RWBYS

by D. G. Strachan

Silver, in heraldry, represents brightness, purity, virtue, and innocence. For the swordsman called by that name, nothing could be less true. A dark, hellish past; twisted virtues; cynicism and bitterness; all hidden inside the teenager called Blanc Argent.

4. Chapter 4: Seeds

Disclaimer: I own Silver and his creations as of right now. Nothing else.

-RWBYS-

-Chapter 4-

-Seeds-

Blanc woke up at his usual time: 7:00 a.m. Rising from the chaotic realm of his dreams, the silver-haired teenager tiredly slid his eyelids open. Staring at the barely visible ceiling of the hall, he winced as he heard a voice from his dreams float through his head. 'So, S_, where'd you get the swords?' It wasn't his voice, though. It was higher, younger. Maybe something from his childhood.

The quick-witted boy dismissed his thoughts, yawning loudly and stretching out his stiff, aching limbs. As he did so, he felt a light weight on his chest shift slightly. Looking down, he almost had a stroke.

The petite girl he called his friend was still asleep, small face contorted in the throes of some dream only she was privy to. That wasn't what had surprised Blanc so much, though. By his nature, the swordsman would either sleep sprawled out like an oil spill, or twisting and turning violently. That night was obviously the former variety: arms and legs spread-eagle, and the top of his sleeping bag kicked off. That left his torso covered only by a thin gray t-shirt that did little to keep in his body heat. Ruby, apparently, had a tendency to seek out warm objects to sleep near. In this case, Blanc's stomach had become a pillow.

Nervously, the male teenager glanced towards Yang, who was sleeping a few yards away and had a near-homicidal level of protectiveness where her sister was concerned. He let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding when he found the blonde still fast asleep on her own bedroll. Feeling he had narrowly dodged a bullet, Blanc looked down to study the dark-haired girl's slumbering face.

In the privacy of his own mind, he had long since discovered his tastes in the female species. With that in mind, it was easy for him to admit that Ruby was one of the more beautiful people he had ever met, in his mind at least. She certainly met the first major criteria: unique. As well as the second: not someone who mimics mainstream fashion.

The scythe-wielder's relatively short, red-tinged black hair was pooled beneath her head, and her lips were slightly parted. To the boy's amusement, her eyelids and nose were scrunched up in the same way they did whenever she heard one of his truly horrible jokes. The faint sunlight that filtered through the hall's high windows turned her normally pale skin an unearthly, glowing alabaster. Against his will, Blanc was reminded of the nameless orphanage he had been raised in, and the stories he had told the younger children.

Blanc took a mental picture so he could remember the scene in the future. He had an exceptional memory for images, if not rules.

Gently, he shook Ruby's shoulder, trying to wake her up without alarming her. "Hey Red- time to get up," he whispered from a few inches away from her ear. "Come on, it's seven already."

After a minute or so of shaking and quiet words, Red stirred. Sleepily, she took a possessive grip on Blanc's shirt, mumbling, "Mmph... Five more minutes..."

After a half-second, non-alarming went out the options window. "Red... Yang has a camera, and she's laughing," fibbed the human pillow, flushing slightly at the girl's action.

Her reaction this time was far more amusing. Vivid silver eyes cracked open, blinking wearily for a moment. Blearily, she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, then yawned hugely. Her eyes slowly focused Blanc's face, which was only about a foot away and grinning his usual sly grin. As soon as Ruby figured out what she was doing (and where her head was located), her face immediately began to glow cherry red, pupils dilating in surprise. Silver watched as her face rapidly shifted from utter confusion to shock to complete and unadulterated horror.

She shot up like a bullet from her scythe, sitting stiffly upright and resolutely staring away from her friend. "H-hey, Blanc," she muttered awkwardly.

Chuckling softly, the boy sat upright as well, stretching out his arms over his head. Normally hidden by his coat, his arms' lean muscles tensed and relaxed in plain sight. It was clear from his build that Silver lacked high upper body strength, replacing raw power with inertia and velocity, relying on his speed and endurance in battle.

"Mornin', Red. Sleep well?" he asked, grinning yet again when the girl's shoulders slumped in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess I did," she answered in a low mutter, refusing to turn and face Blanc's grin, which she could her reflected in his voice.

"Well, that's a good thing, so smile about it!" Silver cheered in a voice that anyone who knew him would recognize as one of his many masks. It was obvious, though, that he was a morning person, as well as a bit of an evil friend, judging by his treatment of Red. "After all, you had such a good pillow!"

"S-shut up, Blanc!" Ruby ordered, still muttering.

"Yes, ma'am!" was Silver's humorously serious, almost mocking response. His grin shifting to its usual, inscrutable form, he jumped to his feet and grabbed his knapsack from where he had left it last night as he fell into his bedroll. "I'm gonna swap into my my normal stuff then grab something to eat. You wanna come with?"

"Sure! Meet in twenty at the cafeteria?" Red enthusiastically accepted Blanc's offer, displaying her dizzying ability to switch moods in under five seconds. She clambered to her feet rapidly, though still slower than Blanc had managed. Waving to the taller teenager, she charged across the student-lined hall, nimbly jumping over the other teens' prone forms.

Blinking, Blanc shook his head in amusement at Ruby's familiar antics. "Almost as crazy as I am... But nicer!" was his verdict. Smiling, he went to ready himself for the day. Roughly fifteen minutes later, hair still damp from the showers, Blanc was leaning on the wall beside the cafeteria's entrance, waiting for his friend. As he did so, he idly went over the last few weeks in his mind, ever since he had met the small girl. He had noticed on reflection that he had become far less cynical, far more inclined to care. It scared him a little, to be honest.

"Hey Blanc! Thanks for waiting!" The object of his musings appeared in front of him, smiling happily at him. Though she was dressed in her usual red-and-black dress and cloak, he noticed for the first time the silver rose she had mounted on her belt. Somehow, it reminded him of the shield badge he had taken from the ruins of his first home.

Grinning and pushing away his thoughts, he gestured to the room where, undoubtedly, food was being served. "So, are we going to get food, or just talk for the next few hours?"

Red rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Let's go; I'm hungry!" Impatient to get to the breakfast bar, she grabbed Blanc by the arm and hauled him into the cafeteria. The silver haired boy simply sighed, and consoled himself with the thought of 'Well, I always knew she was pretty damn strong. Certainly stronger than me!' He was released at the start of the breakfast line, with the diminutive girl shoving a plate into his hands.

"You really don't do well hungry, do you?" Blanc asked mildly as he watched her pile food onto her own plate. When he didn't get an answer, he just shrugged and began to get his own usual breakfast amount. "I seriously don't know how you can eat so much and stay so thin, Red. I really don't get it."

Ruby heard Blanc's comment as she exited the line, holding a plate with about six inches of food on it, and turned to respond. Then she saw the amount of food he had on his plate, and gave him a flat stare. "Are you kidding me? Blanc... You're almost thinner than I am, and you're... You..." She trailed off, shaking her head in exasperation.

"What? I'm not having that much!" Blanc protested from behind a tower of eggs, pancakes, bacon, toast, sausages, and other breakfast items. He had at least twice as much as the smaller teen did.

Grinning, he shrugged a shoulder towards the rest of the almost-deserted cafeteria. "So, where do you wanna sit?"

Ruby looked around, noticing a pair of other teens eating a few tables away, and pointed to them. "They look nice; let's go say hi!"

Blanc sighed, shaking his head in exasperation with Ruby's eternal 'no-enemies-only-friends-I-haven't-met-yet' philosophy. Nevertheless, he followed the dark haired girl's lead to the occupied table. Pasting on a friendly grin, he made his introductions. "Hey! Mind if we join you two?" His grin turned sly, and he raised an eyebrow. "Or would we be interrupting a date?"

A girl with short orange hair and turquoise eyes shook her head, mouth full of a pancake. "Naw, ish okay." She swallowed, and grinned at Red and Silver. "It's not a date! Oh, I'm Nora Valkyrie, and this guy is Lie Ren! Nice to meet ya, what're your names?" She spoke very fast, and immediately after finishing her sentence shoved another pancake into her mouth.

'Sweet Mother of Ashes... She might be more hyper than Ruby and Yang!' Silver thought ruefully, sliding into a seat next to Ruby and opposite the so far silent boy. "Thanks." Demonstrating his usual level of social tact, he immediately tucked into his food and left Ruby to do all the talking.

She rolled her eyes at her friend's attitude, and smiled cheerfully at Nora, holding out her hand. "I'm Ruby Rose, it's really nice to meet you! This... friendly guy" she shoved Silver in the ribs with her elbow none too gently. "Is Blanc Argent."

The scarlet-eyed boy glared playfully at her, swallowing his mouthful of bacon. "Geez, Red, there's a reason I have a pseudonym! It's not so you can go around using my full name!" He poked her in the cheek, and stole a pancake from her plate when she blushed.

"I thought your full name was Valentine something or other?" Red asked sourly, pouting at the thin boy.

Blanc stared at her for a moment then laughed, throwing his head back as he did. "You just made a joke, Red! I think I'm rubbing off on you!" He looked back down to find several sausages missing from his plate. He gave Ruby an injured look. "Come on, you didn't have to do that!"

Nora, having watched the exchange with a half-amused, half-confused look on her face, cut in. "Are you two dating or something? Because you guys really are acting like it, and if you're not, then you really should be, I think you two look good together, and-"

"Nora? I think you made your point." The black-haired boy cut in at that point, giving Nora a long-suffering look. He then glanced at the younger teenagers with a raised eyebrow, noticing their blushes and awkward silence. "Sorry about Nora, she tends to be a bit excitable."

Silver nodded in sympathy. "I know how you feel. I know people a bit like that." He looked sideways at Red as he said the last part. She simply stuck her tongue out at him. Shrugging, the tall boy looked at Ren and asked seriously, "So, I hear we have an entrance test. Any ideas about what it is?"

Lie shook his head, magenta eyes assessing the other boy intently. "None, but I'd guess combat-centered. In all likelihood, it'll also serve to create teams."

Silver nodded, thinking carefully. "Of course, there's an odd number of people in our year. So..."

"One gets cut out. Yes," Lie summed up calmly, taking a bite of pancake that, if measured, would probably measure exactly an inch on each side. Somehow, Silver found it a bit ridiculous to combine such serious news with eating so calmly.

The two looked at the two happily chatting females, then back at each other. They silently agreed to keep that little fact a secret from the others. "So, Red, Nora, Ren... I've got some toys I made a little while back that I never got around to using. I figure it wouldn't hurt to spread the awesome that is me." Grinning the enthusiastic grin that is the realm of geniuses and savants who are about to see their work be appreciated, he dug around in his knapsack for a moment, then pulled out a variety of small rectangular prisms, ranging in length from three to six inches. He spread them out on the table, keeping a few of each for himself. "Okay, these black ones," he said, holding up a black box roughly three inches long and an inch wide. "Are simple smoke bombs. Slide the red switch at the top all the way left, then hit the green button. You'll have about a minute of black smoke, either for cover or a signal." He held up a red box four inches long and two across. "These, are my personal favorites. Hit the red button, and you make something blow up. Nice and simple. If you like being sly, the blue knob sets a timer." Finally, he held up a flat gray box four inches long. "These are something I made for a friend of mine in the orphanage. Simple throwing knife. No thrills, no complications." He smiled as the other three split up the lethal party favors amongst themselves.

"Hey Blanc- Where'd you learn to make these things?" Red asked with professional curiosity, looking over one of the throwing knives. She hit the black switch set into the side, and a three inch long blade slid out with an ominous sounding click. She looked it over with a critical eye, then nodded in approval. "This is really good work."

Blanc shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, I was the oldest, so I never really went to school. I spent a lot of time in the workshops back home, and this is sort of what happened. Not a lot of book smarts, and a lotta actual knowing."

Lie Ren nodded, sliding the various toys into his belt and standing, picking up his tray. Nora blinked, then grinned and followed his example. Red waved, then turned to Silver. "You know, Blanc, she's really nice. I like her!"

Silver rolled his eyes, scoffing good-naturedly. "Red, I don't think you know anyone you don't like on some level. Exceptions made for the Ice Queen." He messed up her hair, noticing that it was still a little bit damp.

The small girl scowled at him, then shook her head to undo the damage he had wrought. "Come on, Blanc. We need to get our stuff; the lockers are this way." Picking up her empty plate, she quickly made for the drop off point. Shrugging, Blanc followed her example.

"Hey Red! Is being able to eat without anyone seeing you do it part of what you learned at Signal? Or is it just so nobody comments on the fact you eat so much?"

"BLANC! SHUT UP!"

-Later, Locker Room-

Blanc rolled his eyes as he watched Nora and Ren exit the locker room, the orange-haired girl still chattering aimlessly to her far more mature companion. Shaking his head, he turned to Red and Yang, who were taking their possessions out of their lockers. "So, Red, Yang, is it just me, or is Nora a little hyper?" he asked mildly.

"A little? She's worse than you are!" Ruby laughed, pulling Crescent Rose out of her locker.

"Me? I'm downright lazy compared to you, Red! You're the one who's always moving!" Silver protested, not caring that the statement was hypocritical at best.

"Allll right, you two, calm down! You guys are awfully chipper this morning, what's the deal?" Yang spoke as the voice of reason, breaking up the lighthearted argument before it could escalate. She shot her sister and the thin boy a suspicious look, not trusting them without supervision.

"The deal, my dear sister, is that as of today, no more awkward 'getting-to-know-you' stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking!" Ruby crowed happily, cradling her oversized scythe in her arms lovingly.

Blanc laughed, then nodded in agreement. "For once, I agree with the homicidal skirt-wearer. Talking is highly overrated when we have lethal objects to remove various appendages from offensive beings.* Besides, I need to give Argent Ward a stress test." He pulled out, for once, not a pair of boxes, but what were unmistakably folding-frame, multiform magnums from his belt. He grinned, triggering the weapons' transformations. The result was that he was holding a pair of four and a half foot grosse messers, each identical except for the symbol in the center of the guard. Both had six inch long, dark red grips, angular handguards that were fashioned to look like the wings of some mythological bird, and long, wickedly sharp blades that curved slightly at the ends. The center of those blades were frames of red and black metal, but the edges were what drew attention. They were slim, sharpened on each side, and looked like someone had shaped frozen gallium into the desired shape.

"Wow... I have to admit those are pretty cool, Blanc. When'd ya make them?" Yang asked, looking over the weapons with the casual interest of a professional fighter.

Ruby, on the other hand, was in full weapon geek mode. Eyes wide with interest, she was pouring over every inch of the weapons with a critical, and in some cases ecstatic, eye. Silver, for fear of accidentally injuring his friend, retracted the blades. "These are why I was out so late last night. I wasn't really... comfortable with my old ones." He grinned awkwardly, trying to find the right words. "I mean, they were good, and I could use them, but they just weren't mine, you know? Argent Ward... These things are a part of me, I guess."

Ruby nodded, then looked at her own scythe. "Yeah, I know. My first scythe was nothing like Crescent Rose here." She grinned and high-fived her fellow weapon enthusiast.

Yang sighed in good-natured exasperation, then turned into her concerned-older-sister mode. "Just remember, you two weapon nuts, you're not the only ones going through initiation. If you two ever wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together."

Blanc chuckled at Yang's motherly chastisement. "Alright, I get it! But in our defense, Red and I don't exactly fight in a team-friendly manner." He jokingly mimed a slashing motion in the air. "I forget I have allies!"

Ruby scoffed and rolled her eyes at her sister's words. "You sound like Dad!" She slung her weapon on the harness she had underneath her cloak. She then held up her hand and began to count fingers. "Okay, first of all: what does meeting new people have to do with fighting?" And secondly: I don't people to help me grow up! I drink milk!" She said the last with an odd sort of triumph as she slammed her locker closed with a loud clang.

Blanc laughed and poked Red in the forehead. "Calm down, Red. Save the murdering for Grimms!" He grinned cheerily.

"Yeah! And what about when we form teams?" Yang asked, victory clear in her voice. Crossing her arms, she looked down upon her vertically challenged sister.

Ruby instantly became nervous and unsure. Kicking at the floor, she tried to find a good comeback. "Um... I don't know... I-I'll just be on a team with you and Blanc, I guess. Something like that!"

The swordsman's ever-present grin went up a watt or two, and he nodded. "I'm fine with that."

Yang sighed and turned so she was looking out of the corners of her eyes at her sister. Slowly, she made a potentially fatal suggestion. "Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?"

For some reason, Silver felt his hands creep towards the hilts of Argent Ward. 'Okay, either someone's hijacking my body, or what Yang just said really pissed me off. Mother of Ashes, can't anything here be simple?'

Ruby's eyes narrowed accusingly, and she leveled an angry finger at her purple-eyed sister. "My dear sister Yang." She pronounced each word precisely and testily. "Are you implying that you do not wish me to be on the same team as either Blanc or yourself?"

Yang shook her head, extending her arms and rotating her hands rapidly. "What? No! Of course I'm not! I just thought... I don't know, maybe it would help you... Break out of your shell!"

Blanc did what he was infamous for: he made a joke. "Might I recommend a hammer and pliers?"

Ruby, meanwhile, was staring at Yang in utter bemusement and aggravation. "What the-?! I don't need to 'break out of my shell!' That's absolutely-"

"Ridiculous!" The trio looked up to find a familiar blonde boy in an armored hoodie walking past them, face buried in a map and looking totally lost in the process.

Silver grinned mischievously, motioning for the two sisters to follow him. Silently as was possible for a sixteen year old in armor and a long coat, he began to creep after the older swordsman. Exchanging long-suffering glances, Ruby and Yang followed the odd boy's lead.

'I think Jaune is well and truly screwed unless he finds a partner who knows one end of a sword from another,' decided Blanc as he trailed the hapless blonde. From what he had seen, Jaune had great potential as a defensive fighter, but had absolutely no idea on how to actually fight.

"There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today?" Jaune's complaints were loud and overdramatic, and would have let a blind man, who was also nearly deaf, follow him without difficulty.

As they passed another alcove of lockers, Blanc glanced down the aisle and froze. A vaguely familiar redhead was going through her locker, but what made him stop was the presence of a painfully unmistakable albino. The loathed being was standing near the other girl, who had rather... atypical clothing. Blanc's first impression was that she looked like Yang.

Using rudimentary sign language, the scarlet-eyed teen told the two sisters to stop and listen. Frowning, he looked around the corner of the lockers to keep an eye on the demonic creature.

"So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought as to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!"

Blanc mimed gagging, silently mocking the older teenager's obvious flattery. Yang rolled her eyes at Silver's usual immaturity, while Ruby stifled a laugh by clapping a hand over her mouth. The swordsman broke off his act, grinning.

"Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may!" The redhead's answer was cheerful, upbeat, and carefree, but Blanc could detect the intelligence that was masked in the optimism. The redhead looked at the manipulative girl, grinning mischievously. "Although, I know this guy..."

Blanc almost broke down laughing as Weiss' face fell into hopeless confusion. 'This is better than a play,' he thought happily.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." Weiss sounded nowhere as confident as she had moments earlier.

The redhead, Pyrrha, shrugged, smiling cheerily. "Well, that sounds grand!"

"Great!"

Blanc, Yang, and Ruby all shivered at the expression that spread over the scheming girl's face. Their universal verdict was that the expression, a fox-like smirk, spoke of nothing but purely evil thoughts. It might have been an illusion, or a trick of the light, but the trio could have sworn that a thundercloud had appeared behind her.

"Hey Pyrrha! How are you doing this morning?"

"Jaune! It's good to see you!"

The hidden trio and Weiss blinked as the Amazonian redhead grabbed the newly reappeared Jaune d'Arc in a massive, affectionate bear hug. The blonde boy looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and then a bit like a water balloon squeezed too hard. "Ouch, Pyrrha!"

The redhead blinked then released the flushing Jaune, taking a large step backwards. Blushing in embarrassment, she quickly apologized. "Sorry, Jaune! Are you alright?"

Jaune winced, rubbing his abused ribs. "I'm fine! It's better than yesterday; you almost killed me!" He glared accusingly at the green-eyed girl, but Blanc could see the awkward attempt at humor.

"Oh, come on! It was an accident, Jaune!" Pyrrha protested, grinning in laid-back amusement. She pulled out a red-and-gold object, then triggered it into a long javelin with a wickedly sharp tip.

"You were just a bit too close!"

"Hey, hey! Break it up, you two!" Weiss slapped both on the shoulder, then winced as she hit Jaune's pauldron. Evidently, hitting metal with your bare hands still hurt. "Pyrrha, who is this?" She glared suspiciously at the tall teenager.

Pyrrha's grin grew a bit larger. "This is Jaune d'Arc. He's a guy I met yesterday!" She leaned on her lance.

Jaune made an awkward wave. "It's nice to meet you." He returned his full attention to Pyrrha. "So I've been hearing these rumors about teams! I was wondering if, oh, I don't know... Oh, nevermind!" He shook his head, looking away from the two girls in clear embarrassment.

"No, what's your idea?" Pyrrha pressed, interested in whatever the hapless blonde was thinking.

"Yeah, tell us already! Keeping us in suspense in my job, Jaune!" Blanc cheerily jumped into the conversation, quite literally. He flickered up behind the taller boy, grabbing him in a headlock.

"Gah! Blanc!" That was Jaune, surprised and a bit uncertain.

"Blanc!" Rub y, half amused, half exasperated.

"Silver!" Yang, entirely amused with the red-eyed boy's actions.

"YOU!" Weiss, royally pissed off, as per her job description.

"Me, me, me, me!" Blanc crowed as if he were an actor. He released Jaune's head, grinning happily. He stepped back and gave the group a friendly wave.

"What was that for?" Jaune whimpered, rubbing his neck to make sure it wasn't damaged.

"For mimicking me! What else!" The second youngest person present blinked innocently, but his blood red irises ruined the effect.

Shrugging off the younger teen's atypical behavior (well, typical for Blanc), Jaune turned back to the redhead, who had been watching the entire series of events torn between confusion, amusement, and irritation. Taking a deep breath, the blonde swordsman kicked at the floor and asked, very quickly, "I was just wondering if you wanted to be on my team?"

Pyrrha grinned hugely and nodded with the enthusiasm normally associated with AP English teachers and The Once and Future King. "Sure! That sounds great!"

"See, Jaune!? Asking is always the hardest part of any relationship!" Blanc advised whimsically, flickering in between the two and grabbing each by the shoulder. Giving them a sly look, he proceeded to further ruin the moment. "Now, do it again, except this time ask her to dinner!" Clapping both on the back of the shoulder, he flashed a peace sign and flickered away to the relative safety of Ruby and Yang.

The blonde girl was smiling approvingly as the odd swordsman went through his own, Blanc-ified version of matchmaking. Quietly, so as not to drown out Jaune and Pyrrha, she asked, "Do you they they'll wind up as an item?"

Blanc nodded, smirking knowledgeably. "I see it as likely. Jaune really isn't a ladies' man, but he's a good guy. Loyalty seems to be his currency, and he's a rich man like that! Pyrrha, well... Blunt, straight-forward, and probably possessive. Think? I know!"

Yang nodded at his assessment. "My thoughts exactly!" She grinned evilly, and pushed Silver with her elbow none too gently. "And what about you and Ruby, eh? What's with you and my little sis?"

Blanc instantly flushed and resolutely stared at a nearby locker. Yang laughed, amused by the normally quick-witted boy's complete lack of a comeback. In a way, it reminded her of Jaune and Pyrrha, who were both blushing bright red from Silver's teasing and babbling awkwardly at Ruby and Weiss. The two girls were trapped, and their eyes were slowly glazing over.

The intercom crackled to life with a burst of static, abruptly ending the almost comical scene's chaos. Glynda Goodwitch's voice, which still gave Silver a bad feeling, spoke in its usual holier-than-thou tones. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for in itiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately!"

Blanc looked around the group, noticing the obvious mix of nerves, enthusiasm, and determination. Smirking, he gestured grandly to the exit. "Well? Sooner we get there, the sooner we can get started!" Face turning serious for a moment, he nodded to reinforce his words. "Good luck, people. Let's all meet up after this with our teams; I'll pester Ozpin into letting me cook!" Turning to Weiss, he reluctantly added, "And if Red says it's okay after this, you can come if you feel you must."

The group began to leave the room, Jaune and Ruby taking up the rear with Blanc. Turning to his companions, Blanc whispered, "Hey, listen to me. Don't try to prove anything, okay? I don't have enough friends to lose any." He gave the pair a sad smile, and the duo was surprised to see thinly veiled pain in his blood-red irises.

"Don't worry about it! I'll be fine!" Jaune confidently said, then ran after the group. Specifically, the redhead in the group. That left the two early admittance students together, trailing the others at a leisurely pace.

"So, this is it Red. Nervous much?" Blanc queried, glancing at the small scythe-wielder.

"Not really!"

"Right," Blanc drawled disbelievingly, rolling his eyes skeptically. He sent Red a grin, clapping her on the shoulder. "Red, it isn't a bad thing to be a bit nervous. Trust me, it's when you're all confidence and capability that you fail."

Ruby glared at the older fighter, then let out an explosive sigh that seemed to deflate her entire body. Looking out of the corners of her eyes so she didn't have to see Blanc, she mumbled, "I thought I was ready, you know? But right now... I can't think of anything but how much more all these people know! I feel so.. I don't know what!"

"Red..." Blanc trailed off, then let out a pensive sigh. Pushing his messy silver hair up and out of his face, he tried to figure out how to reassure the short girl. 'None of the girls at the orphanage ha this problem! Come to think of it, neither did any of the other guys! I'm not Yang! I don't inspire people!' Shaking his head to clear it of the nonsensical thoughts, the boy grimaced.

"Look. You'll do fine, Red. Ozpin got us both, but I'll bet you a thousand Lien he only went there to get you. Chances are he thought he should keep an eye on someone like me and threw me into the deal at the last minute. I don't know him well, but I know he wouldn't recruit us if he didn't think we were up to it."

Ruby looked over at her friend to find him giving her a small smile, his usual cheerful mask entirely gone. One side of his mouth was quirked up ever so slightly, but that was it. "R-right!" she answered as she turned away from him, hiding a small blush.

"One more thing, okay? Don't do something stupid and get killed." Ruby's face fell at what was easily mistaken for an insult. "Because I really doubt I could handle losing you. For my sake, be safe."

The girl blinked, her head swiveling so fast she almost got whiplash. Staring at the atypically concerned sixteen year old, she wondered, 'Blanc... Actually cares about me?' "Hey, Blanc..."

"What's up?" Silver asked, then stiffened in sheer, unadulterated shock as Ruby grabbed him in a bear hug. Blanc was a bit shorther than most of Beacon's students, and Ruby's head was about as high as his shoulder. The two wound up with Ruby's head resting against Blanc's chest, with her arms wrapping around his ribs.

"Thanks, Blanc. It's... Nice to hear you care," Ruby murmured quietly, her face on fire.

"The older teen had been caught completely off guard by the impulsive embrace, and had frozen solid. Slowly coming back to life, he eased his arms around the scythe fighter and returned the hug. "No problem Ruby." 'Is it wrong that this feel so right? And do I even care?' he asked himself in the privacy of his own head, looking down at the dark haired girl.

For a few seconds, the two just stood still, perfectly content with the world. And of course, both were blushing enough to make Blanc's eyes seem dull. Ruby giggled when she realized she could hear Blanc's heart beating underneath his coat and minimal armor.

Unseen by either of the two, a girl with sharp golden eyes and black cat ears was watching them with mischievous amusement. Silently, she pulled out a camera and snapped a quick photo, then turned and vanished into the shadows.

-Beacon Cliffs-

Yang watched with amusement as her sister and the odd scarlet-eyed boy arrived in Blanc's usual flicker. Glynda spared the two a disapproving sniff, to which Blanc replied with a roll of his eyes. Ozpin simply raised an eyebrow, and gestured to the two remaining open silver tiles. As the two young fighters took their spots, he took a calm sip from his mug, and began his introduction speech. "For years you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Glynda spoke up, silencing all of the students with an icy glare that Weiss could only dream of. "Now, 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."

"She needs lessons in public speaking, methinks," Blanc joked quietly to Ruby and Yang, who were flanking him. Sadly, the resulting snort from Yang drew the witch's ire.

"Something amusing, Mr. Silver?"

"No, ma'am, I highly doubt you ever could be amusing. Unless you managed to trip." Blanc said this in a completely respectful tone, but the twinkle in his red eyes screamed that he was mocking her.

Before the two could draw weapons, Ozpin cleared his throat and continued the interrupted explanation. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

"Now he sounds like Lykaon..." Blanc muttered, feeling a sweatdrop form on his forehead.

"That being said," Ozpin spoke again after a deep slurp of his coffee, smiling benevolently in the same way Blanc did before he ruined someone's day. "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years!" The blinding grin he directed at his students made Blanc proud to be attending the school, and also made everyone who ha met Blanc shudder.

"WHAAAAT?!" Ruby's dismay was audible as her 'mouse-killing' voice made another appearance. Blanc winced and covered his ears instantly, managing to avoid the full blast. Nobody else was so lucky.

A few places down the line, Nora whispered excitedly to Ren, "See? I told you!" Ruefully, the taciturn boy handed over a small stack of Lien.

Still acting like an adult version of Blanc, Ozpin continued to terrify younger beings, correct their childish hopes, and otherwise depress the soon-to-be-oppressed. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet oppositin along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." He finished in a tone one normally associated with the discussion of pleasant spring weather over a good cup of tea. Jaune gulped nervously, his eyes going wide. Pyrrha, who was next to him, grinned and thumped him on the back. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. And Mr. Silver, please restrain yourself so we have something to review. It is exceptionally boring to read Glynda's reports while watching a blank screen." He stared at the younger silver-haired male, who looked around himself and shrugged. "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, anf be graded appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"What's the capital of Assyria?"

"Ninevah. Next?"

Jaune raised his hand nervously. "Yeah, um, sir?"

Ozpin ignored the hapless boy and exclaimed with an excess of cheer, "GOOD! Now, take your positions."

Blanc grinned, and put his hands in his pockets. Winking at his friends, he cheerily said, "Do you think I can get lessons from Ozpin? I think he might be a better troll than me!" Everyone who heard shivered in fear at that prospect.

"Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question?" Jaune spoke again, missing the launching of several students. Blanc didn't, and his mind instantly went into overtime. "So, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

"No, my friend, you will be falling like you did for Pyrrha," Blanc answered in Ozpin's place, managing to turn both involved parties scarlet.

"So, what, are they handing out parachutes or something?"

Ozpin and Blanc shared an evil glance, then grinned at the blonde swordsman. Ozpin shook his head and clarified. "No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh-huh... Yeah." Jaune clearly was lost.

"Jaune... I have one thought for your chances." Blanc quickly swaped places with Ruby, pulling his sunglasses out of his pocket. When Jaune turned to look curiously at the thin master swordsman, he missed seeing Yang and Ruby get launched at high velocity. Blanc simply said, "They are all..." He slid on the glasses. "Up in the air." And as he finished, he was fired into the air.

"Wha-What?! This is a really bad ideeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Jaune screamed as he too was fired towards the forest.

Ozpin watched the cloud of small bodies fall, his face apathetic. Sip. 'Hm... I think this is a new blend of coffee.'

A/N: On Argent Ward

Type: Close Range Weapon

Specific: Claymore Component Messer Handguns

A three mode weapon designed for close combat, Argent Ward is made up of two near-identical components, each with two modes, that combine into a third form. The standard combat mode for Blanc is the 'Grosse Messer' Form. The storage and short-range mode is an oversized magnum, which can only be fired in this form and has four options:

A: Blunt Force

B: Shredder

C: Pierce

D: Silver Bullet

The range on these handguns is six feet, as they fire bursts of Dust instead of bullets or more condensed projectiles.