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RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.

Chapter 11: Reconnecting

Team RWBY's dorm was rather spartan. There were a few desks, four beds, and an empty bookshelf. The only notable decoration was a set of red drapes over the window. Connected to the room was a small walk-in closet space and a bathroom. But that was it. All in all, rather boring. That issue was corrected rather quickly. The four girls immediately got to work settling into the room. Each girl got a desk, a bed, and some wall space.

Ruby put a few of her favorite books on the shelf, and claimed a bed. The only real decorating she did was to move a desk by the bed she claimed. Into the desk, she unloaded her stuff. The only thing adorning its surface was her own small collection of music boxes and the dust knives she proudly carried… and a few disassembled bullets from Red Line. Yang and Weiss put up a few decorations, mostly posters. Blake claimed most of the book shelf, while Weiss took control of the small closet. Ruby snickered when Blake's face went red at the cover of one of said books.

Apparently, Blake was a fan of the Ninjas of Love series of novels. Now, despite what my sister claims about the series, or what most fans of those books claim for that matter, it is straight up porn. I tried to read it when Famine suggested, and I will admit there is some semblance of plot in the series. That being said, I will never understand how the series has nine novels, two prequels, and a spinoff.

But that's beside the point. At least Ruby had some actual worthwhile novels on those shelves. After Ruby's meager decorating and unpacking was done, she left the room to explore. One of the professors had distributed copies of their schedule as they left the auditorium that morning. My daughter figured it would be a good idea to find the locations of her classes. A smart move in my opinion. If it were Keira, she wouldn't have found the classes until it was time to take the class, at which point Keira would find herself hopelessly lost.

My daughter, for as wonderful a reaper as she is, has one of the worst navigational senses I have ever encountered. So, Ruby wandered about the campus. The only real things to note was that she had a run in with Ozpin and a small balcony she found on the third floor near the dorms. The only thing that came from that small encounter was that Ruby was told about the change in her schedule, how she would be doing remedial aura classes with me and be personally tested on her aura's capabilities by the headmaster.

The balcony was more of a relaxed place that Ruby found. She leaned on the rail and just gazed out across the campus's courtyard. Students from all years were wandering about. Catching up friends, returning from missions, and just relaxing. The view was peaceful, and it inspired homesickness in my daughter. Her room in the Necropolis had a walk out balcony, much like the one she now found herself at. She would often just watch the people below from that balcony. I don't know why and she's never told me. I assume it offers her some form of comfort, but I don't know.

"You ok?"

Ruby turned to see Yang walking up to her.

"Yeah. Just looking out over the campus." Ruby replied.

"We didn't get much of a chance to talk yesterday… or was it last night?" Yang awkwardly started.

"Last night." Ruby answered.

"Whenever initiation was." Yang settled.

"So… Yang Branwen?" Ruby questioned.

"Yeah, we thought that dad's killer might have tried to hunt me down if he knew, so we changed my last name. It was my mom's last name." Yang said.

"And Rose was my birth mom's last name." Ruby said with a chuckle. "But Branwen is also Uncle Qrow's last name."

"True. What's your adopted dad's name?" Yang questioned.

"Grim." Ruby replied nonchalantly.

"Grim?" Yang questioned.

"With one m." Ruby continued with a smile. "He thinks it's funny."

For the record, Ruby's not wrong. I think having my last name be Grim is hilarious.

"Sure." Yang replied with a chuckle. "And your mom?"

"Bianca." Ruby replied. "She raised me more than him, but he's a very doting father. What about you? Did Uncle Qrow ever settle down?"

"Yeah, he married two years after taking me in. Her name is Minerva Karas Branwen." Yang answered. "And she's the best."

"Any siblings?" Ruby questioned. "You already know about Keira."

"You." Yang joked. "But no others."

"Really? And Uncle Qrow has been with this woman for what? Eight years?" Ruby asked incredulously. "I don't remember much, but I could have sworn Uncle Qrow used to chase after any girl in a skirt."

"He did, but mom put a stop to that when she got together with him." Yang replied.

"How?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know. I once asked her how she got Uncle Dad to change. All she said was that she instilled the fear of her into him." Yang answered cryptically. "Surprisingly enough, she was the one that continued my training."

"Why is that surprising?" Ruby asked.

"She claims to have never been a huntress." Yang answered. "But her knowledge of martial arts and combat is staggering."

"That is interesting." Ruby muttered.

"Yeah, but he loves her and she loves him, so what can I say?" Yang replied with a shrug.

"Not much, I suppose." Ruby responded.

The two girls just stared out across the campus for a while longer. Yang turned to leave. She turned to her half-sister and spoke once more.

"Can I tell Uncle Qrow? He's been searching for you longer than anyone else." Yang asked. "Or would you rather your existence be kept a secret?"

"He's been searching?" Ruby questioned, turning to Yang.

"Yeah." Yang replied. "He never stopped. Even now, though he doesn't spend as much time as he used to, he still watches the wilds in the hopes that he'll find you."

"Yeah. Let him know. Ozpin will probably tell him either way." Ruby answered.

Yang smiled and left. The rest of Ruby's Day was not very exciting. She spent a little time getting to know Blake. She didn't reveal that she knew Blake's secret, but that was rather inconsequential. She tried to get to know Weiss, but… well… let's just say that the words insubordinate, obstinate and entitled were created with Weiss Schnee in mind. Ruby knew she'd have to do something about Weiss, but the question was what? The answer was a problem for the next day. The first day of classes.

That night, Team RWBY's dorm was mostly silent. At first. Ruby lay awake on her bed, until she heard the gentle rhythmic breathing of Weiss and Blake, soon followed by the soft snoring of Yang. All signifying the embrace of sleep had taken hold of the three girls. Ruby sat up and grabbed one of her music boxes.

I know I've mentioned them before, but Ruby used to be unable to sleep without the calming music. As she grew, complete inability lessened until it was just a struggle. I gifted her two more over the years, a song called Stargazer, and another called Journey from a Jar to the Sky. I don't think I've told you, but she did explain this to me. Why she always needed the music to fall asleep. She described it as her security blanket. It made her feel safe. It brought forth of her memories of me lulling her to sleep for so many nights so many years ago.

She smiled as she wound up Stargazer and let the music play. Unbeknownst to her, the winding had woken Blake. The soft tune eventually lulled Blake back to sleep around the same time that Ruby fell asleep. The small music boxes generally don't last very long. The loop was only about thirty seconds or so, but the spring allowed the box to play for around five minutes.

Unsurprisingly, to me, Ruby was the first to wake. It was around 7:30 when she awoke. A good hour and a half before their first class. She went about her standard morning routine. It didn't take her long to realize that she hated the school's uniform. Compared to what she usually wore, it offered very little in the way of offensive or defensive maneuverability. The top was ok. A little tighter in the arms than she was used to, but serviceable. The bottom was the problem. A skirt and tights combo that Ruby never really understood. With a huff, she decided that she didn't really care what the rules said and discarded the skirt and tights. Instead, she donned her usual pair of pants and boots.

Yang and Blake were the next two to wake up. They awoke because of Ruby. Ruby had taken apart her pistol and was meticulously cleaning it. That wouldn't generally wake someone, but Ruby had dropped a few parts onto the floor. The clatter was what woke Yang and Blake. It also showed the girls that Weiss was probably the heaviest sleeper of them. Ruby just glanced up and nodded at the two as they scrambled out of bed. Yang shrugged and claimed the bathroom for a morning shower.

Ruby put her pistol back together and holstered it. She grabbed her assortment of Dust knives and sheathed them along her bandolier. Carefully, she hung her holster and bandolier on the side of her bed. She smiled and checked the time. It was 8:15.

She turned to the sleeping heiress and decided to wake her the same way I used to wake Ruby and Keira. She got right next to Weiss's ear and whistled. Now, Bianca was the one who actually taught Ruby how to whistle. My whistle is entirely fueled by my power. Ruby and Bianca don't have that. Instead, they have flesh, which means they can whistle naturally. Bianca also happens to have one of the shrillest whistle's I've ever heard. And since Bianca taught Ruby, Ruby learned a very shrill whistle.

Blake covered her human ears, but still winced at the sound that emanated from my daughter's mouth. Weiss was just as unlucky as Blake. Perhaps even more so. You see, while Blake was behind Ruby, the sleeping heiress wasn't. And Ruby whistled right in Weiss's ear. The heiress shot up with a scream. Ruby chuckled as Weiss scrambled back to the wall, a hand over her heart as she stared at the chuckling Ruby and wincing Blake.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Ruby greeted. "It's time to wake up. Grimm studies is in forty-minutes and I'm hungry. See you there."

Ruby hurried out of the room before Weiss had a chance to turn on her. Weiss turned as the bathroom door opened and Yang stepped out, a finger rubbing the inside of her ear while her other hand held her towed.

"I didn't know we had a blackboard." Yang stated as she entered the closet.

"We don't." Blake replied. "That was Ruby."

"Dang. Don't sleep in too late I guess." Yang said.

While the rest of her team was getting ready for classes, Ruby was enjoying a small breakfast. It was a simple plate of eggs and toast. With that taken care of, Ruby went on her way. She noted that she still had ten minutes until class. Thus, she continued on her way. She made it to the classroom with five minutes to spare. The professor was sitting behind his desk. Against the back wall was a steel cage that was chained shut. Students were slowly ambling in. She got a few weird looks, especially since she was the only girl who wasn't wearing the complete beacon uniform, only the top half.

Professor Peter Port merely raised an eyebrow at Ruby's attire, but did not comment on it. The broad-shouldered man wore a rather nice red suit himself. He thought it important to look professional, but he would be among the first to admit that his suit was hardly combat ready. Still though, he had his trusty blunderbuss axe on his back in case he needed it.

Of course, Ruby didn't care. She spotted a space with four empty seats and sat down. Two minutes later, the rest of her team entered the room. She waved at them as they made their way over. Yang and Blake smiled, but Weiss just rolled her eyes. They sat Yang next to Ruby, then Blake and Weiss on the far end.

The class was set to begin when Team JNPR burst through the door, right on time too.

"Team JNPR, glad you could make it. It would be prudent to be a little earlier next time though." Port stated as the team sheepishly took their seats.

"Sorry professor, we slept in a little late." Jaune replied.

"Just don't let it happen again Mr. Arc." Port responded before turning to the rest of the class. "Now, welcome to Grimm Studies. I am Professor Peter Port, and in this class, you will be learning everything I know concerning the Creatures of Grimm. You will learn about their classifications, abilities and weaknesses. It is important that you pay attention, for this information will go far in helping you learn to defend yourselves and those around you. From what you may ask? Why, this very world. To help you understand better, I will tell you a story… a story about me in my younger years."

And with that, Peter Port began one of the dullest rounds of storytelling that Ruby has ever suffered through. She tried paying attention. She really did, but it was incredibly difficult. You see, the thing with Port's stories is that he sprinkles in information about the Grimm as they become relevant. The information is rather handy, I'll admit. For instance, listening to his story, Ruby heard him say that the Nevermore he was fighting fired thirty fatal feathers at him. Obviously, you can extrapolate from that that a single volley of feathers from the Nevermore is thirty. Rather handy, were it not for the fact that the story was so dull.

Ruby was doubly disadvantaged in maintaining attention in the class. A fact that Yang, and the rest of her team, were soon made aware of.

"I'm tempted to just get up and leave." Ruby whispered to her no longer estranged half-sister.

"It is quite dull." Yang replied.

"What are you whispering about?" Weiss interjected.

"I'm considering just leaving this class." Ruby replied.

"Why?" Weiss responded somewhat angrily. "This is a required course for all students."

"I know all this." Ruby answered.

Weiss just scoffed and returned to extrapolating the relevant information from Port's story.

"Really?" Yang asked.

"Yes." Ruby replied. "Dad has been teaching all this and more since I was very little."

"Really now, Ms. Rose?" Port interrupted. "Perhaps you'd like to prove your knowledge?"

Ruby turned to the professor, startled that he had overheard.

"Fortunately for the rest of the class, my story had just finished. So perhaps you could tell me a little bit about the Grimm that I was facing at the time." The Professor continued.

"It was a Nevermore." Ruby answered.

"And?" Port prompted.

Weiss raised her hand.

"It is a class Gamma IV Grimm, that takes the shape of ravens and crows. It is capable of firing a volley of thirty fatal feathers at time, every minute to minute and a half. It varies based on age of the Grimm. It's safest to assume that it will be every minute. They have a beak and talons, both strong and sharp enough to pierce the steel used in bulkheads. A flock of Nevermore would pose a hazard even to Atlesian warships." Ruby answered. "Does that satisfy you, Professor?"

"I must admit, I am impressed. The only thing incorrect in your information is that a group of Nevermore is actually called storm, not a flock. But other than that, you really do know the basics of that Grimm." Port stated, shocking those around them. "Do you know the same for all Grimm?"

"Only the Gamma Class Grimm." Ruby replied. "My knowledge of the Omega Class Grimm is little more than a basic idea of what they look like and their classifications."

"What are Gamma and Omega Class Grimm?" Nora from Team JNPR asked.

"Gamma and Omega refer to the classifications of Grimm." Port began, backing away from Ruby. "Gamma Class Grimm are the common Grimm that you will face most every day. These include the Nevermore, Beowolves and the like. The Omega Class Grimm are thought by many to be little more than myth. However, that doesn't leave an excuse to be unprepared. Unfortunately, so little information exists on Omega Class Grimm that I can't effectively teach you about them."

Port turned back to Ruby. "That being said, Ms. Rose, I would appreciate it if you didn't bail on my class. These first couple weeks will be little more than the basics, I admit, but I will be going more in depth into strategies and anatomies and the like of the Grimm later this month. However, I had anticipated holding a short demonstration with a Grimm I captured last week. Perhaps you'd like to take a stab at showing your peers what knowledge of your enemy can grant you?"

"Sure." Ruby shrugged and walked into the arena.

"Ms. Rose, do you not want your primary weapon?" Port questioned.

"I've got it." Ruby said confidently.

Port shrugged and walked towards the cage that was standing at the back of the classroom. He withdrew his weapon and showed the students that even though he was advanced in his years, he was still strong. He slashed the axe head through the chain. The weapon cut through the metal like a knife slicing through butter, only with an added clang for effect. The door to the cage fell open and a Boarbatusk rolled out.

The Grimm locked eyes with Ruby and snarled at her. Ruby merely grinned in anticipation. Pressing her pointer and middle fingers on her right hand together and straight out, Ruby flung her hand to the side. As she snapped her wrist into place, she closed all her fingers. Professor Port started in surprise and the students all gasped as Death's Thorn materialized in her hand.

Ruby brought her glowing red scythe to her side and waited. And it is at this point that I have realized I neglected to actually tell you what Death's Thorn actually looks like. Like I said, it is a glowing red scythe, from blade to shaft. The whole thing glows red. The actual color of her weapon is a blood red so dark you'd think it was black. Appearing to be carved onto both sides of the blade is the symbol on the bottom right corner of Ruby's cloak. Another symbol I never described. Ruby's symbol is a wilted rose laid over the profile of a human skull.

The Boarbatusk curled in on itself and rolled at high speed right at Ruby. Ruby appeared to slide right out of the beast's way. It crashed into the stands and fell on its side. My daughter capitalized on the monster's misfortune by piercing the beast's underbelly. It took all of thirty seconds, but the Grimm was dead.

Ruby repeated the move she made to summon her scythe earlier, except in reverse this time. And, to the repeated shock of the class and the professor, Death's Thorn dematerialized into nothing once again.

"Well done Ms. Rose." Port exclaimed once he regained his composure. "This, class, is a perfect example of a huntsman or huntress right here. Fearless, efficient, and unharmed. You are all dismissed. Ms. Rose, I would like to speak with you."

Ruby dutifully stayed behind to speak with the Professor.

"So, how long have you had an aura weapon?" Port questioned. "And does Glynda know?"

"Dad calls it a will-based aura fueled construct." Ruby replied. "And it's all I've ever fought with."

"Remarkable." Port commented. "Though, if I may, I highly recommend you obtain a more permanent physical weapon. You won't always be able to rely on your aura."

"I have a physical weapon." Ruby replied. "A set of daggers with dust compatibility and a modified Glock 19. I've also got hand-to-hand training."

"You are rather well rounded." Port commented. "I just had to be sure. Part of your life in school here will involve you being sent on actual hunts and other such missions. I would hate it if you were unable to function as a huntress because you couldn't create a weapon."

"Thank you for your concern, professor, but I will be fine." Ruby replied.

"I'm sure." Port said. "Though, I probably won't be calling you up for combat demonstrations for a while. You are dismissed."

Ruby nodded and left the room. Just outside the classroom, she walked right into the tail end of an explosive argument between Yang, Blake and Weiss.

"I DON'T CARE IF OZPIN MADE HER THE LEADER OF THIS TEAM, HE CLEARLY MADE A MISTAKE AND I'LL ENSURE HE KNOWS IT!" Weiss yelled as she stalked away.

"I seem to have missed all the excitement." Ruby said as the heiress left. "You ok?"

"I'm fine… I don't know about Blake." Yang turned to her partner.

"I'll be fine." Blake grumbled. "Weiss wants to be the team leader."

"Tough." Ruby replied. "She'll have to accept it."

"You aren't worried?" Yang asked.

"Nope. Ozpin made me the leader. He can take that position away if he wants. That is his prerogative as the highest authority in this school." Ruby answered. "But I don't think a whiny heiress is going to make him change his mind. Besides, it's only been one day."

"She has a point." Blake said.

"That she does." Yang agreed.

"Now come on, we have history in ten minutes. We should get there and save Weiss a seat." Ruby said, as she turned and walked towards the history classroom.

ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…

Data Log DoD-011

First off, for the curious, the songs I chose for Ruby's music boxes are Forgotten Lullaby and Journey from a Jar to the Sky from the Binding of Isaac: Antibirth soundtrack by Mudeth and Stargazer from the Binding of Isaac: Repentance soundtrack by Ridiculon.

Secondly, I'm back. Probably. This month has been a remarkable mix of ups and downs. I finally got into a class for the fall, but the other was rejected. Bootleg is under control, but we still have massive smoke problems. Second cutting ended, but I will probably have to take another couple of weeks off soon to help with the third. I've got jobs lined up for the fall, but none of them are jobs I genuinely want. Like I said, ups and downs. I should be back for good come October.

The most genuine up recently though, is that I found out that I'm going to be an uncle. My sister is pregnant. We are very happy for her.

As for this story, I've got a few plot ideas that I think will be really fun. One of which we will be seeing relatively soon. But if you have any ideas for how I can improve, feel free to let me know. I do enjoy reading any reviews and/or PMs. Even the ones that nothing but negative and trashing of my story. I mean seriously, if you hate a story but are still reading it, then either you're an idiot for reading this far or you're lying to yourself and on some level like the story… or at least are curious enough to want to know how it ends.

Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated. Feel free to leave ideas and recommendations for the future.

Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.

End Log S.T.K.