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(Yuma PoV)
Today was the big day. I had applied to all the major combat schools but only one accepted my application: Beacon. And today it was time for initiation. I checked my shuriken and my shield dozens of times before I packed it in my case. I said goodbye to my father and I left for the big city on another continent.
It was the furthest I had ever been from home. I took a train into Mistral and an airship from there to Vale. I really hated flying. I got vertigo from it. I got airsick easily. But it was well worth it because today it was time to become a huntress for real.
Just please don't throw up. Not on your first day. Anything but that.
We set down at Beacon and the students poured out of the airship and began to make their way to the school. It was huge. An enormous tower and wide campus dominating a pillar of rock overlooking a lush green forest.
I breathed deeply. I grabbed my carrying case and began to follow the crowd. Here it was, my big day.
I bumped into someone with my shoulder.
"Oh sorry."
"Watch it," she snapped back. They were wearing a pink skirt and had flowing straight blonde hair and bright pink eyes.
"I said I was sorry. Jeez. What's your problem? It wasn't that big of a deal," I went and ran my mouth.
The taller girl glowered back at me. "My problem? I'm not the one walking into people blindly."
"Ugh, whatever." Then I made some distance between myself and the crabby girl.
I sort of wandered to the side lost in thought and when I looked up I was alone in a garden path on campus. I'd lost the crowd. Oh, dang it. I didn't know my way around. I was lost and- wait. There was somebody. He was tall with blonde spiky hair. He had a titanic broadsword on his back in a harness. I knew him! He was Cloud! Cloud Strife. He saved my life. I thought about him a lot. Well not a lot, a lot. But enough. I thought about him more than enough.
"Yuma Kisaragi," he greeted me warmly. "Color me shocked to see you here. It's been a while since I was in Wutai. How are you?" His voice was rich still.
I tried to think. I hesitated. He laughed, seeing my trepidation. "Don't remember me?"
"Sorry, of course I do." How could I forget him?
"It's not a big deal. I'm one of the professors here now. Come on. I'll walk you to the auditorium." He started taking slow long strides with his half cape behind him so that I could easily keep up. I was quite a bit shorter than him. He led through the fountains and gardens along a path to one of the larger buildings on campus.
"You had someone else with you when you came to Wutai… who was she? I can't remember."
"Neapolitan. So you made it into Beacon. Well done. I'm surprised you didn't end up in Haven."
"They… they rejected my application. Beacon was the only big school that accepted me."
"Better one than none, right? This way." He led me into a large auditorium where there was the entire body of students. "This is where I leave you. Good luck with initiation."
"Oh, thank you. It was nice seeing you again!" I waved goodbye to him and raised my hand to my mouth to shout.
There was a tall blonde woman with bright green eyes standing near a podium. She was flanked by a man in glasses with a tie and his shirt half tucked in and a round man in a red and gold military uniform with a large mustache. The woman was just wrapping up a speech and stepping down. Oh dear, I missed what she said. Better follow the crowd again.
I spotted a girl with silvery pink hair and bright blue eyes. She had a complicated looking double edged sword strapped to her side. I resolved to follow her amongst the crowd. She seemed like she knew where she was going.
We were bunking down in one of the upper rooms of the academy. Everyone seemed to be changing into sleeping attire and getting ready for bed. The older students seemed to have a place in the dorms but for first years we were all spread out on one of the upper floors of the academy.
I changed into my PJ shirt and bottoms as well since everyone else was doing it. I climbed into a sleeping bag and resolved to get a good night's sleep. It would be initiation day tomorrow. Another big day. Oh gods, what if I fail and they kick me out? Deep breaths Kisaragi. You can do this. But you have got to pull yourself together.
"You…" I looked up to see the pink haired girl with her hands on her hips. She was looking at another girl with green hair and white wings like a bird.
"So, we meet again, princess," the bird faunus shot back. Princess? She probably wasn't a real princess. The faunus spoke in such a teasing tone that the title sounded like an insult. It was probably just that and nothing more.
"I owe you harshly for that final round. I beat you. If I hadn't been in loser's-"
"But you were in loser's. It was really too bad for you," she let out a ringing laugh. "You should have fought better. If you had, maybe then we would have met in winner's side. I still would have won, but it doesn't matter now, does it?"
"I had you beat the first time. When and if we fight again I'll trounce you."
"No, you won't." The angel girl fired right back. "I'm too good. You were fun competition the once but I've got you downloaded now. That's why the second round was so fast. I just had to make a few adjustments and you were toast."
"We'll just see about that."
"Downloaded, princess." The green haired girl taped herself on the temple with one finger. "I own you."
I had listened to the quarrel with rapt attention. I was a touch bored and there was little to do besides watch and listen to their banter. There was some serious history here. I just hoped that I wouldn't end up on a team with either of them. Especially together, could you imagine?
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First thing in the morning I showered and brushed my teeth. Then all the first years were gathered out on pads before the deep green forest. The two blonde teachers were there. Cloud and the woman who I could only suppose was the headmistress.
I still didn't know her name. Oh good gods. But today was about combat. I could do this.
"Today your skills will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest. You will be assigned partners and teams for the four years you will be taught here. It would be favorable if you are partnered with someone you can work well with. As such, the first person you make eye contact with in the forest will be your partner. Make your way to the northern end of the forest and collect the relics waiting there. Each set of partners must obtain a relic. You will be graded on your performance throughout the duration of your trial. Best of luck to you all," the green eyed woman announced.
Then they started launching people into the forest! Just like that!
I gathered myself up. I could handle it. I just needed to find a good partner. I worked well with people. Who said I didn't? I was flung off into the forest with my peers.
I pulled my shuriken from my back and raised my shield. I landed on my shield and rolled cat-like on a tree branch to disperse my momentum. I slammed my blade into the tree trunk to stop myself. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
I jumped down from the tree. Now to find a partner.
I took off through the forest at a sprint. Just had to find somebody. Anybody. I smacked headlong into somebody and we both fell to the ground. I groaned and looked up, rubbing at my head.
Oh no. Not-
"-You!" The girl snapped. It was the pink eyed blonde from yesterday. "Oh fuck. Why did it have to be you?"
"Don't swear at me. Do I look happy about this?" I demanded right back.
"You ran into me again! This does not bode well."
"I said I was sorry!"
"Now I'm stuck with you. It could have been anybody but it had to be you. Curse my rotten luck."
"Okay, okay I get it. You don't have to keep busting me. Let's start over and try to be friends. We do have to work together from now on."
"Fine. I'm Peach Locheart."
"I'm Yuma Kisaragi."
"Great, now we're all buddy buddy. Let's get a move on."
"Oh. Right." I started following the other girl. She had two enormous gauntlets, one for each fist, and heavy boots on her feet beneath that pink skirt. She had some dust crystals on her waist. Uncut dust fragments.
"So…" I trailed off.
"So?" She shot back with some heat.
"So I fight with my shuriken and my shield. How about you?" I tried to make conversation a little. Not too much. Just a tad.
"Are you serious right now?" She wasn't having any of that it would seem. She saw right through me and she was laughing at my attempts.
"I'm just trying to get to know you. And you're getting mad at me about it. Why?" I whined a little. But only a little.
She snorted at me. "Whatever. I use my fists and feet. I like the real impact against Grimm. I like to feel it."
"Okay… well how about those dust crystals?" I asked. "They look useful."
"Oh they're just for my ranged attacks. In case I can't get close for some reason or another. You know it's funny. Did you see that young hot professor? The really young one?"
"Um…" I stammered off at her description of Cloud. Not that I necessarily disagreed. He was good looking. And he had to be competent to be such a young professor. Not to mention he cleared Merlot's old abandoned laboratory and he saved me from the bandits. There was an appeal to him that was hard to deny. He had edge and he cut a dangerous figure with his weapon. But to just come right out and say it was too much. I flushed a little. I felt my face getting hotter.
"Ah, you do know the one I'm talking about. Him. Tall, blonde, and cut. He was beside the headmistress back there. He was the one who taught me to use dust. He came by my town one time. I live in this little place called Nibelheim near Atlas."
"No way…" I breathed.
"Which part was too hard for you to understand?"
"Not that," I huffed. This girl! "It's just that I know him too. He came by my village in Anima once. He saved my life."
"Ooh. Nice. I would mind being saved by him if you know what I mean. Meow." She was so unbelievably bold. How could she?
"It's nothing like that!"
"Sure it's not. Gods, you're getting so red. Don't pass out on me. I'm not carrying you through this forest. I'll leave you where you drop, I mean it."
"But you're the one who's talking about him like-like-like-" I stammered off into mixed syllables.
"Like he's hot? So what? He is." Peach wondered.
"How can you?" I demanded. She was so… so self assured. She was confident where I was just not. In ways I was just so self conscious she seemed ready and firm. I wasn't a shy girl per se but this was too much for me.
"I'm not a school girl with a crush? I know what I like and I like it? That's how."
"So what? I'm just a school girl with a crush?"
"I don't know. Are you?" She pressed interrogatively.
"You're infuriating," I snapped at her.
"And you're entertainment value if you're nothing else."
The nerve!
I quickened my step to pass the confident blonde. I marched furiously forward. The absolute audacity of it all. She was so frustrating.
"Hey!"
"What?" I shot back whipping around at her.
"Watch out for that Gr-"
Then something hit me very hard on the back of the head.
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I woke up with a shoulder digging into my stomach. I let out a low groan.
"Oh, you're awake. Well you can walk for yourself now."
Peach set me down. I took a moment to gather my bearings.
I was still in the forest.
"What hit me?" I wondered.
"Ursa. Don't worry. I killed it."
"You carried me," I said stupidly. I knew it was dumb even as I said it.
"Yeah well I couldn't let it impact my grade. Now could I?"
She held a hand down to me to help me up. I took it. She easily lifted me to my feet.
"North… it's this way?" I asked, pointing in a direction orthogonal to the sun.
"That's south, sweetie. Come on. I want to find those relics. Faster is probably better for our standings."
I followed Peach through the woods. We came across a clearing with ruins. There were chess pieces of gold on top of pedestals.
"These must be the relics. Does it matter which one we take?" I wondered.
"Maybe. I dunno. Let's grab a horsey and be on our way."
"I can't believe we're stuck together." I turned in the direction of a new and sort of familiar voice. It was the pink haired girl. She was walking beside the green haired faunus she had been arguing with.
"Oh don't be like that," the bird faunus purred out. "We'll make for an excellent team. I'll show you all your weaknesses. Your many, many, weaknesses. How do you function?"
The pink haired girl grit her teeth. She stalked over to me and grabbed a golden chess piece.
"Um… hello." I gave a little wave.
She just stared at me with a little heat. Then she marched away without saying anything back. I sighed heavily.
"Come on sweetie. Don't take things to heart," my new partner patted me on the back. "Let's go."
There came a roaring screech from overhead. A giant nevermore loomed and fired a dozen quills down at us. I back-flipped and took shelter in the ruins. My partner hid beside me for a second and watched the monster pass on by.
"Do we try and kill it? Or just run?" I asked.
"Definitely in a killing mood." She stood up and crushed a yellow crystal and fired a thunderbolt that struck the monster on the soaring wing.
The pink haired girl crouched down and opened fire with an automatic rifle. Her partner blocked a quill with her shield and fired three bolts of light from the tip of her staff which impacted the monster.
I tossed my shuriken and it collided with the creature with enough stopping power to make it falter in the air. I caught the shuriken on the bounce back.
"You!" The pink haired girl snapped at me. "Force it to land. Aim for the same side as your partner."
I looked over at my partner and she shrugged and crushed another crystal and fired it off and hit it on the left wing. I slung my shuriken once more and it bit deep into that same side.
The pink haired girl stopped shooting as the bird was falling and sprinted at the creature. She was fast and her weapon became a two edged blade. "Now's our chance, Pine." The faunus nodded in agreement and took off with her in flight.
The pink haired girl landed in front of the monster. She hamstrung it and I took off after them to reclaim my weapon. My partner jumped and punched it in the head and sent it reeling down towards the green haired girl who thrust her staff upwards and shot a pillar of light through the monster's body.
It dissolved into yucky Grimm goo and I gathered my weapon from the mess.
"That's that, then." The blue eyed girl said. Without another word she turned and continued north. I watched dumbly for a second before my partner came up beside me and shocked me into motion.
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-WG