confusion.

"Actually," The girl near her said quietly. "It's heiress."

Weiss turned upon hearing that ever so slightly. "What?"

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to Schnee National And International Holdings Incorporated," The girl said, crossing her arms. "One of the largest investment and consulting firms in the world."

Weiss smiled smugly as she looked to her aunt. "Finally, some recognition!"

"The same company infamous for its controversial hiring policies, and questionable business partners," The girl added, the looking to Cristal. "On the other hand, her aunt Cristal is the head of the SDC which has been even more progressive under her than it was under her already progressive minded father."

Weiss felt herself growing angry as she saw Cristal's smirk while her aunt sauntered off towards Beacon Tower. "What...how dare...the nerve of...ugh!"

Ruby watched as she rather dramatically walked off and her assistants followed her with her luggage. "Sorry about falling into you!" She called after her. "I'll make it up to you later...I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day. So...what's -" Ruby sighed and collapsed onto the ground and laid there for a minute prior to seeing a small girl and a blonde boy starting to walk past her.

"...So you're seriously the daughter of the combat professor who's also the deputy headmistress?" The boy asked her. "...Wicked."

"...Not exactly," She replied, stopping when she noticed Ruby getting up and dragged him over towards her. "...I can't get away with anything."

"Ash?" Ruby said, staring at her for a moment.

She smiled. "Ruby, why are you covered in...well whatever that is?"

Ruby sighed. "It's Dust..." She paused when she noticed the blonde boy. "Hey...aren't you the boy who threw up on the ship?"