Chapter 5
An unending dark that encompassed the room. No way to tell how far it stretched. The silence that accompanied it would drive men insane. This was where It was held. Where It had spent so much time. The dark brought comfort and solace for It had grown familiar with it. This abyss was Its paradise, yet the dark wasn't home to the thing It cherished most. A single light illuminated a small alcove, just barely big enough to open the object that lay within.
A single book lay unopened as it bathed in the soft light coming from the top of the alcove. Its cover faded, leaving only a fading etch of an ornately decorated gem, and the pages yellowed and torn. Here it lies, undisturbed, until a shadowy limb carefully caresses the cover as It fawns over Its most cherished possession.
Once more, It carefully opened the book and began to read the only story It had ever read. Brilliant white orbs scour over the words, taking in the story. Long does It sit there, reading, when It hears the sound of metal gears straining behind It. The darkness shifts and a harsh light plunges into the room, fighting to illuminate the area, when a figure steps into the doorway, blocking the light.
"It's time." The feminine voice of the figure was familiar to It. She was one of the people that directly handled It, that made sure It still lived, that sought to have It deliver them to their goal. With little urgency, It stood up and closed the book, Its treasure, gently before carefully pulling it to Its chest. Gingerly, It made Its way over to the woman, where It stood waiting as she pulled a fabric from a pocket on the white coat she wore. With practiced ease, she bent down and tied the fabric over Its "eyes," and took one of Its hands as she led it from the room.
The walk was no different from the others as It was led to Its destiny. She spoke no more, yet her gait was a comfortable one for the small shade, a hint of the kindness that she held for It. Soon, they reached the end of the walk. It was guided to where It should be as the woman left, but It knew that she had merely stepped away to be beside the others of her kind, the ones that would make the impossible possible. Another voice calls out, the voice of the man that granted It a new purpose.
"Brothers and sisters, we have long toiled on our quest for a better world. Our fellow man has brought the world to ruin. Even now as we speak, the nations war endlessly. Countless innocents have died, untold numbers of bright, aspiring minds broken by the atrocities committed, and what do the nations of the world have to show for it? Starving populous, decrepit homes, large swathes of land uninhabitable, innumerous species of fauna wiped out, and the war is no closer to its conclusion than when it started."
A pause as footsteps resound through the chamber they're in. "It is for all these reasons and more that we have come together for a single purpose: to create a better world. A world free from the evils that plague us, a world where we need not fear for our loved ones, a world that is truly… happy. With that said, it brings me no untold amount of joy to inform you all that that world lies at our fingertips. All that is needed is one last ritual, and we will bring peace to our crumbling world."
Once more a pause as he walks into place. "It should go without saying, but we cannot afford any missteps at this stage. We have practiced this moment a thousand times in preparation for today. No matter what occurs, you are to focus solely on the ritual. The guards and wards protect this compound, but what will occur during the ritual, should we succeed, will require your entire will to stay focused. Now, let us begin."
A shift could be felt in the air as the ritual began. Magical energies began to swirl around, and the atmosphere seemed to weigh down upon them. Soon the air grew saturated with magic as something about the world shifted.
"The stars align as the river of time comes to a stop. The bindings of reality loosen as the fabric of space tears. Destiny burns as Life and Death lose their meaning. We seek that which is beyond it all, the very essence of reality. The gods have abandoned their charge and the world lies at its end. We beseech thee, grant us your presence, so that we may right the wrongs that plague us."
As though in response to the plea, the magics that filled the air vanished as something else filled its space. A presence, familiar to It, ate at the nerves of those surrounded it. It knew that soon the time would come for It to remove the fabric from Its eyes and take hold of something greater.
"Thy kin hath been found and we present it to thee, so that it may act as herald to the new world we dare envision."
A steady silence fills the chamber, none daring to interrupt the ritual when their goal lies at their fingertips. The presence swells until it is suffocating before it stills and a calm acceptance spreads throughout. The man that had been speaking takes a deep breath and continues, the end in sight.
"Hear me now, ye great and ye terrible! Long has Man suffered under your rule. Countless cries for mercy are met with cold indifference. No longer. We forsake thee. No longer shall ye be our shepherd. We hath found our new hope, the one that shall lead us from this mire that ye gods hath dropped our kind into. It, nay, she shall be the guide, the architect of our new world. She shall usurp thy throne. Now, our Goddess, Aela… remove that which blinds thee and take hold of the destiny before you, such is our request to you."
Once more the presence swelled as It, no, She reached a hand up to the blindfold and pulled. The fabric gently unwound, and her eyes gazed upon her destiny as the fabric fell to the ground. There, floating gingerly before her, a spool of red thread waited ever so patiently. She clutched her book even tighter as she reached out. Time crawled to a stop as her hand got closer and closer, then her outstretched fingers touched it. Immediately she was struck by images: the past, the present, the future, everything that ever could have been, that can be, that could be. All at once, everything that made up their world, their reality, filled her being.
She gently pulled the spool, the Fate, closer to her. She knew what it is that they wanted her to do.
"Good, now lead us into the new world. A world without strife, a world that only knows joy."
She knew that it was not meant to be. Slowly, she turned to face them, the ones that had brought her to this moment as they deserved an answer for aiding her and setting her down the path to her dream. Finally facing them, a deafening crack could be heard as she smile at them. She gave them their answer.
"No."
Then she devoured the Fate that rest in her hand, and the world vanished.
Ruby awoke to the still darkened ballroom. The morning sun yet to rise. She fished her Scroll out of the folds of her sleeping bag. It was a little past four in the morning. She looked around at the other prospective students to find them all still in the confines of sleep. Quietly, she got up and headed towards the girl's shower room. Once there, she stripped down and looked over her body.
The pristine, porcelain skin that she had known this entire life met her gaze no matter where she looked. She headed to one of the mirrors and gazed at her reflection, and was met with the same cute, doll-like face she had come to know with large, silver eyes all neatly framed by her shoulder length black hair, the white ends almost blending in with her skin tone. 'All this time and not a single hint of deterioration. Bodies far more durable than this one would have fully decayed by this point. Truly a serendipitous find. To think something like this would be hiding under everyone's nose, I knew my reason for picking this body would be validified.'
Smiling, she headed into the shower and let the warm water wash the remaining sleep from her. As she was the only student awake, she took her time and enjoyed the warmth from the water. An hour later, she stepped out as the first of the other girls sleepily wandered in. Gathering her nightwear, she headed to the girl's locker room. She changed into her combat attire, then headed back into the ballroom, intent on waking Yang up.
She returned to their sleeping spot to find Yang hanging half out of her bag, splayed out and taking up as much room as possible. She crouched down and lazily poked at the blonde's face. "Yang~, get up or else you won't have time for to shower~."
Despite her valiant efforts, the blonde remained asleep. Her smile turned slightly more sinister as she bent down to whisper in her ear. "If you don't get up, I'll tell Tai all~ about the things you broke and hid from him. The principal's vase, Mrs. Brass' car, the chandelier from that fancy restaurant, that club in downtown Vale…"
With each new item added to the list Yang's complexion grew paler. As soon as she was sure that Yang was on the verge, she flexed her powers very briefly. "Maybe~… I should tell Mr. Brawn that you popped his daughters' cherries~."
Yang's eyes flew open as she jumped and grabbed Ruby, her voice frantic. "Please, anything but that, he'll kill me."
"Morning, Yang~!" Ruby beamed. Yang's panic soon faded as she stared at Ruby. She groaned as she hung her head. "Don't do that to me Rubes. Just because he's fine with me dating them doesn't mean he's alright with me sleeping with them, at least until after the wedding."
"I can't help it if you're difficult to wake up. Besides, it is your fault that I even know that little bit of info."
Yang blushed as she crossed her arms and pouted. "I couldn't help it. The mood with the twins was just irresistible, and I was so happy. I needed to share that, and I wanted you to know cause you're my best friend. At least when you're not being an ass."
"Dah~…" Ruby blushed as she hugged Yang. "You're my best friend too Yang. I would never sell you out like that. Holly and Berry would never forgive me for siccing their dad on you. That and I'd feel kinda bad for depriving Tai of his only child."
Yang couldn't help the questioning look she gave Ruby. "I know that it's your choice and everything, but why don't you let Dad adopt you?"
Ruby let go of Yang and leaned against the nearby wall. She sat like that for a moment, pondering how to answer that question. "It just felt wrong to me. I know Tai's a great guy and all, but it just isn't me, ya know."
After saying her part, Ruby hopped up and pulled Yang to her feet. "Now, go take a shower before you have to go through initiation all stinky." She gave a playful shove towards the showers.
Yang rolled her eyes as she continued that way. Ruby let her smile fall as she turned to their sleeping bags. 'Guess I'll clean this up.' It wasn't a difficult task and soon enough she had their area cleaned up. With little else to do, she pulled out her Scroll and started playing one of the games Yang insisted she get.
Several minutes later, she is clearly focused on the game when someone comes up to her. That person stood just at the edge of her vision, but she paid them no attention as she continued her endeavors. Either through their inability to read the room, or some unearned ego that made them think it was alright to try and interrupt her, they cleared their throat. She ignored them. They tried again. "Fuck. Off."
One exasperated sigh later. "Look, I'm just trying to ask where that blonde from last night went. I'm sure we just got off on the wrong foot, and if she gave me a chance, we could be a real power couple. In fact, if you help me out, I might be willing to help you make it to the big leagues when you're old enough."
Ruby gave her unwanted companion a dead stare. The blonde idiot from the previous night had come up to her, this time wearing a hoodie and jeans with a tiny chest plate strapped to him. He had the cockiest smirk she had ever seen. 'If the Grimm don't kill him, I will.'
The boy before her had the most laxed stance she had ever seen from a supposed Hunter-in-training. Even students that just started their training at one of the primary academies had a more ready and balanced stance. Frankly, he looked like some random civilian that had wandered into the academy, while that may not mean much given Huntsmen's propensity towards casual looking attire, he still looked too lean, too lanky, too pathetic.
"Heh...heh…Could you maybe stop with the staring? I'm not into kids. I mean, yeah, that night a few weeks back messed me up, but not that bad. Not that you aren't cute, you'd probably be really beautiful when you grow up… Please ignore that last bit." He nervously inquired.
The sheer magnitude of his mistake must not have set in as he didn't leave even as her look turned into the harshest glare she could manage, which wasn't saying much. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
"Do you seriously not know when you aren't wanted? Seriously, this is the worst case of stupidity that I have ever seen. First, you interrupt us while we are hanging out, then you hit on her. A girl so far out of your league that there are better odds of Remnant exploding than the two of you getting together. Second, you blunder your dumbass over here and annoy me while I'm waiting for her because you think that I'll somehow be willing to help you get with someone that isn't interested in the microdick you've got. Third, you insult me by implying that I would EVER need your help with anything, then have the gall to try and sweet talk me into this."
By this point, Ruby had gotten to her feet and was angrily jabbing her finger at him. "I don't think that I have ever seen a more pathetic excuse for a "man" than you. Guess what? Stroking your own ego isn't a great way to pick up girls. Especially in a Huntsmen academy, where all the girls in here can, in all likelihood, kick your ass. So why don't you do everyone a favor and shut the hell up."
He tried to speak, but she cut him off again. "I will skin you alive and hang you up by your toes if you don't FUCK! OFF!"
The message had apparently gotten through this time as he skulked off as he tried in vain to keep his head down from the eyes of the crowd that had grown to witness the scene. Sufficiently peeved, Ruby messaged Yang and made for the cafeteria. Her short journey was unimpeded as the rest of the student body easily gave way to the angry girl stomping her way passed them.
The cafeteria was only filled with a handful of prospective students with more trickling in. There was only a couple short hours left until initiation began, and it seemed that most had the idea to fill their stomach prior to it.
Ruby quickly made her way through the line and sat down at one of the tables closest to the doorway, so Yang could see her when she got there. She took her time eating, her chocolate, chocolate chip pancakes weren't going anywhere, as she tried to calm herself down. By the time she was halfway through, Yang sat down decide her.
"So what's got you all pissy?"
Having been thoroughly distracted hate eating her pancakes, Ruby startled as Yang spoke. He sent a spiteful look the blonde's way before returning to her breakfast. "Remember that dumbass from last night? Guess who came looking for you."
Yang groaned as she started eating her meal. "Please tell me he came over to apologize."
The look she got in response was enough of an answer. "They seriously need to screen some of these guys cause he looked like he didn't know which end of a sword was used to stab things."
Ruby nodded her agreement and the two ate their meals in a comfortable silence as more people filed in. A few minutes later, the both of them were walking towards the gear storage area for a last minute check up on their weapons.
The whirling of gears filled the air as Ozpin once more looked out across the city. Today was important, more important than normal. Today marked the initiation of the Huntsmen academies Fall semester and the end of a search that had begun in earnest roughly a decade ago. Though he had yet to relay that request to his fellows, they had one last meeting before the various initiations took place, so he sat there and waited for the call to come through, patiently sipping the hot chocolate in his mug.
Soon enough the call came, he turned his chair as he answered. A holographic screen projected into the air in front of him. The picture projected was that of James Ironwood but quickly the projection splintered as two more people joined the call, Leo Lionheart and Theodore. Ozpin knew that the trusted companions of his fellow Headmasters were in the room but simply off screen, not that it mattered too particularly.
"Good morning everyone. I hope that things have been better since we last met."
The men projected nodded their assent. Ozpin turned his gaze to Ironwood. "How are your men recovering?"
The Atlesian man sighed as into his hand. "Vine and Winter have made a full recovery, but we haven't found anyone to fill Tortuga's spot. Currently there is one person that I have my eye on, but the Council is sticking their nose in and slowing down the process to transfer him. The fact that he is rather green doesn't help."
Ozpin hummed as he took another sip of his hot chocolate. He could understand James' frustration with the Council and their unneeded interventions.
"M-might I ask who it is that you have your eyes on. If he really is as green as you say, then why bring him in?"
A fair question, Ozpin reckoned as he looked to the lion Faunus that had posed it. In all likelihood, the potential recruit had some special skill or powerful semblance if James wanted to bring him in.
Ironwood's gaze drifted down and soon a new screen popped open in front of Ozpin, a file regarding one Marrow Amin.
"Take a moment to look over his file," he said. They did just that. Ozpin mostly skimmed the info as he knew that what he was looking for was likely separate from the mundane info, as was the usual with Atlesian personnel documents. It didn't take long to reach the section he was looking for and raised an eyebrow at the one bit of information that stuck out.
"He can stop the movement of anythin' in a single direction." The rough voice of Theodore rung out. "I can see why you'd want 'im."
"J-just how strong is this Semblance?"
"Strong enough that I wanted him transferred not too long after he graduated. I was hoping to have him join the Ace Ops, then train him up to par, but the Council wouldn't stop interfering. They said he wasn't skilled enough to be a part of them, but I think we all know the real reason."
Indeed, Ozpin had seen the problematic bit of information early on. He wasn't too happy with their reasoning, but he wasn't surprised by it. "I take it things have changed now?"
Ironwood nodded. "I've been sending him on missions to give him the necessary experience and training. That's why Clover wasn't available. The latest mission was something of a test to see if he could keep up with the rest of the Ace Ops. Fortunately, he passed and the Council doesn't have any reason to delay his promotion… especially with the loss of Special Operative Tortuga."
The others in the call nodded solemnly. That day had cost them much and brought them to today's meeting. Ozpin reclined as he bridged his fingers in front of him. He took a final moment to decide if he was really going to make this decision. The situation was dire and they couldn't afford to split their resources any longer.
"It would seem that the time has come. As of today, we are ceasing all operations in search of the entity. Call all operatives from the search and have them focus on their original tasks."
"Ya sure this is wise, Oz?"
Truly, he didn't know, but they couldn't let themselves be pushed further back than they already were. They hadn't found anything in all this time, and their original enemy hadn't sat in the background. The only choice left was to focus on the most direct threat that stood before them.
"Whether or not this is wise, we don't have many options left and, with Glynda's most recent encounter, our enemies are at our doorstep. We don't have the luxury of waiting anymore. Leo, Theodore. I want you to redouble your efforts to find the Spring and Summer Maidens. James, have you found a replacement for the Winter Maiden?"
James cleared his throat as he stood a little taller. "We have someone and have started the association process, but she has some reservations about it, though she understands the danger we're in."
Ozpin nodded. "Good, then I wish you all the best of luck."
With the farewells said, the call ended and Ozpin rose from his chair. It was nearly time for initiation, and he couldn't simply offload this on just Glynda.
After checking their gear, Ruby and Yang made small talk while they waited for initiation to begin. The wait wasn't too long as soon a familiar voice came over the intercom.
"Will all new students report to the cliffside overlooking the Emerald Forest. I repeat, will all new students report to the cliffside overlooking the Emerald Forest. Initiation begins in 15 minutes."
With that the two made their way to the initiation site with the rest of the first year students. The walk itself only took 10 minutes, and when they got there they were instructed to stand on the numerous platforms lined along the cliff.
When all the students were properly situated, Headmaster Ozpin stepped forward. Despite the tensions that ran among the students, Ozpin's relaxed gait and stance eased some of the more nervous students. He took a moment to gaze at the children that stood before him.
"By now I'm sure you've all heard that you'll placed in teams while you're here. Let me assure you that those teams will be formed today. Each team is composed of two pairs of partners, meaning each team is made up of four people. These teams will last while you study here and even beyond, should you choose so. As for partners, these will be the person that should be your closest confidant among the team. They will be the person that pushes you to your furthest limit. As such, it should stand to reason that you should partner with someone you are compatible with… having said that, your partner is the first person you make eye contact with once we begin."
Some students were shocked at the rather haphazard way that the partners were being chosen, but Ozpin took it in stride as he continued.
"Any questions? No? Good. You are to collect the relics set up in the ruins to the north. Good luck."
Many students started to form a question but were interrupted by them being flung through the air. The students still on the ground were steadily being launched by the platforms they were stood on. Soon all the students were airborne with many screaming in excitement… or fear. Ozpin found the latter more entertaining than the former.
Flying through the air, Ruby took the time to enjoy the familiar sensation. 'Flying really is one of the most relaxing things there is.' She shifted her weight, causing her to spin through the air with a smile on her face. It didn't last long as she felt gravity pull her closer. With a mental sigh, she looked towards the ground as she corrected her flight, so she was headed to the ground feet first.
With the ground approaching fast, Ruby focused on the shadows littering the forest floor and activated her Semblance. She disappeared from where she was, only to immediately pop out of the shadow she was looking at. Gently, she landed on the ground and looked around. Not spotting anyone in the immediate vicinity, she headed forth into the forest.
A good minute into her walk and she still hadn't run across anyone. 'As great as it is to enjoy nature, I do have a task to complete. Guess I should start changing it up' With that thought, she focused further ahead and activated her Semblance. Once more she leapt from the shadow she had focused on, landing on one of the branches of a nearby tree. She took the time to try and use her sight to find someone when she heard the sound of fighting from nearby.
'Partner, hear I come.' Looking in that direction, she once more activated her Semblance and warped closer to the sound. Leaping from the shadow, she was met with the sight of the Schnee heiress having just finished dispatching a group of Grimm, if the stone pillars and still disintegrating bodies were any indicator.
The sound of Ruby landing caused the girl in white to quickly turn to face her. In that moment, their eyes met. While Ruby had no real qualms with the girl in front of her, said girl clearly felt different. She turned back around and started to walk off, but was denied that opportunity when Ruby grabbed ahold of her arm.
"Now~ that wasn't nice of you, partner. How could you try and leave me all~ alone~?"
The girl in white hung her head, the defeat wafting off her palpable. Resigning herself to her fate, she allowed herself to be pulled along by Ruby momentarily before pulling her hand away. "I can walk just fine on my own."
Ruby wasn't dissuaded as she lead their way through the forest. "True~ but think of it this way. We get to spend at least the next four years together, so why not try and chum it up?"
"If you want to 'chum it up', then I ask that you refrain from doing what you did yesterday."
"What did I do?"
The overly white girl looked at the smaller girl before her with a hint of confusion and irritation. "The trick you pulled with your Semblance. I didn't very well enjoy being made to feel that way."
This time Ruby looked at her confused. "I didn't use my Semblance when we first met, though I will admit that I can be a little spooky sometimes."
The girl in white wasn't quite convinced, but before she could voice her thoughts, Ruby spoke first. "I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."
While not ignorant to the forced change of subject, she let it slide to focus on the task at hand. "Weiss Schnee. Now, do you know where you're going?"
A sly smile worked its way onto Ruby's face as she grabbed ahold of Weiss' hand. "Sure do. Just leave the hard work to me."
"What do you-"
Before she could finish, Ruby pulled her along as she jumped into the nearby trees, using them as platforms to launch the both of them into the air. The heiress' indignant squawk was cut short as they both disappeared from the air.
The two reappeared much farther away in the shadow of another tree. Weiss clearly disoriented as she staggered towards the tree. Ruby stood there, clearly looking for praise. After a few seconds, Weiss recovered from her unprompted teleportation, clearly none too pleased. "Next time, a warning would be appreciated."
Ruby couldn't help the pout that came to her face. 'Seriously, my Semblance is super cool and useful. No recognition whatsoever.' She walked up to the heiress, arms crossed. "Do you want to get there and back quickly or not?"
Weiss shook her head. "It's not that. I just would have preferred to prepare myself for it. Although I do have to question how far the range is."
Ruby took a moment to think on that. "I don't really know," she shrugged. "So long as I can see a shadow, I can warp to it. That's how it works."
"Think you could get us to the ruins if we get high enough?"
Ruby smiled. "Not a problem."
With their plan cemented, they got to work. Weiss summoned several glyphs to form a staircase into the air. Together they hopped up the glyphs and started surveying the area for the ruins. It took a few seconds, but soon they were looking at the ruins far in the distance.
"Can you make that distance?" Weiss asked, her tone quizzical.
Ruby looked uncertain; her face scrunched up in thought. "I haven't ever leapt that far before, and I can't see a shadow even with the Sun in the right position. Hang on…"
The smaller girl pulled the black block off the small of her back. It extended into a blocky rifle, finishing with a scope popping up. She aimed at the ruins before extending a hand to Weiss. Silently, Weiss took the offered hand and, as soon as they clasped hands, they vanished. No sooner had they disappeared, a hail of feathers tore through the space they had been.
Rather than a graceful landing from the shadows, the two girls tumbled out, one disoriented and the other winded. The monochrome girl pushed herself into a seated position, still trying to catch her breathe.
"Note to self: …Don't make really long jumps… unless you have to. Massive aura drain." She collapsed onto her back.
The ivory girl stumbled to her feet, swaying heavily. She looked to her partner sprawled out on the ground then to the ruins. Well, they technically were ruins, but she could only identify it as a collection on stones with some out of place pedestals lining it, on each one was a chess piece.
On wobbly legs, she walked over to the ruins and thought about which piece to grab, clearly there had to be some meaning to them. Before she grabbed one, she considered getting her partner's opinion on the matter. It was only right, after all, she had gotten them there quickly.
"It seems we've got our pick of the "relics". It's two full chess sets, which piece do you want?"
Weiss watched as Ruby slowly picked herself up and stumbled over. She only slightly flinched when Ruby latched onto her, but considering the circumstances, she would allow it. A warmth spreading through her the longer Ruby held onto her. It wasn't uncomfortable or suffocating, but gentle, reassuring, and pleasant. It felt nice and Weiss allowed herself to bask in the feeling as Ruby made her choice.
Said girl was looking at all the pieces, deciding which she wanted. She strode forth, pulling Weiss along, until she came up to the pillar holding a white king piece. Without a hint of hesitation, she snatched the piece, pocketing it.
Weiss looked at her. "Any reason for choosing that one?"
Ruby hummed as she put on airs, pretending to think on her reason. She ended her act with a self-assured nod, Weiss looking on unamused. With a roll of her eyes, Ruby answered. "Well~… We both wear a lot of white, we got here first, and I doubt there are too many people that would be able to match how awesome we are."
Weiss couldn't help the exasperated sigh that escaped her as she shook her head, a small smile on her face. "I suppose there is something to be said about getting through initiation without fighting anything."
Ruby smiled as she lead the way back towards the cliff. "Just one of the many perks of having me as your partner. Travel time and annoying interferences are just suggestions with Ruby Rose on your side."
The girls shared a small laugh as they walked. Soon they came across a cavernous cliff, the only way across seeming to be a stone structure stretching across the gorge. With little deterrence, they set out to cross the ruins.
It didn't take long for them to reach the topside of the cliff and meet the Headmaster.
"I see we have our first pair to return. Head to the auditorium. The teams will be announced there."
The two girls headed back to the school as Ozpin and Glynda went back to watching the initiation. Once she was sure that the girls were out of earshot, Glynda sighed as she swapped the camera feed she was viewing. "I understand that the objective was to retrieve a "relic", but the way they went about it feels like it defeats the purpose of the exam."
Ozpin chuckled as he looked up from his Scroll and towards his assistant. "While you may feel that way, it most certainly was a clever use of their respective abilities. Though, testing the limits of Miss Rose's Semblance in the field wasn't the best idea, it certainly paid off."
"Still they should have been paying more attention to their surroundings. They very nearly were impaled because they focused too heavily on their plan."
"Which is something we will need to work with them on. At most, our usual first years have experience fighting Grimm and little to no experience with field work. This is their first taste of the reality outside the kingdoms and it is better for them to learn in an environment that we can control. Besides that level of creativity is something to be encouraged."
Glynda glared at her Tablet. While she understood Ozpin, that didn't mean she was happy with it.
Things had been looking up for the short redhead in the past few months. First, she and her best friend had managed to get to Vale, then they got accepted into Beacon Academy. She blushed as she thought about the night they got accepted. That day had been one the best she had ever had, or at least that night had. They had been staying at a hotel in the city while they waited for the school year to start. It had been just another day, but that night had been weird. As the night deepened, she felt worse and worse. She couldn't contain her shivers as she remembered that feeling.
The only time she had felt anything similar to that night was the day she had met Ren. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, he came into the room. She had practically thrown herself at him. He had used his Semblance before when she was scared, but this was different. The pervading calm that was his Semblance didn't come.
Instead, he had held her tight as they spent that night huddled together in the corner of the room. Morning couldn't have come sooner. Neither had gotten any sleep, but she had felt renewed anyway. The closeness had reinforced the feelings she had begun to notice.
"It would have been nice if we could have stayed that way a bit longer."
Shaking her head, she pressed onwards through the woods. Skipping her way through, she notice the sounds of combat from ahead. Rushing forward, she pulled her hammer from its magnetic hold. She burst through the overgrowth, Magnhild at the ready. Only to be disappointed to only see the fading corpses of Grimm. She pouts as she looks at the person standing in the center of the carnage.
Donning bronze armor, a bronze shield, and wielding a spear of the same color, the girl in front of her turned to face her. Green met aqua as the situation donned on the two. The bronze girl blinked as the shorter girl kept staring as an odd horror seemed to settle in those aqua eyes.
"NOOOOOO! YOU"RE NOT RENNIE! TIME OUT! REDO! REDO! REDO!"
Pyrrha could flinched as the shorter girl kept screaming. She felt a little hurt that the girl was so vehemently against partnering with her. She composed herself as she tried to reach out to the girl.
"Um… I know this probably isn't what you wanted but-"
She was cut short as the girl abruptly stopped her ranting and faced her, a determination in her eyes. Hands on her hips, she stomped up to Pyrrha.
"Listen here, Missy! We are going to those ruins, we are grabbing our relic, and we are getting Rennie on our team! Capeesh?!"
Pyrrha could only dumbly nod as the short redhead marched into the forest. Quickly, she headed after her partner. As they walked, it occurred to her that she didn't know who her partner was.
"So… who might you be?" She cringed at the awkwardness in her voice, but her partner didn't seem to mind.
"Oh right, silly me," she bonked her head, "Nora Valkyrie at your service."
Pyrrha smiled. "Pyrrha Nikos."
"Neat. Now, ONWARDS!"
The two rushed through the forest, coming across a small pack of Beowolves that were dismissed by a couple of grenades. Pyrrha could appreciate the ordinance that Nora brought, but the cackling was something that she could do without.
"Out of the way, you damn, dirty Grimm. I got me a man to find."
While she didn't know him, Pyrrha felt a pang of sympathy for 'Rennie.' Odds were high that the two knew each other and if the Nora's current behavior was any indication, then she feared what the poor man had endured.
They continued on until they burst through the woods into a clearing. Up ahead was a set of ruins, almost instantly Nora was upon them. While her partner was obtaining their relic, Pyrrha took in their surroundings.
Based on how high the Sun was in the sky, it had been an hour or two since they started. While she doubted that they be graded harshly based on time, the professors likely had a set amount of time allotted for the event to take.
Just as she started heading towards the ruins, her partner was right up on her, grief apparent.
"What we do, Pyrrha?"
To say she was taken aback was an understatement. She didn't know why her partner was on the verge of tears, so she did the only thing she could think of. Ask for clarification.
"About what?"
"The relic! There are only a few left! What if Rennie came through and already took one?! How do I know which he took?! What if he hasn't been through here yet?! What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!"
The speed at which she was assaulted by the questions left her still a bit confused, but Pyrrha shook it off as she placed a hand on Nora's shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"I don't think there is much you can do. I suppose all we have left is to leave everything up to destiny. If we end up on the same team as him, good. If not, then it isn't like you're separated by much. You're still in the school, so I'm sure you both can still meet up."
"Really?"
"Of course. Now why don't we pick our relic and … hope for the best." She put on her best smile as she tried to placate Nora.
Nora wiped her eyes clear. "Right. Yeah… that makes sense."
The two walked to the ruins and Pyrrha finally understood what Nora was talking about. On pedestals that lined the circular ruin, there were chess pieces. Based on the empty pedestals, a number of people had already come by and taken whichever they wanted.
She could already guess as to how the teams would be formed, but she didn't have a way to ensure Nora could be on a team with Rennie. With mind to her previous statement, she marched forward and grabbed a piece at random.
Holding it up to her partner, she gave Nora an uncertain smile. "Now we just have to hope that we wind up on the same team."
Nodding her head, Nora lead the way back towards the academy.
Ozpin stood center stage as he called he called down pairs of students. Ruby could hardly stand the boredom as she sat, waiting.
"Why couldn't we be the first ones down there? We were literally the first pair done."
Weiss squeezed her hand as she sat beside her.
"I know it might seem unfair, but maybe he's leaving the best for last."
While Ruby couldn't refute that point, she still wasn't happy with it. 'Let's just hope nobody too nosy gets put on the team. I do need to keep in touch with Roman.' She discreetly looked down at her left hand, still linked with Weiss' hand. She smiled. 'At least somethings are working for the better. Even if it was just an impulse decision.'
"… and Yang Xiao Long."
Ruby perked up as she watched that familiar head of blonde hair make her way to the stage, at least until she saw another, less familiar, but more aggravating blonde. She looked over the rest of Yang's team. There was one other male on the team. The magenta strip in his black hair the only thing that stood out to her. His stoicism made him rather hard to read.
Ruby looked to the last member, a girl in some kind of butler type outfit. 'I don't know why someone would want to dress like some girly butler. I do think the color scheme is nice, but she ought to choose a new outfit.'
"Together these four will be known as Team BARL. Led by … Jaune Arc."
The crowd erupted into noise. Mostly a polite applause as by this point everyone likely wanted to be done with the ceremony.
Ruby looked over to Weiss. "How many do you think are left?"
Before Weiss could answer, Ozpin continued. "Weiss Schnee."
Sighing, Weiss stood and made her way down. She stood next to the professor, keeping her form perfect.
"Ruby Rose."
Ruby made her way down and stood next to Weiss.
"Nora Valkyrie"
Ruby looked to the girl descending down the stairs. The way the girl skipped down the stairs spoke to her personality. The girl settled next to Ruby a bubbly smile on her face.
"and Pyrrha Nikos."
Ruby looked to the last girl joining her team. 'Finally, someone else I can use for their height.' The tall girl took to the stage and gave both Ruby and Weiss a polite wave as she stood next to Nora.
"Together these four will be known as Team WVRN. Led by… Weiss Schnee."
Weiss' elation could practically be felt with how she visibly perked up. Ruby smiled as she took Weiss' hand again, letting her power flow through. Weiss' face gain a hint of red as she led the four off stage.
"That concludes the team naming ceremony. Leaders, you will find your team's room number messaged to your Scroll. I look forward to seeing how you all develop in the coming years."
With that, the students began to file out of the building. Ruby smiled as she saw Yang approaching, the rest of her team trailing behind her. Ruby pulled Weiss towards Yang, Nora darting ahead and tackling the boy with the magenta strip.
"REN!"
To his credit, the now named boy, Ren, took the tackle well. He had barely budged. Ruby looked to Pyrrha. "She know him?"
Pyrrha scratched her head. "Yes, she made mention of him quite often throughout the short time I've been with her."
"Say, Ruby…"
She looked over to Yang, confused as the blonde hesitated.
"I see you've made a friend."
Ruby followed Yang's gaze down to where she was holding Weiss' hand. Realization hit her as she upped the physical contact by hugging Weiss' arm. The heiress' face bloomed as Ruby poured more power into her.
"Yep! Weiss Schnee, my partner. She's got a really versatile Semblance, and if you ask me…" she leaned towards Yang and stage whispered to her. "really cute and nice."
Yang whistled as Weiss' face blushed even harder. Ruby just gripped Weiss tighter as the rest of Yang's team joined them. Ruby looked passed Yang. "Mind introducing us."
Yang turned to see her team behind her, slightly shocked. She pushed that to the side as she turned back. "Sure. This girly here is Blake, my partner." She gestured to the girl, who was giving Weiss an odd look.
"And this is Ren." This time she gestured to the guy with the magenta strip of hair. He gave a polite nod as Nora continued to cling to him.
"Sup."
"Hello."
"I-i-its nice t-to meet you."
Everyone turned to Weiss as Ruby smirked up at her. "Ah~ How cute~! Is Weiss embarrassed~?"
Weiss managed to compose herself enough to march passed the others with Ruby in tow. Both groups followed after as the blonde boy dejectedly brought up the rear. The groups headed towards the cafeteria with minor talk between them, mostly carried by Ruby, Yang, and Nora with the occasional word from Weiss and Pyrrha.
They all grouped up at the same table with their various meals.
"So you didn't fight anything during initiation? Kind of a waste what with how upset you were at the beginning." Yang couldn't help the incredulity that seep into her voice.
Ruby cuddled closer to Weiss. "Well~ I found something more entertaining. Besides…" she puffed up her chest. "I had to show just how great I am."
"Indeed, and your greatness needs to eat a proper meal. No wonder you're so small if you've only eaten like this." Weiss shifted some of her salad onto Ruby's plate of cookies and chocolate. The monochrome girl looked distraught as the accursed greens tainted her holy, sweet, sugary delights.
"H-How could you, Weiss? I thought you cared about me." She whimpered at Weiss. The stark girl looked visibly hurt at the statement. She quickly brought the other girl into a hug, that warmth from before once more flooding her body.
"I do care about you. I just want you to eat properly. It doesn't just promote healthy growth, but also helps keep your immune system performing at its best."
Blake's face scrunched up, but she didn't say anything as she kept poking at her food.
"Wow, Rubes. I didn't think you'd get a girlfriend on the first day. Color me impressed." Yang's crooked smirk set Weiss sputtering her denial as her comment reminded Ruby of something.
"Oh yeah, Yang. Holly and Berry wanted to know if you had time to meet up this weekend."
Yang looked at her weirdly. "Why would they ask you…" she pulled out her Scroll. "Oh."
"Dead?"
"Dead."
Weiss looked at Yang with severe incredulity. "How did you manage to let your Scroll die?"
Yang shrugged. "I just forgot to charge it. Message them for me, Rubes?"
"Sure."
Ruby took out her Scroll and typed out a quick message. After she sent the message, she went back to poking through the forest that hid her treasures.
"So…" Weiss started, "Who are Holly and Berry?"
"My girlfriends." Yang stated, not having looked up from her meal.
"Girl…friends? As in plural?"
To her credit, everyone else looked just as confused as Weiss, aside from Ruby. Yang took it in stride as she set her utensils down and sighed.
"Yeah. They're twins." She shrugged. "We met back in Signal, and they decided that they both wanted to date me, so here we are. It isn't anything super complicated. They just prefer to share."
"But why would they ask if you had time to hang out if they went to an academy? Didn't they apply to Beacon?"
Yang waved the question off. "Nah, they wanted to follow in their dad's footsteps and whatnot. He sent them to the academy so they could be better prepared than the usual recruits the Vale PD gets. Plus with how often they trained with me and Rubes, I doubt there will be anyone too dangerous that they can't hold."
Yang fixed Weiss with a playful look. "I gotta say though, finding it kinda odd that you're looking into someone else's love life when yours is just starting."
Weiss fell back into a sputtering mess as Ruby chimed in. "Yang. Don't be so mean. I still need her to be my pillow tonight."
"W-w-who's going to be a pillow!" the heiress squeaked.
Yang rolled her eyes. "Occasionally, Ruby likes to sneak into my bed. It gets seriously hot though, so I've been trying to get her to stop." She smiled. "Since she found you though, I don't have to suffer. I will warn you though that she is impossible to pry off once she latches on."
Weiss looked at Ruby, her eyes somewhat fearful. She was already overheating just from holding Ruby's hand, what would happen if they slept together. Ruby's mirthful, white eyes looked back at her. "I'm really looking forward to tonight."
Weiss descended into being a red faced mess. Pyrrha, her face slightly red tinted, coughed. "I hope you guys don't mind giving us a bit of a heads up if you … happen to take things a bit further."
"Yeah! If you guys are gunna be going at it, then let me know! I'm sure Ren would take me in!" Nora's exclamation had everyone turn to the young man in question.
His face stoic and his tone accepting. "So long as you keep it in moderation. It wouldn't do for us to get in trouble for something like this."
Yang picked up. "Right, cause you don't want a little alone time with your own girl. Still, not wrong."
"I… I'll be heading ahead guys." The blonde idiot murmured to the group. He stood up and quickly deposited his tray before leaving the cafeteria. The two teams watched him leave.
"Anyone know what that was about?" Blake asked.
"Dude hit on Yang the first time he saw her. Couldn't take a hint and got thrown away, literally. He came to me to try and get me to help him get with Yang, but that didn't end well for him. I imagine the fact that the girl he was trying to get with was already in a relationship with two other girls hurt whatever useless ego he has." Ruby said as she resigned herself to eating the accursed leaves.
Aside from Yang and Weiss, everyone exchanged looks. Ren spoke up. "He seemed alright when I met him in the forest. I'm sure that whatever slight he has committed can be made up for if given time."
"We'll see." Ruby's voice disbelieving.
The rest of the meal was spent with light chatter. When they all finished, they headed to the dorms together and found that their rooms were across from one another. Nora was delighted to say the least about the proximity of their rooms. The remaining members of Team BARL headed into their dorm as the members of Team WVRN went into theirs.
The room that awaited was nothing amazing. It was just a plain, grey walled room with four identical beds and two desks. A door to their immediate left was open to reveal a bathroom. The four fully stepped into the room and shut the door behind them.
"So this is going to be home for the next four years." Ruby said as she walked to her bags, sitting on one of the beds. She nodded as she pulled out her nightgown. "Better than I thought it would be."
The rest of the girls agreed as they also got out their various nightwear. They each took turns changing in the bathroom before the inevitable scenario set in for Weiss. She looked at Ruby, she was wearing a fairly fluffy nightgown that went down to her knees. Her face reddened as she remembered Yang's words.
Ruby noticed and crept to Weiss' side. "I guess we're only gunna need three of these beds. Unless you don't want to?"
Weiss couldn't resist as she gave Ruby the go ahead to join her bed. Ruby gleefully slipped under the covers. Nora and Pyrrha had also gotten into bed as Weiss walked up to the light switch. "I just want everyone to know that I'll be setting an alarm for the morning, so that we can unpack before classes. Anyone have any complaints?"
When no one spoke up, Weiss nodded as she turned off the lights and headed to bed. She crawled into bed where Ruby almost immediately latched onto her. Her breathe hitched as she was flooded with an even more intense heat than before. 'How am I going to survive this?'
Ruby nuzzled in closer as she let more of her power pour into Weiss. A smile graced her lips, though none could see the hint of malice tainted it. 'All too easy.'
Author's Notes:
Good Lord. This chapter took longer than I would have liked, but FGO got in the way. I wanted to blast through the last couple singularities and the couple events that took place. Including the current one. Either way this has been a long time coming and I'm kinda curious as to how much longer I can get away with ending the story with everyone going to bed. Honestly, it just happened that everything lined up perfectly to end that way.
Arkangel Michael: To the point about OCs. I agree. There are a number of stories that I've read that have OCs filling up the teams or being a major part of the story. There isn't anything wrong with it, but it can get rather annoying when they are constantly on screen and don't really change anything to teh story other than being OP. Personally, I prefer having them as side characters that aren't terribly important, but are capable of adding to the story. That's what I kind of have in mind for Holly and Berry. They aren't going to be super important, but will have a role to play later on. As for the dust shop scene and the lack of reaction on everyone's part in regards to the murder, that part is mostly from Roman's POV, so the goons aren't part of the focus. I also find it more likely that Roman is rather accustomed to things of that nature happening with Neo being a part of his group. His lack of an obvious reaction could be taken a number of ways, including him slipping into a more serious persona and analyzing who is doing what. I doubt that is really a big part of it, but as for Ruby's lack of reaction. She isn't the focus of the part, but I think it says more if she doesn't react. After all, it isn't Ruby with a different personality, but rather someone else as Ruby.
I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and things will start picking up with the changes soon.
Have a good day. I hope you are well.