He soared through the air. The wind on his face, his heart beating like no tomorrow, and a smile painting itself on his face.

It reminded Ren of putting his head through the roof of the van, heading home after his probation was cleared. Happy that everything was over, that his journey had ended.

Except this time, his journey had just begun.

Bracing himself, Ren landed on a tree branch, before jumping to another. Maintaining his momentum while he sped through the forest; weaving, jumping, and dodging the foliage as he made his way to the given destination.

The northern end of the forest, an abandon temple waiting with the relics. It sounded easy enough.

Unless the grimm had anything to say about it.

Landing on the ground, Ren ran as fast as he could, not even bothering to look for a teammate. His only goal being one thing:

Retrieve the treasu- I mean relic.

The goal of the initation was to get a partner, and retrieve the relic, but Ren didn't want one. They would hinder his and Morgana's operations, and also hold them back from doing their own thing. Building tools, using persona's, disappearing to investigate; all of that would make someone suspicious.

He didn't even plan on staying in Remnant. His home was waiting for him, along with all the important people he had to leave behind.

He had to hurry.

With that thought, Ren sped up. His body automatically avoiding the obstacles in front of him.

And that was when a group of beowolves decided to walk in his path. Unknowingly throwing their lives away.

His blade slid down from within his sleeve onto his hand, his body moving at speeds unimaginable to a normal human being, all the while silent. He past the grimm, not even being noticed by them. Pausing, as he waited for his attack to take effect.

One by one, they fell, a single slash splitting their bodies. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal… each one of them had a slash through their bodies; all different than before.

They didn't even know they died. They just fell to the ground, their bodies not responding to the pain, before disappearing into nothing.

Smirking at his handiwork, Ren continued to the ruins, not hindered by the environment whatsoever. Agile and graceful, he was a dancer, the initiation being the stage.

But before he could make it any further a pair of Ursa leapt out from the foliage, attempting to land a sneak attack.

Stopping, he stared at the two, before smiling.

His blade once again in his hand, he charged, ready to make a fool out of the two bears.

He only hoped that the professors were watching his performance.

It was just for them after all.


Glynda was pleased that her judgement on Ren's admission was not without merit. The young man clearly capable of taking the initiation head on, confident in his own abilities, if that damn smile on his face said anything about it.

She was not expecting the boy to be a show-off; he seemed far too reserved to have that kind of trait.

Looking at the camera's focused on the other students, she couldn't help but feel perturbed by the way that Jaune fellow handled himself. No doubt the boy's transcript was a lie, and that he had no combat experience whatsoever, but Ozpin still let him in Beacon Academy.

She sometimes thought Ozpin was mad at times. Why would you admit a civilian into the school, a place where you were taught to be hunters, learning how to slay grimm and…

Did Ozpin plan on making the boy a hunter, simply because he saw potential?

That didn't sit well with her at all. There were many more applicants on their waiting list. Experienced applicants. This boy was not one of them, not at all.

Sighing, she turned off her scroll, and began to walk back to Beacon. She was going to head straight to her office when a thought crossed her mind.

Turning around, she looked back at Ozpin, his face focused on his scroll. "What did you use for relics this year?" she said, only to be answered by silence. "Professor Ozpin?"

Turning on her scroll to see what had garnered his interest, her eyes widened at what she saw, surprised that such a grimm had hiding inside the forest all this time.

Said grimm was initiating combat with Mr Amamiya, the two brawling it out by the looks of it.

She was about to walk back to where Ozpin was, to ask him on his opinion of the situation, but was interrupted by the sound of a cat.

A cat?

Looking down, she was greeted with a cat rubbing itself against her legs, pleading for her attention, meowing at her, as if asking for some love.

A black cat with bright blue eyes, it's tail tip, paws, and muzzle a white color, and a yellow color to finish his look.

He was absolutely adorable.

She was about to reach down and pick the feline up, but it decided to act first, jumping onto of her shoulder to look at her scroll.

Not bothered by the weight, she let him stay there. The feline watching her screen with a critical eye, its focus on Ren Amamiya.

Ozpin, observing all the teams, had his attention split between Ruby Rose and Ren Amamiya. The two were individuals that were accepted last minute into Beacon, both gaining admission to school by the heads of the school. Interested, Ozpin zoomed in on the camera on Ren, watching the boy with a critical eye.

'Let's see what you're made of, Mr Amamiya.'


After his encounter with the grimm, Ren made good progress to the ruins, his third eye showing him that just beyond the clearing there were glowing objects in the distance.

Those were the relics. They had to be.

He was about to dart off towards it, but a loud roar shook the forest around him, stopping him entirely. His body going into high alert, he widened his senses, waiting for whatever it was to show itself.

And then it crashed to the ground behind him, it's arms ready to slam him to the earth.

As if.

Rolling out of the way of the surprise attack and orienting his body to face his opponent, he was met with what was the grimm variant of a gorilla. It was twice his height and was covered in bone plates, scars of battle all over it. Its skin was black as day, but there was a red glow underneath it, pulsing every time it took a breath.

It was a Beringel, a stronger type of grimm; extremely aggressive.

Just the way he liked it.

Preparing for it to strike, Ren brought his knife to his hand, while taking a wider stance. The two of them stood still, sizing the other up, waiting for the other to move.

And then the Beringel leaped. Its hands clasped together as it brought it down to him, letting out a war cry as it did the action.

It was so fast.

Yet not fast enough.

Nimble on his feet, Ren dodged to the left of the beast, before slashing at its arm. The knife didn't cut however, the hide of the beast too thick for it to penetrate.

'No wonder people had a problem with this thing, it's moving tank.' He thought, making a mental note of this for future confrontations.

Narrowing his eyes, Ren backed off, jumping away from it. The ape capitalized on this however, leaping at him once more when he was still in the air, its arm ready to deliver a haymaker at him.

Not expecting this kind of agility, Ren put his arms up, ready to take the critical blow. When the punch landed, he was knocked back, the force behind it so strong that it made him crash through several trees

'It's like a freaking boulder!' Ren thought, thankful that a certain sword wielding persona had been equipped at the forefront of his mind during the last second, blocking the pain of the attack. Had it not, he would've been a pancake, probably in critical condition.

'Time to get serious.'

"Charge." He said, an orange light enveloping his body, before being absorbed. His body glowed, the power radiating from him causing the air to warp.

Understanding what he was about to do, the Beringel charged at him, intending to end the battle in one go, its arm ready to deliver another deadly haymaker.

Roaring, the ape threw the punch, crashing the fist at Ren like a rocket. The ground shattered beneath the impact, shaking the area around them. Birds flew out of the tree's, the ground quaked, and the sound of a giant crash reverberated through the forest. The power behind its punch was no joke.

Looking at it's masterpiece, the Beringel expected a flattened human on the ground, their bloody remains exploded in front of it.

All it got was a bored looking Ren staring at it, holding up his fist with an open palm. A yawn escaping the boy's mouth.

What?

Pulling its fist back, the grimm sent a volley of punches at him, the force of the punches distorting the air.

Only for Ren to dodge left and right, in and between. His movements quick, yet elegant, as if dancing to the beat of a drum.

The grimm roared, furious that the human before it wasn't dead. It grew desperate, throwing it's punches more wildly than before, creating more openings in its form.

Suddenly, Ren shot forth, avoiding the punches altogether. Standing in front of the grimm, he extended his arm out, putting his blade in between the bone chest plates of the enemy. His knife gently touching the skin in between.

"Hassou Tobi!" Ren shouted, his knife glowing a dangerous black with a red outline. He pushed the blade into its body, piercing the chest of the beast before him.

His blade now ready, he launched it upwards, opening the grimm up as it screamed. Not done with the assault, Ren continued the action in different directions, carving wounds into the grimm as it cried out in pain.

What was once a proud Beringel now had seven slashes stained its chest, exposing the red flesh beneath. The beast's arms hanged limply at its side, while the its mouth was wide open, drool coming out of it due to the searing pain spreading through out his body.

It fell on its knees, unable to control them any longer. It was not dead however, its will to live so strong that it started to shake, its arms trying to move despite the pain. Its eyes locked onto its assailant, cursing him for the humiliation and suffering he had caused.

"See ya." It heard, before the eight slash was delivered, separating its head from its body. Ren watched it disappear into nothingness, before putting away his blade.

Done with his work, Ren looked up to a tree, knowing what was installed inside it. His third eye noticing the camera embedded within it. No doubt surveillance to 'grade' those passing by.

Waving at the camera, he gave it one last smile and a wink, before heading to the temple, his body blurring at the speed which he took off.

Hearing the roar of a death stalker, and the sight of a giant bird firing its feathers, Ren ran faster, hoping he would make it in time.

It looks like someone needed some help.

It would be rude to keep them waiting.


Glynda and Ozpin gawked at the camera feed, surprised by what had just happened. Not knowing how to feel towards the young man.

The cat just seemed to laugh. "Mwehehehehe" it seemed to say/meow.

"It seems Mr. Amamiya is much more than he seems to be…" Ozpin said, observing the man with a more interest than before. Impressed that the boy had been able to deal with a Beringel, blocking its punches, as well as tearing through it.

'That orange light must have been some kind of power up. Perhaps his semblance?' Ozpin thought. A Beringel's body was thick and durable, no mere knife could penetrate its body unless there was a great force behind it. Ren Amamiya stabbed it at point blank, a feat that shouldn't have been possible.

If only he knew.

Glynda smiled, once again impressed with Mr Amamiya's abilities. She had worried when he took the blow, but when pushed come to shove he was able to deal with the situation accordingly.

The choked noise Ozpin made when he saw Ren block the attack was also a plus.

Hearing the sound of purring, Glynda noticed the cat seemed content, as if happy that Ren had defeated the enemy.

Could it possibly be his?

Deciding to ask the boy about it later, Glynda turned off her scroll, much to the ire of the cat, and started heading to the amphitheatre. Using her telekinesis, she picked up the cat and put it into her arms, cradling the protesting creature.

"MEOW!" It screamed, shocked by what she just did. Paying no mind to the surprise however, Glynda began to pet it.

The purr that left its mouth was almost made her squeal. The pleased look on the animal was to die for.

Glynda loved cats. It was just in her nature.

Had nothing to do with "witch" in her name.

Ozpin, noticing his colleagues leave, decided to follow her, while also looking at his scroll, observing the situation.

Mr. Amamiya was now on his way to the relics, while Ruby Rose and her companions ran from the giant grimm chasing them.

Deciding to leave it to destiny, he turned off his scroll. Not worrying about them any longer, he followed Goodwitch, sipping his coffee all the while.

"That's some good coffee…" Ozpin whispered, happy that his drink was waking him up, while also great tasting too.

Following Goodwitch, he began thinking of teams. So far there were only 6 pairs who have gotten their relics, 12 people in total. And if Ren obtained one then that would lead to 13.

Should no one else pass the initiation, there would be an odd person out. That would not do, for building relations with other youths was a part of learning in Beacon. It would do be good to isolate an individual.

Thinking of a solution, Ozpin thought long and hard, before a thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps… yes, that could work.

Satisfied with the answer, Ozpin made his way to the amphitheatre, a single thought on his mind

'This year's first-year batch will be something to look out for.'

Taking a sip of his coffee, it surprised him that it no longer existed, having been finished far too quickly.

Frowning, Ozpin looked at Glynda who had made some distance between him, too busy petting the cat to actually notice him.

Taking that into consideration, he snuck off, aiming to get another Cup of Joe.

It would only be a moment.

He wouldn't be late for the ceremony, he was sure.

Oh how wrong he was.


Quickly making his way to the ruins, Ren saw the relics; white and black chess pieces. Remembering to pick one, he stared at the pieces, wondering which one seemed the most appropriate.

Pawns, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Queen, or King. All of them had meaning, all of them had a purpose.

Staring at the pieces, Ren walked up to one of them; one that reminded him of his journey.

Picking up the black pawn, Ren couldn't help but remember the journey had gone through last year. The trials he had to endure.

The arrest…

The shadows…

Now…

All of it was orchestrated by a genocidal god, one who wished to place "ruin" onto humanity, using him as a way to decide. Even when gone, it still had a hold on him.

He was the pawn of that being, a mere toy to be played with.

Or maybe he was just a pawn to fate itself.

Chuckling weakly, Ren stored the piece with all his equipment, while walking away from the ruins.

Pawn or not, he would win this game, he would see it to the end.

Perhaps he could change into a better piece, something better.

Or maybe he already has…

With those thoughts in mind, Ren shot forward to where he saw other students running towards; the cliffside.

That was until he heard the growls and roars behind him.

Stopping and turning his head around, Ren was faced with a familiar sight; grimm. A lot of them.

As much as he loved those freaks of destruction now wasn't the time

Sending them a dirty glare, only for it to be returned to him. Ren sighed

It's like they wanted to be killed.

Not caring to hold back, Ren let his persona manifest, blue blames circling around the both of them. Hoping that the teachers wouldn't see his true abilities, he let loose, going all out against the small fry.

"Lucifer. Morning star."

A ray of light shot forth from the sky, crashing onto the ground creating a dome of pure energy destroying everything in it's wake. The cataclysmic power was unleashed on the grimm, so powerful was the spell that it destroyed everything it touched, leaving nothing to its mercy.

When all was said and done, a large crater was formed, leaving a barren hole on the ground where the grimm once stood.

Ren ran, not even looking at his handwork, his destination being where the other students were. Hoping he wasn't too late.

When he arrived to where they were fighting, he was given quite the show.

It made him whistle in appreciation.

Little Red Riding hood was running along the cliffside, glyphs keeping her in place. Her scythe was holding the nevermore in a choke hold, forcibly dragging the bird with her. With one final push, the girl reached the end, beheading the grimm as she landed at the top of the cliff. Rose petals flying everywhere.

"Nice…" He said. Impressed by the girl's strength, and her proficiency with the weapon.

He was worrying for nothing it seemed.

Looking up at the site of the scythe wielding teen, Ren couldn't help but think one thing.

'This is going to be one hell of an adventure.'

LINE BREAK

Ren watched the individuals walk up to the stage, making sure to remember their names.

Team CRDL, led by Carden Winchester. He only had one thought in his head when he saw the group.

"Bullies..." He said out loud. Knowing an asshole when he saw them, he made sure to watch them, and promised to himself to do something about them if they try anything.

His inner vigilante was just screaming to do something after all.

Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc. It was a surprise, but it wasn't a bad one. Looking at the new leader, he couldn't help but notice the uncertainty in Jaune's eyes.

And then he was pushed to the ground by Pyrrha, causing the crowd to laugh at him.

Yeah, the guy really reminded him of Mishima now. He really needed to help the dude, it was just too much to look at.

And then team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose. Watching the red hooded girl be hugged by the blonde, he couldn't help but notice the surprise that showed up on Weiss' face when Ruby was declared leader.

He just hoped she wouldn't fuss over it. The girl's plan at the locker room foiled by a simple initiation.

"Ren Amamiya. Please come to the stage." Glynda called. For some reason she was doing the ceremony, with Ozpin being nowhere to be seen.

Where was he?

Ignoring the thought, Ren walked up to the arena with his hands in his pockets. He gave the professor an amused look, questioning her silently.

Where's Ozpin?

Receiving the silent message, Glynda sighed, exasperation filling her being. She was about to speak, but a certain headmaster decided to make his appearance, taking over the ceremony.

"Ren Amamiya. You have retrieved the black pawn piece. Normally, we would assign you a team; however, due to an odd amount of people passing the initiation, not to mention not finding a partner, you are unfortunately by yourself. We, the staff of Beacon, have decided to put you as a joint member; you will be joining the other teams during their missions. As such, we strongly advise you get to know your future teammates." Ozpin said, walking up to the stage while drinking a cup of coffee.

By the smell of it, fresh coffee.

'So that's where he went…' Ren thought, a look of understanding crossing his face.

Coffee was an important part of the day, no matter what time.

"May I ask what kind of blend that is, Professor Ozpin?" Ren said, his glasses shining as he pushed them upwards. No matter the time or place, coffee was always an important subject, and because he didn't know the types there were in Remnant it was essential for him to learn about them.

Sure, he could use a scroll, but tasting/smelling the blend was the experience, one that he needed.

Ozpin smiled at him, a glint in his eyes as he responded to the young man's question. "This is Mistral Mountain. It is quite the blend. Strong, yet savoury. I find it best when-".

"If you two are going to talk about coffee then get off the stage!" Glynda yelled, her fury directed more at the headmaster than Ren.

Not wanting to face the scary woman, Ren retreated, walking off the stage as he took his place between team JNPR and RWBY. Glancing between the two teams, he closed his eyes, a polite smile on his face.

"Ren Amamiya. I hope we get along." He introduced, all the while watching an angry Goodwitch berate a passive Ozpin. The man not even fazed as he took sips of his coffee, a pleased look on his face.

'That's one hell of a blend.' Ren thought, hoping that he would get the chance to try it should he get the chance.

"OOH~. YOU HAVE THE SAME NAME AS REN! Not you Ren, but that Ren. OH, you too could be best friends! Wait I'm his best friend." The huntress-in-training named Nora gasped. She was absolutely excited, her body moving at speeds Ren couldn't even comprehend.

"Nora… you're freaking out-" Lie Ren began, only to be cut off by his exuberant childhood friend.

"NO! You can't have him! I won't let you; I'll break your legs!" She threatened, her hammer now in hands and she stalked over to the Phantom Thieves leader.

"I'm sorry, I don't swing that way." Ren said, putting his hands up in a placating manner. Not wanting to have his legs broken, he gave her the first thing that came out of his head. Internally cursing his slip up, he was about to apologize when-

She grabbed his arms, her face only inches away from hers. She glared at him, giving him one of the most intense stare downs he had ever been in. Looking past his eyes, and into his soul.

It was official; this girl freaked him out.

Gasping, she let go, jumping away from his body, and returning to the side of her partner.

"Oh that's a relief. I thought I'd have to break your legs for a second. Oh, I know… I can call you Ren-Ren, while I call my Ren… well, Ren!" She said, her hands now clasped as she gave him a gigawatt smile. Happy to have found a solution to the naming crisis.

Lie sighed, knowing that Nora freaked out her target. "I'm sorry. She's a bit-"

"Hyperactive?" The now dubbed Ren-Ren finished, an amused smile on his face. "It's okay. I'm just glad my legs aren't broken." Ren-Ren joked, smiling as he conversed with the green garbed ninja.

Thankful that he was understanding, Lie turned back to his childhood friend, conversing with her, as she calmed down.

Turning his body to face team RWBY, he was met with an amused black bowed girl, and a smiling blonde. No doubt the pair were entertained by that little scene.

"Yang Xiao Long." Yang introduced, waving at him with her left hand, while her other position itself on her hip.

"Blake Belladonna." Blake said, before turning her head around to listen to the rest of the ceremony.

'Social, aren't you?' He thought sarcastically. He was about to turn his head, but he saw her bow twitch. Intrigued by this, he activated third eye, seeing underneath what was hidden. His eyes widening only slight at what he saw.

A pair of black ears, \ concealed by the black bow she wore.

'She probably wants to keep it a secret then.' He thought, keeping the new-found discovery to himself. It was not his business, and she probably wanted to keep it a secret to avoid scrutiny due to her heritage. He would respect her privacy, despit already breaching it.

"Please head to your rooms. Again, congratulations for passing the initiation." Ozpin said, getting back to his duties. People filed out of the building, while Ren waited for everyone to go. He was about to head to his room but was stopped by the voice of Goodwitch.

"Mr. Amamiya. Could this possibly be yours?" Glynda said, his back still facing towards her.

Turning around, Ren was greeted to an odd sight. It was Morgana, cradled in the arms of Goodwitch, who was petting his belly. The cat let out purrs of happiness, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the feeling of being petted.

"Morgana… what are you doing?" Ren asked, baffled by the sight. Here was the all too proud Morgana, purring, putty at the hands of his teacher.

Pulling out his scroll, he took a picture. 'Blackmail~.' Ren thought, making sure to use it against the cat when he needed some leverage.

The sound of a camera shutter woke Morgana out of his stupor. Confused, he looked around, but was not fast enough to notice that Ren had put the scroll away.

"Wha? Where am I?" Morgana said, his ears perking up as his head turned, having no idea what was happening.

Leaping off of Goodwitch's arms, he walked towards Ren, before talking to him.

"I was watching you at the cliffside. Glynda and Ozpin were using camera's set up and were watching via scroll, so I thought to join them. She caught me though and took me back here." Morgana explained. He told Ren he was going to watch, so he did. It wasn't like Ozpin or Glynda could understand him anyways, they haven't heard or seen him in his true form yet.

"Mr Amamiya… can I assume he is yours then?" Glynda asked once more, her eyes narrowing at the boy for not answer her question.

"Yes, he is. Is it not allowed?" Ren said. Wondering if he would have to hide Morgana during his time at Beacon.

Morgana could handle it no problem, but it would be a pain in the ass to deal with.

"It is not. But please try to keep him in check." Glynda said, not bothered by the fact the animal had been here. They were what kept hunters and huntresses' company during their time of need, as such Beacon didn't mind having animals, so long as they were properly taken care of.

"I will." Glad to know this wouldn't get him into any trouble, Ren sighed internally. Nervousness fading away at the thought of having to keep Morgana hidden all the time. It was doable but stressing nonetheless.

"With that said, please get some rest. You deserve it. Again, congratulations on passing initiation." Glynda said, walking away from the boy to leave him to his thoughts.

Until he asked her something.

"Did you happen to see me pick my piece, or the horde of grimm that I encountered?" Ren asked, referring to summoning Lucifer, and using his signature move on the grimm. As much as he wanted to leave it, he needed to make sure that if anyone saw that they kept it a secret.

"No, I have not... Was it you that caused the crater at the temple?" Glynda asked, her eyes widening at the revelation. All the camera's had short circuited near the ruins, none of them surviving for some odd reason. When sent to investigate, Peter had reported "A giant crater" the size of a herd of Goliaths.

"I was using experimental dust, the effect being much larger than expected. I could show you if you're curious...?" Ren said, lying to the Professor as best as he could. Not expecting that no one had saw the deadly attack, he could assume that the almighty skill destroyed the camera's. It's sheer power making them malfunction.

"If that 'experimental dust' truly is that strong, I highly advise you show us. It could prove quite useful in the future." Glynda said, her glasses shining, as if Christmas had come early.

"Sure. Anytime. Anyways I need to go to bed, classes do start tomorrow after all. Good day." Ren said abruptly, not believing his bluff actually worked. Not wanting to make anymore plot holes, he booked it to his room, hoping he didn't look nervous as he walked away from the professor.

"You know, you did a pretty good job out there, with that big gorilla and all." Morgana said, pride radiating from his small body.

"I should say the same to you, Mister Lady Killer." Ren jested. Amused by Morgana's purring. Never had he seen him do so, his pride always making it hard to even touch the cat.

Futaba and Ryuji would laugh their asses of if they saw, Haru would probably try her best to make him purr.

The thought brought a smile to his face.

"Let's head to bed. You got a long day ahead of you." Morgana said, fully accepting the title Ren gave him.

He was just that good after all.

Falling asleep, the two dreamt of the days to come, guessing what this world had in store for them.

Never did they notice the blue butterfly that floated in the room, nor will they ever see it disappear from their eyes, two voices speaking as it did so.

"Found you Inmate!"