AUTHOR NOTE
There's now a pay tree on at slash EastboundTraveller, I can't put the website name but please know that this is not a pay subscription model. All my fics are free, always will be, and donations are just that, donations. For more info, look for the snail.
Like always, none of the stuff in bold is edited, be warned.
So, elephant in the room, this is a snail:
SNAIL
For those who don't want to read why there's a pay tree on now, please skip to the next snail, though reading this would probably take less time than it took me to add that snail.
So due to a current event that I control F4'd every mention of and replaced with the first thought that came to my mind, I am without job. I by no means think that anyone should give their hard earned money to some random guy on , especially with the 'weasel rebellion' making things hard on everyone at the moment. 'Interpretive dance' is a world wide problem and there is certainly people worse off than I am, my heart goes out to every affected by 'sky lasers' and wish them all the best. That said, if anyone wishes to throw me some spare change, I could not thank you enough. If you have spare change, but don't wish to give it to some idiot on the internet, I encourage you to give some money to any of the 'space whale' charities during this time where 'tangled headphone wires' is affecting us all.
SNAIL
Anyway, with that uncharacteristically serious paragraph out of the way:
MY WORD!
"The 5th chapter posted on the day the story gets 500 follows! This must be a conspiracy."
"More like you were just too much in your head to post back in June like you had planned, you fool!"
"To be fair, planning for season 3 had to happen!"
*Facepalm* "You're barely a quarter the way through season 1!"
"But now I know what will happen between season 2 and 4 which i had already planned."
"Why did you even plan season 4 before season 3-? You know what, I give up. Bet you don't get the next chapter in by the end of August."
"I'll show you...probably..."
:)
So, here we are. This entire chapter was meant to be part of the last chapter buuuuut, I couldn't fit it in. Here is now though! Still clinging a bit close to cannon events for now... soon though... soon...
SO, onto the replies, return of the 2AM unedited ramblings:
loligang: While the idea of a team could be cool, I'm afraid the brothers will be without for now. Though i do love Neo, don't worry, she and Roman will have a growing part when they're back in the story. Parts which may or may not grow as this goes past season 3. And don't worry, I'm aware Dante and especially Vergil aren't standard heroes, if they decide to appose the wicked witch of the west, it will be for their own reasons, petty or otherwise. As for changing up the story... tis like a butterflies wings. Though there may be little change now, those wing beats may become tornadoes as the wind builds.
As for Dante's weapons, He will have what he had in DMC5, as that's what he had on him when he and Vergil went to hell. There's actually a canonical reason he didn't have them, which I will mention in 6 or so chapters.
dovah117: Well, Vergil and Dante don't hold back too much in a 'friendly fight' anyway :). Devil triggers are a while off, no plans for Nero coming in, though if he did it would be in the super late game of rwby, like past the Vacuo arc. Demons... :)
FerunaLutelou: I'm aware of Remnant's internet equivalent, but I like to imagine Ozpin changes up initiation a bit every few years to keep things fresh, catch new students off guard. Not to mention, it's not unreasonable to get students to sign a nondisclosure agreement about the academies testing criteria. As for students not being surprised, at that point, they were on a cliff, standing on launch pads, it was pretty self evident. You are right though, it's the absurdity that's important.
Reddevil47: We should all feel sorry for Glynda ever since the brothers started teaching there. It's like having near daily fights between Winter and Qrow, but usually worse.
Darkmaster10000000: The former might get some help, the latter will likely be far worse.
XenoBlaze: The professors tend to go by their first names, either to avoid confusion, or just because they're more than their father. What they teach will be revealed after initiation... as for devil arms... Who knows... :)
Guest chapter 1 May 11th: 2 things. One, Dante jumped into the portal with only his DMC5 stuff, so he doesn't have other weapons on him, they could well be back at his home. Two, there's actually a canonical reason why they aren't back at his home, which i will comment on in about 6 chapters.
Guest chapter 4 May 11th: If Nero and co do come in, it will either be in flashbacks or in EXTREMELY late game rwby. Like beyond the Vacuo arc late.
YeTianshi: Thank you, hopefully now that I know what's happening for chapters 3-6 I can put this out faster. I'll probably fail but let's hope!
Sm0keyPanda: Now you don't have to wait! :)
Noe Magdiel Gonzalez Ramirez: Thank you babe, love you too.
It is ON: I will try, I will likely fail XD Thank you for the support.
Red Dusk 369: Thank you, it's hard to write a visual seen (picture is a thousand words all that jazz) but I try. As for power scaling, thank you for noticing. Glynda isn't week, she can grab one of the brothers, stop them briefly, but they are too strong to hold. It's like dead lifting a heavy weight. You can lift it, but holding it there gets painfully hard. Then imagine the weight started pulling down on it's own will. It's a strange metaphor but I think it works.
blazerforce: They are ridiculous people even amongst the ridiculous groups known as Huntsmen.
Neb: Why not both? Or neither? Or somewhere inbetween? :)
Chrome Fate: Now it's back again. Only 1 month late this time!
ShadowWarriorOmega: Thank you, I point you to the comment above :)
Hellsink Bathhall: Dante (and other videogame main characters) not knowing about sex is old and reviered joke that I'm sure I will work into a future chapter. As for Raven knowing about them, probably. Of the rwby characters, she tends to be one of the more informed, especially when new pieces enter the game. I agree that it's also likely the brothers may not have noticed, unless she approached one of them in person...
The shotgun would have been hella painful, but even the pistols still rattled Cinder, nearly breaking her aura, though if they did go through, aura does increase healing so... *shrug*Trust me, comdey, drama, and angst will all be included, especially the closer to season 3 we grow. As for following the script, this chapter does a lot as well, but after... :). Also, the bull arc for Mr Arc will likely be very changed or maybe even outright ignored. Maybe replaced by something... sons of Sparda related. That glare match would have too much collateral damage to ever happen so it will have to stay as a what if scenario. The toothpicks I'm afraid are probably a dimension away, but who knows what devil arms might show up in the future... The advice of elders who went through similar is seldom taken by those who can't yet see their mistakes.
808Joker808: Thank you!
Bolis67: Good to be back, it's completely up in the air at the moment, we'll see what develops.
Destructorbolt: Thank you, hope the rest of the story will hold up :)
Benxall: Here it is :)
Kaxipoptos: The cannon event train will be going for now, but there will be detours and derails later :). I admit, i did want all of team Ruby to meet at least one brother before Beacon and used the trailers to do this. they will not be in the Forrest for imitation or tagging along for every mission though, the girls still need to prove themselves. Whatever happens in volume 3, the brothers may end up on their own quest by the end... Weiss isn't ready to take advise yet but might find herself thinking on it later, and events at the beginning felt to me fairly set in stone, but from here will diverge. It's like having a solid base, some events will stay, others will move, who knows :). Salem and Raven's reactions to the tins would be interesting. Perhaps they are both already more aware than we realise.
Chaos Drago x2: Killing can be such a pain, possibly being more work than it's worth. Not to mention that compared to hell, this world can feel a bit like a vacation to the son's of Sparda, even with its mysteries. And here's the next chapter.
smilingsamurai: Thank you. Trying to keep them in character is a constant struggle I hope to be succeeding at. Others may grow to be able to stand on equal footing in terms of stealing the scene but for now the girls are young, inexperienced. They don't have the same world wisdom that Dante pretends not to have. As for partners, I'm probably gonna keep it the same. Probably. I want to have a similar cannon base to extend the story from, that said, the brothers may tutor students by cherry picking from teams. They are professors after all, they get to choose which students get some extra tips and tricks. Thank's for reading!
Illiran: If google translate is right, I understand where you're coming from, but I want the girls to be as much main characters as Dante and Vergil are, they just have different roles. Thank you for reading, and for crossing the language barrier.
Guest Jun29th: Shut up Jon.
Kegeto: Here is more! :)
*Breathes out* That was a lot, thanks for all the comments, now let's get in there!
Chapter 5: A Journey of a Thousand Miles
With the flash of light, she had to feel more than see the attack coming in from her left. Blocking it, then retaliating with a swift strike, her opponent rolling away.
There was a moment of silence.
The two circled each other.
Suddenly one strike, two, seven, each deftly dodged as her opponent swung again and again. No attacks found their mark, every one intercepted, blocked, or merely missing by a hair's breadth.
A minute into the rapid exchange, an opening! Spearing the enemies leg sent them off balance, perfect for one final bash to finish it all. Breathing heavily, a small smile spread as her opponent failed to get up from where they landed, their own chest heaving in air.
"THERE WE HAVE IT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ONCE AGAIN, THE INVINCIBLE GIRL HAS RETAINED HER TITLE AS TOURNAMENT CHAMPION!"
As quickly as it had arrived, the smile was gone, replaced by the girl's best imitation of it. She wanted to help her fellow finalist up, but as she went to move, had her hand captured by the announcer.
"YOUR CHAMPION, PYRRHA NIKOS!" The crowd erupted, Pyrrha waving politely, if a bit stiffly. "PYRRHA, AS THE ONLY PERSON TO EVER WIN THE MISTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FOUR YEARS IN A ROW, DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS FOR YOUR ADORING FANS?"
"I-it was a close fight," Pyrrha said to the microphone shoved into her face. "Things could very easily have gone a different way-"
"WHAT A HUMBLE WOMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," the announcer called out, taking back the mic. "DESPITE THE RUNNER UP NEVER EVEN LANDING A SOLID HIT, OUR INVINCIBLE GIRL STILL TRIES TO GIVE THEM SOME CREDIT. JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT EVEN WITH SKILLS A STEP ABOVE THE REST, MANNERS ARE ABOVE NO ONE! NOW, COMING UP, THE HIGHLIGHTS, BUT FIRST A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS. FIRST OF WHICH BEING THE DELICIOUS PUMPKIN PETE'S WHOS MASCOT YOU MAY RECOGNISE!"
Knowing she'd been effectively dismissed, Pyrrha made her way off the stage. Glancing at the runner up, she saw them slumped, practically running off the opposite side of the stage. Pyrrha tried to keep self-loathing off her face as she walked.
There was no reason the other fighter should be ashamed; it had been a close fight! Not that everyone else saw it that way… Maybe… maybe she should have let some hits through…
The crisp air of the tunnel to the locker rooms enveloped Pyrrha, the girl finally letting herself relax. Her shoulders fell, the seemingly effortless confidence Pyrrha exuded melted away, long strides slowing to a disappointed crawl.
Should she have said something? Would it have been worse to interrupt the announcer, rude even? But it may have saved her opponent's feelings, let them hold their head high like they should have been able to!
"Nice match kid."
"Thank you," Pyrrha replied automatically before startling. "I-I mean-"
Honestly, it was kind of adorable how Pyrrha scrambled to rebuild her public persona. At least, it was either that or funny, if the chuckles from her observer were anything to go by. The man was middle-aged, silver hair, wearing casual clothes, most notable of which was a long red coat.
He also had an obscenely large box of popcorn. So large, Pyrrha wanted to go work off the calories just looking at it.
"It was a good fight," stated Pyrrha, trying to put a smile back on her face, half succeeding.
"Yeah," the man in red smoothly replied, taking another handful of popcorn. "She nearly found a way around your defence at the end there."
"Yes," blinked Pyrrha, stunned someone actually noticed. "It was lucky I managed to end it when I did. Who knows who would have won if the fight dragged on."
Pyrrha probably still would have won.
"You would still have won," the man stated as if reading Pyrrha's thoughts. "You worked off enough of her aura before she started blitzing you at the end there. Too bad she didn't have more experience, you would have had much more of a run for your money."
"Indeed," nodded Pyrrha, internally wishing her opponent was closer to her age until a thought occurred to her. "I'm sorry to ask, but who are you, sir?"
"Dante," he offered a hand which Pyrrha politely shook. "And you are?"
That stopped Pyrrha in her tracks, staring dumbfounded at Dante.
"You… don't know who I am?"
"Couldn't really hear the names in here," shrugged Dante.
"I'm… Pyrrha, Pyrrha Nikos," part of Her was elated to see not a flicker of recognition in Dante's eyes. Another part of her was concerned, how could a man go to a tournament, watch the tournament, sit through all the ad breaks, and not know who the headliner was? Did he hit his head? Also, "why were you here? If you don't mind me asking, Mr Dante."
"Just Dante's fine kid," the man in red corrected, lazily walking down the tunnel, Pyrrha unconsciously matching his stride. "And don't worry, I had tickets. Got gifted them actually, but they were pretty bad, so I watched from here instead. Great view."
"Terrible acoustics though," chuckled Pyrrha.
"Oh, the worst," agreed Dante with a smirk.
"Umm, shouldn't you… leave?" Pyrrha asked before her eyes widened, "not that I want you to! It's just- aren't you sort of… trespassing?"
"Probably."
Concern slowly bloomed into inescapable giggles, the levity Dante exuded overwhelming Pyrrha.
"Well-" The invincible girl tried to gather herself, standing a little taller while smiling a fraction wider. "If you get caught I'll try to distract security while you make a 'daring' escape."
"Thank you kindly," Dante tipped his imaginary hat, sprouting another giggle from Pyrrha's lips. "Hey, mind if I ask you a question?"
Like that, the light-hearted warmth filling Pyrrha froze, a mechanically polite smile replacing her genuine grin. This was how things always were. People always started kindly enough, lulling her in; all they wanted in return was an interview. An inside scoop. A single question.
"Of course," nodded Pyrrha, scolding herself for falling for this again.
"So you just won, right?" Pyrrha waited for Dante to continue, only to realise a long moment of silence later he was waiting for her to reply.
"...Yes?"
"So," continued Dante, momentarily pausing his popcorn consumption. "Why did you look like someone just kicked your puppy?"
"I'm sure it was just part of my post-fight crash," waved off Pyrrha, walking just a little too mechanically. "It was a wonderful tournament. My thanks go out to all the organisers and other competitors for such a splendid event."
Pyrrha expected to see either the excitement of getting an exclusive or disappointment at her standard response. Instead, Dante gave her a look Pyrrha didn't understand, not elaborating as they came to a stop in front of the locker room.
"Well… this is my stop," Pyrrha awkwardly gestured towards the door. "It was good speaking to you, Dante-"
"Kid," he interrupted, and Pyrrha finally noticed he had stopped eating. "I'm not going to pretend like I know whatever you're going through, but you strike me as the kind of girl who won't bother their friends or family with their problems."
That… wasn't a bad thing… right?
"Which means," continued Dante, "they don't know what you're dealing with either."
Pyrrha suddenly found the ground exceedingly interesting.
"Listen," sighed Dante, scratching his stubbled face. "I'm no expert in this kinda thing, but sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger if you can't talk to your family."
"I couldn't possibly make you stand there and listen to my problems," Pyrrha waved off politely.
"I've got nowhere to be," shrugged Dante. "And don't worry, I'm told I'm a bad listener, so I probably wouldn't remember anything embarrassing you told me. Though, if you don't want to chat, this is your stop. Don't feel pressured, I can just go steal more food from the VIP booth, no harm done. The door's right there."
For a few long moments, Pyrrha opened her mouth to delicately decline Dante's offer… Only to close it seconds later. Looking between the door and Dante, what was keeping her from…
Another attempt, another few seconds, then Pyrrha to close her mouth again. Showing a rare frown, confusion reigned over the champion's features as she tried to figure out what to… What did she want to say?
Looking at Dante, Pyrrha saw him waiting, looking expectantly, oh god she was making him wait!
"It was a good fight!" Blurted out Pyrrha, wincing at how conceited she must have sounded.
"It was," replied Dante, calming Pyrrha's fears. "She nearly got you at the end there," Pyrrha smiled at that before returning to an unnatural looking frown.
"But…" Pyrrha wrung her hands, trying to find the words, almost hoping Dante would interrupt, but he didn't. "They… didn't see it like that."
Biting her lip, there was a pause as Pyrrha waited for condemnation; it wasn't the audience's fault. It wasn't even really the announcers! It was… hers… Biting her lip, Pyrrha looked down, grabbing her arm as her mind searched for a less personal reason to be so upset.
"They made the runner up feel terrible, put down all their hard work to get to the finals!" It was true, something that made Pyrrha feel genuinely bad, especially since it had been a close match!
Dante was still standing there, casually leaning against the wall as Pyrrha looked up to him. The man hadn't said anything yet. Was that a good sign?
"And… and they…" Pyrrha dropped her gaze again. "They put me on a pedestal."
What a selfish complaint. How could Pyrrha bemoan others actions when she was in such a privileged position? What a terrible-
"I get it." Pyrrha startled at that, looking up at Dante disbelievingly before trying to rein in her initial reaction. "You think people will only see your titles, come for them and not the girl you actually are."
"...a bit?" Admitted Pyrrha, "I just… want someone to want to know me."
"Can't say I've had that exact problem," Dante scratched his chin as Pyrrha deflated slightly. "Most of the guys who came for me wanted to off me to be able to say they were the one who finally got me. Or because I was the son of my dad," shrugged Dante. "Honestly? The friends you want, the ones who will stick by you, won't care. They won't give you an inch because you're the legendary whatever or strongest who cares. They'll kick your ass when you need it, stand by you when they can, and keep you from lazing the day away in your own shadow."
"Where…" Started Pyrrha, gripping her arms tighter across her chest, "do you find friends like that?"
"They find you," smiled Dante, Pyrrha giving a hopeful look in return. "Just learn to duck; some of those friends can be mean ladies with damn good aim and a hair-trigger."
Pyrrha couldn't help it, she laughed. It was a light, genuine sound, but it felt like a dam broke. Leaning against the wall, the young champion gradually collected herself, wiping a tear from her eye as she looked back at the strangely calming man before her.
"So," Dante shovelled another handful of popcorn into his mouth. "What's your plan?"
"Sorry?" Replied Pyrrha, tilting her head, "what makes you think I have a plan?"
"You don't look like a girl without a way out," smirked Dante. "I doubt staying here as you are would change anything, so what you gonna do?"
For a moment, Pyrrha bit her lip, before deciding to simply say it. It wasn't like Dante could, or would, stop her, but it was the first time she had spoken it out loud.
"I'm going to Beacon." Pyrrha's eyes were steel as she starred at Dante, standing proudly… until fear flashed through them. "Not that the other Academies aren't grand, it's just-"
"Haven would treat you like a celebrity, Atlas would treat you like a trophy, and you're too wholesome so Shade would take everything you have." Dante ticked off each with a finger, "I get it."
"Thank you," nodded Pyrrha, relaxing for what felt like the first time in weeks against the locker room door.
"You know kid," started Dante, pausing only to throw his popcorn up, the sweat treat landing straight into his mouth. "I could put in a good word for you, Oz owes me a few favours."
"That's very kind," smiled Pyrrha, "but I'd rather get into Beacon on my own merit, rather than reputation or recommendations."
Shrugging, Dante replied-
"THERE HE IS!" The two casual acquaintances turned to see a group of guards sprinting down the tunnel towards them. "INTRUDER! PUT DOWN THE CONFECTIONARY AND GET AWAY FROM MISS NIKOS!"
Pyrrha startled, Pyrrha looking wildly around to see her attacker… only to realise they were talking about Dante.
"Wait-"
"Hold this for me kid," pushing his box of popcorn into the dumbfounded Pyrrha's hands, Dante strolled casually in the opposite direction. "Good luck getting into Beacon, I'll see you in Vale," waved back Dante.
Pyrrha waved back automatically before she realised the arena security was still sprinting at Dante. Wincing; it was too late to call out before… The guard tackled thin air?
Off to the side was a chuckling Dante still sauntering away. Another security officer tried to grab him, only for the man to disappear, reappearing a few feet further down the tunnel. Pyrrha couldn't even see him move! Eyes wide, the young huntress in training watched Dante flash from place to place, keeping teasingly close to his pursuers as they chased him down the entire tunnel.
"Miss Nikos, are you okay?" Asked one of the guards, bringing Pyrrha's attention away from his clumsy colleagues.
"Yes, thank you," nodded the champion, before looking meaningfully at the door behind her.
...The changing room door.
...The competitors' changing room door.
…The FEMALE competitors' door.
"Sorry miss Nikos!" Blushed the security officer, fleeing to (unsuccessfully) help capture Dante.
Excusing herself into the room, Pyrrha couldn't stop the eruption of giggles erupting from her mouth. It all felt so… Pyrrha couldn't explain it. Surreal didn't seem to cover it; it was all finally over! A new beginning. Something that only now seemed real!
And she wasn't wrong for wanting it!
Someone actually understood, didn't judge her, didn't vilify her… This may be a selfish desire, but maybe, just maybe, everyone should be a little selfish sometimes. Dante didn't seem to mind. Pyrrha slid down the door as she tried to control herself, truly relaxing for the first time in what felt like months, maybe even years!
Smiling, Pyrrha idly reached down, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth… spitting it out a moment later. Carefully, Pyrrha put the sweet present to one side. The champion couldn't help but put no longer having to eat sugary treats and cereal a bit higher on the benefits of ending her career.
Still, even if she didn't like some of his gifts today, Pyrrha hoped she would see the lax hunter again. Maybe once she was a qualified huntress, standing as his college to pay him back for the peace of mind he'd given.
Breathing deeply, Pyrrha wiped the sweat from her brow, smile stretching her reddened cheeks.
"It's good to see you again, professor."
"Nope, no, professor makes me sound like some old-timer." Despite the denial, the red-clad hunter walking towards her still wore a casual smirk, "just call me Dante."
"Isn't that a bit unprofessional?" Chuckled Pyrrha, falling into step beside her future teacher.
"I'll tell the whole class when the year starts," Dante shrugged. "So, what's a kid like you doing up so early? Shouldn't you be grabbing breakfast or oversleeping for initiation?"
"I couldn't sleep," admitted Pyrrha, wringing her hands together. "Sorry if I was rude at all before. I didn't know you were a prof- teacher here at Beacon."
"Don't worry about it," waved off Dante as they continued their stroll. "I'm just surprised your name is actually Pyrrha."
"What?" Pyrrha blinked, tilting her head at the statement.
"Thought it was a stage name."
"A… stage name?" Covering her mouth, Pyrrha tried and failed to repress a giggle at the older hunter's continued strangeness.
"Yeah," smirked Dante, "I myself went by 'Tony Redgrave' for a while for… family reasons."
"That's a nice name," complemented Pyrrha as she absently tried to clear the hair sticking to her brow. "If you don't mind me asking," Dante just raised an eyebrow, "why are you out in the brisk morning air? You don't seem to be out for a morning jog."
It was good weather for it. Just cool enough, if a bit windy up at Beacon's height, but it was more than enough for Pyrrha to break out some casual sportswear and warm up.
"Oh, Glynda wanted to make sure me and my brother didn't startle you all with another spar," explained Dante. "So she gave us both tasks, far, far away from each other."
"Ah yes," nodded Pyrrha, concern plastered across her features., "I believe I caught the aftermath of your fight yesterday. Is… everything okay between the two of you, from the damage it seemed like a rather extreme fight. You're not…" Pyrrha winced, wondering if she was overstepping, "quarrelling with each other, are you?"
"Not particularly," Dante said in the same relaxed tone, not even hinting at deceit or darker intentions.
Thank goodness. Pyrrha felt a weight lift off her shoulders, striding a little smoother, a smile returning to her face.
"What did Miss Goodwitch have you doing to 'distract you' then," joked Pyrrha, trying to sound casual.
"She set my house of fire."
Pyrrha froze, wide-eyed, staring at Dante who just turned with a smirk. Now that he mentioned it… his red jacket did have some soot sticking to it. By the brothers, Dante was serious!
"Are you sure it was Miss Goodwitch?" Queried Pyrrha, "it might have been an accident."
"I hope it was Glynda," Dante replied, earning another confused look from his younger companion. "Otherwise there's a pyromaniac I'm going to have to hunt down."
"...What. Do you want?"
"Pardon?" Virgil smirked, earning a distinct twitch from Glynda before she recomposed herself.
"What," Goodwitch ground out, "do I need to give you, to keep you behaved until initiation is over?"
"It's MORNING! It's morning! IT'S MORNing! It's-"
Urg. Yang supposed she had worse wakeup calls than some ginger girl singing to her boyfriend, mornings still suck though. Clicking her neck, Yang yawned as she ran a hand through her luscious mane, looking to her side to see Ruby already gone.
Probably already downing unholy amounts of sugar, or possibly breaking into one of Beacon's weapon labs. Ooo! Maybe she was making more friends… Yeah, probably not.
Dragging herself to the shower, Yang sent a flirty smile to some of her blushing future classmates as she stripped on her way into the stall. Scalding water soothed Yang's muscular body, loosening her while catapulting her into wakefulness.
Yang restrained herself to just a hum as she ran her hands through her hair, carefully cleaning her waist-length curls. Already there was the buzz again. Just below her skin, at the back of her head, the anticipation.
Shutting off the shower, Yang leant against the wall, breathing deeply, slowly calming herself. Aura flaring, steam rose from her body, evaporating because Yang was just that hot.
...Get it? Great pun, Yang! Thank you, Yang.
Dressed, brushed, and ready, the huntress in training strolled out with nonchalance disguising her growing excitement.
Catching a flash of red, Yang was about to call out for her sister, only just stopping herself. That wasn't Ruby, it was Dante and… is that Pyrrha Nikos? A tourney champ in her year? Nice.
Yang left the two to whatever they were chatting about, going on an epic journey to a vastly more vital objective. Specifically, the cafeteria for food.
"Rought whrt wshh I thrnking? Brt Stllm RI hrpe we rnd up on the shme team together!" Yang's ears twitched, turning to see the loud girl who woke up this morning with her boyfriend, inhaling the pancake that had been muffling her. "Oohhh! We should come up with some sort of plan; to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He has a school."
"Pretty sure old Oz is the incorruptible type anyway," chimed in Yang, sliding in across from the young couple. "My uncle used to try to bribe him to get out of class, the guy never budged."
"That's why we should do it!" The orange-haired girl slammed her hands on the table with a manic grin. "If everyone knows you can't bribe him then he'll never see it coming!"
"... That's so crazy it just might work," chuckled the blonde brawler, reaching a hand across the table. "I'm Yang."
"Ren," the quiet, green-clad boy replied, gently shaking Yang's hand before gesturing to ginger pinching his pancakes. "And this is-"
"NORA!" Interrupted the orange-haired girl, wearing a mix of white and pink, devouring stolen pancakes whole.
Digging into her plate of protean, Yang gave a natural smile to the cute couple, "You two fired up for initiation?"
"YEAH!" Nora slammed on the table, plates bouncing from the impact, "I'M READY TO BREAK SOME LEGS!"
"...It should be a rewarding experience," replied Ren, once he placated Nora with the rest of his syrup covered breakfast.
"I hear it changes every year," supplied Yang, "but there's apparently a running theme."
"A theme?" Asked Ren as Nora inhaled sugary goodness.
"Yeah, but no one's spilling what it is! My family, the upperclassmen, all of them just say 'you have to experience it yourself'. Like it's some kind of big secret!"
"Whatever it is," Ren's face changed slightly from calm to resolute, "we will rise to meet it."
"Amen to that," smirked Yang, finishing off her plate. "So, how'd you two meet?"
"Oh me and Ren have been together forever!" Nora practically shouted with a smile, "And we're gonna be partners too, so find your own Ren!"
"He's all yours," Yang held up her hands in a sign of surrender, "I'm not one to ruin a good thing. Must be nice though, to be partners with your… well, partner."
Nora blinked. Then another blink. Then-
"Oh, we're not together-together."
Yang just raised her eyebrow, looking between the two of them. A good five minutes of denial later, and a strange segway about cooking Grimm, the three made their way to the locker rooms. Several people were already in here, retrieving their weapons, checking ammo, including Ruby. Coincidently, Yang's locker wasn't far from theirs, close enough to still hear Nora's ramblings as she joined her sister in getting ready.
"I KNOW!" Announced Nora after a minute of being as close as she got to silence. "We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" The girl gasped, "a secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"
"Nora?" Spoke Ren, for the first time since the cafeteria, despite being in a 'conversation' with Nora since the cafeteria.
"Yes, Ren?"
"I don't think sloths make a lot of noise," the quiet boy stated, sheathing his weapons, a pair of green pistol knives, in his sleeves.
"... That's why it's PERFECT!" Nora ecstatically shouted, "no one will suspect we're working together!"
"Come on, Nora," Ren rolled his eyes with a smile, shutting his locker. "Let's go."
"But not, together-together," giggled Nora, skipping behind Ren, passing where Yang and Ruby were getting ready.
"Wonder what those two are so worked up about?" Ruby commented after they passed, catching her sister's attention.
"Oh, who knows?" replied Yang. 'Good luck Nora! ...and good luck Ren dealing with Nora.' Anyway, "so, you seem awfully chipper this morning!"
"Yep!" Smiled Ruby, retrieving her precious weapon from the cold, cold locker. "No more awkward small talk or 'getting-to-know-you' stuff; today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking."
Damn, guess Ruby was still firmly opting out of all socialising, Yang grimacing a bit as her sister stroked Crescent Rose like a puppy.
"Well, remember Ruby," Yang tried to sound as neutral as possible, reasonable even. "You're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're going to have to meet new people and learn to work together."
"Urrrhhhg! You sound like Dad!" Groaned Ruby, putting her weapon down before turning to her sister. "Okay, first of all: what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I. Drink. Milk!"
Crossing her arms with the announcement, Ruby clearly thought she'd won; seeing no problem with her view. Yang needed for the young redette to want to change. To reach the conclusion herself for some healthy growth, and for once, logic was actually on Yang's side of the argument.
"But what about when we form teams?" Asked Yang, knowing this would push Ruby towards a happier, healthier life.
"Um, I don't know, I…" Ruby nervously turned, looking away from her sister, crossing her arms, about to understa- "I'll just be on your team or something…"
Or she would just cling to Yang like a safety blanket.
"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?" The question wasn't spoken with much determination, but Yang stood confidently, oozing… Wait no, Yang, stop stroking your hair, make eye contact. MAKE EYE CONTACT!
"My dear sister Yang." Ruby's voice grew with suspicion with each word as she abandoned the track to being a more social rounded person, pointing accusatorially at the blonde. "Are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?"
"What!? No! Of course I do," Yang looked away, fidgeting on the spot. "I just thought… I don't know, maybe it would help you… break out of your shell!"
"What the-! I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely-"
"Ridiculous!" Whined a blonde boy, desperately looking at each locker like they weren't exactly the same. "There's no way I put my gear in locker six-three-six yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today?"
Pyrrha gave the boy a sympathetic glance; poor guy must be suffering from a bad case of nerves. Honestly, it still got to Pyrrha, just a bit. The important thing was, when the cards were down, focus would come. If it was important. It always did.
"So, Pyrrha," the refined voice of Weiss Schnee cut through her musings, Pyrrha quickly donning a polite smile in response. "Have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual, such as yourself."
"Hmm…" Pyrrha glanced away, barely holding back a wince, "I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."
Preferably not with Weiss. Dust, even thinking that made Pyrrha feel a little bad, but… well… Was it so wrong to want a partner she actually had to introduce herself to?
"Well…" continued the heiress, "I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together."
"Well, that sounds," terrible, "grand!"
"Great!"
As the white-clad girl slipped into scheming, probably thinking that together with Minstrel's champion they'd be the best, supreme, unstoppable, etc. The heiress must be lost thinking about how nothing could come between them and their goals now...
All Pyrrha could think of was how much she really hoped that didn't happen. Why couldn't she get a partner who didn't care about whether she was the best? Someone who-
"You know what else is great?" The cute lost blonde boy from earlier moved between the girls, his back to Pyrrha, sending a smile to Weiss. "Me. Jaune Arc. nice to meet you."
"You again?"
"Nice to meet you, Jaune!" Pyrrha quickly interjected, moving in front of the blonde only for him to focus back in on Weiss.
"Yeah, yeah, So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."
"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!" Snarked Weiss, head in her hands as Jaune flexed, rather unimpressively.
"Don't worry!" 'He certainly didn't', Pyrrha internally giggled as Jaune continued his pitch. "No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumours about teeeeams," he sang. "I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?"
Wow, he was so confident! "Actually," interjected Pyrrha, recapturing Jaune's awareness. Dust, how long had it been since she had to compete for attention of all things? "I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-"
"You don't say. Well, hot stuff," hot stuff! Her! "Play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."
Heat flushed Pyrrha's cheeks, not even abating when Weiss got between her and the boy, pushing Jaune away.
"Jaune, is it?" Asked Weiss, feigned courtesy painfully obvious to Pyrrha's ears but what she said next had Pyrrha's blood run a little colder. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
'Please don't', thought Pyrrha, smile dropping from her face.
"Not in the slightest Snow Angel," Jaune replied and… Really? Maybe he was just a bit slow putting a face to a name.
"This," announced Weiss, "is Pyrrha."
"Hello again!" Waved Pyrrha, putting as much civility into her voice as she could.
"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!" Weiss stated, gesturing over her shoulder to the red-haired girl.
"Never heard of it."
...Wait, what?
"She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row!" Continued Weiss with a scoff. "A new record!"
"The what?"
Pyrrha couldn't help it now, staring at the baffling blonde boy. Was she just not as well known in Vale? Dante didn't really know her either… Dust, that would be grand!
Meanwhile, Weiss stewed for a second before flailing her arms in a sudden burst of frustration. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"
"HHHUUUUUU!" Jaune suddenly gasped, "That was you! But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"
"Yeah, it was pretty cool," blushed Pyrrha, a genuine smile painting her face. Who knew she'd be recognised not as the invincible girl, but as a food mascot! Although, "sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you," Pyrrha informed them, mind reliving the terribly sugary taste.
Unfortunately, the contract meant Pyrrha had to consume some of their 'food' for the adverts. Thank goodness she'd had the foresight to turn down the swimsuit sponsorship she was offered... And the underwear modelling offer...
"So," Weiss picked up the conversation, voice dripping with condescension. "After hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"
"...I guess not…" replied Jaune, hanging his head, "sorry."
"Actually, Jaune," Pyrrha rushed forward, putting a hand on her fellow teen's shoulder. "I think you'd make a great leader!" Pulling her hand back with a smile, Pyrrha could only hope this restored some-
"D'oh, stop it!" Jaune immediately brightened, preening under the praise.
"Seriously," interjected Weiss, "please stop it. This kind of behaviour should not be encouraged!"
"Sounds like Pyrrha's onboard for team Jaune," the blonde continued, shooting a smile back at Pyrrha, which the girl readily returned before he returned his attention to Weiss. "Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?"
Weiss backed away as Jaune leaned closer, "all right, that's a bit too close!" Looking around the blonde, Weiss gave a pleading look to her fellow woman. "Pyrrha, a little help, please?!"
Jaune flew across the room, Milo (Pyrrha's weapon in spear form) impaling his hoodie before Pyrrha even realised she moved.
"I'm sorry!" Waved Pyrrha, hopefully, he wouldn't hold that against her.
Crackling stopped any further conversation, all prospective huntresses turning their eyes to the intercom as it came to life.
"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation," Announced the stern voice of Glynda Goodwitch. "Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."
Without hesitation, Weiss strode past Jaune, Pyrrha moving to follow, but pausing to retrieve Milo.
"It was nice meeting you," beamed Pyrrha, striding quickly away as Jaune slid to the ground.
While ahead of her Weiss didn't look back, Pyrrha… did. Two girls stopped to help Jaune up, and Pyrrha felt an unfamiliar... something, settle in her gut. The reddette of the pair helped Jaune up and away, but the blonde continued towards the champion.
"Hey, Pyrrha right?" the blonde asked, holding out her hand. Pyrrha tensed, plastering a pleasant smile on her face as she shook the offered hand while confirming her identity. "I'm Yang."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," replied Pyrrha, somewhat stiffly.
"Same," the blonde dropped into step beside Pyrrha, hands casually behind her head. "Still can't believe we've got a tourney champ in our year."
"I'm sure our other classmates are more than my measure," replied Pyrrha with a fixed.
"No doubt," Yang smirked back, startling the redheaded champion.
Was anyone in Vale not a little… strange? Part of Pyrrha sincerely hoped not.
"You agree then?"
"Certainly," drolled Vergil, raising an eyebrow at his companion. "Am I so untrustworthy?"
"No," replied Glynda without hesitation, but she did pause before her next words. "It's just… a peculiar price for your cooperation."
"You underestimate yourself."
How was she meant to take that? Glynda was unsure whether that was one of the highest compliments Vergil was capable of giving or another aggravating bait. The safe bet was to fall back on a slight frown, adjusting her glasses as she levelled a look at her vexing colleague.
"And you'll keep Dante in line?" Asked Glynda.
"As agreed."
Walking up the cliff, Ruby averted her eyes as Professor Goodwitch glared, trying and failing to seem unaffected. It wasn't like she was the last one to arrive… Technically Jaune was! He was… one step behind her… So not last!
In fairness, there was no way Ruby could leave her new friend after his 'confidence' tactic on Weiss failed. Completely failed. Spectacularly failed some (probably most) would say. 'Snow Angel', seriously? Ruby didn't really know what Jaune was going for, but even SHE knew that that was the wrong move.
Move to where? No idea. But Snow Angel was definitely the wrong place to start.
So while Yang sauntered off, someone had to help Jaune to his feet, physically and emotionally.
...Especially emotionally.
Grimm and damaged self-esteem do not mix. It's like Dad always said, 'Think more like Yang on a good day and less like uncle Qrow on any day'. Wise words from a wiser dad.
Pushing down her burgeoning homesickness, Ruby tried to embrace her excitement for the FIRST STEP OF BECOMING A HUNTRESS, standing on her assigned plate… All while still squirming under Goodwitch's glare.
Jaune took up position next to her, last in the standing on these strange metal plate things. At least Ruby could hide behind Jaune, he was tall, kinda. Oh, wait, headmaster Ozpin and deputy headmistress Goodwitch were standing… directly in front of them.
Well, maybe Ruby could hide from the other two professors watching them, and didn't want to make the wrong impression on- DANTE! Sitting on a deck chair? With piles of pizza boxes next to him? Waving?
Cool.
But there was also... Dante's brother? Did Ruby know his name? She could have sworn it began with a V… Victor? Veronica? No. Oh dust, was her professor going to hate her for forgetting his name!? There was so much happening last night: with the books; the fighting, the screaming, and a surprisingly small amount of sleep.
V-man stood looking out from the cliffs, a cup of tea in one hand, but what drew Ruby's eyes was at his waste. Now THAT'S a katana. WHAT DOES IT DO! DOES IT-
"For years," started Ozpin, derailing Ruby's runaway train of thought and gaining everyone's attention in just two words. "You have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
"Now," Glynda Goddwitch picked up, tablet as she addressed the new students. "I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignments of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." Neat, now Ruby would know how long she had to plan, meet people, engage in...small talk. "Each of you will be given teammates… today."
"What? Ohhh…" whimpered Ruby, but, did it really matter? She could just partner up with Yang!
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," continued Ozpin, surveying the students, coffee mug in hand. "So, it is important to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."
Groaning, Ruby knew it had to be Yang now, there was no way she could get to know someone else before the initiation started!
"That being said," spoke Ozpin, a knell of finality earning everyone's devoted attention. "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
…
"WHAAAAT?!" Ruby mewled, world cracking like glass around her. That was CRAZY! What kind of sadistic (thank you for the vocabulary uncle Qrow) person came up with… with… THAT!
"After you've partnered up," Ozpin said, silencing some students saying 'I told you so' with a glance. "Make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, Don not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you will die."
Neat, Grimm, obstacles, but what was that about partners again? How could Ruby make sure Yang was the first person she saw? Could they have some kind of signal? Could Yang imitate Zwei? WHY DIDN'T THEY WORK THIS OUT BEFORE!
"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene." The first statement accompanied a gesture towards Miss Goodwitch, the second a curious glance towards Dante and his brother. Receiving a thumbs up and a nod, Ozpin continued. "You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately."
Just as Ozpin seemed like he was wrapping up, the headmaster paused.
"Since you've chosen to sit in this year, any passing advice or remarks?" Asked Ozpin, aiming the question at the two twin huntsmen.
"Do not disappoint me," V-man stated, not taking his eyes off the horizon.
"Try not to die, kids," pushed in Dante, "and have fun."
"Well then, if there aren't any questions?"
"Yeah," Jaune meekly rose his hand, "um, sir?"
"Good," interrupted the headmaster with a gleeful glint in his eyes. "Now, take your positions."
Oh, these were launch pads! That explains why the invitation to Beacon asked to make sure to have a landing strategy ready. Dropping to a crouch, Ruby hovered one hand on Crescent Rose in its compact form across the small of her back. The telltale sound of Ember Celica, her sister's shotgun gauntlets, was strangely calming.
Almost calming enough to rid the thoughts of partners from Ruby's mind. Almost… But worry still lingered on the young girl's face.
"Uh, sir?" Jaune meekly raised his hand, "I've got a question. So, this landing… strategy thing… Uh, wha-what is it?" Couldn't he tell from Weiss being launched into the air, how could he miss that! "You're, like, dropping us off or something?"
Oh, poor, sweet, innocent Jaune.
"No." Replied Ozpin, not batting an eye at his rapidly airborne students, "you will be falling."
"Oh, uh, I see," for some reason, Ruby didn't think he did see the students to his left being launched into the air. "...So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"
Pfff, who uses parachutes? Bwha!
"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."
"Uh-huh...Yeah…" Mumbled Jaune, looking strangely confused as he apparently missed that loud couple from earlier being launched.
To her left, Yang gave her sister a wink, putting on a pair of aviator sunglasses, flying off with a woo! A smirk decorated Ruby's own face. Finally, for this moment at least, everything was forgotten as she took the first step, catapulted into the air above a Grimm infested forest.
There was a heartbeat in Ruby's ears. Electric excitement filled the young girl's veins, not even Jaune's screaming through the air could dampen it as the wind whipped at her hair. Students were drifting apart as they flew, some starting their landing strategies, either slowing down or some, like Yang, launching themselves further.
Then the feather's hit.
Off to her right, a student cried out in pain, a feather as hard as bone slamming into his thigh. That was only the first though, a colossal obsidian horror parted the clouds with its wings, flanked by its flock.
The beasts created overlapping fields of feathers, catching more and more students with vicious shots. Some were glancing, others direct hits, aura sparking from the sheer force of the blows. Students were stuck between trying to land and trying to dodge. A fair few children simply fell out of the sky.
Initiation had begun.
...And the Grimm were ready.
*Cracks knuckles*
Time to start changing things :)
