Chapter 2: the Shining Beacon
The ship were soon about to dock toward the entrance of the school.
Cin: "Hey Yang... What if they don't like me here?" (starting to feel nervous heading for Beacon)
Ruby: "Yeah Yang, what they if don't like me?" (looking more scared than Cin)
Yang: "Hey, come you two, don't think that way, we just got here and you already made two friends right here, Cin."
Ruby: "Well... She not wrong." (giving Cin a cute smile)
Cin: "Right... happy to be." (Agreeing with Ruby with a small grin)
Several ships carrying students and docking at the entrance of the school. As soon as one lands, Jaune Arc emerges and goes over to the nearest trash can, hunching over it as he loses his lunch.
Ruby, Yang, and Cin, who is carrying his trusty backpack alongside several other students, walk out of the ship and head down the paved path to the front of the school.
Ruby and Yang: (as they take in the entirety of Beacon Academy) "Wow..."
Cin: "Nice." (taking in the view as well)
Yang: "The view from Vale's got nothing on this!"
Ruby: (getting so excited she becomes a 2-D, starry-eyed, floating chibi) "Ohmygosh, sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!"
Cin: Uh... Is she gonna be okay?
(Ruby tries getting closer, but Yang pulls her sister by the hood back into realistic proportions) "Ow! Ooww!"
Yang: "Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!"
Ruby: "'Just weapons'? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"
Cin: Jeez, I never thought of that for my weapons, till now.
Yang: "Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?"
Ruby: (transforming her weapon into its scythe form) "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better..."
Yang: (playfully pushing her sister's hood down over her face) "Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?"
Ruby: (taking off her hood) "But... why would I need friends if I have you and Cin?"
Yang: "Well..." (in a flash, a group of other students surround Yang and they all dash down the road) "Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!"
Cin: Uh, Uh, but, you just said-
Cin's words we're quickly cut short, by Yang's quick departure, leaving Cin and Ruby in the dust.
Ruby: (spinning and dizzy-eyed from Yang's sudden leaving) "Wait, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" (stopping for a moment, still reeling) "I don't know what I'm doing..."
Cin: "Me neither" (Agreeing with Ruby, but too late to noticed Ruby was going to fall)
Ruby falls backwards into a luggage cart, sending cases flying. Someone is standing over her.
Weiss: "What are you doing?!"
Ruby: (getting up on her hands) "Uh, sorry!"
Cin: "She didn't mean to."
Weiss: "Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?"
Ruby: (holding a case) "Uuhhh..."
Weiss: "Give me that!" (she snatches the luggage from Ruby and opens it to reveal its twinkling-sounding contents) "This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"
Ruby: "Uuuhhhh..."
Weiss: "What are you, brain-dead?" (holding out a vial of red Dust and shutting the case) "Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!"
Ruby: "I... I know..." (starts coughing from the Dust pouring into her face)
Weiss: "Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Cinnabar's knowledge of dust knew what was gonna happen next, managed to move out of the way... Unaware he's standing next to Blake Belladonna. Cin was caught off guard when he realized he was standing next to her, and gave a little more distance.
Ruby, who had been receiving more and more Dust to her face, finally sneezes, which erupts into a full-blown explosion of flame, snowflakes, and electricity right onto Weiss. Cin watched The bottle she had been holding flies over the courtyard and at the feet of Blake, who picks it up and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene.
Weiss: (now covered in soot, though it quickly disappears) "Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"
Ruby: (apologetic and embarrassed) "I'm really, really sorry!"
Weiss: "Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"
Ruby: "Well, I-I..."
Weiss: "This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going!"
Ruby: (finally fed up) "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"
Blake: (Entering the conversation, with Cin following behind.) "It's heiress, actually." (Ruby and Weiss look over as Blake approaches with the bottle) "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
Weiss: (smiling smugly) "Finally! Some recognition!"
Blake: "The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."
Weiss: (getting angry again as Ruby chuckles and Cin give a slight "oh" with shock.) "Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh!" (gets up in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow)
Ruby: (to the storming Weiss, still sorry) "I promise I'll make this up to you!" (sighs) "I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day... So, what's..." (sees Blake walking off as well, then collapses to the ground on her back, Cin bent down sitting next to Ruby, feeling just as lonely as she was.) "Welcome to Beacon..." (they remains this way until a shadow comes over them.)
Jaune: (holding out his hand) "Hey... I'm Jaune."
Ruby: (taking his hand) "Ruby." (stands up)
Cin: Cinnabar, Cin for short... oh boy, I hope not gonna be saying that alot.
Ruby: "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"
Beacon inside the walls are filled with scenic trees, arching architecture, and a winding road alongside a river, down which Cin, Ruby and Jaune are walking.
Jaune: "All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!"
Ruby: (laughing) "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."
Jaune: "Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?"
Ruby: "Hey, that explosion was an accident!"
Cin: I once had severe altitude sickness from a watching a movie once. (Ruby and Jaune tilled their head over to look at Cin, both surprised)
Jaune: Really?
Ruby: (giving a little chuckle) Did you?
Cin: Let that just be between us, okay?! (Blushing red, embarrassed)
Jaune: "Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!"
Ruby & Cin: (skeptic) "Do they?"
Jaune: "They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind."
Ruby: (giggles before a short, awkward silence falls) "So... I got this thing!" (she pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground)
Jaune: "Whoa! Is that a scythe?"
Ruby: "It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"
Cin: "Uh.."
Jaune: "A-wha...?"
Ruby: (cocks it, smiling) "It's also a gun."
Jaune: "Oh. That's cool!"
Cin: "Yeah."
Ruby: "So what've you got?"
Jaune: "Oh! I, uh..." (unsheathes a blade) "I got this sword!"
Ruby: "Ooooohh!"
Jaune: "Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" (he gets his scabbard, raises his arm and expands the metal into his defense)
Ruby: (touching the shield) "So, what do they do?"
Jaune: (fumbling with the shield as it retracts off his arm, expands, and retracts again before putting it back in place and finally shrinking it down for good, placing it on his belt) "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..."
Ruby: "But... wouldn't it weigh the same?"
Jaune: (dejectedly) "Yeah, it does..."
Cin: Well... I have... also got a sword & shield too... (Pulling out Caledfwlch & Pridwen from his backpack, feeling bashful, after seeing and comparing Jaune's weapons to his) they can also be a spear and crossbow too. (Caledfwlch & Pridwen turns into it's spear and crossbow form)
But... after seeing Jaune's... I kinda feel like I'm being a copycat now.
Jaune: Hey, you know they say great minds think alike, and I think just both like the same taste of weaponry, there's nothing wrong with that, I'm sure you can do many specials things with yours.
Cin: (Skeptic) you mean besides block and stabby stab? (Lightly poking Caledfwlch in the air)
Ruby: (giggling) "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it."
Jaune: "Wait - you made that?!"
Cin: "that's cool."
Ruby: "Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?"
Jaune: "It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."
Ruby: "Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" (laughs) "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."
Jaune: (sheathing his sword) "Yeah, the classics..."
Ruby: and yours? (Asking Cin, if he forged his, after he put Caledfwlch & Pridwen back in his backpack)
Cin: Well, actually... Grandpa says that these two, we're the only things he could find left from my family... After they we're gone, and he took me in.
Ruby and Jaune both stopped in shock to hear this, saddening their looks.
Ruby: Oh Cin...
Jaune: We had no Idea.
Cin: Hey, It's alright, that was a long time ago when that happened... (seeing Ruby and Jaune looking still concerned) Really, It's okay, lets just keep walking shall we?
Ruby: (moving on again, trying to change the subject) "So why'd you help us out back there? In the courtyard?"
Jaune: (walking alongside her and Cin) "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"
Ruby: "Hmm." (looks around) "Hey, where are we going?"
Jaune: "Oh, I don't know! I was following you."
Cin, Ruby, Jaune now stood dumbfounded and lost.
Cin: Ah Man! (Echo)
Jaune: "Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some sort of recognizable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?"
Ruby: (laughing) "That's a 'no'."
Ruby, Cin, and Jaune entering Beacon Academy's giant auditorium, filled to the brim with people. Ruby and Cin looks over when they hears Yang's voice.
Yang: (waving) Ruby! Cin! Over here! I saved you two spots!
Ruby: (to Jaune) Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony! (leaves)
Cin: (to Jaune) Catch you later! (leaving with Ruby)
Jaune: Hey, wait! (sighs) Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?! (he moves on to reveal Pyrrha standing behind him, hand on her hips as she watches him walk away.)
Yang: (once Ruby and Cin joins her, arms crossed) How's your first day going, little sister?
Ruby: You mean since you ditched us and I exploded?
Yang: Yikes! Meltdown already?
Ruby: No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! And there was some fire, and I think some ice...?
Yang: (smiling broadly) Are you being sarcastic?
Ruby: I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!
As Ruby was talking, Cin pans around to reveal Weiss right next to her!
Cin: (Light gasp) Uh, uh, Ruby, uh...
Cin started quickly and nervously trying to tell Ruby Weiss was behind her.
Weiss: You!
Ruby: (quickly jumping into her sister's arms) Oh, God, it's happening again!
Weiss: You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!
Yang: (deadpan) Oh my God, you really exploded.
Cin started bursting out with laughter to Yang's response, with his hand over his mouth... only to be stared down by Weiss, Ruby and Yang. Cin's laughter slowly dies down nervously and lowering his hand.
Cin: Sorry. (letting out one more chuckle)
Ruby: It was an accident. (getting down; to Weiss) It was an accident! (Weiss holds up a pamphlet titled "DUST for dummies and other Inadequate Individuals" to Ruby) What's this?
Weiss: (listing off policies to a clueless and horrified Ruby, going faster and higher pitched with each word) The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field.
Ruby: Uuhhh...?
Weiss: You really wanna start making things up to me?
Ruby: Absolutely?
Weiss: (handing the pamphlet to Ruby) Read this, and don't ever speak to me again.
Weiss looked over at Cin.
Weiss: Would you like one too?
Cin: Oh! (Giving a "no, thank you" hand gesture) Thank you, but I'm good, I was taught pretty well from my grandfather about dusts. (rubbing his hand on his neck, bashfully) I' am Merrune's grandson, after all.
Weiss: Merrune? As in Master Merrune Caliburn, the "magician" of dusts? (asking with a eyebrow rising)
Cin: Uh, Oh! Why yes! Cinnabar, Cin for short! (Giving a surprised look of recognition, holding out his hand to say "Hello" )
Weiss: The same Merrune who left working for The Schnee Dust Company from Atlas, to work at Beacon here in Vale? (Giving Cin a Stern, upsetting look)
Cin: Oh... (Lowering his voice in awkward shock, lowering his hand)
Everyone was now in an awkward silence, as Cinnabar slowly hides behind Ruby and Yang.
Yang: Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?
Ruby: (putting the pamphlet away) Yeah! Great idea, sis! (holding out her hand as she clears her throat) Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!
Weiss: (seemingly enthusiastic) Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!
Jaune: Hm?
Ruby: Wow, really?!
Weiss: (dead silence under her glare) No.
The girls' attention is drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin is readying the microphone, with Glynda beside him.
Ozpin: I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. (as the students whisper among themselves) You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.
Glynda: (as Ozpin leaves, she steps up to talk) You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.
Cin: Wow... (in melancholy from his speech.)
Yang: He seemed kind of... off.
Ruby: It's almost like he wasn't even there.
Jaune: (approaching Weiss from the side) I'm a natural blond, you know!
Cin: Do I at least fit the cute category? (Asking Weiss)
Weiss puts her hand to her face in exasperation.
The first night at Beacon, students are splayed out in sleeping bags. Ruby, in her pajamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, is writing in a journal when Yang crashes next to her, similarly dressed.
Yang: It's like a big slumber party!
Ruby: (not looking up) I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though.
Yang: I know I do! (purrs as she watches several muscular, shirtless guys... and Jaune, dressed in feetie pajamas, while Cinnabar walking with was dressed in simple grey pajamas holding a grey fox plush toy Mr Ash, Jaune waving to her, which makes her groan before she returns her attention to Ruby) What's that?
Ruby: A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going.
Yang: Aw, that's so cuuuute! (knocked back as a pillow is launched at her face)
Ruby: Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!
Yang: What about Jaune? He's... nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!
Ruby: (turning on her back) Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero...
Yang: There's no such things as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy! (hit with another pillow, this time looking like a dog, to the face) Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!
The two sisters notice a candle being lit nearby, and Blake Belladonna is seen leaning against a wall, reading her book.
Ruby: That girl...
Yang: You know her?
Ruby: Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything.
Yang: Well, now's your chance! (grabs Ruby's arm and lifts her up)
Ruby: Wait! What are you doing?!
Blake looks over her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip as she leads her sister over to Blake's spot before letting go.
Yang: (singing) Hel-looooo! I believe you two may know each other?
Blake: Aren't you... that girl that exploded?
Ruby: Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater... (smiles, embarrassed) Actually, you can just call me Ruby.
Blake: (back in her book) Okay.
Yang: (whispering to Ruby) What are you doing?
Ruby: (whispering back) I don't know - help me! (goes back to smiling)
Yang: So... What's your name?
Blake: (sighing as she's distracted yet again) Blake.
Yang: Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!
Blake: (irritated) Thanks!
Yang: It goes great with your... pajamas!
Blake: Right...
Yang: (as Ruby laughs uncomfortably) Nice night, don't you think?
Blake: Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book! (Ruby and Yang stand there) That I will continue to read. (Ruby and Yang continue standing) As soon as you leave!
Yang: (to Ruby) Yeah, this girl's a lost cause.
Ruby: (to Blake) What's it about?
Blake: (surprised) Huh?
Ruby: Your book. Does it have a name?
Blake: Well... i-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body.
Yang: (sarcastically) Oh, yeah... That's real lovely!
Ruby: I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!
Blake: (laughing a little) And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?
Ruby: Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!
Blake: That's... very ambitious for a child. (her smile turns into a frown) Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale.
Ruby: Well, that's why we're here! To make it better.
Yang: Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister! (hugs Ruby into the air)
Ruby: (kicking out) Cut it out! (the forced sisterly bonding evolves into a dust cloud of fighting limbs and flying stars)
Blake: (laughing slightly) Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-
Weiss: (storming onto the scene in her own pajamas as Ruby traps Yang's leg) What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?
Weiss and Yang: (at the sight of each other) Oh, not you again!
Ruby: Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!
Weiss: Oh, now you're on my side!
Ruby: I was always on your side!
Yang: Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!
Weiss: She's a hazard to my health!
Blake, who rolls her eyes at the fight, simply closes her book, reaches over to grab her candle, and blows it out.
End of Chapter 2
Author Notes
RWBY, its owned by Rooster Teeth.
Major thanks to the Transcripts written on RWBY Wiki
In upcoming chapters, should I try to focus more on Cinnabar and cut out scenes where Cinnabar is nowhere to be seen, or leave them be to feel more like watching an episode of RWBY, or somewhere in the middle? I'll see how it'll work out later, and might edit some chapters later.
I'm really not expecting any big reactions for my story, I just felt making it for fun, so big thanks for anyone that does like this AU of RWBY.
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