[...The robbery was led by the nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities as of late. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the local Vale Police Department. Back to you, Vicky…]

Ruby was quick to put on her headphones before the report had finished. She couldn't force herself anymore to listen to the rest of it. Although it pained her whenever she listened to recent reports of criminal activity, it had been second nature to her to always seek it out. Many months out of the cape and mask couldn't erase years of habit.

It did, however, dull her spatial awareness as she was too busy in thought to have noticed her older sister sneak up behind her and bear hug her once again for the third time in the last two days. Ruby's back was already starting to ache, and she was half sure that something was already broken.

"I still can't believe my baby sister is heading to Beacon with me! I'm soo proud of you!" Yang said with much excitement to wave her sister around.

"Y-Yang...P-Ple-ase...I-t's..no big deal..." Ruby pleaded, her headphones dropped back down to her neck from the constant shakes of her attempted escape. The blonde beauty then dropped her before giving a questionable look.

"Ruby, let's be real here. You single-handedly stopped a well-renowned criminal AND gained the attention of both headmaster and headmistress of Beacon Academy. They even bumped you up to attend Beacon early! How is that not a big deal to you!?"

The young huntress grumbled to herself at the given praise. Spotlight attention was never something she adored, especially about things as trivial as stopping a robbery. It was just all part of the job. And besides, others in more professional jobs have done things she has done on a daily basis. She doesn't see them being praised, so why should she?

[In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now…]

Ruby's attention shifted back towards the report. The White Fang. Sure, she faced rogue members and factions before, but never had she ever thought the whole organization would turn violent. Could I have stopped them if I hadn't quit? Would more lives have been saved?

Her loathing would be interrupted as the news feed was cut to show headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch, about to make an announcement.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon."

"Who's that?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

"You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of…"

Another mystery that had yet to be solved. It was no mistake that Professor Ozpin kept a close eye on her. Why did he need her? Why bring her to Beacon? What are you after?

"I guess home isn't too far after all."

Ruby turned to Yang, who had a warm smile whilst looking at the view ahead of them. From the window of the airship, almost all of Vale could be seen; the bluest of sky that shined across the city, the working people at the commercial district, the small homey feeling of the residential district, and if you squint, even the nostalgic small island of patch where both girls used to live. She couldn't help but her sister's grin. Vale really was beautiful from up there. It would've given anyone a sense of peace and-

*BLAARGH*

"Ew! Ew! Ew! It's on my shoes! It's on my shoes!"

I guess the view isn't for everyone

Once the airship had finally docked at Beacon, many students rushed out to get some fresh air, especially the motion-sickened blonde boy, who immediately went for a nearby trashcan to continue to puke his guts out.

While others walked passed, Ruby was the only one to have walked over to comfort the sick teen. One hand continued rubbing circles onto his back while the other fished some crackers out of her belt. She knew as well as anyone the effects of motion sickness. Her nose could practically smell the puke that still stained her- Oh, right. Vomit boy.

Seeing as the boy probably won't be stopping anytime soon, Ruby looked to her sister. "Why don't you go ahead Yang? I think I see a couple of your friends calling out for you."

Yang first looked confused before it shifted into a cheshire grin. "Aww, my little sister is already trying to get herself a boyfriend." She playfully said as she grouped up with her friends and left the two alone.

The youngest of the two rolled her eyes before checking up on the sick boy

"T-Thank y-you." Was all he could muster while he took a seat by the trash can. Although his puking may be over, he was still experiencing some nausea and stomach aches. Ruby passed him her crackers before looking around for any good source of water.

"I'm going to find you some water. Just take a breather and eat those crackers to ease yourself for now" She said before leaving to continue her search around the campus.

Now, where would be a good place to search for water? The cafeteria would be the best option, but it was the start of the school year and she doubted they'd let anyone in before dinner was ready. Breaking in there wasn't an option either; she barely made a name for herself and being branded a 'thief' won't do anything good for her at the moment. Maybe there's a water fountain around here, maybe even a water dispens-

She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to have noticed another young elegantly dressed huntress-in-training in front of her until a collision that resulted in knocking both of them to the ground, along with the baggage and contents of the other person.

Ruby frantically helped the girl back up and quickly apologized. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry Miss-" was all that came out before her silver eyes caught the recognizable pale hand and blue fingernails of the girl before meeting familiar light blue eyes.

"You'll come back, right?"

"Don't I always, Snow Princess?"

Weiss. Weiss Schnee. THE Weiss Schnee

"Sorry!? Do you have any idea of the damage you just caused!?"

A very ANGRY Weiss Schnee.

But Ruby made no comprehensible response and or even an effort to listen to what she was ranting about. Honestly, her brain was still shocked at seeing the heiress here in Vale. What was she doing here? I knew she wanted to be a Huntress, but I would've thought that she would follow in Winter's footsteps and join Atlas Academy. And why choose Beacon of all places?

Seeing that the red-themed girl not listening only angered Weiss even more. "What are you?! Brain dead? Is anything I'm telling you even going through that thick skull of yours?!" She ranted, waving a bottle of dust around in frustration. Although, little did she realize that the clasp of the container was broken, causing dust to spread in the air around them.

The sudden warmness in the air broke the ex-vigilante from her thoughts. She then noticed that both teenagers were surrounded by different colored dust particles. That wasn't a good sign.

"Are you listening to…" The heiress stopped, having accidentally smelled some dust particles. "..to...ah…"

Now that REALLY isn't good! She had to act quickly before Weiss caused the dust particles to explode.

"...ah...ah...AH-"

Acting quickly, Ruby covered Weiss' mouth and nose with her hand before the sneeze blew them to kingdom come.

Under normal circumstances, a calm and level-headed person would've noticed the issue and thanked the other for saving them from being blown up. It was unfortunate that the other in question was already in the hotseat of a very pissed off 'victim'.

The white-themed girl was fuming with rage and swatted the girl's hand off her face. "How dare you! You caused a fissure in my dust container and now you dare to manhandle me afterwards?!"

"Look, Miss-"

"Heiress, actually"

Both girls stopped and looked to where the source of the third voice came from. They were greeted by a tall girl dressed in black, white, and purple. She had long black hair that went past her shoulders and had a bow to top her head. The most intriguing part about the girl was her piercing yellow cat-like eyes. Ruby honestly would've mistaken her for a faunus, had it not been the lack of other telltale signs. She walked towards the two girls and tossed a vial of dust at Weiss, who easily caught it.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one the the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

"Finally, some recognition-"

"The same company known for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

The heiress fumed at the statement. "-What- How dare- Ugh...the nerve of…" And she trailed off with her servants picking up the remnants of her left luggage.

She should've expected this. Months of no friendly contact in an abusive environment was bound to cause personality changes in anyone. Last Ruby had seen her old friend was a week before…the incident. She…She broke her promise.

It's your fault why she's changed so much.

Ruby turned her attention to the other girl, but found that she had already left. Good job, Girl Wonder. Just as she was about to leave, she felt her foot hit something on the ground.

It was a lone plastic bottle of spring water. Upon picking it up, she noticed that the cap was still sealed and had an intricate design for its cover. Seemed too fancy for the average hunter. It must have fallen from the baggage of Weiss when they got knocked to the ground.

At least something is heading my way. Ruby thought as went back for the sickly blonde boy by the trash can.

After 'Vomit boy' had finished his crackers, he kindly accepted and drank the water given. The ex-vigilante chuckled to herself as he took long gulps from it before tossing it to the trash.

Feeling all better now, the boy picked himself back up, smiled and reached out his hand for a shake. "Jaune Arc. short, sweet, and rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

Ruby took his hand, but shook her head at the introduction. "Ruby Rose. And if you want to introduce yourself to ladies, please don't start off with that."

Jaune's cheeks heated at her comment while he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh...well, my mom used to say...nevermind"

A momma's boy, how adorable. Ruby snorted, then she gestured to him to follow her. "Follow me. I'm pretty sure the teachers are already starting the introduction for the new applicants."

Silence followed the two students as they ventured towards the auditorium. The young huntress-in-training made no attempt to break it while the blonde felt the awkwardness crawl on his skin. Not wanting for it to continue, Jaune broke the ice first.

"So...why did you help me back there? Everyone else either went past me in disgust or plain ignored me."

"Well, that's why we're all here right? To learn how to become huntsmen and huntresses to help people that are in need. I saw someone in need and decided to help," She responded, before looking back towards him. "And besides, we're all going to the same school. It's good to help your future brothers and sisters in arms."

Jaune wasn't much surprised by her response. Funny how obvious the answer really was, yet it had somehow slipped past him. Now not wanting the silence to continue, Ruby asked him a question.

"Anyway, you specialize in any weapon?" Call it a habit or a result of training, but Girl Wonder would always want to know the capabilities and equipment of her future allies. Knowledge is key whenever one is in combat and the odds are stacked against you.

"Umm, I have this." He said as he pulled his sword out of its sheath. At the same time, he removed the sheath from his belt and it transformed into a large shield that covered his body.

Another thing to note about the boy. Looking at the way he holds himself, it doesn't look like he knew any defensive or offensive forms. The grip on his sword looked weak and he was barely capable of holding his shield upright. It was a damn miracle that he was capable of even carrying both onto his belt. Actually, if you dirty him up a bit and hardened his facial features, Ruby would've mistaken him as an escape inmate who stole guard equipment back in Blackgate. Was Jaune not properly trained? How did he even get here?

But the Girl Wonder hid her suspicion behind a smiling facade. No good at accusing someone without further evidence. "Hm, classic weapon type. Not a lot of people follow that so I'm guessing...family heirloom?"

Jaune's eyebrows raised in surprise. He was impressed that she was able to deduce the origin of his weapon with just one look. "Yeah...this was used by my great great grandfather during the Great War. Anyway, what about you?"

Ruby grinned at the question and reached behind her belt, under her cloak. She pulled out a stick that looked to have arrow-headed edges on both sides. The look of the weapon confused Jaune, who was expecting more out of it.

"A stick?"

"Say hello to Rose Thorn. It's a classical weapon type similar to yours. It's a telescopic spear that can be used for close quarters and can be thrown for long range. Right now, it's in its retracted form, but I would recommend you to stay a distance to not get stabbed."

Jaune gave a nervous laugh while he took a few steps away from her weapon. "S-So, uh, what made you want to become a Huntress?"

The smile on Ruby's face dropped. Her hands were kept into her pockets while she faced away from the boy's gaze. "I've always wanted to help people, but being a Huntress was a…sudden development."

Ruby was quick to change the subject as she gave a fake cough before turning the question back onto him. "How about you? What made you want to be a Huntsman?"

"Me? Oh, um…"

No answer was given as the teens had finally reached the auditorium. The place was jam packed with a variety of students from different places. Jaune honestly felt intimidated, but Ruby kept a calm and collected form. While crowds weren't always her thing, it was best to remain controlled during any type of situation. Both students walked through the crowd until a buxom beauty called for the girl in red.

"Ruby! Ruby, over here!" Yang called out as she waved her arms from her spacious spot.

Seeing Yang, Ruby gestured to Jaune to continue following her. It would be rude to just leave him here to be eaten by the crowds. That, and he also owed Yang an apology for getting vomit onto her favorite shoes.

As they approached closer to Yang, the blonde beauty was surprised to see her younger sister drag 'Vomit boy' along with her.

"Yang, meet Jaune Arc, the boy who kept puking on the airship." Ruby introduced before she turned towards Jaune. "Jaune, this is my sister Yang, the girl whose shoes you puked on."

Jaune's face flushed at seeing one of the 'victims' to his 'sickness'. "I'm sorry about that. You know, motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on."

Yang raised her hands in surrender. "Hey, no harm, no foul. Anyway, what took you both so long?"

"About tha-"

"You!"

All three turned to see Weiss Schnee approaching the trio, especially towards Ruby. The girl internally sighed for the nth time today, prepared for another rant coming from the heiress.

"Look-"

"I want to apologize for earlier"

Now that caught the rest of them off guard, especially Ruby. While the blondes were confused on what the girl in white was talking about, the third of the trio could give a big guest on which she was apologizing for. Weiss continued on.

"While it was your fault that my luggage and dust were littered about, I was the one who escalated and nearly blew us off the face of Remnant."

Both blondes were still confused what kind of apology that was, but Ruby cared not for what they thought. She was just happy to see that some remnants of her best friend still there. Before she could respond, the heiress shoved a safety brochure into her chest and promptly left without a word.

Yang wasn't completely sure what had happened, but she wouldn't dwell on it. "Huh, I've never seen an apology go so rudely"

All attention was then directed to the front of the atrium, on top of the podium where the headmaster and headmistress of the academy stood.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled 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, in need of purpose – direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As the headmaster finished his speech and stepped off the podium, many students began to murmur and whisper amongst themselves.

"He was...off." was all Jaune could state after the speech.

"It was almost like he wasn't there. Right Rubes?" Yang voiced as she turned to Ruby, who was missing from her place.

"Ruby?"

Ascending up towards his office, Professor Ozpin stood in the elevator and reflected on the other activities he had for the day. The pieces for initiation were already set for tomorrow and Glynda had already checked if the launching mechanisms were functional. Qrow had yet to report back and James has been awfully radio silent since their last conversation. Peculiar. Other than going over the applications of the new students and the activities he had for the higher level students, the rest of his day wouldn't be as interesting. And he hasn't even finished his coffee. Perhaps today would be more mundane.

Once the elevator doors opened, he was greeted with Ruby Rose sitting in his office chair, her legs on his table whilst one of her fingers attempted to balance one of his pens.

The headmaster smiled at the sight before him. So today won't be dull after all.

"Nice speech," She said, removing her legs from the desk. "I could still hear your standing ovation from here."

The headmaster smirked as he walked towards his own desk. "Ms. Rose, a pleasant surprise to see you here."

"I would've claimed otherwise. I still have questions for you."

"Ask away then."

Ruby's eyes squinted at the approaching Headmaster. "Why invite me to Beacon?"

Ozpin merely chuckled in response before moving around the table. "I'm sure you already know a reason, Ms. Rose."

Ruby mirrored in suit until both were the opposite of their original positions. The Professor seated himself back onto his chair and rested his elbows on top of the table where his mug was neatly placed.

"I already said No."

"And I completely understand that."

"Then why persevere and bring me to Beacon?"

"Because…" Ozpin stopped himself. He tightened his own fist before looking directly at her. His eyes softened while his brow scrunched. "Ms. Rose, I've…heard of your recent incidents."

Her body went stiff as her own eyes widened at the words, but her mouth kept shut. What else does he know?

"While I am unsure of the severity of what you've experienced, I am certain that it had influence over your sudden career change into being a Huntress. And while there are many more academies you may choose from, I thought it best that Beacon be the ideal school to match someone of your…experience level."

"So what? You invited me to Beacon just out of sheer pity?" Ruby spat, her eyes narrowed towards the headmaster as she leaned in closer. "Or was it just to keep a watchful eye on me? Think that I'll one day snap after everything I've seen!?"

*CRACK*

The sudden sound caught Ruby's attention. She hadn't realized her grip on the table until the damage had already been done to its side. Not a second later did she release her hold and turn away, caressing the hand that did harm. "I'm sorry."

Ozpin paid no mind to the table, instead his focus was still on the young girl. "I did what I did, not out of pity or fear, but simply as a gesture of generosity. As opposed to what you may have thought, I saw a hurt young girl who still wanted to help others. Whatever your case may be, I simply provided you with an alternative that would allow you to do that."

Neither party said anything afterwards. Ruby still had her back towards the headmaster while the man himself kept his eyes on her.

"I am not your enemy here, Miss. Rose. I am in complete support of whatever path you may choose. Just know that my ears are open to anything you may want to talk about."

While Ruby made no vocal response, she made a visible nod.

With a warming smile, the headmaster then fished something out of the drawer from his desk. "Speaking of helping others, I may already have something that might interest-"

Once his gaze reached back towards Ruby, she had already disappeared from his office.

"- you."

It would seem that she had picked up another thing from her mentor.

Sorry for the long wait. I have re-edited almost the entire story (Omakes included) by fixing some errors, rewrote some scenes, and even adding more scenes to enhance aspects of the story. Volume 1 of the story is almost about to wrap up so I hope ya'll enjoy this in the mean time. I would like to thank you all for the support, please leave a review or a comment on the story, and I hope you enjoy.

I do not own any of the characters. All characters and names used are owned by either Rooster Teeth and Detective Comics (DC).