Chapter 3

"So...I saw you on the transport. You from Patch?"

"Yeah, near Signal. My family never moved far from the craft you know?" Jaune explained with a shrug. Ruby nodded as they walked along the cobbled paths, taking in the sights. Everything was so open and grand; there was nothing like this back on Patch!

"Your parents were Huntsmen?"

"Most of my family history is," Jaune said with pride, straightening up. Ruby smiled at the image. With his armour and sword, he almost looked like a knight out of a storybook. Maybe not quite as armoured, but it was the sword she was interested in.

She couldn't help but look. The blade was in a sheath, and she had to admit, the crossguard was not that impressive. It looked like faded gold, and the handle seemed to have been done with some kind of blue leather. Definitely older. She tried to suppress a twitch in her hands as she looked at it.

She wanted to touch it, to test the balance. Was there a trigger in the handle? What was the core forged with? She wanted to try swinging it, see how heavy it was compared to her scythe.

"Uh...Ruby? You there?"

"What! Uh...sorry, were you saying something?"

"You kind of zoned out there. Is something wrong with my sword?" Jaune's voice began to rise with panic, and Ruby had to stifle a laugh as she waved off his concern.

"No no no! I was just...thinking about it?" Ruby was not entirely sure how she could explain it. She'd tried before but that had been less than successful. She was surprised as Jaune drew the weapon, offering it to her.

"Go ahead," he said with a smile, though she heard his voice waver. Was the sword heavy? Maybe he was nervous? Whatever the cause, Ruby was grateful as she carefully gripped the handle, taking a step back as she raised it. Definitely weighted like a longsword.

She gave it a careful swing, testing the balance. Weighted towards the handle, with a tapering tip. With a small smile, she moved into a quick series of slashes, culminating in a small spin with the handle before she offered it back to Jaune.

"Wow...I have never seen someone do that!" The excitement was clear on Jaune's face as he took his sword back.

"I'm not really all that great. That's all I know how to do with a sword. Not really my style. I'm used to a heavier weapon, so it was a little easier to control, if not a little fast. If I had to actually fight with it, I would probably fall over a lot."

"So, what's your weapon?"

Ruby grinned as she unclipped Crescent Rose, giving it a small flourish as she used the bolt to pivot it. A flick of a trigger, and the weapon unfurled, causing Jaune to jump back, panic evident on his face. "Is that...a scythe?"

"It's also a fully customizable, high impact sniper rifle. Built her myself," Ruby boasted, running her hand lovingly along the barrel. "Granted, a bunch of the parts are standard issue, but putting them together like this took a lot of effort."

"That's incredible!" Jaune exclaimed, looking like an excited child.

"So...what does your sword do?" Ruby asked. When she had held it, she hadn't felt any trick releases, or unusual weightings. Maybe it was Dust infused, or reacted with Aura instead.

"Oh uh…" Even Ruby could read the enthusiasm dying on his face as he lifted the sheath off his belt. Ruby cocked her head before jumping slightly as the sheath expanded with the sound of sliding metal, expanding into a shield.

"Oooh, that's cool. How does it work?" she asked, feeling the twitching in her hands again as she collapsed her weapon. Jaune chuckled nervously, before sighing.

"I'm honestly not sure. It was my great-great-grandfather's...from the war. Kind of a...family heirloom."

"Mind if I take a look at it?" Ruby asked, feeling a little nervous. This was an antique weapon, and one with such value. She wasn't sure Jaune would like her probing.

"Go ahead." Ruby blinked in surprise as he handed both parts to her easily. He didn't even seem to realize as she stood like a deer in the headlights, as he just kept smiling. Eventually, she realized that she wasn't moving, but more importantly, she had a classic in her hands.

Reverently, she turned the weapons around in her hands. The sword appeared to just be a sword, but it certainly fit perfectly into the shield. Carefully, she handed the sword back to Jaune before pulling out her scroll, and turning on the light. Angling it so it illuminated the insides, she peered in, wishing she had her lenses on her. They made it much easier to deal with sprockets and springs.

Staring down, it looked like a pretty simple system, but given the age, she wasn't surprised. The handle had a small internal clamp that allowed it to release the pressure sprockets in the base, which swung out on reinforced tracks. She would have to get a pressure gauge to know precisely how strong it was, but given the kick when she unfurled it, it was noticeable.

It vaguely reminded her of a weapon she had seen back in Signal. A Mistrali kid had made it. The general idea was that the sheath doubled as a sort of force multiplier, using an internal spring system to give the blade some extra kick on release. A lot of people had started copying the same design style.

"Looks like a dual sprocket bar release," Ruby surmised, offering it back with a smile. Jaune just stared at her blankly for a moment.

"You...you could tell that just by looking?"

Suddenly, Ruby could feel the colour flush from her face. She could tell that tone; disappointment. She had...seen that enough. "Oh, don't worry too much about it. I just...spend a lot of time with weapons. So...you thought about taking advantage of that more?"

"What do you mean?"

Ruby had to suppress a sigh of relief as Jaune's disappointment faded to confusion. Turning the shield, she motioned for Jaune to hand the sword back. "So, here's what I mean. First, you have the sword in the sheath, right? Then, the bad guys show up, and you go like this."

Ruby held the sheath by her hip, mimicking it being fastened. "So, you grab the handle, and depress the bar. Then, the sprockets at the base release, and cause the wings to expand. BUT! Then you also have another bar at the base that is tied to the sprocket release that propels the sword out the shaft."

Ruby mimed the sword being pushed out before sweeping it out and raising the shield, moving to put it in front as her arm rotated behind her. "Then the momentum of the cut turns you, allowing you to bring the shield up faster!"

With a small smile, she slid the sword back into the sheath before handing it back to Jaune. "Or at least...I think it works like that. I'm not really a sword person. You'd probably get better advice from another sword person."

Jaune regarded the weapon, thoughts flashing across his face before he attached it to his belt, looking up with a smile. "Well, thanks for the advice anyway. I might have to consider it. Well, we should probably head to the orientation. Do you know the way?"

"I thought you did."

"Oh...I thought you did. You think there might be some kind of directory?" he asked with a small smile, causing Ruby to laugh despite her rising concern. Seeing her stifled laughter, he adopted a ponderous pose. "Maybe a food court? Some kind of visible landmark?"


Ruby could barely contain her awe as they stepped into the high-vaulted auditorium. If she hadn't looked up, she would have thought they had walked into an open air theatre. The edifice above the stage had four clock-like windows feeding light down onto the stage, while smaller ones ringed the top to allow for light from all angles.

She did feel a sense of nervousness come over her as she lingered in the doorway, looking out over the crowd. There were so many people here! Even worse, she could not see Yang. Jaune paused, looking at her in concern.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah...just a little nervous. About all these people, I mean."

"Well, my mom always said that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," Jaune assured her, trying his best to look confident.

"I guess...still…" Ruby trailed off, looking around. Standing on her toes, she tried her best to find her sister, but still could not see her. Maybe she was with her friends? A spot of white caught her eye, and she realized she could see Weiss.

At least that was one person she knew, even if Weiss was not exactly her "friend." She didn't have to talk to her, just hang out nearby. Something like that. Still, she wasn't sure how she would react to bringing other people along. She turned to Jaune with an apologetic smile. "I'll see you around Jaune!"

"Yeah, sure," Jaune agreed, waving half-heartedly. Ruby didn't think much of it as she slid by the crowds. Despite the large amount of people, the space of the auditorium ensured that there was plenty of room. She pivoted around a group of people, and stopped in her tracks as she saw Weiss talking with someone.

Not just someone, but Pyrrha Nikos. Ruby was sure she had been hallucinating when she saw her earlier, but this was definitely her. The tall warrior easily dwarfed both of them, and her armour added to her height by a fair bit.

Ruby had seen recordings of her fights, and her usage of her weapons was exemplary. While her shield wasn't anything special, her skill with it bordered on supernatural, and the bounces and deflections she performed with it were simply unbelievable. Her rifle was also a rare example of a three form weapon, capable of being used as a musket, a longspear, and a xiphos. All three forms were deadly in her hands.

"So, what brings you to the Academy?" Weiss inquired, looking up easily at the taller Huntress.

"I thought it might be good to experience a change of pace. Beacon has commendations from some of the best Hunters as well."

"Fair reason," Weiss agreed, nodding sagely. "How much do you know of it?"

"Not much, admittedly. I am far more used to Sanctum rules."

"That is a shame. I was hoping you might know a bit about how teams are chosen. They do have teams here, right?"

"They do," Ruby answered, before immediately feeling her throat seize up as she realized what she had done. Both Weiss and Pyrrha turned to look at her; Weiss with a flat look, and Pyrrha with a small smile.

"Oh, I am glad to hear that," Pyrrha said chipperly. "And you are-?"

"Ruby...Ruby Rose," she offered, trying to avoid stuttering. God, if she screwed up now and made a fool of herself in front of them…

"So, Ruby, tell me what you know about teams," Weiss half-commanded, motioning for Ruby to turn her attention towards her.

"Well, I don't know all the details, but they change it a little from year to year. According to my dad, they take the people who appear to be the most promising in leader roles, and let them pick their teams. But part of that is after the initiation test."

Ruby paused for a second, trying to think of how best to explain it. "Beacon is built right next to the Emerald Forest, where a few Grimm live. Students are sent into the forest, and told to accomplish some task. Sometimes, you start in groups, other times you are alone. But you end up meeting a few other people that way, and assembling your team from people you meet."

"Transfers are always possible, since sometimes there are arguments, or drop-outs, but for the most part, teams stick together," Ruby summarized, trying to resist wringing her hands as both the other girls inspected her. Weiss looked aside, cradling her jaw in her hand while she thought.

"Seems designed to roughly even out the skill levels," she noted aloud before looking back to them. "Though, not unbeatable."

Ruby quirked her head. She wasn't exactly sure what Weiss was trying to "beat." The other students maybe, or perhaps the teachers? Turns of phrase were lost on her. Pyrrha seemed a little less confused, and spoke quietly. "What are you thinking?"

"Well, assuming that either one of us gets picked for a leadership role, it would not be too hard to select the other for one of the teammates. Especially if we were to meet up in the forest."

"I see. It would put the odds in our favour," Pyrrha agreed.

"Um, forgive me if it's obvious, but what are we talking about?" Ruby interjected quietly.

"Making the best team possible. Having everything be equal is fine for most people, but if you want to be the best, you have to train with the best. A strong team will be able to get itself known faster than an average or weak team. So, the natural answer is to create the strongest team," Weiss explained.

Ruby was silent for a moment, running the ideas in her mind. It made sense; forming a team with strong allies would make it easier to become stronger. After all, they were smart and well-trained, and could probably give good advice. Not to mention sparring. Practicing against someone of equal or greater skill would certainly push one to train harder.

She wanted to get better, she really did. Ozpin had seen something in her, and she didn't intend to let him down. She had already planned to study harder than anyone, and practice until she got everything down. But it seemed there were elements she hadn't considered. Even things as simple as team compositions.

It wasn't that unexpected. Even when it came to the tournaments, the team battles were carefully balanced, with the team members complementing each other. Glancing at the two other girls, she wondered what their strengths were.

Pyrrha was definitely a heavy hitter, with a bit of defense, but didn't have a lot of area control. Ruby could proudly say that she had that, both with the range of her rifle, and the area of her attacks. Weiss likely used Dust, so that gave them a fair amount of strength and flexibility.

Ruby shook her head. There was no way they would want her on their team. She was nowhere near their skill level. Though...thinking on it, Weiss had said to impress her. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance. Just the idea made Ruby nervous though.

Regardless, she had to try. If she could get even the slightest advantage, and work towards proving Ozpin right, she would. "Do you...think I might be able to make the team?"

Weiss was silent for a moment, but thankfully did not immediately reject her or laugh. Still, the silence made Ruby even more nervous, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Finally, Weiss began to speak.

"Well, you certainly seem knowledgeable about the Academy, not to mention that you seem willing to try," Weiss admitted, but held up a hand to stop Ruby's retort. "However, I want you to understand that I have never seen you fight, and therefore can't make a full decision, yet. So, instead, I'll make an offer."

"When we get dropped in the forest, you are welcome to join us. While we complete our task, you can try your best to leave the best impression and show us your skills. If you succeed, you can join the team."

"And if I don't?" Ruby asked, heart in her throat.

"Well, it is always good to have allies. Whatever team you do end up on, we will keep in touch," Weiss promised.

"Seems sound enough to me," Pyrrha agreed with a shrug and a smile.

Instantly, all the worries Ruby had disappeared, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. Still, she had enough control not to immediately crush Weiss with a bone snapping hug, and instead, merely bounced with restraint.

"I'll show you just how much I can do," Ruby promised.

"Hey Ruby! Over here!"

Ruby turned, and through the crowd, she could spot her sister, waving excitedly. She motioned for Ruby to come and join her. Ruby nodded, then turned back to Weiss and Pyrrha. "You won't regret this. I promise you."

"I believe you," Weiss assured her, crossing her arms with a light wave of dismissal. Despite the cool gesture, Weiss had a small smile. Ruby nodded again in thanks before slipping through the crowds with a hop in her step.

Ruby stopped just next to Yang, where a spot seemed to have been saved for her. The thought was reassuring, and she took a deep breath of relief. On the other side, she could see Yang's friends, joking and smiling about anything. Yang was half-listening, looking forward with a smile.

"How was your first day?" she asked, leaning over a little. Ruby smiled slightly, casting a glance in the direction of Weiss. The crowd had since engulfed them, but she still looked for a moment.

"Good. It went well. Made some new friends."

Now she had her sister's full attention. Yang looked over at her in blatant surprise for a moment before a smile overtook it. "Well well well! Looks like my little sis is all grown up! Who are they, how'd you meet them, and do I need to punch them?"

"Yang," Ruby sighed, lightly punching her sister. "It's not like that. Sure, there was a bit of a misunderstanding over some Dust, but that got straightened out. Nobody exploded, so that's a plus."

"When you measure it that way, I guess so," Yang agreed with a chuckle. "Now, who are-"

The sound of the speakers interrupted any further thought as someone cleared their throat. Ruby looked up, her eyes widening as she recognized Ozpin standing on the stage. A sudden feeling passed over her, like everything had become crystal clear, and all too real.

She was really here, at Beacon, studying to be a Huntress.

"I'll...keep this brief," Ozpin began.