A.N.: Sorry for taking so long with this. It took me awhile to decide exactly how I wanted to tackle a lot of this and how much detail I wanted to go into. Constructive criticism is always welcome and please do let me know if I made any glaring mistakes. I'm only human and there's only so much I can remember. I apologize for any inaccuracies and I own nothing.
Chapter 1: Ruby Rose
Vale was a quiet city, even for a capitol of a large kingdom.
Once, it had been a great citadel of war, a sanctuary and nerve center for the battalions of old as they defended an ancient and powerful kingdom during the Great War. Today, it was more of a run-down war museum. The fortresses and weapons factories of old had slowly fallen to ruin and from the dead rubble, life rose anew. Apartment complexes grew upwards like grass, sprouting laundry lines and blasting music as inhabitants entered them and chose to stay awhile. Cityscapes inevitably followed the new residents and before long, the ruins of the ancient wars were barely visible amid the schools, Dust shops, grocery stores and parks that had come in the wake of victory. The upper class and industries zealously fought for space on the shoreline, divided only by mercy of the River Vale that split the city into clearly defined districts. It was all rather mundane and ordinary. Truth be told, as a city itself, Vale offered little more or different from any other former war-center on the continent.
Like their city, the citizens of Vale offered little different from the norm as well. They were mostly of the human type, the Faunus laws had been particularly strictly enforced within city limits, effectively banning the half-breeds from most shops, schools and public places. What few Faunus remained were mostly those stuck in the commercial district, too poor to move or too old to care about their rights and fading privileges.
Few moved in, human or Faunus. As a place to live, Vale attracted very little in the way of newcomers and visitors.
Just about the only thing that made it worth traveling to was Beacon Academy.
Beacon was, as its name implied, the source that kept people coming to Vale, seeking the light in the darkness. The finest warriors flocked to the campus and subsequently the town, intent on honing their skills and graduating to join the illustrious ranks of the Hunters and Huntresses. The ancient castle overlooked the city from the highest cliff at the source of the river far to the East. Huntress' Peak, those cliffs were called. It had become so steep and the paths so eroded by countless generations of travelers ascending to the gates that the only way to reach it now was by airship.
Beacon was, for all intents and purposes, practically floating in the sky. On clear nights, the moonlight reflected in its pinnacle and cast a bright pallor over eastern Vale. A constant reminder that the light was here, forever holding back the darkness.
As a result, Vale was often surrounded by an air of peaceful tranquility, as if the residents believed the souls of guardians past were guarding them still, keeping the shadows from rising up to gnaw at the light.
But all lights dim. And most flicker and die.
Vale was far from perfect. It had an underground, no one could deny that. Still, the darkness kept to itself mostly and kept out of trouble so the light was able to tolerate its continued presence. But it was a façade, nothing more. An illusion to keep the people from contemplating war.
No one recalled exactly when the moon had begun to crumble. When the last light against the darkness had begun to fade away. In all honesty, it happened so slowly, most people didn't even seem to notice. Few ever looked up at the moon. Those that did rarely counted the pieces drifting through space or tried to estimate the percentage of light left in the celestial body.
But there were those that had noticed. Those that knew what it meant.
Those were the people making preparations.
Soon enough, once the light faded, Vale would once again assume its role as the landscape of a war.
~RWBY~
Ruby Rose had noticed the crumbling moon. But she was too young to realize the significance. The moon had been fading for so long now, she couldn't tell if it was really getting smaller or if her childhood memories of a full, fat moon glaring across the snow were just fantasies conjured up by her imaginative mind back then.
She was only 15 and her mind was filled with far more important things like weapons, training and occasionally, schoolwork. If she ever looked at the moon, it was because someone else pointed it out.
But the moon was watching her. Waiting for the perfect moment to cast its fading light upon her. To point the shadows in the right direction so that little Ruby may see the war that churned constantly beneath her feet and threatened to rise up and strike.
Tonight she would begin that long journey towards her destiny. And it would begin with a simple choice.
On this particular night, Ruby made a decision that would change her life and the lives of countless others.
She blew off finishing her summer assignment for Signal Academy and instead spent her night perusing Weapons magazine and letting the latest hits from Casey Lee Williams pound in her ears. From Dust Till Dawn wasn't her favorite Dust shop. But it was the only one that didn't kick her out after 9pm. And the only one that let her read the weapons magazines without actually purchasing them.
This night was her first encounter with the Shadows.
~RWBY~
The gang walking down 1st street made quite the impression.
There were five of them: four nearly identical men in sharp black suits and hats sporting red ties, red glasses and the unmistakable shine of well-kept weapons. They walked with purposeful swagger, their gait comparable to that of hyenas stalking prey. The fifth man was undoubtedly their boss.
He was clad in a stylish white coat, buttoned strategically so that it flapped open at his hips and halfway up his chest. A silk scarf was tied around his neck and a fedora perched low over his red locks. His bangs spilled out the front of the hat, cascading down to cover his right eye. A lit cigar was balanced sophisticatedly between his lips. His hands were covered in thick, black combat gloves and he carried a long straight metal cane with a curved handle.
All in all, he gave off an impression of being calm, elegant and dangerous.
The group paused at the corner of 1st and Commercial Ave, the boss stopping to look around and the lackeys waiting for him to signal the next move. The man in front, the boss, lifted his head slightly to peer down the road.
When he saw his destination, he smirked, blew a puff of smoke from his lips and resumed his trek towards it. The others followed in his wake like shadows.
It was already pretty late but nevertheless, there were still plenty of people milling about. They scattered quickly as the gang walked by, cowering in the safety and light of doorways and windows as the heavy boots of the ruffians pounded the street. First in all of their minds was the same thought: please, not me.
Thankfully for them, they were not the target.
The gang was headed for the small old brick building at the very end of the street. It was easily the oldest building on the block, the apartment complexes around it constructed out of dull grey granite and towering far above it. A small garden was on the rooftop, slowly wilting in the lack of sunlight from the blockade of buildings that had recently sprung up.
An old sign above the door read: From Dust Till Dawn.
The windows were large and painted in light brown print that read: Dust-Crystals-Books.
It was run by Mr. Grey, or Old Man Business as everyone liked to call him because he not only owned the store but several other small businesses in the vicinity.
A bell dinged above the door as the gang entered the shop.
They entered slowly, the henchmen spreading out and gazing around the modest shop. It was a typical Dust shop, a long glass counter at the front for purchases, the tubes of the precious substance taking up the entire left wall to display the wide variety of types. Further back, the shelves held everything from books and magazines to snacks and shampoos. A henchman placed a hand on the glass counter and gazed down at the glowing Dust crystals inside: uncut Dust in its rawest, most powerful form.
The boss walked up to the counter, slowly, cool as you please, smiling at Mr. Grey. He plucked the cigar from between his lips and tapped it lightly letting the ashes fall on the spotless glass of the counter. Then he folded his arms and, still smiling, addressed the mildly appalled shopkeeper.
"Do you have any idea, how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" He asked as one of his henchmen whipped out his gun and pointed it at Mr. Grey.
The businessman threw his hands up. "Please." He begged. "Just take my lein and leave!" He already had theft insurance, it was hardly the first time he'd been robbed.
The boss shushed him reassuringly. "Calm down…" he told him. "we're not here for your money." He turned to his henchmen. "Grab the Dust." He commanded.
A large black case was placed on the counter and opened up. Vacuum flasks were produced and the men proceeded over to the Dust tubes. They plugged their flasks into the long display tubes, sucking each one dry and stuffing the compacted contents back inside the black case. Another large case was placed in front of a dismayed Mr. Grey.
"Crystals." The henchman demanded of him. "Pure and uncut." His hands shaking, Mr. Grey began to remove the precious energy propellant from under the counter and into the thieves' case.
They were making good time. It had only been a few minutes and they were already nearly halfway done. The boss settled himself in, leaning comfortably on the counter and plucked a red crystal from the case to examine.
It was only as one of the henchmen returned his full tube to the box and grabbed an empty one that he noticed the small, red figure in the back of the shop. He peered at them for a second, trying to figure out just what he was seeing. The kid was standing by the music rack, wearing a long red cape with the hood pulled up over their head. They had not noticed the robbery taking place.
Not wanting to take any chances, the henchman dropped his flask and drew his sword. "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see them." He commanded, pointing his blade at the figure.
The figure didn't move.
Behind his glasses, the henchman blinked in surprise. "Hey! I said hands in the air!" He shouted. The figure did not respond. He stomped up to them. "You got a death wish or something?" He grabbed their shoulder, forcing them to face him. The red hood fell off, revealing a young girl.
Silver eyes peered at him in surprise. Under the hood, she was wearing a large pair of headphones. Now that he was standing closer, he could hear the loud music blaring from them.
With the music blasting in her ears, she hadn't heard him threatening her.
He could not possibly know this, but this little girl he'd just threatened was Ruby Rose.
Peering at her stupidly through his glasses, he pointed at his ear, indicating that she should take the headphones off.
Ruby pulled the headphones down around her neck, her reddish-black hair swinging. "Yes?" She asked pleasantly.
"I said, put your hands in the air!" The henchman repeated, gesturing impatiently. "Now!"
The girl still seemed confused. "Are you…robbing me?" She asked, peering at him in surprise.
He lost his temper. "Yes!" He shouted, gesturing with his blade.
A smirk slowly spread across the girl's face, narrowing her brilliant eyes. "Ooh…"
The boss was still examining the thick red crystal when the man went flying past him and crashed into their empty Dust cases at the front of the shop. Hardly sparing him a glance, he merely gestured for another of his men to take care of whatever disturbance there was at the back. The last thing they needed was the police getting involved.
The second henchman ran to the back and pointed his gun at the girl in the red hood.
He made the same mistake his predecessor had. He underestimated his target.
He was not prepared for the girl to tackle him, sending both of them smashing into the window and out onto the street.
This caught everyone's attention.
The remaining henchmen, even the one who had first engaged the girl gathered around the window, blinking in confusion and looking out at the shattered glass. The boss pushed past them to see what was going on.
Ruby slowly rose from a crouch, a thick metal gun balanced on her shoulder unfolding smoothly into a scythe larger than a grown man. Nevertheless, she handled it effortlessly.
The boss frowned. This was certainly…unexpected.
The girl looked over the edge of her weapon, smirking at the band of thieves. With practiced ease and a focused gaze, she deftly twirled the enormous weapon around her body, slamming its sharp point into the pavement, the barrel of the weapon staring down the men inside the shop. Smoothly, she clicked off the music still blaring from her headphones and stowed them in her belt.
The boss blinked twice, still staring. He hadn't even noticed his cigar had gone out.
"…okayyyy…" He said slowly. He glanced around at his men, all still staring blankly. "Get her!"
They obediently dashed out the door, their swords flashing as they charged the little girl in the red hood. As the first one approached, he took a swipe at her. But she leapt up, balancing effortlessly on one hand on her scythe and swung her legs around to deliver a powerful kick to his face. He flew back through the broken window into the shop, narrowly missing his boss.
The girl let her momentum continue to carry her, yanking the scythe from the ground and carrying it with her to where she landed in the middle of the street. Her legs spread wide, she held the weapon at her back.
The men converged on her. Adjusting her grip, she pivoted, firing a shot from the barrel of the scythe that propelled her into a fast spin attack. Her blade collided with one of the remaining henchmen and he went spinning off into the air, smacking into the building opposite with a dull thud.
As she slowed, the girl whipped the scythe out in an impossibly fast motion, slamming it into the man who had crept up on her left. He crumpled to the pavement.
The remaining henchmen loaded his gun and took aim. But as he fired, the girl shot out of the way, using blasts from her scythe to propel herself across the street in a zig-zag pattern. Before he knew what was happening, the girl slid into the shooter, sending him flying up into the air. Digging the point of her weapon into the pavement, the girl whipped herself around, flipped herself over and delivered a powerful kick to the falling man, sending him sprawling at the feet of his boss just outside the entrance to the shop. She landed gracefully in the center of the road two dozen feet away, her scythe angled for further attacks.
The entire fight had lasted less than a minute.
The boss glared down at the man on the pavement.
"You were worth every cent, truly you were." He muttered. Plucking the cigar from between his lips, he stepped forward to address the girl. "Well, Red," He began. "I think we can all say, it's been an eventful evening." He dropped his cigar to the pavement and ground it out with his cane. "And as much as I'd love to stick around…" He whipped the cane up to point the barrel at her. She shifted her grip on the giant scythe, gripping the trigger. "I'm afraid this…" The barrel of his cane popped open. "…is where we part ways." He fired a single shot, the projectile whistling through the air like a firework.
The girl in the red hood quickly angled her scythe downward and fired, sending her shooting up into the air, the projectile missing her completely and exploding a crater in the pavement where she had been standing.
By the time she landed, the street was deserted.
Ruby glanced around, frantically trying to catch sight of the thief but the street was deserted except for the unconscious men she had just fought. There was no way he had run away that fast…
Where did he…?
She turned around and frowned. A man in a white coat was quickly climbing the ladder of a taller building further up the street. It was him.
Her grip on her weapon tightened. She had no idea who he was or why he was here. But she knew this much: she could catch him and because of that, she couldn't let him get away.
She glanced over her shoulder. Mr. Grey had stumbled to the doorway, upset about his smashed window but willing to overlook it because the robbery had been foiled.
Ruby caught his eye. "You okay if I go after him?" She asked. He grunted an affirmative and she took off, charging towards the building. A single blast from her gun-scythe was enough to propel her to the rooftop. She landed in a wide stance, angling her weapon. The man was at the other end and out of places to run.
"Hey!" She yelled to catch his attention.
He stopped, the tail of his coat whipping in the wind. "Persistent." He muttered.
Ruby angled her scythe again, ready to attack. But before she could make a move, the wind picked up violently, sending both her cape and the man's jacket flapping. An enormous, large-bellied cargo airship rose up alongside the building, shining its search-lights across the rooftop.
Where did that come from?
Ruby blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. By the time her eyes adjusted, the boss had climbed up into the open belly compartment of the ship. He smirked at her from his safe perch. "End of the line, Red!" He called, holding up the red crystal from the shop. He flung it at her, the facets glinting in the moonlight as it tumbled end over end and bounced to a stop just in front of her. Before it had even stopped moving, the boss raised his cane again and fired a single shot. The rocket whistled towards the crystal, promising this time to reach its intended target.
Ruby braced herself, ready for the recoil but before the shot made contact, something fell from the sky and landed in the path of the rocket. A puff of red Dust exploded across the rooftop.
"Wahhooo!" The boss cheered. But as the cloud began to clear he noticed something unexpected on the rooftop. "Huh?" He leaned closer, trying to make out the multiple shapes now becoming clear as the explosion faded.
Standing in front of Red was a blonde woman dressed in a tight white and black battle dress. A purple cape flapped behind her. In her hand she held a Dust-wand, flattened at the tip into the semblance of a riding crop.
A purple seal was rapidly fading in front of her. She had diverted the explosion around herself and the kid, saving them both with her energy shield.
The woman gave a short humming sound, almost as if she were analyzing the ship. Ruby slowly lowered her scythe, staring at the woman in awe. Her blonde hair was tied up in a tight bun in the back, with a few loose curls hanging down the side of her face. Her cape was far shorter than Ruby's hood and broke into tendrils at the ends, flapping and twisting in multiple directions in the breeze.
The newcomer pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, closer to her light green eyes. With a flick of her wand, she sent powerful bursts of her aura flying at the ship.
The boss stumbled around as the blasts rocked the airship, his cane flying out of his grip and sliding across the hold. He raced unsteadily to the cockpit, grabbing for the doorway to steady himself.
"We got a Huntress!" He informed the woman piloting the aircraft. Without a word, she abandoned her seat and stalked to the back, leaving the boss to scramble for the joystick.
As the ship weaved and hovered unsteadily in the air under the guidance of its less-than-adequate new pilot, the Huntress geared herself up for another attack. Her aura turned her entire body white briefly before she unleashed another purple seal into the air above the slowly fleeing ship. Storm clouds began to gather, thunder rumbling menacingly.
With another flick of the wand, a hailstorm of deadly sharp ice shards descended upon the ship. They embedded themselves in the metal, cutting through windows. One even sliced into the cockpit, narrowly missing the boss' head as he frantically ducked.
The woman onboard the airship had reached the open cargo bay. Her sharp heels clinked like glass on the metal floor.
The Huntress narrowed her eyes. From her position on the rooftop, she couldn't make out the face of her opponent, only her long legs, gray heels and red battle dress.
A flame sprung to life in the shadowy woman's hand, sending golden light racing up the sleeves of her dress. She threw her handful of fire at the Huntress. A flick of the wand and another seal redirected the attack around her.
Eyes glowing like tiny embers in the dim ship, the woman raised her hand and a sharp whistling filled the air. A sigil shaped like a red eye appeared under the Huntress' feet. She deftly flipped out of the way as an explosion rocked the place where she had just been standing. Waving her wand again, the shrapnel from the explosion froze in midair. With a twist of her wrist, the Huntress shaped the debris into a long, wickedly sharp spear that she sent hurtling back towards the ship.
The woman in the hold shot quick bursts of flame at the projectile but each time it simply reformed and resumed its course. Just before it made contact, the left wing of the vehicle dipped in an effort to avoid it, sending the spear arcing up along the ship's dome and across its other wing.
Calmly, with deadly precision, the Huntress broke the spear into three separate ones, each one circling the ship like snakes preparing to strike.
Stumbling around, the woman in the hold clung to the open doorframe, trying to see what was happening. Two of the snakes came into view, coiling for their new attack. Gathering her aura, several large rings formed around the figure, glowing with Dust-enhanced fire. Throwing her arms out, great rings of fire burst from her to curl around the ship. The spears were all incinerated, the dust falling to the ground.
Seeing an opening as the rapid-fire attacks dwindled, Ruby folded her scythe into its gun form and took aim, firing several shots at the shadowy woman. All of them were deflected effortlessly by the shadowy figure. The woman swung her arm in a wide circle, her dress glowing a dull orange.
Several eye sigils appeared across the rooftop, several of which overlapped on the place where Ruby stood. Glaring, the Huntress made a sweeping gesture with her wand. Ruby felt something slam into her back, pushing her forward and out of harm's way. She rolled over her shoulder as she hit the rooftop, the Huntress propelling herself to safety with a graceful cartwheel.
By the time the Huntress regained her footing, the ship had slipped out of range, its hatch closing tightly as it sped away into the darkness. She narrowed her eyes, tracking its flight as it vanished.
"You're a Huntress?"
The older woman turned to look at the girl in the red hood. She had dropped her scythe completely and was staring at the Huntress with barely contained adoration.
"Can I have your autograph!?"
~RWBY~
"I hope you realize your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady!" The Huntress scolded as Ruby sat at the table, glumly pouting at the turn of events. The Huntress had refused to answer even the simplest of her questions like, "what do you call your Dust Wand?" or "how did you get to the middle of the rooftop without being seen?".
Instead, the Huntress had wordlessly escorted her to this interrogation room across town and was pacing back and forth lecturing her.
Like she wouldn't already get enough of that from her father when she got home. He was going to kill her this time. It was LATE.
"You put yourself and others in great danger." The Huntress was saying as she tapped on her Scroll.
Ruby grew indignant at that. "They started it!" She protested. She was not going to be blamed for what had happened tonight. She'd done the right thing!
"If it were up to me…" The Huntress continued, still examining the feed on her Scroll. "You'd be sent home." She finally stopped pacing, standing in front of the table. "With a pat on the back…" Ruby perked up instantly. The Huntress' eyes snapped to her. "And a slap on the wrist!" She said sternly, whacking the end of her crop on the table mere inches from Ruby's hand. Ruby squeaked and cowered back.
The Huntress sighed. "But, there's someone here who would like to meet you." She pulled her weapon off the table and stepped aside.
Ruby peered towards the door, curious. A man emerged from the shadows carrying a platter and a cup of coffee in his hands. He was dressed in a smart emerald suit and jacket with a thick, green turtleneck bunched up around his throat. Wavy silver hair fell across his forehead, nearly covering his eyes. His face was thin and angular but it wasn't without hints of softness and gentility. Although he looked young, he gave off the impression of age and wisdom, like a grandfather.
He greeted her with a warm smile. "Ruby Rose…" The named girl sat up straighter, brightening considerably. He couldn't be…but he was!
The man walked up to the table, leaning forward and peering at her through his wire-rimmed spectacles. "You…" He began, his liquid amber eyes softening behind the lenses. Ruby's eyes widened in anticipation, her heart racing in adoration and excitement. It was really him! Looking at her! Talking to her, wanting to meet her! "…have silver eyes." The man finished flatly after an abnormally long pause.
Ruby leaned back, a little off-put by that statement. "uh…umm…" It didn't seem like that was what he had intended to say.
"So." He said, leaning back, suddenly all business. "Where did you learn to do this?" He asked, indicating the display on the Scroll the Huntress was holding up. A running security cam clip of Ruby's fight outside the Dust shop was playing with surprisingly good quality.
Ruby smiled hesitantly. "S…Signal Academy?" She replied softly, never taking her eyes off of this strange man before her.
The man's brow furrowed, almost in anger. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"
"Well…" Ruby began, scrambling to clarify. "One teacher in particular…"
His expression didn't change. "I see." The man placed the platter he was holding on the table in front of Ruby. It was full of enormous cookies packed with thick, gooey chocolate chips. Ruby hesitantly picked one up but enthusiastically crammed it into her mouth. When neither of the adults in the room moved or said a word, she dug into the cookies with gusto, quickly polishing off the entire platter.
"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before." The man informed her as she munched on the cookies. He gazed off in thought. "A Dusty old Qrow…"
"Umyaaah! Thffs my uncwul, datwt ith!" Ruby managed to get out around cheeks bulging with cookie.
The man peered at her in an unsettling way, almost as if he couldn't decide whether to chastise her for speaking with her mouth full or not. Ruby was mortified. Where were her manners? She swallowed hard before trying to speak again. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow. He's a teacher at Signal." She smiled, thoughts of her uncle helping alleviate some of her nerves. "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing." The man took a sip of his coffee to hide a small smile. Ruby sat back and raised her hands. "Now," She continued, accenting her speaking with pantomime fighting. "I'm all like…waa! Ohhh! Pachow!"
The man smiled, clearly charmed by her actions. "So I've noticed." He placed his coffee cup down on the table and slowly lowered himself into the chair opposite her. "And what is an adorable girl, such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"
Ruby folded her hands, determined to keep a lid on her enthusiasm this time. "Well," she began, her heart pounding in excitement. "I want to be Huntress."
The man placed the tips of his fingers together. "You want to slay monsters." He told her rather than asked her.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah." She glanced from the man to the silent Huntress and back. "I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I'm going to apply to Beacon. See, my sister' starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress. And I'm trying to become a Huntress because I wanna help people. And my parents always taught us to help others so I thought, ah, well I might as well make a career out of it!" Ruby knew she was rambling. She also knew that her previous promise to herself to dial down her excitement was currently failing. By this point she was positively animated. But there was no stopping her now. She could talk about her dream for hours. "I mean the police are alright but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool!" She caught her breath before looking up at the adults' reactions. "You know?"
The Huntress was peering at her disapprovingly through her spectacles, arms folded tightly against her chest. The man hadn't moved. It looked as though he'd hardly reacted at all to Ruby's ramblings. He still looked just as distant and emotionless as ever.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked.
She'd known from the moment he entered the room. "You're Professor Ozpin." Ruby replied politely. "You're the Headmaster at Beacon." She had to struggle to keep the excitement out of her voice.
Professor Ozpin looked a little surprised that she had known him. "Hello." He said matter-of-factly.
Ruby's face split into a wide grin. "Nice to meet you!"
He leaned forward, peering unsettlingly into her eyes again. "You want to come to my school?" He asked her.
"More than anything." Ruby answered sincerely.
Ozpin looked up at the Huntress. She huffed and rolled her eyes, her arms still folded tightly.
The Professor turned back to Ruby with a small smile on his face.
"Well okay."
~RWBY~
Two days of packing, goodbyes, hasty travel arrangements, half-hearted promises to her father and frantically signed paperwork later, a somewhat bewildered Ruby Rose was on the Beacon shuttle, getting a crushing embrace from her overly-enthusiastic older sister.
"I can't believe my baby sister's going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" Yang Xiao Long practically screamed in Ruby's ear.
"Please stop…" Ruby moaned through her teeth, embarrassed at the attention Yang's display was drawing from the other passengers.
Yang abruptly released her, taking a step back. "But I'm so proud of you!" She cooed.
"Really sis, it was nothing…" Ruby said meekly, wishing Yang would just drop the whole thing already.
Yang of course, would not be deterred. "What do you mean? It was incredible!" She was grinning from ear to ear, like Ruby had personally taken down the White Fang. It seemed like everyone had heard the story: Little Girl in Red Hood stops Dust robbery, gets offered spot at Beacon Academy. Apparently, no one had heard the subtitle: she was just doing the right thing, she didn't ask for special treatment.
"Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bees' knees!" Yang continued, gesturing behind her at their fellow students who were milling about on the shuttle, occasionally sending not-so-discrete glances towards the talking sisters.
Ruby felt her own knees come together in anxiety. "I don't wanna be the 'bees' knees!' Okay?" She pleaded to her sister who only continued to smile at her. "I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."
"What's with you?" Yang asked, still far too happy. "Aren't you excited?"
"Of course I'm excited." Ruby admitted. And she was. There was just this tiny knot of self-doubt and nerves that had coiled in her stomach and prevented her from enjoying this moment. "I just…I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."
Ruby pulled her cape tighter around herself. Her cape had always been a source of comfort for her, as much a memento of the happiness of childhood as it was a stubborn battle-dress decision today. No matter how many teachers told her a cape was a liability in battle, she never heeded their advice. Ruby didn't feel complete without it and only ever took it off when she slept. Even then, it often formed a blanket for her on nights when sleep was difficult. She had learned to fight with it and her style compensated for the apparent liability.
But here on this ship, it seemed even more a marker of her difference from everyone else, a glaring representation of her youth and immaturity next to their dignified armor and suits. Even standing next to Yang, the blonde clad in her formidable yet sexy battle blouse, half-skirt, shorts and heavy combat boots, Ruby felt even more like a kid playing dress-up. One of these things is not like the others…
Yang quieted considerably, walking around to place an arm over Ruby's shoulders. She pulled her closer, squeezing her gently. "But you are special." She told her in a much quieter tone of voice.
Ruby tried to smile but the action felt forced. They hadn't seen each other very much this past year. Running into Yang outside of that club the other night had been completely unexpected. Signal Academy seniors were often sent on missions to improve their skills and Yang had been one of the best in her class. She hadn't spent a lot of time on campus as a result and her acceptance into Beacon had basically been guaranteed with her continued field success. Yang also had a tendency to wander around on her own, never telling Ruby exactly where she was going or what she was doing. Ruby suspected sometimes Yang didn't even know herself.
But that hardly meant the two had grown apart. Yang had always been there for Ruby, no matter what. She was the one who had picked Ruby up after the first time she had been bullied, she was the one who had broken the bully's nose the next day. Yang had nursed Ruby's cuts and bruises and listened attentively to the stories and epic battles Ruby had come up with even when they had to do it via Scroll instead of face to face. Hers was the voice Ruby remembered reading her to sleep at night and whispering words of encouragement all the time.
In the time they had spent apart, Ruby had forgotten just how good Yang was at making her feel better.
Before she could thank Yang for the support, something on the shuttle's news feed caught her eye.
"What is it?" Yang asked, following her gaze.
Ruby paused. "That's the guy who robbed the Dust shop…"
"'The robbery was committed by notorious criminal Roman Torchwick.'" The news brief said, showing a mug shot of the man Ruby had encountered a few days ago. "Who continues to evade authorities…" Ruby let out a tiny sigh of relief. At least they had finally stopped running the footage of her beating up the guys outside of the Dust shop. Her identity had not been released (what with her being underage) but they had certainly played it enough times that anyone would easily recognize her.
"Wow." Yang said looking at the mug shot, " he doesn't look friendly."
"He wasn't." Ruby confirmed as the news feed switched to coverage of a Fanus Civil Rights Protest that had been interrupted by a White Fang attack. "And his friend certainly wasn't either." The knot in her stomach was back only this time, it burned with determination. They had gotten away. She had failed to bring them to justice, as a true Huntress should. But if they ever met again, Ruby was going to make sure that she righted her wrong. Roman Torchwick wasn't going to slip away from her again.
The news feed was interrupted mid-sentence and the ship fell silent for a few moments. In the place of the newscast, a hologram appeared. It was the image of the Huntress from the other night.
"Hello and welcome to Beacon." The hologram said in a perfect imitation of the no-nonsense demeanor its image always upheld.
"Who's that?" Yang asked Ruby.
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The hologram continued, almost on cue with Yang's question.
"Oh."
"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it."
Ruby felt the first genuine smile of the day come to her face. This was it. Today, her dream began.
"You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." The hologram faded.
Ruby gasped. "Wow!" She rushed to the large glass window of the shuttle and pressed her face against it, staring out over all of Vale spread out below. All around the shuttle, others followed her lead, rushing to the window to try to catch a glimpse of the city or of the fortress up ahead that was their destination.
The buildings and spires of the upper commercial district flew by below, following the twists of the River Vale. From up here, you really could see everything.
"Look!" Ruby told Yang as her sister joined her at the window. "You can see Signal from up here." She gestured west, towards the tiny speck in the distance that had been their former home. Then she glanced up. In the opposite direction, just growing visible in the distance was Beacon.
It truly was a sight to behold. Even in the daylight, the green light glowed from the highest tower, beckoning the ships in for landing. The other buildings surrounded the light in a tight spire, gray and nondescript from this distance. The sources of the River Vale curled around the fortress, tumbling off the sharp face of Huntress' Peak to flow into the city proper.
Perhaps it was just the euphoria of the view or an overwhelming sense of just how insignificant the distance between places seemed from this angle or even Yang's comforting words finally catching up with her but for one reason or another, Ruby felt the knot in her stomach untwist, if only slightly. "I guess home isn't too far after all."
Yang moved to Ruby's side and put her hand on her little sister's shoulder. "Beacon's our home now." She said gently and the two of them shared a smile for the first time in a long time.
The moment was abruptly interrupted by a moan from their right. Both sisters glanced up to see a boy in jeans, a black hoodie and barely-useful chest and arm armor double-over, hands clasped tightly over his mouth.
"Well, I guess the view isn't for everyone." Yang joked as the boy stumbled past them, looking distinctly green and retching a little.
"It was a nice moment while it lasted." Ruby agreed.
Yang smiled again. "I wonder who we're going to meet!"
Ruby glanced over at where the boy was trying to open the door to the washrooms with his elbow so he could keep both hands over his face. "I just hope they're better than vomit boy…" she said drily.
Ruby glanced down and reeled back in horror. "OH! Yang! Gross! You have puke on your shoe!"
Yang's smile immediately melted away to a look of pure revulsion. "Grossgrossgrossgross!"
She lifted her boot, trying to flick the vomit off without touching it. Ruby covered her face and tried to dance backwards away from her flailing sister.
"Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away!"
One thing was certain. It was going to be an interesting year.
A.N.: Please review! Hopefully this was enough to tide us over until the final episode of Volume 2 this Thursday!