Chapter 1: Letters From Home

My mother once told me that I'm very subtle, but quick to anger. My dad laughed when she told me that. I suppose she's partially correct. I've never been one to tolerate bullies, and that has gotten me into fights all my life. I speak my mind, I don't back down, and my style puts me into the spotlight often. You're probably thinking the same thing my dad was that day.

Not so subtle.

My name is Michael Silver-Chulainn, and today is the day I leave my home in Atlas for the last time. For those of you that are not familiar, Atlas, or Mantle depending on who you ask, is one of the four kingdoms of Remnant. Today, I leave the place i've lived for 17 years to join the greatest Hunter Academy in the four kingdoms. Beacon Academy, located in the Kingdom of Vale to the south. Once again, if you don't know, Hunters are warriors, men and women that protect the people of Remnant from monsters known as Creatures of Grimm. Although sometimes they do fight other people. My mother is a Huntress, just as my father was a Huntsman. As for the Grimm, they're soulless creatures of shadow and hate.

Now, I think that's enough history for the time being. Let's get to why we're here.

"Knock Knock, Knock Knock."

"Michael," a female voice goes through my head, kind and steady. "It's time to wake up sweetie. James wants to see you before you leave."

I sit up a little too fast and immediately get light headed.

"Woah...shit," I said, sounding out of breath.

"Language young man," says the voice.

"Sorry mom."

I shift myself to the edge of the bed, putting my feet on the cold floor, and rub the sleep from my eyes. When they adjust, I see her. A tall, slender woman wearing a mostly white and gray military uniform with a small amount of blue. It is a completely practical design, even lacking rank insignias. Her face is lined with age but not extremely so, and her graying copper hair is braided in the back. She smiles at me warmly, but her chocolate eyes hold a hint of concern within.

"What time is it?" I ask, stretching my back.

"Zero four-hundred hours," Mom says. "It's not like you to need to be roused by another."

"I know. Didn't sleep well I suppose."

I glance around the room. Like my mother's uniform, it's completely practical and nothing more. Grey and white colors, concrete floor, and three other metal framed beds with nothing on them. Looks more like a prison than an auxiliary barracks. My gray duffel-bags sit by the door, containing almost everything I own.

"Where does the General want to see me?" I ask.

"His office," Mom said, holding her arms behind her back. "I believe he has one last objective for you. He didn't tell me what, but I have a hunch."

"Then I should get ready." I stand up. "Wouldn't want to keep Uncle Jimmy waiting."

Mom chuckles. "You know he hates it when you call him that. I'll be waiting for you at the landing pad."

She turns on her heels and leaves the room, closing the door behind her. As she left, I caught her eye. The concern had turned to something I couldn't quite place.

I shake the thought from my head and go to the closet to grab my gear. I put everything on, holster my weapons, and walk towards my bags. I stop in front of the mirror, possibly the least practical thing in here.

Staring back at me was, well, me. Roughly six foot five inches tall, well built, chiseled and angular. Clad in dark blue jeans, knee-high black combat boots, a white button down shirt, a black and white leather jacket with red trim and a fur collar, a silver cross necklace, and steel knuckle gloves. Steel reinforcement on my shoulders and forearms, held on with various leather straps, and a leather belt with two sword sheaths on the left side. My eyes are silver, with slit pupils like a viper, my hair is mostly black, but fades through orange to gold at the tips.

"Smokin'," I grin and run my hand through my hair.

I take one last look at the room. Lots of memories, not all great, but still mine. Now there's nothing to even suggest anyone had been living here. I turn off the lights, grab my bags, then leave, closing the door behind me.

The hallways in the main of the military fortress that is Atlas always felt colder than they should be, considering they're heated. They need to be heated too. When you're a flying city, wind chill ends up substantially higher than on the ground. Oh yeah, I should mention Atlas is a flying city. Well, it's more of a fortress, but that's not the point. It drifts high above the city of Mantle, where the non Atlas military personnel live and work. The single most advanced piece of technology, serving as the seat of the most powerful military force in the four kingdoms. I was so lost in thought I hadn't realized I had walked to the General's office. Muscle memory will do that I guess. I knock on the door.

"Come in," says a tough but smooth voice on the other side.

I open the door and step through. The room inside is slightly fancier than the rest of the base. The floor is polished granite instead of concrete, same color though, and the wall behind a very large desk is entirely glass. There are a few bookshelves, and a lot of screens and monitors. Behind the desk sits a tall, broad man with well kept jet black hair and a cleanly shaven face. His uniform is the same color as all the others, white and gray with some blue, but he also wears a red tie and a blue-gray vest under his white coat. His jaw is firm, and his deep blue eyes are piercing yet warm. Standing to his left is a ginger girl I don't recognise. She is dressed in a white blouse with a gray and green strapped skirt. She wears black and green leggings going into black combat boots. She also has a pink bow in her short ginger hair, with a strange looking black and green scarf around her neck. Her jade colored eyes twinkled with what I assume is joy, and her lips are curled into a small smile that creases the corners of her freckled face. All together she's pretty cute.

The General stands up and walks to stand in front of his desk, the ginger follows to stand on his left once more. I move to stand a few feet in front of him.

"You wanted to see me, General Ironwood?" I ask.

"Yes I did," the General says. "And no need to be formal as of now. James will do."

"Alright," I nod. "So what's this about James?"

"Michael, this is Penny Polendina." He gestures to the girl. "Enrico Polendina's daughter."

"Dr. Polendina has a daughter?" I ask. James nods.

"She's very important to him. However, rather than isolate her within these cold walls like some families I could name, we're sending her to Beacon Academy with you."

"My father and I agree it would be most beneficial," says the girl. Penny. Her voice was joyous and enthusiastic. "Beacon Academy would provide a thirty-two point seven percent more diverse combat training experience than Atlas, and a fifty-nine point three percent more diverse human and faunus interaction."

One more mention, faunus are basically humans with added animal characteristics. Claws, fangs, ears, etc.

"That's… a very specific set of statistics," I say.

"I aim to be as accurate as possible." Penny salutes.

"Anyway…" I turn my head to meet the General's gaze. "So what does this have to do with me?"

"You might not think so from Penny's enthusiasm," James starts. "But she's been very sheltered all her life. She'll need a guide in the world of people. Someone capable of being…"

"A hardass?" I say.

"Not the word I was looking for, but it fits well enough. That's the task I'm giving you Michael. To look after Penny."

"I look forward to your guidance and companionship," Penny says, beaming.

"I think I can handle that." I shrug my shoulders.

General Ironwood nods before slightly turning to Penny.

"Penny," he says. "Grab your bags and take them to the Bullhead waiting for you two. I have one more thing I need to discuss with Michael. Privately."

"Yes sir." Penny salutes and leaves the office.

James turns around and grabs a box off his desk before facing me again. It's a long, flat, heavy wooden box. Maybe mahogany. It's the kind of box you would keep valuables in that aren't gonna break. Like a pocket watch or a military dagger. He opens it up, revealing a large handgun sitting on a leather holster on velvet padding. The handgun itself is a semi-automatic pistol, silver in color with gold engravings and cherry wood grips. On the side I can see, engraved in the slide is "The Sins of the father".

"This," James starts. "Was once your father's. He asked me to hold onto it a long time ago. He told me to give it to you if anything ever happened to him. When the time was right. It seems this is the time."

I grab the gun to inspect it more. It's not as heavy as I was expecting. I look down the sights, pull the slide back to check the chamber, then pop the mag and put it back in. It's a fine weapon.

"What's it chambered in?" I ask as I grab the holster.

"It's designed for custom tungsten jacketed four-fifty-four caliber rounds that shed their jackets upon entry, allowing the lead to break up."

I let out a long whistle.

"An Ursa Major wouldn't survive one of these," I say. "Let alone anything smaller."

James nodded. I strap the holster to my right hip and belt before flourishing the firearm and holstering it.

"Any idea what 'The sins of the father' means?" I ask.

"Not beyond the old proverb," James says. "The sins of the father are paid by the son."

I nod. I don't know what it means to him. Dad did love his riddles.

"One last thing before you leave," says the General. "When your father disappeared, our last known location of him was Mount Glenn. His reports said he had been using the ruins as a sort of base of operations. We haven't been able to send anyone to investigate, and at this point it's been enough time that we didn't expect to find anything. I can't condone you doing anything of this nature outside Beacon's curriculum, and it's been years, I don't know if you'd find anything. However, should for any reason you find yourself near the area, you may find answers to questions I can't help you solve."

I think about what he said for a moment. I can feel myself getting angry but I choke back my rage.

"Does my mom know?" I ask.

"Delilah read the full report." James said. "No black ink."

I nod.

"So why didn't I?"

"Because you were much younger then, Michael." James' voice grows stern. "It was bad enough you had just lost your father. You weren't ready to learn the secrets your father was looking for."

"What does that even mean, James?"

"You'll find out for yourself, in due time."

I sigh. James takes a step towards me and puts his left hand on my shoulder.

"Roland was a good man," he says. "He loved you very much, and he'd be proud of you. Enjoy your time at Beacon Academy Michael. You'll be in good hands there."

I give a dry laugh. James pats my shoulder then returns his arm behind his back.

"Thanks Uncle Jimmy," I say, walking to the door.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," James says with a chuckle. "Take care son."

I grin, a shallow but warm grin, as I walk out into the concrete hallways.

As I walk across the landing pad to the aircraft, I see my mom standing next to it. She smiles as I approach. The aircraft, a V-22 Bullhead, is long, round except for the wings, and not much bigger than a bus. Instead of rotars, it has jets on the ends of the main wings which are currently pointed up ready for take-off.

"How did it go sweetie?" Mom asks.

"Interestingly," I respond. "He gave me a gun. From Dad."

"Yes, I've seen it. It's a powerful weapon, perfect for someone like your father." She pauses. "For someone like you."

"Do you know what the engraving means?" I ask.

"I know what it means, but I don't know what your father meant by it."

"Figures," I scoff. "James also told me about Mount Glenn."

Mom frowns before her expression turns thoughtful.

"I see," she finally said. "I trust you'll use that knowledge responsibly."

"Don't I always?" I joke.

Mom and I share a chuckle. She looks at the aircraft then back to me.

"I met a very unusual girl while I waited for you," she says. "Very energetic and… eccentric."

"She's my 'last assignment' from the General," I say. "Penny Polendina. I'm to look after her."

"I suspected as much." Mom says. "I've heard a number of things about Dr. Polendina'a daughter. You've got your work cut out for you."

"Lovely," I roll my eyes.

"You'll do fine," Mom laughs. "She's a charming girl. I'm sure you'll get along with her just fine."

"I suppose we'll see," I say. "I should go, Mom. The pilot is waiting on me."

Mom grabs my hands in hers and looks up at me. Her lips are turned up into a smile, but her eyes are holding back tears.

"I'm proud of you sweetie," she says. "Take care of yourself. I'll visit when I can, and remember you can contact me whenever you need. I love you my darling boy."

"I love you too Mom."

I let go of her hands and walk up the ramp into the aircraft. I hold a button next to a speaker and speak into it.

"I'm in," I say. "Ready to leave."

There's no response, but the ramp raises till it seals off the aircraft. I hear the engines rumble to life, and feel the craft start to lift off the ground. I choose a seat and slump down in it, letting my bags fall on the floor at my feet. Before I can close my eyes, Penny comes through the door leading to the cockpit. She looks around, then beams when she sees me and walks my way. She stops in front of me and salutes.

"Salutations!" she nearly shouts. "You appear physically well, Michael. However I am unable to measure emotional wellbeing."

"Thanks?" I say. "How are you so upbeat at five in the morning?"

"Uhh…" Penny stammers. "I'm a morning person! 'hiccup'"

"Clearly." I stretch my arms. "I'd ask how you're doing, Penny, but obviously you're excited."

"Indeed I am!" she exclaims. "I'm looking forward to this opportunity! Aren't you?"

"Yes, but…" I pause "It's complicated, Penny. I've got a lot on my mind, and Uncle Jimmy just added to it."

"Did your uncle give you bad news?" Penny asks, her expression now one of concern.

"No," I said. "The bad news came a long time ago. And he's not my actual uncle. I just call General Ironwood 'Uncle Jimmy' sometimes. It's a sort of joke between us."

"I didn't realize you were so close to the General," Penny says.

"Yeah. He was a big part of my life after my dad died." I pull a bag of beef jerky out of one of my duffel bags. "Want some?"

"No thank you," Penny says. "My condolences about your father, Michael."

"Thank you, Penny." I say.

I get up and start walking to the cockpit. There were slight taps on the metal floor as I walked. Penny following me I guess. I lean my head through the door.

"Yo," I say to the pilot. "Hey buddy. Can I smoke in here?"

"Go for it," says the pilot, his voice gruff. "Just stay away from the jerrycans."

I nod and pull a pack of cigarettes out of my jacket. I take one out, put it in my mouth, and light it with the metal lighter I pull out of my pants pocket. As I turn around I put away the pack and come face to face with Penny, wearing an accusatory look.

"Smoking is extremely bad for your health, Michael," she says. "Smoking increases the risk of heart attack by an average of three-hundred seventeen-point six percent for individuals aged sixteen to twenty-five and increases risk of cancer by an average of seventy-eight-point five percent."

"Thanks for the statistics, Penny," I say, walking back to my seat. "I know how bad it is for me. It helps take the edge off."

"You still shouldn't be smoking. It will likely shorten your lifespan."

"I appreciate your concern, Penny," I say. "But you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"You're welcome, Michael," Penny says. "However, I will always make sure you have any necessary data needed for you to make an informed decision."

I chuckle. She says that in such a way that makes her sound way too excited to give me very precise statistics. It's adorable really.

"I'll be happy to hear them," I say. "Glad to have a friend looking out for me."

"I'm… Your friend?" Penny tilts her head and leans slightly over me.

"Well yeah," I say. "Why wouldn't you be? Besides, we'll be spending a lot of time together. What with me looking after you and all."

"Sensational!" she exclaims and pumps her fist in the air. "I've never had a friend before!"

"You really are a sheltered kid," I say, taking one last drag from my cigarette.

"I have never been far from my father's lab," Penny says. "I haven't interacted with many people."

"Well that's about to change," I say. "You are about to interact with a lot of people. And you'll have me to help you along."

"Thank you very much Michael." she suddenly hugs me. "I'm so excited!"

"Uh… you're welcome, Penny." It starts getting difficult to breathe. "Penny… need to breathe…"

"Oh!" Penny jumps back, releasing me. "I'm sorry."

"No worries," I say.

I pull out my scroll, which is a portable phone in case you're wondering, and look at the time. Zero five forty-five.

"I'm going to rest for a little bit," I say. "Wake me up when we're at Beacon if I'm not already."

"Absolutely," Penny says with another salute. "Rest well!"

I chuckle and lay down across the seats. I'm out immediately.

"So you're the one."

A female voice goes through my head. It's was drawn out and almost mythical.

"Hmm…Interesting. I hadn't anticipated this."

I try to speak but no words leave my mouth.

"Yes. You'll do. We will speak soon, my child."

"Michael we have arrived!"

This time it's Penny's voice going through my head. My eyes shoot open. Penny is leaning over me, her green eyes full of excitement. I sit up and swing my legs off the seat. Penny moves out of my way.

"We're there?" I ask, rubbing my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Twelve o' five," Penny says. "We have arrived within the scheduled arrival times of the other airships."

"Sweet." I stand up and stretch. "Wanna watch us land from the cockpit? I've heard the view is amazing."

"I would like to indeed!"

Penny and I make our way to the cockpit. The pilot is talking to the air traffic controller, but I'm not paying attention. The view is more impressive than I was expecting. A cliff overlooking a plain, surrounded by a dense, lush forest. A waterfall pours over the northernmost end of the cliff. And directly in the middle, on the edge of the cliff, sits Beacon Academy. A massive collection of buildings creating more of a fortress than a school. At its heart is a tower, ever watchful over the school grounds. Lined at the edge of the cliff are the landing pads. Most have aircraft of various designs with students pouring out of them and into the courtyard.

"Woah," I say, taking it all in.

"Very aesthetically pleasing," says Penny.

"Get your stuff," says the pilot. "We're about to land."

"Got it," I say. "Let's go Penny."

"Affirmative." she says.

The two of us grab our bags and wait by the door. Soon enough I feel the aircraft land and the engines shut off. The door lowers into a ramp and light fills the cargo bay. People are milling about everywhere, almost all making their way towards the entrance to the school itself. Dotted around the courtyard are a number of holographic screens projected from short pylons. I can't quite tell what they are playing.

"Let's get going," I say.

Penny nods and follows me off the Bullhead. As we pass one of the pylons, the Vale News Network theme plays, drawing my attention. The screen shows the picture of a store named 'From Dust till Dawn' blocked off with police tape.

"The robbery was led by the nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities."

The reporter speaks with a very superficial voice. The screen changes from the crime scene to a mugshot. The mugshot is of a man in a white coat, a bowler hat, and bright orange hair. His maniacal eyes holds an unnerving intelligence.

"If you have any information on his whereabouts, contact the Vale Police Department immediately. Back to you, Lisa."

The screen changes again, this time to a light-purple haired woman sitting at a news anchor's desk. Her eyes are a much deeper purple, and her suit is gray with a purple tie. An image to her left shows several faunus shouting and wielding picket signs. Some signs say 'We are not animals!' while others simply show red growling wolf heads with three claw marks behind them.

"Thank you, Cyril." She says. "In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of The White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted-"

The screen flickers and turns into the projection of a woman. She wears a white blouse tucked into a form of black suit skirt. Her legs clad in pantyhose with black leather midcalf heeled boots. A black and purple half-cape falls from her shoulders down her back. Her curly blonde hair is cut short, framing her face lined with age. Her pine green eyes were stern.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." She speaks with a gentler voice than her glare. The flow of the crowd slows and people gather around the screens "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among the 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 Huntsman and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world."

The screens change once more, now simply showing a message that says 'All first years report to the atrium'. The crowds start moving again, seemingly with more direction than before.

"I guess we got a destination," I say.

"Indeed," says Penny. "Orientation seems most likely."

I think for a moment as we walk.

"Penny?" I finally say.

"Yes Michael?"

"What do you think about The White Fang?"

"They were once peaceful," Penny starts. "However, only a few years ago, they turned violent. I have little information as to why. The fact of the matter is that they pose as much of a danger as the Grimm."

"Anyone ever tell you that you talk like a robot sometimes?" I chuckle.

"I-I don't know what you mean. 'hiccup'."

She hiccups a lot.

"You speak in almost purely logical terms," I say. "Nothing wrong with that, just an observation I made."

"I suppose it's my father's influence, 'hiccup'. He's a logical man." Penny looks uncomfortable.

I take that as my cue to drop it and simply nod.

'KABOOM!'

"What the hell?" I say, looking for the source of the explosion.

"Over there," Penny says. She is pointing towards a cloud of steam, smoke and…

Lightning?

I start running in that direction, Penny following me. As we approach, I can better take in the scene. There is a cart, with multiple white cases scattered around it, and a tired looking bald man dressed like a butler slowly picking them up. There are two girls, both short, one on the ground and one standing over her shouting. The girl on the ground is young, wearing a black and red sleeved shirt, a corset and a skirt. She also wears black tights, black and red combat boots, and a red cloak. Her weapon, probably a sniper judging by the rifle rounds on her belt, is collapsed on her back. Her black and red hair is cut short and messy. She looks up with silver eyes at the other girl. The girl standing over her also wears a skirt, but her color scheme is mostly white with red highlights. Rather than a long sleeve shirt, she wears a tapered sleeved jacket over an icy blue top, and instead of combat boots she has white midcalf high-heel boots. She's pale, and has her long white hair tied in an asymmetrical ponytail, so as to keep it out of her icy blue eyes. On her hip is sheathed a rapier with a revolving cylinder at the hilt.

"-complete dolt!" the white-haired girl shouts. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well I… I…" the black-haired girl stammers.

"What's going on here?" I ask.

"What's going on here is this complete buffoon could have killed us!" says the white-haired girl, her voice following through as though she were singing.

"I said I was sorry princess!" the black haired girl yells back.

"Heiress, actually," said a voice from behind me. It's a female voice, calm but not timid.

We all turn to the source to see a girl with long black hair, who is slightly taller than Penny. She wears a white and black sleeveless shirt with white shorts overtop of black and purple tights. Her shoes are simple black boots with pointed toes. She has several black ribbons wrapped around her forearms, made out of the same material as the black bow in her head. The ribbons on her left arm go all the way up her arm, stopping at a silver cuff around her bicep. A high-tech katana rests in a sheath on her back. Her olive skin is accented by her monochrome clothing, and her amber eyes remind me of a predator on the hunt. She is carrying a bottle full of red powder in her left hand, and a book in her right.

"Weiss Schnee," continues the new arrival. "Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellent in the world."

"Affirmative," Penny chimes in. "The Schnee Dust Company on average produces sixty-eight-point eight percent more dust-based energy than the next most successful energy producer."

"Informative as always, Penny," I says.

Weiss… That name feels more familiar than just being a public figure.

"Finally," Weiss says with a proud grin. "Some recognition."

"The same company," the bow girl starts. "Infamous for its controversial labor forces, and questionable business partners."

Weiss' grin turns into an offended expression.

"Wha- How dare- The nerve of- Ugh!" Weiss trips over her words before snatching the bottle out of the bow girl's hands and storms off.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" shouts the girl on the ground.

I notice a guy walking towards us, drawn by the commotion I assume. He's tall, not as tall as me however, and scrawny. He has short, messy blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a weak jaw. His clothes aren't nearly as flashy as I've seen so far. Blue jeans, sneakers, leather gloves, and a black and orange hoodie, with sparse white armor plating over his arms and chest. On his hip is a blue hilted sword in a white metal scabbard.

"Need a hand?" he asks the girl on the ground. He offers his hand, which she takes and stands up. "What was that all about?"

"A full of herself heiress had a shouting match with little red here," I respond. "Then this girl-"

I turn to gesture at the bow girl, who is nowhere in sight.

"Hm," I start. "Well there was a ninja here. You gonna be alright, kid?"

"Yeah," says the cloak girl. She sticks out her hand. "I'm Ruby Rose, nice to meetcha."

"Michael Silver-Chulainn," I say, shaking her hand.

"Jaune Arc," says the blonde guy. "Rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?"

"Penny Polendina!" Penny salutes. "Salutations Jaune and Ruby!"

I chuckle then tap Penny on the arm. She drops the salute and looks at me.

"We should get going," I say. "Pleasure to meet you two. We'll see you around."

"Sounds good to me," says Ruby. "Bye!"

"Ketchya later," Jaune says.

"Farewell!" says Penny as we leave the pair.

We make our way towards the main building. The courtyard is almost empty, just a few other kids milling about. Some have what I assume are maps. They probably started unknowingly following second or third years in the crowd and got lost. I choose to walk right through the main door, Penny following close behind.

It wasn't long before Penny and I found ourselves in the atrium. It isn't quite as full of aspiring hunters as I was expecting. Best combat school in the four kingdoms for a reason I guess. Standing on the stage on one end of the atrium are two people. One I recognize as Glynda Goodwitch, the one that gave the arrival announcement. The other is a thin man a few inches taller than me with gray hair and a green suit. His face is stern and aged. With one hand he grips a cane, and with the other he pushes his round glasses up his nose. It takes me a minute, but I recognized him as Headmaster Ozpin. This is his academy.

"Think he's waiting for all the first years to get here?" says a male voice with a laugh under the words.

I turn to the source, which is a guy slightly taller than me and much broader. He has icy blue hair cut short and slicked back, a goatee to match, fair skin, and eyes the color of grass. He wears pale bootcut jeans, brown biker boots, and a teal denim jacket over top of a black V-neck shirt. Strapped to his hips are a pair of metal plates connected to artillery barrels.

"Probably," I say. "Why else would he just be standing there?"

"How do you suppose he knows when they're all here?" the guy says.

"He likely knows the exact number of first years that arrived today," Penny starts. "As he has access to not only the applications but the confirmations and arrival manifests. He keeps track of the number with a small counter in his hand. You can see it from here, and he clicks it every time a student walks through the door."

"What she said," I add. The guy chuckles.

"I dig it," he says. "Name's Rhys McNamera. And-"

"I'm gonna kick your ass!" a female voice rings out, high pitched and sing-songey.

Greeaaat… another one.

"Oh shit," Rhys says.

A girl runs up on us. She's tall for a girl, with messy orange and gold hair and a single small braid hanging in front of her left ear. Two white feathers are twined with the braid. She has a blood red bandanna wrapped around her forehead and another hanging loosely around her neck. She wears a dark orange vest over a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, and black and brown leather pants going into knee-high black boots with red laces. A leather bandolier holds a small pack on her back, and large holsters on either hip hold a pair of short lever-action rifles. Her pale orange eyes are full of fury.

"Hey!" Rhys says, putting his arms out. "How's it going?"

"Shut up you lumbering jackass!" she shouts, pointing an accusatory finger at Rhys. "You got that blonde idiots' vomit on my boots! I didn't have time to track down the locker rooms so I had to use the water dust to had to clean them! Do you have any idea how expensive dust is these days?!"

Dust is pretty expensive. It's the primary power source of all four kingdoms, cleaner and more efficient than even fission, as well as a very potent ordinance. It may be commercially available, but damn is it pricey.

"I didn't knock that trachcan over on purpose!" Rhys shouts.

"Bullshit!" the girl yells back. "You-"

"Hey why don't we take a minute and breathe," I chime in. "None of us want to do anything stupid. Let's just slow down, and sort this out. I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding."

The girl looks at me. For a brief moment I thought the rage in her eyes changed to something else, but I'm not certain.

"Whatever," she says. "Just stay away from me."

She turns on her heels and strides off through the crowd.

"Who was that?" I ask.

"I heard some people call her Natsuki," Rhys answers. "Don't know much about her."

I'm meeting all the weird people today it seems.

"I've enjoyed meeting so many interesting people so far!" Penny exclaims. She's practically bouncing. "It's more than I could've hoped for!"

Rhys raises an eyebrow at her.

"She was a sheltered kid," I explain. "Spent most of her time in her father's lab."

"Ah," Rhys says.

"Affirmative!" Penny says. "Everything I know comes from my father. He's a brilliant man indeed!"

"You're a hyper one aren't ya?" Rhys turns to me. "So what's your stake in this?"

"I'm supposed to look after her," I say. "We're both here to become hunters, but she's…"

"Sheltered?" Rhys adds.

"Yeah," I says. "I'm Michael by the way. And this is-"

"Penny Polendina at your service!"

"A pleasure," says Rhys.

"And I'm Yang Xiao Long." says yet another voice I don't know. "What's it like being the best looking dudes here?"

I turn to see who this Yang person is. What's one more person? Tall, blonde, callipygous, and buxom are the words you'd use to describe this one. She isn't as tall as that Natsuki girl, maybe about five feet and eight inches tall. She wears black short-shorts and brown knee-high leather boots. Her brown leather short sleeved jacket, that she wears over a yellow tube-top, is buttoned twice in the front below her breasts. Gotta show off that cleavage, which isn't covered by her orange scarf either. She also has a pair of golden bracelets over top of black fingerless gloves. Her hair is very volumous, and goes all the way down to her lower back. Her eyes are lilac colored and confident.

"Where'd you go Rhys?" Yang asks. I guess she doesn't actually want an answer to the previous question. "I left you on the airship and lost ya."

"I knocked some vomit on a girl's shoes and she was pissed," Rhys answers. "So I bailed."

"Yikes," Yang says. "I stepped in some boys' puke on the airship. It was gross. My sister almost tripped me trying to get away from it."

Yang laughs, warm and hearty.

"A lot of mayhem going around today," I say.

"Indeed," Penny says, a smile never leaving her face.

"So Rhys," Yang starts. "Oh buddy of mine. Who's your friends?"

"The name's Michael," I answer. "Michael Silver-Chulainn."

"I'm Penny Polendina!" Penny says. "Greetings!"

"Enthusiasm," Yang says. "I like it."

"How do you know Rhys?" Penny asks.

"Signal Academy," Yang and Rhys say in unison, then laugh. Then Yang continues. "What about you two?"

"My father is a scientist for the Atlas military," Penny says before I can answer. "General Ironwood asked Michael to look after me during my time here, as he was accepted into Beacon as well."

"Military boy huh?" Rhys says. I nod.

"You got a uniform?" Yang asks.

"You could say that," I answer.

"You'll have to model it for me sometime," Yang says, looking me up and down. "I love a man in uniform."

"Right," I say. "I'll get right on that."

Yang and Rhys share a laugh. Then something catches Yang's attention. She smiles and waves her arm in the air.

"Ruby!" she says. "Over here! I saved you a spot."

A girl clad in a red cloak joins our little group of crazy people. I immediately recognized her. It's Ruby, the girl from earlier.

"Hey Ruby," I say.

"Hi Michael!" she responds. "Hi penny!"

"Hello Ruby!," Penny says.

"How's your first day going, little sister? Looks like you made some friends," Yang asks her.

"Yeah, only after you ditched me and I exploded," Ruby says with crossed arms.

"Yikes, meltdown already?"

"No I literally exploded!" Ruby throws her arms in the air. "And there was fire, and I think some ice?"

Yang squints at Ruby.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Yang says with an upward inflection.

"Actually-" I try to chime in but I'm interrupted.

"'scoffs' I wish!" Ruby starts. "First I knocked over some crabby girls' luggage."

"Uh… Ruby?" Penny tries to interrupt.

"Then she yelled at me," Ruby continues. "And then I sneezed, and then I exploded."

"Ruby?" Penny tries interrupting again.

"And then she yelled at me again!" Ruby keeps up her rant.

"Penny what is it?" I whisper to Penny.

"Weiss is behind her," Penny whispers back.

I lean to look behind Ruby, and sure enough there's Weiss.

"And I felt really, really bad," Ruby continues. "And I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

"Ruby?" I say.

"Yes?" Ruby says.

"You!" Weiss yells at Ruby.

"Oh god it's happening again!" Ruby shrieks and jumps away.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss says.

"Oh my god you really exploded," says Yang.

"Wait seriously?" Rhys says.

"Yeah," I answer. "Penny and I saw it. It was followed by a ludicrous shouting match."

"It wouldn't have needed to be a shouting match if this dolt could watch where she's going as well as know the dangers of dust." Weiss pulls out a pamphlet that says 'Dust for Dummies' and puts it in Ruby's face. " The SDC is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. While not mandatory, the Schnee highly encourages its customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy-to-follow guide to dust applications and practices in the field,"

"What the f-" Rhys starts.

"You really want to start making this up to me?" Weiss says to Ruby.

"Absolutely," Ruby answers. Weiss forces the pamphlet into Ruby's hands.

"Then read this and never speak to me again." Weiss turns away and crosses her arms.

Ruby pouts.

"Dust is very dangerous," Penny says. "Maybe learning more would be beneficial."

I gently elbow Penny.

"More tact, Penny," I say. "Maybe you and Weiss just got off on the wrong foot."

"Yeah," says Yang. "Why don't you go over there and try to start over and be friends?"

"Good idea guys," says Ruby.

Ruby marches over where Weiss now stands. She puts out her hand. I can't tell what they are saying.

"That Schnee girl has one hell of a pole up her ass," I say.

Rhys and Yang laugh.

"You got that right," Rhys says.

"How can you tell?" Penny asked. "Her skirt obstructs view of her posterior."

The three of us look at Penny, then laugh.

"What did I say?" Penny looks extremely puzzled.

"It's just a figure of speech," I say when I managed to stop laughing. "It means she takes everything too seriously."

"Ooohhh," Penny says. "Understood. I'll remember that."

Ruby comes back over, her head hung low.

"Did it work?" Yang asks.

"No…" Ruby says, defeated.

Before anyone can say anything else, the atrium speakers come to life with several pops. Several tapping sounds came through them as the Headmaster taps the mic. The noise of various conversations die down then end all together.

"I'll keep this brief," The Headmaster starts. He sounds… hollow in his tone. "You have traveled here in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose and direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

The Headmaster walks away, and Goodwitch steps up to the mic.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight to sleep," she says. "A locker will be assigned to you and the number sent to your scrolls. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be prepared and sleep well. You are dismissed."

"He seemed kind of… off," Yang says.

"It's like he wasn't even there," Ruby adds.

"Every professor was once an experienced Huntsman or Huntress," Penny says. "A job that weighs heavily on most who pursue it."

"This feels beyond that," I say. "Far beyond."

"Maybe he's just tired?" Rhys says. We all look at him. "What? Not everything has to be dark and gloomy."

"But this is," I say. "Call it intuition. We better get to the ballroom."

"Lead on Michael," Penny says.

I nod and start walking.

Our little ragtag group of lunatics split up on the way to the ballroom. Penny and I chose to find our lockers whereas Yang and Ruby went to pick out a spot to lay their blankets. I have no idea where Rhys went. I had stowed my bags and gear, and changed into my pajamas which consisted of a pair of worn jeans and my necklace. Penny on the other hand, who met me outside the locker room, had put on white pajama pants, a green pajama shirt, and a pair of green slippers. She also had that scarf of hers on still.

"Did you leave that scarf on on purpose?" I ask her.

"Affirmative," she answers with a smile.

"Why? Isn't it uncomfortable?"

"Well I…" Penny stammers. "I have a scar, 'hiccup' and it's embarrassing. 'hiccup' I don't like letting other people see it. 'hiccup'"

"Oh," I say. "Alright then. C'mon. We should go find a spot to sleep for tonight."

Penny nods. I pick my pillow and sleeping bag off the floor. Penny was reaching for hers but I grab it first.

"I got it," I say with a grin.

"Thank you." Penny returns my smile.

We make our way to the ballroom. It isn't far, but the floor is cold. It's not like I'm not used to it, but I expected it to be warmer. It doesn't seem to bother Penny either.

The ballroom, like the atrium, isn't as packed as I was expecting. There are sleeping bags and pillows and blankets scattered all over the floor. Some are at random, and some are clustered together in groups. All the other students are in their pajamas like we are. The girls mostly in nightgowns and matching pajama sets. The guys mostly wearing shorts, t-shirts, or old jeans like myself. A few outliers here and there, of course.

It occurs to me I didn't bring any books, and it's not as simple as going to my locker to grab one. I left all my books at my mom's house. I like to read before I sleep. Sue me. I look around for a bookshelf, but I can't find any. Of course I don't. This is a ballroom not a library. Damn.

"Michael?" Penny says.

"Yeah what's up?" I say.

"I need to make a call to my father," she says. "I have a long-distance communicator with my other possessions."

"Say no more Penny. I'll find a spot for our stuff, you go make your call. Come find me when you're done."

"I will return soon," Penny says.

I look around for a good spot and find one near one of the walls. I lay our things down with Penny's sleeping bag parallel to the wall, and mine with the top against the wall. That'll do. I take another look around and see a girl with black hair reading a book. I walk towards her and realize it's the girl with the bow from outside. She still has the bow in her hair. I kneel down next to her.

"Excuse me," I say. She looks up at me from her book. "Don't suppose you have a spare book on you?"

She was silent for a time, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"Sorry," she finally says. "I don't."

"Damn." I snap my fingers.

"Did you not bring any of your own?" she asks.

"Unfortunately no," I answer. "I left all mine at my mother's house in Mantle. Simple mistake but… well now I don't have anything to read before bed."

"I understand the frustration," the girl says. I chuckle.

"I'm Michael." I offer my hand.

"Blake," says the girl. She very gingerly shakes my hand.

"A pleasure." I think for a moment. "If I were you, I wouldn't make a habit of irritating any heiresses."

"I'll keep that in mind," Blake says with the hint of a grin on her lips.

I chuckle.

"I had better…" I notice a figure move past one of the upstairs windows. "Go. Maybe i'll ketchya later Blake."

"I guess we'll see," she says.

I stand up and start looking at the different windows. I don't see any more movement. Curious. Rather than go out the window, I walk outside and scan the balconies. Near the window I see movement in the shadows, where there's a figure crouching. Whoever it is, they haven't noticed me yet. So I do the only logical thing and climb up onto the balcony, and sneak up on the individual. It's that Natsuki chic. Except instead of her earlier clothes, she is wearing black capris and a red tank-top.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask.

I definitely surprised her. She spins around and punches me in the jaw. Much faster than I was expecting her to punch. I grab my jaw and rub it.

"Good form," I say to her.

"Why are you up here?" she asks.

"I asked you first," I say.

She glares at me for a moment before pulling a feather out of her pocket. It matches the ones in her braid.

"Something personal," she finally answers. "Ritual for the departed."

"Someone specific or just in general?" I ask.

"My father," she says.

"I see… What does it involve?" I ask.

"The burning of incense followed by the burning of something belonging to the deceased," she explains. "Then, when the item is reduced to ashes you mix them with the incense and draw a single line over your heart with them. To remind you they still live in your heart."

"That's a very… romantic description," I say.

She turns her head away. I suspect I'm starting to wear out my welcome.

"Natsuki right?" I say. She nods. "I'm Michael. I'll leave you to your ritual. I'm sorry for intruding."

"Apology accepted," she says. "Perhaps we'll cross paths later."

"I guess we'll see," I say.

I climb back down from the balcony. The smell of incense grows heavy in the air before ceasing entirely when I got to the door, where I stopped to have a smoke. Finishing the cigarette and tossing it aside, I step through the door. On the other side of the ballroom I see what looks like Ruby and Yang trying to talk to Blake. It doesn't look like it is going well, and gets worse when Weiss shows up. I look around for Penny but don't see her yet. She must still be on the call with her father. So I go and lay down on my bedroll. I'm more tired than I realized, because it doesn't take long for me to drift into unconsciousness.

"You have quite the journey ahead of, Vigilant. Steel yourself for what is to come."