Ruby's internal clock woke her up to a new day. She took a moment to turn and lie on her back. She gazed at the ballroom's ceiling and reflected on yesterday's events. Even now, she could hardly believe she was here along with her sister. Sure, she had a rough start so far, but there were also the positives; Ruby was here. Today was when everyone would become part of their own team, and there was a chance one of those teammates would be Blake! She turned to look in her new friend's direction. But she wasn't there. Everybody else was still asleep, but Blake's sleeping bag was vacant.

I guess she's an early bird. I'm sure I'll see her again later.

Ruby got out of her own sleeping bag and got to her feet. She raised her arms and stretched her entire body, taking care not to make too much noise and wake everyone up.

Today is a new and extraordinary day.

Ruby was among the first students to walk to the school cafeteria for breakfast. By the time she found a table to sit at, Yang had arrived and got her own tray of food. Yang went to Ruby's table and sat across from her.

"Morning, sis!" Yang greeted.

"Hey there!"

"Did you sleep well? You seem chipper this morning."

With Ruby's mind still under the effects of sleep inertia, she wouldn't have noticed her outward disposition if Yang hadn't pointed it out.

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" she responded. "Today is when I'm finally able to prove myself to Professor Ozpin. And to you, me…"

"Hey, I already know you've got what it takes! You don't need my approval!" Yang's enthusiasm dampened when a thought occurred to her. "This isn't about Weiss, is it?"

"Meh, only partially," Ruby answered. "I skipped two years to be here, so you can imagine how much Professor Ozpin expects of me. I don't want to let him down, and I don't want to slow my team down." Then there was the matter of everyone else in her family, including her deceased mother. I hope I make you proud too, Mom…

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself, Ruby. We've both wanted to be Huntresses all our lives." She leaned forward and reached a hand to hold Ruby's. "I'm proud of you for getting this far and this early. Even if you don't pass, it isn't the end of the world. You'll be back at Signal where you left off, then you can attend again normally."

Ruby glanced down at her food on the table. It wasn't to inspect the partially-consumed foodstuff but to allow herself a moment of deep thought.

Would it really be that simple? Ruby thought back to a moment she experienced yesterday. A part of her wanted to quit after just arriving. Recalling that moment alarmed her groggy mind into waking up.

"I'm putting the right amount of pressure on myself to succeed," Ruby firmly concluded. "I know you're trying to help, but I know what I'm doing."

Yang recognized where this attitude came from. She smiled and thought, She really did grow up with my stubbornness. But she's got my determination. I'm so proud of her. Yang reached her other hand over, holding Ruby's with both. "I trust you. I'm just letting you know now that if you fail, nobody will think any less of you, especially not me. You're my baby sister, and I love you more than anything. No matter what happens, that won't change."

Ruby cracked a smile as her silver eyes focused on Yang's lilacs. "I love you too."

"OH, I GOT IT! It'll be a secret signal to help us find each other in the forest!"

Everyone in the locker room had their attention drawn to the energetic and upbeat ginger whose focus was on her polar opposite: a man who was calm and stoic. Whoever she was talking to, he could be mistaken for a Mistralian ninja.

"How about a sloth?" she wondered. "You're good at imitating sloths, right, Ren?"

"… Nora, I don't think sloths make a lot of noise," Ren pointed out as he retrieved two green pistols with blades on the end of each one.

"Exactly! Nobody will suspect we're working together! But not like… together together…" Somehow, it didn't occur to Nora how quiet the entire room was, nor how loud she was talking.

"Come on, Nora. Let's go."

Everyone watched as the duo walked off before they continued their previous activities. In particular, Weiss returned her attention to Pyrrha. "You know, for a secret plan, it seems awful overt now, doesn't it?" she quipped.

"Oh, I was going to do the polite thing and pretend I wasn't listening," replied Pyrrha. "Still, I hope they pair up with whatever team they end up on."

"Me too!" Weiss didn't care. Even if she ended up with both Ren and Nora on the same team as her, she hoped to at least be paired up with Pyrrha. Her athletic ability alone made her Weiss's top pick for a potential teammate. This, combined with Weiss's tactical genius and the team leader position she was sure to obtain, meant they would make for an invincible pair.

"Speaking of teams," Weiss continued. "Have you figured out who you wanted to pair up with?"

Pyrrha pondered the question for a moment. "I'm not sure. I was going to let the dice fall where they may. Why? Did you want us to be on the same team?"

"I do!" Weiss exclaimed. "I heard the process for forming teams is basically random. But if the dice fall the right way, I bet we'd make a superb duo!"

Pyrrha was used to clout-chasers. But in Weiss's case, logic backed her up; Huntresses and Huntsmen were meant to work in teams, and Weiss wanted to be part of a team who would perform the best. "Well, assuming we end up on the same team, that sounds delightful!"

"Great!" And why wouldn't it be?

"You know what else is great?"

Weiss hesitated, then looked over to see who interjected.

"Me, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."

"Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jaune." Weiss did her best to be nice, but the reality was that her plans didn't have room for Jaune. If you twisted her arm, she would admit that the one thing he had going for him was his bravado and self-confidence. But it was significantly overshadowed by his messy blonde hair, mediocre looks, and how hard he tried to be a heart-throb (which only emphasized how much of a dork he was). "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Actually, I want to know what I can help you with," Jaune answered. "I couldn't help but overhear you two talking about teams just now. As it just so happens, I have two spots available for my time, with both your names on them."

Pyrrha gave a sheepish smile. "That's a kind offer, but unfortunately, we're randomly assigned teammates. We can't choose anyone to be with."

Jaune paused, putting the pieces together. "Oh." In retrospect, he should've realized how this academy worked. He turned his attention to Pyrrha. "Well, thanks for considering the offer anyway… um…?"

Weiss looked between him and Pyrrha out of genuine surprise. "Wait a minute. You have no idea who she is, do you?"

Jaune's lips became a thin line as he shook his head. He felt mild embarrassment.

"Pyrrha Nikos? Graduated top of her class at Sanctum Academy?" Weiss mentioned.

"I never heard of that combat school," Jaune replied, then looked to Pyrrha. "Where's it at?"

"Argus," she answered. "I was born and raised there."

"Oh, cool! I have a sister who lives there! I've pretty much lived on the farms in Vale all my life."

… He's a hick, Weiss realized. That explains so much. Knowing this, Weiss exercised more patience with Jaune. "She's been the champion of the Mistral Region Tournaments for four years straight."

"Whoa, that's amazing!" Jaune exclaimed. "So, what brought you to Beacon? I figure Haven would be a more convenient place to learn."

"I was invited by the headmaster himself," Pyrrha answered. "Haven would be more convenient, but Beacon is where the cream of the crop goes."

"Well, by the sound of things, you definitely fit here!" Jaune replied. Before either of the girls had a chance to say anything, realization dawned on him. "Oh!" He brought his hand to his forehead in mild mental beratement of his less-than-stellar memory. "You're the Pumpkin Pete cereal girl! Man, I'm out of it this morning."

Pyrrha smiled. "That's right, I am. I was stoked when I got that brand deal. I never thought I'd end up that popular. Although… looking back, I wish I wasn't the face for a cereal that isn't good for you."

"In any case," Weiss interrupted, standing between them. "Now that you know who Pyrrha is, do you really think you were ever in her league?"

"Um… maybe? Honestly, I'd just be fine if we were friends. Even if she's a celebrity and, well… I'm not."

Pyrrha reached around Weiss and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jaune. It doesn't matter how popular I am. If you can see past my fame and treat me like a person, I'd be happy to be your friend."

Jaune gave a comforted smile. "Thanks! And hey, if we end up on the same team together, I'd be happy about that too." He returned his attention over to Weiss. "What about you?"

This… definitely wasn't a part of Weiss's plan. She wanted it to be Weiss and Pyrrha as a pair. There wasn't any room for a country bumpkin like Jaune on a team. However, she knew he meant well. Thus, she took the diplomatic approach. "That's a tempting offer, Jaune. I'll think about it."

The voice of Glynda Goodwitch filled the locker room via the academy's intercom system. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." That was everyone's cue to get moving.

"It was nice meeting you, Weiss!" Pyrrha chirped before she walked away with Jaune.

Weiss waved goodbye to Pyrrha. The heiress then frowned and lowered her head in disappointment. She didn't bother fighting against gravity as she leaned against the nearest locker door and slid down. She reached the ground and was practically slumped over. Well, that's just great. On top of being humiliated yesterday, I definitely won't be on a team with people who are on my level. Not when the process of forming them is completely random. What am I going to do…?

"You sure you don't wanna be on our team?"

Weiss looked up as she heard Ruby's voice. She stood there beside Yang, who was already offering a hand. Weiss reluctantly accepted it, not acknowledging how effortlessly she was hoisted back up.

"The selection process is random. You said it yourself," Weiss told Ruby.

"It is! But it's complicated." Ruby paused.

"How can selecting teammates be complicated, especially if it's random? It's a roll of the dice, isn't it?"

"Okay, this is what our dad told us," Yang began. "We'll all stand on platforms that launch us into the Emerald Forest. After getting a landing strategy going, we partner up with whoever we make eye contact with, then look for a pair of objects. Whoever has both pairs then joins together to become an official team."

Weiss stood utterly still and stared at Ruby and Yang. She followed along with the explanation but couldn't help but find the process convoluted. "Now I wish I stayed in Atlas and attended the Academy there."

"Why didn't you?"

Ruby's question caught Weiss off-guard. "I uh… I knew I would succeed more as a Huntress if I studied here instead of at Atlas." A white lie, but it was partially true.

"But you didn't think you'd potentially be stuck with me, did you?"

"Not really."

"Weiss…" Ruby spoke with a guilty frown. "I know we've had our differences, and I'm sorry. But I want you to know that if you end up with either of us, we'll be great teammates. Maybe even better than Pyrrha."

"A bold claim," Weiss quipped. "But I see your point."

Yang pointed behind her with a thumb as she started walking. "Let's go. We don't want to be late for initiation."

Weiss took the first few steps but realized she was missing something. "Wait!" Weiss pointed to one of the lockers. "I forgot my rapier!"

"I got it!" Ruby went to the locker and opened it. She glanced inside, then down at the weapon known as Myrtenaster. Curiosity came over Ruby while the rapier was in her hand. She turned around and continued to look Myrtenaster over. "Somehow, I'm not surprised you use a MADR."

Weiss raised an eyebrow at that comment. "Do you even know what that stands for?" As much as that came off as her ribbing Ruby, the question was genuine.

"Of course. "Multi-Action Dust Rapier." I remember when I was younger, I kept confusing the "R" for "Revolver" instead of what it actually is." Ruby brought two fingers to the revolving cylinder and gave it a cursory spin. "And if I remember correctly…"

Ruby aimed Myrtenaster, pointing at an empty part of the locker room. If memory served, she knew that a key feature of MADRs was their parts made partially or wholly out of Aurite. It allowed the Dust loaded into it, and other Aurite weapons, to augment regular attacks or enhance certain Semblances. It was only a matter of channeling her Aura into Myrtenaster and…

… There! A flash of rose red along the weapon, like a shield forming along its silvery surface as a semi-corporeal second skin. Then as soon as it showed up, it immediately disappeared, yet it was still there.

"Whoa…! Now that's smooth!" Ruby didn't feel any resistance that would be present if the weapon were only made part of the material. Myrtenaster was definitely made entirely of Aurite. Ruby grinned as her inner weapons nut was already out. "Gotta hand it to you, Weiss. You've got some expensive but awesome tastes!" Ruby broke attunement with Myrtenaster and then offered it to Weiss.

Weiss reached over and took Myrtenaster as it was handed to her, still surprised. "Thank you… If you don't mind me asking, are you—"

"A gun nut?" It was Yang's turn to talk. "Yeah, that's my sister. You should've been there when she was ogling everyone else's weapons after we arrived."

"I even helped make her gauntlets!" Ruby added. "I was experimenting with weapon ideas at Signal, and I ended up improving what she made before."

"Signal?" Weiss wondered.

"The Huntsman trainee school in Patch."

"Huh. So that would make you a backwoods blacksmith, then."

"And proud of it!"

For once, since the two of them met, Weiss cracked a smile. "Hm! Let's see how initiation turns out for us."

With a renewed stride, Weiss was the first to walk out. Yang and Ruby caught up to follow her out of the locker room.

Everyone stood at the cliff, which gave a remarkable view of the Emerald Forest. Each student, to a varying degree, felt the pressure of passing initiation, yet the quiet view and the gentle wind put their minds at ease. Even Ruby felt herself achieve a determined calmness. It was as though she was the only thing that existed here. No anger, sadness, happiness, not even the future path she was destined to walk. The only thing that was here, at this very moment, was her.

"For years, you've trained to become warriors. And today, we'll be evaluating just how far your training will take you in the Emerald Forest."

Yang shared her younger sister's ambitions. They both wanted to become Huntresses to help those in need. But Yang also had a strong wanderlust, and being a Huntress meant she could travel the world and see what Remnant had to offer her. This would let her experience thrills that weren't possible on a tiny island a stone's throw away from Vale.

"Now, some of you may already know Huntsmen and Huntresses will all be put into teams and that each academy facilitates the assignment of those teams. However, the way it's done here will differ slightly from what you've been led to expect."

Blake wasn't going to run anymore. She ran from her family, then the White Fang, but running from this was not an option. Backing out meant her inner demons would win. Blake had to become a Huntress. And once she did, she could focus on the inequality between humans and Faunus.

"Instead of assigning teammates to you or allowing you to talk among yourselves to see who you wish to be with, you will be paired up with the first person you make eye contact with after landing in the forest."

So she was telling the truth, Weiss thought to herself as she gave Ruby a quick glance. Still, this wasn't going to stop her. She sacrificed too much to get here. Her time, her energy, her own money… Weiss upended her entire life to train and study at Beacon just so she could get away from her father's influence. I will become a Huntress. I will bring prestige to my family name. And this selection process, nor my father, will not stop me!

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest and collect a relic from the abandoned temple you will find there. The relic each pair chooses will determine who will make up a full team. But take heed; you will meet opposition that won't hesitate to kill you on sight, just as you should do the same if you want to live."

Ruby gave Ozpin a look of zen-like focus, powered by her sense of purpose slowly blossoming. She was ready for this; her dreams of becoming a Huntress were on the horizon. As Ozpin said yesterday, she only had to take the first step. And that same first step, Ruby knew, would be the start of the next four years at Beacon.

"When you are ready, step onto the metal plate before you. And good luck."

Ruby glanced down and took a few steps forward, just as everyone else did. Each student readied themselves as their pads gave several mechanical clicks, then they were launched one at a time. Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, and Ruby Rose took flight. This was their figurative first step.