A young boy walked briskly towards Beacon's plaza, bringing his bags along with him upon disembarking from the airbus. Not the situation he wanted to be in, but it couldn't be helped. As absentee as his parents were, they still managed to arrive home yesterday, and that meant he had no choice but to spend the night with his family. His sisters were adamant in giving him their blessings in any case. Not that he regretted it – last night with his family was a heartwarming experience – but today was another thing entirely, and so here he was, just barely making it in time for the opening ceremony. Of note was the fact that he was the only one that left the airbus. That meant that every student headed for Beacon was already here, and he had roughly an hour and a half left to get ready.
He wore a black hoodie with blue jeans and black sneakers, paired together with orange bracers and brown fingerless gloves. Spaulders and a breastplate rounded out his look, while his dustmetal weapon was strapped to his left hip, with a sleeker sheathed form than most. With blond hair and dark blue eyes, he had a notable physique, toned and muscular, and being more than six feet tall he towered over every student he could find.
He finished registering at the plaza – the staff there looked almost ready to leave, and were surprised at his arrival – and with his map as his guide he picked up his pace in running towards his room. Already he could see students making their way towards the auditorium, all wearing the Beacon uniform, required wear for classes and large gatherings alike.
Some were giving him strange looks as he ran past them, most likely wondering how he got himself in this unenviable circumstance. But at least I'm getting some exercise, right? On second thought, that sounded too lame of an excuse to say out loud to anyone, but he found it funny nonetheless.
Fortunately his room was only at the third floor of one of the dorm buildings, and he arrived at his room without breaking into a sweat. He abruptly knocked on the door as he planned his next move. First, he needed to change into his Beacon uniform…
The door opened. "Hello. Who're you, and how can I help?"
"Hi, my name's Jaune Arc, from Vytal city here in Vale. I got caught up at home yesterday, but I'm actually your roommate. Sorry I'm late."
"Ah, so you've finally arrived, our missing roommate. Heh, took you long enough to arrive." He was a guy with black hair tied in a low ponytail, with a magenta streak on the left side that matched his eyes, and sported a black collared, dark green tailcoat with gold trimming and pink cuffs, paired with tan pants with black shoes. He was also shorter than Jaune, so the guy stood as straight as he could to minimize the difference. It was a natural guy thing to do. "The name's Lie Ren, from Mistral… Just call me Ren. Nice to meet you. Better change up fast. The ceremony will start soon, and our classes will follow right after it."
"Yeah, I know. But you haven't changed either. Are you waiting for something?"
"Well, about that… We woke up pretty early, but we decided to do some training first, and we kind of went overboard with it." The boy then looked to his left. "Hey, you done there already?"
"We?" Jaune then heard a door being opened from inside the room, and so he peered to where Ren stared at.
He saw a girl come out of their bathroom. She had short orange hair and wore a short pink skirt and a collared black sleeveless vest, with a blue central front section with a red accent. Her vest had an opening in the chest area, and thus she also wore a white sleeveless shirt, which was paired with white detached sleeves on each arm. Her white ankle boots had pink soles and laces, and she had a thin piece of armor – more decorative than anything else – that wrapped around her waist and below her chest.
"Why aren't you dressed up yet?" Ren asked. "The roommate we've been missing is finally here and you're still not done? What's taking you so long?"
"I just said I was going to the bathroom to freshen up first, Ren. Us girls can't afford to stink like you." Rolling her eyes, she went to pick up her Beacon uniform clothes from her closet, then approached the two boys. She was a bit short even for a girl, and so she had to tilt her head up to look at Jaune. "Hey there, big guy. I'm Nora Valkyrie. So you're that missing roommate of ours, huh? You look strong, but you'd have to be a special kind of person to even dare arrive so late to Beacon. You know what I mean?"
"Hi, Nora. Pleased to meet you, my name's Jaune Arc. Sorry I'm late and all." Jaune knew it was a major social blunder for a Hunter trainee to be late in attending their own opening ceremony – as well as the classes that would start shortly after it – and he dreaded to know of the consequences had he not been on time for his flight. "Just had some family matters to take care of. Can't say no to family, after all."
"It's alright, we understand. But at least you got here, right? We should all make it with minutes to spare." Nora smiled at Jaune. "Blonde hair, blue eyes… Your eyes as strong as Pyrrha's green ones."
"…who's Pyrrha?"
"That's our other roommate," Ren said. "She already left, though. She probably had some other business to attend to."
"Ah…" Jaune shook his head. "Well, I don't know if I'd say my eyes are strong, but thanks for the compliment. You have nice bluish green eyes too, Nora."
Nora's smile widened, and she coyly blinked her eyes. "Thanks, Jaune. But my eyes are turquoise, actually. It's ok, it's an easy mistake to make. But my eyes aren't aqua or jade, and definitely not bluish green. It's turquoise."
Jaune had a bewildered look on his face. "Turk what?"
"It's a color, apparently." Ren said. "Don't ask me how they name these things."
"I've never even heard of it."
"Me neither. I have no idea what Nora tells me sometimes." Ren then moved aside for Jaune to enter. "Glad to have a roommate like you around here. Come on in."
Jaune finally enter their room, and he wasted no time in unloading his clothes and putting his personal items on an unused desk. He could hear Nora and Ren bicker behind him, but he wasn't the least bit surprised about that.
"Real funny, Ren." Nora had a miffed tone in her voice. "Let's just hope Jaune here can fight better than you. It would be great if a pretty girl like me isn't always on the front lines giving you cover."
"That's hilarious coming from you," Ren replied. "I'm not exactly helpless. You just went 0-3 against me yesterday, remember? And do I need to remind you about our total record?"
"Did you conveniently forget that I evened the score 3-3 earlier? We could have dueled longer and settled this, by the way. Guess who between us backed out at the last minute."
"Sorry, but I'm not someone who'd get too happy bopping off dummies in the training room to lose track of time. No wonder Pyrrha texted us saying she already left." Ren smirked. "But you'll never take the lead from me, Nora."
"I recall both of us having fun bopping off and ensnaring training dummies. Don't tell me you forgot that too?" Nora had a knowing look on her face. "You just backed out because I had the momentum. Then again, there was that one time when you literally cowered behind me when you got spooked by a dog, so I'm not surprised." Nora paused at seeing Ren's reaction, then giggled. "Oops."
This was a surprise to see. When was the last time he met two people like this? Grabbing his Beacon uniform, Jaune cleared his throat, catching their attention. "You two seem familiar with each other. It's a miracle you both got to be in the same room."
"Tell me about it," Ren remarked. "I'm from Kuroyuri, a countryside village in Mistral near the border. Nora's from Pleione City in Atlas, but her family migrated to our village to retire from city life when she was less than a year old. Her house was built right bside ours, and we've been childhood friends ever since."
Childhood rivals too, if I'm not mistaken. And both of them here in the same room? Jaune smiled. "Sounds like you and Nora have been in a lot of adventures."
"We've been through a lot of things together," Nora replied. "A lot of times it's me carrying his weak ass around, but it was fun regardless. Don't ask me how though, I sometimes wonder myself."
"Want another match against my threads?" That made Jaune look at the twin sheathed weapons on Ren's hips the moment he said the word. Called warding, it was an unusual kind of aura Semblance involving setting traps; great for support roles, and capable of binding Hunters and Grimm alike. "Remember the last time I left you hanging on a tree? Maybe I should–"
"Go ahead and try that again." Nora beat Ren to the punch by actually taking out her dustmetal weapon, complete with surging lighting; her was by far a more straightforward Semblance. "I dare you."
Ren quickly backed away with a cheeky smile and raised hands.
"Nice hammer," Jaune said.
Nora gave Jaune a nod. "Its name is Magnhild Lyn, or as I like to call it, my debate club. Sure to add weight to my words and turn the tide of a heated argument!" So saying, she transformed her weapon back and forth; she had a large dustmetal warhammer that turned into a shotgun, and it came along with that satisfying sound of pumping a shotgun's forearm. While her lightning would serve as her ranged attack, it was obvious that Nora much preferred her combat up close and personal. Finally deciding to sheath her weapon back, Nora had a smug look on her face. "Looks pretty cool, doesn't it?"
"It does look persuasive," Jaune replied.
"She and her weapon both," Ren added. "Nora's a bona fide master debater."
Jaune couldn't hold back a chuckle, especially with how Ren said it with a straight face, and he laughed even more upon watching Nora slap Ren in the arm. "You're such a child, Ren. Why am I always stuck with you anyways?"
"That's because I've realized that you were meant for me."
"…wait, what?!"
"Definitely as a punishment."
"Ugh!" Nora crossed her arms as she pouted, and the two continued with their back and forth.
Jaune suppressed his grin, and decided to make better use of his time by going to the bathroom instead to change clothes. But would they stop once he finished? He stepped out fully dressed several minutes later – now wearing a black suit lined with gold, with a blue vest and a white shirt underneath, topped off with a red tie and black shoes – and sure enough, saw that the two were still at it.
"I just want to let you guys know about the time," Jaune said. "Hate to spoil your good fun together, but we have a little more than an hour left."
"Oh… Sorry about that," Nora said, scratching the back of her head as she looked at the time. "Ren was being difficult as usual."
"We'll catch up," Ren replied. "You can go ahead, Jaune. Who knows, you might just meet Pyrrha along the way. You can't miss her. She's a taller and prettier redhead for one thing, unlike Nora here."
Nora gave Ren a glare as she slapped his arm, and she went straight to the bathroom with her uniform in hand.
"You just had to land that one in, didn't you?"
"Eh, it's fine." Ren smiled as he rubbed the area where Nora slapped him. "This is normal between us. Just a bit of fun we do to each other, and she's had her fair share of wins anyways. It's all good. She's one of the boys."
That's an interesting way to put it. Not exactly the explanation that Jaune expected, but maybe it was that simple, so he left it at that.
Jaune said goodbye to Ren, and left their room to attend the opening ceremony. He didn't need a map for this one, as the auditorium was just a long walk forward then a left turn away from their dorm, and being part of a large building in the middle of the academy, opposite the old lighthouse, it was impossible for anyone to really miss it.
But the way to his destination also gave him a good look of Beacon's scenic grounds, and he had to stop himself from slowing his steps. He was the only one on the walkway after all; the rest of the student body must already be there at the auditorium waiting for the event to start. It was a reminder that he was so close to embarrassing himself on his first day for being late. Coming from a lineage of great Hunters dating back centuries, Jaune preferred not to shame the Arc family name if he could help it.
"Sorry, but I can't."
That was a girl's voice, and Jaune turned towards the sound. While beautiful, Beacon's topiary that surrounded the dorm buildings inadvertently created some obscured spots for students to hide in, and he soon caught something out of the corner of his eye. Curious at what he saw, he went off the walkway to go towards it.
Hiding himself beside a nearby hedge, Jaune saw a girl and two boys talking to each other near one of the dormitories. The latter two wore the same uniform he did, while the girl wore the Beacon uniform for females – a white blouse under a black vest lined with gold, along with a red plaid skirt, black thigh high stockings, gray shoes, and a red ribbon tied at the collar. But there was something about her that made her stand out from all the rest, aside from her brown circlet. It actually didn't take too long for Jaune to realize what that was; with her long red hair and vivid green eyes, she was just about the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"Hey now Pyrrha, no need to be so cold like that," one of the two boys said, some guy with wavy brown hair. "You won't regret it, I promise."
Pyrrha? That's her? She must be the one Nora and Ren were talking about earlier. Jaune now understood why Nora pinched Ren over his remark. Nora was fine, but Pyrrha was just on a different level, and already he felt mesmerized at the sight of her beautiful face. An all too familiar feeling formed in his heart.
"I told you already, I just don't see it happening anymore." Pyrrha's tone was almost apologetic, taking great care in saying her words. "Sorry to say this, but please go find someone else."
"You sure about that, Pyrrha?" It was the other guy who said that, the one with a goatee. "…we didn't expect to hear that from you, to be honest."
"I'm sorry. Let's just go to the opening ceremony now, ok? We don't want to be late."
Jaune saw the two boys sigh, and he shook his head; he had his own share of girls breaking his heart. But Pyrrha was handling it well, as if she had done this in the past; that wouldn't be surprising. If his past relationships were any clue, then she was totally out of his league. Yeah, I've seen this movie before. Shrugging it all off as a suitor and his wingman simply being rejected, Jaune began to turn back.
"No, Pyrrha. I think we can make you change your mind on that. Just give me a chance already, why don't you?"
That tone was more abrasive than it needed to be, and Jaune turned back to see the boy forcefully grab Pyrrha's arm. Now that… He had his fair share of witnessing these things too, and something snapped in his mind, right then and there. He saw Pyrrha angrily shake off the guy's grip herself, all without screaming for help, but Jaune went out of hiding and stepped forward to them nonetheless.
"Is there a problem here?"
The guy with the brown hair could only glare as he and his friend with the goatee backed off a few steps at his presence; being as tall as he was had its benefits. "Go away," brown hair guy growled at Jaune. "This doesn't concern you."
"You're talking to my roommate Pyrrha here," Jaune said as he went to her right side, who had a surprised look on her face. "It would be great if you guys didn't bug her anymore. She already said no, so leave it at that. Don't make this harder on yourselves."
Pyrrha made a quick glance at Jaune. "…you're my roommate?" she said, not really believing it.
"My name's Jaune Arc," he replied. "Nora and Ren told me you went ahead."
"Oh, those two…" Pyrrha slowly nodded. "What took you so long?"
"Kept you waiting, huh?"
Brown hair guy grimaced. "Tch! Don't go barging in like some hero, pal. I didn't go all this way just to–"
"Just walk away," Pyrrha said to them coldly, a stark contrast to her earlier soft tone. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."
Jaune held her shoulder on instinct. "Just who are these guys?"
"They're nobodies," Pyrrha replied, then turned her attention to the two guys. "I don't want any trouble here, you two. Please, just go find someone else."
"Just shut the hell up," the guy with the brown hair snapped. "You think you're better than us? Is that it?"
Pyrrha took a step forward, then unsheathed her dustmetal spear and embraced her Semblance, a bronze aura enveloping her. Jaune felt a soft rumbling below his feet, and his eyes narrowed at seeing the two guys stubbornly stand their ground. Pyrrha wasn't holding back here; do these guys have no idea how strong her Semblance was? Knowing it could get ugly fast, Jaune also stepped forward, and raised his left arm wide to block Pyrrha's way.
"I'll break them. They're asking for it."
"You'll break more than just them at this rate," Jaune said. "Let me handle it. I promise I'll hold back."
Pyrrha paused, as if she still considered handling those two guys herself, but she ultimately relented. Calming down, she sheathed her weapon back, releasing her Semblance, and took a step back.
"Wow man, do you really have to be so old fashioned?" the guy with the brown hair said. "You're living under a rock if you think she'll–"
"Shut up, dumbass." Jaune's face darkened. "I don't care if you two gang up on me. Just bring it on or back off."
"So you're acting tough now? Tch, I don't care how big you are. I don't need help to beat someone like you." Frowning, he unsheathed his dustmetal club. "You want a one on one? Alright, I'm game. There's nobody else here to see us anyways. Don't worry, I won't wreck your face too much." He then charged, blitzing forward with his speed Semblance.
Jaune unsheathed his own dustmetal weapon called Pallida Mors. His weapon was among a subset of dustmetals in that it had no gun mode. It separated into two after transformation instead, giving Jaune a knight's sword in his right hand and a heater shield in his left. But there was no need to use his blade in this fight. Jaune seized his own Semblance, his body now covered in a white aura; anticipating where his opponent would strike, he met brown hair guy's attack head on with his shield, which now had a barrier formed around it.
The blow his opponent dealt him was strong, but Jaune knew how to use his opponent's strength against him – he knew a thing or two about dueling – and the energy his Semblance accumulated from his foe's attack was quickly turned into a propelling force. A second later he disarmed and sent his opponent flying back some feet away, and brown hair guy landed hard on the grassy field.
His friend with the goatee beard sprinted towards him. Shaken, wide-eyed and staring, brown hair guy just groaned, losing his Semblance the moment his weapon left his hands.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a noob." Sheathing Pallida Mors back to his hip, Jaune let go of his Semblance as well. "Not in this universe, at least."
Jaune's opponent eventually got back on his feet, and slowly dusted off the dirt on his clothes. He should be fine, aside from a bruised ego; he raised his hands in submission. "…I yield," the guy with the brown hair said. "No more."
"I've heard that line before," Jaune said. "Want to bring more friends to gang up on me later? Don't even try it. It won't end well for any of you."
Brown hair guy shook his head as he picked up his weapon, not turning his back on Jaune, and he sheathed it quickly. "…we'll keep quiet about all this, we promise."
"Good." Jaune smirked. "Now go to the auditorium. I don't want you guys to be late."
The two grudgingly made deep bows before walking away. As angry as they were, there was still some respect in their faces that told Jaune that they wouldn't be causing any more problems. He then looked at Pyrrha. "You alright?"
"I'm ok," Pyrrha replied. "Thanks for the assist, even though I don't need protection."
"With how angry you were, this is protection for them. Otherwise they'd need more than bandages if I let you take them on. But I think they learned their lesson. I don't think they'll bother you again."
"…I guess you're right."
"I overheard you talking with those two while I was on my way to the auditorium, and I had to step in the moment I saw that guy grab your hand. Call me old fashioned or whatever, but I despise seeing people getting bullied. I'll always stand up against it, even if I get in trouble."
"I see." Pyrrha went silent for a few moments, seemingly letting go of any remaining apprehensions, before she giggled.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"It's just… you're like the knights of the Remnant Era, you know?"
Jaune shook his head. There were many myths that spawned about the Remnant Era due to its dearth of surviving records. One of them were the knights; warriors that kept humanity alive through that difficult time, with an honorable and gentlemanly etiquette to match. They were said to make the impossible possible against the Grimm, and their weapons were what he modeled Pallida Mors from. "I wouldn't say that I'm exactly like them…"
Pyrrha smiled softly. "But that's really what you sound like."
There was a look to her right then and there with her green eyes and smile that entranced Jaune; he suddenly didn't know what to say, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "Well, I…"
"I'm Pyrrha Nikos, from Clymene City in Atlas. I haven't heard sentiments like yours in a long time. Nice to meet you, Jaune. Thanks for your help, I appreciate it."
"No problem…" Jaune's heart was beating fast. Pyrrha really looked happy to meet him, and he couldn't help but stare back, completely captivated by how beautiful she was.
"Something on your mind?"
There was, but Jaune couldn't blurt it out, so he quickly looked for an excuse; luckily something came to mind. "…Nora and Ren sure are taking their time. They're probably still in our room arguing about something. I mean, they were so busy bickering that they forgot to suit up."
"Yeah, that's them alright. I knew they'd be too busy training, so I went ahead. You should have heard them yesterday night. It was like having children running around." Pyrrha chuckled. "It's fine, they're old enough to do the right thing, and they should still make it if they hurry. But we can't loiter here either, so let's get going. The opening ceremony is about to start."
"Right. Let's go."
The two then went towards the auditorium, with Pyrrha on Jaune's left. He looked at his phone, and saw that they still had a little more than half an hour left.
"What else is on your mind?"
Now that Pyrrha said it, he was tempted to just focus on his phone now and ignore her completely, knowing what he was starting to feel. He already saw this kind of movie too, and he worried that he would say something he would later regret. Jaune thought of something else to change the subject. "…heh, you think Nora and Ren are bad? Try being the big brother of six sisters."
"Really? You have six of them?"
Jaune nodded, recalling a few memories with his sisters, and he told them to Pyrrha, who looked very much interested. "Yeah, they come with all the girl stereotypes you can think of," he continued. "As their big brother, I've helped them with pretty much everything. Slumber parties, cosplay, cooking, painting, writing, video editing, dating advice…" Even that last one was true, ironically enough.
"That's nice of you. I'm an only child, but I can still appreciate what you do for your sisters." Pyrrha showed that soft smile of hers again, and Jaune felt his heart skip a beat again. "I never would've guessed this about you. As big as you are, you don't look like the doting big brother or father figure type."
"…I'm only 18, Pyrrha. It only makes sense I don't look like one."
"Is that right? Well, I just turned 19 a few months ago. So I guess that makes me your big sister or something, doesn't it?" Pyrrha then tapped him on the shoulder, with a big grin on her face. "I used to be from Soteria Academy in Atlas, but I had to start over here in Beacon because of some stuff I have to do here in Vale first. I have previous experience with how the Hunter academies work though, so feel free to come to me whenever you need help with anything, ok? As your roommate and big sister, I'll help you in any way I can. A big sister should dote on her little brother too."
Jaune quickly looked somewhere else, hoping Pyrrha didn't see what surely was an embarrassed look on his face. "I appreciate your help Pyrrha, but c'mon… Don't be silly with the big sister stuff."
"But a lot of guys like that. Don't you?"
Jaune suddenly felt like being put on the hot seat, and her telling him about the preference of other guys – as well as hinting that she only saw him as a sibling – didn't help either; he chuckled to hide his discomfort. "I don't think I can handle a seventh sister… I have more than enough at home to think about."
"I'm just kidding," Pyrrha said as she giggled. "I hope your little sisters aren't giving you too much trouble, especially after everything you helped them with."
"They're adorable little headaches." Jaune said it in a deadpan tone, and that made Pyrrha giggle even more; he smiled at seeing her in a good mood. It wasn't like he had a chance anyways, right? Being from Atlas, Pyrrha surely only had a student visa too, which meant she wouldn't be here in Vale forever, and as beautiful as she was, Jaune knew that keeping her at arm's length was for the best. They only had a month anyways before being transferred to different teams, and with that in mind he just wanted to enjoy her company as much as he could.
They turned left, and the building that housed the academy's auditorium was now in front of them, with the old lighthouse right behind it.
"You have a good grasp of your barrier Semblance," Pyrrha said, changing the subject. "What you did there earlier took a lot of skill, ending your duel with that guy without hurting him too much… Thank you for doing that too, Jaune. I guess I was angrier than I realized. You're right, I would have hurt him pretty bad otherwise."
"I had a feeling you wouldn't have held back." So saying, he showed Pyrrha both his hands, now emanating a soft white light. He let them shine like that for a few moments before turning it off. "But I have this in my pocket, just in case I myself hurt that guy pretty bad."
"So you can heal as well," Pyrrha replied. "That's a nice complement to your barriers… It's not something you see every day in your average Hunter trainee. You'd think the gods would give your healing abilities to more people. With how reckless novices can be, it would help with a lot of injuries during training, for one thing."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Semblances like his that manipulated spiritual energy were categorized under the big umbrella of aura Semblances. They were somewhat common among Hunters as a whole, and had by far the greatest number of variations. His was a bit special though, not only giving him the ability to repel almost any attack with a barrier – and also redirect them if the attack wasn't too strong – but to heal injuries as well. Healing in itself was quite rare; it was the only recorded Semblance skill that didn't require holding an unsheathed dustmetal or aurastone weapon to use, only that one needed their weapon very close to their body, like say on his hip in his case. With his barrier and his healing, Jaune knew that his skills had a lot of utility, but they paled compared to Pyrrha's. "Your earth Semblance, on the other hand… Now that's something else. I can already imagine the things you can do with it. You didn't break any of Soteria's property while training there, did you?"
"I haven't been caught having to pay for damages. Which is a good thing, because I don't have any money to pay for them anyways."
"Good thing I was here then," Jaune said. "You haven't hurt anyone in Soteria either, right?"
"…no, I haven't." There was a pause as a soft wind blew past them, then Pyrrha suddenly stopped walking, prompting Jaune to stop as well, then looked at him in the eyes, showing that soft smile again. "Thanks again for your help, Jaune… You're nice to talk to as well." She then hesitated, even for only a moment. "But there's something–"
"Hey! Wait for us!"
Jaune and Pyrrha looked to where the shout came from, and they saw Nora and Ren running towards them, both wearing their respective Beacon uniforms. "Good thing we caught up with you guys," Ren said once he and Nora finally reached their roommates. "We dressed up as fast as we could."
"I know we told you that we wouldn't train too much," Nora added, looking at Pyrrha. "But I guess we got carried away… Sorry about that."
"It's alright," Pyrrha said. "I had a feeling you two would get delayed. Jaune just happened to meet me here, and we were about to go to the auditorium. It's good that you guys made it."
"I bumped into her while she was on a call." Jaune glanced at Pyrrha, and she nodded, going along with it. "At least you two stopped arguing, so that's also good."
There was a marked sign of relief in Nora's face, while Ren smiled. "Well, shall we go?" he asked.
"Yeah, let's go inside and get this over with. We have classes right after, and we don't want to be late for those too." Nora then went ahead, with Ren close behind.
"That was a pretty nice way of telling them that they have no grasp of time," Jaune said once the two were out of earshot.
"It was a safe assumption," Pyrrha answered back, and both chuckled at the thought.
"By the way, were you saying something earlier, Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha shook her head. "It's nothing. Let's just go after them. Can't let those guys get too ahead of us. They might trip on each other's shoelaces."
Jaune nodded, and the four arrived at their destination soon enough. They registered for attendance at the main entrance, and upon gaining access inside the auditorium itself they saw the black walls decorated with vertical banners that displayed Beacon Academy's logo. The chatter of students could be heard everywhere. But it still came as a surprise to find out that every seat was taken, and with more students coming in, the four of them were left with no choice but to stand somewhere at the back, along with a few other unfortunate students who came before them.
"At least we have company," Nora remarked, while Ren simply shrugged.
"Didn't expect to see so many recruits for this year," Jaune said. "Did they really have to go ahead with this? It's not like this would take two hours. I've always wondered why they couldn't just send us a video or something instead."
"It's tradition for the students to gather for the headmaster's speech," Pyrrha replied. "People say it's a practice picked up from the Remnant Era, back when Dust didn't exist and people had to huddle every now and then to boost morale against the Grimm. Well, every academy in the world does it now, and it doesn't matter how long it takes. The idea behind it is that the students seeing each other boosts camaraderie… It works in a way, and you can't argue with that."
As more students were let in, many passed by Jaune to grab whatever space they could to stand on, and the entire back area began to form into a sea of blacks and reds.
"Excuse us, thank you." It was from a girl with short hair, wearing a red cloak along with her uniform. "Coming through, don't want to bump into anyone."
Four girls passed by Jaune as they made their way to the last remaining patches of space to stand on. Now Jaune had seen a lot of students pass by him at this point, but there was something about them that caught his attention. The one with the cloak was cute enough, but the other three she was with were simply a league above. The faunus with the raven hair had alluring amber eyes, while the blonde behind her was beautiful in a wild way, blessed with an impressive bosom that her uniform struggled to keep covered. And the snowy one? Simply stunning. Jaune then saw Pyrrha show a small, knowing smile from the corner of his eye. "What? What is it?"
"It's just cute to see you gawk like that," Pyrrha said. "Any of those girls fit your type? I happen to be familiar with one of them."
"Huh? No, I didn't. What do you mean by that?" Jaune was sure he didn't gawk, but Pyrrha just shook her head with a giggle, and he realized that he was just being teased. "Hey, don't go becoming my wingman all of a sudden here. They just happened to have caught my eye, that's all."
"Oh? You're not looking for a girl right now?
"…well, I wouldn't say that."
"Are you taken?"
Pyrrha's green eyes seemed to peer straight into him now, and it was an effort to keep a straight face. She also looked much prettier to him too, as if she wasn't willing to lose to those four other girls. And why would she ask if he was… Clearing his mind with an effort, Jaune answered her question as best he could. "I'm single, but a relationship isn't something I think one should rush into anyways. It's what I always tell my sisters. It's always worth the wait for the right one."
"…that's a great way of putting it, Jaune. That's good advice, and I'm glad you say that to your sisters." Looking very happy with his answer, Pyrrha smiled softly. "You're right, I agree."
Jaune wanted to say more, but he couldn't find the right words, especially with Pyrrha looking at him like that. But I just met you, and already I'm feeling like this. His heart beating fast again, he didn't want to leave the conversation hanging either, so he just nodded and left it at that.
The lights around them suddenly dimmed, leaving only the stage fully illuminated. He quickly looked at his phone for the time; just a few minutes left. Eventually a man walked towards the podium. Even from this distance Jaune could tell it was a man with a dark coat and gray hair… It was the Beacon headmaster himself, Ozpin Levert.
Ozpin stood there at the podium, looking at everyone in the auditorium, and the entire student body slowly went silent.
"Good morning, students. Thank you for being here at the 141st opening ceremony of Beacon Academy, this beautiful day of 15 September Year 2040. It's my great honor as the representative of all the faculty here, to welcome you all here in these grounds, and I'm happy that so many of you have decided to follow this path."
Ozpin paused, and the students applauded.
"Like all of my other speeches in the past, I'd like to keep this one brief. Even as headmaster, there's only so much I can say to you, and I've always believed that nothing teaches quite like experience. Rest assured all of you will have the latter in spades. Indeed, in less than an hour you will leave this room for your first day of classes and training, and in a month's time you will all face the Hunter trials. Your training will be hard, with the trials serving as a taste of what is to come out in the field, and once the dust settles only a fraction of you will graduate. But that hasn't stopped you all from coming here, now has it? Even in the face of likely failure, you have all gathered here nonetheless, and I commend you all for taking this risk."
There was a round of applause.
"I realize that you have all chosen to be here for a variety of reasons. Some are here in search of knowledge, while others are in search of a better life. Some are here to hone their martial skills, and of course, there are those who are here for the income. But whatever your personal reasons may be, whether you're from Vale or from the other kingdoms, let it be known that we all share the same goal in eradicating the Grimm. Never lose sight of why a Hunter exists to begin with. No judgments, no prejudice. Regardless of our differences, we must help each other defeat the darkness, and honor the sacrifices our ancestors made to keep humanity alive for more than a thousand years."
Another round of applause, louder this time.
"It's been a while since the Dust Revolution, hasn't it? So many years have passed without the Grimm regaining the offensive, and it is easy to see the comfort that it has given to the citizens. Some of you might believe that this is an easy job to coast by. Please erase that from your mind. The truth is far from it, I promise you. In the event that you pass the trials, you will see firsthand the malice and aggression of the Grimm, and you will need all your wits and strength with you to survive. But despite the difficulties, I believe that if all of you live up to their duty and work together, we shall prove ourselves once more like the warriors of the past, fearlessly protecting our people throughout the centuries. Whether we eliminate the Grimm in our lifetime, or it takes a thousand more years, our resolve to persevere is part of what makes us human, and we will always defend our way of life!"
Ozpin's voice became more powerful at the end, and so too was the praise he received, much stronger than the previous ones.
"Even if the kingdoms were to lose ground against an overwhelming void, we won't give way. We won't falter a single inch, and we will go on to the end, whatever the price may be. And in the face of that, you owe it to yourselves to give your all, without any regrets. So be it! Learn as much as you can, harness your Semblances to the limit, reach your full potential, and strengthen your resolve with honor and commitment! Humanity's continued survival depends on your willingness to fight against the Grimm, and by being here you have all taken the first step in doing that. Thusly I give you all my blessings. Regardless of what may happen in the future, know that in this moment in time that you are all heroes, and your sacrifices, whether temporary or the ultimate, will never be forgotten. Thank you, and best of luck to everyone. I wish you all the best in your pursuit to become Hunters of Grimm!"
The students shouted their loud acclaim once Ozpin finished his speech, and their claps reached a crescendo once he walked out of the stage, ending in a standing ovation as the lights were turned on. As short as Ozpin's speech was, it looked like it did what it was supposed to do, boosting the student's morale for the days ahead.
The students formed two lines out of the auditorium, with everyone talking about what Ozpin just said, and Jaune looked at his phone again. Everyone should make it to their classes even considering how slow the lines moved. As he returned his phone back to his pocket, he felt something bump into him. He turned back, and Jaune saw that it was the girl that passed by him earlier, the one with the red cloak.
"Sorry about that," the girl said as she bowed slightly, then quickly turned to her companions, who happened to be the same girls he saw earlier too. "It was an accident. I mean, he's pretty big!"
"It's alright," the girl with the white hair replied, chuckling as she did. "Don't sweat it."
"Long time no see," Pyrrha remarked. "And I haven't heard you laugh in a long time too." She then looked at the other girls, making a small wave with her right hand. "Good to see you guys. You all seem to be in a good mood."
The faunus and the blonde returned the gesture as they lined up to leave, and the girl with the red cloak followed suit. "It's nice to see you too Pyrrha," the snowy girl said. "All four of us ended up as roommates, by the way. Don't ask me how that happened."
Pyrrha could only smile in disbelief. "…I don't even know where to start."
"Me neither." With a small smile of her own, the snowy girl waved goodbye as she followed the others.
"I don't know what you two talked about," Jaune said, "but they seem nice."
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Pyrrha then turned to look at Jaune. "But you sure none of them are your type?"
Jaune shook his head. "…I don't see them that way." Completely different to how he saw Pyrrha of course, but he didn't dare say that.
"I was just wondering, that's all. Maybe you'll develop something with one of them in due time. Or maybe not. But I'm sure you'll find someone else." Pyrrha suddenly had a wistful look, but it vanished as soon as it appeared; she went to lean on the wall closest to her. "Anyways, we might as well relax while we wait. It's not as if the lines are going to thin out anytime soon."
Jaune leaned on the same wall alongside Pyrrha, while Nora and Ren seemed too engrossed with their own thing to join in; they most likely didn't even notice those four girls. But relaxing was out of reach as he felt his heart quicken again. He suddenly felt a growing desire to tell Pyrrha that he was… He shook of the thoughts. "Are you teasing me again? I thought you believed my advice."
"I do believe you what said, and I'm sure your sisters appreciate the guidance." Pyrrha smiled softly again; how many times had she shown him that? "You're a good person, Jaune. You deserve better. Remember that."
Jaune smiled back. There was something in Pyrrha's eyes that told him she really meant what she said, and that was a win in itself. He kept quiet, not wanting to push it further for now, afraid that he would jinx it, just like the other relationships he tried to pursue. But could he resist keeping his feelings to himself for a month, with Pyrrha as his roommate? Jaune realized that this was going to be a lot more difficult than he thought.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"That concludes our lesson on basic Grimm knowledge," the professor said, his voice booming in a lecture hall full of students. "Any questions before we proceed?"
Ruby jotted down as many notes as she could on her phone. It was a nice coincidence that her instructor today was none other than Peter Port, that robust man with the gray hair she met a few nights ago at Forever Fall. He proved to be a good teacher, with his concise study of current knowledge about the Grimm and detailed instructions on how to defeat the most common Class One monsters. Some of which most had prior knowledge about, like beowolves and rakshasas, but the lesson also included Grimm Ruby had no idea existed, such as skogtrolls and moroi. Peter also went out of his way to regale the class of his adventures against such creatures when he was younger, gaining their attention with a quick demonstration of his dustmetal weapon Blowback that belied its ridiculous appearance.
"It's the same stuff I learned back in Atlas." Sitting at Ruby's left, Weiss showed her the monitor of her laptop. "It's good that you keep notes, but you're free to copy mine if you want."
"It's ok, Weiss. I'm good here. Thanks for the offer though." Ruby appreciated the gesture, but she didn't want to appear dependent on other people's work. She needed to get used to the rapid learning environment on her own, as the speech Ozpin gave them was short, as well as the orientation that Peter facilitated before the class proper. Ruby did her best to adjust, and it was only natural that things would get only much quicker moving forward.
Yang wasn't here with them, having been assigned to a different class, while at Weiss's left side sat Blake, her hands steepled while listening through the entire lecture. She didn't have a phone or a laptop in front of her to write notes on, not that Ruby would call her out on it or anything like that.
"If no other questions, how about a quick test for us to apply what we've learned?" Peter said. "I understand it's sudden, given that you are all still in your uniforms, but what about for extra credit? Who's confident enough with their skills to fight a few of the Grimm we've just discussed?"
Ruby's eyes widened. "A demo on the first day already?" Yang would have volunteered on the spot, but Ruby wasn't prepared for this at all – she honestly expected a few more classes first – and an unwanted memory of her attempt to pass the Hunter tests resurfaced. It was an awful, embarrassing memory of a field exam against five beowolves, just like her fight in Forever Fall.
"Not surprised by it," Weiss said. "This was also done in Laran too, where extra credit was given to those that volunteered after the first day's lecture. Want to go try it? The extra credit can help a lot in catching up if you fail an exam."
Ruby said nothing. She tried her best to pass that field exam, she really did. But she made critical errors in judgment, and she ultimately had to be saved from the beowolves by the instructors, right in front of a crowd to boot. It was a complete and utter failure in every sense. But that was in the past; didn't she just beat five beowolves by herself a few nights ago? Being mocked endlessly, however… Ruby realized she was getting cold feet at the thought of fighting before a crowd, which would have been funny to her, if it weren't so sad.
"No volunteers?" Peter now had a wry look to him. "Why the hesitation? Scared, even after hearing Ozpin's speech? Or perhaps you believe yourself too good to be bothered taking down Class Ones?"
You're really set in doing this, aren't you?
Ruby remembered her promise to Cale, and so she pushed back the bad memory of her failure deep inside her head. She had to try now. Even at the risk of embarrassing herself again in front of other people, she had to do it. One promise kept, another to fulfill. I have to make sure I pass. I can't afford not graduating. Ruby berated herself for even hesitating, and not wanting to fuel Peter's suspicions, she gathered as much courage as she could. "I–"
"I see. Then if there are volunteers…" Peter looked to where Ruby was seated. "Weiss Schnee, please come down for a demonstration."
"Too late," Weiss whispered to Ruby, then went towards the stage. Ruby said nothing to that, but she gripped her phone tight.
Murmurs began to circulate in the room, with some exchanging whispers. Peter raised his hand to quell them. "I see that some of you are familiar with Weiss. Yes, she is indeed who you think she is, straight out of Laran Academy, and what she has with her is no doubt an aurastone weapon. Now I don't usually do this in my lessons, but since no one volunteered, then I might as well use this opportunity to show you something."
Pressing buttons on his podium, Peter transformed the stage Weiss stood on; what used to be a small space with a blackboard and a projection screen was turned to a much wider field, with a metal door some distance away from Weiss, complete with a transparent structure to house both her and her Grimm targets. "The type of Grimm that Weiss will face here isn't included in what we've talked about. In fact, it's a newly discovered species. But the principles we've discussed applies here as well. Given her prior experience in Laran, I suggest that you all observe closely. This will help you all in the trials, one way or another." Peter then turned to Weiss. "Anytime you're ready."
"I'm good," Weiss's voice was audible despite the structure she was placed in. "Let's get this over with."
Peter pressed a few more buttons. The door in front of Weiss opened, and a Grimm's piercing scream was heard.
Five beasts emerged from the darkness. They were slightly larger than beowolves, and all five had the same stony armor and red eyes that characterized all Grimm. But these ones also had grayish black fur that covered much of their shadowy flesh, and had stony horns on top of their heads. They growled at Weiss, realizing that there was a human in front of them, and immediately braced for a charge.
Weiss would have none of it. She unsheathed Myrtenaster and embraced her Semblance; enveloped in a wintry aura, with snow crystals hovering near her, she thrust her frostbitten weapon forward. A blizzard came crashing forth that engulfed the Grimm in a powerful freezing attack.
The students cheered. Ruby thought it was overkill – Weiss didn't need to expend so much energy in one blow – but the Grimm quickly proved her wrong, revealing themselves sluggish but otherwise unharmed from Weiss's attack, as they shook off icicles from their bodies. Still with a calm face, Weiss went into a defensive stance.
"What the hell was that?!" one of the students yelled.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Peter said. "It's a newly discovered type of Grimm called a wendigo, first seen prowling Vale's mountains a month ago. They may not look intimidating, but don't let appearances fool you. While it's classified as Class One, we've found that a wendigo is highly resistant to certain Semblance attacks, as you all can clearly see."
"A Class One can do that now? For real?!" another student said, and the lecture hall went abuzz on what to do against these monsters.
Ruby and Blake exchanged glances. They were three Classes of Grimm, and they were further elaborated upon by Peter in his lecture. Class Ones were abundant and roamed freely in the wilderness, though multiples could be defeated by a competent Hunter. Class Twos, on the other hand, were much more varied and different. A weaker type, like a nihilith, required at least two strong Semblances to defeat, while more powerful Grimm like helldozers needed more than a team of four Hunters to bring down. Class Twos were also notably set apart by their special skills, while Class Ones were limited to fangs, claws, and stingers… But not anymore, it seemed. Already Ruby could see some bothered faces among the students.
"Yes, the Grimm have been evolving, bit by bit, and it's been monitored to occur all over the world. Surely you all didn't think our enemies would just wait for us to kill them, even after all these years?" Peter's voice boomed across the room. "Were you all so naïve to think that a Class One can't evolve to exploit your hubris? Perhaps this will teach everyone here to take their lessons more seriously."
Weiss deftly kept the wendigos at bay in the meantime, maintaining a safe distance from the Grimm to prevent herself from being overwhelmed. But she also made a few unusual maneuvers, and Ruby realized that Weiss was biding her time, waiting patiently for the opportunity to hit all of them at once. Weiss's chance came soon enough. She quickly stabbed her weapon down, and large jagged icicles came jutting out of the now frozen floor in a circle around her. It was an incredible display of Weiss's ice powers. This time she managed to stab all five wendigos in the chest with her ice shards, and the Grimm crumpled to the floor, hissing feebly as they died.
A wave of claps and relieved sighs filled the room. The ice quickly dissipated upon Weiss releasing her Semblance; any signs that she had any trouble at all against the wendigos were limited to only a few deep breaths. The transparent structure that kept her inside was lowered, and Weiss made her way out, waving back at the students as she made her way up to Ruby and Blake.
"You alright?" Ruby asked.
"I'm good," Weiss said as she took her seat. "I knew something was different… Laran also did something like this. My freezing attack never failed me before against any surprises, though. What a waste of energy. Should have gone for the piercing icicle attack instead."
"You couldn't have known," Blake added. "But you were unfazed and recovered easily, while a regular freshman would have panicked in your place if they saw their own Semblance countered like that. But how you did in the exercise wasn't a total waste if you think of it as a test of resilience, of what you would do when things don't go as planned."
"…I suppose."
"Blake's right," Ruby said. "You did really well, so don't sweat it." Some students began to brag that they never doubted Weiss for a second, given who she was and what she wielded. Ruby didn't doubt her too, but she didn't see the point of boasting about it. "You hear that? Even the crowd agrees."
"They're a bunch of sycophants," Weiss joked dryly, and Ruby could only smile at that, shaking her head at the same time. Blake muttered something under her breath.
Peter called for assistants to dispose of the Grimm remains once the clapping finally died down – it would have taken some time for the corpses to disintegrate on their own – and afterwards he put his attention to the class. "I see that a lot of you have become uneasy, and I can understand. Those wendigos just resisted an ice attack amplified by an aurastone weapon after all, and there's no telling what else is evolving out there in the wilderness. But I hope that this has become a wakeup call, and that you learned something about yourselves. Were you all just expecting to have your Semblances evolve too, as incredibly rare as that is? Because if you're all stunned like this at an evolved Class One, then how much more against a Class Two, or a genuine Class Three?"
The students murmured again; Ruby knew from experience just how terrifying a Class Two could be. And as for Class Threes? Only five types of these rare but powerful Grimm were ever discovered, and there were no sightings of them since the Dust Revolution. Said to take a full battalion of musketeers to hold at bay during the Remnant Era, Class Threes were nonetheless so rarely seen even during that time, if surviving records were to be believed, that some people nowadays began to doubt whether they still existed. But Ruby knew better than that, and she understood Peter's point. Evolved Class Ones were one thing, but it could be a sign that something more dangerous was to come, and it was best that they prepared for it now. Ruby could only hope it didn't involve Class Twos, or god forbid, actual Class Threes.
"The citizens may not worry much about the Grimm anymore, but I won't have any of you get away with thinking the same way. There's an arms race hidden in the current stalemate between humanity and the Grimm, and it's up to us Hunters to adapt to the changing situation. Erase whatever complacencies you may have with these monsters. We can't afford to underestimate the Grimm at any time. Always remember our mission as Hunters. In the end, no matter how long it takes, there can be no other outcome but victory."
"Yes, professor!" the students said in unison, with Ruby, Weiss, and Blake along with them.
"Very good! Now with that said, we still have five more wendigos available for today. Now that you've all seen that these creatures can be beaten, is there anyone else here willing to test their skills against them?"
There it was. Another opportunity to prove herself. Weiss defeated five wendigos despite knowing nothing about her targets, and with the benefit of hindsight, Ruby knew that she could easily do the same as well, even with only a speed boost to work with. Ruby strengthened her resolve. I can do this. I have to pass no matter what.
"Extra credit is still up for grabs, and always keep in mind that you all only have a month until the trials. You may want to consider getting as many practical lessons as you can. So are there any takers?"
"I volunteer." Blake said, standing up, and Peter gave his approval.
I'm too late again. Ruby's heart ached at the thought, and she could only smile to hide her disappointment.
The faunus wasted no time going down to the arena, and she unsheathed the jet black dustmetal weapon tucked behind her, right as the transparent shielding was reraised. Tendrils of shadow came out of her weapon as she transformed it into a black sniper rifle. Not as long as Crescent Rose, but definitely much bulkier, and hinting at a precise form of destruction. Small black wisps emanated from Blake's body as she released her Semblance, and sure enough her rifle's muzzle began to gather a dark light.
The metal door opened, and five wendigos once again came out of the metal chamber, their red eyes flashing at Blake. But they hesitated to attack – Ruby couldn't tell if they were intimidated by the dark light – and Blake took full advantage. She fired a powerful burst of light straight towards the Grimm. Two managed to dodge, but the other three were hit, and they fell to the ground dead before they could even bare their fangs, with large gaping holes in their chests.
No ammunition was spent. Blake was using her spiritual energy as bullets, proving that she had aura manipulation as her Semblance, and already Ruby could tell that Blake's weapon was a better sniper rifle than hers. Limited only by the strength of her Semblance, Blake could easily fit a variety of gunnery roles depending on the situation, and her destructive power wasn't to be underestimated.
The remaining pair of wendigos growled and charged forward, with one launching ferocious swipes at Blake while the other tried to attack from the rear or flanks, intent on not letting her gain distance to fire her shots. But as Blake dodged, she transformed her rifle into a naginata, with a large curved blade with wavy serrations at the back, and a circular guard that separated blade from shaft. It was a surprising thing to witness; at such close quarters, Blake lacked enough space to use her Semblance, but she appeared to be unfazed nonetheless, and fought off the Grimm with nothing but pure skill. The students were left in awe seeing her brawl without her Semblance.
Blake's fight lasted longer than Weiss's, but there was no denying her combat talent. A sweeping motion from her polearm decapitated one wendigo, and moments later she dismembered the last wendigo's arm and leg. The Grimm thrashed about violently on the floor as Blake backed off to gain distance. Turning her weapon once again into a rifle, the muzzle of Blake's gun once again began to glow and gather energy, and fired another powerful burst that finished the flailing wendigo off.
Another wave of claps erupted as Blake sheathed back her weapon, looking none the worse for wear.
"I see that you are more relieved this time. As you all should be." Peter's voice boomed once again throughout the lecture hall. "If any of you think that you have to be like Weiss to beat them, then keep in mind that Blake's Semblance isn't that rare, and she's a dustmetal wielder that fought in close combat without using her powers. No excuses for any of you to be afraid this time. If Blake can do it, then you most certainly can as well."
Blake went back to her seat, and opted not to wave to the crowd or anything of the sort. The cheering continued though, as the students responded well to Peter's speech, and they sounded more comfortable now that someone like them could defeat these wendigos. Ruby supposed that being humbled out of their biases and regaining their confidence was the main point of this entire exercise. It was an important lesson for a newbie to learn, and everyone would need it by the time the Hunter trials started.
"Good job there, Blake. Your gun's the main mode of your weapon, isn't it?" Ruby had been eyeing Blake's weapon throughout her fight, and she could no longer resist bringing it up. "It's well crafted, and it looks fully in sync with what your Semblance can do. Creating it must have been difficult."
"Forging dustmetal is always hard work," Blake said. "But yes, the rifle is its main mode, and that's why I named it Shadow Piercer. It's a practical name that fits what it does."
"Yup. Exactly what it says on the tin." It was a terse name, just like its owner, and Ruby found it all too fitting. "Sounds about right."
"Good work there," Weiss added. "Though you didn't have to finish that last one off with a charged laser. You could have saved your energy by hacking it to death instead. Did you overexert yourself?"
"I play to my strengths," Blake replied. "I'm good, don't worry. It's just natural to me, given that I can't use my Semblance at close quarters, just like how you defaulted to your freezing attack earlier. But I would have thought of something in case it backfired on me, just like you did. That's how it is with combat. We have to account for every possibility."
Weiss had a curious look. "Your combat skills are something else too, fighting without using Semblance like that. I don't think it's easy for one to fight like you did, even I would be hard pressed to do it. You must've had a teacher that taught you how to fight prior to coming here, didn't you? I wouldn't be surprised."
Blake went quiet for a bit, then shook her head. "I just learned how to fight by myself, like most other students here. I'm not rich enough to afford a private instructor. But you can count my ukulele and writing hobbies if you want."
"…is that so?"
"You don't believe me, do you?" Blake crossed her arms. "Are you always like this? What, you're going to doubt Ruby too when it's her turn to fight?"
"I didn't mean it like that…" Weiss's voice trailed off, and she made a face at Blake. "You're making me look bad here, you know?"
"Maybe, maybe not." Blake showed a small smile. "It's fine, I get what you're saying. We exceeded each other's expectations, that's all. Just don't underestimate me next time, ok? Don't make me pull a Yang on you."
"Yeah, I'll keep it in mind. We don't want another incident like that." Smiling back, Weiss then turned to Ruby. "I'm sure that you'll do great too Ruby, when your turn comes."
"She's right," Blake added. "Don't overthink it. Things will turn out just fine. If I can do it, so can you."
"Thanks," Ruby said.
The bell rang, and the students said their goodbyes to Peter as they left the room; meanwhile the professor once again summoned his assistants to clean up the Grimm mess. "Prepare for tomorrow, students!" he said. "Take time to review what we've discussed, and don't forget to bring your combat clothes, as there will be more time for practical combat. And I also expect to see more volunteers. Don't make me have to call you one by one!" The students replied accordingly; no one wanted to be voluntold.
"We'll go on ahead to our next class," Weiss said to Ruby as they finally got out of the lecture hall. "Yang should be here anytime now. We'll see you later."
The three girls said their goodbyes, and after which Ruby leaned on a wall with her arms crossed. I'll do great when my turn comes, huh? She appreciated their friendly advice, and tried to focus on the positive side, but she still felt that her first day in Beacon wasn't turning out as good as she hoped; it rankled that she couldn't find it in her to step up when it mattered. That should have been me that fought there, but for all my speed I'm still as slow as ever. Ruby sighed softly. Ice from Weiss, gunnery from Blake, and fire from Yang. I'm sure they'll do great in the trials. But as for me, at this rate…
"I take it that Weiss and Blake already left?" It was Yang, smiling as she approached – she was Ruby's classmate for World History, their next subject. Ruby waved back, but she didn't feel like moving from her spot just yet. "How was Grimm 101? Did you guys fight some wendigos too? I took them on myself, though they didn't amount to much. They burned like every other Grimm I've dealt with."
"I figured. Weiss and Blake got extra credit fighting them. But we only had time for two volunteers, and I missed my chance."
Yang raised an eyebrow. "You lost to Blake of all people at being an overeager student?" The way she carried her aurastone greatsword Embercleave across her shoulder was quite the sight. No longer in its black case, her sword was now wrapped in cloth much like her right arm, and their appearance plus her stride gave her somewhat of a delinquent look, while her uniform did its best to cover her full breasts; Ruby quickly got used to the sight. "Didn't you raise your hand the moment the professor asked for volunteers?"
"…not exactly."
"I see you got nervous. Yeah, that's normal for many new recruits. The Hunter tests are one thing, but I guess there's something about a classroom setting that gets to some people."
Two guys passed by them, and they were instantly taken by Yang's appearance, staring at her back. But they were shocked once they saw Yang's face as she turned to the sound of their footsteps, and they hurriedly walked away without saying a word.
Yang scratched her head. "What's with them? They haven't seen a greatsword before?"
That made Ruby wonder as well. Then she recalled what she and her roommates did yesterday after redecorating their room. She and Weiss stayed inside, while Blake and Yang went somewhere else. "Didn't you go to the training rooms last night?"
"Yeah, I did."
"How many guys did you beat up?"
"Hm, just how many did I…" Yang suddenly laughed. "Fine, fine. I get it now. But I didn't hurt them nearly as bad as they think, even though they were asking for it."
Ruby chuckled along. "I'm sure you had the right intentions."
"And I'm sure your heart was in the right place too." Yang then glanced at the bandages on her right arm and tightened it, as if it would unravel at any moment. Looking at Ruby, she showed a small smile. "Still thinking about that Grimm exercise? It's ok, you'll have your chance again. You'll pass as long as you don't overthink things."
"Well, I…"
"Weiss and Blake must have told you something along those lines, didn't they?" Ruby nodded, and Yang's smile widened. "They're right, you know. There's always another day to improve. And I think you have a lot more potential than those two dudes, let me tell you. You might bump straight into people, but don't tell me you'll lose to guys that trip on their own two feet trying to work together."
"Heh, I guess not. Thanks, Yang. I needed that." The levity of their conversation was the positive force Ruby needed. Her roommates made complete sense; it was better to fail now than at the Hunter trials, so all she could do now was ensure she did better next time, and make it a point to redeem herself once the opportunity arrived. Feeling a heavy weight fall off her shoulders, Ruby smiled back.
"No problem," Yang said. "Anything else we're waiting for? World History class is just at the end of the hallway."
Ruby shook her head as she stopped leaning on the wall. She could only hope that she wouldn't make too many of these mistakes moving forward, though. While she felt better, memories of her past once again came to mind, and it was an effort to keep herself calm and her head clear. I'm sorry about earlier. But I won't hesitate anymore, Cale. I promise. "We're good. Let's go."