Chapter Four
Crash Course
What an infuriating first day.
Not only did she lose out on being team leader to a child, said child had nearly blasted her eardrums with her stupid morning wake-up call and then decided to humiliate her in front of the entire class of sneering, smug students. She'd had that Boarbatusk under control. She just needed to get her footing under her and then she would have figured out the simple idea of sliding under it on her own. And worse, her irritating partner had thought she helped her.
Because she did.
Weiss grits her teeth at the traitorous thoughts slipping through. She stabs at the dummy of an Ursa with a fierce scowl, clicking to her chamber of fire Dust and unleashing the inferno inside the metal-based target. Licks of fire burst from the seems between the armour plates and the inside bag pops and turns to ash, giving her only a fraction of satisfaction.
It took all her effort to come to Beacon and now it's gone to waste. All that planning, all that training, all that convincing. Her eye twinges and she resists scratching it. Now she needs to try and prove that this wasn't the wrong choice. How in Elder's name is she supposed to do that?
By becoming the top student of the entire school. It will be difficult, borderline impossible, when she's in the same class as the Pyrrha Nikos (who she still can't believe is here, and damn it all Weiss had made such a fool of herself stuttering while talking to the famous champion), but she believes she can get the spot with enough work.
She's beaten worse odds.
Another dummy rises to replace the other and, as if to further insult her pride, it's a Boarbatusk. She glares, but uses the opportunity to properly inspect the shape and size without the risk of getting trampled. She'd rather not rely solely on sliding under a Grimm ready to gorge her. Frankly she's surprised she didn't get stepped on for her stunt. So she looks for other weak spots in the Boarbatusk's hide, noting that its mask doesn't reach beyond the ears and exposes the top of its head.
She hums, poking between the ears and feeling the sand bag give a little. Obviously a real Boarbatusk will have thicker hide, and being near it's head is just as dangerous as being beneath it, but if she has the proper momentum and trajectory Myrtenaster should be able to pierce it.
Nodding to herself, Weiss walks to the dummy's front and takes a deep breath. Easily imaging the Grimm charging at her from her experience this morning, she leaps up and over it, summoning a glyph just behind it. Her boots clack as she spins tightly and plants her feet on the glyph, then ricochets towards the dummy and stabs Myrtenaster at the top of its skull. As she suspected, the amount of force isn't enough to pierce, but she does feel it strain.
She continues in a quick, tight flip and lands in front of it, pivoting and using her slight slide to push off the ground, but then abruptly stops herself when she bends her legs wrong. She turns the incorrect footwork into a ground-based twirl and keeps her momentum as she slides past, stabbing at the ground and coating it in a sheet of ice. In her head she imagines the dumb beast slipping onto its face.
She follows the fumbled attack by summons a two meter tall wall of glyphs to run up, then kick off in a corkscrew to hit the skull again. This time it breaks through and she sends fire coursing through it. When she lands, she scowls at herself.
You are going to kill yourself if you don't get these habits under control, she scolds, inhaling deeply to center herself.
Professor Goodwitch will be assessing their current point in training and expects them to set goals for themselves for the end of the semester. She stresses not to overestimated or underestimate themselves, and to have realistic limits. And as she jumps in and out of the dummy's 'range', focusing on her footwork and balance, Weiss can't help but scoff at the ideas of limitations.
She knows exactly what her limits are, and she's perfectly aware they won't be enough to succeed as the top student, even if she weren't up against Pyrrha Nikos. What other choice does she have but to push beyond them?
This time she doesn't resist the urge to trace her scar, playing it off as her wiping sweat from her cheek.
An inkling of a thought passes through her mind and she allows herself to entertain it for a moment.
Could she pull off summoning?
You are still too weak for that.She huffs, shaking her head and brushing her braid over her shoulder. But that's exactly where my limits are trying to stop me. She can't do it here, not around so many people, but fire burns in her chest as she mentally prepares for the coming practice.
She walks up to the fake Boarbatusk and stabs it, freezing the entire thing solid before switching to fire Dust. It shatters in a burst of steam.
Just like any of your silly attempts will.
"Hey, Weiss!" she frowns as Ruby walks up to her, interrupting her musings.
"You're late." Weiss had felt like screaming when Professor Goodwitch had given her and Bella a look, as if she's supposed to be aware of what the dolts are doing at any given moment.
"Uh, yeah," Ruby pauses a couple meters away, deflating and rubbing the back of her neck, rightfully looking sheepish and regretful.
"Did you at least have a good reason for Professor Goodwitch?"
"Yep! Professor Fall wrote up a slip for me 'n' Yang!" she beams, far too happy about needing such a thing on the first day. "Oh! Professor Fall said she's open to tutoring, if you want!"
"I hardly need help for schoolwork," Weiss scoffs, insulted at the thought that she'd need tutoring of any kind at her age.
"I think it was less about schoolwork and more about Huntress-specific training!" Ruby says brightly with a loud clap.
"Just being here is for Huntress-specific training," Weiss rolls her eyes.
"Anyway," Ruby says, ignorant of or just ignoring Weiss' comment, "Professor Goodwitch said we should be in pairs today!"
"That won't be necessary," Weiss assures, ignoring the sad, hurt look on Ruby's face. She'd made the exact same look yesterday when Weiss shut down her onslaught of questions and all it did was make Weiss soft. Even if it was something a simple as giving her Myrtenaster's name, she'd caved at the first sign of emotion and she can't afford to do that if she wants to reach her ultimate goal. "I know what I need to work on better than anyone and I don't need distractions."
"Yeah, but...what about, um," Ruby looks away, poking her fingers together, "about your fight this morning? You seemed kinda off."
What?! How could she notice that? Did anyone else see? What did you do to screw up?
"I had it under control," Weiss brushes off. "I simply had to get used to the Boarbatusk's movements. I would have gotten it eventually."
"Oh, so that was it!" Ruby claps loudly, again, smiling brightly like she solved a mystery. "I mean, yeah you probably would have, but there wasn't much time left to class and sometimes when you're in the situation it's harder to see the solution because you're so focused!" she rattles off, bouncing on her heels.
"Yes, I received the same correction from Professor Port," Weiss says with finality in her tone.
Ruby doesn't get the hint. "What is your semblance called? The panel-thingies?"
"They're called glyphs," she corrects, because she will not allow them to be called panel-thingies.
"How do they work? 'Cause they were solid for most of the day but then had that repelling effect."
"It depends on intent and hand positions," she says shortly.
"How big can you make 'em? It would be so cool to see them the size of a building!"
"You saw that from yesterday. Now can you let me work?" she frowns, belatedly realizing her foot's been tapping too quickly for too long. She abruptly turns, facing a Beowolf dummy, and making sure she can't see Ruby. She doesn't need that kicked-puppy look right now. "I have a goal to accomplish. Worry about your own."
She listens to Ruby sulk off before swinging Myrtenaster, just to shake herself loose. She can't worry about pestering partners. She can only achieve the best results on her own; any 'help' will only slow her down.
She's gotten this far on her own.
0o0o0
Blake has had conflicting feelings all day. On one hand, she's on a team with the Schnee. On the other, it's probably better to be with the enemy she knows rather than that Winchester fellow who's already taken a sneering interest in any faunus at the academy.
On one hand, she has to deal with two loud and hyperactive teammates. On the other, they're both clearly kind people who want to befriend her. She can't tell for what reason yet, but it doesn't feel awful being near them so she'll take what she can get.
On one hand, she'll be stuck in a small dorm for three years. On the other, it's better than a dingy alley with only the dumpsters for company.
Blake sighs, refocusing her efforts into the one-on-one combat she's conducting with her shade. She can weigh the pros and cons all she likes, but it won't change where she is. It was a miracle Ozpin let her in at all, knowing she'd fabricated her application.
Her tail threatens to puff up within the confines of her pant leg as a shiver crawls up her spine. How he could have known about her past still eludes and terrifies her. She'd wanted, needed, to run from it all, to leave it behind her so she can move on. But he found her out and, on purpose or not, tethered her to her past. Now it seems like this was all worthless.
She jolts when pinpricks sink into her palms. Carefully opening her hands, she sees her claws extended. She quickly checks her surroundings as she sheathes them, breathing out a huff of relief when no one is even paying her any attention. It's those little things that she finds the hardest to hide. She spent almost the entire year figuring out the best way to hide her ears and tail, but years of habits are just so hard to drop.
(you could never hide your true feelings well)
Blake shakes her head, roughly, and sighs at her shade. It tilts its head. She smiles fondly. "Of course you wouldn't get it. You don't have to actually deal with it."
Its shadowy face remains featureless and blank, but Blake imagines it blinking in confusion. She shakes her head at her own absurd thoughts.
("It isn't real, Blake")
Clearing her head of the persisting thoughts, she summons two more shades, carefully making sure their ears lay hidden in their hair and tails are tucked in their shadowy backs. She switches Gambol Shroud to pistol form and takes aim, surging her aura to give her shades life. They advance on her in tandem, synchronizing every movement as two approach from the ground and the third from above. She fires at the grounded shades, aiming for their legs, and each dodges her bullets by ducking or twist-kicking to the side.
"Show off," Blake smirks, diving and rolling aside as her shade's Gambol slices at her head, barely missing her ear. She gracefully rolls to her feet and shoots at the same time, catching the shade in its side. Her shade visibly slumps its shoulders, turning its head in such a way she imagines a pout, before it vanishes like smoke.
Which its fellow ground-fighter uses to leap at Blake, Gambol firing at her shoulders and torso. She waits until the last possible second to jump above the bullets, firing her own at its feet with her ice Dust cartage. Unbalanced, it slips onto its back with a thud and Blake pounces, slicing through its neck for a quick kill. It, too, sulks as it vanishes.
A bullet hits her behind her ear and she swiftly stands and turns to her final shade, finding it hidden from immediate sight. She looks up at the rafters, where it sits swinging its legs with a cheeky wave. She gives it an unamused look (ignoring how amused she really is) and whips Gambol up to snag a lower beam and launch herself into the air, giving chase as it leaps to another rafter from its sit.
Her shade swings around the next beam, flinging itself back at Blake. She catches herself on her own beam, feeling the base of her tail ache from the instincts to help her balance, and blocks her shade's blade with her own. A dull, almost echoing clang comes from the impact and Blake feels her foot slip, but lets herself fall just to grab the rafter and use the trajectory to swing around and kick her shade in the back.
Her shade falls, but grapples back up higher to the ceiling, and it leans its head forward in such a way that she can't ignore that it's winking at her smugly. She smirks back, leaping and vaulting to different rafters to give chase.
In the back of her mind she's aware she's dropped proper training to play around, and she finds it hard to care. Bittersweet memories of home filter through her head as she and her shade exchange friendly blows, to the point she can almost feel the heat on her head and the sea breeze on her face. She can almost hear the crickets chirping and the crunch of leaves.
The growls of Grimm ever lurking, the clashing of trainees sparring, the laughter of a successful hunt, the shouts as He displayed His anger, the whistle of a train in a tunnel as an angry red eye glared at her through a mask He'd worn for years but she didn't see it because she trusted Him-
She comes to her senses abruptly only after she parries her shade's next blow and stabs it through the stomach, smoke billowing out like a pool of blood. She briefly tastes bile on her tongue, sees red on her hands, when her shade's cool hands brush her cheeks gently before it dissipates.
She takes in large gulps of air, blinking to be rid of the sudden memories. Distractedly, she wipes her hands on her pants and closes her eyes to focus. When she opens them, she smiles grimly at her hands, clenching them around Gambol's hilt. Her one connection to it all, which will help her along her new path.
Jumping down from the rafters, Blake summons another shade who gives a wave to something behind her.
There are heavy, half-bouncing footsteps and she turns to Yang just as the brawler raises a hand to call her out, then blinks in surprise and gives a huff-laugh. "Hey, Bella! Hope you weren't too bored waiting. I like your shadow clones, they have sass."
"My shades can't actually emote," Blake denies, silently cursing herself for imagining their actions as anything remotely animate. She doesn't know how Yang can see it that way, though.
"Huh, okay," Yang shrugs, easily accepting. "Did you wanna spar together?"
"No," she replies bluntly. Perhaps a bit too bluntly since Yang seems to wilt a bit, so she tacks on, "I can only practice on my own for semblance training."
"Really? Why's that?" Yang doesn't appear disappointed, just curious.
Blake has her summon walk up to Yang and wave its hand at her shoulder, smirking a little when Yang jumps at it passing through her body. "My shades are only tangible to me, since they're just an extension of my aura."
"Huh," Yang hums, waving her own hand through the shade with an intrigued smile. In retaliation, her shade 'whacks' Yang across the head. Yang chuckles. "They're really cool," she winks and is met with two blank stares. Undeterred, Yang smirks and lifts her chin. "I got you to laugh before, I'll do it again."
"I didn't even laugh before."
"Yeah, suuuure," Yang exaggeratedly rolls her eyes, which gets her to spot something further away. Blake sees Ruby pouting as she walks away from the Schnee and wonders when she'll give up on being her friend. "Alright, I'll leave you to your training. But we should spar soon!" she shoots her a thumbs-up and jogs over to her sister, calling out to her.
Blake watches them interact, as Yang ruffles Ruby's hair and Ruby playfully pin-wheels her arms in an 'attempt' to swipe back at Yang. The actions spur Yang forward and the two begin wrestling in the middle of the gym. Blake worries for Ruby for a moment before their leader bursts into rose petals and slips out of Yang's hold, just to wrap around her sister's arm declaring she'll 'win this round'.
(she's young and they're play fighting and she promises she'll win and He laughs)
Blake violently shakes her head, realizing she's been breathing quickly for several moments. People are staring at her. She glares back and they look away.
She turns and faces her little corner, letting her last shade dissipate before creating a new one. The two engage in sword combat, equally swift with quick jabs and harsh slashes, their blades parrying and bouncing off each other. They duck and twist in a shadowy dance, their footsteps silent and legs prepared to pounce at any given moment. She ignores as some attacks hit through her defences, stinging her cheeks, neck, forearms and sometimes her legs, and focuses on giving as much as she's taking.
This shade, unlike the rest, has one feature manifested; her eyes. The piercing amber irises gaze unblinkingly into her soul, casting judgment. Even without making a noise, it growls at her and whispers into her ears the past she sacrificed everything for to leave behind.
Despite her best efforts, it continues to stick to her like a stubborn shadow, looming over her and taunting her with everything she's ever done. She holds back a rumbling hiss building in her chest, ducking under the shade's last swing and slashing it across the stomach. Those accusing eyes never blink or break away as it slowly fades.
She glares at the empty spot, letting her aura recover and heal the small nicks she'd received. She can tell her aura is too low to do much more summoning and, not for the first time, curses how much stamina she's lost over time.
She'll simply work herself to the bone to recover it, like she always had. The only difference now is that she'll also be learning new skills like first aid and building repair, skills that will start the real path she seeks.
Blake straightens her back, forcing all her brooding aside and stalking over to the testing dummies. She'll find a way to break free of her past.
(she's always been a runner, after all)
0o0o0
Ruby pouts as she stares at the stopwatch in her hand. She'd almost won their wrestling match, but her semblance just had to sputter out and trip her up at the last second, didn't it? Now all she can do for the rest of an actual fun class is stand still and help Yang.
For her part, Yang has her eyes closed and brow furrowed in concentration as the tips of her hair flicker with embers. Another burst of heat rises in time with a pulse of her aura, heat waves now appearing over her head and shoulders.
"It's still rising quickly," Ruby comments. "You're not gonna break any bones again, are you?"
"C'mon, I haven't broken a bone in years."
"Please don't say that like it's a challenge."
"Well it's a challenge now."
"Yang..."
"Seriously, relax. I know what I'm doing," Yang smirks, another flare up causing her hair to catch fire. She cracks open a red eye. "But we might have to shelve this 'store a light punch' idea for a bit."
Ruby nods, stomach twisting. She'd thought having Yang go into a fight already powered up would be a useful idea if they're expecting some kind of ambush, but it just turned out to be dumb after all.
"Hey, it was a good theory," Yang says as she strides towards the punching bag, Ruby following on her heels. "I still wanna give it a try later down the line. Maybe I'll make it my goal for the semester!"
Ruby smiles, even if she knows Yang's just trying to cheer her up. She looks around the gym as Yang punches the bag, not flinching or wobbling when a heat wave explodes from her sister. It actually manages to remain intact, which surprises Ruby and Yang.
"Damn, the equipment here is so much better than Signal's," Yang laughs, clapping loudly. "Can't wait to test the limits."
"They're pretty sturdy, yeah!" Ruby jumps when Nora appears behind them, her hair standing on end and giving off little sparks. Pyrrha and Ren follow at her side, the former giving a friendly wave and the latter tilting his head in a nod. "I haven't been able to break them, either. But is that really the hardest you can hit?"
"Nope, not by a long shot, but I've already gotten the stink eye from Goodwitch so I don't think she'd like me breaking the equipment. I'll save that 'til next class."
"What is your semblance, anyway?" Nora tilts her head.
"Pretty simple, buteffective. I get hit, double the power, then hit back. I can't hold onto it for long, but it's good in high stakes situations like yesterday."
"And you?" Ruby freezes a little when Nora turns to her. "I saw you turning into petals. What's that about?"
"Um..." Ruby glances at Yang, who furrows her brow and lightly jerks her head at the trio. Ruby makes big eyes, and sees Yang crack for a moment before deciding something across the gym is much more interesting to look at. Ruby's shoulders scrunch up in defeat and looks back at Nora, who waits patiently with an intrigued smile. "Well...the petals are just aesthetic. My semblance is a kind of super speed and has a mild passing-through effect, so I can dodge punches or bullets even if they 'hit' me," Ruby starts off quiet and nervous, but quickly begins to pick up pace and bounces on her heels. "What I need to work on is my stamina, but that's why I only use it in short bursts for a mild boost. The most I used it was yesterday with the Nevermore and I'm still recovering from it, so it kinda died earlier but what I really wanna do is find a way to move in the air without a flat surface to run on 'cause it'll pair well with Crescent Rose because I use her recoil to evade as well!"
Just as she stops talking, Ruby tenses and claps her hands over her mouth with a wince. Dang it, she'd just rambled for so long and now Pyrrha, Nora and Ren will think she's too childish and loud and obnoxious. They'll be telling her to be quiet in the future and to stop bothering them and-
"Dude, that's so cool!" Nora pumps her fists, surprising Ruby by matching her intensity. Wait, none of them look annoyed? Pyrrha is clearly interested, Ren actually looks impressed and Nora's eyes nearly sparkle as she wears a sorta-manic grin. "I can't wait to see it at full strength! You'd be an absolute menace to hit if you can never stop moving!"
"She's already a menace to hit," Yang says, arms crossed proudly.
Ruby blushes, stunned by the reactions. She hesitates for a moment, before taking a deep breath.
"W-what about you?" Ruby ventures, tugging at the hem of her skirt. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Yang perk up. "What are your semblances?"
"Mine's similar to Yang's, actually! If I get hit by electricity or lightning, I get powered up. It doesn't build and I have to release it right away, though. So I'm an ultra-powerful conductor," Nora leans on Magnhild, beaming.
"She tried convincing me to shoot her," Pyrrha says, looking unsure if she should laugh or be concerned. "But I don't know anything about Dust so I didn't want to risk it."
"So Ren shot me, like usual," Nora rolls her eyes and stands on the tips of her toes to throw her arm around Ren's shoulders, who stoops to accommodate. "Since his semblance lets him null all emotions."
"We're not sure how to improve it, yet," Ren shrugs lightly.
"I unfortunately can't disclose my semblance," Pyrrha frowns. "I'm still technically legally contracted to the Mistral Colosseum and they don't allow athletes to reveal their semblances. They like the mystery of our success."
"What happens if we figure it out?" Ruby tilts her head.
"Nothing bad, I just can't be the one to tell you."
"Not like she needs it," Nora hops to throw her other arm over Pyrrha's shoulders and now hangs off the floor, her teammates sharing a quick amused glance. "She's got the skills to make up for it!"
"Thank you," Pyrrha blushes, smiling pleasantly.
"Where's your quiet friend?" Yang looks around.
"Ah, Neo's a bit distant at the moment," Pyrrha shifts on her feet, careful not to dislodge Nora. "She didn't seem entirely thrilled being my partner, so I'm giving her space to warm up."
Hmm, maybe Ruby should use the same method to win over Weiss. She exchanges glances with Yang and she seems to be contemplating that as well.
A sharp crack brings everyone's attention to Goodwitch standing at the gym's entrance. "Put the equipment away and clean yourselves up, we will be moving to the indoor arena before you give me your goals. I want you all to see what you can achieve here at Beacon," she doesn't elaborate further, simply waiting at the door as everyone follows her orders.
"What do you think she means?" Ruby muses.
None of them know, and they're already aware keeping Goodwitch waiting is a bad idea, so the five of them are quick to leave the gym. Ruby walks alongside them with a skip in her step.
Yang gives her shoulder a light punch, beaming. "Look at you, making friends! It doesn't seem so hard now, eh?"
Ruby smiles back, glancing at Pyrrha, Ren and Nora as they walk a bit ahead, but at a pace for them. She can't believe they actually listened to her. But then again, this isn't her old school anymore. Signal was a generalist school and while everyone has basic combat training, no one else in Ruby's grade had shown interest in becoming Huntsmen so all her rambling did was drive them away. It had been like that for so long she's actually kinda forgotten what it was like to really discuss stuff with people.
And the three of them are so nice. And they live across from them! So they can keep getting closer!
The class enters the arena, shaped like a small colosseum, and take their seats. Goodwitch stands in front of them and nods, cracking her riding crop. Four students soon walk out from one of the side hallways.
The first to catch Ruby's eye is the man who must be about seven feet tall, and next to him is a copper-haired man with white-blind eyes and heavy scarring on his face and arms. Leading the group is a woman wearing a beret and expensive looking clothing, and following next to her is a rabbit faunus with brown hair.
"Many may see your dreams as impossible, or perhaps are arrogant enough to think they are easy to achieve," Goodwitch says. "But regardless of either, every Huntsman and Huntress must start from somewhere. Team CFVY will show how an experienced team operates."
"Name's Coco, I'm the leader," the beret-wearing woman waves with a wink. "This here's my partner Velvet," she throws her arm over the faunus' shoulders, who shyly waves, "and the boys are Fox and Yatsuhashi," she nods her head at copper-hair and tall-guy.
Goodwitch flicks her riding crop and a thick pane of glass rises from the arena's railings, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. "Keep a careful eye on their coordination."
With another flick, a cage rolls into the arena containing an alpha Beowolf and a dozen smaller ones, all snarling at the Huntsmen near them. The cage opens and the Grimm rush out, quickly surrounding CFVY and lunging.
The Grimm never stood a chance.
The handbag that Coco has transforms into an actual minigun and she fires rapid shots in a circle, not even looking at her teammates as they each dodge the bullets. The wolf pack flinch as the bullets hit, then don't get to recover as Fox and Yatsuhashi charge forward with bladed gauntlets and a huge sword respectively. They slice necks and legs, tripping the Beowolves up, as Velvet jumps onto Yatsuhashi's shoulders to give her a boost to become airborne.
She pulls out a camera and a black, shimmering replica of Coco's weapon manifests in her hands, and as the boys finish tripping the pack and Coco continues her own onslaught, Velvet rains down bullets with accuracy that only comes from using such a weapon many times.
By the time Velvet lands again, half the Beowolves are dead and the rest are wounded.
Ruby feels awe and insecurity warring inside her mind. Coco barely has to talk in order for her team to follow her lead, the four of them fighting in perfect harmony as if they'd known each other their entire lives. The likelihood of that being the case is low, yet every time it looks like Coco might hit her teammates, or every time Velvet jumps off shoulders, every time Yatsuhashi gives a big swing, every time Fox dashes in and out of enemy range, no one flinches or hesitates. They all work together in tandem without so much as a glance, trusting each other and their own abilities to the point where they can afford, on the outside, to act recklessly.
Ruby glances at Weiss and Bella, still sat so far away from her and Yang. A rock forms in her stomach and she wraps her arms around her middle, going back to watching the fight. Is there any hope in her achieving the same skills as Coco and CFVY? The same bonds and trust? It seems impossible...
But...they couldn't have started being this in sync, Ruby realizes with a blink. Even if they had known each other before, it must take time for four people to adjust to each battle style and semblance. Even Ruby and Yang don't have real experiencing fighting beside each other, just with each other in spars.
She is here to learn, after all. Maybe it's okay if she doesn't feel like a leader or is even a good one yet. Professor Fall seemed to believe she had potential, and Yang is as encouraging as she always has been. Maybe Ruby just needs to trust that her big sister and a teacher know what they're talking about better than the downer voices in her own head.
The rock in her stomach remains, but doesn't feel as overwhelmingly heavy anymore. In fact she can feel an electrical buzz in her bones as she nods sharply to herself and pumps her fists in front of her. Mistake or not, she'll work to be the best leader she can be. Distant or not, she'll be patient in making friends with Weiss and Bella until the four of them are as close as CFVY.
Doubts or not, she knows there's a long way to go until she's a true Huntress. And when that day comes, she can't afford to doubt herself or else someone might get hurt or worse.
She can kill Grimm. That might be her only skill right now, but it's a skill required for her dreams to come true. So it will have to be enough.
And as team CFVY finish off the alpha Beowolf with nary a scratch or injury, Ruby sits up straight with hope swelling in her belly. She'll reach those heights one day. She will.
She's at least sure of that.
0o0o0
Yang should have been Ruby's partner.
There's no two ways about it, she'd abandoned her sister in the guise of wanting her to make friends and now she's stuck with a snob who won't value the kind of person Ruby is. But somehow Ruby is remaining positive and believes she can make friends with Weiss despite the bad first impression and further rudeness.
Yang would normally admire her tenacity and optimism, but she's just too tired to be anything but worried today.
Watching CFVY defeat the pack of Grimm had just invigorated Ruby, who decided to go on a run around the campus because she was too hyped up from watching it. I guess I should just be happy she isn't moping anymore, Yang chuckles and pinches the bridge of her nose, deciding to let it go for now.
"Hey, Yang!" she looks up and waves at her friends, sitting at the picnic table they've claimed with an exaggerated sigh. "Today's been long, eh?" Lilac smiles sympathetically.
"Not all the prep from Signal could compare," Yang laughs, drumming her hands on the table. "Did you guys see that team CFVY fight?"
"Yeah! That was our first class today!" Slate stands up and smacks the table. "Can you imagine fighting so many Grimm in one day?"
"It's what's gonna be expected of us," Olive points out, putting a hand on Slate's shoulder to sit him down. Slate continues to shake his shoulders happily. "Oh hey, say congrats to Ruby for me. Didn't expect her to make it as team leader, but after hearing about the Nevermore yesterday I'd say she earned it."
"Thanks, man," Yang lifts her chin, pride swelling in her chest. For a brief moment she'd been terrified to hear it during the ceremony, but honestly she couldn't be happier with the results. She knows she's too hot-headed for leadership material, and clearly neither are Weiss and Bella, so this is the best outcome.
"Still, I expected you two to be partners," Lilac points out. "I thought you'd search for each other instantly during initiation. Did you get separated?"
"Yeah, poor Rubes hit a bird and fell before I realized what had happened," Yang forces down her guilt and self-anger with an amused laugh. "I'm just happy to be on the same team. Would've torn my hair out if we weren't."
"Hey, Yang?" Slate suddenly looks unsure, but continues anyway, "Are you alright with Ruby being here with us? I mean I know a lot of people get admitted early, but you worked really hard to get here and she just kinda slipped in..."
"Nah, she earned it," Yang shrugs. "Knocking out trained thugs is cool and she stopped a Torchwick robbery. And as a bonus she humiliated Junior's staff and it serves the asshole right for kicking me out of the club."
Honestly, it was just a little bit of blackmail. And a bar fight.
"But yeah, I'm happy for Ruby. She's been working towards this all her life and hey, now she can get there faster," Yang raps her knuckles on the table.
"Oh yeah. I think we forgot to ask, but how did the lead go?" Lilac asks, frowning. "Did you find anything?"
"Eh, not this time," Yang sighs, patting the pocket with the picture. "If he knew, he's more tight lipped about it than being buddy-buddy with Torchwick." She's hoping it's really because he knows nothing.
With that, Yang and her friends turn the topic of semblance progression. As the conversation goes on, Yang finds herself talking less and less. Her quips and jokes slow into casual smiles, and soon she just listens to her friends chat. A pit begins to form in her stomach and before she can push past it, the thought flits through her mind.
We're growing distant.
And dammit, she's done so well ignoring these feelings. When they first started cropping up months ago she'd shrugged it off as a fleeting daydream, but ever since she's felt a wall beginning to form between her and her friends. And it just confuses her, because they're such good people and she loves them. They haven't had a serious fight in years, they've been each other's comfort through their hardest times, they've stuck together since they were kids.
But she can't shake the pit of dread in her stomach. It's not anyone's fault, but she knows they're growing apart and she can't let that happen. She just can't, not them too. But with the way things are, she's scared she won't be able to and will lose it all.
And she hasn't secured friendship with the members of PNNR yet, either. They might be friendly, and she's excited to see where it leads, but she can't just up and leave her old friends for new ones just a day after being here.
Stop throwing a pity party, she clenches her thigh under the table, keeping her negative emotions off her face. We aren't becoming distant, we're all just busy. Because otherwise why would Yang have to be the one to instigate any conversation every time she wants to see her friends?
"So how are you and your partner getting along, Yang?" She blinks out of her deep thinking when Olive speaks up, quickly shifting gears into an easy smile and light shrug she's worn all day every time this crops up.
"Eh, we haven't clicked yet. She's quiet and a loner I think, but I'm hoping I'll win her over with my charming wit," she puts a hand on her chest, lifting her chin.
She adamantly pushes down her disappointment. She'd hoped to befriend Bella right away during their fighting by giving her openings while Yang distracted the Grimm, but they didn't manage to be on the same wavelength so she thinks she just annoyed Bella instead. She tried to make up for it by practising together, but like how Weiss doesn't want anything to do with Ruby, Bella is insistent on keeping away from Yang. She's nicer about it, but it's clear she wants nothing to do with the team.
Yang tries telling herself what she told Ruby earlier, about them being strangers. But for some reason it's harder to convince herself than it is to encourage her sister. But maybe part of that is Yang's fault. If her bond with childhood friends is fading, then what does that say for strangers who might also leave? She idly pinches the corner of the picture, heart aching more than she usually lets it.
Brother's Grimm, she's being really selfish right now. Ruby has it a lot worse and here Yang is acting like the world is ending because she's overreacting to a probably-false feeling. She shakes her head, hiding it as adjusting her hair, and refocuses her attention on her teammates.
Of course Bella is keeping distance, she probably has similar trust issues to Ruby. She reminds her of her sister a bit, actually, with their shy natures and cautiously watching what everyone around them is doing or saying. If that's the case, then Yang just worries for Bella. If she was bullied in the past like Ruby, then it makes perfect sense she'd be closed off and distrustful. And from what she's seen, Yang suspects Bella didn't have a constant protector in her life like she was for Ruby.
So first order of business there is to show Bella she can trust her. Even if it takes a while, she'll go with the Pyrrha approach of letting her keep her distance, but the Yang approach at showing she just wants to befriend her.
And on the topic of Ruby, it confuses Yang that she's so determined to befriend Weiss. Granted, Yang hadn't seen how they acted in the forest other than Weiss saving her sister (which she should think about thanking her for, but not until she adjusts her attitude) and going through with Ruby's insane Nevermore plan. Ruby has always been more observant than Yang, so maybe she does see hope in Weiss.
At least, Yang hopes so. She's not above throwing hands to defend her sister, but she also doesn't want to cause that rift to grow bigger. Until the, she'll trust Ruby to know her limits and come to her if need be.
What the heck is Weiss doing at Beacon, anyway? You'd think a rich heiress from Atlas would, y'know, stay in Atlas, but she came here when she'd probably fit better in the other. Her attitude certainly would. Yet here she is, in all her snobbish glory.
But maybe Yang shouldn't judge someone else's reasons and goals. Hers certainly isn't as selfless as Ruby's desire to keep people safe. Sure, saving people is a nice bonus and fighting Grimm is always fun, but she only wants to be a Huntress for herself. She's known it was a selfish wish since she decided she'd go down this path, but that isn't enough to stop her from wanting it.
If not the person in the photo, then answers. She doesn't even know if that person is alive, but she has a feeling she is. She has hope she is. Because then maybe something in Yang's life would make sense.
Great, now she's thinking about herself again. She violently shoves the thoughts into the back of her mind.
Team RWBY is clearly a mess. A timid leader who refuses to see her potential, an arrogant heiress who probably has some kind of complex, an aloof loner who might never open up and her; a simple brawler with a selfish dream. But Yang will be damned if she doesn't do her best to hold this team aloft as long as possible, if for no one's sake but Ruby's.
As she dives back into conversation with her friends, she thinks back to the worst day of her life, to the squeak of wheels and the snarls of Grimm, a flare of bittersweet determination bursting forth.
She'll hold onto and protect the people in her life until the bitter end. She'll break every bone in her body if she has to.
She swears it.
A/N: Introspection! We might just be seeing the start to the girls' arcs, but they've already been through their own just getting to Beacon so I wanted them to reflect and all. Plus it helps to slowly learn how to write them for later down the line when there will be whole chapters dedicated to other pov's beside Ruby's
And CFVY is introduced! Just a brief appearance, but that should be the last of introductions for a while
Constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged! Thank you for reading!