[Ten Years later...]
Patch was rather lively today, for such a quaint and quiet island most of the time. Of courses that's because this wasn't most of the time. This was one of the events that don't tend to happen often. But when they do arrive, this because something brought them here. And with an event as large as this, that something was the promise of potential.
Signal was being used as a venue for a significant event in the surrounding people's lives, for those that choose to actively seek it out. And that specific event, was people seeking out potential capable Huntsmen. Otherwise simply known as the Huntsmen Exams. They were held throughout Huntsmen Venues in different locations. Every once in a while, denizens are gathered around and presented an opportunity to be recognized as potential Huntsmen candidates. For Signal and Pharos in particular, successful recruits would be most likely directed to Beacon, the home Huntsmen base for Vale.
As the crowd was busy and loud and slight pushes, one woman adorned and hidden within a green cloak stared up towards a holographic display of what seems to be the main testing areas. She didn't expect anyone particularly exceptional to show up, since Patch is a place where troubling elements pop up the least intensely, even taking Grimm into account. Not exactly an environment that would be likely to be home to someone with impressively high potential.
But that's exactly why she wanted to come here. She wanted to see if she'll be truly surprised.
Reaching behind her back, she gently takes out a golden apple and takes a bite out of it, smirking all the while. "Sometimes, by sheer luck or a random blessing, the most impressive of fruits grow from the most unimpressive of trees. Let's see if any shining apples have been growing from this unimpressive tree the rest of the world barely acknowledges."
With numerous applicants stepping onto the testing areas for evaluation, a certain duo was purposefully following everyone else from the very back.
"I hope we don't attract too much attention. I still don't know about this."
"Too late to go into panic mode. We're here, and we're gonna make it count."
As the bulk of the applicants made it through first, the duo in question stepped inside last.
First, was a young woman in red.
Her outfit consisted of a long-sleeve, light gray shirt with black belted cuffs near the ends of the sleeves. Over top of the gray shirt is a black pinafore with two vertical lines of red stitching that resemble the lacing on a corset. With it, lies a red skirt with a large black rose emblem on the side and matching black tulle. Her stockings and shoes were black with red lacing for the boots. Though the most striking detail about her was her red cloak and hood, having it wrapped around her neck like a scarf, with the rest hanging behind her back.
Second, was a young woman in gold.
First thing noticeable deep-collared cream vest worn over a low cut black shirt; both are covered by a dark gray shrug with a raised collar, three-quarter sleeves adorned with a single black stripe down the outside of each sleeve, and gold cuffs. A black mini skirt is worn under her cream vest, with crooked black belts with gold accents are slung around her hip. Thigh high stockings attached to her miniskirt by garter-belts on the front and back of each thigh, decorated with four golden studs above her knee and a fiery emblem on the outside of each thigh in gold. There were also black ankle boots with multiple buckles and white ribbons on the back tied in a bow. Wrapped around her neck is an orange bandanna, with an emblem taking shape of a golden heart.
These two young women were striking, in a way. Most likely due to the similar shining of their differently colored eyes. How they both appeared to be firm-and-trim, athletic in figure, though it's slightly more obvious for the one in gold.
How the young woman in red, even with black stockings slightly hiding them, appeared to have slim yet strong legs and what some might call healthy thighs, and blossomed to have an admirable bust that may appear a bit more if it wasn't slightly hidden under her shirt.
While the young woman in gold was just as well, although with a bit more muscle than the one on red, particularly around her arms and biceps, and with a shockingly even more impressive bust that wasn't so hidden, as some might observe that each were around the size of her head. Puberty was especially kind to her, it seems.
However, their outward appearance didn't register for most of them. Them being there at all, did.
'Tch, thet actually showed up? Can't believe they allowed this?'
'Makin' a big mistake, if you ask me.'
'Bah, doesn't matter. There's no way they're passing.'
'Especially the blonde bimbo.'
"Not even gonna bother whispering." The woman in gold, known as Yang Xiao Long, smirked as she stretched one arm over the other. "That suits me fine. It beats them saying this stuff behind our backs and expecting us not to hear it."
"They should focus more on building themselves up than trying to tear us down. They should want to do well on this for it's own sake, rather than focus on being negative towards us. We're not the only ones here." The woman in red, known as Ruby Rose, sighed as she adjusted her cloak.
"Hey, if they wanna screw themselves over trying to spite us, let 'em. Only makes our own path forward even smoother."
"I want to do well too, but that doesn't mean I want everyone else to mess themselves up just to spite us. Everyone should have a chance, and focus on making the best out of it."
"I'm just sayin', they're trying to bring down our good vibes. If they expect me to be a good sport after constantly trying to bring us down, then I'll have some bad news for them." Yang craned her neck. "Either way, the best way to shut 'em up during an event like this is with strength, skill, and smarts. Surely you can agree with that?"
"You're probably right. Actions speak louder than words in this instance."
"Exactly. Cause their words are bullshit, I don't have to listen to them!"
"Yang..."
"What?! Tell me I'm wrong!"
"That's not the point!"
As the two sisters lightly bickered, they remained aware yet dismissive of the glares around them, aimed solely at them. The same goes for the not so silent insults towards them, both to their backs and to their faces. Yet, they've gone blissfully ignored for the most part.
They had more important things to focus on. Which was the testing phase of things.
"Alright. First things first." Ruby hummed while rubbing her chin. "If I recall correctly, we're to answer several questions they send to our Scrolls. Basic information about Vale and bits about Remnant in general."
"Ah. An actual test, as in questions and stuff." Yang huffed, stretching her arms. "This will be easy."
"I hope you're right."
The sisters separated for a bit so they could answer their questions in relative peace. Yang found herself narrowing her eyes with her tongue lightly sticking out the side at a few of them, only to grin confidently at some, and groan at others. Ruby had a relatively calm expression the entire time, mostly focused on what's before her. Most of the questions were a breeze, though four of them managed to stick out to her the most, as well as the answers she knew for them.
Q: How long ago was the Grimm Calamity?
Four centuries years ago, the Creatures Grimm have become more powerful, dangerous, and violent around this era, and the denizens of Remnant were overwhelmed by their near-unstoppable rampages. It took many grand miracles to stop and repel them, both from humanity's efforts and more mysterious means some are not yet fully sure about. This era was known as the 'Grimm Age'. And even today, many years later with all the advancement Remnant's denizens have made since then, it still has not fully recovered from the disaster.
Q: What are Huntsmen as an organization?
Huntsmen are seen as protectors of Remnant, defending it and its denizens against malevolent threats such as the Creatures of Grimm. They also put in effort towards helping people whenever, wherever, and however they can. Their various training facilities and venues for Huntsmen exams around Remnant include Signal, Pharos, Sanctum, and Oscuro. When trainees are deemed exceptional enough, they are allowed to take the exams and graduate from the facilities. After the fact, they officially welcomed into the main headquarters of Beacon, Haven, Atlas, and Shade, where main operations are held. The youngest Huntsmen that take these exams range from fifteen to twenty-one. For younger Huntsmen, this act is their rite-of-passage, to see if they are prepared to brave the dangerous world a Huntsman must traverse.
Q: What are the rankings for Huntsmen?
Huntsmen ranks reflect skill, strength, and achievements. All of them are taken into account when regarding a Huntsmen's overall effectiveness, and decides if they're capable of handling certain missions or situations. Among them are: Trainee, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Ace, Huntmaster, and Grand Huntmaster. Ranks Junior to Huntmaster are divided into classes C, B, A, and S.
Trainee-Huntsmen training at aforementioned facilities/venues until passing their examinations.
Junior- Apprentice/Novice Huntsmen.
Intermediate- Average Huntsmen that are no longer considered novices.
Senior- Seasoned/Veteran Huntsmen.
Ace- Elite Huntsmen.
Huntmaster-Highest-Ranking normal Huntsman, seen as truly exceptional within Huntsmen communities.
Grand Huntmaster/Huntsmen/Huntress-Highest Attainable Huntsmen rank, rarest of it's kind. Only four have attained this rank in history. The most powerful of them all, they are considered the most esteemed of Huntsmen and tend to be shining pillars of inspiration for Huntsmen all over Remnant.
C-Class: Low
B-Class: Middle
A-Class: High
S-Class: First-Rate
Q: What are escalating threat/strength levels of Grimm?
Runt-Local Level Danger. Ex: A single juvenile Beowolf.
Demon-Town Level Danger. Ex: A pack of Beowolves, or a single Alpha Beowolf.
Chaos-City Level Danger. Ex: Giant Nevermore, Herd of Goliaths, Sea Feilong
Beast-National Level Danger. Ex: Leviathans, Wyverns
Elder-Continental Level Threat. Ancient Grimm that's lived for centuries, likely since the Grimm Age, perhaps even before that.
Supreme-Global Level Crisis. Powerful Beast or Elder Grimm reaching their Apex.
Note: Lower levels on their own can escalate to higher level threats together in greater numbers if left unchecked. A pack of juvenile Beowolves can overwhelm an entire town if not dealt with quickly.
Note: Grimm become more powerful with age. A Grimm at a lower level that is not dealt with will survive and grow more powerful.
Ruby blinked as she allowed herself to stop for a bit, and realized she probably went into more detail than required regarding some of the questions that captured her most. Way, way deeper into detail than she felt she needed to. She smiled awkwardly as she began sweating bullets.
"W-W-W-Woah. I, uh, think I went a little bit overboard on some of these. Maybe I should cut some of it oooooohhh darn it time's up!" Ruby sighed as she submitted her answers before pocketing her Scroll. "Hopefully they don't mark overdoing answers against me..."
"Phew! Done! Finally got that outta the way!" Yang chuckled as she slung an arm around Ruby's shoulder. "If that's seriously it for the first part, then this is gonna be easier than I thought!"
"Whether it is or isn't, we should do our best regardless. Everyone else here is."
"Yeah yeah, I hear ya."
"In any case, I think the next part is the practical exams."
Yang cranes her neck with a grin. "Now we're getting somewhere."
This part of testing will surely be monitored, they already knew. Yang yawned as the duo made their way to the outside, where the second part of the exams would be held. Ruby looked around for a bit, noticing that a significant number of examiners have scattered away from the two of them when they had the opportunity. She quietly sighed at this.
"They really did leave us on our own..."
"Good. It means they can't distract us by being jerks, which is to all of our detriments." Yang cracked her knuckles we she and Ruby stood back to back. "Right. This is it. Put everything we've learned so far into practice so we can breeze through this test with an awesome performance. Like I said before, we'll shut em' all up with strength and skill. You ready?"
"Yeah!"
It was simple. So deceptively simple. There's no specific objective at play right now. Simply perform well with the ability that they have right now, and that alone will determine if the next stage they seem is truly right for them. If they're able to handle what comes next. They'd like to believe they are, and the sisters are more than happy to have the chance to prove it, both to themselves and to everyone here.
As Yang said, it might be the only way to shut their condescending voices down.
On cue, Ruby could hear growling, and she turned her head slightly to the right, her eyes shifting. Glowing red eyes appeared within the darkness of the woods, and the sound of snarling soon followed. Crimson class stepped out of the shadows first, before the shadows themselves seemed to move. It kept crawling out until a creature was revealed to the duo. It stood up with a vicious howl.
"Beowolf. Looks like a juvenile, don't see any bones." Yang noted. "Wanna handle it, Ruby?"
"I can do it."
The beast howled towards Ruby and went on the charge towards her with it's fangs bared.
Though once it got close to her, it found itself swiftly kicked across the face, which also proceeded to send it flying across the field. Ruby kept her eyes focused, her cloak briefly flowing as she landed on her feet, surrounded by a gust of rose petals.
"Nice kick." Yang grinned.
Ruby smiled at this, though her eyes narrowed as more juvenile Beowolves leapt out of hiding and charged towards the young redhead all at once. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she hopped once in preparation, before dashing towards them at a faster pace.
They had little time to react due to her being significantly faster, and one was helpless as Ruby kicked another in the skull via roundhouse, sending it spiraling into another and making them both tumble across the ground. One tried to pounce on her, but she briefly jumped upwards as it missed completely; she then spiraled down and stomped on it's back, cratering the ground as cracks blossomed outwards around the impact, chunks of earth surging upwards.
She could see another attempting to pounce upon her in her peripheral vision, and almost immediately dashed towards it and punched it in the skull, sending it crashing into the ground. Turning her head, she swiftly dashed again, and a flying forward kick sent another poor Beowolf tumbling across the ground and harshly into a tree, knocking it over itself.
Observers were stunned by the Rose's surprising display of physical strength. Or that she was engaging in unarmed combat at all having heard she was more into weapon using than fighting up close and personal. Ruby herself remained ignorant of their shock, as she recalled teachings from her father.
'Aura is the life force that flows through all living things. It increases our physical aspects and helps us naturally strengthen our internal and external bodies, which can be even further increased through extensive training. Essentially, those that dedicate themselves to it can increase their physical conditions to extraordinary heights, in which Aura can increase those natural attributes even farther. While the defensive aspects of Aura are amazing, that's not where it ends. It has offensive and supportive qualities as well.'
'Essentially, Aura permanently enhances our entire natural physical condition, and we can channel it to enhance ourselves even further, as well as project it as attacks and barriers around ourselves. Dedicated training will expand upon all of these, and then some. This is a power that was unlocked within all living things in order for everything and everyone to survive and live past the Grimm Calamity. And for years, we have witnessed both the benefits and consequences of that irreversible blessing, because not everyone uses it for good. Do you understand a bit better, Ruby?'
Ruby's unarmed attacks were currently unassisted by channeling Aura. This was her sheer physical prowess on display at the moment. She wasn't the biggest fan of unarmed combat at first, but after some convincing from her father and sister, she gave it a try. And she was glad she did, for all their support and her own diligence allowed her do do what she can do now.
Yang couldn't be more proud, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye.
"My baby sister's a scrapper..." Yang sniffed with a smile. That being said, a shadow was beginning to make itself known over her form. Blinking, she looked around and saw something growling at her.
A black bear. More specifically, an Ursa Minor, or rather a sleuth of them, were coming out of the woodwork. All of them seemed juvenile, since they too haven't developed any bony armor.
Yang looked at them with a tilted head.
"The hell are you guys growling at? What, is that how you say hello to people? That kind of introduction can get unbearable real quick."
They all roared towards her, and one of them swiped it's paw at her. She effortlessly blocks it with one arm, though the force behind the blow caused the ground to crack slightly. Yang smirked.
"You're gonna attack me straight up? Fine by me!"
With that, she pulled it's arm back, then punched it in the jaw with her other fist, briefly burrowing into it before sending it flying across the field and through some trees. She briefly swiped her nose with her thumb and briefly turned to the other Ursa Minors with her fists raised. She briefly used her right to wave a hand to herself with a vicious grin.
"Come on."
The sleuth of beasts roared and ran towards her. Yang was somewhat grateful that they were simply juvenile Grimm, they couldn't come up with much besides charging towards their prey and expecting an easy slaughter. It's easy to run circles around them, so long as one is prepared and ready to take advantage of it. Because no matter how weak and simple some Grimm were, they were still highly dangerous creatures, as her father and uncle made sure to drill into both sisters. And they made sure to listen and heed it, because they would definitely know better.
Sometimes all it takes is a second or two of being too unfocused to turn a seemingly easy battle against Grimm into disaster for themselves.
Yang swerving around a paw swipe going for her face, turning and shooting a fist right into it's cheek, before launching another into it's face, sending it flying back into one of it's comrades. She then stepped forward and parried another swipe with her left hand and shot a right fist forward right in it's nose to disorient it. Grabbing it by the paw she deflected, she held on tight and lifted the Ursa over her head, then slammed it back down on an approaching one, cratering the ground in front of her.
Yang held both of her hands out as two Ursai tried to headbutt her from both sides, catching them both by their heads and stopping them in their tracks. Yang took a deep breath, then slowly raised her head, her eyes having turned blood red, and her hair seemingly ignited. She let out a war cry as she punched the ground before they could continue their assault, causing a brief wave of flames to surround her and burst outwards, blasting them back and incinerating them. Yang slightly wiped her brow with a grin.
Ruby looked to the side as she heard more snarling, but on a more vicious and demonic level than before. She turned her head, only for her eyes to widen as she spotted yet another Beowolf. Though it was significantly larger and bulkier than before, and it had several bits of bone armor around it's body, with spikes to boot, and it's glowing stare was much more menacing. And it was leading a back of smaller Beowolves as well. She knew exactly what it was.
"An Alpha..."
"Ruby?! What's goin'-" Yang started, but swiveled around as she saw Ursai coming out again, three to be exact. All of them had bony armor. One was the smallest with the least amount, none of it even covering it's skull. The second one was slightly larger, with more bone plating along it's arms and feet. And the third was the largest and bulkiest of the bunch, with the most armored plating and several bonelike spines on it's back. An Ursa Major. "...oh."
Ruby took a breath as she sees the Alpha Beowolf creeping towards her. She kept taking breaths, before she glared and stood up straight. "They're not gonna just let us go, so we're gonna have to stand our ground."
Yang breathed out slightly, before she held up her fists and narrowed her eyes. "Guess so." This time, she could back that decision up.
Ruby leaned forward in running position, and the ground beneath her cracked. Two Beowolves next to the Alpha were felled by a spinning kick that sent them flying away from their leader. She turned around swiftly, ducking as the Alpha swiped it's claws at her. She then shot forth and kicked it right in it's chest.
Aside from causing it to grunt slightly and taking a step back, it didn't do much damage.
Ruby briefly stepped back to regain her bearings, only for her eyes to widen as the Alpha closed the distance quickly, slashing it's claws towards her again with it's right paw. She jumped back from it, only to be blindsided by the Alpha slamming it's left paw into her side, knocking her aside and sending her tumbling across the ground. She coughed from the force of the blow and looked up, only to swiftly roll out of the way as the Alpha smashed it's claws into the ground where she just was. The force behind the strike was enough to make a deep crater in the ground.
Then Ruby was baffled as the Alpha suddenly took one of it's own packmates and tossed it towards her, sending it spiraling towards her claws first. Ruby regained her focus as she dashed towards the tossed Beowolf, briefly sliding under before sending a forceful kick into it's middle, sending it spiraling upwards in a gust of rose petals. She already sensed another one coming towards her, and was prepared for it. She dashed forth in a burst of rose petals, a spiral of them appearing around her arm, and she punched at the Beowolf projectile, right in its jaw. It's skull shattered, and it was sent tumbling across the ground before dissolving.
Ruby attempted to take a breath after the attack, but was forced to jump back as the Alpha was already upon her. It slashed from behind with it's right paw, barely missing her. Her eyes widened as she saw the other paw already prepared to attack, and it seemed to have significantly more momentum behind it.
It slashed its claws at her, and she felt the impact throughout her being as she was blown through several trees, and hard into a boulder. Pain exploded in her back from the impact as she briefly slumped down, but remained on her feet as the Alpha lunged at her again, jamming it's claws into the boulder where she stood before dodging. It pierced the boulder, and shattered it into pieces. She dashed away from the wreckage, catching her breath as she felt a streak of blood running down her face.
It's as strong and fast as she thought it'd be, and a bit more. Ruby acknowledged this, reaching behind her back and pulling something out.
The Alpha heard the shifting and whirring of mechanical gears turning, eventually finding it's prey. It found Ruby, who was now standing tall, with a large mechanical scythe, clad in red and black, behind held at her side.
"I couldn't do it without Crescent Rose after all. Oh well, it was worth a try." She says with a brief slice through the air, rose petals following it. She was more in her element like this, anyway.
On the other side of things, Yang let out a breath as she kept her wits about her. As much as she wanted to rush to her sisters aid right this second, the Grimm weren't just going to allow that. So she had to focus and deal with them first.
To her brief expectations, both of the Ursai next to the Major charged towards her simultaneously in an attempt to rush her. Not intimidated by the days display, she took a strong step forward, enough to crack the ground, and threw a right jab into the one that managed to reach her first, crushing it's skull and sending it flying back into it's leader. It crashed into the Major's chest, yet it barely seemed offended. Didn't even budge.
Nevertheless, she was already expecting the other one still charging towards hers slightly larger than the previous one. It leapt at her with a roar, claws and fangs bared. Yang huffed as she ducked slightly, then felt the Ursa land on her. She imagined the sheer surprise on it's face as she lifted it over her head with a hand. With a forceful push, she tossed it straight upwards, before she stepped back and struck a forceful blow into it's belly before it could reach the ground, sending it rolling across the ground, also into the Major. This time, it stepped to the side as it's fallen comrade dissolved into nothing.
Yang breathed out again, seeing the Major was all that's left for her. She craned her neck, cracked her knuckles, and prepared for a rough brawl.
The Ursa Major roared more fiercely than all the others, which she took the opportunity to rush forward and strike it hard in the side, cutting off it's roar and making it stumble slightly. Though it immediately retaliated by swiping it's large paw at her, knocking her clear across the field. She briefly flipped, before regaining her composure and stands after landing on her feet, lightly wiping her cheek with a fist.
Without delay, she ran towards it again, anticipating it's next swipe of the class and slid right under the swipe, punching the arm upwards to throw it off-balance. With the opening made, she shot her fist outwards and it collided with it's jaws, briefly making it stumble back yet again. Though with a vicious growl, it slammed it's front paws downwards, causing the ground around it to quake and surge outwards. Yang moved out of the way of the upwards surging of rocks.
That moment, Yang decided to keep to memory that Ursa Majors were faster than they looked, as it rushed her while she was in the middle of dodging midair and slammed the full force of it's head at her own with a vicious headbutt.
A deep trench in the ground was made as Yang crashed through several trees, until she eventually stopped at a thicker one, her head hanging forward. She was taking several small breaths as she collected herself, not phased by the fact that her forehead was currently bleeding.
This Ursa Major was a lot tougher than she anticipated. Yet she couldn't help but remember the time that her father punched a hole clean through one in a single blow, with little to no effort. Yang chuckled woozily as she pushed herself to stand back up, hands on her knees. The Ursa Major eventually caught up to her, roaring once she was again in it's sights. As it arrived, Yang had already placed two golden gauntlets on her wrists, tightly clenching her knuckles. Ember Celica clicked to her wrists as she took a breath.
"You got me good, but now it's my turn again."
Both sister's glared at their enemies, eyes of silver and red locking onto them. As they went on to engage their Grimm, wisdom was once again recalled from their father.
'Semblances are individual-specific manifestations of Aura. Creativity, talent, and effort all contribute to making the best use of one's Semblance, as they don't always inherently become more powerful. Most of the time, it's simply what happens when one considers a use for their Semblance beyond it's base function. As I've said before, it's also possible to increase the strength of one's Aura through training.'
'While some might say that it's impractical to try and improve the size and strength of one's Aura, I believe they're being just a bit close-minded, with a hint of them lacking imagination. True efficiency? That comes with constant usage, meditation, and simply pushing one's physical limits, which all contribute towards building up a more powerful and useful Aura, which in turn gets you more power and uses out of your Semblance. Think of it like increasing your energy gauge while simultaneously decreasing the cost of using it. Doesn't that sound useful?'
'Some Semblances can be very similar to each other, yet sometimes have distinct differences in both scale and function, depending on the person wielding them. That too, depends on how talented, dedicated, and creative each person is. That is why I say individual-specific.'
'While we're on the topic, let's do another review of your own Semblances, girls.'
The Alpha Beowolf howled, though didn't immediately charge in. It was eying the scythe weapon warily, acknowledging that it looks and may very well might be extremely dangerous. There should be a more cautious and careful way to try and attack it's pr-
It staggered back in surprise as the girl closed the distance in seconds and swung the giant scythe across it's chest, creating a vicious gash. It howled and swiped it's claws at her, only for her to dash backwards before he could reach. Barely recovering from the previous cut, it heard her dash again, and it wasn't able to prevent the next slash from cutting at it's arm. It then heard something like a rifle shot, and was surprised as she was immediately upon it again and that she kicked it in the skull with much more momentum than before, managing to force it back and knock it on its side.
The Alpha snarled as it tried to get a grasp of its newest predicament, as it sees the girl with the scythe standing a few feet away, with her scythe behind her again, as she was surrounded in a swirl of rose petals.
'Generating, manipulating, and turning into rose petals. That seems to be the gist of your Semblance, Ruby. It might not sound like much on paper, but we already know a certain someone who made extraordinary use of it. This is where the creativity and talent come in, which will come to life once you put in the effort. With an active imagination like yours, I'm sure you'll come up with some amazing things as time goes by and you keep getting a better grip on it. You're already able to use it to move around super quickly, that's a decent start. Who knows, you'll actually make the sight of rose petals something to be afraid of by your enemies. Roses can indeed be dangerous.'
Ruby dashed towards the Alpha again, rose petals surrounding her. This time the Alpha attacked preemptively, slamming it's claws where she would have stood. She effectively dodged to the side and kicked its jaw upwards, staggering it briefly. In that time, Ruby dashed again with the assistance of a rifle shot recoil, slamming her knee into it's cheek and knocking it several feet away from her.
The Grimm snarled in frustration as it's inability to hit a target much faster than it was becoming more and more clear. Ruby kept her eyes on it, and it appeared she would be striking once more. It raised it's arms in an attempt to defend against whatever she might be planning.
To it's immense surprise, it couldn't defend against what she actually did.
Which was run around it extremely fast, enough to generate a whirlwind of rose petals strong enough to completely launch it upwards into the air. It couldn't comprehend it, only enough to know that it was currently completely helpless.
It could see Ruby quickly appearing before it in midair, with Crescent Rose in hand. Clenching tightly onto the scythe, she made a quick descent down, spinning her scythe akin to a buzzsaw. The Alpha only had a moment to briefly howl before it was completely bisected, diagonally across the chest, and it's two halves descended to the ground.
Ruby reached the ground first, as the two halves crashed and dissolved in a gust of rose petals as a swirling spiral of them briefly surrounded Ruby, before being gently blown away by the coming breeze. She took a breath, and sighed. "I did it. Whew. That, could have gone a lot worse."
Hopefully Yang was having an easier time, she'd better get back to her soon.
In her own battle, Yang took several breaths, lightly hopping in place, before she put her fists up and rushed towards the Ursa Major, eyes red and hair blazing with golden fire.
The Ursa Major roared as it brought it's paws up and slammed them on the ground again, creating yet another shockwave that devastated the area around it. Though it heard something like a shotgun going off, and it was surprised to see that Yang had jumped high over the ground wave of destruction this time. She grinned as she launched herself towards it, her fist cocked back. It heard another shotgun blast, and suddenly Yang's fist rocketed itself into its cheek.
The heavy blow sent it crashing along the ground and causing many trees to be knocked over from the trail of destruction it's launch made. It crumpled on the ground slightly, stunned by how much more powerful it's prey has gotten all of a sudden. It looked to see Yang, as she swiped her nose with her thumb.
As she rushed towards the Ursa Major, she couldn't help but mentally thank her father for training her in her Semblance.
'At first glance, it seems that all your Semblance amounts to is damage being taken and building up over time, until it's all released at once for a massive boost of power. It's a good thing we dug a bit deeper, and struck gold. Otherwise you'd be terribly limited in this area. Not only can you generate and project fire from your body using your Aura, but you have more than one way to fuel that fire. And one of them is raw kinetic force, which means actual damage to yourself isn't necessary. That kinetic energy you dish out and take can be absorbed and converted into fire, empowering you even further. Just like that, your possibilities have expanded, Little Sun Dragon.'
The Ursa Major put in work, smacked her about a bit. It'd be rude to not return the favor, tenfold.
Yang's grin spread further as what seemed to golden flames circled around her feet, and she propelled herself further forward with Ember Celica's blasts. The Ursa Major found itself too slow to retaliate as the golden haired woman ducked under it's impending claw swipe, and struck true into it's vulnerable gut.
The enhanced punch, paired with the flames cloaking her body, and the added discharge from Ember Celica which was also powered by her Aura, resulted in a massive fiery blast that consumed both the Ursa Major and a chunk of the area behind it. Once the smoke cleared, it was completely gone, not a trace in sight. Granted, it would have been like that anyway, but the Grimm was utterly consumed within the flames before it was given the chance to.
Yang took a breath as she gave herself a minute to cool down, the flames around her receding, and her eyes returning to their natural lilac color. Looking around and checking for any more potential Grimm enemies that might be hiding around, she was relieved to find none. She grinned and pumped her fist.
"Whoo-Hoo!"
"Yang!"
The older blonde smiled as her younger sister dashed into the fray, opening her arms as Ruby barreled into them. "Ya should have seen me, Ruby! I totally kicked that Ursa Major's ass!"
"Well, I managed to handle an Alpha by myself!"
"Well of course you did! You're badass like that, kid sister. That being said..." Yang's smile slowly fell as she looked outwards, eyes narrowing. "I have a feeling we won't be greeted with cheers for our win."
"What do you mean by that?" Ruby's eyes slowly widened. "You don't think they would..."
"Only one way to find out for sure."
Yang's suspicions were proven correct as they returned back to the general area, where everyone's final results were being evaluated. And right there, where there names were, is what was making Yang's blood boil and soul burn with rage.
Both of their names were at the bottom, with their results being nothing but fails across the board.
"W-What...?" Ruby blinked in astonishment, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"I knew somebody would pull this bullshit. I knew it." Yang snarled, resisting the urge to break her Scroll in half as she stomped her way forward. "Hey! What's the big idea, eh?!"
One of the examiners turned their heads towards her, with a blank look of casual dismissal on her face. "Isn't that obvious? Both of you failed."
"Yeah, I got that. Mind tellin' us how?"
"It should be quite obvious. I wouldn't have expected you to live up to the stereotypes about blondes." She turned her head. "Well, not completely."
Yang's eyes narrowed at this. "Okay then. Just for curiosity's sake, please tell me how we utterly failed. I'd like to know."
There seemed to be a collective sigh of annoyance, before the examiners turned towards the sisterly duo. "I'm afraid it's due to trainees like you going off alone instead of staying with the group. Didn't you know how dangerous that was?"
"None of them were gonna look after us, considering the fact that we were ditched." Yang grumbled while looking to the side. Yang wasn't blind or as stupid as people believed. All the other examinees worked together with one another away from Ruby and Yang. They deliberately left them both behind to fend for themselves while they supported each other. This particular point she wasn't buying, because of course she was going to look after Ruby. Plus, they saw the looks in their faces.
The examiners looked completely willing to jump in in case anything went wrong for any of the examinees...except for them.
"In any case, it's rather clear that neither of you are Huntress material, with all of these flaws that appear impossible to fix, given your attitudes for reacting to the facts." They turned and began walking away. "Don't bother trying again. We have to make room for those with more potential and discipline, and aren't marred by..." She briefly looked at Yang again. "...tainted bloodlines."
Yang clenched her fists, taking several breaths to try and keep herself calm. Ruby, in the meantime, was looking down at her feet with a despondent expression.
"We really didn't pass..." She mumbled quietly, before she shook her head. "Okay fine, maybe we didn't pass today. But we can try again. We can keep trying until we get it right!"
"Don't you understand? That was your one try. You're not getting any more because there's absolutely no point. The results will be the same as before." The declaration was waved off, much to Ruby's irritation and Yang's anger. "Just stay in your log cabin and spare everyone the pain of looking at you."
"Why you-!"
"No, Yang. It's not worth it. Let's just go home." Ruby sighed as she held Yang's, hand, pulling her away with a hanging head as Yang glared heated daggers towards both the taunting examiners and examinees alike. Ruby could hear their whispers. And some didn't even bother with that.
'Knew they couldn't do it.'
'Good thing, too. The idea of them being Huntresses is horrifying.'
'Would have been better if they had bit it back there, just for certainties sake.'
'It'd definitely be one of the more exciting things to happen on this island.'
Ruby heard every condescending comment, and kept her head down, yet couldn't help but bite her lip in frustration.
Is it really so much fun to put them down like that? If that's how things would be for who knows how long, Ruby and Yang will never be able to advance past where they are now.
"Hey, Glynda. You get all that, too?"
Ruby and Yang stopped in their tracks at the sound of the voice, as well as everyone else. Thus soon turned towards the source, a woman in a green cloak who was holding a Scroll right in front of herself, which was recording the entire exchange, sound and all. As for the other voice that soon made itself known, it made the offenders souls turn cold with fear, especially at the sight of her narrowed green eyes.
"Did I hear every word? Very clearly. It's quite simple to hear their insolence when they're not even trying to hide it."
One of the examiners actually fell over in surprise. "G-G-G-Grand Huntress Goodwitch!?"
"Her?!" Ruby's eyes widened as she fully processed the surprising fact, and there was no mistaking it.
Descending from the skies with a stern glare and folded arms, was the esteemed woman herself. A glowing purple light surrounded her statuesque form as she gracefully connected her feet with the ground. The blonde hair, the green eyes, the purple shoulder cape, and the overall sheer atmosphere of authority the woman exhibited was felt by everyone there, threatening to bring those who stepped out of line to heel with the threat of discipline.
"Oh shit. It really is her." Yang muttered in genuine surprise. "Vale's only Grand Huntress and Head of Beacon, Glynda Goodwitch." She shivered. "Man, she's not even directly talking to me, and yet I feel like I'm the one being scolded."
The others scurried to meet her attention, realizing that retreating from her focus would damn them further. "Y-You were here the whole time?!"
"I was, and I saw the entire testing process. Yet was advised by my advisor to keep myself scarce. Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long, while I agree were reckless and in need of more discipline, didn't perform so terribly that it warranted so steep a failure. It appeared to be a rough but certain successful test for them, from my perspective. They have room to improve." Glynda narrowed her eyes. "Of course, I was not made aware of how heavily the odds were set against them, through purposeful negligence and disgustingly condescending insults. And of course, your attitudes. Surely not the kind that is set for encouraging failed examinees to improve upon their failures, and to try again another time after they've improved. It sounded like you were telling them to give up and never make the attempt again."
One of them pushed one of their own upfront. Briefly having a look of betrayal in their face, they stood up with a fearful smile. "L-Look, Grand Huntress. It isn't what it seems! See, we were only preparing them for-"
"Do not insult me." Glynda stated simply, which simultaneously shut them down and shut them up almost immediately. "Clearly some of the faculty over here at Signal will require examinations of its own. And if need be, a heavy revising. Those who have been complicit in this will have to find occupation elsewhere. This kind of behavior and the actions paired with them can not and will not be condoned."
The panic set in awfully quickly. "What?! N-No! Grand Huntress! Have mercy!"
"I am showing you mercy. I'm simply having your positions revoked rather than having you arrested outright for being willing to allow two examinees to perish through purposeful negligence. Please, do not dig these holes any deeper and give me due cause to abandon whatever minimal goodwill I'm willing to give to you and punish you far more harshly. My patience is thin enough at this situation as it is, and it's clear that I have more work to do in order to refill the positions you'll leave." Glynda sighed as the now terrified group simply accepted how ruined they were. The blond woman soon turned back to the green cloaked woman. "I thank you for bringing this to my attention."
"No worries. What about the girls?"
"It is a bit troublesome, but I believe we should decide together, Amber."
The woman pulled back her hood, revealing a woman with brown hair and brown eyes, with a beauty mark sitting below the left one. A golden pendant was adorned around her neck and rested above her generous chest, paired with a yellow leaf patterned blouse. Two golden rings were worn around her right wrist. She also wore red corset with matching pants, and thigh high boots with golden armor plating.
She smiled quite cheerily. "Good call, GG!"
Glynda audibly sighed. "Amber, we've talked about this. Many times."
"I know we did, I was there." The woman known as Amber chuckled as she pulled out two apples. One gold and one red, handing them to Yang and Ruby respectively. "Apple?"
"Oh, uh. Thanks." Ruby blinked while quietly accepting the apple. Yang raised an eyebrow, before taking the golden apple.
"Relax. Why would I go through the trouble of standing up for you only to poison you with apples? Give me the benefit of the doubt, will ya? I'm your friendly neighborhood Huntress!" Amber huffed with a hand over her chest and a cheery smile.
Ruby and Yang both looked to each other, before they each took a bite of their apples. Both of their eyes widened in surprise, and Amber could have sworn Ruby's began to sparkle a bit.
"It's so sweet!" Ruby exclaimed with glee.
"And juicy!" Yang added with genuine surprise.
"There, I've broken the ice. Now we can get down to business." Amber lightly stretched her arms with a relaxed sigh. "Alrighty then, first things first. Name's Amber Aurelia, A-Ranked Huntmaster. Nice to meet ya! Next and more importantly, those results those guys gave? Yeah, they themselves have just proven to be unreliable, so forget about everything they just told ya, kay?"
"Wait, for real? Yang blinked in astonishment, her arms unfolding, yet one still held the apple in her hand.
"For real. Instead, we're gonna go off of what me and Glynda have seen from you. And needless to say, what we observed from you two was pretty impressive, all things considered! Anything from you, GG?"
"As I said before, it was quite clear that they're both in need of improvement. I was fully prepared to step in and put a stop to everything once the Alpha and Ursa Major showed up, and no one else came to interfere. But at Amber's insistence, I stayed by hand and waited to see what would happen. And at the end, you both triumphed." Glynda pushed up her glasses. "That being said, if you would like actual results..."
"Ah boy."
"Eep."
Glynda hummed as she pulled up her personal grading for the two girls. "Multiple things have been taken into consideration within the written and field portions, but particularly in the field portion. Weapon Proficiency, Aura Control, Combat Prowess. In certain areas, both of you have room for improvement. But as it stands, your performance was indeed passable."
"W-Wow! Really?! We passed?! Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. She was so sure she did a lot worse than that, even without taking the attempted sabotage into account.
Yang whistled and scratched the back of her neck. "Well gee, that's a load off our backs. Whew."
"Yup, that's about the highs and lows of it. Congrats!" Amber smiled as she clapped her hands, while Glynda rolled her eyes at her behavior.
Ruby and Yang looked proud of themselves, eyes slightly beaming with both relief and joy. However, Ruby deflated just a bit, with something coming to mind. She looked at her feet, lightly rubbing her arm.
"What troubles you, Miss Rose?" Glynda questioned with a tilted head.
"Will it really be alright?"
Amber pinpointed what her concern was, then moved over to slide an arm around her shoulder. "Even if others give you both trouble over it, that doesn't change the facts. This Huntsmen Entrance Exam also doubles as your initiation as Huntresses, and you've proven yourself wonderfully, like many others have at the other venues." Amber pulled away, allowing Ruby some time to think over it for a bit. "Now then, we just have one question for you two to answer."
Glynda, of course, was the one to ask it, giving the girls a stern look, though not one of coldness. Just focus. "What do you two seek to accomplish, through a career of being Huntresses?"
Amber was impressed with the next several moments, as their wasn't a moment of hesitation between either sister as they voiced their resolve.
"Become the strongest as a Huntress. I'll be able to adventure wherever I want and being able to overcome anything that gets in my way, and beat back anyone and anything that tries to hurt the helpless." Yang declared with a raised fist. "The world has a layer of awesomeness to it that some people just aren't brave enough to try and reach. I get it, the world is scary and tends to punish those who reach too far from what they can actually grab. I wanna be one of those who are brave enough, and strong enough to back it up and go even further. Maybe then, more people will become brave enough to see the world for themselves, that it really is possible to expand our reach further beyond our grasp and do even more awesome stuff and see even more amazing things. Especially if we work together."
"Is that so, Miss Xiao Long?"
"Yeah." She smirked.
"May there be something else driving you to become as 'awesome' as you wish to be?"
Amber's head shot towards Glynda, eyes wide.
"You actually said the word awesome. That word actually left your lips. I didn't think it was possible for you to know that word, much less what it means!" Amber glanced at Glynda in mock surprise. Glynda rolled her eyes at this, awaiting Yang's answer.
An image of the back of a black haired woman surrounded by a whirlwind of black feathers briefly graced Yang's mind, and she turned away with a look of contemplation.
"I guess you could say that..."
"I see." Glynda nodded with a knowing glint in her eye. She soon turned to the other sister. "And what of you, Miss Rose?"
"Me? Well, that's simple. Simple to me, I guess." Ruby says while pushing her fingers together. "I'd like to become a Huntress capable of helping people wherever I go. Not just protecting their lives, but their positivity. In a world like ours that's suffering from immense negativity, a Huntress capable of cutting away at that to the best of their ability sounds pretty cool and useful." Ruby's smile gently widens. "There's so much of the world to see, explore, and experience. All kinds of amazing sights, all sorts of simple comforts, I myself want to do all of these things, and I'd like to be the kind of Huntress capable of protecting every bit of it, and other experiences that uplift people's spirits, be they super amazing or comfortably simple. It's an important step towards making the world a better place."
"That right?" Amber noted with a smirk.
"Mhm. Also..."
An image of the back of a woman clad in a white cloak surrounded in a whirlwind of white rose petals briefly flashed before Ruby's eyes. She lowered her eyes slightly, her smile turning somber.
"In order to do all of those things, I'll have to be stronger and skilled. Like the Grimm Reaper!"
"Oh? She was one of the best Huntresses of all time."
"She was a really amazing Huntress who was able to overcome many Grimm and all sorts of enemies. She was able to protect anyone she came across and had the strength and skill to keep living up to that resolve." Ruby's eyes lit up with admiration. "And through her presence, she was able to lift people's spirits and get them to take better care of their lives, because she believed in how precious life was and how it should be protected. She may have found the nickname people gave silly because she wouldn't give her actual one, like Uncle Qrow suggested a few times, but she was a great influence regardless that was able to stop some people from taking their lives for granted and giving into despair, because there was someone who was willing to fight for their sake. I want to be like her, maybe even better."
"You wanna surpass her? That's not gonna be easy. But why not? Go for it, Little Red!"
Glynda pushed her glasses again, nodding. "I see. You two are quite ambitious."
"You're telling me. If only more people would have great aspirations and a resolve to work hard to achieve them, then we might be driven to do more than the bare minimum. Needless to say, I like you two already!" Amber declared with a wide smile. "They've got my approval, GG! What's your verdict?"
Glynda gazed at the sisterly duo for a moment, mulling over their words. Finally, she takes out her own Scroll and swipes several times, not saying a word. Suddenly, Ruby and Yang's Scrolls pinged, and they retrieved them to look at the latest notifications. Their eyes widened in surprise.
"I-Is this what I think it is?!" Ruby muttered in surprise. Indeed it was, with all the information provided to be recognized as a Huntress, alongside their rank.
Huntsmen License
Name: Ruby Rose
Exam Venue: Signal
Rank: C-Class Junior
"No way." Yang reflected the sentiment, her grin slightly widening.
Huntsmen License
Name: Yang Xiao Long
Exam Venue: Signal
Rank: C-Class Junior
"Congratulations, you two." Glynda pushed up her glasses. "Be certain to arrive at Beacon tomorrow at eight o'clock sharp, where a brief tour on the location itself as your new home, and our rules will be explained for you and other newcomers. Do not be late." Her stern gaze became a touch warmer. "I have great expectations of you, and you've proven your resolve and capability to live up to them. I hope to see you arrive at your new home." She took a step back, then glared at the perpetrators of the recent incident. "Your offenses have already been recorded. Do not expect to find employment in the Huntsmen community again. You have twenty-four hours to retrieve your belongings from Signal and be on your way, and never appear on the premises again. Or else you really will be arrested. That's the extent my good will goes for you. Do not give me due cause to rescind it."
The group was left whimpering as the Grand Huntress walked away. Amber smiled at the sisterly duo who were still in a bit of disbelief. "She's pretty scary when she's gotta assert her authority regarding Huntsmen, but don't let that fool you. She's a big softie otherwise, even if it doesn't always show on her face." Amber turned and began skipping after Glynda, then stopped in place. "Oh! Almost forgot!" She turned to the girls with a thumbs up. "The Fall Maiden Festival is next month. I can't wait for you all to experience it, Beacon style. We're all gonna have a fun time!"
"W-Wait!" Ruby briefly called out, making Amber stop in place again and turned towards her. Ruby paused at her unexpected outburst, and pushed her fingers together. "Uh...there are like, very very few people that managed to become Grand Huntsmen, right? It's super rare?"
"Only four in history so far that managed to be THAT incredible, yup." Amber nodded. "The very first one who set that standard, was a man named Ozpin. The second was Nicholas Schnee. The third was the mysterious Grimm Reaper." Ruby's heart jumped at this further confirmation. "Finally and most recently, GG, Glynda Goodwitch. Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Woah. It really ain't easy to get there, huh?" Yang clicked her tongue with a raised eyebrow.
"Definitely. You've gotta go well and beyond to reach that stage. Strength and Skill are pretty good indicators, but merit and achievements matter too. Not to mention how people see you. Even us regular Huntmasters aren't all that common." Amber clasped her hands behind her back. "I intend on helping changing that, though. I'd like to nurture as many potential Huntmasters and Grand Huntsmen as possible. We've gotta make sure the world can be entrusted to truly capable hands." She smiled and waved. "Anyway, I've gotta catch up to GG. See ya later!"
With that, Amber left for real, catching up quickly with her superior.
Ruby and Yang blinked softly at the retreating woman, before they slowly looked at each other in surprise. Before long, they smiled widely at each other and jumped into each others arms in a sibling hug. They briefly landed on their feet with an adoring cuddle, with Ruby's cheek nestled in Yang's bosom and Yang caressing Ruby's hair.
"C-Class Junior Huntresses, Ruby!"
"We really did it, Yang.!"
"We got over the first hurdle!"
"And we did it together!"
The sisterly duo soon stepped outside of the facility, stopping as they gazed up towards the skies, a flurry of autumn leaves falling around them as the wind blew a gentle breeze across their faces.
"I can't wait for Dad and Uncle Qrow to see it for themselves." The men found it best to steer clear of the girls examinations, choosing to see it from afar via Scroll recording. They had a small feeling that them being there will lead to even worse accusations that they wouldn't want the girls being put through.
"Yeah. Though, was the easy part, Rubes." Yang said quietly. "Like, for real. Grimm on Patch are a cakewalk compared to those outside of it. If we're gonna get past em', we gotta keep getting stronger."
"And more skilled. And experienced." Ruby agreed as she lightly tugged on her cloak. "Seeing and exploring the world as Huntresses should give us better ideas on how to best help people."
"And a good adventure is best experienced with a couple friends by your side, so we're gonna have to get started on that as well. After the whole getting used to Beacon thing, of course. That's important, too, I guess." Yang hummed while scratching the back of her head.
"For sure. We've finally reached the starting point. We have to do our best, then better than our best, from this point forward!" Ruby declared with pumped fists.
Yang smiled and clenched her fist up with a nod. "I hear ya loud and clear, Ruby! You and me!"
"Me and You, Yang." Ruby smiled back, as she too raised a fist. "We have a lot of work to do to prove ourselves capable of doing what we want to do."
"Yeah."
"Someday."
"Someday."
A brief image of the white cloaked woman surrounded in white rose petals, and the woman with black hair surrounded by feathers, both graced their minds one last time. A certain warmth embraced them at the memories.
Before they knew it, the two sisters were enthusiastically bumping fists, as a whirlwind of leaves surrounded the both of them briefly. It didn't bother them, as they made their declaration with bright eyes locked and even brighter smiles.
"We'll reach them!"
Unbeknownst to them, something else heard their declaration. Something not of this world, yet also very much a part of it. As the leaves were dancing along the coming breeze, swirling upwards around a nearby tree, they eventually reached the top and began surrounding it in a small cluster, were someone was levitating over it.
It was a girl.
A young, transparent woman with short ochre hair that matched her eyes, and was wearing a white shirt with a brown scarf and a long brown skirt. She was standing calmly atop a tree, observing everything that's been happening on Patch so far.
That is, until the moment she waited for finally arrived, which she witnessed with quiet joy and approval. She closed her hands behind her back as she sees the two sisters make their promise known to each other. She smiled nostalgically at the sight.
'A vow made between sisters. How lovely.'
With this gentle comment, she closed her eyes, and gradually began vanishing into autumn leaves.
Before long, her form completely vanished, leaving nothing but autumn leaves in her wake.
Decided to do a second chapter, was feeling a little bit eager.
It ended up being longer than I expected.
Huh. Weird.
Anyway, I suppose quite a few things are different here, huh? And many more to come.
Needless to say, I don't think the canon path will be followed all that much. Or at all...whether that's good or bad, I'll leave you to judge.
Here's to another chapter! Hopefully some enjoyed it!