It had been over an hour since the seven prospective students left the ruins, 'relics' and an elf in tow. When she first heard the word 'relic', Ruby had to admit her mind conjured fantastic images of powerful rings and flaming swords of gold. Granted, she had seen those kinds of things before, but that was Nirn, this is Remnant! Magic just wasn't a thing here. Still, as she gazed upon the chess pieces, Ruby couldn't stamp out her disappointment. Chess pieces? Really? Yeah, it made sense, but given all the artifacts Ruby found, all the ones she was carrying right now...

"Something wrong?" Yang's gentle question derailed her train of thought, and if her sudden 'eep' was any indication, it wasn't a gentle derailing. "Easy, easy! Sorry about that. You just looked deep in thought."

"It's fine, Yang. Everything's fine. I was just thinking about the relics you guys grabbed."

Yang smirked, pulled out a white knight, and twirled it in her hand. "I know. Surprised me when I saw them, too. Don't know what I expected, but... yeah, not chess pieces."

The sisters tired to strike up a conversation, heaven knows they wanted to do so, but their plans were stopped by several questions; How does one begin to talk to a sibling after a two year disappearance? Is it too soon for Yang to broach the topic? Too public? What should Ruby say to her sister? What should she expose of her past, and what should remain hidden for the time being? Fortunately, their pitiful excuse for a conversation, one preschoolers would find stilted and awkward, was salvaged by the intrusions of one Blake Belladonna. "So, Yang, may I ask who this is?"

"Oh! Ruby, this is my partner, Blake. Blake, meet Ruby Rose, my baby sister." Blake's eyes widened at those words.

"So, when you ran to her and-" she kept her sentence unfinished and softened her eyes as they filled with sympathy. "Sorry, I shouldn't have - I mean, it sounds personal-"

Yang waved off her worries. "Ah, don't worry about it. I just haven't seen her in... years." None noticed the slight sag of Blake's bow, though her frown was apparent to all. "And hey, she's here now, so everything's fine!" Nobody believed that, least of all Yang, so she barreled towards the next topic. "So, sis. I know you've been through a lot," Her eyes drifted to her Ruby's ears, pointed like knives. "And if you don't want to say anything, that's totally fine. But still, is there anything you can tell me?"

And wasn't that the million drake question. So much of what happened to Ruby, what she experienced and learned, was so fantastic even she had difficulty believing it. Hers was a tale more like the stories Yang told her before bed than anything else. 'Best to start with a hypothetical. Gauge her reaction.'

"Would you believe me if I said I wound up somewhere far away?" Any more vague and Ruby could apply as a prophet. Maybe predict someone else's reincarnation. As strange as the sentence was, what was stranger was Yang's acceptance.

"Ruby, I think 'far away' is the understatement of the century. We couldn't find you on Patch, we couldn't find you in Vale, We couldn't even find you in the outer settlements! Can you be more specific?"

"It was an island."

"Like Menagerie?" Blake interjected.

"No, there weren't many faunus." Added an extra 'M' there, but it was otherwise the truth. "There was... ash. A lot of ash. Like, fields full of-"

"Quiet, you!" And Weiss Schnee entered the picture, having walked right in front of the three with the poise and grace expected of a noble. "You've made your point loud and clear, now stop polluting our thoughts with your inane rambling."

"Hey, what's your problem!?" Yang asked, rage restrained, but just barely. If the heiress had any sense of self preservation, she would shut up and deescalate the situation.

"What's my problem?" Weiss stopped, spun on her heel, and glared at the blonde. "My problem is how I've made it through initiation, grabbed my relic, killed a Nevermore, and still I have. No. Partner."

"I mean, there's me."

Weiss scoffed at Ruby's paltry assistance. "You aren't a student. You are not enrolled at Beacon, and given the conversation you've had with your sister you lack the formal education to do so. Even if I wanted you, I couldn't take you as a partner."

"Now you listen here-"

"Yang!" The blonde's rage was doused. "It's not worth it. Besides, she has a point."

"See, even she gets it!" It was at this point Weiss stated pacing with the fury and energy of a woman possessed. "I have no partner, meaning I failed the first, easiest task assigned to me. And if I can't even do that-"

"Sooo," Ruby made sure her voice was quiet enough to not draw Weiss's attention. "Is it just me or does Weiss seem a little..."

"Prissy?" Yang offered.

"Yeah. Prissy."

"It's to be expected." The sisters were surprised by Blake's tone, how it carried a subtle sting of venom more potent than the Grimm they just fought. "As heiress to the largest dust mining and distribution company in the world, this must be the first time hasn't gotten her way."

"Wait. She's a Schnee?"

"She's a heiress?!"

Too say Blake expected their reaction, their befuddlement, would be a lie. To not like the Schnee name is one thing, but to not know it was another. "You didn't know?" She turned to Ruby. "You spent the past hour next to her, and not once did the topic come up?" Ruby tapped her chin, thought back on all that happened today, and gave her resounding answer.

"Nope!"

"So! With that sorted out, what was this about ash?" Ruby turned to her sister, pondered why she steered the conversation, and came up with the perfect reply.

"There was a lot of it. Look, there's a lot to my story, and while there's no doubt I'd share it with you, I'd rather do it somewhere more private. Oh! No offense, Blake!"

Blake shrugged. "You aren't the first person I met with secrets." The reaper cringed, yet Blake continued. "So I understand the need to keep them close to your chest."

After another minute of hiking uphill, all who partook in the march accumulating sweat and exhaustion upon their limbs, the verdant forest gave way to a clearing, wherein stood two adults stood. One a blonde dressed in white blouse and purple cape, the other with a mane of gray and an outfit of black and olive, both radiating a power bought with blood, sweat, and tears. The blonde woman levied a stern scowl at the students, and though the others had a moment's hesitation, Ruby was not afraid of the disciplinarian.

The Headmaster's smile, on the other hand...

"Defeating two centuries-old Grimm on the first day of school, before the first class no less. Certainly one of the more eventful initiations I bore witness too. I believe you shall all thrive at Beacon." He stepped towards Ruby Rose, who swallowed at his approach. Three, even two years ago, the soft smile and warm tone would've been taken at face value. Now Ruby was on edge, chill in her spine as she wondered what plots echoed in his mind. "Of course, some of you had help. Unexpected help."

Had Ruby no experience with talking to the powerful and influential, she would have made a fool of herself standing stone still like that. Lucky her, Caius Cosades was a fine teacher, and she made her move to recover. She straightened her spine to the best of her abilities, took a quick breathe, and gave her reply. "Y-yeah, I kindof did, didn't I?"

Hey, no one said either of them were perfect. Crafting words and sentences was hard, dang it. At least the Headmaster found it endearing, if his chuckle was any indication.

"Ruby Rose."

"Yes?"

"You have... silver eyes."

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "I mean, they're mostly red."

"You mean the scrillia? If we judge by that, then wouldn't most eyes be white? At that point, why define by color?" Ozpin chuckled at his little tangent. Ozpin, and no one else.

"In any case," he continued, "your arrival in the Emerald Forest, while appreciated by some students," Yang gave Weiss a side-eyed look, "does pose it's own issues. Thus, though you only just arrived, I wish to discuss the matter further in my office."

"And what will you talk about?" Yang's tone was dangerous, distrustful, and full of bile.

"Ms. Xiao-Long!" Glynda started, but was stopped by Ozpin.

"Ms. Goodwitch, Ms. Xiao-Long does pose a valid question, which brings with it valid concerns." When the two blondes released the tension they held, he continued. "I only wish to ask what she was doing in the Emerald Forest, how she got there, and, well, where she has been these past few years." He tightened the grip on his cane, leaned forward, and whispered. "Your disappearance was quite the mystery, Ms. Rose, one with a few peculiar details that gave me a vested interest in it."

Such as whose child it was.

Yang looked cautious, but still more reserved than she was half a minute ago. "Anything you can say to Ruby, you can say to me." Her hand clasped Ruby's shoulder. "I'm not leaving her alone."

"Of course." Glynda's head snapped to Ozpin, indignation written on her face. "After all, whatever she feels comfortable sharing with me, I have no illusions she would keep from you." He turned to the remaining students. "The rest of you shall follow Mrs. Goodwitch back to Beacon and wait for the assignment of teams. Once again, you all proved yourselves today. Are there any questions?"

Weiss launched her hand skyward, and after some hesitation, Blake and Jaune did as well. "Good, you can bring them to Professor Goodwitch." Glynda glared as he retreated, but said nothing.

As for the sisters, they merely glanced at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and followed the enigmatic headmaster.

Tck. Tck. Tck.

The clicking clockwork filled the circular office as massive gears spun and turned in the ceiling and floor. At a modest desk near the center of this cavern of cogs sat three people: Ozpin relaxed on one side, Yang and Ruby tense on the other.

Being brought to the Headmaster's office is always a nerve wracking experience, even more so on the first day of school. Though the sisters knew they weren't in trouble, they were flooded with a deluge of fearful thoughts and bad memories. To Yang, it was of the time spent in the principal's office for having thrown a punch too hard at a deserving kid with too much sway.

For Ruby, the grinding gears brought images if brass and bronze and stone, ruins of a halcyon age long lost to time. Of automata and relics of wondrous, incredible power.

Of a god slaughtered and strung up by the hands of his peer.

"I must say, Miss Rose," Ruby was snapped out of her thoughts. "It isn't every day someone comes back from the dead." There was a wisp of humor in Ozpin's tone and a small smile on his face. Yet when he saw Ruby's eyes as wide as saucers, both vanished.

"I'm dead?!" She blurted out at a volume which caused Yang to flinch.

"Legally speaking." Ozpin took a sip of his fresh mug of hot cocoa. "You have to understand, Mrs. Rose, despite the best efforts of local police and huntsmen alike, a body was never located. Out best lead was your sister, and her testimony was... less than useful."

"I know what I saw-"

"And I believed what you said, still do in fact." Yang looked like she wanted to add something else, but a moment's thought held her tongue. She could argue with Ozpin till the gears in his tower ground to a halt; what was the point if there was no disagreement. "Getting back on track, while it's wonderful you are alive and well Ms. Rose, for the law to recognize you as such will require a mountain of paperwork. And what do we need to fill that out?"

"Information," Ruby's voice carried a twinge of doubt, an uncertainty that it lacked until now. "You need to know where I've been."

"Where you were, how you got here, what happened to you." The reaper raised a hand to her ear, paused halfway up, and dropped it back to her side. She slit the throat of the question as it formed on her tongue, yet Ozpin got what was unasked, what was unsaid. "Yes, I suppose that's a concern. Leaving a human and returning changed is certain to make some headlines." Assuming there weren't already rumors spreading through the student body. Young adults they may be, but gossip was not an indulgence whose appeal, once found, fades with age. "I won't force you to say anything, but-"

"No, no. I see your point." With a meditative breath and a silent prayer, Ruby made herself prepared. "Alright, just to put it out there, my story is a little... out there." Whatever response Ruby expected, a chuckle... made perfect sense, in hindsight.

"Miss Rose, I assure you whatever your claims, they are not the most unbelievable thing I've heard. In fact, I'd wager it won't make it to the top three." Ruby doubted his claim, yet he spoke the claim with such unbridled confidence; just what was his story?

'Later. First, tell your tale. Well, some of it. The important parts.' And what better arbiter of the importance of the details than Ruby herself?

"Well, I don't know how, but it started back in Patch, roughly two years ago. One minute I was helping Yang fight of some Ursai that snuck up on us while training, then there was this - this cold heat? I think?" The other two gave blank stares. "I don't know how to describe it. The important part is I woke up on an island like, well, this." Not really the full truth, but was the Nerevarine prophesy, the Bloodmoon, and her unlawful lock up in an Imperial prison really important? The less she sounded insane in front of this man of power, the better. "I think it was some kind of semblance that brought me over." Here the lies began, and hopefully it was here they would end.

Yang turned to her, questions fluttering behind her lips which craved release. Ozpin, however, spoke first as he looked upon her with curiosity; his eyes bored into her soul, scanning for any information he may have missed. For such an unprecedented occurrence, a more complete picture was needed before he felt comfortable filling the gaps, lest too many false assumptions are made. "A semblance," he finally said. "There have been semblances that could teleport or make portals, I admit. But a semblance that can fundamentally, permanently change a person? Even I haven't heard of such a thing."

"I mean, I'm still me."

"In mind and soul, absolutely. It's the physical alterations I was focused on." He leaned back and put on a small smile. "So unheard of is such a thing, why, I'd almost call it magic."

Ruby's eyes snapped towards the wizened professor. "Er, about that-"

"Of course, everyone knows magic doesn't exist," Ozpin interrupted. "And if it did, bringing knowledge of it out in the open would be reckless, disastrous even. Some would go as far as to call it apocalyptic. Why, just imagine what would happen if some vile person had even a scrap of that power." He certainly didn't have to, and as Ruby picked up his intentions, the hidden meanings, they both found she didn't need to either. "So, a semblance took you to some island in the middle of nowhere. Since you're clothed and well fed, not to mention armed, I'm guessing it wasn't deserted."

"No, sir."

"The inhabitants, did they look as you do now?"

"Most of them, yeah." She scratched the back of her head before continuing. "They called themselves 'Dunmer', and man is there a lot to unpack with them-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Yang's brow was creased and red bled in the edges of her eyes. "These Dunmer, are they the reason you look so... I mean, were they the one's who...?" Rather than find a polite way to articulate her thoughts or risk the social blunder of a blunt statement, Yang just waved and gestured with her hands in her sister's general direction, sending a message that Ruby thankfully understood.

"Oh, no! I was like this when I woke up on Vvardenfell."

The name wasn't familiar to Ozpin, the word sounding unlike any language he heard before. The ancient huntsman's mouth went dry, and he fixed it with a sip of cocoa. Wherever Ruby found herself, whatever people took her in, were truly alien, and obviously advanced in the one aspect Remnant lacked.

Magic.

His next blink took a second longer than it had too, and when he opened his eyes he was almost blinded. Ancient artifacts, advanced artifice, and assorted arcane antiques glowed in his mind's eye brighter than the Sun. All but two stemmed from Ruby Rose or something she held. In this desert of mysticism, Ruby was an oasis, and with this knowledge Ozpin knew what had to do.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the land. Care to tell me what you can?"

And so Ozpin listened as Ruby recounted what she could, or rather what she would. Despite her best efforts to conceal it, and for a teenager she displayed remarkable skill at doing so, Ozpin knew he was given a censored story, bare bones even. After all, he had done the same more times than he cared to count; even now, among those he trusted to fight in his shadow war, some secrets had to be kept, while others were too painful to reveal. What were the reasons of the young Rose? Did he even want to know?

"And, well, that's basically what happened. I found my way back, ended up here and, well, you know the rest. You do know the rest, right?"

"I assure you, Miss Rose, the cameras placed around the Emerald Forest caught the rest of your story." At the thought of cameras, Ruby paled. "For the sake of privacy certain aspects of this footage, including your 'creative semblance applications', will be edited out." Ruby didn't know if Ozpin meant the levitation, her slowfall off of the Nevermore, the flaming blast hurled towards the Beowolf like a fastball... okay, she might've used a bit too much magic. She thought she was being subtle, sue her! "Now, given your unique status, reintegration into Remnant's society will be difficult. Thus, to ease the transition, I have an offer for you."

"And finally, Yang Xiao-Long, Blake Belledonna, Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose. The four of you found and retrieved the white knight pieces. Henceforth , you will be known as team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose."

Weiss couldn't believe this was happening. Just one hour ago she spoke with Ms. Goodwitch, consigned to her fate of returning to her father's side, a failure and a disgrace. When she was assured her she didn't fail, and that Ozpin was working on a way around it, she let her guard down and her worries evaporate.

Big mistake.

The thought echoed in Ruby's mind: whatever Ozpin's plan, it already looked like a bad idea. Oh sure, at the time she agreed with him, but she was a big enough girl to admit her reasons were selfish. As a child, she always dreamed of being a huntress; countless hours were spent, countless bruises collected, all for a chance like this. When Ozpin said Beacon was the best place for her right now, at least until the paperwork is sorted out, she had no complaints. And yeah, spending time with her big sis was an opportunity she wouldn't pass up even if she had to be a janitor or something.

As she stood upon the podium, her dark elven heritage in full view of the entire student body, being announced as team leader when she wasn't even enrolled three hours ago, all appreciation for the plan evaporated.

'I mean, making me leader? When was this discussed? Oh, right; it wasn't! What does he put in his hot chocolate?'

'Because he's clearly not of sober mind,' Weiss thought as the four walked off the podium. While she was glad to make it past initiation, her good mood now rested alongside her plans in the gutter, coated in bitter disappointment. She didn't get to display her best qualities, she was stuck with an sub-optimal team, and she wasn't leader.

That last one stung more than she thought possible. The second the word left the headmaster's mouth, that the leader was instead to be the self admitted trespasser, Weiss almost screeched out a questioning 'what'. She didn't know whether to thank or curse her upbringing for keeping her from doing so.

But no, it looked lime she would spend the next four years taking orders from an immature faunus child.

'Was she a faunus?'

When Blake first saw Ruby, she thought the answer obvious. The ears were a different shape like some faunus, ergo she was one. Simplicity on the surface belies complexities beneath however, and though she would admit she didn't know every single animal on the face of Remnant, among the ones she knew the number sharing features with Ruby was a resounding zero. At the end of the day, it was an academic distinction, for while she might not be a faunus, she certainly wasn't human. Already Blake saw the leers and sneers from her peers, all focused on her young leader. To get such a reaction from humans was to be expected, but when Blake saw it from a boy with a wolf's tail, a stone was dropped in her gut. And this was only the beginning, for if - no, when the rest of the student body realized just how alien Ruby was, she shall draw their ire and scorn like a flame draws moths.

As their group joined the rest of the students in the cafeteria, one thought was on the front of her mind.

'She's not alright.'

Yang hadn't left her sister's side all day, afraid that she would again disappear like dust in the wind. Thus, she heard most of what she said, saw most of what she did, and knew something was up. Something was wrong. Yang knew Ruby didn't tell the headmaster everything, and if she was right, the headmaster knew as well. Certain topics were steered away from, not unlike how her Dad and Uncle steered any inquries away from Raven, and though it wasn't much, it concerned Yang.

'Just what happened to my sister?'

Ruby knew her disappearance would affect her sister; to say it would be an adjustment for the blonde would be an understatement on par with 'touching an exposed power cable is ill advised.' Her newfound clingy nature was not expected, but if Ruby was being honest she wouldn't be much better if the roles were reversed. Yet when Yang, confident and strong, openly cried a river in the Emerald Forest, she had to reevaluate just how much she suffered. Ruby wished that she could make it so she never disappeared, but knowing the fate she'd leave to Vvardenfell, to Morrowind, to all of Tamriel, tempered those desires. All Ruby could do now was make up for lost time.

Late at night, when the shock faded from the four, the newly dubbed team RWBY were hanging about in their dorm room. The place was barren, walls waiting to be adorned with the mementos of four young women. Unfortunately, exhausted as they were, all they had energy for was making their beds. After all, a bare mattress and the itching it caused was not worth the time it took to add a sheet or two, and it shouldn't take longer than five minutes.

Of course, there are those who disagreed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Weiss asked Yang.

"Making my bed? I know you have butlers for that, but-"

"I know how to make a bed, you dunce! That's why I'm asking." She pointed at the sheets atop the blonde's bed. "Just what are you doing to the top sheet?"

"You're supposed to tuck it under the mattress."

"Not like that, you're not!" Weiss pushed Yang aside, in spite of her short stature and lithe frame, and got to work undoing Yang's travesty. "You're supposed to fold the top and bottom ends in first, then fold the remaining corners in at forty-five degree angles. All the while making certain the sheets remain smooth." When she was done, the bed looked immaculate, with nary a wrinkle out of place.

"I don't know," Yang commented, unimpressed. "That's a lot of work to do every day."

While the two argued about the intricacies of a common chore, Blake and Ruby were at the other end of the room. In the former's hand was a book she attempted to immerse herself in, only to be pulled back up when the shouting got too loud. Already, Blake could tell it would be a long four years. Ruby, on the other hand, slowly removed pieces of her armor and stored them in the dresser, save for the boots which she placed to the side. She hesitated a bit with the large brass gauntlet, but otherwise the process passed with the swift ease brought about by practice.

When she got to the outfit underneath, which consisted of a black shirt, black pants, and a red skirt, she found a problem she wasn't prepared for.

"Does anyone have a spare set of pajamas?" Lucky her, Yang did, if the wad of cloth tossed Ruby's way was any indication. As the orange sleeveless shirt rolled down her face, Ruby gave a muffled "Thanks."

The blonde's smile shone but faded quickly. "Say, Rubes. Can we step outside the room for a moment? We need to talk. Alone." Yang's tone was hesitant, and that alone told Ruby what she wanted to discuss. She nodded her head, set aside the pajamas, and walked out the door, soon joined by her sister. There was not a noise to be heard save the hum of the lights above and the muffled conversation in other rooms. Yang walked beside Ruby, her posture and pace unsure, uncertain, as though Ruby was a delicate little flower that would wilt and die the minute she made one wrong step. The irony wasn't lost on the dunmer, though to be fair Yang was always like that.

"So, Ruby. You're back." Yang's brow furrowed. "Ugh, I know I said that already, it's just... you were just gone and, I never thought..."

"Yang! It's alright, say it as many times as you need. I mean, you're not the only one who missed their sister."

That seemed to calm the blonde down, as her back straightened with confidence and pride. "Good, good. Listen, I know you've been through a lot while stuck on... Vvardenfell, right?"

"Got it in one, Yang!"

"So don't feel like you need to tell me everything - I mean, what I'm trying to say is-"

"Yang." Her rambling stopped in it's tracks. "What's this about?" For a while nothing was said before Yang's body deflated.

"It seemed like there was something going on between you and the Headmaster. Like a super secret conversation or in. If you don't want to talk about it, or if you aren't allowed to, it's cool. But, Y'know," she pointed her hand at herself. "Big sister. Have to bug you about it at least once."

She had a valid point, and though Ruby would not discuss everything -Dagoth Ur was a can of worms that needed to wait until the both of them were more acclimated to Beacon - to leave her flesh and blood with less knowledge than a professor? That just felt wrong, repulsive, a deep spiritual violation. That only left two questions unanswered: what should she tell Yang right now, and what was the best way of doing it?

"Alright, but promise me you won't tell anyone? And that you won't think I'm crazy? Please?" She knew her sister wouldn't, but – okay, aside from mushroom towers and mad gods, she knew – ah, who was she trying to fool? The events Ruby went through were insane enough for her to doubt their veracity. But she had proof! That always made an argument stronger, right?

"Oh baby sis, since when have I ever spilled a secret?"

"When I was ten you told dad about me spending my lunch money on extra cookies. I was grounded for a week and had to bring food from home ever since."

Guilt flashed upon her face before resolve took its place."Alright. I promise to keep it a secret. Pinky swear."

Well, can't get much more serious than that, can she?

"Alright," Ruby started in nervous tone; this was pretty big, after all. "You remember the day I, you know, left?"

Yang's breathe hitched; a resounding 'yes' to Ruby's question. Still, the blonde nodded her head.

Moment of truth.

"Well, would you believe me if I said it was magic?" Here comes the disbelief, the questions, the-

"Yes." Like a dip in a lake or pond, Ruby's worries washed away; she didn't expect such a firm response. "Ruby," she continued with a softer voice, "I saw you disappear, fading into nothing like dust on the wind. Like, actual sand or dust blowing away. If that's not magic, I don't know what is."

"I mean, it could've been a semblance."

"Then why did you say magic instead of 'weird semblance?'" Yang knew her sister was just playing devil's advocate, but she had years of sisterly teasing to catch up on. Of course, her enjoyment was cut short when she fully processed what Ruby implied. "Wait, magic's real?"

"Yep."

"As in, wizards and stuff?"

"Mhmm."

"Actual magic?"

"That's what I said."

Now, Yang never claimed to be the most articulate person, capable of expressing the vast array of emotions with her vocabulary. And for a revelation like this, the implications it held for Remnant, would require the wit of a poet, the work of a well-versed wordsmith.

"Holy crap." Eh, good enough.

"Oh hey, that was my reaction too!" Ruby's smile infected her sister.

"I mean, I know what I said but... holy crap." And really, what else could Yang say? Actually, there was something else. "Can you do magic?"

"Oh Yang, magic isn't just something anyone can do," Ruby said with her fists on her hips. "It requires training, knowledge, and dedication to the craft." There was a pause. "But yeah, I know some. Wanna see?"

"Ruby, you're talking genuine magic here. I don't think a soul on Remnant wouldn't want to see."

"Well then, my dear big sister! To best demonstrate my magic, we're gonna need a wide open area." Ruby pointed down the hall and began marching down it. "Too the balcony!" She hadn't gone three steps before she felt a hand grip her shoulder.

"Ruby. The balcony's this way," Yang said as she jammed her thumb in the opposite direction.

"... I knew that!"

The pair found themselves outside Beacon's dorms a minute later. The starry sky filled with hundreds of its own little Beacons, painting the night with light. Far to the east, the shattered moon peaked over the horizon, ready for it's crawl across the heavens. The cool night air filled the lungs of the sisters with the scent of the trees and chimney smoke. Off in the distance, one could see silhouettes of students in the windows, some preparing for bed and the day ahead, others throwing caution to the wind and their hands in the air. The two faced each other, each keeping a safe distance from the other.

"Alright," Yang stated as she stretched her limbs. "Show me what you've got."

"Alright. Here we go. Bound weapon time." With outstretched hands and expended magika, a wicked black broadsword was summoned from Oblivion. Straight was the blade, with a line of red runes crawling down the center. On the bottom of the guard was a rendition of some beast, the grip jutting from it's mouth. To Yang, the entire thing screamed 'edge', though she was surprised the only two spikes were on one side of the blade.

Of course, any smart comment about Ruby's tastes and how little they changed over the years died on her lips when the full impact of the spell she witnessed hit her. Cautiously, she approached Ruby , hands creeping towards the construct, a look at her sister's eyes to ask for permission, with a smile and a nod in response. Now, while Yang had no reason, no desire, no intention to doubt her sister, she had heard of weapons 'summoned' with hard light dust before. It wasn't the most effective tactic, so she hadn't seen it happen. As she touched the sword and felt the smooth texture of a well refined metal, though not one familiar to the brawler.

"Okay, summoning swords, not what I was expecting, but-"

"Aww man, and here I thought it was cool." Ruby's voice was saturated with disappointment, and some of it transmuted to grief as it dripped onto Yang. Not twenty-four hours, and already she made her sister sad. Unwilling to stare into her downcast, red and silver eyes for a second longer, she scrambled to fix her blunder.

"I-I mean, it's still pretty cool! And hey, a weapon you can summon at will fits right at home with you! It's just, when you think wizards, is the first thing you think of weapons? Or is it, I don't know, flying or-"

"I can do that!" Ruby said with a pinch too much enthusiasm, which she quelled when she saw her sister flinch. "Er, It's technically levitation, but same thing." Her technique was sloppy, a result of the excitement she felt, but it got the job done. Just one step back, two, three, and now she was walking on the very air itself, ripples of solid energy emitted from beneath her feet, holding her aloft.

"Ruby," Yang started, "You know you proved yourself when you first summoned that sword? You didn't have to go further." Not entirely the truth, for Yang believed her sister long before the first spell was cast. Yet belief and knowledge are two beasts of different genus, and seeing such displays before her very eyes filled the blonde with an curious sensation, like the walls of reality were shattered and she saw sunlight for the first time. In a similar vein, though Ruby knew she had nothing to fear regarding disbelief or skepticism from her sister, to her those words spoken aloud released a peculiar tension she didn't know she held. Despite this, she still had one more bit of evidence to further solidify-

Oh, who was she kidding? At this point, it was all for fun.

"Oh, you think this is cool Yang?" Ruby punctuated her question with a twirl in the air.

A chuckle escaped her sister's mouth, "I mean, it's flight. When has that ever been uncool?" Yang saw her sister reach into her pocket, pull out something shiny, and toss it to her. Yang caught it with ease, and was shocked to find an amulet of gold that shone even in the night sky.

"Want to try for yourself?"

Up in the Headmaster's office at the top of the tower, Ozpin felt ready to collapse from exhaustion. Perhaps his age was catching up to him, the stress of his tasks growing heavier and heavier til he collapsed under their weight, never to rise again. To think this morning he expected a fairly uneventful evening; busy, for sure, but familiar, routine. A small comfort after all that went into initiation.

And then Ruby Rose came back from the dead.

No, that's not all! She had to come back changed as well, into something that was neither human nor faunus. For a time he thought she was the latter, that he saw something similar many, many years ago. Yet he didn't have time to peruse his memories before the girl told him, to his face, that she was something else. A Dunmer, she said. As if there weren't enough racial tensions plaguing Remnant.

Oh, but that wasn't the most damning thing. No, the race thing was strange, her eventual treatment by the public tragic, but though it sounded callous to admit, that wasn't his responsibility. It was something he found distasteful, something he would curb where he could, but ultimately prejudice such as that was a problem beyond the scope of a headmaster.

The real problem was her magic.

When she first said her name down in the Emerald Forest, Ozpin was surprised, but had a mundane explanation at the ready. One that was ruined the minute a spell left her fingertips. The thought of Amber and the missing power of the Fall Maiden passed through his mind, coming with the elementalism and leaving with the levitation. Ruby could claim it as her semblance all she wanted, Ozpin wasn't born yesterday.

Yet even he, the last wizard of Remnant, one of the two true sorcerers from the halcyon age of the full moon, was not prepared for how much magic radiated off of Ms Rose. Not only did she have the signature of an arcanist's , but the countless lesser echoes of enchantments. Some were strong, some were weak, some ancient, and some unmistakably divine. An exact count was impossible, but even with a conservative estimate she carried more artifacts and baubles than Ozpin had seen gathered in one place for a long time.

'Where in the world did she get so many? How long before she acts on the girl's presence? Just what is Ms. Rose capable of?' Such was a sample of the storm that raged in Ozpin's mind, yet there was one question he kept coming back to.
'What is my next move?'

And as much as he wanted a different answer, there really was only one.

A few taps on his scroll, a few seconds passed, a familiar voice emanated from the device.

"Ozpin! I'm surprised you called: haven't heard from you in a while."

"Good Evening Taiyang. While I would love to spend some time to catch up, I'm afraid this is an urgent matter." Ozpin took a deep breathe. "It's about your daughter."

"Oh god, Yang isn't in trouble, is she?" Taiyang Xiao-Long's worry wound up his words. "I don't think she'd do anything to get in trouble so soon. Unless... oh gods, is she hurt?"

"Yang is doing just fine; she demonstrated exemplary skill in today's initiation, has not broken any rules that would warrant punishment, and not one injury was sustained. She's not who I'm calling about." The only sound was the grinding gears and scroll static, until Tai broke the silence.

"Oz." The voice that came out was stern, firm, and carried a hint of desperation. "Tell me everything."