This makes 5 chapters so far and I have hardly said a word about this story, why I'm writing it, where I plan to take it. So I thought that with this chapter finally picking up with Vol 1, I'd do just that. A little insight so you know what sort of roller coaster ride you are in for.

First off, this isn't going to be a fix-it fic. Not in the traditional sense. Not everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows due to the inclusion of a single Slayer, even if that Slayer is Buffy Ann Summers, amnesia or not. That said, there will be changes made. Different sacrifices. Different choices. Different roads. I'm sure most of you have already picked up on one major change to the Beacon Arc.

Another thing this story won't be is a full dark-no-stars tale. I've seen several of those from the RWBY fandom where Team RWBY is completely dismantled, our heroes choose to be villains, cowards, and traitors to their very own personal motivations. Or you get rocks falling and everyone dies. I generally dislike these stories as I read to be lost in a fantasy. I read RWBY for stories about kick ass girls killing monsters and beating up badguys. I don't want to be depressed by the fiction I read and I don't want to depress others with the fiction I write.

If you do want to see a well done dark RWBY fic, look to Butterflies and the subsequent sequels by TheVermilionRose. He does a great Sociopathic Ruby. Another good story with some dark twists is Of Red Petals and Black Feathers by Unseen Lurker. Both of these authors are easily in my top 5 for RWBY fics and I have to credit their stories with inspiring me to finally write my own.

Lastly, while Buffy/Summer will be playing a very important role in the resolution of the Salem Conflict, she won't be the be all end all final piece. She's not the hero of this story. That fate remains in the hands of the one predicted during the opening of the very first episode of Vol 1. The Simple Soul. And yes, that does mean I know exactly how this whole mess ends. You'll have to wait to see. She will be a lynch pin, advisor, and even plan maker but without Ruby, there is no victory.

Lastly, for those ten souls who are following this story at the time of writing this: Cthreen, Cyan-Snake, Diamidica, NeroSwordhunter, dragonslayerajahn, greygard917, kliric21, mollycain18, myersbrent95, and seraphal. Thank you for showing your support. It means the world to me.

Now, on with the events of Vol 1.

Chapter 5

Welcome to Beacon

Summer stood just beyond the landing platforms of Beacon as the first-year students arrive. Her combat outfit had arrived the day before and she was now wearing it out in public for the first time. The top consisted of a slate gray long-sleeved blouse with a high collar that opened at her throat. An over-the-bust corset in dark Sacramento Green with slate gray lacing acted like an outer shell. On either side of the corset, a Willow Tree could be found in India green. The rest of the corset's reinforced body had random patterns of slate gray giving it a hint of a camouflage pattern. Around her waist was a darker gray gun belt that held spare magazines of ammo. Below that, her outfit flared out in a combat skirt that shared the colors and semi-camouflage pattern of her corset, over top petticoats in a lighter gray. Her legs were encased in gray stockings only slightly lighter than the rest of her outfit with combat boots that came up to her mid-calf sporting a base of the dark Sacramento green with laces and soles of slate gray. Wrapped around her shoulders was a slate gray cloak patterned with leaves of different greens, the hood pooling in on itself as it lay against her back.

Summer was still trying to figure out how Mrs. Gray had convinced her to go with the combat skirt instead of pants. The entire outfit seemed so impractical when she had received it. Then she had put it on and discovered that not only was the entire ensemble more comfortable than any outfit she had worn previously but was easy to move in. How the seamstress created a corset that would both support her back but also allow her to bend in any direction was a mystery the Slayer wanted to solve.

On her back secured in a customized holster was her original weapon, the Slayer Scythe. At the small of her back, compacted into its carry configuration was her new weapon, Willow. It had taken her a full week in the forges to complete the construction of Willow, Velvet having refused to do more than supervise and consult. It would have taken much longer if Summer hadn't been a Slayer. It turned out more than one Slayer long past had forged their own weapons. While mecha-shift weaponry was completely new to Summer or any Slayer before her, the basics of hammering the steel and forging the blade were as universal as it could get. Her Slayer endurance had made staying in the heat of the forge almost trivial, though Velvet had to constantly remind her to drink water to stay hydrated.

Velvet had helped to keep her focused. Feeding her tips to improve the forging process or find parts she didn't need to forge from hand, Velvet had proven to be a cornucopia of information about weapons and how to build them. She'd explain how to operate the forges and what metals to use to forge the hardest but still flexible blade possible. Taught her how to keep the heat steady as she hammered out the blade or cast the barrel. Rifling the barrel had been a lesson in patience that Velvet had carefully taught her. What she wouldn't do, was assist in the actual forging and assembly. Willow was entirely Slayer-Made, perhaps the first Slayer-Made weapon in hundreds of years.

Summer had even made her own modifications to the original design that Velvet had produced. Rather than the original 5.7 rounds Velvet had intended her to use, Summer had modified it to use 5.56. With the added stopping power and range, she had more versatility at the cost of reduced ammunition per magazine. It was a trade-off she was happy with after Velvet introduced her to several images of flying Grimm. The change had thickened Willow's receiver slightly, but they had managed to make it work. The only downside from the change was that she had to build custom magazines for the top load lateral insertion system Willow used.

Summer watched as the new students headed deeper into the courtyard, quickly sorting themselves out into groups based on the schools they had gone to before Beacon. As impossible as it seemed, it was looking more and more likely that everyone knew someone at the Academy from before. Each time she saw someone that looked a little lost, she would move to head towards them, only to watch as they found a group of friends they knew and were whisked away. A small bit of defeat crept into her shoulders as they sagged as the scene repeated itself over and over.

Her eye was caught once again, this time by a blonde girl who was obviously older than herself leaving another girl behind. The smaller girl was dressed in all red and black with a red hooded cloak around her, the hood of which was pulled up over her head. She looked so lost and alone, that Summer couldn't help but feel for her.

As she started to approach the other girl, she watched as something that seemed so alike and yet different from one of her own muddled memories transpired. The forlorn girl tripped and fell backward into the luggage of a girl dressed all in white. Her hair was white as well. White enough to give purely driven snow fits of jealousy at something such a pure color. Summer mentally tagged her as Elsa in her mind as she watched anger flash across her face.

Summer could hear her, even from the fair distance she was from the mismatched pair. Elsa screaming at Red Riding Hood about dust and how volatile it was. Red trying to apologize. Elsa throwing out her name as if it gave her carte blanch to belittle anyone that didn't kowtow to her. Then the explosion.

Summer wasn't sure how it happened, not exactly. Elsa had been swinging around a jar of powdered dust, though. Then Red Riding Hood had sneezed and the world turned into fire, ice, and lightning around the would-be Ice Queen.

A moment later, more screaming, and accusations about Elsa's family from a third girl, this one looking for all the world like she was auditioning to be a living chess piece, and the commotion was over. Red Riding Hood was left alone and looking more dejected than ever as she watched as the two other girls turned and left after exchanging parting barbs at one another.

Taking a deep breath, with confidence she didn't entirely feel, Summer finished crossing the distance to the other girl. As she came upon the girl's left side she greeted Red with a simple, "Hi."

"Hi."

The voice caused Ruby to flinch. So embarrassed and terrified from her first encounter in Beacon, she didn't even bother looking at who was speaking to her as she replied rather morosely, "Hello."

A snort of amusement finally stirred Ruby enough to look up, getting ready to defend herself. Before she could utter a word, though, the new girl was already speaking. "Don't worry about Elsa," she said, holding out her hand to help Ruby up off the ground, "people like her either come around and wise up or they don't. Not much you can do about it either way."

Taking the offered hand, Ruby pulled herself up as she asked, "People like her? What do you mean by that?" She was surprised by how young-looking the girl helping her up appeared. She was even shorter than Ruby herself was.

"The kids that think mommy's money or daddy's name means they are special, that the world owes them something. Eventually, they figure out that none of that means a thing and they need to earn their own respect in the world or they don't," the blonde said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"How do you know?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow.

Summer laughed and shrugged her shoulders again. "I used to be her," she said with a shake of her head. "Learned a long time ago what matters is how I carry myself into the world, not money that Daddy has and I never once earned."

Ruby nearly exploded in confusion as her mouth ran away with her in a sudden burst of emotion. "But you're not any older than I am! What do you mean a long time ago?" No sooner were the words out of her mouth and Ruby had slapped her hands over her lips, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

Summer watched her for a moment, seeing the precise moment that Ruby had decided she had ruined whatever blossoming friendship this might have been as her shoulders started to sag. "I doubt that," she finally said with a teasing smile, "I'm only fifteen."

"WHAT!" Ruby couldn't help the scream that came out, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head. She quickly got control of herself and at a more civil volume said in a still excited tone, "You're the same age as me! Professor Ozpin invited me to join two years early, too."

"Huh," Summer said with a look towards the tower where Ozpin's office lay. "He didn't tell me there would be someone my age coming."

After a few moments of silence, Ruby held her hand out again, "Oh, um, I'm Ruby Rose."

"Summer Dawn," the blonde said taking Ruby's hand to shake it. "I've been living on campus for a few months now. Want me to show you around?"

Ruby nodded in agreement, happy that she had made at least one new friend.

The two youngest of Beacon's student body had spent the last hour walking around campus with Summer pointing out where the important things were. Their trip had almost been sidelined when Summer pointed out the forges. That had started a discussion on weapons that had continued all through the tour. Sitting side by side on one of the benches in the inner courtyard, Ruby finally raised the question of Summer's personal weapon.

"Well, I sort of have two," she said as she unhooked the Slayer Scythe from its custom sheath on her back and pulled it from under her cloak. She held the red weapon out in both hands, presenting it to Ruby.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Ruby said as she looked it over. She glanced up to Summer, asking with her eyes if she could examine it, getting a shrug in return.

Taking it in her hands, the first thought Ruby had was that it was heavier than she thought it would be. Running her fingers along the blade, she noticed there were no scratches, no grooves, marks, or other signs

of wear that a weapon gets over time. The metal shaft felt similarly pristine as she ran one hand across it, both inside the secondary grip behind the blade and further down. "This is amazing, an axe, a short spear, and even a mace all in one weapon without mechashift," Ruby said in wonder. "I have to ask, why a wooden stake? Wouldn't steel or titanium have been a better choice?" She asked as she handed it back to Summer.

"Wasn't my choice, I didn't forge the Slayer's Scythe," Summer answered.

The way she said its name gave Ruby a small tingle along her spine. She knew names could hold power, particularly the name of a weapon. Almost instinctually she knew this name held significance.

As Summer slid her axe-hybrid back under her cloak she further explained, "It was forged for the first in my line so far back no one really remembers it. I only know the name of the first to use it. Sineya."

The name of Summer's ancestor sent another chill up Ruby's spine. Shrugging it off, she reached behind her and pulled out her sweetheart, unfurling Cresent Rose into its full scythe formation. "Well, I have this," she said with a small smile that only grew when she saw the sparkle in the eyes of Summer.

"Oh, my, god," Summer said as her face lit up. "Now that is a scythe. Did you build it yourself?"

Ruby nodded in pride as she ran a hand down the length of Cresent Rose's shaft. "This is Cresent Rose, she's not just a scythe but also a high impact sniper rifle. And I didn't just build her, I designed her from the ground up based on my Uncle's weapon."

"She's gorgeous," Summer said appreciatively. Reaching under her cloak again, she brought out out a rectangular shape of green and gray. It unfurled into an assault rifle, that she held easily in her arms. "This is Willow. I just finished her last week. I didn't design her, well not all of her. Velvet helped me with that, she's a second-year student. I did build her, though. She's a high-velocity rifle with burst fire and full-auto modes that also turns into a hand and a half sword," she explained as she put Willow through her mechashift that ended with Willow in her sword configuration. "When Professor Ozpin offered to let me live here and become a student I realized I'd need something more than just an axe to keep up with everyone."

Ruby nodded as her critical eye examined Willow. The shift was flawless, with no pieces moving too slow or hanging up. The blade looked beautiful and she could see how even in sword form, dust rounds could be fired to give unique effects to the blade. Her eyes not leaving the weapon, Ruby worried at her lower lip. Having someone her own age here at the Academy was a welcome surprise. Like a gift that she had received from nowhere, she treasured it immediately. She also had questions, so many questions.

"Go ahead and ask," Summer suddenly said. Ruby's head shot up in surprise to find Summer smiling. "You've got that look that says you want to ask something but are afraid of being rude. Go ahead and ask."

Ruby gulped and prepared to ask her question when her eyes suddenly fixed on the top of Summer's head. Eyes popping open, a question shot out of her mouth without thinking. "You have cat ears?!" At that precise moment, something else caught her attention causing her eyes to go even wider. "And a tail! You have cat ears and a tail!"

Summer started to chuckle, one of her ears flicking of its own accord, "Yes, I'm a Faunus. Are you only now realizing that, Ruby?"

"Yeah," Ruby said feeling a little uncomfortable after her outburst. "I mean, I don't really care if someone is Faunus or not. And we were having so much fun talking about weapons and designing and building them, I guess I just didn't notice"

Summer grinned, holding up one hand. "That is and will likely be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," she said to Ruby as sincerely as possible.

Ruby's enthusiasm returned with a smile, "That wasn't what I meant to ask anyway."

"Okay," Summer said with a raised eyebrow, waiting patiently.

"Well, it's just," Ruby started, suddenly feeling nervous. "You're my age. You got into Beacon early too. How do you deal with having others know that?"

The question came out sounding so defeated it nearly broke Summer's heart. She remembered another girl screaming about not being real as blood flowed from her. It prompted Summer to wrap her arms around Ruby in a comforting hug. "I don't have the answers, Ruby. I just know that being yourself is the best thing you can do. Don't worry so much about what everyone else thinks."

After a few minutes, the hug broke up and the two just rested against one another side by side. Summer didn't take her arm from around the other girl, though, still letting it stay wrapped around Ruby's shoulders.

"Sorry about that, I just... I thought everyone would think I was weird because I got into Beacon two years early. But you're here too, so that means I'm not special and I can be just a normal girl," Ruby said in an embarrassed jumble of words. "Sorry," she finally said in a whisper as she looked down to the ground.

Ruby felt a Summer squeeze her shoulder causing her to look up. "You are special, Ruby. Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't. You chose this, to protect people, that makes you far more special than you realize," Summer said to her more seriously than Ruby had seen her behave in the short time she'd known her. "Now come on, Professor Ozpin is going to have an assembly in the auditorium. Let's not be late for the rousing speeches."

"Ruby, over here!"

Summer glanced in the direction of the shout and nudged her companion. "Who's that?" She asked with a nod toward the shouting girl who was now waving at Ruby.

"Oh, come on, you can meet my sister," Ruby said with a smile that Summer took as equal parts happy and smug. Not having anything better to do, Summer nodded and started to follow Ruby as she made her way over to the other blonde.

As they neared, Summer caught the curious glance directed her way before Ruby's sister turned her eyes back to Ruby herself and asked, "How's your first day going, little sister?"

Summer had to stifle a giggle as Ruby affected a very put-upon look and glared at the taller girl. "You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?" She asked angrily.

"Woah, major breakdown already?"

Summer couldn't help but chuckle drawing Ruby's glare her way. Deciding it wasn't in her best interest to have the only other fifteen-year-old in the Academy upset with her, she gave a supportive squeeze to Ruby's shoulder while she looked to the older girl. "No, she actually did explode. Another student was careless with her dust and there ended up being fire, ice, and I think some lightning as well."

The older girl was looking back and forth between them then started to smile, "You made a friend and already got her to try and prank me! I'm so proud of you Ruby!"

It took everything Summer had not to facepalm when she heard the other blonde's logic.

Ruby huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. "No! I tripped and fell into this other girl's luggage. Then she was yelling at me and I sneezed and everything exploded. Then she was yelling at me again and I just wanted it to end."

"YOU!" A familiar voice exclaimed from behind Ruby. Summer looked back and was not happy in the slightest to find Elsa standing there. The shout had surprised Ruby enough that she lept into her sister's arms with a yelp.

"Oh no, it's happening again," she said with a pitiful wail.

Summer frowned. Ruby was looking utterly terrified and Summer couldn't help the anger that started rising up in her. The Elsa wanna-be could have left things lay. Instead, here she was seeking out Ruby. The only reason Summer could come up with for that was that this girl was a bully that had marked Ruby as her first victim. That wasn't going to fly with the Slayer.

"I just love your dress," Summer said in as sweet of a tone as she could muster, smiling brightly at her target. "My sister has one that looks just like it."

The Elsa wanna-be paused, her face morphing into a mask of confusion before she got control of herself again. She looked over to Summer with an obviously plastic smile, trying to sound as genuine as she could as she said, "Why thank you, it's nice when someone recognizes fashion at its finest."

Summer just kept her smile plastered on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ruby's confused and slightly betrayed expression. The poor girl had no idea what was coming. Her sister, however, had a look of utter excitement, fighting to keep from grinning like a loon.

"Of course! She looked just adorable last year for her fourth birthday party," Summer gushed enthusiastically. "It was so sad when she had to go in time out because she wanted to throw a tantrum over not getting her way."

Summer stood, watching the wanna-be as the gears turned inside her pretty little head, trying to match the tone with what was actually said. The moment it hit her, a red flush crept up her face and down her neck. Summer was almost certain that if she had been stripped bare at that moment, her entire body could have matched Ruby's cloak. Sputtering and stuttering, the wanna-be Elsa tried to say something in response but wasn't able to form words properly.

Summer stepped in closer to the quietly fuming Blanchette and gently patted her shoulder. "There, there, I know how taxing it can be to find fashionable attire. Why don't you go lay your head down and take a nap? That always works for my sister."

The wanna-be Elsa whirled around so fast, that Summer was wondering if super speed was her semblance. She then stomped off, muttering under her breath and disappearing into the crowd. Silence then fell between the three teens for several minutes, as they stood there looking at each other.

The older blonde finally dropped Ruby back to her feet and doubled over laughing. Summer felt a smile creep up on her lips as Ruby looked back and forth between the two of them, unsure of what question to ask who.

"Oh, that was good," the older blonde said after finally managing to stop laughing. "You shut her down then twisted her up and spit her out. That was priceless," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I'm Ruby's big sister, Yang," she said, offering a hand to Summer.

"Summer Dawn, hopefully still Ruby's new friend," Sumer answered, taking the offered hand.

Both of the blonde teens turned to look at Ruby who was still doing a fine imitation of a fish on dry land. Finally, her hands flailing about in front of her, she exploded and asked, "What just happened?"

Before either of the blondes could explain, Professor Ozpin began his welcoming speech.

Summer smiled as she watched Yang drag Ruby off in an attempt to make up the negative friend deficit from having met the Ice Princess. 'Weiss,' Summer reminded herself, Ruby finally giving a name to go with the harpy. It was oddly adorable how Yang was protective of her sister and all too willing to throw her to the sharks to get her to socialize. She understood, though. Left to her own devices, Ruby would have been happy to be friends with other people's weapons rather than the people. It was a sentiment that she found herself sharing now and again. Weapons were just so much simpler.

Movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Ruby, Yang, and Weiss were at it again it seemed and Professor Goodwitch had taken notice of the commotion. Deciding that saving her new friend yet again was the better part of valor, Summer grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from the notebook she had packed away with her sleepwear for the evening and quickly wrote out a note for Ozpin.

As Goodwitch started by her, Summer cleared her throat to catch her attention. "Professor Goodwitch, could you see that the wizard in the tower gets this?" she asked quietly, pouring every ounce of urgency into her voice that she could as she held out the hastily written note.

Goodwitch took it, giving her a sharp look before unfolding it. It was short, so it only took a moment for her eyes to widen ever so slightly as she read it. Refolding it, she nodded to Summer with a slightly curious look in her eyes. By the time she turned back to continue towards the sisters and Weiss, they had already broken up and were crawling into their sleeping bags. Summer smiled. A good deed done.

The steady click of heels as they exited the elevator into his office brought Ozpin's gaze up from his computer to Glynda as she crossed the room. She stopped at the small table he kept for beverages, a fresh pot of coffee always ready and steamed milk just waiting for cocoa. She quickly prepared herself a cup of coffee, a rare thing for his Assistant Headmaster. One that he understood tonight. The night before initiation was always stressful.

When she finally stood before his desk, she took a sip of her drink and hummed, closing her eyes for a few moments before speaking. "While I was attempting to discourage reckless and rude behavior in the barn, I was stopped by Miss Summer Dawn," she said, opening her eyes.

Ozpin was patient, staying silent until his Assistant Headmaster choose to continue. He had learned not to rush her years ago.

"She asked me to give you this," she finally said after another sip of coffee, holding out a folded square of paper.

Standing up and leaning forward to take it from Glynda, he asked, "A note? I presume you read it already." It wasn't a question. He know Glynda wouldn't be up here at half-past ten in the evening when they had to be up at five in the morning without purpose. She still nodded in response confirming his assumption. Unfolding it, he read what was written inside aloud. "Dear Wizard of Oz, I found Dorothy."

He pondered the meaning of the letter. He knew it was referencing a story, likely one from where ever Summer had come from. The meaning was clear enough, though. Without any clear memory of her past, no clue of what her future held, she had somehow found the purpose of her arrival. What this meant in the greater scheme of things, Ozpin didn't know. Summer was an outside variable, something no one could prepare for as by all rights, she shouldn't be there. That frightened him almost as much as Salem did.

It also gave him hope.

"Let us hope that Miss Dawn is able to protect her Dorothy," Ozpin said to no one in particular. He honestly didn't want to see what would happen if the Slayer felt she had failed.