A/N: Eien's presence, especially in Beacon, will likely change large portions of the story up. The main canon plotline will likely still stay, but it will be adjusted and changed with his presence. Also, who would you want to be paired with Eien? Put your suggestion in PM's or Reviews, for now I'll tease at Ruby x Eien.

Also, since I got a PM questioning Eien's age; 15.

I DO NOT OWN RWBY

Chapter 2: Beacon

''I hope you realise that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, you two'' Glynda scolded as she walked around us ''You two put yourself and others in great danger''.

''They started it!'' The girl (I still didn't know her name) defended.

Glynda ignored her ''If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back...''.

The girl smiled and I blinked.

''...and a slap on the wrist'' Glynda finished, slapping the riding crop in front of us and making the girl 'eep' while I just blinked again. It was a weird taste in weaponry.

''But... there is someone here who would like to meet you two'' Glynda said with reluctance in her tone, moving out of the way to reveal... Professor Ozpin?

''Ruby Rose'' He nodded to the girl, nodding to me a moment later ''Eien''.

I still lacked a last name, I was registered with one but I never knew my parents and thus refused to use their last name. He looked at both of us, gesturing to the scroll beside him ''Where did you learn to do this?''.

''Signal Academy?'' Ruby answered, slightly unsure.

''Myself'' I responded blandly.

He turned to Ruby ''They taught you to wield one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?''.

''Well, one teacher in particular'' Ruby said sheepishly and he nodded.

''And would you care to elaborate?'' He said, looking at me.

''I trained myself against Grimm in the forest outside Vale, have been since I was ten'' I shrugged and he raised an eyebrow, but said nothing on it. I only then realised he had a plate of cookies in his hand, placing them in front of us. I blinked at it, taking a singular cookie and nibbled on it idly, watching with amusement as Ruby shyly took one cookie, then another, then consumed what remained of them in a flurry of hand movements.

''You both possess great skill for a sniper and a scythe wielder'' Ozpin stated ''I only knew one other who used a scythe that well... a dusty old crow''.

Ruby made a noise that sounded like when someone was gagged, making Ozpin raise an eyebrow in amusement as she wiped her mouth ''Sorry, that's my uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at signal! I was complete garbage until he took me under his wing and now I'm all like Hooowaah! Witchaaa!''.

''So I've noticed'' Ozpin smiled faintly, interrupting her from making any more noises ''And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?''.

''Well... I want to be a Huntress''.

''You want to slay monsters?''.

''Yeah!'' She said, like it was obvious (though it kinda was) as she continued ''I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I'm going to apply for Beacon. You see my sisters starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought 'Hey I might as well make a career out of it'. I mean the police are alright, but Huntresses and Hunters are just so much more romantic and exciting, and really, gosh, you know?!''.

I chuckled at how fast she ended up speaking, making the girl blush furiously as she realised she went overboard ''Hehe... sorry''.

''And what reason do you have for becoming a Hunter?'' He asked me this time.

I cocked my head at him, my hood being down allowing them to see my blank face ''...Purpose, really. I see no other occupation that gives me the amount of opportunity that being a Hunter does. It perks my curiosity''.

''Do you know who I am?'' Ozpin asked us both, but I allowed Ruby to answer in my steed.

''You're Professor Ozpin'' Ruby said with a slight shrug ''You're the headmaster of Beacon''.

''Hello'' Ozpin said in amusement.

''Nice to meet you'' Ruby smiled.

''Hi'' I say blandly.

He donned a serious face ''So, you want to come to my school?''.

''More than anything'' Ruby answered.

''Yes'' I nodded.

Ozpin glanced at Glynda, who let out a 'Hmph' and looked away, rolling her eyes as Ozpin turned to us ''Well okay''.

I blinked while Ruby smiled widely.

I did not see that coming.

Its a nice view at least...

I was wearing my usual combat outfit, though I had added a bandana to put over the lower half of my face, covering everything below my eyes. I had my hood up, meaning that it would be nearly impossible to see my face, only my pale blue eyes if you were shorter than me, and I was 5'5 so that would be difficult. Funnily enough since both me and Ruby were entering Beacon, we were both the two youngest students to ever attend the school. I feel like I should be honoured, but I know he didn't do it on a whim, there was likely a reason behind it.

I didn't see Ruby when I came on the airship, so it was possible she took another ship or was somewhere else in the crowd. Shrugging to myself I returned my gaze to the ocean as we passed over the large body of water to the Academy. I ignored the world around me as I fished through my memories, entertaining myself with my ability to review others memories. The ship jolting was the thing returning me to the present, realising that we had landed I made my way towards the exit of the ship, Judgement in its sniper form over my shoulder as I walked.

I passed a kid throwing up in a trashcan, resisting the urge to grimace at the action. I didn't show any physical reaction as I passed him, stopping when I reached the main path - far enough away from the bridge so I wasn't blocking anyone - and admired the architecture that was Beacon Academy. I was, once again, brought out of my thoughts when a crowd rushed passed me, all but blurring towards the main building. I blinked, looking in the opposite direction to where they came and was mildly surprised to see Ruby, dazed and confused.

I walked up to her, grabbing her shoulder before she fell onto someone's luggage trolley, I was only a little taller than her ''Hi Ruby''.

She jumped, broken out of her daze ''E-Eh?''.

I reached up and pulled down my bandana ''Its Eien''.

Her face lit up in recognition ''Oh, Hi Eien!''.

I let go as she regained her balance ''I assume you got caught up in that stampede?''.

She sighed ''That was my sister abandoning me for her friends''.

I frowned slightly, but she immediately replied ''I don't mean she normally does that or anything! Yang's a really cool sister I don't hate her or anything-''.

I covered her mouth and chuckled ''Calm. Down''.

When I removed my hand she blushed in embarrassment ''Eheh, sorry''.

''Its fine'' I smiled as I began walking towards the school, Ruby following ''So what was that weapon you were using yesterday?''.

''My baby, Crescent Rose'' She smiled widely as she pulled out its compacted form from her lower back, extending it into its scythe form.

''Convertible Scythe?'' I questioned, cocking my head at her like a cat.

''Its also a customizable, high-impact Sniper Rifle'' She smiled proudly ''What about you?''.

I unslung Judgement ''High Calibre convertible Sniper, I use different ammo types depending on the situation, it also-''.

Judgement transformed, extending into its sleek Scythe form ''-A Scythe, though I use it less than its sniper form''.

Ruby grinned ''So we both use Sniper-Scythes!''.

I chuckled ''Yes, it seems so''.

''By the way, where are we going?''.

''No clue''.

''Dammit''.

Eventually we found our way to the assembly, and Ruby found her sister Yang and almost dragged me over. I was probably a rather odd looking person, since I was shorter than most other students and wore a hooded trench coat with a bandana hiding my features.

''Hi sis!'' Her sister, who I knew as Yang, smiled before she blinked in confusion at me ''And... random guy''.

''Yang, meet Eien. Eien, meet Yang'' Ruby introduced us.

''Hello'' I nodded to her.

''Yo'' She grinned back, but her eyes still held instinctual caution. Our attention was drawn elsewhere as Ozpin walked onto the stage, speaking.

''I'll... keep this brief. You have travelled here today 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. You need a purpose, a direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you, to take the first step'' He said before walking off stage.

''You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow your initiation will begin. Be ready, you're dismissed'' Glynda finished.

''Its like a big~ slumber party'' Yang grinned as she fell onto the bed beside me.

''I don't think dad would approve of all the boys though'' I sighed back at her, knowing what was coming.

''I know I do'' Yang purred until she randomly grinned wider ''Look over there Rubes, its your buddy Eien''.

I looked over my shoulder and blushed slightly at him. Since he was no longer wearing his black trench coat it allowed you to see the lean and toned body underneath, even if he was wearing a black vest and pants. On his shoulder was the end of a what looked like to be a scar, but with the shirt on it was hard to tell. He had chin-length dark brown hair that was slightly wavy and cool blue eyes, like a really light blue.

He walked over to us, sitting on his sleeping bag and smiled ''Hello again''.

''Hi Eien'' We both smiled in greeting.

''What's that?'' Eien inquired, nodding to the note in front of me.

''A letter back to my friends at Signal, I promised to tell them all about Beacon, and how I'm doing'' I explained to the duo and Eien nodded.

''That's so cuuute~'' Yang sang, getting a pillow to the face - courtesy of me.

''What about you, are you going to write back home Eien?'' I questioned to my equally young friend.

He shook his head ''I said my goodbyes before I left, and its only been one day so I see no adequate reason to write back to them''.

''I see'' I nodded before smiling at him ''You never told me earlier about your different ammo''.

He nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips ''Most types or variations on Dust Rounds or Dust Crystals I have converted into my own ammo for my weapon, which I named Judgement''.

''Ooh'' I whistled ''Do you think Crescent Rose could use them?''.

He hummed ''Maybe. I recommend Explosive Rounds or Anti-Material Rounds, the recoil they give are good for manoeuvrability, I can give you some before initiation tomorrow?''.

''You sure?'' I questioned ''You don't need them?''.

''I've got plenty'' He smiled.

I smiled in turn ''Thanks then''.

''Aww~ You two are so cuuute!'' Yang said, getting another pillow in the face from a red-faced me.

''Well Ruby is quite cute'' Eien smiled amicably, making me turn a dark red from his compliment, made worse when Yang sent 'suggesting' looks between us.

Eien just kept smiling, seemingly oblivious.

''For years you have trained to be warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the emerald forest'' Ozpin started, tone even.

''Now, I'm sure many of you have heard about the rumour of assignment of teams. Well allow us to put an end to your confusion; each of you will be given teammates, today'' Glynda continued.

Ruby made a 'what-ohhhh' noise in despair.

''These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone whom you can work well with'' Ozpin continued, and Ruby made another despairing sound.

''That being said, the first person you make eye-contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years'' Ozpin stated.

The sound of shattering glass could be heard as Ruby made a shrill 'What?!', but evidently was ignored.

''See? I told you'' An orange-haired girl said smugly to her apparent friend.

''Due to an.. irregularity of students this year, there will be a three-man team this year - unless one of you were to die that is'' Ozpin stated, making me acknowledge it was probably because of me and Ruby's presence that did that ''You will be notified through your scrolls on who will make up the three-man team''.

''After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die'' Ozpin ended in a deadly tone, before continuing ''You will be monitored and graded throughout the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene''.

Ozpin continued ''You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics, each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Any questions?''.

''Uh yeah, sir?'' A blonde boy asked timidly, but was cut off by Ozpin.

''Good, now take your positions''.

Everyone fell into stances, but a blonde boy spoke again ''Um sir, I've got a question''.

I pulled my hood up and masked my face with the bandana, and whatever the blonde boy said was obscured as I shot through the air. As I reached the pinnacle of the arc I slowed for only a moment before continuing the downward arc towards the forest. I unslung Judgement and aimed it forward, firing a round as it slightly slowed my descent. I repeated this until I ran dry, still going at a rather fast pace. I transformed Judgement into its Scythe form and used it like a hook, swinging around on a branch and dragging it along trees to slow down, rolling to lose the rest of my momentum as Judgement transformed.

Immediately I reached into my coat via the neck hole, my fingers dusting over the different rails of bullet and receiving a different feeling back from them. Corrosion felt bubbly, shock felt electric, flame felt hot, etc. I found the standard .338 (Which gave no feeling, since they were not infused with Dust) and took the rail out, sliding it into the back of Judgement's sniper form. I scanned the area around me, and once I checked that no Grimm were in my immediate radius I began moving in the opposite direction of Beacon where the Relics will likely be.

After three minutes of walking I heard a rustling to the right drew my attention, I raised my rifle and spoke in a hostile tone ''Grimm?''.

''Eien?'' Ruby's voice spoke as her head poked out of a bush.

''Ruby?'' I repeated back and smiled ''Hello''.

''Hi!'' She chirped happily as she walked out of the bush, followed by someone I identified as Weiss Schnee.

''Hello'' I nodded to the other girl, who nodded back. A beeping from our scrolls alerted us and we took said scrolls from our various pockets, mine from my pant pocket. It was a basic one that the academy had put in our lockers, and only displayed a single message; 'Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose and Eien will form the first three man team, congrats -Ozpin'.

''Huh'' I hummed ''Guess we're the three man team then?''.

''Yay!'' Ruby sang happily, only for Weiss to storm off, towards where I was heading ''W-Wait!''.

Ruby ran after the girl and I followed at a more languid pace, keeping an eye out for Grimm.

''That was number ten'' I say as I walked out of the bushes with the two girls behind me, steam blowing off the muzzle of Judgement as I watched the corpse of an Ursa disintegrate ''I expected a Deathstalker or two at least''.

''Don't jinx us!'' Weiss hissed.

''It wouldn't be much trouble'' I say before adding ''Unless they're really old''.

''Have you fought a Deathstalker before?'' Ruby asked, trying to start a conversation obviously.

''Mm, a dozen or so in the span of five years'' I shrugged ''But you don't see many up at Mountain Glenn, which is where I've been hunting Grimm foe the past year''.

''You hunt Grimm?'' She asked curiously.

I nodded ''That's how I've trained myself, instead of going to a Combat School''.

Ruby made a noise of understanding ''How many?''.

I cocked my head ''...I don't have my notepad on me, so I don't know. When we get back I'll check what my tally is, what about you?''.

''Hehe... I don't know either'' Ruby giggled ''What about you, Weiss?''.

Weiss made a 'Hmph' noise ''I wouldn't waste my time recording how many kills I have gotten, that's barbaric''.

I smiled as we walked into a small clearing ''Well I guess we're barbarians then''.

Weiss scoffed but said nothing, not that she could as the bushes around the clearing rustled, followed by a bunch of Grimm. Immediately I aimed and fired a round, pulling the bolt back and pushing it in, transforming it into Scythe mode. Ruby charged at them with Crescent Rose already drawn and Weiss was not far behind. I took the rear while the duo took the other half of the clearing, slashing and shooting at their opponents.

I spun Judgement around and smacked the blunt end of the scythe into the mask of a Beowulf, stunning it only for its neck to meet the blade a moment later, head rolling off as I moved to the next one. With practiced ease I twirled the blade and slashed down the torso of another Beowulf, spinning and firing a shot into its head as a finisher and using the recoil to avoid a slash to my chest. I waited until one wolf got close enough and uppercut it with the blunt end of my scythe before jumping on its back, aiming at its back and firing.

I used the recoil to propel myself into the air, firing behind me to gain gravitational speed and brought both feet up and crashed into a Beowulf's face with all the force of a freight train. I used its decaying face as a springboard and back-flipped and decapitated another Beowulf, raising the shaft of the blade to block a claw and kicking the assailant in the chest before firing a round into its skull through the end of the shaft. I spun and aimed again, blasting a hole in a Grimm that was flanking me. With a loud thug the Grimm hit the ground, and the clearing was silent again sans heavy breathing.

''Just some Beowolves'' I stated, taking out another rail of .338 rounds as I evened my breathing ''Lets keep moving''.

''Yeah...'' Ruby nodded, only slightly winded as was Weiss. Silently we proceeded through the forest, weapons at the ready for any further attacks.

I slashed the shrubbery in front of us, leading us into an open clearing. I walked out into the large grassy plain, noting the large circle ruins with two other people in it.

''Yang!'' Ruby cried out in happiness, blurring over to her sister and tackling her in a hug while me and Weiss moved at a more languid pace.

''Hello Yang, ...?'' I paused at the second girl, wearing a theme of black with bright gold eyes.

''Blake Belladonna'' The now-named Blake introduced with a polite nod.

''Eien'' I nodded back ''No surname''.

She nodded in understanding and I looked at the semi-circle of chess pieces ''I presume these are the relics?''.

''It would seem so'' Weiss concluded, examining them.

''Which one should we pick?'' I asked, nudging Ruby to include her in the decision.

''What about the White Knight?'' Ruby suggested.

I shrugged ''Sure''.

''I see no problem with it'' Weiss nodded and the red-clad girl picked up the item, just as a person flew overhead and crashed into the tree next to the relic area. Yang opened her mouth to say something, only for the treeline to our right to begin crashing into splinters as an Ursa tumbled into the clearing, only for an explosion of lilac behind it to down the large Grimm.

From the Ursa's back a young teen fell off, orange hair flailing ''Aw, its broken''.

''Nora...'' Ren spoke as he walked out from behind the Ursa ''Please... never do that again''.

But Nora had already gone to the relic station as fast as a blur and grabbed her piece, dancing and singing until Ren called her back tiredly. A loud screech echoed as a Pyrrha entered the clearly with a Deathstalker on her tail, missing her by inches with its claw. A few moments later saw her getting knocked towards us, landing on the ground roughly.

''Great the gangs all here, now we can die together!'' Yang said dryly.

''I'd rather not'' I say equally as dryly, analysing their weapons in the span of ten seconds before deciding to take charge, since nobody else was ''Alright; Yang and Pyrrha, I need you to attack the Deathstalker from the front and keep its attention on you while I get set up, when I give you the signal move out of the way. Jaune I need you with me to cover me encase any Grimm attack while I'm occupied. The rest of you distract the Nevermore until the Deathstalker has been dealt with, then run to the treeline to our right side and wait there. Got it?''.

I received a collection of affirmatives as everyone save Jaune ran off, Pyrrha and Yang straight ahead towards the Deathstalker while the others went to the left and began unloading into the Nevermore. I made a 'follow-me' gesture to Jaune and run off towards the treeline, I slashed at the trees and knocked several of them over, making a mini-clearing. I reached into my coat and pulled out a rail of ammo and let a soul shard float into it, carefully placing myself in front of it so Jaune can't see, and picture it into an effective weapon...

With a flash, it transformed into an Atlas AA Launcher. It consisted of a circular metal plate with four extended legs that held it slightly above the ground, a cylinder body above the plate and two rectangles with four pods with rockets in them. The rectangles, which were the launchers, were angled in a diagonal manner with the rocket pods on the elevated side.

''That's that'' I stated to Jaune as I moved back into the larger clearing, dropping into a prone position. A low growl beside us grew our attention and I narrowed my eyes at the Beowulf entering the clearing, with a wordless jerk of my head I gestured for Jaune to deal with it, which he did with hesitance. I reached inside my jacket and lowered my hand down to my stomach, where my Maximum Calibre Rounds were. I hefted the large round out, which looked more akin to a small artillery shell at this point (though that was the intention). 350mm long compared to the 70mm Lapua .338 rounds.

I removed the current, nearly empty rail and sheathed it in my coat and slid the MC/EI-Round. I dug the bipod in and got into a position where I wouldn't lose my arm from the insane recoil, aiming and focusing on the Deathstalkers face. I peeked over my shoulder, noting that Jaune had killed the Beowulf and panting.

''Tell them to get out of the way'' I order coolly and the teen nodded shakily.

''Pyrrha!'' He yelled, drawing the attention of the warrior, watching as the blonde teen gestured to me. She nodded and grabbed Yang by the bicep, running out of the way while leaving the Deathstalker to take note of us because of Jaune's yelling.

''Bye, Bye'' I mocked the Grimm, pulling the trigger. It created an ear-shattering 'BOOM!' as the oversized round shot out like a bolt of lightning, imbedding into the Deathstalkers face and making it screech in pain. A moment later the hole flashed before the Deathstalker exploded into a firebomb, its armour turning its insides into its own tomb as the explosive incendiary round blew its back open, setting its corpse on fire as it began decaying. The sound of the MC/EI round firing attracted the attention of the others, who followed my previous orders perfectly by running towards us to the treeline.

I got up and also did so, entering the bushes over to the AA gun. Moments later the rest of the students came into the treeline and waded their way over to me, widening their eyes slightly at the AA gun.

''Wha...?'' Weiss murmured.

''Don't ask'' I shrugged, a loud squawking drawing my attention to the Nevermore circling above us ''How many of you have ranged weapons or guns?''.

''I do~'' The Ursa-riding ginger from earlier sang, her hammer transforming into a grenade launcher. Blake silently nodded as she hefted her weapon up, Ruby nodded and pumped her scythe, Yang grinned, Pyrrha nodded as her weapon transformed into a rifle and the last teen, who was with the girl from earlier, nodded and hefted his guns up.

''I have ranged attacks, if that is what you mean'' Weiss stated, the cylinder on her weapon glowing slightly.

I nodded, fishing for my Cryo rounds ''Do any of you have ice-based attacks?''.

''I do'' Weiss said, the cylinder pausing on a light blue colour and glowing faintly.

''I uh... don't have any'' Jaune said despairingly.

I nodded ''Then you're the bait''.

''Eh?'' Jaune blurted.

''Just leave the trees and draw the attention of the Nevermore, fake being injured and don't directly provoke it'' I explained ''When it gets close enough the AA Launcher will stun it, myself and Weiss will freeze its wings and then the rest of us will unleash a hailstorm of bullets''.

''O-Okay...'' Jaune gulped, sneaking towards the treeline and walking out, looking at the sky. He made a weird mix of pained noises that sounded like a from a bad movie, but it did the job of drawing the attention of the bird. It squawked loudly and circled once more before diving down, prompting Jaune to freeze and look back at us nervously. The AA gun beside us made a 'bleep' noise as a thin red laser came out of it, homing in on the airborne Grimm before with a thunderous roar all eight rockets fired, racing at the Grimm and exploding on contact.

It screeched loudly as it flailed, one or two of the rockets missing and exploding in the air behind it. I aimed and fired at its left wing, the bullet piercing its flesh and creating a large ice flower on its wing. I pulled the bolt back and did it again, creating another one. A trail of circular glyphs trained up to its other wing and freezing it whole, I spared a glance at the heiress and she responded with a 'in-your-face' smirk. The Nevermore screeched as it fell to the ground, nearly squashing Jaune as the skittish teen ran back to us.

''Open Fire'' I commanded as I began unloading more rounds into it, and everyone dutifully followed as a hail of bullets were sent forth, attacking the downed and wounded bird Grimm. Ice, Explosive, Fire and a bit of lightning swarmed over the Grimm as its screeches were drowned out under the thundering storm. Only after everyone simultaneously ran out of ammo did we stop firing, the decaying corpse of the Nevermore proof of our deed.

''We did it!'' Ruby cheered as everyone smiled in relief, not one of them noticing the disintegrating AA Gun.

''Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces, from this day forward you will work together as Team CRDL(Cardinal), led by... Cardin Winchester'' Ozpin announced and clapping echoed throughout the auditorium as they left the stage and four more came up.

''Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces, from this day forward you will work together as Team JNPR(Juniper)'' Ozpin stated as Nora hugged Ren ''Lead by... Jaune Arc''.

Said teen let out a confused 'Huh?' and Ozpin gave him a curt congratulations before they moved on, ignoring how Pyrrha knocked Jaune down with a simple punch.

''Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long and Eien'' Ozpin read off ''From this day forth, you will work together as Team ERWBY(A Ruby)''.

''Lead by... Eien''.

Out of seemingly thin air, Eien pulled out a party favour and blew on it, making a high pitched 'bzzz' and getting a laugh from the spectators.

Ozpin nodded to himself, murmuring ''It looks like this, will be an interesting year... for sure''.

It was six o'clock sharp when I woke up in our new dorm room, courtesy of the hospital mainly opening at six in the morning therefore meaning it was best for me to wake up early to have the privacy I desired. Due to the new addition of my teammates, who were all sound asleep, I had to stealthily sneak into the bathroom to have a quick shower and get dressed. Upon leaving the bathroom I was satisfied to see my teammates still asleep, and went and sat on my bed, pulling out a book on Dust Physics from my trusty duffel bag.

It wasn't until quarter to eight when the first of my teammates began to stir awake, that teammate being Blake. My bed was at the right wall, Blake to my left, then Yang, then Weiss, then Ruby at the left wall. A large window was between Yang's and Weiss's. We had been given a special dorm to accommodate the extra space required for a fifth person, the room being slightly longer and along the hall from JNPR. Blake softly shuffled out of her covers, blinking blearily and eyes showing mild surprise at seeing me awake.

''Good morning'' I smiled, speaking quietly.

''Morning'' She replied as she gathered her uniform, heading towards the bathroom without another word. Meanwhile I return to my book, mind working as I read of the details pertaining to each type of Dust Crystal and their current (public) applications. Yang woke up ten minutes later, at the same time when Blake exited the bathroom in her uniform.

''Morning~'' She greeted us.

''Good Morning'' I smiled at her as Blake did the same.

''What's that?'' Blake asked curiously, sitting on her bed.

''A book on Dust Physics'' I answered coolly ''Mainly just technological stuff opposed to fiction''.

''I see'' Blake murmured as she took her own book out, reading hers. We lapsed into a nice silence, only for it to be broken as Ruby yawned herself awake five minutes later, sleepily getting up.

''Morning'' She chirped sleepily and we return the greeting, sliding out of bed and getting her bathroom supplies ''I guess Yang is in the shower?''.

Before either me of Blake could respond said teen came out of the bathroom in her uniform ''Morning sis, bathroom's free''.

''Thanks'' Ruby said as she went in, Yang sighed and sat at her own bed.

''We still need to unpack'' Yang stated and I chuckled in embarrassment.

''Sorry, I should've woke you guys earlier then'' I smiled apologetically ''I woke up at six''.

Yang waved me off ''Nah its cool''.

''Its no problem'' Blake smiled.

''Should we wake up Weiss?'' I questioned, nodding towards the still sleeping heiress.

Yang hummed and smiled ''Nah, let her sleep for a tiny bit longer''.

''Okay'' I nodded, returning to my book. Five minutes later Ruby came out of the bathroom dressed in her uniform, smiling cheerfully ''Now should we wake Weiss up?''.

''Sure'' Yang said, rolling her eyes. I went over to the heiresses bed and gently shook her shoulder, stirring the white-haired girl awake.

''Mm?'' She slurred sleepily.

''Time to get up'' I stated to her, and after a few seconds she nodded and I went back to my own bed, picking my book up again. Three pages later, Blake's voice drew my attention out of my thoughts.

''We need to unpack'' I looked up as Blake got her suitcase out, the rest of us following her lead.

After twenty-five minutes later, the room has been vastly changed.

Bookshelves were on both sides of Blake's bed, while I had one of my own shelf at the end of my bed, facing the wall. A black storage box was under my bed alongside my duffel, Weiss put up a painting above her bed, Yang put up a few posters above hers and on the walls, while Ruby attempted to cut the curtains (With me stopping her just before she did so). We pushed the wooden desks to the wall with the door on it, and now we stood in the centre of the room admiring our work.

''I think we did a good job'' Ruby smiled.

''I agree'' I nodded approvingly as I looked at the alarm clock ''We've still got half-an-hour until classes are open''.

''Hm... what to do?'' Ruby thought before looking at me with another smile ''What about your notepad? You said you had a tally?''.

I nodded, walking over to my bed with Ruby in tow as the other three went about on their own stuff; Yang pulling out a magazine, Blake taking out a book and Weiss looking through her stuff. I sat down on my bed and pulled my duffel out from under the bed, unzipping it and fishing out for my notepad. Ruby sat on my bed next to me as I found the notepad, a simple handheld booklet with a leathery cover. I passed her the booklet and she opened it, looking at the pages as I was content to watch.

The first couple of pages were the tally's, as in there was so many they were several pages long. 443 Beowolves, 85 Boarbatusk, 50 Ursa, 14 Deathstalkers, 4 Nevermore, 2 King Taijitu and even a Goliath! The pages after that was a complete dissection of the Grimm, stating their weak points, Dust weaknesses, strengths, pack size, habitat, everything! The pages after that was about Mountain Glenn, the type of Grimm present and the ratio, locations within the city, various key locations and several campsites he's made. It was essentially an entire guide to Grimm, for all intents and purposes.

''Its really well done'' I smiled at him, returning the notepad.

''Thanks'' He returned the smile, putting the notepad into his duffel again and glancing at the clock ''We should probably go now, its ten to nine now''.

''Okay~'' I sang ''Lets... go~!''.

Eien chuckled and got up ''Yeah, lets go''.

''Monsters! Demons... Prowlers of the night! Yes the creatures of Grimm have many names'' Professor Port listed ''But I merely refer to them, as prey!''.

You could hear a cricket chirping it was so quiet, but the man was only slightly deterred ''Uh, and you will too upon graduating this prestigious academy!''.

''Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world'' He went on ''Our world is teeming with creatures who would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces!''.

''Hunters, Huntresses'' He made a clicking noise and winked at Yang, who laughed awkwardly ''Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what you ask... the very world!''.

''Eyyy-Yeah!'' A student cheered, but quickly sat down again.

''That is what you are training to become'' Port continued ''But first, a story''.

Despite being interested in class, I let him drone on without actually listening, rather watching Ruby entertain herself. Weiss gradually became more irritated by her teammates actions and I considered, as team leader, to calm her down. However I could see that the potential beyond that, that if Weiss got angry with Ruby, explained why she was angry and therefore confessing most of her troubles with having Ruby as a teammate, then when they made up it would strengthen their bonds because they understood the other better.

Blake also noticed the tension building in the Schnee and spared me a glance, but I shook my head a negative. She got the message.

So when port asked if any of them thought they were 'the embodiment of these traits', the Schnee heiress was the first to raise her hand.

''I do Sir!''.

''Well then, lets find out'' Port stated, looking at the cage to his right ''Step forward, and meet your opponent!''.

This will be interesting...

''Go~ Weiss!'' Yang cheered.

''Fight well!'' Blake added.

''Yeah represent Team ERWBY!'' Ruby cheered as well, only to get a scolding. I stayed silent, but from the glance she shot my way she acknowledged I was observing silently, and she focused on her opponent.

''Alright, let the match... begin!'' He stated, knocking off the lock and allowing us to see a Boarbatusk. Once again I stayed silent and observed as she charged the Boarbatusk, slashing at the side of its face and striking its armour.

''Haha! Weren't expecting that were you?'' Port asked rhetorically.

''Strike its underbelly'' I stated coolly to the heiress, who heard me and nodded with determination. The Boarbatusk charged Weiss and the teen side-stepped the attack and let the beast crash into the wall behind her before hopping above it and spearing it through the stomach, making the Grimm squeal as it flailed before it died off.

''Bravo! Bra-vo!'' Port congratulated ''It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training. I'm afraid that's all the time we have today, be sure to cover the assigned readings and remember, stay vigilant! Class dismissed!''.

Weiss scowled faintly and with a dignified huff, stormed out of the classroom. Ruby immediately went after her despite her teams light protests, leaving us to walk out on our own, since it was the first class we didn't need our books.

''I'll go after them'' I informed my two teammates and they nodded, heading with JNPR back to the dorms. I went down the opposite hallway and turned a corner, just in time to see Weiss storm around another corner down the hall and Ruby slump against the wall.

''Ruby?'' I sighed and the girl looked up me, tears threatening to prick the corner of her eyes ''What did she say?''.

''T-That I shouldn't be at Beacon...'' She murmured, voice showing the sadness the harsh words of the ice princess brought ''And t-that I was just a s-stupid kid...''.

I sighed again, doing the only logical thing of pulling the upset teen into a hug ''Its a normal human reaction, to be jealous or hold distaste for something that isn't normal, why do you think the Faunus are hated so ferociously? Because human nature drives the majority to dislike anything that is different, for better or worse. Weiss is probably just frustrated with someone who is two years her junior being allowed into Beacon, and that frustration leads her to be overconfident in her solo abilities and when she fails, be it big or small, it increases her frustration as she targets you to vent on''.

All through my small speech she stayed silent, resting her head on my shoulder as I continued ''Just forget about what she said, alright? Ozpin allowed you to come to this school two years early for a reason, not just because he did it on a whim. Weiss will get over it sooner or later, so don't worry about it, alright?''.

Ruby nodded slightly as she broke off from the hug, cheeks a rosy red. I pulled a bullet out of my pocket and altered it with a shard of my soul, turning it into a cookie.

I smiled, pulling out an oversized cookie that I had hid behind me ''Good. Here''.

Troubles visibly forgotten, Ruby's eyes went wide as she took the cookie in a flash, nibbling on it ''Where did you find this?!''.

''I have my ways'' I smiled, ruffling her hair slightly as she blushed at the action ''I'll need some help in the workshop, a new weapon design, meet me there in ten?''.

''Okay!'' She beamed happily, blush bright before disappearing in a flurry of rose petals, cookie in hand. Now that that was done, I headed down the direction Weiss went, taking several corridors until I found Weiss, standing on a small balcony grumbling to herself. I stopped walking when I was a foot or two behind her, coughing lightly to draw her attention, which she did after jumping.

''Eien?'' She questioned in confusion before apparently coming to the conclusion, and scowled ''What do you want?''.

''To talk'' I stated bluntly, my face having gone back to its default blankness ''Why are you so antagonistic at Ruby?''.

''Because she is a damn child!'' Weiss snapped, all traces of composure lost ''Why should she be allowed into Beacon two years early, when I have trained for most of my life?! Its not fair!''.

''You're smart enough to know that she wouldn't be let into Beacon two years early on a whim, so its obvious she's skilled'' I interrupted ''You also realise that I am the same age as her, therefore I should also be taking fire instead of Ruby alone''.

Weiss scoffed, continuing her rant ''Perhaps you are the same age as her, but you've proven yourself back in the emerald forest. You led eight people that ended up in taking down a Nevermore and Deathstalker with minimal injuries, and you've proven that you're equally as skilled as the rest of the student body - you're made to be a leader''.

I smiled, silently taking the complement ''Yes, but despite what you may think Ruby is also a natural leader''.

Weiss looked at me like I was crazy ''Are you kidding? That dunce can barely fight against a pack of Beowolves without getting in someone's way! Namely mine!''.

''So are you saying that you would be a better leader than Ruby?'' I asked and the heiress nodded firmly ''Then why, during the span of ten seconds before I took charge, did you not take charge instead? There was a sixth of a minute to decide, so you had plenty of time to do so''.

She hesitated ''Well... I... I was distracted! I was too busy thinking how to get rid of the Deathstalker and Nevermore!''.

''Then why, when I took charge, did you follow instead of taking control from me?''.

''Because everyone else agreed, so I saw no reason to disagree'' She said crisply.

''And what if Ruby took control and everyone agreed? Would you intervene and try to pry control from her on accounts of being younger in age?'' I persisted and she hesitated again.

''Well, if everyone agreed it would be a waste of time to take control of the situation, since she would already have done so'' Weiss stated bitterly ''But she didn't, so I don't know why we are having the conversation''.

''The reason we are having this conversation is because I want you to see the facts'' I stated to her gently ''Ruby, while younger, is here because she has the potential to be a huntress without having completed the final two years at Signal. I myself have never been to a combat school prior, only training myself by fighting Grimm in the wild, and Ozpin also saw fit to allow me into Beacon''.

''You may have worked harder than most to attain the current position you've got, but that does not mean that those who have not put in equal effort are not worthy of being in your team, our team'' I said firmly, but gently ''All five of us will be on a team for the next four years, and I doubt Ozpin will change that because of infighting. We need to work together to succeed, both against Grimm and against others in competitions, okay?''.

Weiss huffed but gave a hesitant nod, sighing ''I shouldn't have yelled at her, should I?''.

I shook my head ''You can still apologise, and knowing Ruby she'll accept it''.

Weiss bit her lip and huffed again, but conceded with a nod. I walked off the balcony and heard her follow me as I led her down the halls to the workshop, the sound of metal being shuffled about. We walked into the large but compact room and Ruby poked her head out from around the corner, only to tense up at seeing Weiss. At my gesture she came out from behind it, wringing her hands awkwardly.

''Weiss'' I said, leaving it at that.

Said girl sighed, crossing her arms and looking away ''I'm... sorry, for yelling at you. I was just annoyed that you got into Beacon two years earlier than I did... and I was being undignified, and I'm sure you're more than capable for being here at Beacon-''.

Her apology was cut off as Ruby hugged Weiss, prompting the heiress girl to blurt out in embarrassment; ''Wha- get off me y-you dunce!''.

Ruby just giggled as she let Weiss go, smiling at the flustered Weiss. The tension previously in the room was gone as Weiss scowled lightly, faking annoyance but the (carefully hidden) relief present.

''Hmph, I'll leave you dunces to your own devices'' Weiss stated, pretending to be annoyed but I caught the hint of a smile as she left.

After she left Ruby smiled ''So~ you wanna get started on this new weapon?''.

I smiled back ''Sure''.

Two weeks later...

They were gathered in the combat hall, everyone sitting in the stands as they watched the entirely one-sided fight between Jaune and Cardin. A translucent barrier surrounded the arena to protect the crowd and in some cases the combatants, shown when Jaune crashed into the barrier and Cardin stood over him, mace raised only for Glynda to interrupt them. With a crisp comment both students left the stage, and everyone awaited for the next duo to be called.

''Next match... Pyrrha Nikos vs Eien'' Glynda listed, surprising the two combatants and their teams. While logically it was fine, it was their choice of weapons that would make it difficult. Pyrrha used a shield, which could block bullets, and a sword-javelin-rifle while I used a Scythe and Sniper, meaning that he would be fast but mostly fire from range.

Dismissing my concerns I got up from the stands and spared a friendly smile for Pyrrha, who returned it. We both went to our own sides of the stage, and I dumped all my Corrosion-based Rounds, Semblance-piercing Rounds, and other rounds that would not be used for a spar. Judging from the flat looks JNPR and my own team were sending me, they probably thought the amount I carried was excessive. Couldn't blame them I guess. Again, dismissing those thoughts I walked onto the stage and unslung Judgement into its sniper form, holding it over my chest. I shared one last friendly smile with Pyrrha, signifying that whatever happened in this battle didn't mean anything outside of this battle.

''While I understand that things happen in combat, please try to limit the damage to the arena and the barrier around it. You will stop when one of you are at 10% health or when I say so, am I clear?'' She asked and got a grunt from both of us ''Very Well... Three, two, one... Go!''.

I immediately fell to one knee and fired, in response the crimson haired warrior raised her shield and blocked the bullet with ease. I transformed Judgement into its Scythe mode and fired behind me, kicking me forward with the recoil, I swung at her shield and a loud 'clang' and a series of sparks shot off at the impact. I fired a shot just before she could counter with her Xiphos sword, the bullet grazing her shoulder and costing her some of her Aura. I flipped backwards with the recoil and skidded onto my knees, firing Judgement again while it was in its Scythe form.

The bullet bounced off her shield, as well as the second one. I reached into my coat with practiced ease and pulled out another five-round rail magazine, slamming it into the weapon and jumping back in time to dodge her sword. I spun my weapon around me and blocked her sword, firing and rolling to my right to avoid a shield bash. My hood was down but my bandana was up, hiding my small smile as I fired at my feet, sending me into the air as I turned my body in the air so that my feet were facing up and my head towards the ground.

I fired once, the recoil kicking me back with enough - temporary - force to keep my feet pinned to the ceiling. She deflected the bullet like always, but my second one scathed her forearm. In a flash her own weapon had transformed into a rifle, and I let gravity drop me down in time to avoid her own bullet - unlike her I had no defensive item besides my Aura to block bullets, and since this was a battle of Aura it was imperative I kept it as high as possible. I glanced down at my waist where I strapped my scroll, and where our current Aura metres were.

Pyrrha: 85% / Eien: 85%

I mentally nodded, it wasn't too bad considering my opponent - though I had no doubt this could change in an instant. With that in mind I shot towards her, using the recoil to increase the distance between us as I took out another rail of .338 Lapua Magnum rounds, sliding them into my scythe while the spare rail went back into my coat. Pyrrha charged me and I spun my scythe, the blade clashing against her shield while the shaft knocked her Xiphos sword off point. A shot at my feet and I was airborne again, though this time I fired at the roof above me and sent myself hurling towards the ground. With an almost deafening 'CLANG' my blade clashed against her shield as I almost knocked her off her feet, only her training keeping her standing.

I had less than a second to fire and avoid her counter attack, though I did get a slash to the shoulder for my troubles. With one round left in the chamber I cleared some distance again as I reached for another rail, only to be surprised as she charged me like a ram. However my surprise faded as instinct and reflexes took control, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out my secondary hand cannon, making Pyrrha widen her eyes in surprise. I fired with a deafening 'BANG' as the HE round exploded against her, sending her tumbling back from the unexpected counter attack as I slid another rail of ammo in before falling into stance, just as Pyrrha got up again.

''I know that one of my major weaknesses is my reload time and small magazine capacity, so it would be foolish not to have a back-up plan to counter that weakness'' I say as I hefted the gun, barrel smoking as I glanced at my scroll ''I named it Punishment, for it punishes those who take advantage of an obvious weakness''.

Pyrrha: 55% / Eien: 65%

Pushing down the desire to be proud, I fell back into a defensive stance as I reloaded Judgement in a flash, Punishment disappearing into my coat pocket once again like a viper ready to strike. Pyrrha was more cautious now, clearly smart enough to know that now she would have another thing to get past to harm me. I took the initiative and fired as her weapon transformed, skimming her stomach as she returned fire. I took the bullet to the side of the chest and fired below me and flipped in the air, using my treads and temporary gravity to my advantage as I ran along the roof for a few second before firing two rounds in quick succession to plummet to the ground below.

She learnt from her mistakes and surprised me as she, instead of blocking, jumped back to avoid me as my Scythe crashed where she stood and imbedded a foot into the ground. Before I could fire a round to loosen it she charged me with her shield first, greatly reducing her chances of being hit by Punishment. I scowled faintly as I did a flip backwards and pulled out Punishment, firing a loose explosive round at her to stun her. In a feat of strength she barrel through it, though from her momentary stumble showed the effect it had, which was what I wanted.

I surprised her by charging her in tandem, slipping my body past her shield bash and knee her in the stomach, followed by a palm to the chin and a roundhouse kick to the side of the stomach, sending her tumbling to the side, though her Xiphos sword did manage to graze me once again. I bolted over to my weapon and with a single shot freed it from its confinement, flipping it around in a ready stance as Punishment disappeared into my pocket, and I spared a glance at my scroll.

Pyrrha: 25% / Eien: 32%

Not bad at least, I was still in the lead by nearly 10% and the fight ended at 10%. Ignoring that fact and focusing on the battle, I fired a round at her and she blocked it with slightly increased difficultly, allowing a brief pause for me to reload Judgement and prepare a secondary rail encase I would need another before the fight ended. Both of us were panting now, but we ignored it. I took off with the recoil of my weapon, clashing against her shield with a 'CLANG'. She once again took me by surprise as her weapon, which was no longer a Xiphos sword but rather a javelin, pierced my shoulder, costing me extra Aura to heal the wound as I evaded backwards.

I fired at my feet and once again went airborne, immediately and unabashedly firing off every last round in my clip at her, preventing her from getting a good aim with her rifle less she be hit directly by any of the sniper rounds. The second my weapon clicked empty I pulled out Punishment and fired, sending the flare-like round down at her, exploding as she blocked just in time, but still took heavy damage. I fell to the ground panting, fumbling for another rail of ammo when Glynda spoke;

''The match is over, Eien is the winner'' She said, surprising me. I glanced down at my scroll and was slightly surprised to see that indeed she was right.

Pyrrha: 8% / Eien: 16%

I sighed as I leaned on my weapon for support, reloading my arsenal and pocketing it for later. I went over to the exhausted champion and offered her a hand up, which she gladly took - and almost pulled me down with her.

''I didn't know... you were so good at hand-to-hand'' She panted as we made our way off the stage.

''Eh, comes with... survival training'' I replied between gasps.

''I wouldn't mind sparring... with you again'' She chuckled and smiled in a friendly manner.

I smiled ''And I wouldn't mind sparring with you... I'll be sure to be stronger than last time''.

''Then I better step up my game then'' We shared another laugh as we walked off the stage, immediately being besieged by our Teams.

''That was awesome!~'' Ruby cheered excitedly ''You guys were all pew-pew, and then like 'pew-CLANG!-bang!' and then-''.

Yang saved us from further excited Ruby rants as she put a hand over her sisters mouth, making the younger sister realise she had begun ranting again and blush in embarrassment, Glynda's voice cut into our talking.

''Remember everyone! The Vytal festival is only a few weeks away! Those who decide to enter the tournament will be representing all of Vale, so keep up your training!''.

I rubbed my chin ''Maybe I should continue my own?''.

''Didn't you say you trained 'against the Grimm'?'' Yang asked, apparently hearing my murmur.

''Yeah'' I nodded, a thoughtful look coming onto my face ''Maybe I should travel to Mountain Glenn again?''.

''What are you, suicidal?'' Weiss scoffed and I shrugged.

''Its not too hard to survive, you just need to stay quiet and pick off Grimm from a distance'' I said as I rolled my shoulders ''It has its advantages too, its got a massive library mostly intact, plus there aren't many Deathstalkers around and the ones that do live at the city are in the larger, open buildings or underground. Nevermore are few and far between, and Goliath stay to the outskirts''.

I frowned slightly ''Although there have been a few... odd occurrences, at least on my last two trips''.

''Odd occurrences?'' Pyrrha asked as we began leaving the hall ''Like what?''.

My frown deepened ''Large Dust Crystals, mainly located inside certain buildings or underground. About ten to twenty feet tall, partially buried in the ground and with Grimm surrounding them''.

Weiss frowned ''It sounds like a naturally large dust, but Grimm usually stay away from Dust, and all Dust in Mountain Glenn was mined prior to the city opening''.

''Odd indeed'' I nodded before shrugging ''Still, they don't really effect my stay there, so I just tend to avoid them to prevent the Grimm catching onto me''.

''I have an idea!'' Nora beamed, almost in a maniac manner ''Lets go there!''.

''Hah?'' RWBY and JPR stated flatly.

''I agree'' I nodded ''It could double as survival training, and if we need to we can leave the area in short order... though we probably will need permission from Ozpin to go''.

''If he agrees to it, I'm willing'' Ren shrugged indifferently, while Nora cheered her agreement.

''It could be a good learning experience'' Pyrrha smiled, agreeing.

''I want to see if the library has any good books'' Blake nodded.

''I'm game'' Yang grinned.

Ruby nodded her agreement, an excited grin on her face as Weiss scoffed ''Well I'm not letting you dolts go on without me''.

Jaune sighed ''I guess I'll come too, when?''.

''I'll go ask Ozpin when we can go, catch up with you guys at lunch'' I smiled, giving a goodbye wave as I left for the Headmasters office.

A/N: How'd I do? I will add extra things and different plotlines to this story alongside Canon, so canon will be delayed at some points but canon will more-or-less be followed.

On the romance end, I'm leaning towards Ruby being paired with Eien. Next chapter will be about Ozpin's decision and the episodes of Jaundice P1 and P2 along with Forever Fall P1 and P2.

For those wondering why Weiss was angry at Ruby, since in canon its because Ruby was the leader, in this fic it was because Ruby was younger than Weiss and she felt as if Ruby hadn't earned her position, since she hasn't had the chance to see Ruby at her finest yet.