AN: Hey, everyone. Surprisingly enough, this chapter is actually one of the longest ones I've written for this fanfiction so far. I really like what I did with the characters here, and I hope you will too.
By the way, I just watched the Kingdom Hearts 2020 trailer, and I'm really not sure how I feel. First off, Dark Road is an expansion to Union X, which I never liked and didn't play that much of. It's for that reason that this story will contain practically zero elements from the Age of Fairy Tales. Second, I don't like the sound of a Kingdom Hearts-themed rhythm game. While I adore the soundtrack to these games, and I enjoy rhythm games, I don't like the idea of RPGs getting random rhythm game spin-offs. It's why I didn't bother with the Persona dancing games, either. Granted, I'm still going to buy Melody of Memory or whatever it's called since it looks like it continues the story, but that's only because I can't help myself. However, I'm hearing rumors that we might get a game where we play as Kairi, and I am all for that, especially after Nomura's been doing her dirty like he has for the entire series.
Anyway, on with the chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 16
Aqua let out a low whistle as Glynda opened the door to her room for her, her suitcase at her side. Evidently, the teachers at Beacon were given essentially apartments to live in, rather than the smaller dorm rooms the students had access to. As soon as she walked through the door, she entered into a fully-furnished office, complete with a desk, a full bookshelf, two couches with a coffee table between them, and even a T.V. in the corner. In another corner of the room was a full kitchen. Through a door to the side she spotted a bathroom with a shower. In the back of the room, she spotted another door that lead to a bedroom. She walked straight ahead into the bedroom and took a quick look around.
There was a queen-size bed in the center of the room with a headboard. Something to keep in mind for when Qrow eventually came back. She even brought something with her that would make good use of that particular part of the bed. Along one wall was a long dresser with a large mirror, and along the other wall was an armoire. On either side of the bed was a nightstand, and there was even a walk-in closet.
This place was even nicer than the hotel room she stayed in for the first few weeks after she arrived on Remnant all those years ago. She hefted her suitcase onto the bed and unzipped it, revealing the extra clothes and belongings she brought with her. She figured since she was in her room now, she might as well unpack. Glynda followed her into the room, standing in the doorway.
"I take it everything is to your liking?" Glynda asked.
"Oh, yes," Aqua answered. "It's even better than I could have hoped for." She reached into her suitcase and picked up one of the items that was placed carefully on top of the pile: a framed picture of herself and Qrow from their wedding a year ago. In the picture she was wearing a beautiful white dress, and was being carried bridal-style (fittingly enough) by Qrow, her lips pressed up against his cheek. The man himself was wearing a black tuxedo with a huge smile on his face, and to this day it was the only time she had ever seen her husband wear a tie. She smiled at the photo before placing it on the nightstand.
"I wanted to apologize to you," Glynda said.
"What for?" Aqua asked, raising her eyebrow in confusion. Glynda gestured to the photo.
"The night we met, I was shocked when you told me you were married to Qrow. It was very rude of me and I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Oh, no, it's fine," Aqua said. "I complete forgot all about that. Don't worry." She reached back into her bag to continue unpacking, when she heard the sound of metal jingling from inside her suitcase. She froze as soon as she heard that, having found the…uh…thing that would make use of the bed's headboard.
Yeah, she could finish unpacking later.
Clearing her throat, she asked, "So, uh, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"
"Well, we're still getting everything set up for your class. Since you were such a last-minute addition, we don't have a classroom ready for you yet."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Aqua said. "I didn't realize my teaching here would give you so much extra work."
"Don't apologize," Glynda said. "It's not your fault." It was very easy for Aqua to guess who the deputy Headmistress felt was truly at fault. She almost felt sorry for Ozpin. Almost. "Anyways, we would like you to spend at least tomorrow shadowing one of our other professors while we get everything set up for you. It'll buy us some time and allow you to get used to our academy's teaching environment before you actually have to teach yourself."
"Yeah, I guess that would be pretty helpful," Aqua said. That just begged the question.
"So, what am I going to be teaching, anyway?"
Thanks to being so used to it, Ruby automatically woke up at her usual time, 5 in the morning. She blearily opened her eyes in an unfamiliar room. Then everything came back to her.
This was her dorm room.
In Beacon!
No, it wasn't just her dorm room. I was Team RWBY's dorm room.
Her team.
It finally dawned on her just where she was and she was suddenly overcome with happiness. She couldn't help herself and started jumping on her bed in excitement until she heard a soft chuckle next to her. She immediately froze and looked at the next bed over at her sister, who was just looking at her with a sly grin on her face.
"Someone's excited," Yang whispered to avoid waking up Blake and Weiss, who were still sleeping. The other pair hadn't so much as spoken a single word to each other after initiation, and had barely spoken to the sisters either. Ruby knew this team was going to need a lot of work, which only made Professor Ozpin's decision to appoint her as team leader all the more confusing. But, it still didn't change the fact that she was at Beacon on the same team as her big sister.
"How long have you been awake?" Ruby whispered angrily.
"Long enough to see you jump on the bed like an 8-year-old." Ruby flopped down to sit on her butt, her arms folded in front of her, a huge pout on her face.
"What, am I not allowed to be happy?" she asked.
"I never said you weren't allowed," Yang countered. "It's just adorable."
"Ugh," Ruby groaned quietly. "Let's just go train already." She got up out of bed and walked over to her suitcase in the corner of the room, her sister doing the same. Since Weiss and Blake were still sleeping, she decided it wouldn't be a problem for her to get changed in the middle of the room. Yang clearly had the same thought, since she didn't go into the dorm's connected bathroom, either. Besides, they were all girls. She changed out of her pajamas, quickly putting on a black sports bra, a black tank top, and red shorts, and slipping her feet into a pair of sneakers. Since it was just her morning workout and she was going to shower afterwards, there was really no point in putting on her full combat outfit. Having finished changing, she turned around to see her sister was already done.
Honestly, it was easy for her sister to have finished changing first, since decided to forgo the shirt and just wear her sports bra and a pair of shorts. Well, hopefully there wouldn't be too many people awake at this hour.
"Ready?" Yang asked.
"Ready," Ruby replied, and the sisters headed for the door to their room, making sure to grab their scrolls on the way out so they could get back in later.
Pyrrha woke up at 5 for her morning workout, doing her best to get up quietly to avoid waking up Ren, Nora, and Jaune. Despite her doubts on the first day, being on a team was a much more pleasant experience so far than she had initially feared. Granted, they had only met the day before, but maybe she could just this once hold on to some hope. She looked over at the sleeping forms of her team mates, a small smile on her face.
First off, there was Nora Valkyrie. Calling her a bundle of pure energy would be underselling it a bit, but she wasn't bothered as much as she thought she would be. She may be hyper, but she was also one of the sweetest people Pyrrha had ever met. And while she made a big deal out of a lot of things, like pancakes, sloths, and how she and Ren were absolutely not dating, the fact that she was on a team with a celebrity was noticeably not one of those things, which Pyrrha was silently grateful for.
Next up, was Nora's partner, Lie Ren. He was almost Nora's polar opposite, and yet they got along famously. Or maybe it was because they were so different that they got along. Where Nora was loud, Ren was quiet, where Nora talked almost constantly, Ren only spoke when he had something important to say. While Nora seemed almost permanently happy, Ren was much more subdued. Regardless, if he and Nora really had been best friends for as long as she claimed they'd been, then he must have the patience of a saint.
Finally, Pyrrha's eyes rested on her own partner and leader, an adorable blond boy known as Jaune Arc. At first glance, most people would write him off, but Pyrrha knew better. After all, she had unlocked his Aura. When she did that, she got a glimpse into his soul. She saw a kind, earnest soul yearning to do the right thing. He just needed a little help. And besides, he had no idea who she was, so he was finally someone she could talk to without the barrier of her fame getting in the way. Her smile grew as she looked at him, before shaking her head and getting her workout clothes to start her morning exercises.
Grabbing a stack of clothes, she stepped into the dorm's bathroom to have some privacy in case one of her team mates woke up. There was a full-body mirror on one wall of the bathroom, allowing her to see herself in her red silk pajamas, sadly the most conservative outfit she owned. She sighed as she looked at the workout clothes in her hand, the least conservative outfit she owned. By the time she was 16 and starting to develop as a woman, her agent had immediately jumped on the opportunity.
"You're becoming a woman now, Pyrrha," she had said to her. "And a beautiful one, too. Everyone already knows that The Invincible Girl is as strong as they come, but they need to see that she can be sexy, too."
With this new "sexy" direction came more marketing opportunities, like magazine photoshoots in swimsuits that she absolutely despised, doing some modeling work for fashion lines, and she had to put her foot down when she was booked to model for a lingerie brand of all things. Sadly, this sudden new direction also extended to her normal clothing. In order to project her beauty at all times, the new wardrobe her agent had bought for her was significantly more revealing than what she would have worn otherwise. Sadly, that extended to the workout clothes she was now carrying in her arms. Since it was the only pair she owned that she could bring with her, she had to wear it today. She would need to make sure very soon to buy herself some more clothes, since she had the freedom to do that now.
Standing in front of the mirror, she took off her pajamas, solemnly putting on her sports bra before slipping on a red tank top that revealed her toned abs and black shorts. She would just have to suck it up like she always did until she could get new clothes. Sighing, she exited the bathroom, noticing that the rest of her team were still asleep. Grabbing her scroll, she quietly crept up to the door, and stepped outside, slowly pulling it closed.
"Oh, hey, Pyrrha," a voice said from behind her, causing the redhead in question to practically jump out of her skin, letting out a yelp. Pyrrha quickly turned around, and saw the person who greeted her was Ruby, accompanied by Yang. The girls were just coming out of their dorm room, which was right across the hall from Team JNPR's. "Oh, sorry," Ruby said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to startle you." Ruby was dressed in a black tank top and red shorts, but Yang was only wearing a yellow sports bra and black shorts, causing Pyrrha to almost blush in embarrassment vicariously. And here Pyrrha thought her own workout clothes were skimpy. But she had to admit, the blonde wore the look really well, probably even better than Pyrrha herself could have. Maybe it was that easy, natural confidence of hers that indicated that she was a girl who looked good and knew it, a confidence that Pyrrha never really had but was good at faking. Yang, though, she could tell her confidence was real.
"Oh, no, it's fine," Pyrrha said. "I just wasn't expecting anyone else to be awake at this hour."
"Eh, we're used to it," Yang said with a nonchalant shrug. "Our teachers were real strict with doing our morning workouts, so it just became a habit for us."
"I figured you were going to work out," Pyrrha said. "My mentors drilled this habit into me, as well."
"Hey, wanna join us?" Yang asked.
"Really?" Pyrrha was surprised. There were people out there that actually wanted to train with her? Most people would just assume she wouldn't want to train with anyone so beneath her, so this was rather jarring.
"Yeah, the more the merrier!" Yang said enthusiastically. "Right, Rubes?" the two of them looked over at Ruby, who was fidgeting nervously.
"Uh, yeah," the younger girl finally said. Pyrrha frowned inwardly. Was Ruby one of those people? She looked at the two older girls, and then at herself, and Yang flinched. Realization dawned on Pyrrha about why Ruby seemed a little apprehensive. It wasn't because she was intimidated by Pyrrha's fame. This was a body issue. She was going to politely decline the offer, not wanting to make the young leader uncomfortable, but then Yang spoke up.
"Can she check out your weapons?" At the blonde's question, Ruby instantly perked up and looked at Pyrrha expectantly.
"Of course," Pyrrha said, smiling. "That sounds fun." Besides, she had been meaning to ask Ruby about that weird weapon of hers, too.
"Great!" Yang said, grabbing Ruby's hand. "Let's go! We're burning daylight!" she started dragging Ruby down the hall to the locker room so they could grab their weapons, the younger girl protesting her treatment the whole time.
Once the initial excitement of seeing some new weapons died down, Ruby went back to internally panicking. It was bad enough that she was going to be out in public with her half-naked sister for people to compare them, but now she had this red-haired goddess to worry about, too? The trio of girls reached the door to the locker room, Ruby doing her best to brace herself for the ridicule that was sure to follow. Her sister opened the door and…
It was empty.
Totally empty.
Not a single soul could be found in the locker room.
That was odd. She thought for sure that the room would be packed with other students getting in their early morning training. Maybe the other students decided to sleep in on the first day? She started following her sister and Pyrrha on auto-pilot while she thought.
The lack of people in the locker room caused her to calm down. If no one was around, she didn't have to worry about being compared unfavorably to the undeniably gorgeous girls with her. She loved Yang a lot, she really did, but she really wished that her sister's Semblance didn't force her to wear revealing clothing like it did. Yang was a knockout, and constantly needing to have her stomach exposed to expel excess heat meant that her figure was always on display. However, as much as it bothered Ruby that being in her sister's presence made it more apparent just how plain she was, she would never say that to Yang. She didn't want Yang to feel guilty over something she couldn't control.
Making matters worse, Ruby now found herself on a team full of girls older and better-looking than her. Blake was good-looking in ways very similar to her sister, and if she was being honest, how quiet she was gave her an air of mystery, which just made things worse for the young Keybearer. And while Weiss had a very similar figure to Ruby, her poise and elegance more than made up for her being lacking in the chest department. Plus, she had that cool scar!
Life really wasn't fair sometimes.
A sword being thrust into her hands took her completely out of her self-deprecating thoughts, and she looked down at the red-and-yellow sword in awe.
Now that was a weapon.
She hefted it in her hands, feeling the perfect balance and light weight of the blade.
"This is called 'Milo'," Pyyrha explained. "The shield is called 'Akuou'."
"This is so cool!" she exclaimed. She could see the mechanisms that meant it was a mechashift weapon, and she handed it back to Pyrrha. "How does it transform?" Pyrrha pressed a button on the side of the grip, causing the handle to become longer and the blade to condense into a spear point. Within seconds, Pyrrha's weapon had transformed from a short sword into a javelin. Due to the long handle and short point, Ruby could see that it was meant to be thrown and not used like a long spear. Ruby's smile grew larger seeing it.
And then Pyrrha pressed a different button, and the blade fully receded, the weapon expanding into a long rifle.
Her weapon had three forms!
Ruby absolutely did not squeal in excitement at seeing it. Yang placed a hand over Ruby's mouth to stop the totally non-existent noise.
"Sorry about her," Yang said to the redhead. "She's always been a huge weapon nut."
"Yaaaaaaang," Ruby whined after taking Yang's hand off her mouth.
"Don't 'Yaaaaang' me," her sister scolded. "You are."
"Oh, I don't mind," Pyrrha said. "I'm actually kind of flattered that someone is this fascinated by my weapons."
"There, see?" Ruby said to her sister, crossing her arms indignantly. "Pyrrha doesn't mind."
"Fine, fine," Yang said, putting her hands up in mock surrender. "Since we're sharing, why don't I show Pyrrha my babies?" Yang opened up her locker and put her gauntlets over her wrists in bracelet form. She expanded them into their full form, covering up her otherwise bare forearms. "I call these bad boys Ember Celica. Gauntlets with shotgun barrels built in."
"Very impressive," Pyrrha said. "I saw you packed a punch during initiation."
"Yeah," Yang said proudly. "I figured I'd make a good first impression. Really start off the year with a Yang." Ruby groaned, the slapping noise from her hand smacking her forehead reverberating throughout the locker room.
"…I'm sorry?" Pyrrha asked, her head tilting in confusion.
"Get it?" Yang said. "Like 'start with a bang', but my name is Yang?" Pyrrha just blinked owlishly at her.
"Ugh, just ignore her," Ruby said, causing Yang to glare at her. "We can't get her to stop so maybe if you just don't acknowledge her she'll stop."
"Hey, my jokes are great!" Yang tried to defend.
"No, they really aren't," Ruby answered.
"If you don't mind me asking," Pyrrha interjected, "what is your relationship? You seem very close."
"Oh, we're sisters," Ruby said.
"Really?" Pyrrha asked, confusion clear on her face.
"Yeah, we know, we look nothing alike and we have different last names," Yang said. "Same dad, different moms. And then we got a new mom after that. It's complicated."
"I-I see," Pyrrha said. "Anyway, Ruby why don't you show me your weapon? I'm curious how you summoned it during initiation."
"Oh, that was, uh, part of my Semblance," Ruby quickly lied. She held out her hand in front of her and called her Keyblade to her hand. "This is Crescent Rose," she said proudly, displaying the weapon for the redhead to see.
"Interesting," Pyrrha said, leaning in closer. "I've never seen a sword like that before."
"Yeah, she's pretty special," Ruby said proudly. "I've had her since I was really little, actually."
"Really? Where did you get it?"
"Made her myself," Ruby said. It wasn't technically untrue, as the Keyblade being born from her heart did kind of mean that she had created it. "She's actually got three forms, too. Here, I'll show you." With just a thought, she transformed her Keyblade into its scythe form. While she had always been a little jealous of people with mechashift weapons because of just how freaking cool they were, she did have to admit, not having to press a button or operate any mechanisms to transform her weapon was more convenient.
"I've never met a scythe user before," Pyrrha said, clearly impressed by the weapon's appearance.
"Yeah, my uncle taught me how to use it. She can also do this." With another thought the weapon transformed again into its sniper rifle form. Pyrrha let out a low whistle.
"Impressive," the redhead complimented her. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you both can do. Maybe we can spar against each other in combat class."
"I'll make sure to kick your ass," Yang said, giving her trademark smirk. Pyrrha's eyes widened, before she burst out laughing.
"In that case, I can't wait," she said happily. "Now let's get started with our workout. We did kill a lot of time."
"Yeah, let's go," Ruby said, and the trio of girls left the locker room.
Aqua stepped out of her bathroom in her underwear, her freshly-dried hair flowing down her back. It was about 6 in the morning, and she had to be dressed and at Ozpin's office in twenty minutes. She walked into her bathroom, where her clothes had already been laid out, and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. With her bra being the only thing currently adorning her upper body, she could clearly see her black bird tattoo on her left breast, right over her heart. A few years, back, Qrow had somehow convinced her that they should get matching tattoos, so she got one of a crow, and he got one of a water droplet, both over their hearts. It was a sweet gesture, but then they had to spend the next three weeks trying to explain to Yang why they could get tattoos, but she couldn't. That hadn't been fun.
She picked up her clothes from the bed and quickly put them on, looking herself over in the mirror. She had purchased a brand new outfit special for teaching, and if she said so herself, she looked damn good in it.
It was a relatively simple outfit, consisting of a light blue blouse, a black pencil skirt, dark grey leggings, black heels, and of course her necklace with both of her Wayfinders. Nodding in approval at her reflection, she pinned her hair behind her head like usual, and walked out of her office, confident to start the day.
The route to Ozpin's office took Aqua through Beacon's courtyard, where she saw a few familiar faces doing their workouts. Ruby and Yang were running through their katas alongside a girl with long red hair, Pyrrha Nikos, if she remembered correctly. The best part in the Keyblade Master's opinion was that if the chatting she saw while they were doing their exercises was any indication, they were all working out together, and not just being in the same area by coincidence. It warmed her heart to see her daughters making friends so quickly. She gave a quick wave to them before moving on to the central tower.
She walked through the doors to the tower, and up to the receptionist.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Yes, my name is Aqua Branwen. Professor Ozpin wanted to meet with me."
"One second," the woman said, typing something up on her computer. "Yep, right there, Aqua Branwen. If you take the elevator up to the top floor, it will take you straight into Professor Ozpin's office."
"Thank you," Aqua said to the receptionist as she took her leave, entering the elevator and hitting the button for the top floor. The room she stepped out into was absolutely gorgeous. The Headmaster's office was circular, with the entire wall taken up by a massive window providing a panoramic view of the city of Vale. The floor was also made of glass, revealing underneath it a series of rotating cogs. In the center of the room was an ornate desk, with the Headmaster sitting in a chair behind it. To his side was Glynda and in front of the desk was Peter and someone she didn't recognize.
The new person was a tall and lanky man, with shaggy green hair, large, round, opaque glasses (making Aqua wonder how he could even see), and he was clearly attempting to look professional, since he was wearing a white dress shirt with a tie, but it was put together so sloppily that it made her wonder what the point was. As the two men turned around as she walked into the office, she could see that the green-haired man was holding a mug of presumably coffee in his hand.
"Ah, Aqua, good morning," Ozpin greeted.
"Good morning," she replied.
"I wanted to introduce you to another member of our staff. Bart, if you'd please."
"Yes, of course," the green-haired man said, zipping towards Aqua so fast that she thought she was talking to Ruby for a second. He grabbed her hand and started vigorously shaking it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, and I teach the history of Remnant here at Beacon Academy. It is my distinct pleasure to meet you."
At least, that's what she thought he said. He spoke so fast that she was sure she missed something. But better not to be rude.
"It's nice to meet you, Doctor, uh, Oobleck, was it?"
"Please, call me Bart."
"Bart, then. My name is Aqua Branwen."
"Wait for it…" she heard Peter say from behind Bart.
"Ah, you're Qrow's wife, I presume." Peter, Glynda, and Ozpin all had to pick their jaws up off the floor after Bart managed to actually guess Aqua's marital status.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" She asked.
"Your wedding ring," he said, pointing to her hand. "Since you bear no physical resemblance to either of the Branwen twins whatsoever, that ruled out you being their sister, which means Branwen is not your maiden name. Thus, the wedding ring combined with your last name could only lead me to conclude that you are married to Qrow."
"Well, that's, uh, astute of you," she said.
"But of course," he said enthusiastically. "In my line of work, I need to be able to glean facts from small, barely-noticeable details."
"Yeah, you said you teach history, right?"
"That is correct. And what, my dear, can we expect you to teach?"
"Advanced Combat and Team Tactics," Aqua, said, remembering what Glynda had told her the night before.
"Aqua here has quite the extensive hunting record," Ozpin chimed in from his seat. "With her skills, I decided a combat-oriented class would be ideal for her. This meeting is actually to help us work out the finer details of your new class with you. After this meeting, you'll be shadowing Peter for the remainder of today."
"Sounds good," Aqua said.
"I am quite excited to work with you again, Aqua," Peter said happily.
"Likewise," Aqua said. "Was there anything else we needed to cover today during this meeting?"
"Yes, actually," Glynda said, her face growing darker. "Before we continue, we would like you to tell us everything you know about the Heartless."
Ruby and Yang quietly entered their dorm room, a thin layer of sweat covering their forms. They saw that Blake had already showered and was wearing her school uniform, quietly reading to herself on her bed. Weiss, however, was still sleeping. Seeing Blake gave the sisters an opportunity to get a good look at Beacon's uniform for the first time, and in Ruby's opinion, in was super cute. Blake wore a white blouse under a brown vest, with a black, gold-trimmed blazer worn closed over that. In addition, the female uniform also included a red pleated skirt and brown loafers, with Blake wearing black, knee-high socks under them. She still had her bow on her head, and only nodded quietly to acknowledge that Ruby and Yang had entered the room before returning her attention to her book.
Without a word, Ruby dashed into the bathroom before her sister had the chance to, eager to take a shower before putting her own uniform on.
A few minutes later, Ruby was sitting quietly on her bed in her uniform, feeling very eager to get started, with Blake still reading and Yang in the shower. Her uniform was mostly the same as Blake's, except she was wearing black tights under the skirt, her cape on her back, and her Wayfinder around her neck.
"I can't wait," Ruby said.
"For what?" Blake asked, not looking up from her book.
"To start school, what else?"
"You act like you haven't been to school before."
"Well, it's been a while," Ruby said sadly, looking down. "I don't really want to talk about it."
I won't ask, then," Blake said. After a few seconds, Ruby looked around the room taking in the empty walls.
"You know, we really need to do something about this room."
"What, you want to decorate?"
"Yeah! We brought stuff to do it with, didn't you?"
"I did bring some books."
"Well, we've got plenty of time before our first class." She looked down at Weiss, who was still sleeping. "Although, we should probably wake Weiss up before we start."
"Start what?" Yang asked, walking out of the bathroom with her uniform on. Well, sort of.
She was wearing the skirt and blazer, but it was worn open. Underneath that, instead of the blouse and vest, she was wearing her yellow crop top, and around her neck was of course her Wayfinder. On her legs, she wore the brown loafers with black thigh-high stockings. It was…unorthodox to say the least, but Ruby understood why she had to modify it. After all, Ruby had modified hers by adding her cloak, so it's not like she could judge anyone for wearing it however they wanted to.
"Decorating," Ruby said, answering Yang's question.
"Ah, sweet!" Yang said happily. Then she looked at Weiss. "Damn, Ice Queen is still sleeping?"
"Yeah," Ruby said. "Blake, you want to wake her up?"
"Not particularly," the black-haired girl said.
"Why not? Isn't she your partner?"
"So?" Blake asked with a scoff. "That doesn't mean I like her. I frankly couldn't care less if she ever wakes up."
"But—" Ruby tried to argue.
"Eh, don't worry," Yang said, a mischievous grin on her face. Ruby never liked that look. "I'll get her up."
"Why do I get the feeling that no one is going to like your way of 'getting her up'?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know, maybe because we've been sisters our entire lives?" Yang responded, rummaging around in her bag until she found a whistle. Ruby looked concerned, Blake looked scared for some reason, and Yang leaned over to put the whistle right up to Weiss's ear.
"Oh, no," Ruby muttered.
*FWEEEEEET*
"AAAAAH!" Weiss screamed in panic, rolling out of her bed and landing face-first on the floor. Ruby thought she heard Blake snicker next to her.
"Up and at 'em, Ice Queen!" Yang yelled at the fallen heiress.
"What in the world is wrong with you?!" Weiss yelled, while Yang just laughed. "Stop that! It's not funny!"
"Yes it is!" Yang said, continuing to laugh. "Lighten up. It's just a whistle."
"Just a whistle?!" Weiss yelled, getting up off the floor and pointing her finger in Yang's face. "Now listen here, you-!" She froze mid-sentence and looked down at Yang's body. "What are you wearing?"
"Uh, my uniform," Yang said.
"That is not the uniform," Weiss said. "Beacon's uniform is proper and stylish. You look like some cheap hussy."
"Hey!" Yang said, her mood changing very quickly from amused to angry.
"What, you know your brains won't be enough to make it through Beacon so you're hoping that sleeping with a professor or two will keep your grades up?"
"Like I would ever!" Yang yelled. "I have dignity!"
"Oh, really?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms. "What other reason could you possibly have for modifying the uniform to reveal that much skin?"
"Listen here, bitch!"
"How dare you!"
"Alright, that's enough, you two!" Ruby yelled, physically getting in between her sister and the heiress. "It's the first day, and you're starting off with a fight! We're a team! We have to work together!"
"You heard what she said about me!" Yang said. "She called me a slut!"
"What other conclusion could I reach about you when you're dressed like you meet men behind the bleachers?"
"Come here, you!" Yang yelled, reaching for Weiss as her eyes turned red.
"Yang, stop!" Ruby ordered. Yang looked like she was still ready to fight Weiss, so she hardened her gaze. "I'm the leader of this team, Yang, and I'm ordering you to stop." She turned to Weiss. "Weiss, the reason why Yang dresses like that is because her Semblance makes her body warmer than it's supposed to be. The uniform has too many layers normally, so she has to do that or she'll overheat." Weiss was quiet for a few seconds.
"Fine," she finally said. "That answer is adequate."
"What, that's it?" Yang demanded. "You say all that shit to me, and then all you have to say is 'that's adequate'?"
"Yang, drop it," Ruby said.
"But she was acting like a huge bitch!"
"Yeah, after you blew a whistle in her ear," Ruby pointed out, causing Yang to visibly deflate. "She has a right to be mad after that." Yang just crossed her arms and pouted. "Now, why don't you guys call a truce?"
"Fine," they both mumbled at the same time.
"Thank you," Ruby said. "Now that that's out of the way, we can get to our first official mission as Team RWBY!"
"Which is?" Weiss asked.
"Decorating!" Ruby yelled happily. "This room is so boring on its own, we need to spruce it up a little, make it feel like home."
"We are doing nothing until I shower and dress," Weiss said, walking into the bathroom.
"Okay, we'll wait," Ruby said.
The four girls spent close to an hour decorating their room. Yang had put up a poster of her favorite band, the Achieve Men. Blake had apparently only brought some clothes and a lot of books, which took up almost an entire bookcase on their own. Ruby caught her hide away a book called Ninjas of Love, making a mental note to ask her to borrow it (Ninjas are cool, after all). Weiss easily had the most stuff. From lots of expensive clothes and jewelry, to her makeup, to even paintings that she hung up on the wall, she seemed to have brought everything. Ruby had a few books (both novel and comic variety), a few changes of clothes, and some video games.
The girls had finally stopped to admire their work, only to realize that in their efforts, they had managed to pile up their beds on the floor in the middle of the room.
"This is a problem," Weiss observed.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Blake snipped, causing Weiss to glare at her. Ruby and Yang looked at the mess thoughtfully.
"Bunk beds?" Yang asked.
"Bunk beds," Ruby confirmed.
"That sounds dangerous," Weiss said nervously.
"No one asked you," Yang said.
"Yang," Ruby said warningly, causing Yang to put her hands up in surrender.
"Blake, you think converting the beds into bunk beds sound like it could be dangerous, right?" the heiress asked her partner.
"I think it's a great idea," Blake said.
"That settles it, then!" Yang said, and the girls got to work lifting up their beds. After a lot of work, they finally succeeded in creating bunk beds.
Kind of.
Ruby's bed was suspended from the ceiling by ropes over Weiss's bed, and Yang's bed was held over Blake's by stacking books between the legs of the two beds. Weiss looked incredibly nervous at the precariousness of the situation, but her objections went ignored.
"And done!" Ruby said happily. She climbed onto her bed and pulled a schedule out of her bag to examine it. "Alright, our second order of business is classes. Now, we have a few classes together today. Starting at 9, we have—"
"What?!" Weiss yelled, interrupting her. "Did you say 9 o'clock?"
"Uh, yes?" Ruby said uncertainly.
"It's 8:55, you dunce!" Weiss yelled, running out of the room.
"Uh oh, uh, to class!" Ruby yelled, chasing after Weiss, followed by her sister and Blake. They were quickly joined by the members of Team JNPR, who were evidently also late.
Aqua looked at the clock in the classroom.
8:59.
Where were they?
Peter's Grimm Studies class was Team RWBY's first class of the day, and there was no sign of her daughters' team anywhere. They weren't seriously going to allow themselves to be late on the first day, were they? She might need to give those girls a talking-to later.
A second later, a mass of bodies burst through the door, with a familiar voice squeaking "made it!" Aqua shook her head at the group barely managing to make it on time. By the time they got their bodies untangled, she could see all the members of Team RWBY standing there in their uniforms.
Oh, they looked so cute!
Wait, what was Yang wearing?
"Good of you to finally join u—" Peter started to say, when he abruptly stopped talking. "Miss, Xiao Long, was it?"
"Yeah?" Yang answered.
"What exactly have you done to our school's uniform?" he asked. The rest of the class turned to look at her, with several boys whistling in appreciation. She looked down at herself.
"Oh, this? My Semblance makes me give off a lot of body heat, so I felt like I was suffocating in all those layers I had to wear."
"Well, we have a uniform for a reason. I will have to ask you to change."
"But I just said that the uniform is too hot."
"Regardless, the rules must be observed."
"I think we can let it slide this once, Peter," Aqua chimed in, gaining the class's attention, including Team RWBY, who evidently hadn't noticed she was there if the way Ruby and Yang's faces suddenly lit up was any indication. "I can tell you that her body heat is legitimately a problem, and I'll talk to Ozpin about having a new uniform custom-made for her with more breathable materials."
"Very well, then," Peter said after a few seconds. "In that case, Team RWBY, please take your seats so that we may begin class. The four girls opted to sit in the front row of the lecture-hall-style room, and Peter picked up a piece of chalk and wrote his own name on the board next to a detailed diagram of a King Taijitu. "My name is Professor Peter Port, and welcome to Grimm Studies." He gave an exaggerated bow after introducing himself, and then gestured towards Aqua. "And this our newest professor. She'll be observing today's class." Aqua took that as her cue and stepped forward.
"Hello there," she said, giving the students a small wave. "My name is Aqua Branwen, and I'll be teaching Advanced Combat and Team Tactics. I'm looking forward to teaching you." She gave a slight bow when she was finished, the class settled in to start listening to Peter's lecture.
"Monster! Demons! Prowlers of the night!" Professor Port said in an overly-dramatic manner. "Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many name, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!" No one reacted, causing the portly professor to look a little uncomfortable. Weiss was trying her best to pay attention, but she just had so much on her mind. First on the list was Ruby, dozing off in the seat nest to her. She was a leader! She should act like it! Sure, she can really hold her own in a fight, and she did a decent job getting her brute of a sister off Weiss's back earlier in the morning, but there was more to being a leader than that! She can't just sleep in class! She needs to be an example for the others to follow!
"Uh," the professor stuttered, noticing that the students were not reacting to his drama the way he wanted them to. "And you shall, too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses! Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"
One student tried to cheer for him, but was discouraged by the other students' lack of a reaction.
"That is what you are training to become. But first: a story. A tale of a young, handsome man…Me! When I was a boy…"
Despite Weiss's best effort, she couldn't keep paying attention to the professor anymore once his lecture turned into a personal long anecdote. She looked to her right at Ruby, who was doodling on a piece of paper. Ruby had positioned herself in between Weiss and the other two members of their team. Whether it was a coincidence, or deliberate on Ruby's part so Weiss didn't have to sit next to them was unknown, but Weiss wasn't going to complain.
Which brings us to Weiss's other two problems that were occupying all her attention: Yang and Blake. While she had her problems with Ruby's fitness for the leadership position, at least Ruby was making an effort to be civil, even friendly. She couldn't say the same about the other two. First off, there was that blonde-haired, foul-mouthed reprobate that her leader called a sister. Where dis she get off acting the way she did?! Who blows a whistle in someone's ear to wake them up?! And she the gall to act offended when she was reprimanded accordingly! She had never met someone so uncouth, undisciplined, and just overall nasty in her life.
The worst one of all had to be Weiss's own partner, Blake. Even thought they were supposed to be partners, the black-haired girl treated Weiss as an enemy for no good reason. The girl clearly had some kind of problem with her family, some perceived slight maybe that she feels convinced the Schnee family committed against her, but Weiss had absolutely nothing to do with whatever she was mad about. And then there were her words in the forest. She thought Weiss was some helpless, sheltered little princess that always got everything she ever wanted and couldn't so anything for herself.
She hadn't gotten everything she ever wanted! She had to fight tooth and nail just to get her father to agree to let her become a Huntress, let alone leave Atlas to do it! She even had a scar to do it! How dare she talk about her like she knew her! She knew nothing!
"The moral of this story?" she managed to tune back into the professor's story as it was seemingly wrapping up. "A True Huntsman must be honorable!"
Weiss had honor.
"A true Huntsman must be dependable!"
Weiss was dependable.
"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"
Weiss knew she could do it. She could be a true Huntress.
If anybody thought she couldn't do it?
Then she'd prove them wrong.
All of them.
"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
"I do, sir!" Weiss said without hesitation, throwing her hand up in the air. She caught the attention of the whole class, just as she intended, including the new professor, Professor Branwen, she thought it was, who looked at her with intrigue.
"Well, then, let's find out!" Professor Port said, gesturing to a cage in the corner of the room, which was shaking from the struggles of whatever was inside of it.
Wait, had that cage always been there?
"Step forward, and face your opponent!" With a determination that she hadn't felt in a long time, Weiss descended the steps.
AN: I decided to split up the chapters covering the events of The Badge and the Burden because that stuff that I added before they wake up Weiss made the chapter way longer than I thought it would be.
So, Aqua is going to be teaching Advanced Combat and Team Tactics. It wasn't mentioned yet, but she will also be using it to teach her students about the Heartless.
Someone said in the reviews that Weiss wouldn't have a problem with Ruby being the team leader since she proved herself in initiation, but that's not necessarily true. She acknowledges that Ruby is really strong, but she believes that there's more to being a leader than that. She doesn't resent Ruby like she does in canon, and most of her problem with Ruby's leadership position has less to do with Ruby herself and more with the fact that the leader isn't Weiss. Plus, Ruby is the least of her problems with the rest of her team, since she has MUCH bigger problems with Blake and Yang.
So, next chapter will cover Te Badge and the Burden Part 2, and then we'll delve into some purely original content. I'm looking forward to it.
As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time!