A RWBY Fan-fiction
Chapter 1 - The Night Sky, the Moon and its Stars
"We will be landing in five minutes," one of the pilots announces. Immediately, everyone on the airship rushes to the windows to catch a glimpse of Beacon Academy. Unfortunately, the weather today is not on our side; a thick layer of grey clouds obscures the scenery, as though it's going to rain. In the distance, we can faintly see the top of Beacon's Communications Tower. You can hardly hear the growling of the engines over the new students' enthusiastic chatter. It's no surprise, really. This moment is what we have all been waiting for.
It's only when Malva places her hand on my knee that I realize I've been tapping my foot on the floor impatiently. "Get a hold of yourself, Kris Leontis" she mutters. Weird, usually I don't get so nervous. I guess the excitement has gotten the best of me as well. On the surface, she looks completely calm, ready for everything. That's how she confronts every new challenge that she has to face. But I've known her for ten years and I know that behind her composed expression, her mind is racing. I can tell by the way she slightly squeezes my leg that she's impatient as well. I can't help but smile; everyone's fired up.
As soon as the aircraft comes to a full halt, we all get up and pick up our luggage. My back and my tail feel a little sore after so many hours of travelling from our hometown to the Academy. The gate opens, and each one of us gets off just as it begins to rain. Malva seems to struggle with her two enormous suitcases, but refuses my help. The other new students rush to the building ahead, but we take our time. This is the moment we've been dreaming of; we want to enjoy every second of it. Though I hate getting wet, a little rain isn't enough to ruin it.
As we cross the avenue to the main building, a wave of different emotions hits me. I can't distinguish all of them, but there's one that overtakes the rest: pride. I'm proud I've made it this far. Despite all the obstacles, despite the difficulties, I'm here. I wonder if that is how my parents felt when they walked down the same road so many years ago. When I told my family about wanting to attend Beacon, they laughed -in a good way- and said that it was written in the stars. That it was fate that their son would want to follow in their footsteps. I agree somewhat; growing up, all their stories of action and adventure mesmerized me. Even when tragedy struck, I never once thought about doing something different. But fate didn't bring me here today; hard work, sacrifices, and my family's support did.
No matter how you look at it, it's corny, I know. But I can't help it. Right now, they're the only people I can think of. I'm still somewhat worried about Meli, since it's the first time she and I are apart. But she'll be heading off to Signal in no time, and I know she'll be alright. Two new Huntsmen arrived in our town, Nemea, just a month ago, so I know my parents will have help with fighting off Grimm. And I'm here, for all four of us. The sacrifices were mostly on their part, not mine. I'm here because of them, their faith in me and the countless hours they spent preparing me for the days that will come after today. I cannot attribute all that to fate. I cannot thank the stars, except for one, maybe. It'd be a lie to say I'm not thankful to attend Beacon with Malva.
Several other new cadets have gathered around the statue at the entrance, so we stop to take a look as well. I've seen it in pictures countless times. The majority of my parents' photos from their student years have this statue in their background. I can't wait til I can take one as well with my own team. "So, here we are," I hear a laughing voice behind me, which belongs to a white-haired guy using his shield as an umbrella. I can't help but laugh along with him and the other new students. Looking over at Malva, I see she's smiling too, her eyes gleaming with a spark that doesn't surface often. This is it. This is where the defining chapter of our lives begins.
The first time I saw it in a picture, I thought that Beacon Academy is kinda gloomy. Maybe it's the gothic style, or the grey and black colors. But now that it's dark and raining outside, and with little light in the ballroom, it reminds me of a haunted castle. But I don't regret the choice I made. I'm here, and I'm happy about that.
A couple of hours ago, the last of the new students arrived and settled in the ballroom. The headmaster, Professor Ozpin, welcomed us and gave us a little speech, but, to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention. This hall was so crowded, I got anxious and spent most of the headmaster's speech looking for the group of people I met at the ship on the way here. I know I have to be more careful and responsible. This is a very prestigious academy, and I have to try my best. My mentor has invested so much in me, and I cannot let her down, no matter what I think about this. Besides, I guess this is what I wanted too.
"Rosanna? You zoned out?" Nila's voice makes me snap out of my thoughts immediately. I met Nila yesterday on the airship, and so far we've been getting along well. I think I could say that I've made a friend. The other girls are looking at me like they're expecting me to say something.
"Sorry. Can you repeat, please?" Gosh, I'm lame.
"We were saying that we have to wake up early tomorrow, so we get ready on time," another girl says. I don't remember her name, but then again I can't remember if we've talked to each other before.
I want to ask what we're doing tomorrow, because I obviously didn't hear when the professors told us, but I'm gonna look like an idiot if I do. "Uh, yeah, right. I agree." They seem satisfied with my response, and whatever conversation they had earlier continues.
We (well, they, I just listen) keep chatting for another hour, before they decide to go to sleep, like most of the other students have done already. To be honest, though, I'm not tired at all. I haven't done anything tiring today, and I'm too worked up for tomorrow, even though I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen. I follow Nila and the others into the bathroom to change into our pajamas, and then I pretend to fall asleep like the rest of them. At some point, the large door on top of the stairs opens, a professor comes in to check on us, then leaves again. I lift my head a little, only to find that everyone else is sleeping peacefully. I stand up as quietly as I can, wrapping the blanket around my bare shoulders, and after I make sure that no one is awake to notice me, I slip softly, like a breeze, through the others and all the way up to the stairs. In times like this, my semblance is pretty useful.
I check one more time to make sure no one has seen me, and then go through the door like a ghost. In the enormous hallway beyond the ballroom, there is complete silence. Perfect. I love the peacefulness of the moment; it's so calming. Yet I feel vulnerable at the same time. I'm in an unfamiliar place, wearing nothing but sweatpants, a tank top and a blanket, without my weapons. But I can't let my anxiety get me again. No, I have to stay calm. Calm down, Rosanna Guntram! No, not Guntram! I'm using Alcmene now! Rosanna Alcmene! Once I've regained my composure, I begin strolling around and exploring. I have to avoid getting lost, so I just head towards the other end of the empty hallway. The rain has stopped by now, and the shattered moon shines brightly into the corridor. The grey clouds around it create shadows all over the walls. It really feels like a haunted castle. But then again, I'm kind of a ghost myself. I fit right in.
At the end of the hallway, there's a large window door that leads to a small desolate balcony. I look both ways before I phase through the door, and the cold air of the night hits me right as my body goes back to normal. It's silent and desolate, just me and the dark grey gargoyle sitting on top of the balcony's corner. I've managed to find the driest part of the stone floor, and sit with my knees to my chest on top of the blanket. It's a new sensation for me; usually, whenever I sat atop a roof back home, there were always the lights of Kuchinashi's nightlife underneath me. The inns and taverns and pubs were always open till late, and the same went for Mistral too. But here, there's nothing but the campus as far as I can see. It's not that bad, though. If it weren't cold, I could probably spend the night here, next to the gargoyle. My mentor, Akane, would say that I shouldn't isolate myself like that and that I should take some proper rest. But she's not here, so I'm free to stay up late and wander around.
Freedom is a weird thing for me. Now that I have it, I don't know what to do with it. Even though I know that nobody will recognize me here and that I'm safe, I'm still nervous. I don't have anyone to control me, which is a good thing, I guess, but I don't know what to do. What if Russ was right? No, he isn't. He can't be. I can fight, so I'm gonna be okay. I've already made a friend, maybe, so I guess it'll be okay. Leaned against the stone wall behind me, I close my eyes for what feels like a few seconds, but when I open them again, the moon has faded, and the sky is changing colors. I dozed off! I've got no idea what time it is, so I pick up my blanket and return as fast and as quietly as I can to the ballroom.
Back there, everyone's still sleeping. I fade and slip back into my previous place, opposite of Nila, and curl up next to the window. I check to make sure that all my belongings are still there, and then lean my head against the window. I completely lost track of time walking around the school and I don't know how long I was asleep in the balcony. What if someone saw me? Then again, how visible was I, behind the thick balcony bars and the gargoyle? It's almost dawn now; the first rays of the sun seep through the glass windows and land straight onto my face. It's somewhat soft, though, so it doesn't blind me. Such a pretty color- this warm red that surrounds the sun. It's a lot different from the cold, white light of last night's moon.
It's still very early when I wake up. I was worried that, being in an unfamiliar environment, I would be unable to sleep soundly, but I feel well-rested. Then again, it could be the adrenaline. With one quick glance around, I see that everyone is still asleep, except for one blonde girl at the other side of the room, who looks like she's just woken up. I give myself one more minute of rest before I start to get ready. Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven...
"One." I push the blanket away and get up. Everything I'll need lays neatly by the pillow; next to me, Kris is still sleeping, face-down, his tail curled around his leg. I give him a very soft nudge, even though I know there's no way he'd oversleep. He's too disciplined to oversleep. As I make my way to the locker rooms, I stumble on someone's bag, and recognize it belongs to the same guy I complained to about leaving his stuff wherever yesterday. I kick it on his feet and walk away as he mutters something unintelligible. I do not have the faintest idea who he is, but I hope I don't get him as my partner for the next four years.
Thanks to Kris' parents, both of them Huntsmen and graduates of Beacon, I know what is going to happen today. Although they persistently refused to tell me what the examination includes, I know that today, our partners and teams will be determined. Honestly, it was painfully difficult to coax it out of them, but I knew that they would give in after a point, even without Kris' cooperation. I've been told I'm stubborn to the core, and it's true. In the end, it gets me what I want. So, today, I'm going to meet the people with whom I'll spend the rest of my years in Beacon Academy. Kris is already one of those people; he will surely be in my team, and, if things go as I want them to, he'll be my partner too.
Therefore, today is a special day. I get dressed in an almost ritualistic manner, making sure everything is fitting perfectly, before moving on to make-up. Despite the slight nervousness I'm feeling, my hand is ever-steady, so the eyeliner comes out perfectly. I have no reason to be nervous, though. I am ready for this. Today, I'm going to prove everyone who ever doubted me wrong. I am more than just ready. I pick up the tiny box by my make-up bag. I have deliberately not opened Kris's gift to me until this morning, for no specific reason. "To the mallow," reads the card, in Kris's clear handwriting. Under the card, there's a pair of elegant gold earrings. "I couldn't find anything star-shaped. I know you're particularly fond of stars, but these ones aren't all bad (I hope). Best of luck in Beacon."
With this last addition, all that's missing from the final picture is my rifle. I take one last glance at the mirror; they may be a bit formal, those new earrings, but they're lovely still. I stride out of the bathroom with confidence, high heels clicking on the tiled floor, as some other girls walk in. I hear them whispering; I don't know if they're talking about me, but they don't really matter.
The boy with the stray bag doesn't matter either. But he doesn't seem to realize that, as he decides it's best to pester me about kicking his bag to him earlier. Has the idiot been waiting outside of the bathroom to do just that? I ignore him- of course- and return to Kris, who has noticed the boy and tries to calm him down, but to no avail. So much for hoping for a quiet, peaceful morning, really. It takes every ounce of my self-restraint to not reply to the things he shouts at me. Knowing my miniscule patience, that man is playing with fire at the moment. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" the idiot shouts, looking down at me.
"Malva Stella DiCaeli!" I respond. Kris and a friend of that boy step in, and it stops there. But the whispering continues.
I'll tell you who I am. I am the one who's always going to be ahead of you. You don't matter. You can't ever stand in my way. I'll show you all. I'll show you strength. I'll show you a star whose light is blinding for the likes of you.
It's a very good thing that the two guys stepped in to break the fight when they did, cause otherwise I believe I would have witnessed my first student fight. The Faunus friend of that purple-haired girl almost had to drag her out of the argument. I bet next step was to pick her up and carry her away. It was almost comical yesterday, when someone as tiny as her managed to kick that huge backpack two feet away. I'm not saying that she's in the wrong, but there had to be another way to prove her point. Still though, it surprises me how she's ready to throw hands so early in the morning. With her pale skin, preppy outfit and the way she's giving everyone that death stare, she looks like a pissed-off porcelain doll.
"I wouldn't act so bossy if I were five feet tall," Altan, the guy I met yesterday at the airship, laughs.
"Aw, but she looks like she can pack a punch," I say. "Or a kick."
"Still, she's acting like she owns the place, don't ya think, Nix?" Yuina nudges me on the shoulder. I shrug.
I get done dressing up, take my shield and follow Altan and Yuina, who seems very much pumped about today, to the cafeteria. There's a small variety of things to choose from, and plenty of coffee. I fill two cups and help a blonde girl in black and pink figure out how the dispenser works. In return, she offers to put some plastic jelly packages on my plate, since my hands are full. As I try to balance the cups and the plate while finding an empty seat on the tables, I pass by the purple-haired girl and her friend. Their height difference is funny, really. If they're together, it's practically a long-distance relationship. Are they even together? They sit at the other side of the cafeteria, while I head where Altan is sitting. We spend most of our breakfast chatting and joking about what the exam will be; some other people from nearby tables join the conversation. It's nice to see that these guys are relaxed about the whole thing, and not some overly-serious, constantly-on-edge fellows... not like Pissed-Off Porcelain Doll.
I knew I was going to find people like her here. The kind of people who are way too ambitious and focused on their goals to even know how to not take things so seriously. I got into this academy not knowing exactly what to expect, while I'm pretty sure she's already planned out the whole school year. I wonder if her faunus friend is like that too. Whatever the case, I don't think I could ever get along with Pissed-Off Porcelain Doll. She and I are total opposites. Like night and day.
We finish breakfast and return to the ballroom. A voice announces that we have to present ourselves at the Beacon Cliff immediately. Thankfully, Altan knows where that is, so I follow him. We arrive at the cliff; underneath us, a vast, vivid-green forest spreads out as far as the eye can see. Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch tell us what we have to do: Enter Emerald Forest, find a partner after landing and retrieve a relic from a designated site within the northern part of the forest, all the while looking out for the Grimm lurking around. Then, return to the cliff with your partner, and get coupled up with another pair to form a team. And all that, while being watched and graded. Awesome. Some people look like they're ready to give up before we even start.
At first, no one gets the 'get launched into the air' part, but once realization kicks in, a lot of students begin to protest quietly. They're completely right; it's not every day that we have to do this, and I'm not very fond of heights. I'm not even entirely sure how on Remnant I'm gonna be able to land. The headmaster and the professor, however, are unaffected by our complaints. Naturally. Maybe it's going to be okay, though. As long as I don't look down, I can get through with this. I'll use the air Dust in my shield and try for a smooth landing. I'd like to think that they wouldn't let any of us die, but they're literally throwing us from a cliff into a Grimm-infected forest. Doesn't inspire confidence... Though, I guess I'm not all that worried about the Grimm.
We get into position and are fired into the sky one by one. Some are actually quite cheerful about being thrown into the air, while the rest of us, who are logical, sane people, let out little gasps of fear. Around me, everyone is frantically searching for ways to land safely, but I've frozen completely. Maybe it's from the shock or the scare of seeing the Academy campus and the forest from above, but for a brief moment, it feels as if I can't move an inch. Right then, there's a sound like roaring thunder, and a figure flies past me like a shooting star in the night. I don't recognize them, but the sound is loud enough to make me snap out of the scare, and as the adrenaline and the intensity of the moment take over, I feel an urge to laugh.
I'm flying over the forest, with a fear of heights, in order to get to a hidden location and take a mysterious item, all the while fighting any Grimm I find with a person that I just met. And after crossing the finish line, I'm gonna officially be a Beacon Academy student. I don't know why I'm laughing, but I can't seem to stop, even as I begin to lose altitude. Heh. I think, in the end, I'm going to enjoy coming here!