Weiss groaned quietly as she returned to consciousness, woken by a student in pink and white chanting 'it's morning' repeatedly. She sat up, rubbing at her eyes carefully before looking around the ballroom to see the other students either already up or in the process of waking up. Sighing, she extracted herself from her sleeping bag and stood up, packing away her things before grabbing her wash bag and her clothes for the day and heading towards one of the bathrooms.
As she got dressed and brushed her teeth, she went through the motions of flexing her joints and the other articulated parts of her body to make sure nothing had seized up overnight. Satisfied she was in full working order, she started the process of brushing and tying back the incredible amount of hair that fell down her back.
Back in the ballroom, a blond boy was frantically looking around. "Oh where is it? Where is it?" he muttered as he flipped over his bag for the fifth time.
"Looking for this?" Ruby stepped closer, holding up a pauldron, a match for the lonely one sat on the boy's shoulder.
"Oh, yes, thank you!" he said, taking the offered piece of armour and strapping it to his shoulder. "Phew," he sighed in relief, standing upright and smiling, extending his hand. "I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc."
"Ruby Rose," Ruby replied, shaking it with a smile. "Aren't you the one who threw up on the airship?"
"Hey! Motion sickness is a common problem," Jaune protested.
"Heh, sorry," Ruby apologised, scratching the back of her head. "Just the first thing that came to mind."
"Well, it's fine. Hey, you know where we're supposed to go next? I figure we're meant to get breakfast, but I don't know where the cafeteria is."
"Uhhh, good question! My plan was just to follow everyone else? We can't all go in the wrong direction, right?" she said, laughing nervously.
"Well, I guess I don't have a better plan," Jaune conceded after a second.
Fortunately, the bulk of the students seemed to know where to go, and the horde of new first years descended upon the school cafeteria. Weiss had managed to secure a seat at the end of one of the tables, daintily eating her breakfast as she glanced around at the other students.
One thing she was becoming rapidly aware of, to her increasing panic, was the number of attractive women in her year. On an intellectual level she was of course aware that her fellow students would, by necessity, be incredibly athletic. What she hadn't considered is exactly what that would mean for her ability to concentrate. Focus, Weiss, she mentally scolded herself, staring down into her breakfast.
She was so focussed on not focussing on her surroundings that she failed to notice the approaching danger. Ruby was making her way towards a seat, tray piled high with her breakfast and a hot cup of coffee perched close to the edge. As she started to slip past Weiss, one of the other students stuck their foot out to trip Ruby. She yelped, stumbling forwards, managing to avoid dropping the tray. The cup of coffee, however, tipped off the side.
Weiss yelped, arm whipping back as the hot liquid splashed across her hand. "Ah! Watch what you're-" she paused as she turned around, eyes meeting Ruby's wide, anxious eyes. A beat passed. "You again," Weiss eventually said with an angry sigh. Before Ruby could start stammering out an apology, she stood up sharply and marched away, fist still dripping coffee as she beelined to a bathroom.
Entering it, and confirming it was empty, Weiss let out a frustrated groan, lifting her hand to inspect. As expected, the liquid had coated the prosthetic, getting into the seams and around the joints. Grumbling, she walked over to the sink and ran her hand under the water, looking up to meet her gaze in the mirror. The expression that met her radiated annoyance, lips set in a tight frown and eyes harsh. She closed her eyes, slowing her breathing and counting the seconds between each one.
Once she was confident she'd gotten her temper back to an acceptable level, she looked back down to her hand. She left in under the water for a while, focussing on the slightly muted feeling of the cold liquid. Satisfied that the coffee had been washed off, she turned off the tap and dried her hand off before heading back out.
"And she probably hates me now," Ruby whined, banging her head against the locker her equipment was stored in.
"I'm sure it's not that bad?" Yang offered. "So you made a bad first impression, so what? I thought you wanted to let your skills speak for you."
"She looked really angry when I spilt my coffee on her though! And a little scared? Maybe just surprised?" Ruby groaned again, opening the locker and retrieving Crescent Rose and her ammunition.
"Well, you're gonna meet a lot of new people. Even if she does hate you now, there's plenty of other people here!"
"Ugh, you sound like dad now," Ruby complained. "I thought initiation was about fighting, not meeting new people."
"What about teams? You know how it works, we're gonna be put on teams eventually."
"Don't remind me," she huffed. As the two sisters talked, Weiss made her way to her own locker. As she punched in the combination code, she was interrupted by a voice.
"Oh, sorry, excuse me? I need to get to my locker." Weiss froze for a second, looking left and slightly down. A tall, redheaded woman in bronze armour smiled up at her, nodding to the locker next to Weiss'.
"Oh right, sorry," Weiss said, pressing against the lockers to let her pass. It's Pyrrha Nikos, her mind screamed. World-famous champion fighter and Weiss' long-term crush. Stay calm, Weiss. You are capable of just talking to her.
"I-I-I'm Weiss!" she stammered out, a little high-pitched. She winced internally. Yes, calm, exactly like that. Pyrrha smiled at her again, either not noticing or choosing to ignore the odd introduction.
"Pyrrha Nikos," she replied, holding out a hand to shake. Weiss carefully shook it, letting her hand fall limply back to her side. Pyrrha didn't appear in the slightest bit phased by her prosthetics, which was a first at Beacon so far. "I was a little surprised when I heard you would be attending Beacon."
"I- You knew I'd be coming here?" she asked, tilting her head. Pyrrha knows who I am? And what school I was going to attend?!
"Well, it was kind of on the news. And I like to get an idea of the competition. Bad habit from the tournaments I guess," she admitted, a friendly smile in place the whole time.
"Oh, right, yeah. It took my father some convincing to send me here instead of Atlas. You've done some research on the other students?" she asked, curious to find out what Pyrrha knew.
"Well, only a little bit. Beacon doesn't exactly publish a list of its students, so mostly just the famous ones," she replied, opening her locker to retrieve her weapons. Weiss nodded, opening hers to do the same. Within the locker, propped up against the wall, was the familiar long white case. She carefully removed it and placed it flat on the bench running between the rows of lockers, and opened it.
Inside the case lay a massive sword. Six feet and ten inches long from tip to pommel, it took the form of a zweihänder, featuring a broad, slightly upswept crossguard with side rings, and two prongs ahead of the ricasso. The top half of the hilt was wrapped in blue-dyed leather, the next quarter wrapped in blackened wire with a silver ring dividing the two halves. The large pommel that also acted as the final quarter of the grip was twisted like a screw, ending in a wider flare to prevent the wielder's hand from slipping off the end of the hilt.
The cross and ring guards featured decorative loops, and more blue leather was wrapped around the end of the ricasso and the two prongs. The ricasso was not flat, instead rounded into a slightly elliptical shape with three narrow vertical slits either side revealing a small hollow behind each of them. The blade itself was straight-edged, tiny runes engraved along its length. The exposed metal shone like ice, save for the blackened guard and wire on the hilt.
"That's… A very big sword," Pyrrha said, looking at Weiss' weapon with raised eyebrows. Weiss nodded, smiling.
"This is Lilie," she said, lifting the sword and reaching under it to withdraw a custom scabbard. Worn on her back, it was designed to allow and assist in carrying and drawing the massive weapon from her back, parts of it able to open and articulate to accommodate the necessary movements of the blade during the process. She strapped it securely in place before fishing out six vials of powdered dust. Manipulating Lilie's ricasso, both sides of it sprung upon, allowing Weiss to insert the vials securely within the weapon. Closing up the dust-holders, the slits in the ricasso now each displayed the colour and amount of dust in each vial.
Finally, she then lifted it fully from its case, briefly holding it up before gently placing the tip on the ground, looping an arm over the guard to hold it up as she closed the case and returned it to her locker. At full length it was only a few inches shorter than Weiss herself, counting her heels. "My sister helped me with the smithing. Bit too big just for one person," she said, smiling at the memory.
"That's lovely!" Pyrrha said, her smile widening. Weiss swallowed, clearing her throat.
"So umm, any students so far you want to be on a team with?" Weiss asked, feigning a casual attitude.
"Not especially! I was just planning on seeing where things end up."
"I see. Maybe we'll end up on a team together?"
"That sounds grand!"
"Great!" Any joy Weiss may have felt from Pyrrha's apparent enthusiasm was quickly squashed when a mess of blond hair lent between them.
"You know what else is great? Me. Hi, Jaune Arc. We met yesterday." Jaune grinned at Weiss.
"I remember. Unfortunately," she responded flatly, her smile turning to flat neutrality.
"Lovely to meet you, Jaune," Pyrrha said, stepping around Jaune and next to Weiss, giving a small wave.
"Mhm, mhm, always is," he replied, before focusing on Weiss again, who was struggling not to gag. "So, I've been hearing some rumours about teams flying around. I've been sizing up the competition, and I think we'd make a pretty good team. What do you say?"
"I think teams are comprised of four hunters, actually." Pyrrha interrupted.
"Oh really now?" he said, switching his attention to Pyrrha, stepping closer. "Well, play your cards right, hot stuff, and you could end up on the winning team." An ugly flash of something in the region of disgust flashed in Weiss' mind briefly at that, and she stepped between the two.
"Since you 'scoped out the competition', I assume you know who you're talking to?" she asked, folding her arms.
"Not at all, snow angel," he said with a flirtatious tone. The pulse of emotion happened again, this time accompanied with the suppressed urge to punch Jaune.
"This is Pyrrha Nikos."
"Hello again!" she said, giving another small wave.
"Four-time Mistral Regional champion? Graduated with honours from Sanctum?" Weiss pressed.
"No idea what those are," Jaune said, unflinching.
"You don't - How could you 'scope out' your fellow students if you don't know what either of those are?" Weiss asked, frustration briefly overwhelmed by disbelief.
"I, umm… Well, you see…" Jaune started, trailing off as he struggled to come up with a retort.
"Well, I'm sure Jaune would be a great teammate," Pyrrha said, ever-diplomatic.
"Ohh, stop it you," Jaune said, apparently embarrassed at the praise.
"Yes, please stop it. Do we really want to encourage this behaviour?" Weiss asked Pyrrha.
"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick, but I'm sure I could bend the rules a little and find a spot for you. What do you say?" he asked, sidling up closer to Weiss, even as she took a step back.
"Ok, too close! Pyrrha, a little help before I hurt him?!" Jaune let out a surprised yelp as Pyrrha's spear suddenly hurtled past, taking Jaune with it and pinning him to the wall by his hoodie.
"I'm sorry!" she called over, looking apologetic.
"Don't be. I'd have done worse," Weiss said quietly to her, scowling in Jaune's direction. Suddenly, the speakers crackled.
"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately," Professor Goodwitch said through the speakers. Weiss quickly placed Lilie within its scabbard, grabbed a helmet from her locker, before leaving the locker room, not sparing a glance for Jaune as he struggled against the spear. Pyrrha followed her, retrieving her weapon.
"It was nice meeting you," she said as Jaune fell to the floor.
"Likewise," he groaned out, sounding a little defeated.
"Came on a little strong there. 'Snow angel', really?" Yang asked as she exited the room past him. Ruby paused in front of him, offering a hand to help him up.
"Come on, let's go. At least I'm not the only one she probably hates?" she joked, laughing nervously.
"For years, you have all fought and trained," Ozpin began, looking down the line of students with a mug in his hand. All the new first-years were gathered at the edge of a cliff overlooking a massive forest, each standing on a metal pad. "Whether with the goal of becoming a hunter in mind, or merely to survive, or for some other motivation. You will now be tested in the Emerald Forest."
"Now, I'm sure, like every year," Glynda started, looking up from the touchpad in her hands, "that you have all heard rumours about the assignment of teams. Allow us to put an end to your confusion. You will all be assigned your teams today."
"What?!" Ruby squeaked out.
"These teams will remain for your entire time here at Beacon. So, it is in your best interests that you be paired with someone you can work well with, and who complements your abilities." Ruby let out a nervous groan at that, glancing at her sister. "That said, your partner for the next four years will be the first student you make eye contact with in the forest."
"WHAT?!" Ruby squeaked out, much louder than before.
"Once you have found your new partner, you will make your way north. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy it or you will die." Ozpin paused for a second to let his words sink in. "Instructors will be monitoring and grading you, but will not intervene. There is a ruined temple at the end of the path containing several relics." He held up a small black statue of a rook. "Each pair must select a relic and then return to the top of the cliff. You will be graded based on your performance. Any questions?" he asked.
"Uhh, yes?" Jaune began, holding up his hand.
"Good! Take your positions," he said, ignoring Jaune. Weiss took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before putting her helmet on and drawing Lilie, standing ready.
"Um, sir? I have a question," Jaune asked. Weiss was the first to be launched, sent flying above the forest below. "This landing thing… What is it? Are we being flown into the forest?"
"No. You will be falling," Ozpin said matter-of-factly.
"Oh. Right. I see. Umm, are we getting parachutes?" he asked, more confused now.
"No. You will be using your own landing strategy," Ozpin replied, sipping his drink. Yang turned and winked at Ruby, slipping a pair of sunglasses on before being launched with a loud 'wahoo!'.
"I see, I see… So uh, what is a landing strategyyyyyyyy!" Jaune's question was cut-off as his pad suddenly catapulted him towards the forest, flailing and spiralling through the air. Ozpin tracked his trajectory with his eyes, taking another sip of his drink.
"Hmm. Another class clown?" he asked Glynda, who sighed loudly.
Ruby sailed through the air, firing Crescent Rose in her direction of travel in order to bleed some velocity. As her trajectory started to dip below the treeline, she transformed her weapon into its scythe form and hooked a tree branch, losing more speed before launching towards the ground again. She repeated the manoeuvre a few more times before landing in a crouch and then sprinting forwards. Gotta find Yang, she repeated in her mind like a mantra, looking around and listening.
"Yang? Yaaaang?!" she called. Oh this is bad. What if I'm not partnered with her?! What if someone finds her first? Who would I end up with?! Jaune? He seems nice? Probably not good in a fight. Oh, Blake! Calm, mysterious, likes books! Probably wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with her too well… She shook her head. "Ugh, who else do I know? Yang, Blake, Jaune…" She breached through the foliage into a clearing, another student coming into view as she skidded to a halt.
It took Ruby a moment to realise she'd almost run into Weiss again. Whilst her outfit was the same, the massive sword on her back was new, but what really threw Ruby off was the helmet. Silvery metal covered her face and head, a large crest emerging from the forehead and sweeping back into two downward-facing points. Metal flowers and white hair decorated this headpiece. The rest of the helmet was, Ruby realised, made to resemble a somewhat stylised version of Weiss' actual face and head, two dark sockets for her eyes. Her actual hair emerged from under the helmet at her neck, blending with the hair from the crest.
The end result, Ruby decided, was fairly creepy. Weiss held Ruby's gaze for a few seconds before turning on her heel and marching off. "Wait, where are you going?!" Ruby called after her, chasing for a few steps. "We're supposed to be partners.." she huffed, kicking at the ground.
Weiss stormed on ahead, ignoring Ruby's words as she broke through the undergrowth. She paused as she heard a voice struggling above her, lifting her head to see Jaune pinned to a tree by Pyrrha's spear. "Gah, come on, stupid," he grunted, trying to free himself. During his struggle he spotted Weiss, looking down and waving sheepishly. Without a word she turned and left. She marched back to Ruby, grabbing her by the hood and dragging her along.
"This does not make us friends," she said, voice echoing slightly through the helmet.
"You came back!" Ruby cheered, allowing Weiss to drag her along.