Crowded
It was not long after the negotiation with her father had concluded that Weiss first thought of taking the public airshipfrom Atlas to Vale.
Of course there was some initial push back against the idea, primarily from her father and chief of security, but putting the slightly increased security risks aside, it did seem like the best option to aid in attaining her fathers requirements.
The flight selected was advertised to be a total of eighteen hours, almost double the time a direct flight from Atlas would take. However it also made a number of stops along the way to pick up more people from the various cities and towns along the route. Breaks were a necessity given her heavily bound wings, but much more importantly, they would also provide her with opportunities to acclimatize to being amongst the general populace.
Or as Klein had so aptly described, "get used to dealing with the normal folk." People who were not of noble upbringing and had not been trained in etiquette from the moment they could talk. Something Weiss did recognize was not a common practice amongst those outside of her usual social circle, and she would absolutely need to learn how to handle if she was to have any hope of becoming team leader as Jaques had demanded.
It was admittedly, one of the more worrisome requirements he had set for her. Not impossible by any stretch, she was a Schnee after all, but it did mean she would need to follow her fathers advice to a T.
Ensure success before failure even becomes an option.
Ensuring success in this context meant she had best be a primary candidate for leader before initiation even began, which brought her back full circle to her current plan. Take the public airship to Beacon, make friends along the way, and arrive at Beacon with a number of followers already in tow all but cementing her leaderstatus.
Flaws in this excellent plan however began to show the moment Weiss arrived at the Atlas public airship terminal. First having to dodge the flock of cameras that sat by the private entrance, then trying to make sense of the convoluted flight numbers, all before attempting to make it past the absolute droll woman at the front desk.
Not twenty minutes into her journey, and Weiss was beginning to see that there was in fact a reason for her fathers dislike of the common folk. Thus far, they had all been quite rude. Rude, and loud, and entitled, and constantly invading her personal space. Knocked into her as they forced their way past her, or touching her shoulder when asking for something, and that was just the people she faced getting to her seat.
The same seat that did little to provide any comfort or ability for her to sit back lest she crush her wings even more. It paired quite nicely with the little to no leg room provided, as well as the ship's cabin temperature that seemed to fluctuate between frigid and sweltering on a whim…
The flight was barely into its first leg, and Weiss was already thoroughly questioning what had ever possessed her to refuse taking the brilliantly climate controlled, entertainment rich, Schnee private airship. It was truly one of her worst decisions to date.
At least she hadn't had someone seated next to her for this early part of the journey. Though that was likely for the sake of the other party, as Weiss could practically feel her patience being worn down with each passing second.
I do, however, still worry you may end up like your sister. Influenced by your teammates. By those beneath you.
It was laughable really. About the only thing any of the people she had encountered thus far could possibly influence, was the splitting headache she was sure to develop over the course of this blasted flight.
Even after the first stopover in Mistral, giving her some much needed time to stretch and relax, she was still very sore, very irate and just about ready to tear into the next person who decided they were allowed to encroach on her space with no repercussions.
So when there came a small tap on her shoulder, her head snapped up to the owner with a burning retort on the tip of her tongue.
Blake
Call it superstition, but luck was not something Blake had ever felt she had a lot of.
Many thought this belief stemmed from her Faunus traits. Black cat ears were considered bad luck at one point in history, but frankly Blake had never put much stock in those kinds of myths.
No, the belief came from the simple fact that more often than not, her life tended to hit rock bottom long before it got any better.
Case and point, this fool hardy trip she was making to Beacon Academy, and the subsequent disaster that had come of it so far. Though admittedly, it had been a long time since Blake had been so thoroughly blindsided like this…
Long white hair pulled into an immaculate ponytail should have been the only clue needed to put the puzzle pieces together, and yet it wasn't until she found herself rooted in place behind her own seat, looking blankly at the side of Weiss Schnee's pristine face that the full realization of who she would be seated beside really hit.
And it hit hard.
Five months had passed since she last seen him, yet in that moment she could practically feel the familiar hand on her shoulder rooting her in place. The smell of gunpowder and leather tinging the air as her world narrowed down to the small patch of skin on the back of a Schnees defenseless neck.
His hot breath breezed by her ears, words, his words worming their way into her mind. Orders, demands, instructions, all telling her to sink her claws into the girl's throat, to strike her down as reparations for all the suffering her father had caused the Faunus, to shed blood in the name of the White Fa…
"Oi! Can ya please hurry it up, miss?"
Blake cringed as her ears, hidden beneath a large silk bow, tried in vain to turn towards the somewhat loud sound. The pain was new, but she was quite used to these sorts of confrontations, and her own body was already moving quickly to shift her weight onto the balls of her feet. Her claws beginning to slide out from her fingertips as an added precaution, while Blake herself turned with a sigh towards the aggressor, ready to face down yet another disgruntled human annoyed with her very existence.
Only to be greeted by tired brown eyes of the man behind her, and the closed ones of the small child he held sleeping on his shoulder.
"Sorry…" He quickly grunted, clearly reading her anger, despite quite visibly struggling with the added child weight. "Just can't hold her much longer…"
Shame instantly doused the momentary spike of adrenaline like a bucket of ice water, as the reality of what she had been about to do fully hit her. The fathers words thankfully killing the train of thought she had been careening down and allowing Blake to mentally slap herself out of the spiral she had almost fallen back into.
Or at the very least, enough to silently retract her claws and hastily sat down in the closest empty seat to avoid making any more of a scene than she had already caused. Muttering a small "Sorry…" as the father passed by, despite him likely having no idea what had even just occurred.
Roiling frustration in her own actions still festered just below her skin, the emotion quite palpable as she shoved the only bag she had ever owned under the seat in front of her, before allowing her mind to wander a little. Taking the much needed steps to calm and ground herself once more. Take her away from his world, and bring herself fully back to reality. Even if that reality had her potentially sitting next to the single most problematic person on the entire flight.
Blake was keenly aware how woefully unprepared she was to be practically face to face with one of the prime targets of her former allies. Dealing with the loss of the only family she had known for years was one thing, but this? It was an entirely different level of exposure treatment, a confrontation so beyond normality, even a dreamer such as herself never even considered it a remote possibility.
What was the old Menagerie saying again? Reality is often stranger than fiction…
Maybe she could stay in this seat the entire flight… or maybe pretend the white haired Heiress was someone else entirely. Both at the very least, limit exposure and the chance of her falling back down the same mental pitfall she had earlier.
Yet, despite knowing this, as the rest of the passengers continued to board, time and time again Blake felt her eyes perpetually drawn back over towards the Schnee just down the aisle.
Blake hated the saying with a passion, but she was quite curious. What was someone like Weiss Schnee even doing on a public flight? Was this some sort of publicity stunt? Or did the fates just have a sick sense of humor?
Because it really was just too perfect to not have been planned. Having a former terrorist, sitting beside the daughter of her previous organizations most hated CEO? Blake had read a lot of questionable literature in recent years, with a rarefied smorgasbord of terrible setups, yet somehow this almost seemed worse. Really the only parts of this entire situation that made even a lick of sense, was that based on her currently quite restless behavior, Weiss was clearly not used to flying coach.
No, restless was not quite the right word here. She seemed much more on edge. Like she was worried about something. Her ramrod straight back, eyes constantly scanning the other passengers in the vicinity, adjusting her seat or her place in it, hands wringing themselves ragged in her lap. Blake knew the signs all too well.
"… hi… sorry… excuse me? Miss?"
The very tired and timid voice beside her, quickly bringing Blake right back down to Remnant as she turned to take in the smaller girl who stood beside her.
Dark circles highlighting silver eyes framed by black hair, tipped with red, that matched the large red cape and hood she wore. Clearly a first time flier as well if the way the girl fidgeting with her sleeve as she held out a ticket for Blake to see was anything to go by.
The seat number on it clearly corresponding with the seat she currently sat in.
"I think you're in my seat…"
Luck. As usual it was not with her today.
Sighing briefly, Blake nodded and stood, grabbing her bag and beginning to move slowly down the aisle. There was simply no point in delaying what the universe clearly wanted her to do.
Her hand shook ever so slightly as she slowly made her way down the three rows towards Weiss. Despite knowing full well she could be completely different from what the White Fang claimed, and that there was absolutely no way she knew who Blake was or what she used to do, or maidens above, that she had even existed up until this point. There was still a small part of her that was completely convinced, there was no world in which this encounter ended well…
Taking a deep breath, pulling out her ticket to confirm the seat, Blake bit the bullet and tapped the Heiress on her shoulder.
"Touch me again and I swear…
The furious pale blue eyes that locked onto her own, and scalding remark that died instantly upon seeing the ticket held in her hand were somewhat close to the reception Blake had expected. The sudden rush to exit her seat and allow Blake into her own? Quite a bit less so.
Smoothly sliding past her, Blake tucked her bag under the seat in front of her once more, rummaging around in it for one of her books while simultaneously watching out of the corner of her eye as Weiss sat back down beside her, taking a second to smooth out her clothing creases with a practiced form, before nervously glancing over at Blake herself.
"I apologize for snapping at you." She quickly stated. The words sounding a bit stiff and formal to Blake's ears. Like they had been rehearsed so many times they no longer held any actual meaning. "That was quite rude, and unbecoming of me."
Blake made sure to nod in time with her apology, more to show she was listening than anything else as she pulled a very well worn book from her bag. Cracked it open to one of a half dozen marked pages.
It was a bit surprising how considerate Weiss was, Schnees were known for many things, but in recent memory, kindness was not among them. But then she also had no idea Blake was a Faunus, so maybe it would have been worse if she had her bow off…
"It's fine." Blake found herself responding, flipping a page as she spoke to fully indicate to her seatmate how little she cared. "Nothing you need to worry about anyways."
A small huff escaping the Heiress as she not so silently berated herself, giving time for a small pause in the conversation as Blake did what she preferred to do when in strange situations like this one. Relax, read and think.
Reading was meditative in a way, the world of books was always so much cleaner than the real world. They always seemed to make sense, and didn't get bogged down often by dozens of morally gray areas. Providing escape from her reality, but just as often allowed her time to really sort through her thoughts.
Relaxation however was harder to come by. Especially when she had caught Weiss sneaking glances at the book she was "reading" nearly a dozen times since take off. The book was an old favorite, and at this point, so worn down that even Blake struggled to read some of the pages. So there was simply no way Weiss would even be able to make out the title in the dim cabin lighting, which given some of the contents of this specific literature piece, may well be a good thing.
Though it wasn't like Blake was really reading much either. Not even twenty minutes into the flight, and she was already being forced to listen to the many different sounds of annoyance and discomfort the heiresses could make, as she struggled to find any sort of comfortable position in her seat. Her back was clearly an issue given how it seemed to inhibit even sitting back in the seats, something Blake could almost sympathize with, given the number of times she had heard some of her Faunus friends complain about them.
Maybe she should offer her one of the other books in her bag... Give her something to do for the rest of the flight instead of…whatever this was…
A part of Blake stoutly rebelled at the idea of doing anything for a Schnee aside from watching her suffer. But that was the part he had nurtured. The hurt, and angry shadow he had wanted her to be, that she had been.
The part she was trying so hard to leave in her past…
"I have a few other books if you want something to read…"
The soft words seemed to register given the sudden stillness in her movements, though Blake found herself at a bit of an impasse when the Heiress did not respond at all, and instead immediately looked away, her cheeks tinging red from what she likely saw as being caught red handed.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about." Blake tentatively continued, glazing over at the Heiress for any indicators she was going to speak. "I was quite unprepared for the boredom the first time I took a ship. It's one of the reasons I started reading honestly."
"Stupid…What would fathert think of this behavior…" Weiss spoke suspiciously quietly, almost too quiet for even Blake to hear it. Letting out a breath, scowling at her clasped hand before squeezing them together in her lap.
"I am not embarrassed." She replied much more forcefully this time. "I simply should have better control of myself. You have my apologies for the intrusion."
"No apologies needed Heiress." Blake rolled her eyes at the overly formal speech, holding up the almost illegible book cover. "You're bored. And given how many times I've seen you trying to read over my shoulder now, probably a little curious."
It took only a fraction of a second for Blake to realize her mistake. The narrowing of Weisses eyes as she honed in on the single word that told her leagues more than originally intended.
"You know who I am…" Weiss leaned back in her seat with an exasperated sigh, before a small pained hiss escaped her. "However, I do not believe I have ever made your acquaintance before."
If there was one thing the media got right, it was her perceptiveness. One slip up, and Weiss had her number, though Blake was fairly certain thus far she hadn't revealed anything noteworthy. But pushing things might not be the safest idea either, given how easily Weiss seemed to make connections…
But then when had she ever gotten anywhere by doing what was safe… and she was curious…
Maybe just a bit of light probing then…
"You haven't." Blake nodded in agreement, a bit of a self defeating chuckle escaping as thoughts from earlier came flooding back to her. "Not directly anyways. Honestly I feel a bit like the fates are laughing at me right now."
"Oh?" She could see the curiosity in Weiss's raised brow at her oddly cryptic response. Her posture straightened as a bit of tension visibly flared through her.
Clearly she didn't like how ominous Blake had made it sound. Granted given her family history, she had every right to be a bit paranoid.
"Let me guess." Weiss narrowed her eyes dangerously. "You're a stalker and have a huge crush on me? We were destined to meet on this flight?"
Blake couldn't help the small scuffed laugh that escaped her at Weiss's.
"You make it sound like one of my novels. No, nothing quite so dramatic…" Blake paused, letting a bit of the tension ebe from Weiss as she took a few seconds to decide how much she wanted to reveal. "But I do know who you are from my previous work. Weiss Schnee. Heiress to the quite notorious Schnee Dust Company."
There was a very soft but distinct sound of something brushing the inside of Weisses jacket as she bristled, coupled with a definitive flicker of irritation that crossed her face as Blake spoke. Clearly she had hit a bit of a sore spot with that description, or at least something akin to one. Maybe she really was just as blindly loyal to her family as Blake had been taught…
"Daughter of Jaques Schnee." Blake quickly followed up, rattling off the facts with what she knew was a high level of certainty in her voice. She was practically begging to get a reaction out of Weiss at this point and she knew it. "The single most damaging individual to Mantel and the Faunus since the great war."
"You forgot to mention the SDCs two slightly controversial financial partners and the mine's Faunus majority labor force." Weiss bit back, rolling her eyes at her as she seemed to relax a bit. "You reporters are all the same. Go back to your books. You're not getting a reaction with those pathetic attempts. I've heard it all, and much much worse."
Blake was not quite sure what reaction she had expected from her comments, but that was certainly not it. The Heiress had a lot more spine than the media gave her credit for…
"I also saw on the news this morning your company is currently facing yet another scandal." Blake continued, turning her narrowed amber eyes on Weiss fully, as watching her continue to roll her own. "Something about the newest dust mine expansion, and Faunus workers concerned for their safety? Yet you're here, headed to Vale instead of helping your father mop up a rerified PR disaster."
"Beacon. Not Vale." Weiss corrected immediately, crossing her arms fully as she narrowed her gaze on Blake. Clearly taking her in fully, commiting her to memory. "And I suppose there is only so much one can learn about someone from only watching the news. Speaking of, are you new to this job? Reporting? I have yet to hear your name or company. Most would have listed it at least three times by now for the recording."
"It's Blake. No last name. No company." Blake was finding herself quite amused by the progressively more aggressive eye rolls Weiss was giving her. "I'm also headed to Beacon."
That at least seemed to catch Weiss a bit more off guard as she openly coughed, visibly shocked by the revelation.
"Wait… You're a student?!"
"First year. Yes." Blake nodded, her head tilting slightly as she took in Weiss briefly, before picking her book back up and flipping to her marked page. "But you're also right. It would be quite hypocritical of me to judge you for trying to follow your own path when all I know about you is from the news. I'll wait and see if you're more of a princess or protector during initiation."
She could practically see the inner thoughts of Weiss as she mentally tore through Blakes last statement. In a way it was oddly cathartic to see her own words so thoroughly examined and torn asunder.
"Princess!?" Weiss all but shrieked, earning her several dirty looks from the people round her. "Just who do you thin…"
Woosh
A small gust of wind and a flurry of rose petals scattering through the cabin, as a familiar young red haired girl appeared right in the aisle beside Weiss, silencing her immediately.
"Sorry…" she mumbled sleepily, her eyes barely staying open as she swayed with the ship's movement. "You're being too loud…"
"And you" A finger pointing towards Blake as well "Stop poking fun at her… I'm sure you both will get along. Please don't fight…"
If looks could kill, Blake was fairly certain the red haired woman would have been a pile of ashes from the withering look Weiss painted her with. Yet even as she left, walking back to her seat, eyes seemingly closed once more as she tucked herself back into her own seat, Blake was already pulling another book out from her bag, and quietly placing it on Weiss's lap.
It took a few minutes for everything to calm back down fully, and Blake was fairly certain Weiss would remember her for this, but all the same, she couldn't help but smile when she heard the first tell tale signs of a book cover being turned, and Weiss's delicate fingers running down the paper.
All before an even softer "Thank you…" reached her other ears. It was a thank you not meant for her to have heard, but Blake smiled all the same at receiving it.
Failure
Exiting the Beacon airship terminal, there was really only one thing on Weiss's mind; the fact her father had been absolutely right about her taking the public airships.
There were very few things in this world she hated more than when Jaques was right, and sadly this time was no exception. The seats, the people, the very air itself, all of it culminating in a cesspool of discomfort that had Weiss quite thoroughly convinced to never travel coach ever again. Really it was a bloody miracle she could even stand after all that straight back sitting. Her wings had thankfully gone numb after an hour of extra tight binding, which was likely the only reason she hadn't been reduced to a wimping mess during the flight.
Well that and her boredom being curbed with some help from her seat mate, Blake, and a rather interesting novel she had quite literally dropped on her. The Seventh Sword, a tale of a Faunus warrior chosen to be a goddesses champion. It was the first piece of Faunus written literature she had ever consumed, and despite the many technical errors was quite riveting and well written.
Perhaps she could ask Blake for the second book in the series at some point. She hadn't made even a single acquaintance the whole trip otherwise, though even calling her that felt a bit presumptuous given the verbal sparring they had partook in…
But that was all behind her now. She was finally free from the torment, breathing the deliciously fresh air of Vale in somewhat stilted breaths, while gazing up at the gorgeous campus that would be her home away from home for the next four years.
All the pictures in the world didn't do Beacon Academy Justice in her mind. It was simply magical in a way that defied explanation. Every single pane of glass sparkled in the late afternoon sun, visibly impossible stone work clung to almost nothing but air, each and every corner impeccable and clean even by her own standards. It made the Schnee manor look small and dull by comparison.
A small bubble of joy worming its way into Weiss's mind as she took the first steps towards her future. The other passengers swarming past her in waves while she took her time, stretching her vision even further than normal, examining all the beautiful and sparkling decorations that littered the area. Trying to soak in as much detail as possible, like the carvings in the pointed spires, the clockwork theme that cling to the upper tower, the gleaming well honed edge of a large curved blade headed straight for her head…
"GAH!" Weiss barely ducked beneath the swaying blade, before immediately summoning a gravity glyph, freezing the massive metal implement in place with its owner still attached. It was almost poetic to see the same red haired girl who had embarrassed her on the flight, wide eyed and glancing between a much taller blonde girl and Weiss herself.
"What in Remnant do you think you're doing?!" Weiss all but screamed, carefully placing her cases on the ground as she stalked towards the duo. Her wings burning from the sudden awkward movement, the irritation from the last ten hours of her life primed and ready to be unloaded on the culprit. "Do you have even the slightest idea how dangerous it is to deploy a weapon like that in a crowded area?!"
"I am really really sorry!" The smaller girl panicked, glancing towards her blonde haired friend, who simply crossed her arms and shook her head sadly. "I just got a bit excited seeing the campus, and I was totally not thinking, and now I'm rambli…"
She petered off in the face of Weiss's cold fury.
"Refold it." Weiss motioned towards the offending device. A large red scythe by the looks of it. "Now."
It took half a second for the girl to convert it to a much more compact form, the blade retracting entirely as Weiss let her glyph fade and the red metal box dropped to the ground with an incredibly loud thump. The young girl immediately darting forwards and picking it up as if it weighed nothing, before storing it behind her rather large red cloak.
"Good, you can follow orders." Weiss turned on her with cold rage in her eyes, "What's your name?"
The smaller girl glanced back at her much taller friend once more before shrugging and answering.
"Uhhh… Ruby?"
Ruby. As in red. Like her cape. And hair. And weapon…
Weiss almost felt her eyes roll at how on the nose her name and color scheme was, right up until she remembered how much white she wore.
"Alright Ruby, let me make myself very clear." Weiss could see the blonde girl eyeing her as she scolded her friend. "Watch where you're swinging that oversized gardening tool next time, or I will reduce it to nothing but a melted pile of scrap!"
"It's not a gardening tool though… it's a scythe!"
This time Weiss did feel her hand connect with her forehead. Maidens help her if the rest of the student body was like this…
"Ohhhh K, bit harsh there white…"
Glancing over at the new voice, Weiss could see the blonde girl stepping forwards, putting her arms up between the two of them as she casually sauntered forwards, a big smile gracing her face the whole time. Yet despite the friendly demeanor, Weiss felt herself take a small step back, putting enough distance between the two of them that she could easily retaliate or run if need be.
"Seems like you two just got off on the wrong foot." Blondie continued, clasping her hands behind her head as she nodded towards Ruby. "Maybe give my baby sis a second chance?"
Sisters? They certainly didn't look it. Up close blondie was a lot bigger than her sister. Easily a full head taller and built like a brick wall, though what really hit Weiss was how she carried herself. Not an ounce of insecurity, walking so easily into the situation with a level of assurance that she had only seen in her own sister and other seasoned veterans display.
It made sense why she had moved away now. She failed to pick up on it initially, but those intrusive instincts inside her recognized a momma bear when it saw one.
"No Yang, she's right. I shouldn't have been so reckless." Ruby quickly grabbed her sister's arm, pulling her back. "There are civilians and campus staff around. People with no aura. It was pretty dumb of me not to think of them…"
"Precisely" Weiss quickly nodded, crossing her arms. "And it's Weiss. Not White."
Yang to her credit didn't even look phased by the tables being turned so quickly, glancing down at her sister before shrugging and holding out a hand for Weiss to shake.
"Yang. And this is my sister Ruby." She stated, locking Weisses hand in with a crushing grip, all but drilling her lavender eyes into Weiss for a solid second more than was needed.
"Hello!…. Again…" Ruby quickly waved from beside her sister. Swaying back and forth on her heels at the slightly awkward silence the three of them had found themselves in.
"Would all first year prospects please make their way to the main atrium for briefing. I repeat. Would all first year prospects please make their way to the main atrium for briefing"
The announcement, while expected, seemed to kick almost everyone around her into high gear, prompting Weiss to stop reconsidering her transfer, and instead quickly walking back and retrieving her two dropped cases, leaving the two sisters behind as they called out their goodbyes.
Weiss could only hope that would be the last time they ever interacted as she followed behind a smallish group of prospects, breathing a bit hard as they hurried towards what she could only assume was the main atrium. Quietly chastising herself the entire time for giving into her instincts once more. Really the incident with Ruby was partially her own fault for letting the animal inside her run rampant like that. Getting excited by shiny sights was for children and animals. Neither of which she was.
I don't want you to be influenced by your teammates. By those beneath you.
This was the third time in one day she had lost control… Maybe there was something to her father's worry after all…
Thirty three. That was the number of potential first year students Weiss was currently surrounded by. All crammed into a large atrium that Glynda Goodwitch, one of the many first years instructors, had referred to as The Barn.
Charming. Really.
Of course Weiss had packed accordingly. Bed roll and everything needed for an extended stay out in the wilderness. The bathrooms provided more than enough privacy to change so her wings wouldn't necessarily be a problem, the harness went smoothly under her sleep wear, but all the same, it was thirty three more people than she was ever used to being around when trying to sleep.
Thirty one humans, and two faunus to be exact. Though both of the faunus seemed to be less open about their heritage than when they arrived. Currently hiding their traits with relative success as they got ready for bed. A smart move in Wiess's opinion, given the large buffoon who she had seen yanking one of their tails during the opening ceremony.
It wouldn't be good for either of them to be singled out this early. Or to be found out when they didn't want to be. To be ridiculed and shunned. Ostracized by the entire student body. By their families. They might even be forced to leave if things got too bad. Their entire lives ruined by a single person finding out their secret…
Pressing her face into her pillow, Weiss willed her breathing to slow as her thoughts began to speed up. Now was not the time for her to worry about what if's. She had taken every precaution she could, and after the abysmal trip over, she really had to get some rest. Tomorrow was the initiation and she needed to make a good first impr…
"I love books."
The familiar voice nearby caught her attention, her head instinctively turning so she could narrow in on the sound.
There. About ten feet away. Right near the wall, the red haired girl who had nearly decapitated her earlier that evening. Ruby? Wasn't it? And her blonde friend. Both were standing by, and seemed to be trying to talk with a very familiar bow wearing figure.
Blake. Thankfully not reading from the same questionable book she had on the flight. Though much like all her possessions, it had definitely seen some quite heavy use.
"Yang used to read to me every night before bed." Ruby continued, sounding ever so earnest. "Stories of heroes and monsters. They're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."
Weiss made sure to filed that information under Pointless, listening closely when she heard Blake give a soft chuckle, marking the book's page with a familiar motion. "Oh really? Hoping you will live happily ever after?"
Ruby to her credit, didn't appear even fazed by the very obvious sarcasm in Blake's voice. Shrugging as she smiled. "I'm hoping we all will. I always wanted to be like one of the heroes in those books. Someone who fought for what is right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves."
"That's very ambitious for someone so young." Blake nodded, though Weiss could see the sad strain that flashed across her face. "Unfortunately the real word is not like fairy tales. The monsters are not always the evil ones, and the heroes don't always win."
"I'm not a child! I know that!" Ruby snapped. A flash of anger crossing her face before Yang placed a hand on her shoulder. The motion so familiar, the scene so similar to Weiss and Winter it left zero doubt in Weiss's mind that the two were family.
The familiar feeling of loneliness pressing into her chest as she watched a silent conversation happen in a single glance between them. Yang's hand tightening slightly, probably in support as Ruby took a deep breath, and allowed a small sad smile to replace the anger.
"We know that the heroes don't always make it back home." Ruby almost whispered. "But that's why we are all here isn't it? Despite the risk, we all want to try and make the world a better place."
It felt like Ruby had just punched her in the gut. Flipping away from the three girls, poignant ignoring the rest of the conversation as she fruitlessly tried to calm her racing heart. Her eyes finally closed for real once the remaining lights were extinguished a few minutes later.
Wiess couldn't help the smile that crept across her face as the platform beneath her activated, flinging her off the cliff side, and high up into the sky above the Emerald forest with incredible speed and force.
Her wings felt like they were practically trying to tear themselves off her back, the wind battered her eyes with enough force to make them water, as she instinctively shifted her body to control her flight path. It was barbaric, animalistic even, and yet, it felt so SO right to cut through the air like this.
Reaching the apex of her arc and beginning her descent towards the trees, she let herself fall with all the cares of . Speed only increasing as she dove head first towards the forest below.
A golden blur blasting overhead with a joyous whoop as Weiss flipped around, Mythrester drawn and ready as her feet struck a small glyph right below her. A series of glyphs springing into existence as Weiss expertly deflected her downward momentum glyph by glyph until with a small hop her boots touched the soft ground of the forest floor.
Taking a brief moment to allow the adrenalin to settle, and her mind to reel back in the more unsavory parts of herself, Weiss took out her scroll. Opened one of the many navigation apps, and her examined her utterly unremarkable surroundings. Of course she knew instinctively which direction to head in, but in all likelihood she was being watched. Had to put on a performance for the professors.
It also helped to get her twitching wings back under control. The rush of her launch was still fresh in her mind, marking this as the third time in two days she had let her control slip. If her father had seen how badly she was handling things so fa…
The sounds of heavy boots rushing through undergrowth immediately pulling her from the spiral of thoughts, as she put her scroll away, and turned towards the source of the noise, weapon at the ready.
A flash of red was the only warning she got before she was staring fully into the silver eyes of a certain red haired disaster waiting to happen.
The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years.
Thirty three people in this forest, and somehow she had been found by the single biggest hazard to her health since arriving at Beacon. Even her sister would have probably been a better choice, but no instead she had to get stuck with small, awkward, and…
We know that the heroes don't always make it back home. But that's why we are all here isn't it? Despite the risk, we all want to try and make the world a better place.
Genuine.
A deep sigh emanated from her as Ruby quickly perked up. An extremely hopeful smile on her face.
"Alright Ruby." Weiss couldn't help from rolling her eyes at the utter happiness that Ruby displayed. "Tell me you can do more than almost kill me with that oversized garden tool of yours…"
"She. Is. A. Scythe!"
It was an insane plan. Absolutely, certifiably insane, and yet even as Weiss launched herself past Yang, ice dust trailing from her rapier, wings screamed in their bindings, she found herself smiling.
Why was she smiling?
The day had been an utter mess. A total failure by her fathers standards. Her aura was barely above yellow, Ruby had spent most of the day trying to show off and almost getting killed for it, treading a line between genius and childish that Weiss had not thought possible. Her sister Yang just moments ago leaped into the Nevermores maw to deliver several shotgun blasts of fire directly to its throat. Even Blake, who Weiss had thought was likely the most level headed of the trio, was currently buying completely into the madness that Ruby had concocted…
So why was she smiling?
Sprinting into position between two pillars, Blake threw her weapon and ribbon across the opening to Yang, pulling it taunt just in time for Ruby to launch herself up a second later, landing perfectly on the ribbon, scythe at the ready.
Weiss seeing her que, generating a gravity glyph and pulling her back on what was now the world's largest slingshot.
"Of course you would come up with this plan…" Weiss muttered, fine tuning her aim as the red tipped girl settled into position.
"Think you can make the shot?"
"Hmp" Weiss felt herself smirk at the question, her eyes narrowing as she put all of her excellent eyesight to full use. "Can I…"
A heart beat of silence passing before Ruby's very concerned eyes were on her again. "Can yo…"
"Of course I can!"
Why? Why on Remnant, was she smiling?
The sound of a bolt racking was the only indicator Weiss needed to know that Ruby was ready. Trusting her fully despite only knowing the Heiress for a day.
The glyph slowly turning red, before with a perfect sweep of her rapier, Weiss infused the last of her fire dust into the glyph, and sent her teammate rocketing towards the Grimm.
Several dust rounds impacted the ground behind Weiss as Ruby accelerated herself even more. Rose petals scattered behind her as she activated her semblance, becoming nothing but a red streak that slammed into the Nevermores neck with enough force to pin the enormous creature to the cliff face.
A line of glyphs appearing under Ruby's feet the instant she impacted, Weiss easily redirected the red reaper's momentum upwards, allowing her to pull the creature by its neck up towards the apex of the cliff.
It was almost beautiful in its absolute insanity. Ruby's own weapon firing like mad as she dragged the Grimm upwards. Even from this distance Weiss could see she was in pain, could practically hear her feral scream as she pushed herself past any and all limits. Until finally at the apex of the cliff, with a sickening loud crunch, the Nevermores wings caught the rocky edge, finally allowing Ruby to put her built momentum to full use, ripping the scythe through its neck and dragging the head clean off. The poor girl landing with more than enough force to break her aura at the cliff top.
The ruins were almost too quiet without the screeching of Deathstalkers, and sounds of combat. Just open air, and footfalls of the rest of her team gathering beside her, watching as the enormous body of the Nevermore fell back from the cliff, slowly dissolving into black smoke that mingled with the flurry of petals left in Rubys wake. The wind and air currents around the ruins slowly floating it all away into the evening sky.
It was easily one of the most beautiful things Weiss had ever seen.
"So…" Yang slowly walking up with Blake in tow. "That was a thing."
Despite the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was wrong, and the burning pain of her strapped down wings, Weiss couldn't find it in herself to even try and correct the horrendous understatement. It seemed far too petty for such a pretty moment.
So instead she did something she rarely did, and simply remained silent. Only nodding her agreement as a strange warm feeling filled her chest watching the smoke and petals slowly floated away into the sky.
"and finally, Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, and Ruby Rose."
The applause was thunderous as Headmaster Ozpin gestured towards where Weiss and her team stood on the auditorium's stage along with the rest of the other twelve passing initiates. Stage lighting quickly flicking over each one of them, as on the large screen a reply of their ridiculous Nevermore kill was played. Maybe she should send it to her father, though now that she thought about it, he would probably scold her for not getting the killing blow.
No matter though, the fact she had passed initiation was more than enough to keep him satisfied for now. It was after all an accomplishment in itself, as with her team included, the total number of students that had passed the initiation was only sixteen. Only forty eight percent of the initial prospects, with the rest being sent home after the ceremony.
By comparison, Atlas had an initiation pass rate of about ninety percent from what Winter had told her. The school focused much more on quantity, than individual quality, which made sense given the military and academy were intertwined.
The flip side of this though, was each one of the passing students here at Beacon was undoubtedly skilled, and capable of being a top tier huntsman or huntress. Each team, likely capable of becoming a powerhouse if they put in the effort and training needed to reach that level. It was hardly going to be a cake walk to maintain top three standing as her father had required of her.
"The four of you recovered the white knight pieces." Ozpin continued. His monotone voice managing to make the announcement sound almost mundane, despite the cheering from the rest of the student body. "And from this day forward will work together as team RWBY. Lead by, Ruby Rose."
Oh.
Weiss felt herself go pale as the realization hit. The worry from earlier coming back in full force as the reality of the situation fully hit her. Barely registering Yang as she rushed past her to hug her sister.
Of course she hadn't been selected as leader. Ruby had made all the plans. Ruby had all the ideas. And despite her age, and childish antics, had been a voice of reason when the chips were down. She showcased during initiation quite thoroughly why she deserved to be leader.
Weiss had not. She had followed Ruby's plans and suggestions perfectly. Even backing her up both vocally and in the execution of said plans. She had showcased herself to be an excellent teammate. Not a leader.
Which meant she had failed to uphold her end of her agreement with her father.
And she would be headed back home the moment he found out.
He tended to hold wins like this over her head for a long while, a fact made all the more frustrating by the simple reality that he was right more often than not. Because of course he was. He was smart, calculated, experienced, and most of all, ruthless. He didn't become the CEO of the largest Dust production company in the world by luck.