It may not surprise you to hear that not all of Remnant's fighters are Huntsmen or Huntresses. In the shadowy corners of the world, there are those who take part in more... frowned upon occupations. Guns-for-hire, thieves, smugglers, and the occasional knife in the dark. These types and more lurk beneath the surface of the Kingdoms and their capitals.
One such individual has a greater destiny before them...
The city of Mistral, Remnants capital of culture. In the upper part of the city, virtuoso's conduct wonderous and beautiful music. Painters and sculptors capture and create stunning and imagery, and playwrights forge fantastic tales from both the world around them and from their own wells of creativity. But for those in the lower reaches of Mistral, life has a different meaning.
Atop a run down apartment building, a young woman sits along the edge, her gaze set wistfully at the upper city.
She was 5'1, her hair was an enchanting cobalt blue, in a long ponytail, with two strands framing her rather lovely features. Her eyes were indigo, and her attire was a black steampunk vest over a frilly blue blouse, with grey-blue pants and black steel-toe boots. Around her neck was a pair of clear goggles with a black and blue strap, and she wore black fingerless gloves.
Her name was Aria Drake, and she wanted out of this life. Five years ago, her parents had passed away, leaving her in the care of her older brother, Arin, who, while well-meaning, was in a very dangerous line of work. He was someone who "resolved problems for a modest fee." And there was always some lingering fear in the back of Aria's mind that her brothers job would end up ruining their family even worse than it already was. She wanted to alleviate the burden on him in hopes that he would take a safer occupation. The best way to do that? Become a Huntress. Still a dangerous occupation, but at least it actually came with prestige, provided you're on one of the better, or luckier, teams.
Arin was beside himself when she told him. "Are you insane?! You'll get yourself killed out there!" Arin was a rather well-built man, with cobalt hair like his younger sister, but his attire was "simpler" for a lack of a better phrase. A grey denim jacket and jeans, with a red shirt underneath and grey boots.
"Better that I die actually fighting for others than let you die in an alley for some crime boss, or whatever type hires a guy like you!"
"You're not going to run off to Haven Academy or wherever to learn how to get yourself killed! You're staying right here where it's safe!"
"SAFE?! Is that what you call living in a run down, rat infested apartment building in a dangerous slum, not only fearing for YOUR life when you're on one of your 'outings', but for my own life in case one of your little 'jobs' goes wrong?!"
"You're not gonna be a Huntress, end of discussion!!"
Dear Oum, her brother was stubborn! Of course he had his reasons, but Aria was hardly a little girl any more. She could handle herself! Whatever, she was going to be a Huntress, no matter what her mule-headed brother says.
The next morning, Aria managed to sneak out of the apartment, her brother having left for another "job interview," as he called them. With her weapon wrapped up and slung across her back, she made her way to the home of the only real friend she had in Mistral...
"Thanks for letting me train here again, Pyrrha." Pyrrha Nikos, the 'Invincible Girl,' and Aria's best, and only, friend. The two had met ten years prior, when Aria had runaway from home while her parents were arguing. She had wandered too far from home and eventually found herself in the neighborhood where Pyrrha and her family lived, and the redhead had come across Aria when she finally broke down crying. Pyrrha kept Aria company, calming her down and talking with her while her own parents contacted Mr. and Mrs. Drake. After Aria had reunited with her parents, she and Pyrrha kept in contact, with either girl going over to the other's house when Pyrrha wasn't training, and over time they became like sisters.
"Don't mention it. I'm guessing you and Arin had the usual argument?"
"Yeah, and he was just as much of an ass as usual! I'm not some delicate wallflower! I'm training with the Invincible Girl for crying out loud!"
"You know he's just trying to protect you, right?" asked Pyrrha as they got into position in the impromptu training circle in" Pyrrha's backyard.
"Yeah" replied Aria, as she readied her weapon, a cobalt lance and shield combo that was designed to fit her steampunk motif. "But does he honestly think I'd be safe in some slum where I have to check the locks on both my door AND my window before I go to bed?"
"Fair point," Pyrrha lunged with her spear, only for her weapon to be caught by Aria's shield and pushed to the side, "But you're his only family now, remember? He probably thinks you'll be better off where he can keep an eye on you..."
"The day I need him to keep me safe is the day the Grimm just up and vanish. I just need to prove myself at a tournament, then it's 'goodbye slums' and 'hello Haven Academy!' Who knows? We may even end up on the same team!"
"Yeah..." Pyrrha sighed. She knew she forgot to tell Aria something important. How would she take it? Would she feel betrayed? "Aria, there's..." She hesitated, a lump forming in her throat. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Aria dropped her stance, a feeling of dread setting itself into her chest. Whatever she wanted to tell her, it wasn't anything good.
"About Haven Academy... I'm not going."
"...WHAT?!"
"The Headmaster of Beacon Academy offered me a scholarship. Once the new school year starts up, I'd be on a transport to Vale... I wanted to tell you sooner, but..."
"... You couldn't figure out how. I get it..."
"I haven't given him an answer, but I think I should accept it. If I transfer to Beacon, maybe I could get away from being the Invincible Girl and just... just be Pyrrha."
Aria was silent. She didn't know what to say. On one hand, Beacon was one of the greatest, if not THE greatest combat school.in the kingdoms! She'd be an idiot not to accept! But as the same time, Aria didn't want to lose her best friend...
"So THIS is where you've been hiding!!"
Both girls turned towards the doorway leading back into the house, seeing an infuriated Arin Drake making their way over to them.
"Arin?! What the hell doing here?!"
"I wanted to know where you've been sneaking off to! So this is where you've been getting this Huntress nonsense! Your little friend here's been filling your head with ridiculous bullshit!!"
"Pyrrha had nothing to do with it!! I wanted to keep you from getting yourself killed!"
"Oh NOW you care?! You didn't care enough to keep from sneaking behind my back to practice getting yourself killed by Grimm!!"
"If I told you, you would've just given me the usual crap you always do when I talk ablut becoming a Huntress!!"
"You can't even fight!! You'd get yourself killed in the first exam!!"
"I think I can fight better than some... some... thug, who doesn't even face his targets in a fair fight!!"
"Oh yeah?!" With that, Arin took a position across from his younger sister, readying his weapon, a pair of tonfa, with triggers in the handles to fire off Lightning Dust-based buckshot from either end of each weapon "Prove it!"
"If I win, you'll let me become a Huntress!"
"Hah, sure! Whatever you say."
That condescending attitude, that controlling nature, Oum, she was hoping this would happen! Aria wanted to take her brother down a peg or two so bad and now she has the perfect opportunity!
Retaking her stance, she stood across from Arin, waiting for him to make the first move. The elder siing charged forward, intent on putting his sister into what he considered her "place." But to say it was a short fight would be an understatement. Arin, unused to fighting someone actually competent with a weapon, had his tonfa caught by Aria's shield, and was left wide open for a lunge from the younger siblings lance, knocking him back. He didn't even get the chance to recover when Aria activated her weapon's alternative mode. The shield combined with the guard of the lance, and the lance's blade expanded wide, becoming a massive cannon! With a single push of the trigger, the fight was over. Arin was blasted back, and when the dust cleared, the elder sibling was sprawled across the ground, with his sister standing over him victorious.
"...Still think I can't be a Huntress?"
"This-- This doesn't prove anything!!"
"Oh I believe it does." A voice called out from the doorway. Stepping out into the backyard was a middle-aged man with sikver, tousled hair, thin brown eyes behind shaded spectacles, and black eyebrows.
He had a light complexion and sharp features, his attire was a dark suit jacket with a dark green vest and green shirt.underneath, with dark green pants and black shoes. Around his neck was a cowl with a cross-shaped pin, and he had a cane in one hand and, oddly enough, a cup of what appeared to be hot cocoa in the other.
"Professor Ozpin!" exclaimed Pyrrha. Indeed, this was Professor Ozpin, Beacon Academy's Headmaster.
"Good day, Ms. Nikos. I came by to see if you had made your decision regarding my offer. I overheard your guests arguing and decided it would be best to not interfere." Bis gaze shifted towards Aria, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Excuse me, miss. What is your name?"
"Huh?... Um. I'm Aria Drake."
"Hmm... Ms. Nikos, am I right to assume that Ms. Drake is the reason you were so reluctant to accept scholarship to Beacon Academy?"
Pyrrha merely tilted her head in confusion before answering "Yes, Professor. You see, Aria and I have been friends since we were little. I felt like I'd be abandoning her if I took your offer."
"I see... Ms. Drake, you mentioned something during your argument with whom I'm assuming to be your sibling about wanting to be a Huntress?"
"Uh, yes sir. My brother's in a very... dangerous line of work. I thought that if I cluld prove myself in a tournament or two, I would get accepted into Haven Academy. I hoped that if I became a Huntress, my brother would find an occupation that was safer."
"Hmm..." The Headmaster took a momentz looking into her eyes, his gaze then shifted to the elder sibling, still sprawled across the ground. "What would you say if I offered you a scholarship to Beacon?"
Aria's eyes went wide! No way was this guy serious! He only just met her, and that fight didn't even last long enough for him to really see what she was capable off. "I'd be a bit skeptical."
"Understandable. But I see potential in you, Ms. Drake. I think you could become quite the Huntress. That and it would likely affect Ms. Nikos' own performance at Beacon if she had to leave you behind. With that in mind, instead of Haven Academy, would you accept a scholarship from Beacon?"
"Like hell she would!" cried Arin, who was finally pulling himself off of the ground.
"It isn't your decision, Mr. Drake. It's your sisters'."
Aria was conflicted. On one hand, she would be able to live out her dream alongside her best friend, but there was something... off about this Ozpin guy. But she couldn't keep living under her brothers thumb...
"...I would happily accept if it got me away from here, Professor."
"WHAT?!?!" Exclaimed Arin! He couldn't believe what he was hearing! Aria was going to slip away and get herself killed! "...well fine! Five years of taking care of you and this is the thanks I get?! Go ahead? Become a Huntress!! Get yourself killed!! See if I care!! I'd probably be better off without you holding me back anyway!" With that Arin stormed off, angrier than he had ever been before in his life.
Aria couldn't believe what she heard. She had her suspicions about what he really thought of her, but she hoped she was wrong. And now she heard the words herself. One thing was clear, she wouldn't be welcome back in that apartment any more.
After that debacle, Ozpin departed for the first transport back to Vale, still needing to oversee preparations for the new school year. Aria would stay at the Nikos household for the time being. She was still sore from what her brother said, but she couldn't let that stop her. She had the opportunity to finally become a Huntress and have a shot at a better life. No way in hell was she going to throw it away...
FINALLY!! This trailer was a doozy to write! I had so much trouble figuring out how to make it work, and to be honest I'm not sure I like how it turned out. But it's done. For a while I was considering going the lazy path and just throwing Sun and Neptune into Yu's team, but I managed to persevere through this hellish chapter.
The trailer was originally going to.be some epic chapter with more lore and stuff, and Aria was originally supposed to be this Erza Scarlett inspired character, but that was even harder to write, believe it or not!
Thank you for sitting through what was very likely a hot mess of a trailer, stay tuned for the next chapter, and leave a review, would you kindly?