Chapter 4

Ruby looked up in anticipation as Ozpin adjusted his glasses, looking out over the student body. One hand cradled the support for the mic, while the other leaned on his cane. Despite the excitement in the air, he looked unaffected by it all, just like that night they had talked.

"You have travelled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people." Ruby glanced at the other students, trying to gauge their reactions, but snapped back as she heard Ozpin take a small breath.

"But I look amongst you…" Ozpin paused, and Ruby swore it sounded almost like he was sighing. "And all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose. Direction."

Ruby didn't even need to look to see her sister's half-glare, or the nervous shuffling of the other students in response. On some level, she was surprised; no teacher she had ever known had been so...cynical sounding, but after her encounter, she had gotten the impression he did not mince words. She supposed it was more surprising for those who had never met him.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far." Ozpin paused once more, and his eyes scanned across the crowd. For a moment, Ruby almost felt as if they settled on her, but it was only a minor hesitation as he continued his sweep. "It is up to you to take the first step."

With that, Ozpin stepped away from the mic, barely pausing, allowing Glynda to take his place. Before she had even begun speaking, he was already walking away. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready; you are dismissed."

"Man of few words," Yang muttered, her voice hollow despite the attempt at humour.

"What did you think of it?" Ruby asked, curious. Her sister frowned, adjusting her hair as she thought. She was uneasy, Ruby noted.

"Kinda...off. Like he wasn't really here."

"He's always like that," Ruby said with a shrug. Yang glanced at her, but said nothing.

"Makes you kind of wonder why he's a teacher though?"

Ruby jumped a little at Jaune's voice, and turned to see the boy standing next to her. She laughed a little as he jumped in response, before nervously rubbing his neck. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Or cut in. Or...yeah, sorry."

"No worries," Ruby said with a nervous chuckle. "I think he's just focused on making sure everyone pushes themselves to be the best they can."

"Odd way of encouraging it," Yang noted before looking up at Jaune. "And who might you be?"

"Jaune, Jaune Arc. A friend of Ruby's," he offered with a smile, extending a hand. Yang quickly glanced at Ruby, who just nodded quietly.

"Well, any friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine!" she announced proudly, and Ruby had a moment of warning to wince before Yang grabbed Jaune's hand. Tight. It wasn't intentional, Yang was just used to giving...friendly handshakes to people who were less than friendly.

To his credit, Jaune only sucked in a deep breath in response, biting off a grunt before Yang realized her mistake, letting up. "Nice grip…"

"Well, I suppose I should get our stuff. You find some nice spots for us, and I'll be right back!" Yang saluted with a wink as she turned, running with her friends towards where Ruby could only guess their luggage had been taken.

"Is she...always like that?" Jaune asked, nursing his hand.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ruby sighed. A strange feeling tickled the back of her mind, and Ruby glanced back at the stage, slightly disappointed to see neither Glynda nor Ozpin was there. She would have liked to have talked to him.

After Ozpin's speech, she had to wonder, had he seen something in her? If this was the speech he gave all these talented people, then why had he picked her? Despite the sombre tone, she couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, she had a chance.


Ruby absently ran her fingers through her hair as she scribbled a letter to send back to her friends on her Scroll. She always preferred handwriting her letters, even if she used the Scroll to make sure they got to their destination. Glancing up and looking around at all the other students, her situation had finally sunk in. Everywhere she looked, older students were going about their night routines, some of them sitting in clusters with their friends.

In the meanwhile, she had attached herself loosely to Yang's cluster. Her sister was currently chatting with a few of her friends a short distance from their sleeping bags. She had seen Jaune on the other side, where the boys were sleeping, but he seemed pretty well on his own (if a bit dorky in his full body pajamas, complete with bunny foot coverings).

Weiss was also around, though the older girl had lain down in fairly rapid order, obviously resting for tomorrow. Ruby knew she should be doing the same thing, but she did have to finish her letter first. The gang back at Signal would want to know what was going on.

She paused briefly, nibbling on the end of her stylus as she thought about how best to summarize the experience so far. It had been eye-opening, that was for sure. Different than Signal, but given how small the school was compared to Beacon, she was not surprised. Looking around, there were easily more people in the Freshman class alone than the entirety of Signal, and there were three more years.

"So, tell me all about your day!" Yang demanded playfully as she collapsed onto her bed, propping up on one elbow to look at her sister. "Jaune seemed like a nice guy. Plus one friend!"

"Maybe more than that," Ruby added after a moment. "I also met a couple of other girls while I was on my own. Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos."

"Wait, like...the Dust Company and the Champion?" Yang asked in obvious surprise.

"Yeah, they seemed like nice people. Well, Weiss was a little intimidating and serious, but she seemed...amicable," Ruby said with a shrug. She was caught by surprise as Yang nudged her with a pillow.

"Come on, that can't be all. How did you manage that?"

"Manage what? I just talked to them," Ruby answered with confusion. She huffed as her sister laughed, and pointedly looked away, only to forget her irritation when she spotted a familiar face.

It was the black haired girl from earlier. She was sitting alone by the wall, wearing some kind of fancy looking robe for her pajamas. A candelabra sat on a table next to her, and she was reading some book Ruby couldn't recognize.

"I'll be back in a second, sis," Ruby excused as she stood up. She realized she hadn't thanked the girl for attempting to step in, even if it had ultimately been unnecessary.

Carefully working her way around the other students, she paused a few feet away from the girl, wondering how best to get her attention when the girl looked over the top of her book. Ruby smiled nervously, trying to get anything from the girl's expression, but she wasn't giving an inch.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. Just wanted to thank you for trying to step in earlier."

"Don't worry about it," the girl responded flatly.

"The name's Ruby, Ruby Rose." Offering a nervous smile and her hand, Ruby waited, hoping this was what she was supposed to do. The girl regarded her for a second, but made no motion to accept it.

"Blake."

"That's a nice name," Ruby complimented, trying to fill the space. Blake's gaze was getting too intense, so she lowered her gaze towards the book. Now that she was closer, she could read the spine: The Man with Two Souls. "Whatcha reading?"

"Huh?" Blake's facade cracked a little, and she seemed genuinely confused as she flicked her eyes down to the book, as if just suddenly realizing it was there. "Oh, this? It's about a man with two souls, each struggling for control."

"I love books. Stories of heroes and monsters. Kind of why I'm here," Ruby admitted with a smile.

"Why? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?" Blake asked with a laugh. Something about it made Ruby feel uncomfortable, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why, so she chose to ignore it.

"Well, I'm hoping we all will," she answered nonchalantly. Looking around, Ruby wondered where her fellow students would end up, and how they would go about succeeding at their goals.

Blake, meanwhile, had lowered her book to the side. "That's very ambitious, but unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better." Blake looked to the side, and Ruby bit her tongue as she realized she had probably upset her. "Sorry, I will leave you alone. Have a good night."

Quickly, but carefully, Ruby turned and weaved her way back through the students. Yang gave her a look as she laid back down, but they didn't talk as Ruby picked her letter back up, staring blankly at it.

There was too much going through her head to write right now, she decided. Setting it aside, she rolled onto her back, sliding down her face mask. In the relative silence and darkness, she could feel her heart racing at the thought of tomorrow.

Tomorrow, she would prove to herself and everyone that she belonged here.


Ruby watched with mild curiosity as a heavily armoured ginger girl talked a mile a minute at a silent boy as he retrieved his weapons from his locker. She only got a brief glance at them before they disappeared down his sleeves.

The two were completely different in appearance. The girl was shorter, but her heavier armour made her look quite intimidating, though the pink scheme undermined it somewhat. The boy was taller and thinner, to the point of almost looking brittle, but gave off a silent, focused vibe.

"Yes Ren?"

"I don't think sloths make much noise," he stated flatly. Ruby shook her head, focusing back on her locker. Whatever conversation they were having, she was completely lost. Besides she had more important things to focus on.

Pulling Crescent Rose from her locker, she looked around the room. Not many people were in there yet. Some were still dozing, but she couldn't blame them. They were early.

But it seemed she was right in her choice to wake up early.

Weiss and Pyrrha were also in the locker room, gearing up. The Mistrali champion seemed to be going through some sort of ritualistic preparation as she talked with Weiss, applying her armour ceremoniously. Glancing down at her own outfit, she suddenly felt a lot less prepared.

"So you think we'll get teams today?" Jaune asked, the nervous edge on his voice still there from when he had trouble finding his locker. Ruby wasn't surprised; he had been quite drowsy when she had woken him up. Had she left him to his own devices, she was sure he would have been in the last wave of students, and given less time to wake up.

"I hope so," Ruby said, trying to swallow the anxiety she was having. This was as close to perfect as she could get. She was up early, she could see her potential teammates, and they had already planned it.

"You sound pretty confident," Yang noted with a smile. "Just remember, if things don't work out, I'll support you."

Ruby smiled, but couldn't help but feel patronized. She understood where her sister was coming from, but she could handle herself better than that. "Thanks Yang. I'll keep that in mind."

The sound of heels clicking by the doorway made them all turn, and Ruby stood straighter as she saw Glynda looking over them. "Alright, sixteen students. Perfect. Once you are prepared, come with me."

Ruby was dead silent as she ran over her last minute checks. Crescent Rose was in perfect condition, and she had spare cartridges for when the first clip ran out. Her small backpack had some food in case whatever the initiation was ran long, and she had a couple of tools her father had insisted on packing.

As she stepped up in front of Glynda, ready to go, she was surprised as Pyrrha and Weiss stepped up to her side, looking ready to go. Ruby glanced over at Weiss, who only nodded in response.

To her further surprise, Jaune was the next to arrive, standing to her other side. He nervously smiled at her, checking over his weapon and armour, to which she could only chuckle slightly. Compared to him, she felt positively ready for anything. Not that she doubted him; he just seemed so nervous.

The rest of the students fell into place behind them, forming rows of four, and she had to resist the urge to yelp as the heavily armoured girl practically skipped into place behind her. Finally, they had arrayed and Glynda nodded, turning on heel to guide them.

There was a tense, nervous energy as they followed the strict instructor, heading out the back. Ruby realized that they had left the Great Hall without going through the sleeping quarters. Were they trying not to wake them? Where were the others?

"Man, this is...kind of nerve wracking," Jaune muttered with a chuckle. Ruby sighed, glad for the break in the atmosphere.

"I must admit, I am excited." To Ruby's surprise, it was Pyrrha who spoke.

"You aren't the least bit worried?"

"No. Why would I be?" Pyrrha asked, looking at Jaune in surprise. Weiss just scoffed lightly, shaking her head.

"Well, there are Grimm in there," Jaune pointed out.

"I am familiar with them."

"Really? You've fought them?" Jaune asked incredulously.

"You...you do know who you're talking to, right?" Weiss asked. Jaune just shook his head cluelessly, and Ruby had to chuckle a little at that.

"What? What does everyone know that I don't know?" Jaune asked, looking at Ruby.

"Pyrrha's a four time champion in the Mistral Regional," Ruby explained. Jaune nodded slightly, but the facts didn't seem to click entirely. "She's a good fighter."

"Ah, that would explain it," he agreed, nodding sagely. "Well, even so, I hope you have good luck out there!"

Pyrrha smiled and gave a small bow as they walked. "That is very appreciated. Same to you…"

"Jaune," he answered simply, smiling to himself as they walked.

"We have arrived," Glynda interrupted, stepping to the side. The path appeared to level out ahead of them, and they stepped up to the top, only to be greeted by the sight of the Emerald Forest stretching out in front of them.

Ruby scanned it with awe, seeing how vast it was. As she looked to the left, she paused upon seeing Ozpin, waiting for them quietly. He met her gaze and nodded slightly, though she couldn't tell why before Glynda had stepped behind them and began commanding.

"Alright, everyone line up on the panels beside the cliff-side. In order!" she demanded. Ruby tried her best not to walk too fast, remembering how Glynda had cracked her wand in her interrogation.

Cautiously, Ruby settled on the panel, trying to get her footing. She had heard about the launch-pads from her father. They were used to get even the most heavily armoured students deep into the forest. She had practiced for this for months with her father, using the forests around their home in order to figure out how to land. Granted, she had never been this...high up before. And the pad was only going to get her even higher.

Glynda walked down the line, inspecting them as she passed. Ruby tried not to stop breathing under her gaze, only relaxing when she got to the other end, and nodded in satisfaction, allowing Ozpin to step forward.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin began. "Teams will be formed today, and you will be with these teammates for the rest of your time at Beacon, so it is in your best interests to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the exact details of team-making will be obscured for now, so as to level the playing field. Regardless, you will be observed and graded remotely, but we will not be stepping in to help you."

Ozpin paused to take a sip from his coffee, letting the air fill with a nervous energy. "Once in the forest, you will be required to spend the entire day and night in there before you are allowed out. Inside the forest are several locations guarded by Grimm, each containing an object. Collecting these objects will improve your score, but will be dangerous to collect. The only requirement for passing is to make it out of the forest alive tomorrow morning."

"The pads you now stand upon will project you into the forest," Glynda explained, taking up the silence. "It will be up to each of you to enact a landing strategy to arrive in the forest intact."

To her left, she heard the sound of armour clinking, and turned to see Pyrrha assuming a ready stance. The warrior glanced over at her and Weiss. "On my position."

Ruby stared blankly for a moment. Weiss, however, seemed less confused. "Signal?"

"Single shot in the air," Pyrrha responded quietly, locking eyes with both of them in turn. Suddenly, it clicked in Ruby's head. They were coordinating a response. Looking down the line, she realized that the other students likely didn't know each other, or at least, not as many of them.

They had the advantage here.

"Some of you may be wondering where the other students are. Well, allow me to explain," Glynda continued. "There are seven waves of students. As Ozpin stated yesterday, it is up to you to take the first step. Those of you who got up early and prepared for a test are being rewarded. You will have more time in the forest to hunt for the items before the other waves are deployed. The early bird gets the worm, after all."

Glynda lifted her Scroll for a moment, reading something Ruby couldn't see. "With that said, let's get started. Take-offs will be three seconds apart to allow for room to maneuver. First take off in three…"

"See you inside," Pyrrha assured with a smile, tightening her leg muscles. Ruby tried to copy the pose a moment before Pyrrha was rocketed into the sky, turning into a small maroon and gold blur.

A moment later, Weiss was gone, soaring rapidly after Pyrrha. It was only after Weiss left that it suddenly hit Ruby what was about to happen. Despite her fear, she did her best to tense her legs, holding tightly on to Crescent Rose. This was it, this was-

Suddenly the ground was far behind her, and the wind was shredding by her. In a flash, her brain had gone into overdrive, looking around rapidly. Two things became apparent. One, Weiss and Pyrrha were aiming for deep in the forest, and two, she was moving way too fast for a landing.

The bigger issue was the two problems had diametrically different solutions. In order to catch up with the two, she would have to go faster, but in order to land safely, she would have to slow down.

A rotation in her movement momentarily gave her a brief look behind her, and she could see Jaune soaring through the air...though flailing would have been a better word for it. Yang was already soaring along the treeline, using her gauntlets to get a safe distance, but not going to the marathon distances they were. She caught a brief glimpse of the other students waiting as she began to rotate back towards her trajectory. And Ozpin.

He had seen something in her, and she intended to prove him right.

She would have to go for distance.

She had twelve shots before she had to reload, and she could afford to use some of those on her flight. Two would probably be enough to get her the distance she needed to go. From there, she could figure it out.

Quickly, she rotated so that she was minimizing resistance while still being able to aim straight backwards. No one was directly behind her, so she felt safe in firing off a couple of shots, feeling the impulse kick her back until she was roaring through the air, leaving many of the other students behind.

For a brief moment, she watched them, either gaining distance normally, or deflecting down into the forest as they slowed their descents. They seemed so far away. Ruby shook her head; she had to focus. Turning back around, she could see Weiss and Pyrrha arcing down, and she was following them. She had a couple of seconds before she had to worry about landing, so she looked around, trying to spot anything that could be one of the locations.

Off to the east, she could see a small ridgeline that barely poked over the trees, and atop it, a small stone structure. It was almost swallowed by the trees, but it was more than they had to go on.

Her time was up though, and now it was time to land. Spinning her gun around, she fired another couple of rounds, feeling herself slow down a little, but not enough, not yet. Extending the weapon, she gripped the haft tight, while planting her feet to either side of the base, ready for the jolt of impact.

She was going so fast the treetops barely mattered to her as they snapped out of the way, but she felt when her blade hit the first large branch. The first one was sheared easily, but the next gave a moment of resistance before cracking. Then came a branch with actual width, which made Ruby immediately glad she had practiced. The blade buried itself in the branch, but her momentum kept her going, though not down.

Instead, she could feel her feet begin to rise and her head fall as she began to rotate around the branch, and she just brought herself closer as she heard the scythe sawing through the branch. As she reached the apex of her spin, the core of the branch finally gave, and she found herself suspended for a nauseating second before she began to fall to the ground, albeit far more slowly.

With a toss, she managed to sink the scythe into the earth, before prepping herself for landing. Her feet hit the haft, but the loose grounding allowed it to fall slightly, and she felt herself slide down the haft before finally coming to a stop.

Shakily, Ruby lifted her scythe from the ground, a smile coming to her face. I did it, I landed it!

Ruby cut her celebration short as Weiss and Pyrrha stepped into view. The latter smiled and waved, while the former just looked mildly impressed. "Glad you kept up. Now come on, let's get searching."

"Actually, I thought I saw one on the way down here. Follow me!"