Outworld Huntsmen

A/N: Waddup my peoples. It's your boy, TheBlueInk, coming at you with another chapter! Nice to see new people coming in and enjoying the story.

This one's a bit of a cool-down from the excitement of the previous chapters.

As you recall, our boys have entered the world of Remnant. They gained the approval of Professor Ozpin, gotten the hang of their Aura, acquired new weapons, and made preparations for Beacon.

Now, Sonic and his friends are well on their way to the legendary academy. What awaits them at this prestigious combat school? Who will they meet? What kind of relationships will form? And what kind of trouble will they get into?

Find out the answers to all these questions…right now!

You'll also notice how the title of this chapter is slightly changed from the original RWBY episodes—just something for the fun of the story.

You know the drill. Read n' Review.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

To the Shining Beacon

Part 1

The cloud housed themselves in the spring, with the great Sun shining overhead as a giant airship soared over the city of Vale.

Inside the airship, numerous youths stood in their own space, conversing with one another and going about their business. One pair, in particular, did the opposite. With a bright smile on her face and her eyes lit, Yang threw herself and wrapped her arms around tight around Ruby. The smaller girl squeaked and gasped for the precious air that was being crushed out of her body.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me!" Yang said. Her smile became more expansive, and she hugged Ruby even tighter. "This is the best day ever!"

Ruby squirmed under Yang's arms. "Please stop…" she said, her voice in a raspy gasp. Ruby gritted her teeth with her eyes rolling up as Yang continued to hold her close.

Near the seats at the front end of the airship's interior, Sonic stood with Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow at his side. He watched as the taller blonde squeezed the poor girl and straightened the white and blue-striped sleeveless hoodie over his white t-shirt. On the shirt was a blue stylized and italicized 'S' symbol with a pair of blue quills at the top.

"Looks like she's got her hands full, huh?" Sonic said. He had one hand on his hip, while another carried a large blue duffle bag over his shoulder. "Didn't know she had a sister going here too." He tapped the tip of one of his Blue Zephyr against the floor.

Knuckles stepped up and looked at the girls from next to Sonic. He fixed his new brown vest and adjusted the new green belt of his pants. The buckle of the pants housed a stylized symbol of his spiked fist surrounded by flames. He was armed with his Red Vulcan.

"Can't believe that Oz guy let a kid like her in the school," he said, holding a large red duffle bag. "She doesn't look a day older than you, Sonic. And judging by the tender moment over there, I'd bet she's as much of a dork as you are."

Sonic's eyes snapped open at the remark. "Hey! Who are you callin' a dork?" Sonic barked.

A groan emerged, and the boys looked to see Yang release Ruby from her grip.

"But I'm so proud of you," Yang said, still smiling.

"Really, Sis, it was nothing…" Ruby muttered. Her softened eyes and lowered brows synced with her frown.

Yang held her hands up. "What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees, especially with how you took on the most dangerous criminal in Vale, Roman Torchwick!"

Ruby shook her head, flustered. 'I don't want to be the 'bee's knees,' okay?" she said, lowering her head. "I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just wanna be a normal girl with knees."

Behind the girls, Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow noticed the forlorn look on Ruby's face. He folded his arm across his chest, flexing his hands in his black and red fingerless gloves. A smaller, short-sleeved version of his jacket was draped over the black sleeveless t-shirt he wore. His shirt bore a white patch that matched the chest fur of his hedgehog form. On the back of his coat was a grayish-black version of the Black Arms symbol. He held his Dark Chaos while a red and black duffle bag rested on his shoulder.

"She doesn't seem too happy," he said.

"It must be hard for her," Tails said, straightening out the yellow short-sleeved jacket draped over his white t-shirt before doing the same for his brown pants. On the left side of his coat was an orange stylized version of his tails symbols. Secured around his right arm was his Yellow Bolt in its deactivated gauntlet form. "From what Ozpin told us, he moved her up ahead of the other students. I guess she feels weird about it," he said as he adjusted the pair of blue aviator goggles secured around his head. Resting on his back was a yellow backpack.

In front, Yang held her arms out. "What's with you? Aren't you excited?" she asked Ruby.

"Of course I'm excited…" Ruby said with her head still low. "I just…" she sighed. "I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."

Yang softened her eyes, along with her smile, and walked towards her younger sister. Then, moving around Ruby, Yang wrapped her in a one-armed and pulled her close as her eyes met Ruby's.

"But you are special," she said.

Sonic smiled, seeing Yang hug her sister again, and he looked over to Tails and the others. "She's right. I don't normally see girls hold giant scythes that turn into guns. That's pretty special to me."

"Maybe to you, but things are different here," Shadow said. "Even children using weapons to warriors seems commonplace here. She likely doesn't want to give off the impression that she's favored."

A man's sounded, breaking the conversation as he spoke. Everyone in the ship turned attention to a large digital screen hovering in front of one of the windows. Displayed on the screen was the mugshot of Roman Torchwick, showing his scuffed face.

Sonic and the boys all looked at the mugshot, and Sonic creased his brow.

"Hey, that's—"

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorizes," man's voice said. The screen showed a brief recording of Ruby standing against men dressed in black, armed with her large, mechanical red and black scythe.

"Hey, there you are, Ruby," Yang said, smiling at seeing Ruby on screen.

Sonic looked at the screen, and his eyes stretched at the recording. Next, the screen showed a recording of Ruby standing next to Glynda Goodwitch on the ceiling as they watched a Bullhead aircraft fly into the distance.

"It was that same dude in the suit," Sonic said.

"Looks like that kid had a run-in with him too," Knuckles said.

Shadow stepped forward. "If this Torchwick can avoid arrest, command a gang, and enlist the aid of someone with power over fire, it's clear that he's more than a typical gangster. He's organized, highly organized."

"Especially if he's able to get a hold of a ship like that, not to mention the armored truck he had when we saw him in," Tails said.

"Another robbery the following week was done by those of Torchwick's gang but was halted by the efforts of four young men," the man's voice said.

The screen then switched to a new recording, showing the night Sonic his friends fought Roman's men. Sonic grinned as Tails and Knuckles laughed. At the side, Shadow raised a corner of his lip.

"Ah man, speak of the devil," Sonic said.

"Talk about getting our fifteen minutes," Knuckles said.

"You two seem to be taking this amount of exposure well…" Shadow said.

"They'll probably think that we were just Huntsmen in training, Shadow. I'm sure it'll be fine," Tails said.

Ruby watched from where she stood, eyes filled with bewilderment at the recording of Sonic and Shadow blitzing through the men on the screen. At the same time, she saw Tails and Knuckles hammer them with their combined attacks.

"Whoa," she said.

Yang looked at Ruby and then back to the screen. "Those are guys you told me about?" she said.

"Yeah. Oh, you should've been there, Yang," Ruby said. "They were moving so fast and making all these cool moves." She smiled with a slight giggle. "If only I could've met them that nigh—" Ruby's switched her eyes from the screen and came to see Sonic and the boys not far from her. Her eyes popped open. There they were, in the same ship with her. Her eyes switched frantically between the Sonic and the rest, and she jumped back. "Oh, god, there they are," she said with a whisper.

"Huh, where?" Yang said. She looked around the interior.

"There!" Ruby pointed to the right.

Looking to where Ruby pointed, Yang saw Sonic standing with his friends. "Oh. So that's them," she said. He examined the boys, noticing their clothes and appearance. "Well, I like their outfits," she chuckled. "And…am I crazy? Or does one of them have two tails?"

"Well, don't stare at them!" Ruby snapped and turned Yang away from the boys.

The digital screen returned to the image of Roman's mugshot as the man continued to speak.

"If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa," the man said.

The screen switched to a woman with lavender hair and amber eyes as she stood in the Vale News Network as the name, 'Lisa Silver,' appeared under her. Next to her was an image of Faunus demonstrators holding signs that read, "WE ARE NOT ANIMALS!"

"Thank you, Cyril," Lisa said. "In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony." As Lisa spoke, the image of the protesters faded and was replaced with a symbol of a large, vicious depiction of a wolf's head. The emblem was colored red like blood and bared three scratch marks surrounding it.

"Jeez, get a load of that logo," Knuckles said. "Looks like those guys have issues."

"No kidding. I know a cult symbol when I see one," Sonic said.

"That, or a terrorist organization," Shadow said, looking at the symbol. "The G.U.N. handles them almost every day, and this one qualifies."

"The White Fang was made in response to the mistreatment of Faunus kind," Tails said. "At first, they were peaceful, but they became more aggressive over time," Tails said. "Apparently, some of them felt that progress was going too slow."

"So they decided the best thing to do was take what they wanted by force," Sonic said, placing a hand on his hip.

"And now they're trashing protests and making headlines," Knuckles said. He crossed his arms and sighed, "Man, it really never stops here, does it?"

"The once peaceful organization has disrupted…" Lisa continued to speak. Without warning, her voice canceled with the newsfeed cutting off, and the digital screen disappeared.

A hologram of Glynda Goodwitch formed in its place, at the people turned their attention to it.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon," Glynda said.

"Hey, check it out," Sonic said, pointing to the hologram. "It's our favorite Good Witch of the South."

From her spot, Yang looked raised a brow. "Who's that?" she asked."

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch," the hologram introduced.

"Oh."

"You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy," Glynda announced. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world."

At the last word, the hologram vanished. Sonic grinned and rubbed a finger against the tip of his nose.

Ruby looked out the wind as everyone gasped in awe. She, Yang, and the rest of the soon-to-be students ran up the windows and looked outside.

"Oh, wow," Ruby said. She and Yang looked along with other passengers with wide eyes and bright smiles. She looked down from the window view, seeing the city of Vale pass by below her. "Look, you can see Signal from up here. I guess home isn't too far after all."

Yang walked over and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Beacon's our home now," she said. Ruby turned her head and smiled at her sister.

Not far from Ruby and Yang, Sonic and the boys look into the distance. Around them rested a large body of water surrounded by rock walls with a foundation situated at a cliff's edge. Several docking bays rested at the top edge of the cliffside, with more docking bays residing at the waters below.

"Whoa. Look. We're almost there," Tails said, looking with his hands on the window.

"Must be some school if it's near a cliff like that," Knuckles said.

"Can't wait to land," Sonic said. "I gotta check this place out."

The youths looked at the window as the airship was flying over the water. A groan emerged, and they turned their heads to the noise. Behind them, a blonde boy hunched over and covered his mouth with his hands. Turning around, he stumbled past the crowd, and he ran to the back of the ship.

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

"It was a nice moment while it lasted," Ruby said. The airship slowly approached Beacon Academy in the distance.

"I wonder who we're gonna meet," Yang said.

"I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy," Ruby said.

"What about those guys over there," Yang said. She looked at Sonic and his friends, who continued to stare out the window. "It'd be nice for you actually to try and get to know people."

Ruby jumped at Yang's words and pushed her away. "Shut up!" she squeaked. "I don't need to—" Her eye then darted to Yang's feet, and she saw specks of dark green on her brown boots. "Oh, Yang! Gross, you got puke on your shoe!"

"What?" Yang looked down. Her eyes bugged, and she stuck out her tongue, gagging at the regurgitated stain. "Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" She began to hop on one foot, flinging the other foot around in hopes of removing the stain.

"Get-Get way!" Ruby cried out. She back away from Yang, but Yang inadvertently bounced closer to Ruby in her hobble, prompting her to run away even further from her. "Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!"

Sonic and his friends watched the girls run and bounce back and forth to and away from each other.

"Oho, man. You just know it's never gonna be a dull moment at this place," Sonic said, chuckling through his teeth.

"No, no, it certainly won't," Shadow said.

The airship continued to fly over the waters towards the cliff that housed the Huntsmen Academy. It drew closer and closer and because of a grey dot on the horizon.

Moments passed, and the massive airship hovered before settling at one of the docking bays strips of the cliffside in front of the academy.

Inside the ship, at the door leading to the ship's exit, the people walked out. At the same, the blonde boy rushed through the crowd towards the nearest trashcan. He hunched over with his head, leaned inside, and retched. Gurgled groans sounded with his regurgitation of the contents of his stomach into the trashcan. His hurling subsided, and he groaned in recovery from his failed battle with airsickness.

The students continued to walk outside on the metal walkway that extended from the airship and connected to docking bays. Ruby skipped with a pep in her step and her hands behind her back while Yang walked behind.

Following behind them, Sonic walked ahead with Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow proceeding. They carried their respective bags over their shoulders. Sonic looked around. His green eye took in the sights of the expansive courtyard of the school, the luscious green grass, and stones on the ground. He smiled as Tails and the others came to his side.

Ruby and Yang stopped in their path, and the student cadets passed them by. They looked ahead and took in sight before them: Beacon Academy.

"Wow…" Ruby and Yang said in unison. They looked from the array of the tall, castle-like buildings to the massive tower behind them. Inside the near top of the tower were a collection of glowing green spheres.

"The view in Vale's got nothing on this," Yang said.

Sonic and the boys stopped behind them.

Knuckles shielded over his eyes with his hand, and he looked up at the tower. "Man, get a look at this place, and get a look at that," he said.

"No kidding," Sonic said, looking at the tower. "Got the whole place lookin' like a castle."

Tails stepped in between Sonic and Knuckles and set his sights on the towers. "It's pretty cool, isn't it?" he said. "Before we left the island, I did a little reading up on Beacon. That over there is the main tower of the academy: Beacon Tower."

"What's special about the tower?" Shadow said, folding his arms.

"The tower is crucial for the Kingdom of Vale. It helps maintain the Cross Continental Transmit System, supported by the main Academy towers of the other three Kingdoms. It helps create a wireless network for communication around the world. The Kingdom of Atlas created it."

"That's pretty snazzy," Sonic. He switched his gaze from the tower to Ruby and Yang in front. "But, I think, our Red Riding Hood over there is more interested in something else," he said, jutting a thumb to the sisters.

Ruby's silver eyes lit up. They grew more prominent with every student who passed her, focusing on their weapons. Erupting into a small fit of adorable squeaks and gasps, Ruby's entire physiology shifted and compressed, shirking down into a more diminutive form that floated in mid-air as stars filled her eyes. Yang looked at the now smaller Ruby, eyes narrowed and mouth agape, disturbed at her sister's tiny appearance.

"Ohmygosh, sis!" Ruby squealed in a whisper as a young man walked by with a staff in hand. "That's kid got a collapsible staff!" She waved her arm in a blur in the boy's direction. Quickly turning her head, she saw a young woman walk by her with a sword in her hand. She jumped onto Yang's arm, still star-struck and gasping. "And she's got a fire sword!"

Ruby jumped off of Yang's arm and fluttered by her feet in the air towards the girl. Following, Yang reached and grabbed Ruby her hood before she pulled her back. The tug at her cape snapped Ruby out of her moment of bewilderment and back to her regular-sized form.

Knuckles raised a brow and shook his head while looking at the girls. "Okay, how did she do that?"

"I'm guessing physics are on leave in this dimension," Shadow said, craning his neck."

Ruby whimpered like a puppy once free, now captured. "Ow! Ooww! Yang…!" she whined.

"Easy, little sister. They're just weapons," Yang said and let Ruby go.

Ruby turned her head as she said, "Just weapons? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool." She reached out her arms and brought them with her firsts into her chin in her fawning.

"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?"

At the question, Ruby reached under her hood and took out her collapsed red and black sniper. With a flick of her wrist, the sniper moved and extended into the form of a large scythe. "Of course, I'm happy with Crescent Rose. I just really like seeing new weapons, too," she said. "It's like meeting new people… but better…, and I don't have to interact….," her voice became lower with eyes, and hung her as her eyes narrowed."

Tails looked at Ruby's scythe from where he stood, eyes widened with bewilderment. "Whoa! That's a pretty cool scythe," he said.

"Isn't she overdoing it by wielding something of that size?" Shadow asked.

"Heck no," Knuckles said. "With all of the monsters here, I say go big or go home."

Ahead, Yang snickered at her sister. She reached out and grabbed the end of Ruby's hood playfully pulled over her face.

"Ugh, Yang!" Ruby griped. She stumbled by with her vision blocked.

"Ah, C'mon, Ruby. Why don't you go try and make some friends of her own?"

Ruby settled her footing and took her hood from over her head. She flipped her great scythe to its collapsed state and locked it at her back. "But, why would I need friends when I have you?" She asked, looking at Yang.

"Uh…about that…well…"Yang gave a small laugh. She struggled with her words. From nowhere…a group of students appeared behind and around her, striking different poses. "Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya. Bye!' She spoke and waved to Ruby. In a blur, Yang and her friends dashed off.

Ruby spun from the speed at which they zipped by her and down the road towards the amphitheater.

"Yang! Yang, wait!" Ruby cried, still spinning.

"Ah, man, poor kid just got ditched," Knuckles said with a laugh."

"Where are you going?" Ruby said. Her spinning slowed and stopped. Her eyes spiraled, and she stumbled backward, dizzy from her twirling. "Are supposed to go to our dorm? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" Ruby continued to reel. Behind her, a luggage cart rolled by as Ruby stumbled backward. "I don't know what I'm doing…"

Sonic noticed the luggage cart behind. "Hey. Hey!" he called, reaching an arm out.

His words failed to reach her, and she fell back, careening into the luggage cart with a loud thud. Several white cases flew up and over from the impact and clacked onto the stone ground.

Sonic winced upon Ruby hitting the ground. "Oooh, that wasn't pretty."

"The first day of school is always the hardest," Tails said.

"Hey! You!" A shrill voice shouted.

Sonic and the boys turned their attention to the voice. They looked ahead, seeing a pale-skinned girl in white dress a storm towards Ruby. Her long white hair in a ponytail bounced in her walk as her white wedged-heeled boots clicked against the ground.

"And it looks like things about to get worse," Shadow said.

The girl approached Ruby and stood over her. "What do you think you're doing?" she said.

Ruby fumbled and got up on her hands. "Oh! Uh…sorry," Ruby said, looking at the girl.

"Sorry?!" The girl snapped and pointed the finger at Ruby. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could've caused?"

Knuckles looked at the two girls. He set his eyes on the other girl's strapless dress white dress and matching bell-sleeve bolero over it. He then focused his attention on the silver-gray rapier that rested on her hip. "Oh, great. Just every academy needs….the rich kid." Knuckles sneered. He noticed the large, white snowflake emblem on the back of the bolero.

"You're not a fan of the upper crust, Knux?" Sonic said.

"I can never stand those fancy types." Knuckles said. "Anyone who dresses that nice is always a headache."

In front of the girl, Ruby picked up one of the white cases on the ground. "Uuhhh..."

"Gimme that!" the girl said. She snatched the case from Ruby's hand and opened it. Inside, vials of different colored powered substances topped with rubber corks rested in the slots. "This is Dust — mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"

Ruby titled and placed a hand on her head. "Uuuhhh…"

"What are you, braindead?" the girl said. She reached in the case took a vial of Fire Dust. "Dust!" she snapped and closed the case shut, causing clouds of Water Dust to rush outside. "Fire, water, lightning, energy!" With every word, she shook the bottle in her hand. As she did, its contents flew out in the form of large, waving clouds.

Rose pushes herself up off the ground. "I-I know…" she said, her voice meek from the other's yelling. Ruby stood to her feet, and the Dust clouds moved towards her and flew in her face. Ruby's nose twitched, and she inhaled the energy propellant through her nostrils. She coughed when the Dust was taken into her.

"That can't be good," Shadow said as he looked.

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be inhaling that much Dust," Tails said.

In front, the girl placed a hand on her hip and sneered at Ruby, and set down the case she was holding.

"Hey! Are you listening?!" she said. "Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ruby coughed, inhaling more Dust clouds. Her nose twitched with the energy clouds tickling her nostrils. She reeled her head back and shot down with a loud "ACHOO!" She sneezed, and the clouds erupted into in massive blast of fire, lightning, and ice. A thunderous boom ranged throughout the courtyard and enveloped Ruby and the girl. A bottle of Dust flew up in the air out of the smoke and over the square.

A strong rushed the blast, and Sonic and the boy braced themselves, shielding themselves from the light formed by the explosion with a draft blowing back their hair and clothes.

Sonic looked over his arm at the explosion. He saw the flames flare, the ice freezing, and the lightning crackling within the great puff of smoke.

"Huh, déjà vu," he said. His mind flashed back to the image of him and Shadow having their own explosive encounter with Dust weeks prior.

"Sheesh, those things got some kick to em'." Knuckles said as he lowered his arm.

"I guess I forgot to mention that Dust in all forms is highly volatile," Tails said.

The explosion died down, and the smoke began to fade. The bottle of Dust flew through the air and landed on the ground. It bounced and rolled until it bumped into pair of black low-heeled boots.

A fair-skinned girl reached down and picked up the bottle while reading a book she held in her other hand. She took her amber eyes away from the page she was reading and examined the bottle, noticing the white snowflake emblem on the front. A faint growl emerged from the side of her, and she turned to attention to the scene. The smoke faded away completely, revealing Ruby and the girl, intact despite the explosion but covered in black soot, which faded moments after the smoke.

"Unbelievable!" the girl said. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

Knuckles shook his head at the girl's complaining. "Unreal," he said. "She's still giving the kid grief. That's it…" He set his duffle bag over his shoulder walked over towards the scene.

Tails flinched and watched Knuckles over to the two girls. "Knuckles, wait! Oh, man…"

"Well, this isn't gonna go well," Sonic said.

"With him, does it ever?" Shadow said.

Ahead, the girl stomped her feet. In front of her, Ruby lowed her head and looked at her with softened eyes. She pressed the tip of her fingers together.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby said.

"Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here?" the girl said, "Aren't you a little young be attending Beacon?!"

"Uh…Well, I-I…" Ruby stammered and looked at the ground.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know!" The girl folded her arms across her chest. "We're here to fight monsters, so… watch where you're going!"

"Ey, can you shut up?!" Knuckles' voice shouted from a distance.

The girl turned her head with wide eyes, and Ruby did the same. They saw Knuckles walk through the courtyard, with the girl looking at him with her eyes furrowed and mouth agape.

"Excuse me?!" the girls said, incensed.

"I said shut up," Knuckles barked. He walked over to Ruby's side and stared the white-haired girl in the eyes, creasing his brow. "You've done nothing except moan and whine for the last minute." He walked over and moved up to the girl's face. "The kid already said she was sorry, so back off, Snow White!"

Ruby jolted at the tone in Knuckle's voice and looked at how he starred the other girl down.

The girl stepped back and placing her hand on her collarbone. "Snow White? H-how dare you?!" she snapped and threw down her arms with a stop of her foot. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Knuckles folded his arms. "One loud-mouthed brat?"

The girl's eyes snapped wide open with her brown snapping together, and she gnashed her teeth.

"The nerve," the girl growled. "I will not be disrespected like this, especially not from someone like you, you…you brute!" she pointed the finger at Knuckles.

Teeth gnashed, and his eyes flared, Knuckles bashed the front of his fists together. "Brute?!" he snapped. "That's it. I'm gonna enjoy this!" Rolling his hands tight, Knuckles stepped up to the girl and pulled back his right arm for a wallop.

The girl's blue eyes bugged at Knuckles. She stepped back and crossed her arms over herself with a whimper.

"Wait! Wait!" You don't have to!" Ruby yelled at Knuckles' side and held her hands up.

At the front of the courtyard, Sonic, Tails, and Shadow watched the scene unfold, gritting their teeth.

"And here we go," Shadow said, crossing his arms.

"Ah, man. If Knux sends her into orbit, we'll get kicked outta here for sure." Sonic

Tails straightened his backpack on his shoulders. "I'll see if I can break it up." With a sprint, he took off. "Knuckles, wait!" he shouted.

At the upheaval, Knuckles took another step forward towards the girls who stepped back.

"Y-you wouldn't dare," the girl said.

"Oh, yeah?" Knuckles said.

He stepped forward and threw his fist straight. A loud 'smack' sound emerged, and the girl trembled and closed her eyes, and Ruby covered her mouth with her hands. The girl opened an eye and looked at her body. Her clothes were intact, and she felt no pain.

"Let go of me, Tails," Knuckles' voice said.

"Knuckles, you can't," Tails voice said.

The girl opened another eye at the second voice and looked ahead to find Knuckles restrained. Tails stood in front of Knuckles. His feet braced against the ground with his fingers locked onto his friend's arm to hold his fist.

"Ey, she's carrying that sword on her hip like she can back up that silver spoon-fed mouth! Let's see her use it," Knuckles said.

"Knuckles, calm down," Tails said. She strained to hold Knuckles back. His arms and legs buckled under his friend's strength. He closed his eyes turned his head to the girl. "I'm really sorry about this. I promise he's really a nice guy," he opened his eyes, "and we—"

Tails set his sights on the girl in front of him, and his eyes shot wide open. The air left his lungs, he froze in place, and his mind went blank, driving his speech to a halt. His eyes scanned over the girl's smooth pale skin, her blues eye and white hair, and her girlish face. He saw the scar running over her left eye, and a blush rushed throughout his cheeks. All grew quiet around Tails, even Knuckles grunting as he tried to force his way through him, and only the sound of his heart thumping came into his ears.

"We…we…we…" Tail stammered. The girl looked at him with a raised brow. The longer Tails looked at her, the hotter his face grew, and everything he saw became tinted in a pink haze. "Was she always this…pretty up close?" he said to himself.

Tails' heart pounded, and the rest of the world escaped, even Knuckles, who still fought to take a swing. The girl only squinted at Tails and returned her attention to Knuckles behind him.

"Anyways, I refuse to be assaulted by a hoodlum like you," she pointed to Knuckles and looked at Ruby, pointing to her, "or be unconceived be a dunce like you!"

Ruby gnashed her teeth, and her forehand creased as he tightened her hands into fists. "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"

"Its' heiress, actually," a voice said.

Ruby, Knuckles, and the girls all turned their heads to the voice. Tails snapped back to the world and shook his head. The blush on his face cleared, and he followed the gaze of the others.

Sonic and Shadow witnessed the fair-skinned girl approach the rest in front with the vial of Dust still in her hand. Shadow scanned the girl. He looked at the black bow on her head and the white cropped undershirt she wore with a black vest over it. He also noticed the white shorts, black stockings, boots, and katana-like weapon on her back that completed her look.

The girl stepped to the four in front of her. "Weiss Schnee," she said, holding up the bottle, "heiress to Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

"Finally! Some recognition!" Weiss said. She flashed a triumphant smile at Knuckles and Ruby, and Knuckles gnashed his teeth at her grin.

Tails' eyes bugged, and he looked at Weiss. "Wait, you're an heiress? And your company is a producer of Dust?"

Weiss retained her smile and faced Tails. "Not a producer of Dust; the producer of Dust. From crystals to powder, all Dust provided by the company is nothing short of the finest."

The black-haired girl flexed her eyes and Weiss' haughty tone and slightly turned her head to the side as she looked at her.

"It's also the same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

Weiss' smile deflated when the other girl finished speaking, and her brow snapped together. "W-what?!"

Knuckles grinned and broke out in laugher. "Hahahaha. Oh, I'll bet that hurts, princess."

"Quiet, you!" Weiss snapped, facing Knuckles before turning to face the girl. "Do you have something to say to me?" she asked in a harsh tone.

The dark-hair girl turned the Dust vial in her hand. "No. Your attitude speaks itself, as well as the people," her eyes narrowed at Weiss, "and Faunus who put themselves at risk to get only the finest Dust for your company."

Weiss growled at the girl's tone. She tightened her fists as her cheeks turned red, as Knuckles snickered, and Ruby chuckled at her side. Tails looked at Weiss, and his face softened at her expression. He blushed again and took his hands off Knuckles' arms before he stepped away.

Weiss growled as she starred the girl down. "How dare– The nerve of…" Her voice cut off. Her face still twisted with spite. She stepped up to the girl, getting close to her face, and snatched the bottle of Dust from her. She turned away from the girl and looked at Ruby, Knuckles, and Tails behind. "Hmph!" She scoffed with her up nose to the air and stormed further down the courtyard.

Sonic placed a hand on his hip and chuckled and chucked, seeing the black-haired watch Weiss leave with a huff. "Man, that girl's got some bite to her." He then looked to Shadow and then back to the girl. As he turned to Shadow again, his grin slid across his face. "Ey, maybe we should set you two up. You'd be that darkest, broodiest power couple of the school," he said and nudged elbow to Shadow's side.

Shadow's eyes snapped open at Sonic's words. They quickly their half-lidded, and Shadow stood, silent. He turned his head to Sonic, who retained his grin. Without warning, he jutted in his elbow straight into Sonic's stomach.

Sonic coughed with the wind being knocked out of him, and a jabbing pain rushed through his body. Eyes shut, he clutched his stomach.

"Can't you take a joke?" he wheezed, stumbling back.

"I'm going to take the others inside. When you're down a clown, you know where to find us." Shadow said.

Straightening his posture, Shadow flipped his duffle bag over his shoulder and began to make his way to the center of the courtyard.

Ruby looked with lowered, sad eyes as Weiss walked away and held out a hand to her. "I promise I'll make this up to you," she said. She sighed and lowered her head. Around her, a group of men gathered and picked up Weiss's luggage before placing them in carts and moving them away. "I guess I'm not the only one first day…"

"I wouldn't dwell on it, kid," Knuckles said. Ruby turned to find him walking to her side. "She ain't worth it."

"I don't know," Tails said. "I mean, I'm sure she can be nice…if given a chance." Another blush overtook his face.

Knuckles looked at Tails' reddening face and then at the now distant Weiss. He switched back to Tails. His brow raised, and his mouth went agape.

"Wait! Tails! Knuckles said. "Don't tell me you got a thing for that girl!"

Tails jumped with a flailing of his hands. "What? Who? Me? No! No, no, no!" He spoke fast, flustered and shaking his head, but his blush didn't leave his face. "It's just that…I-I…"

Behind them, Shadow reached the center of the courtyard. "Whatever you two are talking about, it's gonna have to wait," he said. Tails and Knuckles turned to his voice, seeing him walk past Ruby and the other dark-haired girl. Setting the strap of the duffle bag around his shoulders, he gripped Tails and Knuckles by their shoulders pushed them ahead of him. "We need to get inside. "Let's go."

"W-wait, Shadow," Tails said.

"Hey, don't push me, jerk," Knuckles barked.

Their protest fell on deaf ears, and Shadow continued to push them down the avenue towards the amphitheater.

Ruby and the other girl watched the boys become smudges in the distance. She frowned in seeing them leave. "So much for making new friends…" Ruby sighed. She looked to her right. "So, what's…?" Her voice cut off when she noticed the other girl walking far away from her to the amphitheater.

Sonic looked at her from where he stood. "Geez. Poor kid." He raised a corner of his lips and straightened his duffle bag on his shoulder. "Let's see if ol' Sonic can brighten up her day. With his lips forming a smile, Sonic walked over to Ruby.

A calm wind fell. Ruby stood, alone. Her frown not leaving, she collapsed to her knees. She then leaned back and fell onto the hard ground. Her silver eyes looked heavenward, seeing only the blue eyes above.

"Welcome to Beacon…" she said. Her voice was low, in sync with her dreary face. She closed her eyes and sighed.

She laid on the ground in silence. The sound of footsteps soon broke the quiet moment, and a shadow appeared over Ruby.

"Hey," a voice said to her. Ruby opened her eyes and saw a gloved hand reaching out to her. She followed the hand and saw the blonde boy from the airship looking at her. The boy gave a smile as Ruby looked at him. "I'm Jaune."

Ruby's smiled at Jaune's own friendly expression.

"Mind if I help?" another voice said.

Ruby looked in the direction of the voice and came to see Sonic walking over next to Jaune. He looked at Ruby and held out his hand. "After that little…mishap, I figured you could use a friend or two."

Ruby's smile grew wider. The two boys took her hand into theirs, and they pulled her up to her feet.

"Thanks, I'm Ruby, by the way," Ruby said. He fixed her posture upright and snickered when she turned to Jaune. 'Aren't you that guy who threw up on the ship?"

Sonic himself chuckled at Ruby's question. Jaune only groaned.

A/N: ALRIGHT! And there were have it. Another chapter down. Sorry that this one took so long. I had some business to take care of. I was initially going to make this as long as the original episode, but I felt this was an excellent place to cap off. I'll cover the rest in the next chapter. It'll probably just be a bit shorter too.

Anywho, it looks like things are picking up for our heroes. Poor Ruby is struggling to find her way, but I think Jaune and Sonic will help her through. I thought it would be funny for Knuckles to have some prejudice towards the rich while making Tails have a small thing for Weiss.

What'll happen next? Find out next time.

Until then,

Ink out!