Chapter 2:
Meet the Gang
A/N: I'm back! I had a good response to chapter one, so I decided to carry on. On a timeline basis, the story is after Ep 16 of RWBY, and to the reviewer that asked about Crescent Rose, it is unfortunately gone. I needed an opening to fit Soul into Rose's life, and it was the similarity between Crescent Rose and Soul's weapon form that inspired this fic in the first place. With that slightly somber note, on with the story!
Text conversation.
Team RWBY's dorm room, Beacon Academy
"So, this is our dorm room, and your home for the next 3 years!" The rest of Ruby's team watched bemusedly as she dashed around the room,coming to a stop right before Soul. "You don't really have anything to unpack, so we can go introduce you to our friends!" At this, Soul's smile faltered.
"Uh, Ruby? Maybe that isn't such a good idea. I had a brief conversation with Goodwitch on the way to see Ozpin, and we had a discussion about Faunus. If they're treated badly, how well would someone who can turn into a weapon be accepted? I know I can trust you guys, given Blake, but not everyone is as nice." As harsh as it sounded, it might be best to keep Soul in isolation for now. The people of Vale could be incredibly close minded.
"As much as I enjoy watching your pity party, maybe we could get some sleep? You've spent the last 4 hours dashing around the school and I'm exhausted." Weiss grumbled as she pushed past Blake.
"Yes, I can't look as fabulous as normal without my sleep. Night guys!" Yang said as she disappeared behind a hastily erected barrier intended to give the girls some privacy from Soul. As the girls went to sleep, Soul looked around, finding a lack of a bed.
'I guess that I just have to sleep in Scythe form, wouldn't be the first time." He sighed. Slumping down by the window, he barely had time to get comfortable before all the effort of today got to him.
Ruby woke up with muffled yell, taking a moment to realise that she was no longer in a dream. Knowing she couldn't get back to sleep, she rolled out of bed and went to get a drink. Grabbing a carton of milk from the mini fridge, she poured herself a drink, not really paying attention to what she was doing, her thoughts on the white haired boy that had taken up residence. Glancing over to where they had left him last night, she did a double take when she couldn't see him.
"Soul?" Dashing over to the window, she let out a sigh when she saw a scythe leaning there.
"You're up early, Ruby. Want to get some practice in?"
'Sure, let me just grab…. Oh."
"It's okay Ruby, Crescent Rose will live on in your soul, no pun intended," Soul said.
"I know it sounds weird, but She was my first friend. I always preferred weapons to people."
"Makes sense," Soul said. "Weapons in this world are always there for you, and they never insult you or make fun of you. They're like a part of you, an…"
"Extension of yourself," Ruby finished. "Yeah, thanks Soul," Ruby said before she let out a sigh.
"Not to sound weird or anything, but my weapon form is a scythe." Ruby suddenly perked up.
"Oh yeah… I think I'll take you up on that practice offer," and with that she held her hand out as if holding a scythe. Soul grinned, slipping into weapon form easily.
When Blake woke up in the morning and noticed Ruby missing, she didn't think anything was off. It wasn't a rare occurrence that Ruby would go off to think in the early morning. Weiss and Yang agreed with her at first, but when there was only 30 minutes left before breakfast, they decided to hunt down their team leader.
"I'll take the dining hall and the pool, Blake will take the airdocks and the classrooms, and Yang will take changing rooms and the gym. Meet back here at 8:45 if we can't find here." Weiss ordered. Satisfied with this plan of action, Team RWBY left on a manhunt.
Yang quickly swept through the changing rooms, only stopping to ogle at Jaune for a minute before shaking her head and moving on. The young knight was developing well, his training with Ren building up his skinny frame into something more… delectable. Getting back on task, Yang walked into the the Gym, before stopping dead. In the middle of the room, surrounded by ruined training dummies and deep gashes in the floor, lay her younger sister… wrapped in the arms of the weapon they had found in the forest. Quickly whipping out her scroll, she snapped a few pics and messaged one to Weiss and Blake.
BlondeBrawler: Found a rose in the gym. [one attachment]
WhitePrincess: Ooh, blackmail material.
DarkKitty: They're so adorable. Wake her up, I want to know everything.
BlondeBrawler: Will do. Any particular way sleeping beauty should wake up?
WhitePrincess: There should be a bucket of water in the janitor's closet.
BlondeBrawler: Oh, this is going to be good.
Tiptoeing to the closet outside of the gym, Yang pondered why exactly there was a bucket of water in here. If it was for putting out dust fires, it would be in a far more convenient location. Trying to focus on the task at hand, she pulled out the bucket, and pulled out a camera, set it to record mode, and it propped up facing the sleeping duo.
"Three," Yang whispered as she stepped closer, "Two, one and... action!" With a look of glee she dumped the water all over Ruby and Soul, stepping back to laugh at the sight. Soul reacted like a cat, immediately throwing himself around in a vain attempt to stay dry. Ruby curled herself into a ball, mumbling in her sleep.
"Yang? What the hell?" Soul snarled. Yang managed to break out of hysterics for a couple of seconds, only to mumble out that the camera was broadcasting live. Face changing from angry to panicked, before back to furious in a few seconds, he grabbed the camera and flung it across the room. After a rather satisfying smash, the weapon turned around and advanced on Yang, his arm transforming into a scythe blade.
"I do believe we need to… talk."
"Soul?" The man kept approaching, a gleam in his red eyes. Yang's nervous giggling came to an abrupt halt as he reached out to grab her.
8:50, the grounds outside RWBY's dorm room .
Blake and Weiss stood outside, eating popcorn.
"Leeaaaveeee meeeeee alooooneeee!" Yang was being chased in circles by Soul, who was joined by Ruby. The brawler had somehow managed to avoid the duo for a good 15 minutes, and had attracted quite a crowd.
"Can I have some popcorn?" Startled, Weiss and Blake whipped around, only to see Professor Ozpin leaning on his can, the ever present coffee cup in his hand like always. "Watching these young children run around makes me hungry." Weiss and Blake looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to eating.
This is a lot shorter than I had planned, but you guys deserve an update. Hope you enjoyed it, and have a nice day!
Blake
