In a mountainous region, secluded from the rest of the outside world, a brooding young man gazed upon the events happening before him.

A blonde young woman was guiding a group of small children towards a massive golden gate that glowed with an otherworldly power, celestial magic in fact, as well as his own. If handled improperly, it could end up destroying the entire continent with its sheer magic power.

The Gate was simply another tool for his possible salvation. Unfortunately, like many of his creations, the gate couldn't achieve its intended purpose. Instead, it seemed that he had attracted the attention of Ankhseram and was cursed for trespassing into the domain of gods. Or was he cursed before that?

It was almost too ironic. The age of Gods ended, brought to extinction by either their own kind, dragons, or even humans they foolishly bestowed their power upon to turn them into weapons against other deities. He too brought down a god as a means to further research the inner workings of time itself. He supposed it was only fitting that the sovereign of life and death itself was the only deity to remain after all this time, if that being even existed.

In his grief, he created horrific curses to end his suffering. All of them failed. Though perhaps one day, his last and greatest creation would surpass Ankhseram's power. Maybe one day he will be freed from his baneful, cursed existence.

Sadly, this day would not come for several centuries, possibly millenia.

A terrible destroyer had risen and was causing devastation all over the world, slaughtering entire civilizations of humans and dragons alike. A few of the more benevolent dragons who had their very souls ripped apart by this creature came to him with a plan. It would suit his own end quite well, but at a cost.

Though it saddened the mage that his salvation would be so greatly delayed, he knew that this was necessary. The seed within his creation would need time to grow along with its host if it were to ever have a chance at destroying his curse.

The monsters he created in the past were all far too weak to even touch the curse. They boasted themselves as being superior to humans and yet they were still worthless, unable to accomplish what they were created for.

His final creation would need to fight many battles, face many dangers, and become strong. Strong enough to be the end of gods.

As he lay there, casually perched on the branch of a distant tree, he felt every nerve on his body turn to ice as an overwhelming aura of bloodlust permeated the air. He leapt to his feet and hurriedly surveyed his surroundings for the culprit.

Feeling a sense of despair, the mage let his gaze turn upwards, his eyes widening.

Descending from the heavens like an Angel of death, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse had made an appearance.

"Anna! Hurry and open the gate! There's no time to waste. I'll hold him off!" The man shouted at the celestial mage.

Anna hurriedly pulled golden keys from under her cloak and inserted them into the lock on the doors of the gate.

He conjured a bolt of black lightning and hurled it at the dragon to divert his attention.

His strategy succeeded as the winged leviathan shifted its course towards himself.

Forming a pitch black orb in the palm of his hand, he hurled at the dragon an attack with enough power to kill a minor god. The dragon made no attempt to evade and to his dismay, began to eat the attack, consuming the death magic in a mere moment.

The beast crashed down into the earth in front of him, creating massive crater and sending clouds of dust into the atmosphere. The sheer speed of its descent created buffeting winds that tore through the surrounding forest. With a swipe of its monstrous claw, it tore through his flesh and ripped him into pieces.

To the Black Dragon's mild surprise, the wizard quickly began to regenerate from his wounds. Muscle and bone stitched themselves back together until the body looked as if it had never even been scratched.

Opting to get the dragon as far away from the Eclipse Gate as possible, he rapidly drew runes forming an expansive magic circle under their feet. Space itself was warped as the two beings were transported to an archipelago out in the middle of the sea.

Seeing that magic would have little effect on the brutal beast, the Black Wizard tried out a new form of attack.

Bringing his arms together in front of him, he formed a gravity well between his palms before throwing it up into the sky were the dragon was currently hovering. A miniature black hole formed and began to pull the dragon towards it.

The dragon moved to swallow the black hole like he had the previous attack, but was interrupted when a mountain sized chunk of rock struck its left wing, ripped up from the ground by the artificial gravity. Dirt, rocks, trees, and water rose up from the earth and shot up towards the gravity well, crashing into the momster and stalling it from consuming the magic attack.

Within a few seconds, it became trapped beneath mounds of rubble. A satellite had formed over the ocean, casting a shadow across the waters.

Knowing that this would only temporarily trap the dragon, the mage utilized his own branch of Heavenly Body magic to summon gigantic meteors from the sky, their diameters several kilometers in length, before crashing them down on top of the dragon, pinning him to the bottom of the ocean.

The man's knees buckled as he panted heavily. Though he was immortal even his magic had limits as he had begun to overexert himself using so many powerful spells in succession.

Looking over to admire his handiwork, he didn't even have time to register his spine being torn out when a black shape exploded from the depths.

Not stopping at a mere mutilation, the black dragon crushed the smaller foe between its monstrous claws before blasting him into the planet's mantle with a devastating breath attack.

The entire exchange between the two walking calamities happened in 7.56 seconds.

Soaring back to the mountains, the dragon charged up his breath attack to destroy the Eclipse gate, cutting off the escape route of the dragons and the dragon slayers.

By this time, Anna had successfully opened the gate and had quickly guided the rest of the children through it. But she wasn't fast enough.

The dragon had fired off his attack. A lethal etherion blast struck the gate, breaking it into millions upon millions of shattered fragments.

For the most part, Anna had successfully pulled the dragon slayers into the gate. But one dragon slayer didn't make it. That was bad. Very, VERY bad.

Amongst the wreckage, the figure of a small child could be seen slumped against the ground, he had no visible injuries but had fallen unconscious.

The beast typically wouldn't bother with killing children, but it could sense two presences within the boy. One was all too familiar, nearly dead but still very powerful. The other anomaly was something foreign and much more sinister.

But before it could make a move to end the boy's life, a distortion formed at the epicenter of the wreckage. Rather than explode outward, the temporal energy of the Eclipse Gate collapsed in on itself, creating a singularity.

Ominous cracks stemmed from the distortion, as if reality itself was beginning to shatter into pieces.

Tendrils of unbridled energy sprung out of the cracks and latched onto anything around them. Dozens of tendrils seized the mighty dragon, and despite its struggles, it was dragged through the crack and it vanished without a trace.

A similar tendril wrapped itself around the child before he too was dragged through the cracks.

The world was silent.


Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.

Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness — creatures of destruction — the creatures of Grimm - set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.

However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".

Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life.

But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return...

It was a quiet evening in the Kingdom of Vale, A lone figure was walking down the city's streets.

His hair was the color of cherry blossoms and his skin had a pleasant tanned complexion. He donned a sleeveless, gold trimmed, black waistcoat, left open and untucked, revealing an impressive, toned physique, black cloth around his waist that reached his knees, held by a leather brown belt with an oval-shaped silver buckle, white knee-length trousers with black ribbon ties. On his feet he wore a black pair of open-toed sandals that gave off a sense of casualness. Though perhaps the most unusual part of his appearance was the white scale-like scarf coiled around his neck.

As he made his way down the street, he heard the sound of glass shattering and gun shots.

Picking up the pace, he made a quick turn around the street corner and was rather startled by what he saw.

"Hmm? That's a first."

He was greeted by the sight of a young girl sporting a red cloak and a massive double bladed scythe an entire foot taller than her, surrounded by a group of men in black and red suits wielding firearms.

She had short dark black hair with red highlights, and her red and black skirt gently waved in the wind. The moonlight reflected off of her striking silver eyes. The girl was quite tiny actually. Petite would be the more polite way to put it. Her face was a cross between pretty and cute. A tease would say she was pretty cute, yet the way she handled her weapon seemed to imply she wasn't so innocent as she seemed.

But his eyes focused in on the figure in front of her. He had shocking orange hair slicked over his eyes with a black bowler on top. He wore a white coat over a tacky outdated suit. He carried a cane in he hand and a cigar in his mouth.

"Okay..." said the man in white with an irritated tone, "Get he-Ack!"

He was interrupted by the pink haired man drop-kicking him right in the face, sending him flying into the back of the shop.

"Grr..., who the hell are you?" the ginger questioned, nursing his injured face.

Grinning, the boy cracked his knuckles, "I'm here for your bounty Rogan Torchwimp!" flashing a devilish smile that would warn any sane person to start running in the opposite direction.

The young girl snickered, clearly trying not to burst out laughing.

"It's Roman Torchwick," Torchwick growled, clearly angered. 'Great, now I have to deal with a wannabe mercenary on top of red riding hood.'

"All right," turning to his men "get them."

One of the goons charged at the girl. But using the scythe like a balance beam, she spun around it and kicked him in the chest with both feet, knocking him unconscious.

The girl landed and held her scythe crossways behind her. She pulled the trigger and a shot was fired. The recoil from the end of the scythe made the girl spin around with such force that when the scythe butt connected with the next henchman he was sent flying.

Meanwhile the third victim/henchman pulled a machine gun and started firing at the boy. The bullets failed to meet their target as he dodged left to right, suddenly appearing directly in front of the henchman and catching the last bullet with his teeth. Biting down, the lead was promptly shattered before a swift left jab was dealt, sending the goon back down the street. He landed pathetically at the boss's feet.

The man in white looked down. "You were worth every cent. Truly you were." He took a step forward. "Well Red, Pinkie, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." He dropped his cigar on the ground and smothered it with the end of his cane.

"And as much as I'd love to stick around," he continued, pointing his cane at the girl, "I'm afraid this is where we part ways.

Then the end of his cane opened up and revealed an aiming reticule. The criminal fired a shot from the end of his cane that exploded mid-flight.

The girl in red braced for impact before she saw a figure leap in front of her.

"Huh?"

The boy opened his mouth wide, revealing a pair of unusually large canines, before he consumed the ball of fire, shocking the people around him.

"Ughhh... tastes like snake piss filtered through a used gym sock."

"Well I guess you don't see that everyday." Torchwick sighed. Under the cover of smoke, he made his way over to a nearby building's fire escape.

Gasp*"Did you just eat fire? Can you teach me how to do that? Or is that your semblance? What does fire taste like?" The girl questioned the boy while leaving him with barely any time to answer.

"I'll tell you later, kid, but the bad guy is getting away." He pointed at the fire escape.

"Oh yeah sorry, what are we waiting for? Let's get him!"

Torchwick just barely cleared the top of the fire escape as the girl nearly flew to the top of the building using her scythe to propel her. The boy followed right behind her, quickly jumping up the building wall.

"Hey!" the girl called.

The crook growled. "Persistent little..."

The duo readied themselves for combat when what sounded like an accelerated turbine engine reached their ears. A Bullhead-class airship shot into the sky from behind the building. The two recoiled from the wind it kicked up.

A hatch on the side opened up and the man climbed into it.

He turned and shouted, "End of the line brats! He pulled a red crystal from his jacket pocket and threw it at their feet.

He took aim with his cane and fired. There was an explosion and he whooped with joy.

Once again, the boy leapt in front of the girl to shield her from the flames, but found his protection to be unneeded when another figure dropped in front of them. When the smoke and fire cleared, a middle aged woman, with glasses and blonde hair tied in a bun was standing there holding a riding crop with a purple glyph held up before her to shield her and the children from the blast.

Torchwick growled

The woman brandished her crop and several purple streaks shot from its end and crashed into the airship making the pilot lose control.

"We've got a huntress!" Torchwick shouted to the airship's pilot.

The pilot turned out to be a young woman in a red dress with long black hair. She rushed to the side door as the man in white tried to control the airship.

The huntress shot a purple light into the sky above the airship and a storm manifested. Shards of ice descended from the cloud piercing the ship.

The young woman in red appeared in the side hatch. She took stock of the situation and seemed awfully relaxed. The sleeves on her dress burned revealing embedded Dust. She activated the Dust with her aura and cast a fireball at the huntress.

This time the boy jumped in the fray and quickly swallowed the flames before they could do any harm.

Firmly planting his feet into the ground he took a deep breath before unleashing a stream of fire from his mouth at the airship.

Her eyes widening, the women fired several blasts from her hands trying to push back the flames. But the boy had created another ball of fire before hurling it at the airship with the intention to destroy it.

Roman, being somewhat clever, tilted the ship and managed to divert the flames off the hull of the ship.

The airship was offered a brief respite and begun to turn away.

The girl, not willing to let these crooks get away, transformed her scythe into a more compact shape that allowed her to use its embedded rifle more accurately. She charged the bolt before firing, but the young woman aboard the ship was able to block each shot. She then cast a ring of fire around both the girl and the huntress.

The huntress threw the girl out of harm's way with her telekinesis before barely escaping herself. The boy ate the aftermath of the explosion.

The ship's hull closed and flew off into the night. Everything was quiet again.

The boy sighed and crossed his muscular arms. "Well, that was a disappointment."

The girl turned to the woman, her eyes sparkling, "You're a huntress? Can I have your autograph?!"


The duo found themselves in the wrong side of the table in an interrogation room used by Vale's police department.

"I'm too young to go to jail!"

"You'll never take me alive!"

Of course, they were answered with silence as they anxiously waited for the blonde huntress to return.

"You're pretty strong with that scythe," the boy mentioned with a grin.

"Thanks. Your fire powers were cool too. My name's Ruby, Ruby Rose, I'm training to be a huntress." She replied with a shy smile.

"I'm sure you'll be a great one! I've got an eye for strong people."

Suddenly the door swung open and the huntress from earlier entered.

The middle aged woman paced the room. "I hope you realize your actions tonight will not be taken lightly," she said sternly. "You put yourselves and others in grave danger."

"They started it!" Ruby protested

"He had a bounty on him! It's literally a poster saying go punch this guy." Natsu picked at his canines.

Goodwitch walked by the table. "If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back…"

Ruby smiled, the room seemed to brighten with her childish innocence.

"And a slap on the wrist!" The woman punctuated her statement by slamming her riding crop onto the table making the little girl yelp and retreat back.

The boy leaned back with his hands behind his head and yawned.

Ms. Goodwitch's eye twitched behind her glasses. "But… there is someone here who would like to meet the two of you."

In walked a grey haired man who wore an old-fashioned, but still stylish, three-piece emerald green suit. He had blacked out glasses that sat low on his nose, and carried a mug in one hand and a plate of large chocolate chip cookies in the other.

Neither Ruby nor the boy knew why he was here but they were already drooling at the sight of the sugary treats.

"Ruby Rose," he said, addressing the girl. He leaned in, "You…"

Ruby raised her eyebrows.

"Have silver eyes."

Ruby looked away confused. "Um?"

"And you... have pink hair." he said turning to the boy with a sly grin.

"It isn't pink," the boy muttered. He wished this old geezer would hurry up and toss him a jail cell so he could just go and bust out immediately after. They weren't usually so... talkative.

"So!" said the distinguished man, turning back to Ruby. "Where did you learn to do this?"

The woman took out a full-sized scroll and pulled up footage of Vale's security footage showing off Ruby's impressive combat skills.

"S-Signal Academy," replied Ruby unsure of whether or not she was still in trouble.

"They taught you how to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" he asked intensely.

"Well, one teacher in particular."

"I see…" he said, placing the plate of cookies before the two. "Help yourselves."

Ruby looked at them both and hesitated. But the young man next to her certainly didn't, as he quickly started cramming cookies into his mouth. Not wanting to be denied the chocolaty goodness, Ruby quickly followed suit. The pair devouring the cookies at an alarming rate.

The gentleman continued. "It's just that I've seen only one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A Dusty, old crow…"

"Oh!" chimed the girl, and she tried to speak with her mouth full. She stopped and gave herself a chance to swallow and cleared her throat a little embarrassed. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow. He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like…" Ruby began making kung fu noises and started karate chopping the air.

"If he taught you, he must be strong," the boy interjected with a smile. "Is he in town? Can I fight him?"

"Sorry, he's somewhere on a mission right now. Plus I'm sure he'd wipe the floor with you." she said with a cheeky grin.

"You'd be surprised at how many have told me the same thing," the boy chuckled.

The gentleman smiled at them taking a sip from his mug. He enjoyed their enthusiasm. He placed his mug on the table and sat down. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"Well," Ruby began seriously, "I want to be a huntress."

"You want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah. I just have to finish a few more years at Signal, and then I'm going to apply to Beacon. See, my sister's starting there this year, and she's gonna become one of the strongest huntresses ever!. And I'm trying to become a huntress because I wanna help people. My Mom and Dad were the same, so I thought, you know..." She giggled nervously.

"I mean, the police are all right, but huntsmen and huntresses can just do so much more and…" Ruby suddenly looked down and away, her face turning red. "I mean... you already knew that," she mumbled.

There was a brief pause. The woman blinked and frowned. The boy was perplexed at the mysterious mindset of a little girl. But the gentleman's stare was much more pleasant and understanding.

"And what about you, young man? You have quite the reputation as a... well I suppose it isn't important. But your goals have always been rather unclear." the man questioned.

"I'm wandering around," the boy simply replied.

After a while, the man in the green coat asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"Nope."

"You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon." Ruby corrected.

"Hm," said Ozpin satisfied. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

"You want to come to my school?"

"More than anything."

Ozpin exchanged looks with the woman standing next to him. She rolled her eyes.

"Well," began Ozpin, "okay."

Ruby couldn't believe her ears as a euphoric smile crept across her face.

"And you?" looking the boy in the eye "You'll receive combat training of the highest standard and will attain a huntsmen license upon graduation if you join my school." Ozpin pressed.

"Not interested." The boy suddenly stood up and headed towards the door.

Goodwitch looked mildly surprised to say the least. "Where are you going?"

The boy didn't look back, "I dunno." He waved at Ruby. "It was nice meeting you, kid. If you're becoming a huntress, maybe we'll meet again someday."

And with that, he was gone.

Ozpin sighed and pulled out another mug of coffee. "Well, that could've gone better."

Goodwitch huffed and pushed up her glasses. "If I may be frank with you sir, I do not approve of your intentions. That boy-"

"-Is a good find, I assure you. People like him harder to find than a diamond in the sand."

"You're trying to bring in another man like him."

"I would be lying I said he isn't similar to that man, but can you blame an old man for trying to guide the younger generation down a better path?"

The lady rolled her eyes and turned back to the table to address the little girl. "Now that we've reached an agreement on both sides, you need to-"

All that remained at the table was a falling cloud of rose petals.

"Ah, she left thirty seconds ago." Ozpin helpfully informed.

"I can see that. Thank you, Ozpin." She spoke his name through gritted teeth.

The man finished his coffee. "Don't get so worked up about it, Glynda. At times like these, it's best to just let kids... work things out."


The young man walked down the street. The chill night air swept through his hair. He wasn't in any rush. On the contrary, he chose to enjoy the peaceful night atmosphere.

His ears twitched. The boy could've sworn he heard something like a tornado, but... smaller?

"WAIT UP!"

Something small crashed into his back. Tiny hands gripped onto his shoulders causing him to tense up.

'Really? Thought Vale was one of those quiet cities. The police must be sitting on their asses all day if crime's happening this often at night. First a store gets robbed. Then a little girl gets attacked by some goons. Now I'm getting jumped by some... little girl.'

He recognized the scent. "Ruby?"

The girl sped around in a gust of rose petals and stood in front of him. "You can't just leave!"

"Why not?"

"Um..." Ruby hadn't thought that far ahead yet. "Err... why don't you wanna attend Beacon?"

"Why would I want to go to school?"

"It's a combat school!"

The boy walked past her, "I already know how to fight. I don't need a teacher. Now shouldn't you be heading home?"

Ruby kept up with him. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! The headmaster himself came and offered you a spot. Don't you wanna become a huntsman?"

"Not really. I don't need a title to do what I do." The air around the boy had become much calmer than before. The brief rush of exhilaration the night's battle gave him had left.

The petite girl walking beside him drooped down. "Well, what are you doing?"

"Killing monsters, fighting people, fighting monsters, and looking for someone."

She perked up. "You like fighting?"

He glanced at her sparkling eyes. "What about it?" His face briefly darkened as he gave her a wolfish grin. "You wanna fight, too?"

For just a second, his eyes seemed to ignite with some sort of unholy spirit of violence. It faded as soon as it came, however. "Just kidding."

For some reason, the girl smiled even more. "Come with me!" She gripped the boy's coat and started dragging him off with her. He didn't resist solely because he was curious.

"So why do you even care if I go to this school or not?"

"Oh, um..." Ruby avoided looking into his eyes. "I-I was hoping that we could be... friends..." The last word came as barely a whisper.

"That's it? You really should be making friends with kids your age, you know. But I don't gotta attend school to be your friend if that's what you're asking."

"Yeah, but it'd be fun!"

He raised an eyebrow. "...Right. So where you taking me?"

"To the strongest person I know!"

That certainly drew his attention. "Really? Even after you've met me?"

"Yep! Come on, we gotta hurry!"

After a few minutes, they eventually made it to a darker part of the town. The streets were lined with nightclubs and bars.

"Oi oi, aren't you too young to be coming to places like these?"

The sound of machine guns firing suddenly rung through the air. Then it was soon replaced by the sound of backs hitting against the wall as if they were each slammed by a truck. Finally, a giant man easily a head taller than the boy himself was thrown out the door of a nearby club like a sack of potatoes. He rolled over the ground and promptly lost conscious.

A second figure came strutting out the door, a simple hoodie obscured the individual's identity. Clad in nothing but a light coat, black gym shorts, and shoes, the person likely responsible for the sudden noise was just a little bit shorter than Ruby's new "friend."

"Dammit, Xiao Long! What did I tell you about kicking people through the door? You'll damage the hinges!"

A feminine laugh filled the nighttime streets. "My bad, Junior. I be more careful next time."

She shook off her hood, allowing a spiky, golden mane of hair to tumble over her back. Taking a closer look, one could see that she did indeed cut quite the alluring figure. She had a rather tomboyish aura about her , but one certainly wouldn't try to deny the girl's beauty. She had a sinfully voluptuous bosom, a toned, tapered waist, and curvy hips that could put supermodels to shame.

The boy didn't give a damn about any of that. He focused on the finer details. The toned muscles of her arms were visible through the sleeves of her jacket. There was nothing to hide the well shaped legs that were surely trained diligently for years, nor the rough calluses on her palms. The knuckles of her fist looked tempered and well conditioned. The way she stood was graceful and well balanced. Her lilac eyes gleamed with wild confidence bordering the line of arrogance. She was certainly beautiful, but more in the sense a wild beast was beautiful. Her eyes resembled that of a lion's more than that of a human's with their long lashes and unsettling sharpness.

There was no doubt. The girl in front of him was a martial artist.

How strong? For some reason, he couldn't tell for once.

"Yang!" Ruby rushed over and hugged the older girl from behind, startling her.

Her eyes widened a bit, "Ruby!? What are you doing out so late!? You're supposed to be in bed!" she scolded.

"I wanted to buy candy?" she meekly offered. She really needed to start coming up with good excuses ahead of time.

The girl, now identified as Yang, sighed and walked over to a black and yellow motorcycle parked against the wall. "We'll talk about this when we get back. Don't think this means you're off the hook." She narrowed her eyes when she caught sight of the boy and positioned Ruby behind her.

She noted the guy's build. He had perfect proportions from an aesthetic perspective. He had more scars than any boy his age should have, several on his arms, a couple on his torso, and even a nasty looking gash on the side of his neck barely obscured by a strange looking scarf. To sum it up, he looked like the kinda guy parents told their kids to steer clear of.

She was a bit unsettled to say the least that Ruby was walking with this guy late at night in an unknown city.

"Who're you?" she gruffly asked.

"He's a new friend I made!" Ruby gleefully answered for him. "He saved me from these explosions and we stopped a store from getting robbed but the bad guys got away and then this huntress arrived and she took us to meet Mister Ozpin and he offered us seat at Beacon and I accepted but he didn't and I was hoping you could show him what he's missing out on!" She finished her rambling and sucked in a big gulp of air.

"...What?" Yang was barely able to process the much shorter girl's sentence.

Ruby turned to the boy who was now looking at the girls dubiously. "You like to fight, right?"

He nodded.

She turned to Yang, "And you told me you were trying to get some practice in before initiation."

"Yes?"

She clapped her hands and jumped in the air whilst giggling. "Perfect! You two can fight each other, and if Yang wins then you come to Beacon!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Hold up for just a second." He made a time-out sign with his hands. "Who is this and why would I attend Beacon if she beats me?"

Ruby proudly gestured to the blonde, "This is my big sister, Yang! She's going to Beacon this year, too!"

Yang gave a fake smile before trapping Ruby in a one armed hug. She dug her finger into the soft cheeks of her baby sister. "Ruby Rose," she half growled. "What did I tell you about talking to strangers out in the streets at night?"

She squirmed in Yang's embrace. "Uh... to kick them between the legs if they offer me candy and then take the candy? But this is good, Yang! He's really nice and strong like you!"

The boy rolled his shoulders and stretched his fingers. "I don't mind, honestly. So how about it." He grinned violently once more. "You wanna fight, too?"

Yang let go of Ruby and stared at the boy before her lips stretched into a wide smile just as savage as his own. "If you're that eager to kiss the concrete, sure, I'll play with you. But let's go somewhere a little more quiet."


An empty deserted lot...

They relocated to an empty area behind some buildings that were closed for the day. No one was around to disrupt this little fight.

Yang stretched her arms behind her back, releasing the tension when she heard a satisfying *crack.*

"Before we do this, you got a name, handsome?"

He slipped off his sandals, "Oh yeah, I never did mention it, did I? My name is Natsu Dragneel."

Ruby raised her hand, "Wait, doesn't that mean-"

"Summer?" Natsu finished. "Gotta hand it to whoever named me. It fits considering my abilities and all." He stood up stand with his arms rested at his sides. "So you ready to do this? I still haven't eaten dinner yet."

Yang settled into an orthodox full-contact karate stance with her dominant right positioned a little further back than her left fist. "You shouldn't wait so long to eat dinner. It'll mess up your sleeping habits.

I don't see any weapons on you. You're gonna fight barehanded?"

Natsu raised his guard, "You don't have to worry about me. Because I'm probably stronger than y-"

The concrete shattered beneath Yang's feet as she burst forward. She threw a right straight before following up with her left.

Twisting his body to the corresponding sides, he dodged out of her range before the strikes could make contact. He crushed the ground beneath his right foot while stomping forward and launched a right uppercut in response.

Yang leaned back and the fist narrowly missed her chin for a knockout blow. Rather than recover her upright position, she opted to continue with her falling momentum and flipped backwards about a meter or two just in time to avoid the axe kick that split the ground she was standing on moments earlier.

He didn't let up and continued with an unnaturally fast straight punch.

Her vibrant eyes briefly dilated and then focused as she tracked his movement with equally unnatural kinetic vision. She ducked under his arm and grabbed the collar of his coat along with the scarf. She clenched the sturdy cloth with her fist and hooked her legs around the back of Natsu's knees.

His body began to tip forward as Yang skillfully executed a pin maneuver with the intentions of slamming him to the ground with her on top.

The grin on her face shifted to an irritated frown when the boy easily stopped the momentum.

He looked down at her, recognizing her skill. "Not a bad move. Been a while since I've fought someone competent at martial arts.

Too bad it didn't work though." He raised his right fist. "You're just too light."

He struck her. And she struck back in response in at the same exact moment. Using the leg she had hooked around his knee for leverage, she followed up with blitzing roundhouse kick with her free right leg.

A powerful gust of wind swept throughout the alley way from the force of their connected attacks.

Natsu had managed to block the kick with his trapezius muscle, preventing it from reaching his temporal lobe or neck like originally intended.

Yang, in turn, had twisted her head in the direction of his punch. In doing so, she managed to get off with just a glancing blow to her cheek.

The disengaged from each other and created some distance. A single thought running through their minds.

'Shit, that actually hurt!'

'Goddamn, that actually hurt!'

They instantly charged forth once more. Their fists met in the middle. Seeing that it may have been too early in the fight to pull off a finisher, they opted for raising the speed and number of their attacks.

The air between them became a storm of brutal shockwaves. They used every technique in the book. Neither fighter was aiming for a vital area, rather they simply aimed for any part of the body in general. Whoever landed the most hits would be better able to chain into a combo to shut the other down.

Yang dodged a palm strike that formed a breeze through her long hair. Her eyes instinctively tracked his attack as it went past her, preventing her from reacting to the second straight punch from his right that impacted against her cheek.

Where countless others would've knocked out then and there, she caught the arm and spun in close to his range, using his own momentum to amplify the force of her elbow to his sternum.

He grunted as a flash of pain spread across his chest. Yang used the opportunity to deliver a swift vertical fist to the center of his face.

Natsu skidded back until his toes gripped the concrete. Blood spurted from his nose.

Within that same second, he disappeared from her vision. Like a ghost, he reappeared in front of her and struck her with a monstrous side kick straight to her ribcage.

She crashed into the wall and gasped as the air escaped her lungs. A crater spread throughout the area of impact, leaving the side of the building looking like it was about to turn to rubble at any second. Clouds of dust filled the lot and made it harder to see what was going on in the dark area with only the moon for a source of light.

'Crap, I went too far,' Natsu cursed mentally. 'I have to go find a nearby hospital... Oh... I guess this means... Ruby won't want to be my friend anymore...' The fire breather suddenly felt rather conflicted for a reason he could not identify.

Yang burst out from the obscured shadow and launched her fist down at her opponent. Either due to his surprise, her speed, or a combination of the two, Natsu was unable to react to the strike that buried his head into the ground. Yet another crater several times his size ripped through the ground beneath him.

She was breathing heavily. "You know *haa* you shouldn't *haa* let yourself be distracted like that."

As if he couldn't surprise her even more, Natsu responded. "Sorry. You're right. I haven't had this much fun all year." He gripped her wrist and slowly pulled her fist off his face despite her resistance. It wasn't the fact that he was still conscious that surprised her.

No. It was the expression on his face as he stared into her eyes.

Even as blood flowed down his face from her attack, he grinned ear to ear, showing a strong set of unusually sharp teeth.

He looked absolutely exhilarated.

She pulled her fist back and drew some distance. Natsu got back to his feet in one fluid movement. He wiped the blood off his face.

Natsu smiled at her. She couldn't help but smile back.

The air between them started to heat up. Ruby watched the entire fight unfold a short distance away. Her silver eyes were alight with awe.

They slowly walked to the center of the crater and stood in front of each other. Yang pulled her right fist back, palm facing upwards, and forearm adjacent to her obliques. She held out her left palm in front of her. Natsu raised his right fist close to his chin and kept his left fist lowered in a close guard.

They attacked at the same time. One attack became two. Two attacks became four. Ten attacks became a hundred. The two brawlers met each other blow for blow.

A minute passed. Finally, Yang struck Natsu with a front kick that sent him flying away. She buckled over and put her hands on her knees for support, trying to catch her breath while she had the chance.

Natsu felt the area Yang had kicked him. He tightened his core at the last second to guard against the attack. "Feeling tired already?"

Yang started to shake. Then she broke into a bout of elated laughter. "PFFFT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

A fearsome *BOOM* shook the ground. She ignited as her body was embraced by fire from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her hair. An aura of pure power seemed to emit from her. Burning red eyes promised ruination.

Natsu responded in kind. His entire being was enveloped in flames that scorched the ground around him. The fire focused around his arms and he crouched in a lower stance.

A flash of light lit up the area as their fists collided. The opposing forces cancelled out. The sleeve of Yang's jacket was burned off. Natsu's coat was ripped off.

They each finalized their counter. Yang initiated another roundhouse kick. Natsu commenced an uppercut.

And both of their attacks were blocked.

Professor Ozpin stood in between them. He had caught Yang's foot with his left hand and Natsu's fist with his right.

"I believe that is enough for tonight, don't you think?"

Natsu's eyes widened, 'When the hell did he get here?'

Yang lowered her leg, "Hey... professor. Fancy seeing you here..."

"Oh, yes." Goodwitch retorted, stepping over the broken pieces of rubble. "We grew rather curious at the sound children illegally fighting out in the streets at night."

Natsu didn't meet the lady's eyes. Yang was suddenly demure. Ruby looked like she wanted to run and hide.

Ozpin chuckled, "Well, no harm, no foul."

Goodwitch glared at him, "You can not be serious."

The man pretended to not hear her, "Hello, Miss Xiao Long. I believe you are attending Beacon Academy on a scholarship, correct?"

"...Yes?"

"Then I'm sure you're pleased to learn that your younger sister will be doing the same."

Yang froze.

'Ruby? Scholarship?'

'Beacon Ruby'

'Pink haired guy going to Beacon, Ruby's new friend.'

'Ruby's making friends.'

'= Baby Sister coming to Beacon with me...'

She squealed with joy and scooped up her little sister in a big hug that Ruby desperately struggled to escape.

Ruby's voice was muffled by a pair of mountains, "Yang... I can't breathe..."

"Just a little longer. I'm just so so so HAPPY! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I did." Ruby wheezed.

Natsu picked up the torn remains of his coat and brushed off the dirt and gravel before putting it back on. He'd fix it whenever he gets the chance. He noticed Ozpin smiling at him. "What?" he asked.

"You know... Beacon is a combat school. The strongest youth in your generation will all be gathered in one place with the goal of becoming even stronger. You can be a part of that if you choose to."

He furrowed his brow, "Just a fair warning. I've never been to school. I barely figured out how to read and write a year ago."

"That's fine."

"Are there really strong people at Beacon? Like her." He pointed at Yang.

She shrugged, "Honestly, I'd say I'm rather exceptional."

Ozpin leaned forward, "I can assure that you'll be granted the opportunity to face off against the strongest creatures in this world. Man and beast alike."

"You ever see a dragon before?"

The elderly man blinked at this and took a while to answer, looking at him rather strangely for once. "I've... heard of one. I pray that it was just a myth. But what does that have to do with-"

"Never mind, old man." Natsu brushed him off. "I'll try out this school of yours. Just don't blame me if your office gets set on fire."

His lips quirked up and his amused eyes looked at the boy in front of him through tinted glasses. "I suppose that'll just be another lesson, won't it?"

"Great!" Ruby clapped her hands together. "Let's go get ice cream to celebrate!"

Yang picked Ruby up under her now sleeveless arm and secured her. "You are coming with me back to our room. You'll brush your teeth and go to bed."

"But-!"

Her sister ignored her protest and turned to the professors, bowing her head slightly. "Sorry for the trouble. Have a good night."

"Good night to the two of you as well." Ozpin reciprocated.

Goodwitch sighed, "Well, as long as this night finally ends."

"Goodnight! Goodnight Natsu!" Ruby waved as Yang carried her off.

"Catch you later, Cherry Blossom!" Yang waved as well.

Natsu waved them off, a quiet smile on his face. He looked at the radiant moon. It's beautiful, gentle light illuminating his surroundings. Today had been a good day, so he yelled at the heavens.

"I'M FIRED UP!"


Ruby Rose

Height: 147cm

Weight: 39kg

Eye Color: Silver

Hair Color: Black fading to Red

Age: 12

Weapon: Crescent Rose, a High-Caliber Sniper/Scythe Hybrid

Semblance: Petal Burst. Allows Ruby to travel at inhuman speeds even by Huntsman standards, The semblance leaves red rose petals in its wake, hence the name.

Favorite Food: Cookies


Yang Xiao Long

Height: 181cm

Weight: 78kg

Eye Color: Violet

Hair Color: Golden Blonde

Age: 17

Weapon: Ember Celica, Dual Ranged Shotgun Gauntlets, will reduce just about anything to rubble after a few good hits.

Semblance: Burn. She becomes stronger and faster the more damage she recieves, rapidly boosting her power to levels that shouldn't exist for humans, becoming engulfed in flames with eyes of burning red.

Likes: Her family, her baby sister, Zwei, fighting, mechanics, cooking, a good fight, adventures, epics, puns, and cookies.

Dislikes: Sitting around, paperwork, people who threaten Ruby, people who threaten Ruby and are still alive.


Natsu Dragneel

Height: 181cm

Weight: 88kg

Eye Color: Black

Hair Color: Cherry Blossom

Age: ? ? ?

Weapon: None

Semblance: Fire?

Likes: A good fight

Dislikes: Transportation


Ozpin

Height: 188cm

Weight: 80kg

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Silver

Age: ? ? ?

Weapon: ? ? ?

Semblance: ? ? ?

Likes: Coffee