Here's chapter 13, everyone.
Ozpin took center stage, looking down at the first year students he was in charge of. He tapped the mic for just a moment, testing it as the students remained quiet. "I'll be sure to make this quick. You're all here for your own reasons, and no matter what they are, the end goal is the same." He noticed some people started looking nervous, as if their own reasons were not as noble as others. "I'm here to tell you now that this is not the school to throw your goals out and expect them to be met so easily."
Weiss scowled at that, feeling that he shouldn't say something like that, but she stayed quiet as she didn't want to be disrespectful, while Ruby looked more determined from his words. She didn't miss that look, and it made Weiss think a bit more about what the headmaster was saying.
"If what I say intimidates you, it's to find what you yourself can handle. To gauge yourselves in the face of impossible odds. Ask yourselves if you can break through such walls, and if the answer is yes, then stay where you are. If it is no…" He said nothing else and stepped away from the mic, some of the students beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable, but as they began to talk amongst each other, Glynda got up on the mic.
"You're all to report to the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow will be initiation, so don't be late." Glynda said as she stepped away from the mic.
"Huh, that was… Something." Yang remarked. "I feel like the headmaster could've been a bit more motivating."
"He was actually." Ruby stated, getting odd looks from both Jaune and Yang, while Weiss partially got what she was going for. "It's true what he said. If we're not here trying to break through the walls that keep us from being hunters, then why are we here in the first place?"
Yang was taken aback. "I didn't really think of it that way."
"Yeah, me neither. It just felt like he was just trying to scare us off." Jaune said, admitting what he thought.
Weiss spoke up. "Some might have been, but it's possible he was seeing if there were any here who wouldn't be the best fit for a hunter academy."
Jaune looked a little nervous. "O-Oh, uh, yeah… Good thing we all stood still, right?"
Yang nodded and pumped her fist up. "Hell yeah. I'd say we passed the first test of this place if that were the case. Next up is initiation… Which we have to wait till tomorrow for… Ugh."
"Your impatience is showing." Weiss noted, earning a sigh from the blonde girl.
Ruby looked over at Blake, who still had her back turned. "What did you think of what Ozpin said… Uh… Oh, I never got your name." When Blake didn't respond, Ruby was about to try and poke her again, but Weiss grabbed her hand.
"What did I just say about poking people, Ruby?" Weiss said in a stern tone.
"S-Sorry, I was just trying to learn what her name is." Ruby defended.
"My name is Blake." Blake chose not to hide that, as she began to walk off. "I'll be very busy from this point on. Yang, I'll speak with you later." Since the blonde girl didn't try to stop her, the others didn't as well.
"Uh… So she seems nice." Ruby said, making Yang sigh.
"Come on, Weiss! You have to show us your semblance already!" Ruby whined as she, her sister and Weiss were sitting on sleeping bags on the ballroom floor. "I mean, I know the whole Schnee glyph thing, but you never show us it."
"Maybe because I never have to, Ruby." Weiss said as she brushed her hair, keeping it down since she was getting ready for bed. "Besides, we're in the ballroom right now, so no, I will not use my semblance for no reason." She still didn't want to tell her friends that her semblance wasn't what they thought it was.
"Weiss is right, sis. You don't want one student using their semblance and then having a whole bunch of them feel like it's fine to use theirs." Yang pointed out as she laid on her stomach.
Ruby grumbled a bit and laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling. "Alright, fine. I won't ask you to use it here... But you so have to use it during initiation."
"And why should I, Ruby Rose? What if I feel like I can handle initiation without my semblance?" Weiss questioned, clearly still unsure if she would use her 'semblance' during initiation or not.
Yang raised an eyebrow. "That's a little risky don't you think, Weiss?"
Ruby grew a little concerned from that. "Y-Yeah, why wouldn't you? Weiss I don't want you to get hurt if you-."
"Ugh, will you please stop. I'm not a baby, Ruby." Weiss said, annoyed that her friends keep trying to treat her like she was fragile, even though that wasn't their intention.
Yang sat up and crossed her legs. "Hey, come on now, Weiss. You know she's only a little worried is all. If I said I wasn't gonna use my semblance, I know Ruby would try to convince me to otherwise."
Weiss took a moment to look over her rose themed friend, seeing her looking down at the ground, so she sighed and leaned over, gently nudging her shoulder. Ruby lifted her head up and saw Weiss giving her a small smile. "Look, I promise not to be reckless out there, Ruby, but at the same time, please don't worry so much about me. You said it yourself. Ozpin expects us to break through our own walls, so I need to be strong in my own way too."
"Y-You are strong." Ruby said, and felt a little saddened, but Weiss wouldn't let her stay sad for long as she pulled her in for a hug. "W-Weiss?"
The white haired teen sighed and pulled away, leaning her hand over and flicking Ruby's forehead, making her yelp. "Dolt. Stop being so sad about this. We're about to start our first day of huntress training tomorrow."
As Ruby rubbed her forehead, she couldn't help but smile as she nodded to her friend. "R-Right!"
Yang was glad she didn't need to step in, as Weiss was able to handle Ruby on her own. The blonde however started to think about another person, so she looked around and spotted her. "Alright, you two. This time I'm telling you beforehand." She stood up and pointed her thumb over at Blake. "I'm gonna go and chat with Blake. That okay with you, mom?" She joked as she looked down at Weiss.
Weiss rolled her eyes at that. "Oh shut up and go already."
Yang chuckled and walked over to Blake. "So, about that book recommendation." Her words startled the black haired girl, her bow twitching a bit, but Yang somehow didn't catch that. "What? Didn't think you'd see me again?"
Blake closed her book and placed it next to her. "I did tell you'd we could talk later." She was in her nightwear at the moment, seeing as everyone else was for sleep.
"Well you never really looked for me to talk. Trying to avoid me or something?" Yang asked as she sat down next to Blake. "Or is it still about Weiss?" She kept her voice low enough so other people wouldn't hear.
With a sigh, Blake picked up her book again. "If that's all you're here to talk about-."
"It's just something I want to help with, but if you seriously don't wanna talk about it, we don't have to. Still, I really wouldn't mind hearing what kind of book you'd recommend me. Just no lovey dovey stuff okay." Yang smiled as she looked down at Blake's book. "Actually, what about that one?"
"I'm still in the middle of reading it." Blake plainly responded.
"Okay, well how about you tell me what it's about?" Yang requested.
"Oh, um, well it's about a man with two souls, both fighting for control over their shared body." Blake explained. "Some people find it boring, but I enjoy it. It has a sense of what we all have in us. A fight to stay who we are."
"Wow, I mean… That's actually really interesting to be honest." Yang looked down at her own hands for a moment. "I like fighting, but I also really like going out into the world and seeing what it has to offer." She sighed. "Sometimes, I don't know. Maybe the fight in me isn't as strong as other people because I'm not all that interesting as a person."
Blake was truly surprised at her words. "I don't see why you would really say that. Everyone has their own mystery, whether they have it in them or not. Shouldn't you aim to learn that yourself instead of accepting it as nothing?"
Yang shrugged. "I don't really think I can answer that right now."
"Then it is a mystery still, so you already answered my question." Blake stated, earning a surprised look from the blonde.
"Huh… Yeah I guess that makes a bit of sense." Yang laid on her back and reached her hands up, like she were trying to touch the ceiling. "Thanks, Blake. Seriously."
Blake said nothing and went back to reading her book, as Yang smiled and closed her eyes, deciding the silence was just fine for her at that point.
Willow was panting heavily, looking up at the moon only making her sigh a bit. "How… Much longer… Do we have to keep this up?" The white haired woman asked as she was standing outside of a log cabin in the snow.
"When I don't have to bring you in for a glass of water each time you use one single glyph." Raven responded with her arms crossed and her eyes trained on the woman who had on a light blue winter coat, baggy pants and white winter boots. "And next time bring actual combat gear. I swear it looks like you're going to a damn ski lodge."
"Ugh, well what do you expect me to have? I've never trained before and you know this." Willow grunted, clearly having used a glyph only moments ago.
"Being prepared is a key part in training, so no I will not be giving you any gear. That falls on you." Raven did say she wasn't going to go easy on the woman, so Willow shook her head and ignored her, doing her best to concentrate on her aura. When Raven saw it slightly flicker, she sighed. "Well it's still a start."
Willow continued to ignore her comments, focusing more and more on her aura. She imagined it surrounding her body, but all it ever did was flicker here and there, not even on her whole body. The white haired woman took a few breaths, shaking her head as thoughts of her children filled her mind, so the drive was there.
Raven let her arms fall when she saw the aura that could only flicker on Willow begin to surround her entire body. The color of it was a light blue, showing Raven she was finally getting somewhere after their long day of aura training. "Well I'll be damned."
After a few moments of her aura pulsing around her body, Willow fell on her knees as the visible aura she was vibrating disappeared and she panted heavily. "I… I did it… Right?"
She was met with an eye roll as Raven walked over and lifted her up by her arm. "Not for long… But yes, you did. Don't expect praise though. You have a long way to go still." She helped the tired woman into the log cabin. "Sit."
Willow didn't argue and sat down on one of the chairs as Raven helped her out of her coat. "Sorry if I fail to impress…" Willow said as she closed her eyes.
"Ugh, don't complain and just drink this." Raven handed her a glass of water, and once Willow opened her eyes again to see it, she nodded and took it in her hand. As the woman began drinking, Raven sat on the other chair in the cabin. "Did you feel anything different from the other times you tried using your aura?"
"I-I don't think so?" Willow questioned herself as she moved the glass away from her lips. "It just felt the same as I have been feeling."
"Okay, well what about your thoughts? Anything that came to mind when your aura was around your body?" Raven continued asking.
Willow took a second to recount what had just happened. It wasn't hard for her to know what she was thinking about, more who she was thinking about. "All day I was just trying to get my semblance to not tire me out. That last attempt… It wasn't about my semblance. I thought about my children."
Raven crossed her arms again, nodding. "I see. Thinking about your children is your trigger."
"My trigger?" Willow gave her a confused look.
"It's not a special word or anything. It's literally what it is." Raven explained. "What I mean is that thinking about your children gives you the strength you need."
"Is that… Good?" Her knowledge of training was very limited, so Willow had no idea if that was a thing she should be proud of.
Raven didn't answer immediately as she looked at the fireplace, watching the wood burn. "It depends. Some people will say it's a good thing. Others will say it's not. Having to rely on your trigger can get you the strength you need, but if it's the only source of your power, then those reserves will end up depleting much faster than you think."
"So I shouldn't only rely on it is what you're saying." Willow assumed.
"Remember what I said. People have their opinions on the matter, but it all depends on how you choose to use it." Raven stated. "So ask yourself. Is this the only way you feel is appropriate for you to access your aura?"
Willow looked down at her hands, feeling them shake a bit as she sighed. "No, I don't believe so. It wouldn't be right to use my children in such a way."
"I never said you were using your children." Raven pointed out.
"I know, but it feels that way to me. You did say people have varied opinions on the matter, and that's how I feel now." Willow explained and lifted her head up, nodding to her trainer.
Raven was a bit impressed by how she responded. "Hmm, okay then. Well if you're up to figuring out how else you can access your aura, then get up, put your coat on and meet me outside."
Willow groaned a bit as she slowly got out of the chair she was sitting on. "Yeah, yeah…" She heard her scroll go off and saw the disapproving look Raven gave her, but when she saw who it was, she picked up the scroll. "Please just give me a few minutes."
"Fine." Raven stepped outside, letting the cold air of Atlas in, but only for a moment as she closed the door behind her.
After a few seconds, Willow let out a smile and sat on the bed in the cabin. She hit accept on the call and held her scroll horizontally, seeing the screen light up and showing her daughter on screen. "Hello, my snowflake."
Weiss smiled back. "Hello, mom. I'm in the ballroom right now since it seems initiation won't be till tomorrow." She held her wolf pendant with her left hand as she heard a snore from Ruby, so she giggled a bit. "Ruby fell asleep if you couldn't hear."
Willow chuckled in response. "I can't blame her, it is eleven in the night, sweetie."
"True." Weiss replied, but noticed the background of where her mother was. "Mom, where are you? Are you in a log cabin?"
"O-Oh, uh, well yes, sweetie. I just felt it would be nice to spend a few days on a mini vacation." Willow didn't want to tell her daughter yet that she was training her aura, since she didn't want to worry her daughter.
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to be in such a place, mom?" Weiss asked.
Willow kept her smile up as she waved her daughter off. "Don't worry so much, sweetie. I'm just taking a few days to relax. Nothing more."
"Hmm… Okay, well are you at least with someone? I don't like the idea of you being alone in a log cabin, mom." Weiss expressed her concern.
"Yes, I'm with a friend right now, snowflake. Now enough about that. How has your day gone? Tell me everything." Willow requested.
"Well… The first person I ran into wasn't exactly all that nice, but Ruby and Yang ran him off. The second one threw up in a trash can…" Weiss grimaced, remembering how gross it was to watch Jaune throwing up. "Other than that I was quite impressed with Beacon. It's beautiful here, mom."
Hearing how happy her daughter was made Willow think about her aura again, but she let that though slip away, wanting to hear more about her day. "I do remember going there myself a few months ago to see where you would be staying, so I can see why you find it to be beautiful."
Weiss nodded happily. "It truly is, and the speech Ozpin made…" She thought about the wording for it. "It was a bit unexpected, but Ruby helped me understand what he meant."
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Willow inquired.
"The way he spoke seemed a bit like he was putting us down, but thinking about it more, he was trying to gauge us. To see if we'd try and quit, or keep on pushing forward." Weiss explained.
"Ah, well I know my little snowflake will keep on moving." Willow said with a proud smile, chuckling as she saw Weiss blush a bit.
"M-Mom, you know people might hear you…" Weiss said, looking around to make sure no one actually heard what her mother had said to her.
"No one there will ever keep me from you being my little snowflake, sweetie." When Weiss groaned, Willow brushed some of her matted hair from her forehead. "But, I'll keep the nicknames out from the public if you really want."
"I-I didn't say that." Weiss sighed and held her pendant for a moment. "Um, I wanted to talk about something…" She lowered her voice a bit. "Ruby wants me to use my semblance."
Willow already knew the problem. "I know you're worried about using it, sweetie, but don't be. It's your semblance. Your gift. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"M-Mom, you say you know… But you should realize how embarrassing it is." Weiss said, her blush growing redder.
She felt bad, but Willow had to keep on trying to convince her daughter it wasn't all that bad. "There are people out there who have much worse problems with their semblances, sweetie. You will grow out of that worry. I promise."
"Hmm… I highly doubt it. Only reason I ever felt okay about it at home was because you or Klein would hold onto my clothes for me. Do you know how embarrassing it'll be having to ask my teammates to hold my clothes each time we're in a battle…" Weiss countered.
"Well if you have a very respecting team, they'll understand, snowflake. It's why they call it a team effort." Willow countered back.
Weiss sighed and knew her mother had a point. "Okay… Well I guess it's about time I get to bed, mom. I'll make sure to call you tomorrow after initiation."
"I can't wait to hear how it goes, snowflake." Willow blew a kiss to her daughter. "Goodnight, sweetie. I love you."
"Goodnight, mom. I love you too." With that, the video call with her daughter ended and Willow felt a bit more relieved that her daughter had a good first day, so she stood up and stretched.
"Willow, hurry the hell up!" Raven shouted from outside, making the white haired woman yelp as she quickly hurried outside, glad the call ended when it did so Weiss didn't hear Raven yelling at her.
Switching POVs is honestly really fun, and I hope that when I do switch them around, it doesn't interrupt the flow of things. Anyways, more Willow and Raven training, and more getting things started at Beacon. We'll get to initiation soon enough.
To JJ- Blake has had it rough, and while it's unfair to lump one person up with her family (mostly lumping her with her dad), she still won't simply be happy around a Schnee when the name has been tainted that badly, but still, she will at least try. Thanks to Yang that is.
I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 13. Remember, reviews are welcomed, but not required. See you all in chapter 14.