Chapter 2: first impressions

The patter of rain on the window panes echoed through the home. The small mumbles of laughter and jokes coming from down the stairs. The girl tip toed her way out of her room. She was supposed to be asleep, but something kept creeping up on her mind. With a small amount of hesitation, she pushed the door open ajar and peered inside. She then proceeded to sneak to the side of the bed.

A young Ruby Rose gazed at the picture on her father's bedside stand. At the family they'd formed. At the family that had crumbled. At her mother. She couldn't remember much, which she hated herself for. Ruby had overheard her Uncle Qrow and her father talk about her, how strong she was, how funny, courageous, how great a leader. If she was all those things then why was she gone…? Why wasn't she here? Ruby heard the floorboards near the stairs creak and she shoved the picture into her pyjama pocket. Ruby hid behind the chest of draws and saw Yang, her sister, go into her room across the hall. Taking the moment she could she quietly raced out the door and into her own room.

"Ruby?" She heard her father, TaiYang, shout up from the kitchen.

"Y-yeah?" She answered from around the door. She heard a small sigh.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Her father yelled up in mock frustration.

"I am asleep." Ruby replied rolling her eyes. He couldn't see her not asleep, so he didn't know she wasn't, right? She saw Yang leave her room, board game in hand and Ruby panicked. She put her finger to her mouth for Yang to be quiet. Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah dad, Ruby's definitely asleep." Yang yelled sarcastically. Ruby smiled, oblivious.

"SEE!" Ruby yelled back. She heard him chuckle and Ruby zipped back in her room and closed the door. She ran over to her bed and took out the photo. She looked at her mum again, then to the mirror. She kinda looked like her. She tried to remember what she looked like without the photo. She tried as hard as she could. But nothing. Ruby's vision started to go blurred. Then her face was wet. She couldn't remember a thing… Gulping at the air Ruby wiped her face with her sleeve. Then someone knocked at the door.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby realised when he entered. His jaw twitched a little.

"What's up kiddo?" He asked softly. Ruby handed the picture to him. His face and shoulders deflated. He sighed. "Scoot." Ruby moved to the edge of the bed and Qrow slumped next to her.

"What was mom like?" Ruby sniffled. Qrow pulled an arm around her. "I've tried my bestest to remember what she looks like but I can't remember." She hiccupped, holding in a cry.

"She was… a lot like you." Qrow felt his chest tighten. "Smart, strong, brave, and kind." He looked at her. Ruby looked up at him. Those big red rimmed silver eyes, like summers.

"Why can't I remember her? Why is she gone?" Ruby sobbed into his shirt. He held her tighter. "Does she not like me? Did I do something wrong?"

"She loved you more than anything." Qrow felt his chest tighten. The next things he said would have to be phrased very carefully and gently. "But" he hesitated in thought. "But being a hunter or huntress is a dangerous job. Not many people want to do that job and sometimes accidents happen, some more serious than others." He felt her little hands grip to his shirt tighter. "But just because she's… gone… doesn't mean she didn't love you, sometimes being away from the ones you love, makes that love even stronger." She up looked at him.

"So she's not coming back…" Ruby gulped both confusion and fear in her silver eyes.

"No. Sorry kiddo." He sighed. Ruby looked around. The girl not knowing how to react. No kid at seven should go through a parent dying. Qrow hugged her tighter and the toddler started sobbing into his, now soaked, shirt.

"Do you miss her?" Ruby hugged him back.

"… Yeah." Qrow squeezed his eyes closed and pulled the girl into a fatherly embrace.

Raven disembarked first, followed by Qrow. The rest of the passengers rushed out, squealing with excitement. The twins let everyone else pass before they started towards the looming tower. Many of the students stopped as well to take in the sight of their dream now coming to fruition. The Twins were lucky the people of Vale were as gullible as they were friendly. They would never have gotten in if Raven hadn't 'found' the two forms. A small amount of time passed and people started heading to the tower. A couple of people looked both the twins up and down, neither in disgust or jealousy just curiosity. Their attire seeming out of place here. Someone accidently bumped into Raven from behind. Well, if looks could kill, his whole family would be dead. Heck even his future kids would be dead. Raven fixed her deathly gaze on the boy. The boy froze in sheer fear and proceeded scurried off.

"Wimp." Raven huffed, watching the 'wimp' go. They continued their walk towards the tower. Qrow looked at the breath-taking courtyard. The marble paths complimented the stone fountain to a degree where it wasn't too underwhelming or too overwhelming. The water trickling down each tier of the fountain, the four tiers representing the time the students will spend at Beacon. The sun peaked from behind the clouds, making the green windows of the tower share its colour with the paths below. Benches and unlit lamps lined the paths that surrounded the tower, giving it a very antique feel. The green flags that lined the paths, fluttering in the breeze. The academy logo on each and every one.

"Wow" Qrow whistled. Raven looked around and raised an eye brow.

"Looks expensive-"

"No." He glared at her. She smirked and kept walking. Qrow caught up. There were perhaps hundreds of students, not at all many compared to other academies. Some students stood in front of the school showing off their weapons. There were a lot of weapons but none of them that they hadn't seen somewhere else before. Dual swords turning into bows, fans turning into round shields, bow staffs with sniper rifles embedded in them and many more remnant style weapons. Though to his surprise there weren't many dust focused weapons, though the dust weapons that were there, had accumulated big crowds surrounding them.

Then he noticed it. Everyone had bought suitcases. Crap. "Erm. Raven."

"Yes?" She sighed in annoyance.

"Did you pack any suitcases…?"

"…No. Did you?"

"No…" Raven took a side glance at him. He returned the look. "Let's just get to the tower." Qrow sighed and they sped up their pace.

The rambling of the students grew louder and louder, until eventually they had got to the main hall. Raven seemed to shrink back, in her own way. Qrow quickly looked for a quiet place for them to sit. There was a row with only one seat occupied to the back of the hall. He motioned to her the row and she briskly walked to it. Raven plonked herself down right in the middle of the row, away from the person. Qrow, taking his chance to actually get to know someone apart from his sister, went and sat next to the stranger. This particular stranger wore a white cloak with the hood up over their head. And that's all he could see apart from their suitcase, which was the same colour as their cape.

"Hey" Qrow introduced himself awkwardly. What was the least awkward was to introduce yourself to complete and utter stranger? He would put money on it, Raven was enjoying his attempt of socialising immensely. The stranger was either ignoring him or simply couldn't here over the noise. After about a minute, however…

"H-hello" A small feminine voice emitted from the cloak. He could barely hear her.

"I'm Qrow and that thing over there is my sister, Raven." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. He felt Ravens glare burn the back of his neck. The cloaked girl shrank back. Did he stink? Or did she not want to know him. Perhaps she knew who they were. What he'd done.

"I'm s-s-Summer, nice to meet you Qrow and Raven." The girl again not making eye contact. From the direction her hood was pointed, it was looking at her feet. Oh, not ignorant, shy. Out of the two he probably preferred shyness, mainly because then the silence couldn't be as uncomfortable. The girl shuffled beneath her hood. He shoulders grew less tense, though they were still too tense to be comfortable. "So, erm where are you from?" She asked.

"Mistral." Raven abruptly answered even before Qrow could open his mouth. "You?" To a shy person, Raven wasn't the best person to talk to on your first day here.

"Mountain Glenn." She squeaked. Mountain Glenn? Never heard of a place called Glenn. "It's a town near vale that's only been around for a couple for years. No one really knows about it." She looked to them, though still concealing her face. "You don't have suitcases…"

"Well spotted, genius." Raven growled. The figure quickly hid back in her cloak, shutting them out again. Qrow looked over to Raven, in annoyance. "What? Not my fault she is sensitive." Raven snored, not meaning to hurt Summers feelings, but they sure had an effect on the girl. He knew Raven felt out of place in crowds and often just snapped out of, well, it wasn't anger but it wasn't her way of coping, it was just something she did. Just as he was about to talk to Summer again, the stage lit into life as beams of light came down from the balconies above and the awnings on the roof. People started finding places to stand. Summer walked off from them, with her suitcase and found a different place to stand. Qrow slouched and wandered to a spot where there wasn't many people but enough to get the atmosphere of the event. Raven quickly came up and stood next to him.

The man from the hologram on the airship, walked up to the microphone which rose from the floor. 'Over the top much?' Qrow thought to himself. Professor Ozpin, that was his name right, pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"I'll keep this brief." He nodded. "Today we welcome you to Beacon, you the next generation of hunters and huntresses. But you have come here to gain more knowledge, to learn our arts of battle and acquire new skills that will set you up for the rest of your life. Then when you are finished we expect you to help the people of Remnant." Qrow saw Raven shuffle on her feet and sighed in annoyance. Professor Ozpin seemed to pick up on it gave her a look through narrowed eyes. Being a supportive brother, Qrow tried his utmost to hold in his laughter. "However, today I see children who have too much energy being wasted. You are here for assistance in guiding that energy into a purpose. You may also think that knowledge is all you need to traverse through this world. But you will quickly find out it is not." Small mumbles rippled through the atrium. "Tonight you will spend the night in the dinner hall. In the morning you will be have to awake by seven am, to be briefed on landing strategies. You are dismissed." Then he simply walked off stage.

The hall remained in a stunned silence.

Qrow turned to Raven.

"He drones on a bit doesn't he?"

There we go another chapter completed.

Hope you're liking the story so far. Thanks everyone so much for the favourites and follows (it means a lot). Let me know how I can improve the story or what you think about it, would love to hear your opinions :). Again expect to see a chapter either next Saturday or Sunday.

THANKS FOR READING :D!