Legends. Stories scattered through time.
Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.
Man, born from dust, was strong, wise and resourceful. But he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction. The creatures of Grimm set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence into the void.
However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".
Thus began the age of warriors, the age of heroes. The age of Huntsmen and Huntresses.
With nature's wrath in hand, the Huntsmen and Huntresses lit their way through the darkness and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization and most importantly, life.
But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone, darkness will return.
So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called free world but take heed… there will be no victory in strength.
But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require smaller, more honest souls. For you see, people believe in hope. That when darkness veils the world, Warriors of Light shall come. This is a tale of those warriors; six young men and six young women.
This is a fantasy based on reality.
The shattered moon shone brightly in the night sky. A cold breeze whistled through trees. On the pathway, a young woman trudged along. Her white tunic had rips and tears and her red leggings and black boots were covered in dirt. In her left hand, she carried a large battle axe that was stained with black ash, while her right arm was heavily bandaged. Across the path, she could see her destination; a tall, wooden house. Enduring the painful steps, she continued the walk until she was at the front of the house. Suddenly, she jumped at the sound of a loud squawk. Beside the house was a tall, golden bird tied to a post. It stared menacingly at her and flapped its wings frantically. The woman raised its arms in an attempt to calm it down but the bird squawked louder and even tried to peck her.
"Alec, what's wrong boy?" called a voice from inside. Footsteps followed and the door opened to reveal a young man with tan skin and golden blonde hair. His eyes were deep blue and he wore an orange top and brown cargo trousers. He gasped at the sight of the injured young woman standing outside. His eyes glimmered with both relief and sorrow.
"Summer?" he asked. She took off her hood, revealing her messy, dark red hair and five scratch marks running down her cheeks. Her most prominent feature, however, were her eyes; a beautiful silver colour.
"H-Hello Tai." she rasped, giving him a warm smile. Seeing the face of the Summer was enough to calm Alec and he nuzzled at her shoulder.
"Aww, I missed you too," she cooed and gave him a gentle pat on the head. She turned to Tai, who still said nothing. Instead, he ran his hands across her scars and embraced her. Summer returned in kind, longing to feel his warmth again.
"I thought I lost you," Tai sobbed. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"It's okay, Tai," said Summer, trying to fight back her own tears. "I'm right here."
Their little moment together was interrupted when they heard the sound of little feet pattering over the wooden floors. Tai turned and chuckled at the sight of their daughters; Yang and Ruby. Yang, the older one, was just like her father; light tan skin, lilac eyes and golden blonde hair in pigtails. She wore a sandy brown t-shirt and black shorts. Ruby, The younger one, was just like her mother; pale skin, silver eyes and short crimson hair. She wore a black vest and a red skirt.
"Mommy!" they squealed. Instant joy was brought to Summer's face as they dashed over and gripped her in a fierce double hug.
"My babies!" she cheered as she embraced them tightly.
"I missed you mommy!" Ruby sniffled, burying her face in Summer's shoulder.
"I missed you too, sweetheart!" Summer sniffled back.
""What happened to your arm?" Yang asked, pointing to the bandages.
"Oh now that's a story!" Summer said excitedly. "Do you girls want to hear it!"
"YEAH!" they squealed. Tai couldn't help but laugh. It was wonderful to see his family back together after waiting for months on end.
"How about we let your mother come inside and tell you girls at the dinner table? I'm sure she's hungry after the long trip."
"Oh you have no idea." Summer sighed. After heading inside, Summer clenched her teeth as Tai administered the stinging antiseptic. Her face turned green as she swallowed some medicine he fed her. The sight was amusing to say the least.
"Summer Rose, Huntress extraordinaire and leader of Team STRQ, defeated by mere medicine."
"I'd like to see your face when you have some," she gagged. "This thing tastes revolting!"
"Don't worry, that'll go away once dinner is served," he said, smiling at her. "Speaking of which, I gotta get the table ready." Summer joined Ruby and Yang at the kitchen table while Tai stirred the pot. Beside her sat Ruby, bouncing excitedly.
"I can't wait for dad's noodles!" she squeaked.
"Woah there," Summer laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Be patient, we're all hungry."
"Well prepare to say goodbye to that because dinner is served!" Tai beamed as he carried the pot over to the table. Yang was drooling in anticipation and her eyes burst as soon as her father opened the lid. Inside were golden brown noodles, a mix of green, yellow and red peppers and a huge helping of fried pork. Tai had to stifle a giggle as he heard a loud rumbling from Yang's tummy. "Alright everyone, let's dig in!" Ruby was the first to taste, almost burning her mouth in the process.
"Ow!" she screamed. "Hot!"
Shaking his head, Tai moved over to her. "You're supposed to blow on them before you scarf it down," he said. "Watch." Taking several pieces of noodles with his chopsticks, he blew on them gently. "Now say 'ahh.'"
"Ahh." The little one repeated. She slurped the noodles and beamed. "They're really good, daddy!" Tai chuckled and returned to his seat to finish his meal. Once dinner was over, Summer tried to help Tai clear the table, though he firmly insisted that she rested.
"Come on, sweetie, you had a rough time with your mission," he said. "You need to get some rest."
"I know, it's just that you did a lot of work tonight. The least I can do is help you clean up."
"Are you sure?"
Summer smiled. "Positive. I'll be fine."
"If you say so." he sighed.
"We'll help too!" Yang and Ruby said. Tai shook his head. These girls would be the death of him. As he and Summer washed the plates, Ruby and Yang wiped the table and within minutes, the entire kitchen was spotless. Moving into the living room, Summer told the story of her mission to the girls, who leaned forward with anticipation.
"So there I was, just a lone Huntress, surrounded by vicious Grimm!" she began. "They were the ugliest things I ever saw. Like a living shadow!" Ruby and Yang's eyes glimmered with awe.
"What happened next?" Yang asked.
"I fought them with my trusty axe!" Summer bellowed. "They were no match for me and they fell down hard!"
"Wow!" said Ruby. "You're the best, mommy!" Soon her eyes began to droop and she gave a big yawn.
"Looks like someone's sleepy," Summer chuckled.
"N-No I'm not."
"Yang, why don't you take Ruby to bed?" Tugging on her arm, Yang took her sister to bed. Tai joined Summer on the couch and ran his fingers through her hair.
"It's good to have you back, sweetheart." he whispered.
"It's good to be back," she replied. Moving close to him, she rested on his shoulder. "I missed you and the girls so much."
"We did too." Tai held her close and kissed her forehead. "Hey Summer?"
"Yes Tai?" she asked.
"I've been thinking lately." Summer lifted her head up, intent on hearing what he had to say.
"About what?"
"About us. You're so amazing and I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you by my side."
"Awww," she cooed. "You're so sweet, Tai."
"I'm not done yet," he said, moving away from her. "When I was in a dark place, it was you who pulled me out. You helped take care of Yang and you taught her everything she knows, from tying her shoes and to baking. You gave us a new little bundle of joy in Ruby, and most of all, you've brought a shining light into our lives. One filled with unending love, kindness and passion. And there's no one else I'd rather be with than you." Summer's eyes started to tear up. She couldn't deny that Tai's speech was absolutely cheesy, but it touched her heart how much he really loved her. Suddenly, he knelt down on one knee.
"Tai?" she gasped. She couldn't believe it. Was this actually happening? From his pocket, he pulled out a small, white box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver ring, with a topaz jewel on top.
"Summer Rose, will you marry me?" She couldn't hold back the tears any longer and jumped onto Tai, capturing his lips into a deep, loving kiss. Tai ran his hands across her face and returned the kiss with equal love.
"So I'll take that as a yes?" he asked, gasping for air.
"Of course, you idiot." she giggled, kissing him again. Holding each other close, the two spent the rest of the night together, lost in their happiness at the thought of being together.
10 Years Later
It was a beautiful day in Vale City, with the sun shining brightly and the people all lively. Some of the leaves on the trees had started to turn yellow, a sure sign that autumn was approaching. Ruby was walking along the streets. She wore a red sweater with a white rose emblem at the centre, a black skirt held by black belt, black stockings and red trainers. At the back of her belt was a compacted rifle, coloured red with black trims. From her pockets, she heard a ringing and rummaged around to find her scroll-phone. Seeing her sister's name, Ruby swiped the green button and held it up to her ear to answer.
"Hi Yang," she said in a bubbly voice.
"Hey there, Rubes," Yang replied. "Just checking to hear how my baby sister is doing." Ruby rolled her eyes.
"I'm doing fine, Yang. you don't need to keep checking up on me, and can you knock it off the 'baby sister'? I'm 14, not 4."
"Oh, I will be checking up on you a lot, especially if Arthur's involved." A mild blush appeared on Ruby's face.
"Y-Y-Yang, it's not like that!" she stuttered frantically. "W-W-W-We're j-just friends, t-t-that's all-," From the scroll, she could hear Yang laughing like a hyena.
"Relax, I'm messing with you."
"You're evil, you know that?"
"Hehe. But seriously, I do need to talk to you."
"Fine. What is it?" Ruby sighed, already regretting picking up the scroll.
"I'll be in Vale City later tonight, and I was wondering if you would join me later after you're done with Arthur?" Ruby's teeth gritted. As much as she loved her sister, Yang was known to be quite reckless on nights out.
"A-Are you going to go to one of those shady clubs again?" she asked.
"That was ONE time!" Yang hissed over the scroll.
"You destroyed a nightclub owned by a member of a GANG!" Ruby screamed back.
"It was in self-defence!"
"You're lucky that Uncle Qrow was there to help out, Dad would've had a heart attack!" Ruby's rant was interrupted when she spotted her friend Arthur near a small café. He had short blue hair with light tan skin, and he wore a dark blue jacket, with a green shirt underneath, black jeans and white trainers. On the front of his jacket was an emblem of a sword surrounded by flames. The two waved at each other, smiling. "Anyway, I got to go. Arthur's here."
"Okay then, good luck on your date!" Yang chuckled.
"No, it's not a date! It's- hello?" There was no answer coming from the scroll. "Great, she hung up." Sighing, she put it away and crossed the road. Arthur greeted her and grinned widely.
"Hey there, Ruby."
"Hi Arthur." she replied.
"How's everything going?"
"Okay, I guess. Yang said that she wanted to meet up later."
This got Arthur's attention. "Oh really?" he said, resisting the urge to jump for joy. "So… is she seeing anyone at the moment?
Ruby rolled her eyes. "No, she's not and before you ask, no. She's not interested."
Arthur sighed in defeat. "I thought as much."
"Besides, I don't think she'll have the time anyway. She's going to be heading off to Beacon Academy in 3 days."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."
"Yep. Don't worry, I'm sure you can see her off."
"I can't." Arthur put his arm over his eyes as Ruby snickered. "It's too painful."
"You're so over dramatic!" the redhead laughed. "Come on, let's head over to the café"
The two teens placed their orders at the counter and sat outside the café. Ruby ordered a very creamy coffee and Arthur had an equally creamy hot chocolate. While he was blissfully enjoying his drink, even managing to end with a cream moustache on his lip, Ruby had yet to touch her coffee. Instead she simply ran her finger across the brim of the mug, confusing Arthur.
"Ruby? Hello?" he said, waving his hand in front of her face. Ruby blinked suddenly as she diverted her attention to her friend. He shook his head amusingly as she twiddled her fingers out of embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry about that," she squeaked. "I was a little lost there."
"I'll say," he chuckled, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "So, what were you thinking about?"
"Um, just how we'll be going back to school soon."
Arthur smiled. "I know right? I can't wait for all the new stuff we're going to be learning!"
Ruby beamed at the thought. Ever since she was young, she always wanted to be a Huntress. Alongside Arthur, Ruby was attending a beginner's combat school, Signal. It was there that she learned the tools of the trade, such as fighting techniques, sparring and even how to build her own weapon. It was a small stepping stone into her big dream of joining Beacon Academy; one of the most prestigious Huntsman Academies in all of Remnant.
"It'll be fun to watch you fangirl over Mr. Branwen again." Arthur chuckled, causing Ruby to spit her coffee.
"I-I don't fangirl over Qrow!" she spluttered, her face as red as a cherry.
"Of course you do. After every class, you're always going on about how 'Qrow is the best'. Seriously, I know he's your uncle and all, but you got to cool that hero worship." A pout appeared on Ruby's face.
"Says the guy who has a 6ft poster of the Knights of Vale hanging in his room." Arthur's eyes widened with horror.
"T-That's not mine!" he stuttered frantically. "T-That's Kay's. I-It's his poster!" His protests did nothing to stop Ruby's giggling fit. "Can we just finish our drinks and head to the arcade? I've been dying to kick your ass at City Brawlers."
"Not this time," said Ruby. Her eyes were on fire and she fist pumped with determination. "I've been training all summer long with Yang. There's no way I'm gonna lose!"
"Oh we'll see about that," snickered Arthur. With their drinks finished, the two stood up and stared at each other fiercely. They walked across to the other side of the street and made their way inside Gaiman Arcade. Game machines flashed all around, from pinball, shooters, driving to the old classic arcade machines. At the front was the City Brawlers machine, painted black with a neon yellow logo. Ruby and Arthur turned to each other.
"You ready to lose?" he muttered.
"I'm always ready!" she bellowed. It took a minute for her to realise what she said and scrambled all over trying to correct herself. "I didn't mean I was ready to lose!"
By the time they left the arcade, the sun was setting. Ruby had a glum look on her face while Arthur was skipping with joy.
"Would you stop rubbing it in?" she moaned.
"Oh, don't be like that, Rubes," he said. "One day you'll be able to beat me in at least one arcade game."
"It's not fair how you're good at ALL of them!" she pouted.
"Given that my brother is pretty much the 'golden child', arcade games were the only thing I could beat him at." Checking his scroll-phone, Arthur raised his eyebrow as the clock read 7:30 PM.
"Is that the time already? Sorry Ruby, I got to get back. I promised Kay that I'd help out with dinner."
"Okay Arthur," she said. "Say 'hi' to your dad for me."
Arthur smiled. "Will do, take care." Waving goodbye, Ruby turned back and carried on walking. In the middle of the street, she spotted a small shop up ahead, with the sign reading 'From Dust 'Till Dawn'.
"Yes!" she cheered to herself. "It's still open." From her pocket, she could feel her scroll phone ring again. Taking it out, she answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hey there, Rubes!" greeted Yang. "Are you still in Vale City?"
"Yep. I'm just heading to Dust shop to look around for a bit."
"Okay, but don't be long. I'm gonna be at Benjamin's on Doyle Street later for some dinner. Meet me there."
"Got it. Speak to you soon." Ruby hung up and headed inside, greeting the old shopkeeper. His face was slightly wrinkled, and his hair was thinning on top. He wore a green uniform with a red apron and smiled at the young Huntress's awe of his shop. In front of the counter was a glass case, filled with beautiful crystals of a variety of colours. On the right side of the shop were several small machines and tubes filled with crystalline powder and on the left side were several silver coloured capsules, holsters, belts, bags and magnets.
"So, what can I do for you, young miss?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Do you have any copies of Weapon's Illustrated here?" Ruby asked.
"They're right at the back." Ruby thanked the elderly man and walked over to the magazines section. Picking up a copy of Weapon's Illustrated, she flicked through pages, grinning at the sight of various swords and guns. Suddenly, the door swung open and five men walked in. They all dressed the same; black suits, black homburg hats, red glasses and they were all armed with either grey pistols or red shortswords. In front of them was a man in a bowler hat. He was dressed differently from the others almost like a gentleman, wearing a white overcoat over a grey suit, with smart black shoes, grey scarf and brown gloves. His bright orange hair covered the right side of his face, leaving only one green eye exposed and in his hand, he carried a long, grey cane. The shopkeeper trembled with fright.
"R-R-Roman T-T-Torchwick." The gentleman sneered at the shopkeeper as he blew smoke from his cigar.
"The one and only. Now, do you have any idea how hard it was to find a Dust shop open this late?" One of the goons beside him pulled out his pistol and shoved into the shopkeeper's face. He jumped back and put his hands up in surrender.
"P-P-Please," he stuttered. "D-Don't hurt m-me. J-J-Just take my lien and leave."
"Calm down," Roman chuckled. "We don't want your money." He turned towards his cohorts and he scowled. "Grab the Dust." he ordered. One of them was carried a silver briefcase and he set it above the glass counter.
"Red crystals," he demanded. "Make sure they're uncut." With no way to stop them, the shopkeeper did as he was told. He handed over several red crystals while the rest of the goons approached the tubes and pulled out large canisters. Placing them at the front, they turned on the machines to extract the Dust. One of them spotted Ruby and drew out his sword.
"Hey kid, hands in the air!" he yelled. Ruby turned around and just started at the man, not appearing to be phased in the slightest. "Are you deaf? I said hands in the air!"
"Are you robbing me?" she asked innocently.
"Yes!"
"Ooooh." Ruby grinned mischievously. The grunt had reached his limit and was ready to swing his sword at her. However, in a burst of speed, he was tackled out of the window and onto the streets. Dazed, he glanced up to find the girl standing over him and staring down the thieves and his men. From her back, Ruby took out her weapon and pushed a button. From the bottom sprouted a long, black handle and the top unfolded into a crescent shaped silver blade.
"Okay." Roman turned over to the goons. "Get her!" he ordered. Weapons drawn, they rushed towards her, but Ruby was a quick thinker. Spinning round her scythe, she kicked one of the goons in the face and sent him flying. Two more approached her and she pulled the trigger, using the recoil to aid in her movement. Ruby swiftly hit them with the back of her scythe, while a third tried to shoot her. Using her speed, she zipped around the street before she slid under him. Planting the blade deep into the road, she swung on her scythe again and delivered a kick square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Roman shook his head in disappointment.
"You were worth every gil." He muttered. "Truly you were." Throwing his cigar on the ground, he set his sights on Ruby. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around," He soon lifted his cane and pointed it at her. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways." Pulling a hidden trigger, he fired at her. Without a moment's hesitation, Ruby jumped out of the way, narrowly missing being caught in the small explosion behind her. She frantically scanned the streets to search for him, her eyes shifting from one scene to the next. At least, Ruby managed to spot him climbing up the fire escape on a nearby building. Determination flowed through her and she zoomed across the road to catch up. Pointing her scythe downwards, she pulled the trigger to shoot herself above the building. Luckily, she managed to land just behind Roman and readied her weapon for the fight.
"Hey!" she called out.
"Persistent brat," Roman groaned. Ruby suddenly heard the sound of jet engines and her teeth gritted as soon as she saw the VTOL Bullhead ascend in front of her. Snickering to himself, the gentleman thief jumped onto the aircraft but not before tossing a red Dust shard towards her,
"End of the line, Red!" he shouted, shooting at the crystal. A small explosion engulfed the building and Roman cackled like a clown. However, his victory was short lived when he discovered that not only was the girl alive, but someone else had interfered. Staring back at him was a middle-aged woman, surrounded in a purple projection. Her blonde hair was tied into a tight bun and she had bright green eyes with white rimmed glasses. A black cape hung from the shoulders of her white blouse and in her hand, she carried a riding crop. Ruby stared in awe and admiration, while Roman glared with annoyance. The woman said nothing, simply waving the crop as if it was a wand and hurled several bolts of purple light at the Bullhead. The impact was enough to send it into disarray, causing Roman to be thrown across like a ragdoll.
"Oh crap!" he yelped. "We got a Huntress out there!" The blonde Huntress shot more bolts at the Bullhead, only to come face to face with an obscured figure. Suddenly, the shadow began to glow red and shot a burst of hot energy at her. The Huntress shielded the blow with her own energy, but that was a mistake. Below her were the cinders and they too began to glow red. With a flick of her crop, she tossed Ruby to the other side of the building and jumped out of the way as shadow clenched its fist. A large explosion of flames erupted from the roof and glass shrapnel rained from the sky. The Huntress waved her crop again, sending the shrapnel straight back at the bullhead. The shadow, however, was much quicker and fired more shots, destroying the shrapnel piece by piece. The door of the hatch suddenly closed shut and the aircraft flew away into the night.
"Damn it," the woman muttered. Ruby, though shaking, was starstruck that she got to witness another professional Huntress in action.
"You're a Huntress!" she squealed with joy. "Can I have your autograph?"
Ruby never imagined that her day would turn out like this. One minute, she's a witness to one of the coolest fights she's ever seen, the next minute she's stuck in an interrogation room. It was just like the ones she saw in the movies, complete with the dim overhead lamp and single table and chair. The Huntress paced around her, shaking her head in contempt.
"I hope you realise that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady!" she snapped, causing Ruby to sink into her chair. "You put yourself and others in great danger!"
"But they started it!" Ruby protested.
"If it were up to me," the Huntress continued. "You'd be sent home with a pat on the back," This caused the young crimsonette to smile. "And a slap on the wrist." The Huntress smacked her crop on the table, barely missing Ruby's hand in the process.
"So, am I in trouble?" she asked quietly.
The Huntress sighed. "No. But there is someone who wants to meet you." The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with grey hair and emerald green eyes. He wore a dark green suit and scarf and over his eyes were full moon glasses. In his hands, he carried a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a mug of coffee. He placed the plate on the table and looked at Ruby.
"Ruby Rose," he said. "You have silver eyes."
Ruby just stared at the man, confused at the comment he made. What did her eyes have to do with anything?
"I have to say," he continued. "Your fighting style is incredible, especially with that weapon of yours. Tell me, where did you learn to fight like that."
"Um, Signal Combat School," she responded.
"They taught you to use a scythe? One of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"
"Well, one teacher in particular." The man gestured to Ruby to take a cookie from the plate. Feeling her stomach rumble, she hesitantly picked one up and took a bite. Humming with glee, she proceeded to devour the treats like a greedy cat.
"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow."
"Tasmyunkels!" Ruby muffled through her stuffed cheeks, earning a look of amusement and disgust from the green-suited man and the Huntress. Embarrassed, she swallowed the cookies and continued. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. Now I'm like- hiyaaaah!" Ruby did several poses resembling the old martial arts movies she used to watch.
"So I've noticed," The man said. "And what's an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"
"Because I want to be a Huntress." she said simply. The man raised an eyebrow.
"You want to slay monsters?" Ruby nodded her head.
"Yes. You see, my sister's going to be enrolling at Beacon soon, she's also training to become a Huntress. It kind of runs in the family, my dad was a Huntsman and my mom was a Huntress and they taught me to always help people. So I thought 'well I might as well make a career out of it.' I mean the police are alright… but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much cooler, romantic and awesome, you know!"
The Huntress in white and the man in green just stared at her. Finally, he pulled up a chair and sat down.
"Do you know who I am, Miss Rose?" he asked. Ruby nodded her head.
"You're Professor Ozpin." Ruby answered. "The headmaster at Beacon."
Ozpin smiled. "Hello."
"Nice to meet you."
"So, you want to come to my school?" Ruby nodded vigorously.
"More than anything."
"Well okay."
"Excuse me?" Ruby asked.
"I'm with her on this one; excuse me?" The Huntress in white questioned.
"Glynda." Ozpin said, turning his head to her. "Miss Rose here possesses remarkable talent for a girl her age. I believe she deserves a chance to prove herself." Glynda rolled her eyes in disapproval, while Ruby smiled widely with glee. Her dream of becoming a Huntress was finally coming true.
Inside Benjamin's Burgers sat Yang, waiting for her order. She wore a yellow crop vest, red scarf, blue shorts and long, brown boots. Tapping the table impatiently, she glanced at the window, only to find no sign of her sister.
"Where is she?" she pondered. Suddenly, her scroll rang and she hastily answered it.
"Ruby, where are you? she asked. "What's taking so long?"
"It's kind of a long story," Ruby answered softly. "But the short answer is… I'm going to Beacon." Yang nearly dropped her burger upon hearing that.
"Wait, seriously?"
"Uh huh." A big smile appeared in Yang's face and she squealed with joy, uncaring of who noticed her.
"I can't believe that my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"
Across from her table sat four young boys. The tallest one was physically fit, with a long, dark brown mullet, amber eyes and a scar running down the left side of his face. He wore an unzipped purple leather jacket with a white shield and iris emblem on both sleeves, a black vest, black jeans and black hiking shoes. The next one was lanky with short sandy brown hair, green eyes and black rimmed glasses. His outfit was a smart black blazer, orange shirt, dark orange gloves, black trousers and matching black shoes. On his gloves were two matching emblems of small flames. The scrawny boy had messy blonde hair, a freckled face and blue eyes. He wore a sleeveless silver jacket, with a white vest, black fingerless gloves, black jeans and brown combat boots, each with an emblem of a silver bird. The last of the boys had spiky black hair and deep blue eyes. His outfit was a navy blue turtle-neck jumper with an image of a winged, skeletal dragon, black jeans and blue trainers with black soles.
"Are you ever going to turn that off, Prompto?" asked the black-haired boy. Prompto was too engrossed in his scroll to answer. "Hello?"
"Trust me, Noctis, it's no use." said the tall boy. "I've tried everything, but he's hypnotised."
"If you see the girl who's kicking ass right now, you'd be hypnotised too, Gladio!" Prompto declared.
"Well then let me see." he asked. Prompto showed Gladio a video he filmed earlier. It was of a girl in red fighting thugs outside a Dust shop. Gladio smiled in amusement. Next to him, the lanky boy was analysing.
"She definitely has some skill," he commented.
"I couldn't agree more, Ignis." Gladio replied. A waitress approached their table with a tray of burgers, fries and cups of soda. They thanked her and proceeded to dig in. Noctis looked at his hamburger and took off the top bun, carefully placing the lettuce and tomatoes on Prompto's plate. The blonde boy gave him a deadpan look.
"Dude, really?" he asked.
"You know I don't like vegetables." said Noctis.
"You know this is your fault." Gladio said to Ignis. "I warned you that if you kept babying him, he wouldn't grow out of his picky eating."
"It would be nice if you could tell him that." Ignis said, sprinkling some salt on his fries.
"Why?"
"Because I do it everyday."
"Stoph taaing, twing to eat hur!" Noctis replied, his mouth full. Ignis groaned.
"It seems all that proper etiquette has all gone to waste as well."
"Did he ever have any?" Gladio asked.
"Good point." Ignis chuckled. Meanwhile, Prompto was shaking the ketchup bottle as if it was a maraca and proceeded to slam his hand repeatedly on top until the ketchup squirted all over the table and their food.
"Prompto!"
"What the hell?!"
"Sorry"
"I'll get some napkins."