Hello! Decided to give RWBY another shot. This time it isn't a crossover, instead I'll be writing a story about an OC. I've been putting time into fleshing out his story and his identity as a character for almost as long as my DASC story has been out, so let me know what you think of him!
Also, just wanted to make it clear that yes, he is paired with Blake. I know people love Bumblebee and stuff, and I also hear that pairing OC's with main characters tends to get a fair bit of hate, but I'm going to tell the story the way I envisioned it. If any of you want a particular pairing, leave it in the review section and I'll be sure to think about it. Warning, I won't add a pairing if it simply doesn't make sense given the context of the story.
OC INFO, SPOILERS AHEAD, IF YOU'D RATHER BE SURPRISED SKIP TO THE ACTUAL CHAPTER
Name: Silva Taro
Gender: Male
Species: Faunus (Arctic Fox)
Height: 5 1/2 Feet
Aura Color: Pale Blue
Hair Color: Silver
Eye Color: Cerulean
Semblance: Shade Skip (Shadow based teleportation, other applications unknown)
Weapon: Regalis (Grapple/Sword Hybrid)
-Semblance of Brotherhood-
Chapter 1: Restart
"The hearts of men are easily corrupted, and yours is no exception, brother. If you leave, those pigs will manipulate you into being a tool, something to be tossed away whenever you lose value! Do you want that? Do you really want to be a fucking slave for the rest of your life?"
"No, but I refuse to stay here any longer. You and that damned woman are going to destroy us, you know. You're both hot-headed and think violence will solve our problems, but in truth your starting a battle that can't be won. The Humans will trample you into the dirt, along with the Fang."
"What was that, you little shit?"
"You're going to doom the Faunus to the same fate you're supposed to be trying to avoid."
"THEY KILLED HER!"
"And trying to avenge her is the last thing she'd want you to do about it!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"And what if I don't?"
"THEN I'LL CUT YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"
Blood.
His hand jerked to his face, fingers clutching the scar that he'd earned after that fateful argument. A long, deep fissure that reached from the side of his neck, crossed over his lips, and ended on the other side of his face. He drew a long breath, the dull hum of the airship settling his temper as he calmed himself down.
The past is the past. Focus on the present.
Reaffirming himself, he turned to look to his left, towards a large observation window he'd sat next to. On the other side laid Vale, the most impressive city that he had ever seen. In person, at least.
But, this glorious Kingdom was, in all honesty, a backdrop to the monolithic castle that lay in the distance. Massive barely described it, the thing was probably taller than an actual mountain.
Beacon, hm?
He'd heard of the Academy while he was on the road between Mistral and Vale, and hadn't hesitated to get into the Entrance Exam that was being held today. Getting into Beacon would do wonders for his training, both physical and not. That, and he needed a Huntsman's License for the future.
As his thoughts began to drift, he couldn't help but notice a boy, no older than himself, with a bedraggled head of golden blonde hair. He was standing not far off and looked like he was about to vomit. Literally.
And the longer he looked at the boy, the more obvious his motion sickness became. Within a couple of minutes he was already green in the cheeks, a hand clasped over his mouth to contain the bile that had begun to surface.
While he didn't personally have any issues with motion sickness, he could definitely understand the boy's plight. He glanced back to the window, and took some solace in the fact that their ride was very nearly over.
Just as he was about to reassure the blonde, there was a click as a hologram appeared on the far side of the airship's common area. Every head in the room immediately shifted to face the phantom, some letting out small sounds of excitement.
"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." The holographic woman began, her words thick with a positivity that he could tell was mostly false. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious Academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace," She continued, though that last statement left a sour taste in his mouth. Peace? What did she know of Peace? At that exact moment a Faunus was almost certainly being murdered by some Human bigot. 'Peace' was a lie. Something to comfort civilians when tensions were near their breaking point. ", and as future Huntsman and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." The woman was either unimaginably naive, or she was coddling these kids for their own sake. Regardless, it didn't do much to further his trust in the Academy's foundation in reality.
Just as the hologram flickered out of existence, he felt a sudden rock as the ship touched the ground, and the dull hum puttered out as the pilot killed the engine. Taking this as the queue to leave, he shoved himself to his feet, the scabbard of his weapon scraping against the metal he'd been sitting on.
As he walked, someone bumped into his shoulder from behind, causing him to immediately turn around as his instincts flared. To his relief, it'd merely been the boy from earlier rushing to the nearest trash bin. Brushing the incident off, he left the airship.
The air was cold, nearly freezing, when his feet finally rejoined solid ground. The marble beneath his feet was frosty, and his breath was a thick smoke when he exhaled. He looked up, eyeing the castle again as he veered away from its doors.
The vast majority of students immediately flocked inside, the cold too much for them to explore comfortably. He, however, had no such issue. His time with the Fang had taken him to the outer wilds of Atlas several times, and one eventually learned to steel themselves against any cold. So, he took the moment to look around the campus, committing as much to memory as he could. It would be impractical to get lost on his first day here.
He hadn't been doing so for long, when his Faunus heritage alerted him to something amiss.
He didn't usually take advantage of his ears too often. Most of the time it simply wasn't useful, seeing as his superiors in the Fang had never bothered to have him do anything but fight. But, that didn't mean that he didn't treasure them. After all, they were all he had left of his family. His real family, anyway.
They were slight, just barely large enough to poke through his silver hair, but they granted him an immensely keen sense of hearing.
And through that sense, he was able to pick up on the sound of someone breathing. But it wasn't the slow, rhythmical sound of a body at rest. It was quick, stuttering, and accompanied by the occasional muffled gasp. He couldn't hear any other breathing, so the culprit was definitely alone. That left only one possibility that he actually thought was worth intervening.
Whoever this was, was crying.
He wasn't the type to console people. He wasn't the type to handle sensitive situations. His type was that of a fighter, pure and simple.
But, he also couldn't just leave that person without doing something.
So, he took a steadying breath before making his way toward the source of the sound. It didn't take long to pin them down. He found her sitting atop a large tree branch, probably around twenty feet up, with a book in her lap and her head in her hands. She shook every two seconds or so, her eyes clenched shut. He couldn't make out her face very well, her jet black hair made it extensively difficult to do so.
This was a hard situation for him to read. If he called out to her, it could make the situation even worse. If he didn't, he would be leaving a young girl alone to sob in the cold.
It was then that a compromise formed in his head. He would leave her be, for now, and attempt to learn more about her. So that, if he should ever see her in this state again, he'd be able to actually help. Right now he would be taking a shot in the dark. He simply didn't know this girl.
And so, rather begrudgingly, he made a silent retreat.
He spent the next few minutes walking back toward the central building, where he could hear a man's voice addressing the Initiates-to-be. He felt bad, leaving the poor girl, but he didn't trust himself enough to do anything about it.
Focus on the present.
Grounding himself, he let out a shallow breath.
When he finally made it back to the auditorium, he noticed that the man's speech had seemingly come to a close, and the silence that followed was quite deafening. He recognized Goodwitch, who stepped up the the microphone in order to break the silence.
"Alright, children. Initiation will be tomorrow. Until then, please feel free to explore the campus. Any questions will be answered by either myself or another member of staff. The cafeteria is going to serve as your sleeping area tonight. Remember, boys on one side, girls on the other." Her voice was slightly different. Not as welcoming, and very matter-of-fact. It sounded much more fitting to her look.
He melted into the crowd, after that, simply following the mass of bodies to the cafeteria. He took the time to lay out his sleeping mat, and change into some sleepwear, though he still carried his weapon by his side.
Things quieted down rather quickly, and within the hour about seventy percent of the Initiates were either gossiping amongst themselves or asleep. He scanned the room, his eyes flicking from one person to the next, looking for anyone that seemed like a capable fighter.
He spotted a few, but his eyes soon locked onto a particular girl not far from his spot in the far corner of the cafeteria. Her hair was a striking shade of red, garbed in traditional Mistrali sleepwear, eyes sparkling emerald in the candlelight.
Pyrrha Nikos?
What was a famous tournament champion doing at Beacon?
It was puzzling. Especially considering the fact that Nikos was probably one of the only people here with any real combat experience. Not only that, but she was from Mistral. Why would she bother flying all the way to Vale when Haven Academy was so much closer?
Then again, it isn't like she has to worry about money in any regard. Probably just chose the school she wanted, instead of the one closest to home.
Dismissing the girl for the time being, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a familiar figure. She was tall, probably taller than him, with flowing black hair and a small bow atop her head. She was seated on the other side of the cafeteria, a candle drawn close to illuminate the book in her lap.
Well, no better time to make progress than the present.
And with that, he pushed himself to his feet, careful to not let his weapon clatter against the tile floor. He walked rather briskly, slipping between sleeping bags and mats as quickly as possible without ever actually touching them.
By the time he focused on the raven-haired girl again, he was surprised to see two other girls walking up to her as well. By the time he reached them, the three were already talking to one another, though the conversation seemed rather stale.
"What book are you reading?" The smallest of them asked the raven-haired girl, who seemed to suddenly take a great deal more interest in the conversation, closing the text and turning her head up to face the petite girl. A woman of literature?
"It's called 'The Man With Two Souls,'" She began, and he noticed the smaller girl was almost immediately shedding her anti-social body language, leaning closer and looking the other in the eye with genuine fascination.
How old is this girl? Fourteen? She certainly isn't the proper age to be at this Academy.
He shelved the odd revelation, returning from his thoughts to look for an opening to interject himself into the conversation.
"That's pretty idealistic, Ruby, the world isn't a fairy tale."
"Well, that's why people become Huntsmen, isn't it? To make it better."
That's... actually not the worst way of viewing it. Kid's got a decent head on her shoulders.
"Well, I guess that's one way of looking at it. You're not as naive as you seem." He spoke, and for the first time the attention of the three women was solely on himself. They'd been so caught up in their own talks that he doubted he'd been noticed before now. Each of their eyes flicked over to him, widening slightly at the sudden and unexpected newcomer.
The blonde was the first to speak, her voice chirpy and outgoing, "Hey! Couldn't help but notice that you just called my little sister naive," Her eyes met his and, for a single instant, he could swear that they flashed crimson in the candlelight, "Care to explain what that's supposed to mean?"
He didn't let her obvious anger perturb him in the slightest. "I wasn't saying so to be offensive. She seems a shade young for this school, I was merely making it known that I underestimated her maturity. It was a complement." He explained calmly, making sure to maintain eye contact while speaking.
She looked him over for a moment, probably scrutinizing his body language to get an idea of whether or not he was being genuine. After a couple of short seconds, her previously tense and poised muscles began to relax, though her eyes still burned slightly. How neither of the other two picked up on her intensity, he had no idea.
"Good! Nice to meet you, dude. Name's Yang. This," She reached to her side, laying a loose hand over the short girl's head, ruffling her hair teasingly, "is my younger sister, Ruby." Her ministrations were met with a high-pitched 'eep!' from Ruby, who quickly ducked her head and took a few hurried steps away from her older sister.
"Well met, the both of you," He returned, turning his head to look the black-haired girl in the eyes. "I don't believe we've met either, miss?" She met his gaze, seeming to be slightly taken aback that she was being noticed at all.
"Oh, uh, hi. My name's Blake." She answered, and for just an instant a flash of familiarity crossed his mind, but he just as quickly shoved it down. Her lips curled upward into a small smile, "And you are...?"
"Silva." He tipped in a small bow, "Best of luck to all of you, then. I hope we run into eachother during Initiation." With his goal accomplished and his mind drained, he quickly turned and rushed back to his bedroll without another word.
I need to talk to people more. That was exhausting!
He let out a small breath before sinking to his back, the thin mat doing little to comfort his shoulders.
Probably should have waited on that. If any of them know who I am, it's her. What were the fucking chances that the mystery weeper turns out to be Bella-motherfucking-donna herself!? ... Breathe, Taro. She doesn't know my face, that much I can be sure of. But I can't imagine him never even mentioning me while she was around. And then there's my reputation in the Fang... shit! How could I have botched this up more?
Stop.
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
Relax.
His heart slowed, steadily, and the turmoil in his mind began to subside. Out of instinct, his eyes scanned the cafeteria once more. Before long he was looking yet again in the direction of the famed Pyrrha Nikos, who was simply sitting cosslegged on her ornate Mistralian red sleeping bag, eyes closed in a relaxed sereneness that he saw as misplaced, given the importance of the next day.
But beyond that, something else drew attention. He doubted anyone else noticed, given that they weren't quite used to the idea of paranoid awareness, which had been ingrained in his mind since he'd first entered the Fang.
Her circlet, to his utmost consternation, was not reflecting light at the moment. In fact, it almost looked like a stange, black Aura-like substance was coating it in darkness. But, that didn't make sense. Pyrrha's Aura was univerally known to be a bloody crimson. Not pitch black. There was something else going on, Aura never changed color, ever.
That only left one other known Soul-based phenomena to explain it.
Her Semblance.
The Semblance of Pyrrha Nikos was a highly sought after secret. Most believed it was some sort of reflex-enhancement, or possibly even a powerful form of foresight, but no one except she and her personal Agent actually knew any details.
And here he was, with an oppportunity to witness it's use in a casual setting.
How uncharacteristically fortunate.
Moving on, he noticed something odd about how the 'Semblance' interacted with the small ruby adorning the center of the circlet. While the golden metal surrounding it showed no sign of actively reflecting the light around it, he could plainly see that the same could not be said for the gemstone. It refracted, glinted, as though the light-extinuishing properties of her Semblance could not reach it.
But why? What caused the power to avoid the ruby so distinctly?
What was the difference between the two materials?
Metal.
Holy shit, that's it! Or, at least, it could be.
Her Semblance, based on this small display that only he was privy to, seemed to possibly be some form of metal manipulation. He highly doubted it was as simple as it seemed at face-value, considering the minor complexities of even his own Semblance. He tended to view the idea of Semblance progression as a form of science. Each affected the world around them in real, unmistakable ways, and he knew from personal experience that the more one analysed their Semblance, the more intricate and unique it tended to become.
Unless there was some form of mental or emotional complex preventing your Soul from growing. He'd witnessed that first-hand as well.
And based on the way Nikos seemed to be using it, she had been dabbling in the deeper workings of her Semblance for some time now.
Then again, he could be giving her too much credit. Or not. No way to know for sure without asking her himself, which he doubted he would take the time to tonight. Even for all of his awareness training, he still needed a decent amount of sleep if he wanted to perfom adequately tomorrow.
Forcing himself to quell the inner Semblance enthusiast threatening to keep him up all night, he turned onto his side, facing a stone wall that granted him a way to blank out his own thoughts. He let his eyes lose focus, all the while keep his vision centered on a single indentation in the masonry. Within half a minute all else ceased to exist for him, the world crumbling away as he lulled himself into a more drowsy state.
The next morning...
He wasn't sure when exactly he drifted off, but now his eyes snapped open as he drug himself into a seated position. The majority of the other Initiates were either still trapped in the confines of sleep, or talking amongst themselves about their expectation for the events to follow.
Would they be fighting real Grimm?
Stupid question. This was the most prestigious Huntsmen's Academy in the entire world, of fucking course they would have them kill Grimm.
He hated being surrounded by naivity.
Shrugging off the idiocy, he pushed himself to his feet, swiftly stowing away his sleeping mat within his bag before heading towards the Locker Room.
As he walked, he noticed that not a single other person in the room at the time was carrying their weapon.
Only. Him.
While it obviously wasn't being enforced, apparantly there was rule about carrying weaponry in non-combat situations here.
Must have been in the Headmaster's address yesterday or something.
He chose to ignore the rule this once, seeing as he'd already broken it unknowingly.
When he entered the Locker Room, he noticed several both familiar and unfamiliar faces. He noted the presence of Ruby, Yang, as well as Belladonna. Aside from them, he saw Nikos in the far corner of the room, fastening the final buckle of her shinguard.
Then he saw something that chilled him to the core, and yet set a blazing fire in his heart that nearly drove him to take lethal retribution right then and there.
Weiss.
Schnee.
A Schnee. At Beacon.
With him.
Blistering fury overrode all instinctual fear of that cused name.
His hand flew to the grip of his weapon, fist squeezing the hilt with enough Aura-infused strength to snap the leather bindings surrounding the foundation of the handle. He wanted to act. To rush forward in a fit of unmitigated rage, but he didn't. He simply stood there, grip slowly loosening as he fought to hold onto his sense of reason.
Soon he managed to stop his temper from exploding, releasing his white-knuckled grip while letting out a slow, relaxing breath.
Keep your shit together, Taro. Now isn't the time for a meltdown. That can come later. When I can kill something that isn't another human being.His life was always going to be unreasonably coincidental, wasn't it? First he becomes a terrorist, the he quits, and by some sour turn of fate he was now being trapped together with a Belladonna and the current heiress to the S.D.C.
Karma truely was a cruel, unfeeling mistress.
Finally he moved, his eyes flicking across the room to see if anyone had noticed his sudden display of murderous intent. Seemingly, by some miracle, no one had noticed he was even in the room yet. Each occupant was too caught up in preparations for Initiation.
Which, he mused, was something he might actually want to start doing himself. Then again, all he had to prepare was one thing.
"Well, I suppose it's been too long since I last went over your edge. Would you agree, Regalis?" His sword said nothing, it couldn't of course, but for some reason he just knew that she would.
Regalis was the first weapon he'd ever touched. He'd been told long ago, by his true family, that it had belonged to his deceased father. They had bestowed it upon him when he was merely four, and had trained him for the rest of his short tenure with them.
Then it happened, and from there he'd been forced to learn every small piece of what he knew today for himself. Even he hadn't bothered to actually teach him a damn thing. Just gave him an unbeatable opponent to perfect his technique against.
He took a seat close to the entrance of the Locker Room, removing Regalis, sheathe included, from his waist. He set the sealed blade upon the table before him, taking a quiet moment to admire the sheer beauty of the scabbard's craftsmenship. Elegant, golden engravings traced along a length of aquamarine wood, gilded around the edges and adorned in the center by a single, stunning sapphire encased in gold, a line of enscription circles the gem, but the etching is so finely carved that he can't make out it's words exacly.
He snaps himself out of his reverie, reaching for the hilt before suddenly remembering the result of his death-grip from earlier. The leather binding that warpped around the hilt had snapped, hanging loosely from the bar. He let out a sigh, cursing himself for being so brash and stupid.
He quickly got to work, delicately unwrapping the leather with practiced ease. Seconds later he had finished, and wasted no time in re-applying the grip with a new strip of the same material, which he kept a small supply of in his bag for moments like these. It was a Vacuoan variety of leather that only occured in the various non-Grimm megafauna that wandered the remote deserts out west. It was an advanced variety of skin that was specifically formed to resist heat and friction-based energy, making it perfect to use as a sword grip. The smooth side of the leather was nearly as slick as ice, which most swordsmen would avoid like the plague. He, however, relished that quality. His method of swordplay was one that benefited from a certain agility of the fingers. A secure grip meant little to him.
He slowly, meticulously slid the band of leather around the hilt, snaking the two ends in a very particular weave meant to last. By the time he had reached the base of Regalis' crossguard, he was becoming actuely aware of the light, yet speeding footsteps rushing toward him.
Instinct superseded all logic. In a blur his fingers fastened the final knot before he gripped the handle of his sword, ripping himself around with the sheathed blade already mid-way through a precise jab aimed for his assailant's solar plexus.
"Ah! Wait!" An unmistakably familiar voice cried out, but there was no stopping his reflexive counterattack at this point. The end of his sheathe slammed into Ruby's upper chest with enough power behind it to send her back by about a yard before her broken balance caught up with her, leaving her heaving for breath on the floor, clutching the wound with a trembling hand.
To his surprise, she stifled any scream or cry, instead simply sitting on her knees, teeth bared viciously as she fought through the intense pain. She glanced up at him, shock and budding caution in her eyes. Normally he'd have blamed the girl for attempting to rush him without context or warning, but for some reason those silver, scared puppy-dog eyes stopped him short. He let out a breath, setting Regalis back on the table before walking over to her. He dropped to a single knee, leveling his remorseful gaze at her.
"Forgive me. I shouldn't have reacted that way, not here. My instincts... well, they tend to get the better of me." He said, relieved when he saw her Aura recover from the shock to her respiratortly system, a bloody glow encasing her body and easing the pain. He'd learned over the years that disrupting someone's ability to breathe also seemed to deprive them of Aura for a short period. This was probably the easiest way to kill an Aura-user, as it was pretty much the only way to bypass Aura without beating on the victim for longer than he deemed necessary.
Had she been an actual enemy, his follow-up strike would have killed her as simply as a Grimm.
She gave him a small smile, obviously still slightly paranoid, but not outright afraid. "It's okay, I shoulda said something. Or, ya know, walked..." She said, letting a small giggle at her own dumbness.
"Then I suppose we're both to blame, to some extent. Here," He stood, reaching back down to her with an open hand. She seemed to be wary for all of about two more seconds before she grabbed onto him, letting him hoist her to her feet. She blinked for a second, not entirely sure what to say next as her social awkwardness began to rear it's head.
"Th-thanks, I, um..." She trailed off, the nervous feeling distracting her from what she had wanted to ask.
"Don't worry about it, I did just knock the breath out of you. Least I could do for penance." And he'd nearly turned that into murder. So, yeah, he kind of felt stupid.
She seemed to have a realization as he spoke, her eyes taking on an almost shimmering quality as he eyes suddenly left him, peering over his shoulder, to the weapon that had just floored her. "Um, so, would it be okay for me to have a look at your sword? If not it's okay, I just reallyreallyreallylikeweaponsandwantedtoseeyoursandohgodthisisso-!"
*Clap!*
The sound derailed her spiral of introverted panic, causing her to let out a small 'eep!' that reminded him of last night, when her elder sister had picked with her a little bit to lighten the mood.
She was quiet for just a moment, before she gave him a shy, apologetic smile wreathed in a blush. "Sorry, I kinda do that a little bit. But, um, would that be okay?"
How in Oum was he going to say no to that fucking face?
"Well, I don't see why not. Isn't like we'll be fighting eachother anytime soon." He stepped aside, content with letting the girl admire the perfection that was Regalis at her own pace. If he'd caught it correctly, she'd mentioned being a fan of weaponry during her mini-panic attack. That was a plus in his book. Weapons went underappreciated far too often nowadays.
He said nothing for a while, noticing that she wasn't immediately attempting to remove Regalis from her scabbard. Instead, he wide eyes were scouring the ornate engravings with genuine fascination. "Does this stuff mean anything? I honestly can't tell." She asked.
"Well, most of it is symbolism that would take too long to explain properly. Though, there is a bit here," He leaned closer, pointing to the band of enscription that circled the sapphire in the center. "My Grandfather used to say that the writing was meaningless, that it was simply my father's creativity while forging it." Ruby leaned in as well, studying the small words intensely before looking over at him.
"Well? Was it really just gibberish?"
He was quiet for a few seconds after that, simply staring at it. Then, he drew in a long breath, calming his nerves somewhat. "A few years later, after my Grandfather passed, my Grandmother told me the truth. They were indeed meaningful. The exact words are a secret that my father took with him in his own passing, around the time I was born. According to my Grandmother, it was a message. A message written in a complex coded language that he was supposed to teach me, but never had the chance to. I've been trying to decypher it since I was a small boy, with little success. Eventually I just stopped trying."
...
Ruby seemed to be hesitant to press any further, and he was glad for it. Quiet meant he could think, and keep himself occupied.
"Sorry for bringing it up, I-" He cut her off,
"Don't be. You were curious, and I felt like sharing. Nothing to regret about that." She seemed to calm at his words, the guild in her face relaxing into one of mild passiveness.
"Can I see the blade?" She blurted, and for a moment he considered it.
"Another time. You might see it in action soon anyway, and I actually need to finish maintenance before they call us up for Initiation." She nodded, content with that answer. "Mkay, I'm gonna head back over to my sis, I'll see ya around."
"Very well, hope to see you all during Initiation." With that, she walked back over to where Yang and Belladonna were finshing up their preparations, whilst he'd barely had the chance to begin.
Alright, Taro, back to work.
He flexed his fingers, and released the safety locking Regalis within its sheathe.
On Initiation Hill...
Silva felt quite confident, all things considered. He'd been through things that would make any sane man slit their own throat, and he hardly thought that Headmaster Ozpin would be willing to push the gauntlet that hard. In that man's eyes, every single person here was nothing more than potential. He would want to challenge that potential, not smother it entirely.
They were each standing on a large platform, one that sounded somewhat hollow when his boot's toe kicked against it out of curiosity. Either an elevator or some weird launching thing. Or something else entirely.
Ozpin and Goodwitch stood before them, and the tension on festered until the Headmaster broke the silence.
"For years, you have trained to become Huntsmen. Today, those skills shall be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Glynda followed him up swiftly, "Now, I'm sure all of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams." She gave the large group a quick once over, "Well, allow me to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today."
Ozpin slipped in to replace her without missing a beat, "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time, here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired to someone with whom you can work well." There was a milisecond pause before Ozpin dropped a massive bombshell of explanation.
"That being said, the first person you make eye-contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." He heard Ruby let out a shocked squeal, and he nearly spoke up himself. How was that a reliable way to determine a good match? It was like throwing a bunch of magnets at a fridge and seeing which ones stuck together. Just utter random chance.
But, out of humility and respect, he held his tongue.
"After you pair up, make your way to the North end of the Forest. You will meet oppisition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die." There was nervous chuckling near where Ruby's voice had come from.
"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of you Initiation. But, our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abondoned temple at the end of the path, containing several 'relics'. Each pair must choose one, and return with it to the edge of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately."
His voice became stern, "Are there any questions?"
To Silva's surprise, only one person actually spoke. To his shock, it was the very same boy who'd nearly vomited all over himself during the Bullhead ride here.
"Uh, actually I u-"
"Good, now, take your positions."
Damn. Maybe he'd underestimated Ozpin's capacity for mailce? Shrugging the notion off, he slid his feet into a neutral stance, unsure of what exactly to expect.
Then the person to his left was suddenly lauched nearly one hundred feet into the air above the Emerald Forest.
Oh. Weird landing thing it was, then. And that throwing magnets analogy only became more fitting.
Before his thoughts could go anywhere else, there was a click underneath as the launching mechanism fired, instantly hitting him with a few Gs. He adjusted quickly, stablizing himself in the air as he soared, scouring the forest below for a suitable landing place. It didn't take but a few seconds for his eyes to spot a sizable clearing not far from him. And it was to the North, which cut out a small chunk of time for him. He changed the angle of his fall, fanning out to catch what little air he could. It helped, slightly, but it was enough. Within ten seconds he was right on course for a perfect landing.
He flicked the locking mechanism of Regalis, unsheathing the Ivory white blade with a whisper of steel. He slipped his index finger into the ring of metal that housed a small trigger. His finger settled on it, waiting for the most favorable moment.
There!
His arm took aim for the highest branch he could see, and pulled the trigger. A small projectile shot out at the speed of a bullet, hitting and anchoring into the branch without any trouble. He let go of the trigger, and the crossguard of his blade began to whir, the spool of cable within reeling him towards the branch.
His momentum was still too great to safely land, but that wasn't an issue. As he swung towards the ground, he pulled on his Aura, and the instant his body entered the shadow the forest canopy, he disolved into the shadowy floor. The sudden change in form completely killed his remaining momentum, and he reformed himself a few feet away, already reeling in the remaining bit of anchor.
"I missed this."
With that last bit of nostalgia over with, he began to sprint North, in search of his partner and his ticket into Beacon.
For the first time in years, things were finally lining up his way.
Take that Lady Luck, you evil bitch!
Alright. So, thoughts? This is the longest first chapter I've ever done, so let me know what you think.
First off, I want your opinion of Silva, and how I've done with introducing and cementing his character. I've put a lot of time into building his story, so some feedback would be amazing.
Secondly, go ahead. I'm expecting a lot of hate for the pairing. I don't mind, and you minding will not change mine. Don't like it then you aren't obligated to read this.
Also, last thing, WARNING, THIS STORY GETS FAIRLY DARK, SO BE WARNED.
That's all for now. Buh-Bye!!!