Beacon
Ah, mornings. They varied from planet to planet and universe to universe, but one thing was multiversal: Link despised them. He could still function and be productive, especially with some of this "coffee" the people of Remnant drank, but that didn't mean he had to like it. After reminding Jaune that his locker was 6-36, not 636, he went off to his own locker between a calm, reserved man in green called Ren and a friendly, outgoing girl in yellow and brown called Yang.
"I KNOW!" shouted the bubbly redhead by Ren. "We'll have some sort of signal, like a distress signal. Ooh! Or a seeecret signal so we can find each other in the forest. Can you imitate a sloth?" She bounced around everywhere as she spoke.
"Nora?" Ren finally said.
"Yes, Ren?" came the happy reply.
Ren put his guns into his sleeves and said, "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."
"...That's why it's PERFECT!" Nora yelled. "No one will suspect we're working together!"
Link just rolled his eyes and grabbed his weapons. Ren and Nora were clearly friends, but one was way too energetic for Link's taste. If they all wound up on a team, though, it wouldn't be too bad. One brought energy, and the other brought focus, a deadly combination.
Jaune, meanwhile, had decided to ask the redhead he had noticed yesterday to join his team with Link. Link, much to Jaune's surprise, agreed that this was a good idea. That is, until he saw who else had the same idea, but by then it was too late.
"So, Pyrrha," said the rich girl, "have you given any thought to whose team you would like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual, such as yourself."
The expert fighter was clearly uncomfortable as she replied, "Hmm, I-I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."
Link could relate to that. Back home, when he was younger, everyone wanted him to train them. The few people who he was happy to meet were the people who valued him not for his skill, but for him. It seemed like such people had been few and far between for both of them.
The brat, meanwhile, wasn't taking no for an answer, as she countered with, "Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together."
Pyrrha, desperate to get this girl off her case, said, "Well, that sounds grand."
"Great!" The girl still wasn't hearing the obvious "no". Link started walking a little more quickly, hoping to interfere.
"You know what else is great?"
Oh.
Oh no.
Link was power walking now.
"Me, Jaune Arc, nice to meet ya." Having taken Link's advice, he spoke to Pyrrha rather than the girl in white.
The rich girl started growling, before Pyrrha stepped in between the two. "Hi, Jaune," she said happily. She hadn't seen recognition in his eyes, so she knew he was just friendly, which she greatly needed. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos."
"Exactly," said the rich girl, stepping into the middle. "You do know who Pyrrha is, don't you?"
Link, having arrived, chose this moment to speak up. "A good person," he said, "much like Jaune here, thus making them both infinitely superior to you." He spat the last word, not liking her blatant ignorance toward Pyrrha's nervousness.
There was only one way to possibly make Link angrier than he was already. Unfortunately, the brat decided to take it.
"That's rich, coming from a thieving piece of filth," she said. "Rings made from Hard-Light Dust? Boarding the same airship as the Schnee heiress? You White Fang members must be truly dense if you think nobody would notice such an obvious plot to infiltrate Beacon. You- you know what? You're not even worth the breath."
As the girl, now identifiable as Weiss Schnee, left, most likely to whine to a professor, Link fumed. He thought he had seen the potential for good in her, but what the fuck! She was a fucking Schnee! He knew that people weren't their parents, but this apple certainly didn't fall far from the fucking tree!
One internal fuming session later, Link decided now was the time to show off. He went back to his locker, ignoring Pyrrha and Jaune's protests, and grabbed his backup weapons: The "Earth Dust" using, "dirt lined", super strength granting Titan's Mitts. Woe to any Grimm who stood in his path now.
Beacon Cliff
"For years, you have trained to become warriors," said Professor Ozpin, addressing the students, "and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
"Now," spoke Professor Goodwitch, "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today."
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," continued the headmaster, "so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Link was concerned. If he was paired with Weiss, he didn't think things would go well. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die." Jaune was visibly nervous after that. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. 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. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and be graded appropriately. Are there any questions?"
"Yyyeah,"said Jaune, "um, sir?"
"Good," said Ozpin, ignoring Jaune. "Now, take your positions."
Everyone readied themselves for launch but Jaune, who said, "Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question." The launches began. "So, this, landing strategy thing, what is it? You're dropping us off or something?" The launches crept ever closer.
"No," replied the man in charge. "You will be falling."
"Oh, I see, so did you hand out parachutes for us?"
"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."
"Ah-ha."
Link didn't hear the rest, for he was launched high into the air.
Most people would have just died in Link's position. High in the air, with more than enough time to reach terminal velocity, and no plan to slow down, most people would have better luck against an Ancient Grimm. For Link, though, those odds were the same: guaranteed success. Rather than carve into a tree, launch himself back into the air, or swing upward with a branch, he just landed, making a small crater as he did so, and suffering no injury thanks to his magic defenses.
Once he had landed, he immediately took off sprinting. He had seen the general direction Jaune was headed in and wanted to partner with him. As he ran, he thought about who else he could run into.
Let's see here, the best possible scenario would involve Jaune. While he would greatly hold me back initially, he may be the only one with the potential to match me in the future. Link wasn't particularly conceited, he was simply being realistic. None of these students would ever have survived facing Ganon as he did. Pyrrha would be nice too, since she and I share many similarities. She is also a master combatant, possibly the best in the school besides me. Yang and Nora are outgoing, but they lack precision with one wielding an explosive hammer and the other wielding explosive fists. Ren is calm, reserved, and precise, but his weapons lack power. I haven't met anyone else, so I can't make judgements about them, save for Weiss. Neglected or no, she would be the worst possible...
Fuck.
Link had, while running after Jaune, crossed paths with Weiss
After a short staredown, the two immediately turned away from each other and walked off. Neither liked the other, so they individually decided to pretend they never met. That is, until their scrolls beeped with a message.
Return to your partner immediately, both messages read.
Fuck, both partners thought.
After returning to the small clearing where they met, another staredown ensued. Link eventually offered a hand as a peaceful gesture. Weiss, meanwhile, drew her rapier, and tried to point it at Link's throat. Unfortunately for her, Link just caught it in his open hand and glared at her. She tried to pull her sword away, but it didn't budge. After a few seconds, Link let go and said, "You lack the skill and the power to even hurt me. Let's get one thing cleared up. I am not with the White Fang. If I were..." He leaned in close, scaring Weiss half to death.
"... you never would have landed at Beacon." He stepped away, leaving Weiss terrified. As he walked toward Jaune, he said, "This way. I would like to ensure the safety of my friend." He glanced back, saying "Try not to slow me down."
A few seconds later, he could already see Weiss slowing him down, tripping on every branch, getting scratched on every thorn, and generally whining. Fortunately, more travel could wait. Right now, he had found his friend. Jaune was in the tree above him, struggling to remove the spear in his hoodie. With an angle like that, Link would have done the same without a strength boost. Noticing Link, Jaune gave a nervous chuckle. Link replied with a chuckle of his own before climbing up and pulling the spear out, causing Jaune to fall on the ground.
After being helped up by Link, Jaune spoke. "Hey, Link. Did you find a partner yet?"
Link groaned, gestured behind him, and said "Unfortunately," as Weiss emerged from the bushes. "Now that you are safe, though, we'll be headed to the relics. Stay here so you can return Pyrrha's weapon, and we will hopefully wind up on the same team. I do not think I will last four years otherwise."
"Oh, you think you have it rough?!" shouted an indignant Weiss. "You threatened my life!"
"If I recall correctly, I simply offered a handshake before stopping you from threatening my life and informing you of options I had and chose not to take," Link countered. "Or was it my nonexistent sword about to be pointed at your throat?"
"Jaune?" called Pyrrha, just now walking in on the situation. "Oh. Oh dear. Are they...?"
"Yep," said Jaune. "What do you say we leave before they attract every Grimm for miles?"
And with that, the two left, leaving Weiss to infuriate Link even more.
"...and my family will not stop until you are expelled from Beacon and your organization is-"
"Shh!" Link snapped. Weiss was about to protest, but then she heard it too. It was a low growling, eerie and unnatural, that could only mean on thing.
Surprising neither of the duo, a Beowolf leapt out of the bushes and roared, prompting fifty others to surround the pair. Link went to handle the rear, leaving Weiss to deal with the front.
Weiss P.O.V.
When the lead Beowolf struck, Weiss was so enraged that she barely blocked the Beowolf's claw, skidding back a few feet. Remember you training, Weiss, she scolded herself. She took a deep breath and continued her inner dialogue. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward, n-not that forward, slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and... NOW! She dashed forward, spinning Myrtenaster's chamber to the Fire Dust setting, and slashed at the Beowolf, killing it in a single strike. She smirked, impressed with her own handiwork, and turned around. She expected to see more Beowolves ready to kill her, but she saw something completely different.
All of the other Beowolves were dead. Some were charred, some were impaled with ice, some were beheaded, and some had fist-sized holes punched into them. Standing at the center of it all was Link, not even sweating from the exercise.
"All that readjusting, and your form still needed work," he said. Weiss, in turn, could only form a single, elegant response.
"I- but the- wha?"
Link P.O.V.
Link did poorly. It was to be expected, though, since he wasn't using his main weapons. That said, he had still managed to kill fifty Beowolves before Weiss killed one, so that was nice. In addition, Iron Barbs was an incredibly effective weapon, surpassing his expectations. All in all, the fight went well.
"You will have to do better if you ever want to become a Huntress," Link chided. "Now, the relics are this way." He took off at a leisurely pace, leaving a flabbergasted Weiss to follow.
Later
"Think this is it?" Yang asked her partner. The black-haired girl simply looked at her before they advanced to the ruins. Upon arrival, they noticed small pedestals around the circumference of the structure. Most held a chess piece, and the ones that didn't were empty. One was guarded by Link while Weiss fumed, having been outdone by a Faunus.
"Chess pieces?" asked the girl in the bow.
"Some of them are missing," the blonde replied. "Looks like we weren't the first ones here."
"Well, I guess we should pick one," said the quiet girl.
As they each went off to inspect the pieces, Yang almost grabbed the white knight. She didn't, however, because Link was guarding it. "No pony then," she said. Instead, she grabbed a rook. "Since we'll be living in a castle for a while, we might as well have one of our own."
The other girl rolled her eyes. It was a decent choice, considering it didn't matter. "Sure," she said.
"That wasn't too hard," said Yang.
"Good for you," snapped Weiss. "Meanwhile, I have him for a partner." She glared daggers at Link, who simply rolled his eyes, tired of her antics.
The unknown individual strode over to Link and said, "I'm Blake. You got paired with Weiss, huh?" Link nodded, causing Blake to grimace. "Sorry about that. I know for a fact I wouldn't want to be in your position right now." Link smiled, liking this girl's instincts.
Before Weiss could get angrier, everyone heard a scream. "Some girl's in trouble!" shouted Yang as almost everyone turned to look toward the source of the scream. The exception was Blake, who was instead looking up. "Blake, did you hear that?" Yang asked, since Blake wasn't facing the same way as the others. "What should we do?" Blake pointed upward to the Nevermore circling above them.
Before anyone could comment, Jaune flew from the direction of the scream, directly into a tree. He was followed on foot by an Ursa, which reared its head before a pink explosion from behind killed it.
"YEE-HAW!" shouted Nora, who was apparently riding it. As the Grimm collapsed, she said, "Aw, it's broken."
"Nora?" said Ren, stumbling off the beast's back. "Please... don't ever do that again."
The girl in question, though, was already gone, having decided to pick out a relic. She locked her eyes onto the white rook, grabbed it, and started bouncing around, singing, "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!"
"Nora!" shouted the typically quiet man, growing frustrated with his friend.
The girl in question just giggled and said, "Coming Ren!"
"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" asked an incredulous Blake.
"I-" began Yang, before Pyrrha came out of the woods, being chased by a massive Deathstalker.
The Deathstalker swiped at Pyrrha, forcing her to dodge. "Jaune!" she shouted, relieved.
"Pyrrha, I-" began the man in question before he saw something scary. His first friend at Beacon, Link, ran at the Deathstalker. "Link!"
"Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?!" questioned Blake, starting to get annoyed.
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" screamed Yang. "Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"
Everyone immediately heard growling, prompting them to turn around and see a dozen Ursai and twice as many Beowolves, drawn in by Link and Weiss's negativity. Yang groaned, having gotten her answer.
As the six unoccupied individuals took care of the minor Grimm (Jaune freed himself from the tree), the Nevermore shot its feathers at Link. He moved to the side, not worried about being impaled, but about the feathers stuck in the ground slowing him down.
Once he got to the Deathstalker, he punched it. He had to hold back, though, since he didn't want to seem too strong, and he could easily lift a 10-ton boulder. Heck, his record weight lifted was 25 tons! So, instead of killing the Deathstalker instantly, he just dazed it, buying time for Pyrrha to get away.
After the minor Grimm had been taken care of, Link distracted the Deathstalker while the others regrouped. He made it look hard by feigning effort, but it was an easy task, all things considered. After Jaune and Pyrrah took the white knight (Link was very happy about that, having deduced how the teams worked), they all decided that it would be best to run and live to fight again. They told Link about the plan and ran.
Unfortunately for them, the Nevermore had other ideas. Ahead of the group was another set of ruins, complete with a bridge over a chasm. On the other side of that was the flying Grimm, and the Deathstalker was still hot on their tails.
Has it really come to this? thought the Hylian in disguise. These kids are not ready for this. Without knowing each of their capabilities more in-depth, I cannot, in good conscience, let them fight this battle. He sighed. Oh well. Goddesses know I tried.
Without any warning, Link reversed direction. "LINK, NO!" shouted Jaune, prompting everyone to turn around. Link narrowed his eyes. These Grimm had ruined a friendship he had found, as well as his element of surprise. Fueled by his rage and frustration, he punched. This time, though, it was no feather punch. He shattered the Deathstalker's armor, crushing its skull and killing it instantly.
To say the others were shocked would be to do the bare minimum to the situation. Their surprise only grew when Link pulled out a bow and an arrow from the small pouch on his hip. He nocked the arrow, aimed, and shot at the Nevermore.
Nobody expected the arrow to hit. It was too far away. Heck, even if it did hit, it was a regular arrow. It wouldn't actually do anything. Once again, they expected failure. Once again, they were incorrect. As the arrow left the bow, it seemed to turn a shimmering silver hue before flying in an almost straight path at rapid speeds. When it touched the Nevermore, the Grimm simply died. There was no final cry, no slow dissolve into black smoke. It instantly disintegrated into nothingness.
Link fully expected what came next. Nora and Yang shouted about how awesome he was, Weiss's suspicions grew, Ren, Blake, and Pyrrha were stunned, and Jaune was nervous, having just learned of his first friend's sheer power. This was not his primary concern, though. Sure, he considered two of them friends, and was on good terms with most, but their reactions would not dictate the future of the entire world. No, his real concern was the headmaster's reaction. If it was favorable, then that was a good thing. If it was negative, the entire world might be doomed.
As the group scaled the cliff, Link was silent, scaring almost everyone into a similar volume level. Weiss was the exception, who simply gloated about how she was right about Link having something to hide and insisted that he was a member of the White Fang. He didn't catch much else, since he was too lost in thought, preparing for the worst.
As they reached the top, the sight that greeted them was enough to scare even Weiss into silence. Ozpin was calm and unreadable, as usual, but Professor Goodwitch was furious. She was not, however, voicing her rage, so that was a good sign.
"If I could have your attention, please," said the headmaster. "Everyone will come to my office. First Weiss, then Link, then the rest of you. My decisions here will affect all of you, so I suggest you tell the truth." This was bad. Link, in an attempt to be stealthy, had just endangered these kids' lives, and by saving them, their futures. He had no choice. He had to get the blame completely on him, then run.
Those same thoughts deafened his ears to his friends' attempts to get his attention, and almost to Weiss leaving the headmaster's office. They did not hide, however, Weiss's smug smile, conveying that something was finally going his way. He just had to pose as a White Fang spy, and he would take the blame. Then, all he had to do was escape.
Upon entry into the office, there was more good news. Goodwitch was positively fuming, and Ozpin actually looked annoyed. I suppose my definition of "good news" should not include being a well-known outlaw once again, thought Link, stepping forward. He did his best to look as intimidating and disappointed as possible.
Ozpin immediately did the strangest thing possible. He set down a tray of cookies. Not to be outdone, Link just raised an eyebrow. "And what are these for?" he asked.
"Well, I figured you might be hungry after the attempt on your life earlier today, so I baked some cookies," replied the headmaster.
Shit, thought Link. There went the White Fang plan. Ozpin had obviously seen everything, which meant the blame would likely go to Weiss. Time for Plan B.
"Whatever you decide, do not blame the others," said Link. "I am the one who does not belong, so I will take the fall."
"I cannot allow that," said Ozpin, "for my decisions were made before you scaled the cliff." Link was terrified now. Had he just ruined these children's chances at their shared dream? "I will be taking the fall. That is, if there even is any." Link was thoroughly confused. Were students normally as skilled as him? Were they ever?
Ozpin continued. "Weiss attempted to kill another student, so she will be punished appropriately. None of the others have done anything to warrant an issue, so they will not be punished at all. You, on the other hand, are a wild card. My... friends and I would rather not have you against us. So, instead, we will provide... a sort of test. Prove that you can wield any weapon proficiently, and we will let you stay. Prove that you can correctly assess others, and you may have a spot on the staff. Do not worry about the little things, we have already taken care of them."
A teaching position in a school for warriors? Link knew it was a way to observe him, but windows went two ways. Besides, this was something with which he had experience. This time, though, not everyone would beg for one-on-one time. For the second time in what was technically 24 hours, he only had one option.
"I accept."
Later
About an hour later, Link was back in Ozpin's office, ready to take the second test. He had proven proficiency with guns (close enough to crossbows, and recoil didn't affect him much), scythes, spears, maces, blades, shields, hammers, fists, whips, axes, and more thanks to his uncle's training all those years ago. They didn't bother to test transforming weapons, since stowing his old weapon and drawing a new one emulated the time it took to change the weapon's forms. Now he sat in the office again, and as the entrance ceremony was about to begin, Ozpin had decided to test Link on who he had already met and call it a day.
"What do you think about Weiss being put with Jaune and Pyrrha?" the headmaster questioned.
"With all due respect, while it may be what the pieces decided, it is a terrible idea." spoke the Hylian. "Weiss would most certainly not be put in charge, especially after trying to threaten me, and may take it out on anyone she sees as inferior, in this case, Jaune."
"An excellent observation. Weiss will not be paired with them. Now, what do you say about Blake and Yang?"
"That could work," began Link, "or it could be even worse. If Weiss grows to trust Blake, then learns of her heritage, it could help with her blatant racism." Ozpin nodded, impressed that Link had noticed. "If it does not, though, she could attack Blake like she did to me."
"Well done," said Ozpin, impressed. "That will be the grouping of Team BLW (blue). Who should lead it?"
"All of them would make terrible leaders," Link bluntly stated. "Weiss is a snob, Yang is not smart enough, and Blake prefers the background too much. If I had to choose, I would choose Blake, but are you certain Weiss could not be grouped with Ren and Nora?"
"I am sure. Now, what about the others you have met?"
"Hmm... I cannot say." Ozpin raised an eyebrow. Had Link seen what he saw in Jaune, beyond the obvious? "Jaune clearly was denied access to a preparatory school-"
"Pardon?" Ozpin interrupted. he hadn't gathered that, only that Jaune had snuck his way into Beacon.
"Jaune clearly only knows only the most basic of basics. He even had to have his Aura activated today, if I heard correctly. However, he carries what he has with such familiarity that he clearly learned it a long time ago. These are not signs of no training, they are signs of incomplete training. Combined with his obvious potential and willingness to learn, there is only one possible scenario: he was actively denied training, likely by family, since there is not institutionalized discrimination against any of his features on Remnant."
Ozpin was impressed. Link had picked up something even he had not. "That will be all," he said. "Even I did not pick up on that. However, after your explanation, it could not be more obvious. You are accepted as a combat instructor."
Acceptance Ceremony, Beacon Ballroom
"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark," announced Ozpin, "the four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by Cardin Winchester."
Link was not on or next to the stage, where the students were. Rather, he was behind it. He stood, watching the ceremony next to footage from initiation. He had to learn about the students he would be teaching, after all, and how better to learn than to watch them fight?
He didn't pay attention to the rest of the ceremony. He had already seen the individuals in question fight and had already been told who would lead each team. He donned his armor, strapped on his weapons, and stood next to the stage.
"Now, many of you are likely wondering why the last team had only three students. Simply put, we could not find another qualified student. We did, however, find something else. You see, Professor Goodwitch will enter a new position soon. She will be the assistant headmaster. Before she could do that, however, the school required a new combat instructor. And so, I present to you, her replacement: Professor Link Hyrule."
As Link entered the stage, he saw dozens of polite faces and more than a few sneers. His ears, shaped as they were, heard more than any human would, too. There were comments about how nice it was that Beacon was moving beyond hate to accept a Faunus professor. There were comments about how animals shouldn't train humans, but the other way around. Weiss muttered about the White Fang, causing Blake to narrow her eyes at the comment. There was only one reaction he cared about, though. That was Jaune's.
Jaune was too stunned to speak. His face, though, said everything. It was flooded with relief. His friend wouldn't be expelled for something that wasn't his fault. Pyrrha and Ren had similar expressions, and Nora was cheering louder than anyone else. Link smiled and took a bow, thankful that his friends hadn't begun to hate him.
As the day drew to a close, Link was shown to his room. It was small, but it had everything he needed. He had even been given a scroll, which he had immediately begun using to look at weapon makes and models. He had always been interested in the design of weapons. After all, knowing the difference between a good sword and a bad one could save your life. He envied his blacksmithing successor that way. Eventually, he grew tired, and drifted off to sleep, ready to face whatever foes would stand in his path tonight.