Chapter 3: Steeling Resolve.
"Woah, woah, woah. Hold on a minute. You want to do what?!" Pyrrha stammered.
Neo drew a breath as she typed out the plan, step by step, from the beginning. As she did so, Pyrrha took a deep gulp of her own. This was not how she had expected to be spending her lunch break. The reason she'd gone out to begin with was to have some time to herself. Having a team to spend time with was nice and all, but having peace and quiet became a luxury with the likes of the lovebirds around. Sure, technically her new acquaintance was completely silent, but the words she typed made her head noisy. Each individual train of thought was like an actual locomotive storming through her imagination.
She took a moment to focus on her lunch. She'd ordered her usual from the café; a healthy fruit salad with a bacon and egg sandwich and some hot, milky coffee to keep her running and to chase her food down with. It was certainly an unorthodox combination of foods which had no place being together, but it covered all the food groups quite nicely and was rather affordable. Neo, however, had ordered from the dessert menu, without even looking at the main courses. Assuming the best, she just figured that Neo had already eaten recently and had a sweet tooth.
Then, the shortstack placed down her scroll and a step-by-step plan was laid out upon it. Before she could enquire to the details, Pyrrha beheld Neo digging into that ice cream bowl as if it had somehow wronged and blessed her at the same time. It was so…ruthless, but also broke no rules of etiquette. It was like watching a famished vampire digging into a meal with all the regal and royal superstition which followed the sanguine neck biters.
The message read as followed:
'As previously stated, I wasn't in the country when Beacon first opened its doors this year. I would rather not have to wait an entire year before applying. Some students are able to attend, regardless of the usual parameters, by proving themselves to be skilled at combat, or knowledgeable regarding various subject matters.
What I ask is that you put in a good word to one of the teachers for me and ask them to assess me. They will listen to you because you are a well-respected idol. I would ask, myself, but I cannot simply barge into a school and demand to be put in with the other pupils.
I believe it likely that one aspect of their test would be to see how well I fare against you, Pyrrha. In the event that this happens, please do not hold back. If I am to become a Huntress, I need to be tested thoroughly, just like you.'
Pyrrha read the message whilst Neo began stress-eating. She had done her best to explain her situation to Pyrrha, but the truth was that she had no obligation to help her – a stranger she had quite literally bumped into on the street in the most literal deus ex machina that Neo had ever seen. Or been a part of, for that matter. She had made it a point to not lie at any point during her message, but it was riddled with half-truths. Like how she stated that she wasn't in the country when the school opened. According to everything she knew, Neo may not have even existed yesterday, so not being in the country was technically the truth.
The worst-case scenario was Pyrrha simply saying 'no.' And she was already pre-emptively taking her anxiety out on this unsuspecting bowl of vanilla ice cream. It was already slightly melty, but that just made it all the creamier when it filled her mouth. The sweet flavour was bliss on her tastebuds.
Pyrrha's emerald eyes scoured the message, reading and re-reading the passage several times. It was hard to believe what she was looking at. Well, not what she was interpreting, but more what it implied. Judging from the message, alone, Neo knew a considerable amount about the school and how it operated. Even she hadn't known the intricacies of how the academy chooses its students until a certain Rose joined two whole years before standard procedure. Second, it was clear that Neo also knew her quite well, too, seeing how she recognised Pyrrha and knew that she had begun attending Beacon Academy. That was less surprising, since she was rather well-known, but it made Neo a dangerous opponent because Pyrrha knew nothing about her… whilst Neo clearly knew about her. Lastly, she was confident. So confident, in fact, that she was telling the 'Pride of Mistral,' the 'Invincible Girl' not to hold back during a potential sparring match between the two of them.
Everything about the situation seemed suspicious. What if this 'Neo' character was actually some form of terrorist? Or had some ties to the White Fang? Maybe she was a criminal or something? After all, she doubted that 'Neo,' was even her real name. It just seemed too…coincidental.
And yet…she couldn't quite say no. Not only because of her inability to refuse, but also because she was curious. How could she not be? A short, mute girl with an umbrella and a sweet tooth randomly bumps into you and then indirectly challenges you to a fight? It seemed too…obscure to be the tactic of a criminal. Any normal criminal would just forge paperwork to get in, as opposed to bumping into the popular girl by chance and asking for a favour. She was still getting in by her own merit, after all. If she really was a talented young girl who wanted to study at Beacon and had just missed the deadline, this would be the logical way forward. And if she wasn't worthy of joining Beacon, the rigorous testing she would go through would prove that. Pyrrha trusted the teachers of the academy more than she distrusted Miss Politan.
"…So, you want me to ask one of the teachers to assess you?" She asked. Neo nodded. "Do you care which one?" Neo shook her head. "And you're sure this is what you want?" A confident nod.
Pyrrha took a long breath, before looking Neo in the eye with her piercing gaze. To her surprise, Neo stared back with her mismatched eyes which nonsensically switched places when she blinked. It felt like sparks were flying between the two, and neither planned on letting the other win. Neo simply slid her empty bowl forwards and retrieved her scroll whilst never breaking eye contact.
"Lastly, do you swear that you have no villainous schemes up your sleeves?" Pyrrha interrogated. Neo raised her hands, as if to show off the 'nothing' which she had up her sleeves.
Neo was beginning to wonder how long she could keep this act up. She wasn't even guilty, and those eyes made her feel like a criminal! All this tension was beginning to get to her. Had she not had her semblance hiding her inner self, she would have been shown to be blinking and looking away like crazy. Those eyes of hers sliced right through her soul! She might not have told the fullest of truths, but she also never uttered a word. Technically, she did have a villainous scheme up her sleeve, but said scheme was actually what she was doing right now, and it was only 'villainous' in name because it was a stroke of genius which only a mad scientist could conjure.
Pyrrha then suddenly stood up and slid the plates toward the centre of the table as Neo had previously done.
"Alright, let's go." She smiled, reaching a hand down to Neo, who graciously took said hand firmly and rose to her feet. The two walked down the road towards Beacon Academy with a newfound respect for one another. And Neo mentally singing her own praises.
Talk was relatively short as they walked. It was mostly one side asking the other a question and the other responding. A particularly amusing exchange was when Pyrrha asked how old Neo was, only for her to get a single-word reply: 'Rude,' and a cheeky wink from the shortstack. They chuckled for a bit after that.
Upon their arrival at the academy, Neo checked the time on her scroll. It was now 1:15pm; a quarter of an hour before class started, according to Pyrrha. All things being said, they had made good time. Pyrrha led her down the main avenue of the academy, passing by several students of all shapes and colours and sizes. Some were having picnics in small groups. Others were sitting on benches and talking to one another. It wasn't uncommon for the two to get odd looks from the various students, and it was understandable why. The most popular rising star in school walks off and then comes back with a short girl wearing a fancy bowler hat and flashing her belly button to anyone who wanted to see it? That's gossip material right there. Now that she thought about it, Pyrrha's outfit was basically doing a lesser amount of the same thing.
When they reached the door to the Amphitheatre, Pyrrha stopped outside and took out her scroll. She turned away from Neo in order to hide the details of her call. Taking a hint, Neo took a step back to give her some privacy, whilst looking around the massive campus from where she stood. As much as she wanted to eavesdrop on the call to know all the juicy details, she also wanted to be courteous to the person who gave her a chance to prove her worth when most other options failed her. And so, she waited for quite some time whilst Pyrrha did her best to explain the situation to whatever poor teacher was on the receiving side of that scroll. It took about five minutes but, eventually, Pyrrha tucked her scroll into her pocket and turned around to face Neo.
"Alright, follow me, Neo." She chimed, gesturing the shortstack over with her free hand. The doors opened and the two strode into a large chamber. The amphitheatre was a large, circular room with a giant glass dome as the roof. There were several different doors which lead in various directions, much to Neo's confusion. At the far side of the room was a raised, circular stage which clearly had many different functions, judging from its durability and various lights aimed down at it from above. Around the circumference of the room were raised sections for seating large audiences.
Standing upon the stage was a lone figure who wore shaded glass spectacles and a small, purple, cross-shaped pin upon a green cowl about the neck. His outfit mainly consisted of an unzipped black suit over a dark green, buttoned vest and green shirt. His black shoes and long, similarly dark green trousers gave the impression that he was a green torso, floating in the darkened room until the lights dramatically flared on as they entered. He held two items: one in each hand. In his right hand was a peculiar-looking cane which seemed oddly mechanical in nature. It comprised of a silver handle and a long trigger which stemmed from a circular gear-based mechanism, with a long black staff running out the end of it. In his other hand was a white mug which bore the Beacon Academy emblem and steamed gently. The man, himself, was tall and had pale skin with green eyes. His hair was surprisingly messy and grey, implying this man was…experienced but casual.
Pyrrha stepped forwards and Neo did the same without thinking. In truth, she was beginning to have second thoughts about this…but it was too late to turn around now. Pyrrha had staked a lot on Neo and leaving now would just put Pyrrha's time and good name to waste. The two of them stopped just in front of the stage, looking up to the man, before he broke the silence.
"Is this the…ice cream girl that you mentioned, Miss Nikos?" He asked. His voice was calm and casual but carried consistent concentrations of confusion.
"That's right, Headmaster." Pyrrha replied. Wait…did she say…'Headmaster?' Neo was now regretting saying that any teacher was fine. Why couldn't it have been someone lower-ranked?! "Her name is Neopolitan, and she has expressed interest in joining Beacon."
Neo gritted her teeth slightly but smiled and curtsied as a sign of respect.
"Well, this is most irregular. Did she not apply a month ago?" The headmaster asked. In truth, Neo knew who this man was. It was Ozpin: headmaster of Beacon Academy. She just didn't recognise him because…well…she wasn't very familiar with his appearance. He, like Pyrrha, was also supposed to be dead. Neo was beginning to wonder if she was actually in some kind of purgatory and everyone around her were actually the souls of the dead who refused to rest.
"She claims that she was out of the country at the time. Unfortunately, I didn't get the full story. You could ask her yourself, but…" The warrior maiden paused, trying to find a way to politely breach the subject of Neo's muteness. Said mute gestured for her to go ahead and just say it. "Well…she's mute, you see."
"How…interesting." Ozpin spoke, before pacing back and forth, stopping only to take a sip from his steaming mug. Now that Neo was closer…it smelled like hot cocoa. "Tell me, Miss Politan… I mean… err…write down for me… which combat school did you come from?" Clearly, her muteness was something of a linguistic hiccup for the headmaster. He was trying too hard not to be offensive.
Neo tapped her answer down on the scroll and held it up for Pyrrha to read aloud. It would be easier than trying to make the Once-ler lookalike squint to read it from where he was standing. That being said, her truthful answer was…not the most promising.
"She says…'I'm self-taught.'" Pyrrha announced, alarmingly sceptically. It was the kind of face which screamed regret. A visage which Neo felt a little guilt for. She should have told her more about herself but didn't want to risk Pyrrha changing her mind about the plan when they were halfway to Beacon.
"Self-taught. Right. I see..." Ozpin murmured to himself. "…And you are certain in your combat capabilities?" Neo nodded. The man took a deep breath. "I must admit, Miss Politan, I have had better first impressions." He stated, before taking a swig of his steamy brew. "But I have also seen far worse. You exude an aura of confidence, despite the hand dealt to you. If you insist that you are sure, would you be so kind as to demonstrate your battle prowess to me? I'd like for you to have a mock battle with Miss Nikos."
Neo nodded to Ozpin and twirled Hush around with a flourish. The pink decoration of the parasol was revealed as it opened and twirled over the girl's shoulder. It was like a peacock revealing its feathers all of a sudden. Pyrrha spun her spear with similar skill and pointed it squarely at Neo's neck, all without the shortstack even flinching.
"I won't hold back." Pyrrha said. Neo just nodded, calmly. Somehow, that seemed to almost strike a nerve. Sure, Pyrrha didn't really like the attention of being 'best,' but to be taken this lightly by someone she'd only just met felt like a veiled insult.
"I see that you two are ready. Allow me to brief Miss Politan on the rules of the mock battle. First, the battle is decided when one side yields or has their Aura depleted. In Miss Politan's case, she may submit by tapping the ground thrice, or raising her hands in surrender. Otherwise, simply announcing your defeat will be sufficient. Second, please avoid causing any substantial damage to the room. Third, for the sake of monitoring your performance, the battle will be recorded. I'm sure you have no issue with that, but I am obligated to tell you. Those are all the rules. Do you have any questions?" Ozpin seemed quite bored with his own explanation. His words were monotone and matter of fact, but clearly showed that he was only saying them in order to get to the part which he was actually interested in. Neo shook her head in response to his inquiry. Pyrrha, however, raised her hand and spoke up.
"Is the medical team on standby?" She asked. Neo imagined that she was concerned for her wellbeing. If she wasn't going to hold back, it was possible that she might actually cause some damage to the shortstack. Might even break a bone or two if things were poorly timed.
"As usual, we have various staff ready to deal with injury. This is an elite school of combat, so we are always prepared for a medical emergency. You needn't be concerned about such things at the moment. Simply do your best."
Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. In truth, she had asked about the medical side of things for two reasons. The first was as Neo had expected. Pyrrha was a ruthless combatant who could even beat some members of the school faculty in fair combat. To be told not to hold back by someone was either bravery or lunacy. The second reason was…well…she wasn't sure if Neo was alright up there. Sure, she had concocted a very bold plan of getting into Beacon Academy, but she seemed…off. She'd noticed it whenever Neo stopped following her in town. Her eyes would kinda glaze over and she'd ask strange and off-topic questions, without giving any kind of explanation. She wasn't sure if this little girl was actually a capable fighter, a masochist or a fangirl who was in way over her head to meet her idol.
The two girls stood their ground, looking intently at each other. One stood still with a parasol twirling over her shoulder, whilst the other had gotten into an actual battle stance. Pyrrha was quite threatening, brandishing her shield and spear as if she were a hoplite soldier. The inward curve of the shield, Akoúo̱, allowed greater manoeuvrability for her javelin, Miló, whilst making it harder to strike at Pyrrha due to her stance. To put it bluntly, it looked like a soldier was about to make mincemeat out of the girl who tossed a stone.
Neo, however, was quietly assured of her victory. She had done her best to ensure her best chances of success in this moment, and everything had gone according to her plan. Those small slights of hers were not simply a result of her poor communication skills. In fact, Neo was quite adept at talking without words. It was like her own language, which everyone knew but nobody – but her – was truly fluent in it. Eyerolls, foot positioning, shoulder alignment… it all added up to a hidden cache of communication which the mind reads without even realising it. And Neo was a master at manipulating it. All this time, she'd been doing her best to appear weak, cocky and a little bit scornful. Why?
It was simple. If Neo was ever going to win this matchup, she would need Pyrrha to be as offensive and vicious as possible.
Maybe she really had gone mad.