Chapter 16

With a deep sigh, Ruby slumped down into her chair, leaning forward to drape her body over the desk. All at once, the anxious energy that had been fueling her dissipated, and she was left with exhaustion.

The morning so far had been hectic. Even though they'd all prepared for classes last night, the ever present feeling of forgetting something hung over them like a thick cloud, and for Ruby, that went double, or maybe triple. She just thanked her lucky stars the ever-composed Weiss kept them in-line, even if it did make her sound like a drill sergeant.

Still, they had made great time, reaching their first classroom with ten minutes to spare, and claiming one of the two front rows, with Weiss on her left next to the aisle, and Pyrrha and Alabaster to her right by the door. Ruby wasn't entirely sure she liked being in the front row where a teacher could glare at her, but it was better than being in one of the seventh rows at the back. The "binocular seats" as her dad had called them.

A light clunk on the desk made her lazily turn her head so she could look at Weiss, who was laying out her workspace with an almost mechanical precision. Instead of her usual hand-held Scroll, she'd placed a fairly large Tome in front of her, the stylus laying beside it. Ruby had seen a few Tomes when she'd visited the city, but never used one herself.

By comparison, her notebook and pencils seemed downright archaic, but she felt reassured when Alabaster and Pyrrha both pulled out the same. At least she wasn't the only one who was using paper. She did one last check of her bag to make sure she had everything she needed. She was sure there'd be something she'd forget or just not have, but she could probably find it if need be.

Probably.

It wasn't long before the first group of students came in. Ruby didn't recognize the team right away, but one of the three girls looked familiar. Dark hair, golden eyes, a cute bow; it was the girl who had walked by when she had bumped into Weiss. Ruby waved politely, but the girl's eyes locked onto Weiss instead, scowling slightly, then looking away as if it weren't worth her time. Fortunately, she seemed content to settle as far away from Weiss as she could in the other front row.

Then a familiar mop of blonde hair half-fell through the door. "Aaaaaand we made it," Jaune announced, catching his breath while his team arrived more orderly behind him.

"Everything alright, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, half-rising to help him, but he waved her off, popping up with a smile.

"Yep! Just wanted to make sure we got here early. As my mom always said, if you're not early, you're late!" His team slid into the row behind them, with Jaune behind Weiss, followed by Nora and Ren, and Emerald capping the end. "I see you guys got here even earlier."

"Of course. It is important to be timely, especially on the first day," Weiss explained matter-of-factly. Ruby smiled to herself as she listened to their teams chit-chat and share morning stories. It was almost enough to make her forget the classes ahead of her.

Then the other students started pouring in, instantly reminding her. All of a sudden, dozens of faces swarmed into view with a cacophony of voices that made Ruby want to sink into her seat. The one saving grace was that they were all too busy looking for seats to look at her.

Even though she was prepared, Ruby couldn't help but tense when Professor Goodwitch stepped into the room. For whatever reason, she seemed more intimidating now in front of the class than when she and Ruby were talking one-on-one in their advising meeting. Ruby's memory flashed back to the chewing out she received the night she was recruited, and she sunk a little lower in her seat.

"Attention, please," Professor Goodwitch announced calmly but firmly with an equally hard look. "My name is Professor Goodwitch, and I am your Freshman Year Seminar professor."

She began writing on the board as she spoke. "All freshman students are required to take this course. The intent is to acclimate students from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels in order to establish a solid foundation of training and behaviours going forward. Today, we will be covering course guidelines and expectations of the academy, as well as take a short, un-graded test."

Immediately, there were groans, but she silenced them quickly. "I assure you this test is not meant to be detrimental in any regard. The students of Beacon Academy come from many countries and regions, and are trained differently. The test will assess your knowledge, both of yourself, and of subjects related to being a Huntsmen. And while you may share your results once the test has concluded, the only people it will be shown to are myself and your team leaders."

She paused for a moment, letting the information sink in before turning back to the chalkboard. "Now, let us cover the rest of the information. I would like to ensure there is time before the test for questions."

For the next hour, Professor Goodwitch outlined the trajectory of the course, various classes they would be likely to take, academy policy, and other fine points. It seemed to Ruby like she'd memorized the speech down to a T, with everything chosen to convey her point as clearly as possible. Professor Goodwitch didn't waste time on side-tangents, but she also wasn't rushing, and left small pauses for students to catch up on their note-taking.

Eventually, it came time for the test. From her bag, Professor Goodwitch removed a stack of papers. With a flick of her wand, the papers spread out over the room, one landing precisely in front of each student.

"Talking is prohibited during this exam. You will have plenty of time to confer with other students about this test once it is complete. This is meant to reflect your personal knowledge and experience. Remember, this is not graded or scored in any way. It is purely to serve as a guide for your own studying. You have a half hour. Begin."

Ruby instantly felt more focused. This she could do: no talking, no socializing, just a paper and herself. She skimmed through the test to see what she might expect. The first section seemed to be general questions about their prior education, as well as their history. Near the end, a rather large space was dedicated to their Semblance, as well as a series of questions.

What is your Semblance?

How long can you use it for?

Can you affect others with it?

Is it affected by Dust?

What do you think is your greatest strength and weakness?

Where do you think you belong on your team?

She turned to the next section: Grimm. A series of Grimm were pictured, with various lines attached to their body, and boxes for labelling strengths and weaknesses. Most of them she recognized, but a few she hadn't seen. After that was a section on Dust and weaponry, identifying critical components of both as well as theoretical questions on usage.

Now she was feeling less confident. Ruby had never thought much about what her next year of classes would be until she took them. The extent of her future sight had been "get to Beacon."

She'd reached the goal, but skipped some steps. Another part of her wondered how many the other students would miss, but she was certain hers would be one of the worst.

There's no helping it, she sighed mentally, beginning to fill in the questions. It was easy enough to answer most of the questions about herself, and she breezed through the weaponry section. She did her best to note as much as she could about the Grimm she knew, and tried to make guesses on the ones she didn't. If she wasn't getting marked down, then she could at least make guesses.


Blake's eyes narrowed as the tests were handed out. Or more accurately, floated out.

The rest of the students either thought nothing of it, or were muted in their surprise at the display of Professor Goodwitch's Semblance. In just a small gesture, Blake read a lot more. Firstly, the simple knowledge of what the professor's Semblance was; some form of telekinesis. Whether it was limited to paper or not was a question for another time.

Secondly, that Goodwitch was powerful. Some Semblances triggered reflexively, or without the wielder's direct input. And while stressful situations could cause one to use a controlled Semblance reflexively, it was far more common for training to focus on increasing control and endurance in using a Semblance. Given that the Professor had casually used her Semblance in such a perfectly controlled manner with no sign of strain betrayed that she was incredibly skilled and trained.

"You have a half hour. Begin."

The professor's voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned her attention to the paper in front of her. She first gave a quick skim of the general contents, reading the questions. It was actually somewhat comprehensive for how short it was.

But it was hardly simple or thoughtless.

Even at the first question, she had to pause. What is your Semblance?

A part of her was tempted to not answer, or simply write that she didn't know. Semblances were unique, so if they knew her Semblance, and she used it outside the school, they would be able to track it back to her.

But on the other hand, not reporting her Semblance could cause potential issues. She had no doubt the school had programs designed to try and assist students in discerning their Semblances, and if she slipped up and showed that she knew more than she should, it would just attract undue attention anyway. Reluctantly, she put down some basic details. No need to put all her cards on the table.

Some of the other questions were interesting. Where do you think you belong on your team?

On Adam's...her old team, she was the second in command, and often led one of the strike teams. Given a set of objectives and some intel, she was good at creating a plan and preparing people for it. Her old leader was better at the overhead management, like getting the intel, predicting enemy movements, and the like.

While she was more than capable of leading her team, Imperial had been chosen instead. So far, she'd determined he was somewhat experienced, and receptive. Not as hardened as her or any of her past teams, but a touch above some of the other students. It wouldn't be hard to work her way into a secondary command position, especially given that Ilia was already deferential to her.

But that would come with increased scrutiny that would hinder her true objectives, and he already seemed partial to Sangria being his secondary. So she wouldn't mess with that dynamic. Instead, she decided to focus on what skills she could offer. Imperial could figure out the group dynamics. Stealth, scouting, mobility.

The Grimm identification section was easy. The White Fang used many Grimm as inspiration, and given that they often had their bases set up in the wilderness on multiple continents, a basic knowledge of all Grimm was required once you rose beyond a certain rank. Dust and weaponry were similarly easy. When most of what you were working with was liberated from corporate freight trains and cobbled together weaponry, you had to know how to make what you had work.

Blake allowed herself to relax a moment as she finished up with the test. Despite the lowball questions, she suspected actual classes would be harder, and she couldn't afford to let her guard down. She took the moment to glance at the rest of the team through her peripherals.

Imperial seemed hyper focused on his test, moving smoothly and swiftly through the questions. The only hesitation he displayed was a brief pause as he read the words. Given that he'd been made leader, she had no doubt that he knew his material.

Sangria seemed equally focused, but compared to Imperial's rigid, upright posture, she leaned over her paper, and actually made it quite hard to see what she was working on. Still, the motion of her pencil suggested she was breezing through the test, though she had longer pauses than their leader.

And finally, Ilia. Blake had no doubt that Ilia would do just fine on the test. Grimm would be easy for her, and she would get most of the Dust and weaponry category correct. Compared to her, Ilia had been a member for a shorter period of time, but possessed a similar level of devotion and drive. There were still things that she didn't know, and she let her enthusiasm get the better of her on some occasions.

Still, by parts, the team was strong, and she had no doubt they'd be able to perform sufficiently. No, the hard part would be living the life of a student.


Ruby felt significantly less confident as she walked out into the plaza with the other students. After their seminar class, the teams were expected to break and attend their special interest classes to get used to taking some classes alone.

Walking up to one of the statues, Ruby took a brief moment to orient herself. She'd gone over the maps of the campus the past few nights, trying to memorize her schedule. The forge was to the right of the statue…

...which was to her left, since she was looking at it from the wrong direction. Fortunately, if anyone noticed her stop and turn around, they didn't comment, too concerned with going to their own classes. Still, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She just wanted to get to her class and get it over with now. Wrapping her cloak a bit tighter, she activated her Semblance, taking care to go wide around people as she zipped passed them.

Only a couple of moments later, she skidded to a stop in front of the forge. In contrast to the towering buildings elsewhere, it was a low-slung, broad building that reflected utility over design with its sturdy walls and sooty windows that leaked steam into the cold morning air. Just the familiar scent of hot metal and charred Dust made her feel more at ease, and she tentatively cracked open the door.

The forge looked very similar to the one at Signal, with a bank of crucibles and ladles on the far left wall. Aside from some tables to work on the freshly poured metal, there was a wide area around them, with carefully marked lanes so people wouldn't cross in front of each other. The majority of the floor was taken up with worktables, where students tinkered and tested. Behind them were multiple shelves of components and parts, all labelled and organized. Finally, the actual classroom itself was to her right, carefully sealed off to prevent lectures from being interrupted by work.

Opening the door, she felt the temperature immediately drop from the general swelter of the forge to the slight warmth of an air conditioner struggling to fight the heat. She paused as she saw she wasn't the only one in the classroom, and a pair of long ears perked up, followed by brown eyes.

"Oh, hey, how are you?" Velvet greeted with a small wave, looking up from paperwork.

"Oh, uh, hi. Again," Ruby returned.

"No need to linger in the door. Come on in," Velvet invited, and Ruby quickly stepped in, letting the door close behind her. "I see you decided to take 201. I'm glad to see it."

"Yeah. Everyone was saying I should," Ruby confirmed, looking around. Unlike Goodwitch's class, the classroom had individual desks in rows. When her team was with her, it was easy enough to hide, but in a classroom full of sophomores or older…

"Why don'tcha take a seat? You get the full run of 'em," Velvet offered, leaning forward with a conspiratorial look. "I recommend one of the one in the back right. You're closest to the door for workshop time, and you can still see everything just fine."

Ruby followed her advice, setting her bag under the seat. Only the slight metallic clink betrayed that she had packed Crescent Rose inside. Students were expected to take their weapons to Artifice classes, but were also advised to keep them sheathed or otherwise stowed while not in use. And that was in addition to the safety rules they all followed since they first got their weapons.

"So, uh, what do we do in this class?" Ruby asked, glancing around. Most of the walls were covered in posters of various descriptions, though they largely showed catalogues of tools or parts. Quite a few she recognized from her time at Signal.

"Well, the introductory class mostly teaches maintenance and basic tool usage. The second semester starts getting into more advanced and rigorous techniques. Here, you're assumed to have both of those, and so we start moving to theory and application."

"What kind of theory?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.

"Stuff like muzzle flash, rifling, ammo types; the technical nitty-gritty," Velvet explained with a smile. "The first semester is all the mechanical stuff, but the second is where the fun begins. Then you start working some Dust into it."

"Spoiling the class ahead of time, are we?"

Ruby turned to see a taller man standing behind them, smiling warmly. To her surprise, he was actually quite lean, though well muscled. His short sleeved shirt was clearly charred in a few places, and his apron looked even worse. But his actual skin looked surprisingly clear, the white standing out against his brown attire. Even his hair was carefully kept clean and short, just slightly longer than a buzzcut.

"Ah, Professor!" Velvet greeted, quickly jumping up from the desk she'd been leaning on. "Didn't see you come in."

"Don't worry yourself, Miss Scarletina. You're hardly in trouble, especially if you're selling the class to someone. You must be one of the new students," he noted, rounding them to the front of the room. "I'm Professor Smith, and before you ask, I do realize the irony."

"I wasn't going to, I mean I, I-"

Professor Smith just laughed heartily, a sound that seemed larger than the man himself. "It's just a joke. No need to worry yourself over it. My family has a heritage of smithing, so we keep the name going. Now, I don't recall you from Artifice 101, so you must be a new student. Transfer?"

"Uh, no...I'm a Freshman," Ruby admitted.

"Ah, that would explain it. Well, have no fear Miss…"

"Rose. Ruby Rose."

"Miss Rose. It seems you're already familiarized with Miss Scarletina. If you were allowed to take this course on the outset, then I am sure you will be able to succeed. I presume that you're taking the Intro to Dust course?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. It's a co-requisite for the second semester. I was going to recommend you take it before then, so it sounds like we're all set to go," he summarized with a nod before looking behind her. "Ah, looks like most of the class is arriving. I must prepare for class."

Professor Smith nodded to them before heading to his own desk. Ruby watched him go for a moment, feeling a little reassured by his words. Maybe she could do this after all.