Here is the thirteenth chapter in this series released in keeping with my self-imposed upload schedule for this series. Things aren't looking good for the Huntresses in the class after Grimm Studies but one received the advice she needed but can she act on it right away? Time to find out. That is all the administrative stuff I have and while there are no questions that need answers but there is a guest review that deserves a response which I will do now. Do keep the reviews and PMs coming as I always like hearing how much y'all are enjoying my work.
To Guest (guest), thank you for your review and continued support. Yeah it made more sense to have Port give all the advice as Ozpin isn't teacher at U.A. in this story and he got to see what Asta's power does to Grimm and the level of game changing it can be. Erasure won't work on them however but if they find whoever made them then perhaps the scourge that is Grimm can be ended for good. As for Princia Funnybunny, yes she is an actual character in the Black Clover universe set to make her debut at the end of March in the Black Clover film though that is just her name directly translated from Japanese I believe as it might be slightly altered whenever the film gets a dub. As a character in an anime film her canon standing is unknown at the moment I believe as for the most part anime films aren't considered canon though as we've seen with part the MHA manga the very first film has been at least partially canonized so who knows especially as the film is going to be set during the 6 month time skip before the Spade invasion and will be entirely self-contained. Princia is one of the 4 former Wizard Kings to be revealed for the film and the oldest of them having been the 11th (how she appears I don't know as she should be long dead but I'm presuming time travel is a core concept of the film) along with the 16th, 20th, and 27th Wizard Kings who will be in the film with the last one, Julius's predecessor, appearing to be the film's antagonist and from what little I've gathered Princia is likely a secondary antagonist. She's also the first woman confirmed to hold the title though it's not been said if she went by Wizard Queen or not so I am going under the assumption no on that front and that she was the strongest Wizard King in terms of martial prowess in history which makes sense as she carries a sword and wears a military style uniform. It's because if this as to why I think her name is as it is but yes, I was surprised by her name when it was revealed. Anyway, hope that clears up who she is and as she is one of the few known Wizard Kings with a name she will be considered canon in this story along with the others though of course as there is only 200 and not 500 years of history due to MHA's canon nature Julius is not the 28th Wizard King, rather the 12th Wizard King in this story based on the rough average length of tenure for a Wizard King based on Black Clover's canon (18.5 years) and scaled down.
Anyway, that is it for this pre-chapter note which means that it is time to sit back and enjoy the thirteenth chapter in Black RWBY Academia.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these three great franchises.
Chapter 13: Apologies and Amends
Weiss hurried back to the classroom as the sun began to set over U.A. hoping that she'd be able to find who she needed to find in time. She'd just had reality slap her in the face, perhaps more than once during that conversation, and she'd realized that she'd really gone too far earlier in Grimm Studies. This was thanks to words of advice from her teacher and now she knew what she had to do. She just hoped that she wasn't too late.
It hadn't helped that she'd lost time getting said needed advice and then changing back into her school uniform as she'd been in her Huntress outfit at the time. As such she'd been forced to forgo a shower, which was a small price to pay for what she needed to do, and was now running back to the classroom to try and find Rose.
Weiss had behaved horribly to her fellow Huntress track student and needed to make amends for it so that she could at least try to begin to heal their relationship as they'd need it if they were going to work better together going forward. After all, they were the only Huntress track students in the class right now so they had to be able to work together.
Hopefully Weiss was able to catch Rose for what she needed to do. However, she also had to return her costume case which might delay here though as Grimm Studies had been a lecture as well, she did at least have her bag on her so it wouldn't be too much of a delay.
Fortunately for Weiss, fate was on her side today as she rounded the corned and saw a small figure in a girls uniform with short black hair that had what had to be natural red tips and a red and black backpack over her shoulders leaving the classroom. Rose was leaving and Weiss didn't want to miss her, so she called out.
"Rose wait up!"
Ruby was deep in thought after Grimm Studies and the words of support that she'd gotten from Professor Port. She'd been chewed out by Schnee after the class, she may have been a bit too helpful and it probably came off as condescending or annoying, not to mention possibly distracting during combat with a Grimm, but she was just trying to help out. She was still dealing with her feelings around how she got into U.A. and how she'd been doing since the start of the semester in relation to the rest of the class, so Schnee's words hadn't helped her at all.
Sure, she'd done well in the Quirk assessment test in coming 5th, though the other two recommended students in her class were top 2 which didn't help, but she'd lost in the battle trial and been knocked out because of her own recklessness, and it had cost Schnee the trial as well because they'd been a team for it. Then there had been today in Grimm Studies and Weiss's words afterwards and all the feelings of insecurity that Ruby had had regarding being a recommended student had come back to her with a vengeance.
Professor Port's words had helped, and she'd resolved to do better which was why she'd stayed a little longer after class in their homeroom to make a few notes from Professor Port's lecture that she remembered and write down her thoughts on what Asta had shown about the possible nature of Grimm. That had been a shock, but she couldn't address it right now as she'd done some extra work to make sure she was ahead of things for their next Grimm Studies class, as well as their other hero classes.
Thankfully Schnee hadn't returned and most of the class had either left be it for home or in Asta and Nero's case work for the school as part of their enrollment, so Ruby had been left alone to work a little and think on things. She wanted to get on better terms with Schnee, but she didn't know what to do to achieve that given Schnee's perception of her. Silva had been pretty icy as well at the start, not that Ruby had interacted with her much, but after the battle trial and Asta's help she seemed to be thawing out a little so maybe Weiss would in time.
Unfortunately, Ruby felt like that that would probably take a while so she resigned herself to that and decided to focus on being the best Huntress that she could be to show Schnee and the others that she was worthy of being her, of being one of the few recommended students. If that meant staying a little later each day to review what she needed to do as a Huntress be it Grimm Studies, Huntsmen regulations that differed from the other branches, or worked on improving the efficiency of Crescent Rose she would do it.
Besides, with Yang and Blake working after school most days due to their work study for the Beacon Agency this worked out best as she'd just be home alone otherwise with too many distractions from her work. Still, she'd not stayed too long as she did want to get back before Yang and Blake did so as to not worry them.
Of course, fate wasn't on her side today it seemed because as soon as she decided to leave, she heard it. She was just heading down the corridor to the front exit when Schnee called out to her to wait up. Apparently the girl hadn't left yet either and Ruby had no idea what she wanted from her this time but she doubted it was good. As such Ruby decided to ignore her and let things cool off before she tried to engage Weiss Schnee again, so she just kept on walking.
"Hey, Rose, wait up I want to talk to you." Weiss called out again stunned that Rose was ignoring her and getting a bit indignant as she neared the back entrance to the classroom. "Please, just give me a moment Rose."
Ruby didn't stop, however. She wasn't sure what Schnee would want so she just kept walking hoping that the other girl would get the hint.
Weiss realized this and realized that there was pretty much only one way she could get through to the other girl and as it was something she'd decided to ask the other girl to do she may as well do it now just without her offer first.
"Ruby." Weiss called out using Ruby's first name for the first time and given how long they'd known each other it was not something that one just did on a whim. "Please, I, I need to apologize to you so can you please give me a moment."
That did get Ruby and she stopped in her tracks. She'd not expected Schnee to use her first name. True Huntsmen and Huntresses tended to be on a first name basis, it was part of the whole bonding process, and she was going to ask Schnee to call her by her first name for that but when she was ready to do so. She'd not expected Schnee to be the one to take the initiative and then some, which meant a lot to her, so Ruby turned and looked at the white-haired girl her eyes wide in shock and getting wider as Schnee panted a bit in her uniform holding her costume case to her side.
"You, you want to apologize?" Ruby asked amazed. "B, but I thought…"
"I know, look, can I put this away first and then I'll say what I need to say." Weiss said holding up her case. "Please wait for me."
"Um ok." Ruby said deciding to give Weiss a moment of her time at least as it seemed that she'd hurried here just to catch Ruby before she left campus.
"Thank you." Weiss said with a small smile before she quickly hurried into the classroom via the back door, put her case away, made sure she got everything that she needed, and exited the door at the front of the classroom to find Ruby still standing there. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that it was away."
"That's fine." Ruby said crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at Weiss. "So, what did you want to say?"
"Just this." Weiss said before she lent forward in a deep bow of apology looking down at the floor as her long, off-center ponytail flopped embarrassingly forward which Ruby would have laughed at had she not been stunned by Schnee's bow. "I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier and for how I've been treating you pretty much since we met. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I shouldn't have let that accident and my own personal views and background cloud my judgement of who you are. I said some really hurtful things that I deeply regret so again I apologize for them and hope you can forgive me, Ruby."
"Schnee…" Ruby began staring in shock at the bowing girl before her because it was the proper bow of sincere apology, so Ruby knew that Weiss meant it. "I, well, um yeah I forgive you and I guess I have my own apology to make so please stand up."
"You don't owe me anything." Weiss said as she rose to look into Ruby's startling eyes, she'd noted them back when they had their collision but now, she could truly appreciate how they looked like molten silver and how unique they were. "I was the one who acted horribly, you were just trying to be helpful while I was too inflexible in my thinking."
"I did kinda run into you on the first day and then, um, groped you by accident." Ruby said with a slight blush at the memory as it had been rather inappropriate of her. "And since then, I guess I've been a bit too over enthusiastic and overcompensating to prove I belong so I'm sorry for that. I should have trusted that you knew what you were doing earlier against that Boarbatusk, I was just trying to help but didn't realize how it may have come off."
"In all honesty I've never really dealt with that kind of Grimm before, where I'm from we mainly have a feline-like Grimm called a Sabyr, the occasional Geist Grimm and some creepy centipede-like ones called Centinel Grimm that are gross and wrong beyond normal Grimm standards." Weiss said. "Well, those are the Grimm that I've dealt with as the Megoliath Grimm in the area are too big for someone without full training to handle. Well, until what we saw today from Asta."
"Yeah that was wild." Ruby said. "I never thought of them as products of Quirks but then again I guess there's not been a Quirk like his, so we've never been able to perceive them as such."
"Neither and he said as much in the entrance exam, but I didn't believe him until he proved it." Weiss said. "But anyway, what I was going to say was that that was the first Boarbatusk I faced so your advice was helpful in the end, I was just being a bitch about it."
"Still rude of me to yell it while you were in a battle with it." Ruby said. "And when battling Grimm, you shouldn't be districted so we're even Schnee, alright."
"Weiss." Weiss said.
"Huh?" Ruby asked confused.
"Call me Weiss." Weiss said with a small smile. "We're going to be Huntresses when we graduate and as such will likely do a lot of work together this year so we should be on a first name basis like all Huntresses, and, well, I, um, want to get to know you better."
"Oh, ok then please continue to call me Ruby like you just did." Ruby said with a smile. "And I want to work with you too Weiss."
"Good then, um, if you're not too busy that is, would you like to swing by my place now?" Weiss asked nervously as she'd never really done something like this before. "I'm not too far from here, just a short walk, and it will help us talk more in private as there is more that I want to say to you to help us get to know each other better but not here if that makes sense. Don't worry, I live alone for the most part and my butler won't be in until later with dinner so we'll be private. Only if you want to that is."
"Butler?" Ruby asked confused.
"Well, it's more like guardian or caretaker but Klein is officially a butler back home." Weiss admitted. "But when I chose to come here, something I'll explain in private as you should know as it explains my poor attitude recently though of course doesn't excuse or justify it, my father at least insisted that I bring him to look after me and the apartment as I shouldn't have to do that on my own. I do have certain things to maintain as a Schnee."
"Right, that's stuff I'm not used to." Ruby said. "I'm from a simple home on Patch that is just me, my dad, and my sister though that's too far from here to commute so I live with my sister and her best friend as they're both third years at U.A. They're currently on patrol though so they'll be back late which means sure I'd love to come by your place. It will help as there are some questions from class, I want to ask you, I, um, wasn't making good notes during that lecture."
"I saw and I don't blame you given how Professor Port did go on some unnecessary and long tangents, but you should make notes." Weiss said both amazed that Ruby was doing that as she was already trying to be better, and Weiss would support her as well as showing Weiss how different they were in terms of background and yet Ruby was the recommended student not her. "Shall we go then."
"Yes." Ruby said with another smile and Weiss walked up to walk next to her.
"So." Weiss began to break the silence as they headed to the exit and to ask a question anyway as Ruby had inadvertently given her an opening and something to talk about that they likely had a connection on. "You have an older sister then. I think I heard something about that, but I never asked. I take it she's also a Huntress student here."
"Yup, Yang's one of the reasons why I wanted to be a Huntress and come here as well." Ruby said excitedly as they walked. "Plus, dad's a Huntsman, mom was a Huntress, and my uncle who taught me how to use a scythe is one as well so it's kinda the family business."
"Wait did you say Yang?" Weiss asked as they left U.A. and began to head to Weiss's place. "As in one of the top third years here Yang Xiao Long? She's your sister? I did not make that connection at all and not just because of the different last names."
"Yeah I try not to mention it as I am forging my own path here but Yang's my sister." Ruby nodded. "So, you can see the footsteps I have to live in."
"Oh, trust me I get that more than you know." Weiss said with a chuckle. "But I've heard of Yang, she scored over 100 on the entrance exam if I recall, was second highest since All Might until that Yuno kid topped it this year. Annoyingly he topped me as well which annoyed me more than not getting 100 or higher on the exam."
"Yang was thrilled with that score when she got it, which I learned after I passed the recommended exam was achieved through extreme recklessness, though she's not thrilled that Yuno bested her so she's looking forward to a good spar with his as she does love to fight." Ruby said. "I met Yuno once, he's Asta's brother of sorts, same orphanage thing, and he seems like a reserved guy but that's about all that I got from him."
"Anyone who can score over 100 on the U.A. entrance exam is something else." Weiss said. "But I'll reserve judgement until we see him in action, likely the Sports Festival as he's in Class 1-B."
"True that will be the time." Ruby said. "Yang's going for the title again this year, so I've got to try to win as well. She fell short her first year but won it last year so she's going for a repeat if she can manage it. A lot hinges on who she gets in the bracket though."
"Well then we'll be rivals then because I'm going to win it." Weiss said with a grin. "I was beat in the entrance exam, and I need to live up to my name by winning it, especially if I can do so by beating Yuno at some point during it. Plus, my older sister expects it from me so I must do my best."
"Oh cool you have a big sister as well?" Ruby asked. "What's she like?"
"Winter is several years older than me so already a Huntress in her own right and a rising star at the Atlas Agency." Weiss said proudly as they turned down the street to enter the rich district of Musutafu. "I admire her a lot as she's cool and calm under pressure and never gets flustered by a situation unless it's got to do with one particular Huntsman who she has a complicated relationship with but she's never gone into detail on that to me."
"Sounds a bit like it's romantic." Ruby said. "I kinda wish Yang wouldn't talk about boys so much with me, I'm not really into that stuff but she's very girly in that regard and her best friend actually has a boyfriend so Yang talks about that a lot as well."
"I have not questioned Winter's relationship with whoever this man is and I'd rather not as he's the only person who can truly get under her skin so I'd rather not meet the person who can do that to my sister." Weiss said. "Winter's a strong-willed woman, she defied our father by becoming a Huntress and joining Atlas after coming top of her class at Shiketsu which got her disowned, but she's forged her own path so any man that can cause her to lose it has to be something else. Right now, she's one of the two most trusted members below Ironwood so I have a lot to live up to."
"I can see that." Ruby said understanding a bit more about Weiss on that though she was curious as to who this strange man might be given the reverence Weiss clearly had for Winter. "But you chose to come here and not Shiketsu which basically means that Beacon is the agency you'll join as that is the usual one from U.A., well at least that's what dad said and he and mom went to U.A. as well."
"Ah so you're a full U.A. family that makes sense." Weiss said as they began to near the building she lived in. "And I'll get into why I chose U.A. in a moment, it has to do with my father, and I'd rather discuss that in private. Are you sure that your sister won't mind?"
"Yeah she and Blake have a patrol tonight as part of Beacon's work study." Weiss said with a nod. "They're with two of the new members who graduated last year, Velvet and Yatsuhashi I believe, who are helping show them the ropes for patrols in this area as they've only really done patrols in Vale before. It's a Grimm patrol so the area around Musutafu which means that they will be back late."
"Ah ok." Ruby said as they entered the fancy looking, tall, residential building where the doorman just nodded at Weiss as she made her way to an elevator at the far end. "Woah this place is really upscale, I've never been to a place like this before."
"Father may not have liked that I chose U.A. over Shiketsu but he still insisted that as a Schnee I had to have the best and bought the penthouse in the nicest apartment building in the city." Weiss explained as they entered the special elevator, and it began to ascend. "Well that, and because I got in earlier than Noelle did, he could one up the Silva's but that's petty politics between our families."
"I don't get it." Ruby admitted as they reached the top and the doors opened into a small atrium space with a simple table to one side, a mirror, some coat hooks and a place for shoes.
"It's about money and power, all the wealthy families are like this though I hear the Vermillions are less ostentatious or focused on the petty power plays the others are involved in, especially the Kiras." Weiss said as she took her white backpack off and put it on the floor to take her jacket and tie off. "Feel free to take your jacket and tie off, we don't need them anymore."
"Oh, right thanks." Ruby said with a nod and did so, undoing her top button as well, before taking her shoes off as well and putting them in the right spot outside next to Weiss's heels.
"Alright well welcome to my place." Weiss said as she picked up her back and then unlocked the door and opened it to lead Ruby into her apartment.
The moment Ruby entered she gasped at the sight. The door entered into a large living room with white marble floors, a pristine white carpet over it that started a few feet from the door, and white walls that stretched out to the far end where there were floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city and showed a wraparound balcony with an entrance to it at one end.
There was a fine white wraparound sofa in one corner that had a large white coffee table before it with coasters on it and facing the other wall where a massive TV was. Flanking it were bookcases made from what had to be an imported white wood that were packed with books and sculptures while fine art hung on the walls.
Ruby noted that the carpet began where the room began and to each side there were corridors leading to other rooms in the penthouse and made her realize that the atrium was in the center of it and simply there so that the elevator to it could be private. It was beyond impressive.
"Please take a seat." Weiss said gesturing to the sofa as Ruby walked in marveling at the opulence around her and scared to touch anything as most of it looked more expensive than her dad's place on Patch. "How do you take your coffee? I do actually know how to make it as I like coffee so, I learned how to make it for when Klein wasn't around."
"Well, I don't really drink it." Ruby admitted.
"You must have some way of taking it?" Weiss asked. "Unless you prefer tea, I can at least try to make that but I'm nowhere near Momo's level with tea, that girl is something else when it comes to the tea leaf."
"No, I don't drink tea." Ruby said looking at Weiss. "Cream and 5 sugars, please."
"Alright, I'll go make that criminally sweet mix." Weiss said though it did fit Ruby really well she felt and smiled at that. "And then we can talk more. Afterwards we can do homework and help each other out and I have a training room for Quirk and weapon work as well though I don't have anything to replicate your scythe."
"You do?" Ruby asked amazed. "And don't worry, if I'm allowed back, I can make a training version of Crescent Rose for such purposes."
"Well, I think it was supposed to be some fancy ballroom for dinner parties but I have no need for that so I converted it." Weiss said pleased to hear that Ruby wanted to return. "And I hope you do come back here, but for the moment I'll get the coffee and we can talk, I do have some more things to explain to you as part of my apology for my actions."
"Oh ok." Ruby said as she realized that Weiss was really trying to make amends so she should be honest as well about her own issues that had been plaguing her since starting U.A. "I guess I have things to say as well so if we're going to have this heart to heart then we should both be honest."
"I'd like that." Weiss said with a smile before she turned to take her bag to her office and then get the coffee ready.
For her part Ruby just marveled at the room for a moment longer and then made her way to the sofa and carefully sat down on the soft sofa cushions that she almost sank into. She was nervous about upsetting things so was extra careful as she set her bag to the side and nervously waited for Weiss to return.
Weiss did a few moments later carrying a tray with two steaming mugs on it. She carefully put it down on the table and picked up one of the white mugs and handed it to Ruby who accepted it as carefully as she could so as to not spill any of it and thus stain the sofa.
"It has the blasphemous amounts of cream and sugar that you want in it." Weiss said as she put her own black coffee on a coaster and set the tray to a side. "But I guess we all have our own tastes."
"Thanks Weiss." Ruby said with a smile as she blew on it and then took a sip before spluttering.
"It is fresh so let it cool down, dolt." Weiss said though in a polite way that wasn't mean and Ruby flushed but did that as she gently placed it on a coaster on the table before her.
"Yeah I make that mistake with cocoa all the time." Ruby admitted.
"That doesn't surprise me." Weiss said as she turned to Ruby. "But enough small talk, I do have more to say, and I am sorry for how I acted again. Professor Port had some wise words to say to me and I'm going to do all I can to support you as a partner and be the best fellow Huntress that I can now."
"I accept your apology and I am sorry for my own actions." Ruby said. "I, well, as I said during the battle trial, I'm trying to prove myself a bit and I guess I got carried away around you as you're the other Huntress and beat me in the assessment test and did really well on the entrance exam and I've been feeling a little like I didn't earn my way if that makes sense so I have to do really well to show that I did earn it. I want to live up to Ozpin's faith in me for the recommendation he gave but I feel like I'm failing to show that I deserved it."
"Ah I see, and my words earlier didn't help I know." Weiss said. "They were harsh and not what you deserved, I know that now and I'll do all I can to make up for them."
"Yeah, so it does mean a lot that you've apologized for them." Ruby said her hands fidgeting in her lap as she looked down at them. "But I'm still worried you know. Huntresses like us don't get recommendations often, I know there's a Huntsman in the other class who was recommended but that's really rare for our branch that there are multiple in one year. The only other one I know of is Nikos and she's in Yang's year and wasn't recommended by Ozpin so all that adds up. It also doesn't help that there are only 3 recommended students in our class compared to 6 in the other one, so I feel more pressure to live up to how I got into U.A."
"That I think has to do with Nezu, the man's Quirk is allows him to take into account a lot of variables and likely deemed it better this way and we saw with how he put Noelle and Asta in the same class." Weiss said thinking on it. "He is the only one who can keep her Quirk in check when Mr. Aizawa isn't around and likely her status caused some mess up with the balance that Nezu has taken into account. Though I'd say it's best to think of it as 4 recommended students. Noelle may be here via the exemption, but it requires recommendations to get it, in addition to the other factors, I think."
"Huh I didn't think of it like that." Ruby admitted thinking on Weiss's words and wondering why Silva didn't feel off about how she got to U.A. but then again that girl had pride and arrogance for days so Ruby couldn't understand her at all. "Still, you saw her power, it's insane, she just lacks control over it. Then you have Todoroki's ice and heat that he showed and Yaoyorozu's versatility with Creation. All I can go really fast."
"You can do a lot more than just going fast Ruby, from what little I saw and what Momo said about what she saw you do against Asta when we had lunch today there is more than just speed to your Quirk." Weiss said as she finally got what was affecting Ruby. "But I get it now, I understand why you've been so gung-ho to prove that you deserve your recommendation."
"You do?" Ruby asked looking at Weiss who was taking a sip of her coffee now that it had cooled down enough to drink.
"I do because I've dealt with it a bit myself as a Schnee only more living up to the name than anything else." Weiss said. "Ruby, you have what's called imposter syndrome right now. I don't think that it's a serious case, but I'd say you at least have some elements of it."
"Imposter syndrome?" Ruby asked as she'd not heard the tone before. "What's that?"
"It's a psychological occurrence where someone doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments for some reason and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud." Weiss said with a sigh. "I know it well because I've always tried my hardest to be the best I can be, be it at music, singing, academics, or fighting so that I can live up to the name I bear and the legacy that comes with it, especially with how my father has made it so negative since he muscled his way into it and then took it for himself, but I'll always know that at least part of what I accomplished was because of the Schnee name not despite it."
"Huh?" Ruby asked. "Your father…"
"I'll get to him in a moment but let's just say my issues are pretty much entirely daddy issues, so much so that if I wasn't a Schnee I might have ended up on a different, more self-destructive, path." Weiss said though Ruby didn't get that. "Anyway, thank you for telling me this Ruby because it's helped me understand you more."
"It has?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, it has because you're a bit like me but in your own way." Weiss said with a nod. "You've got your own legacy to live up to with your family, your sister who's accomplished a lot, and then you did what they didn't or couldn't and got a recommendation to U.A. and not only that but you also got into U.A. with it. As such you've begun to doubt yourself and skills because you did what they couldn't."
Ruby was now staring wide eyed at Weiss and her words because that was precisely what she was feeling since she'd started at U.A. She'd been nervous when she got Ozpin's recommendation but gave it her all and got in via that exam. However, even then she was worried because she knew her sister's reputation at U.A. and her start had been so different to that. She was constantly trying to prove that she belonged as a recommended student that she'd worked herself up into this state.
"I, that's exactly how I feel." Ruby said looking down as she took her mug and took a gulp on the now warm and well sweetened coffee before just holding the mug in her lap as she kept talking. "I just want to prove that it wasn't a fluke or luck that got me here, that I ended up at U.A. because I earned it but seeing the talent of the others in our class made me question because there is this expectation from recommended students that we are the best off the bat and the others catch up to us, an expectation Yaoyorozu and Todoroki showed at the start, so I've been trying hard to overcome that and I guess it came off wrong."
"Ruby." Weiss said softly looking at the other girl and wanting to take her hand to comfort her but felt it would be too much and Ruby was still holding her much. "I get that you thought that, but do you know how hard it is to reach the recommended cutoff?"
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked though she was still staring at her mug.
"The recommended exam may have a higher acceptance rate than the normal exam but that's only because of how hard it is to get a recommendation in the first place, which is an achievement all its own because you have to prove you deserve it which you clearly did." Weiss explained. "After that it's even harder to prove you deserve one of the few reserved spaces for it that could go to someone else via the normal route if the standard isn't met."
"I guess that is true." Ruby said thinking back on her acceptance. "They did say that only 10 made the cutoff by whatever complicated metrics they use."
"See and if only 10 made it and one rejected it then that does explain why Noelle is her via the Principal's exemption." Weiss said as Ruby took another gulp of her coffee. "But see, you've more than earned your spot at U.A. and you've already shown it. You can 5th in the assessment, that's saying something on its own and I heard that neither the top two for Class B were recommended students, so our class was an outlier. Plus Mr. Aizawa praised your work in the battle trial as the right call, which I guess I'll have to learn to understand as I did mess up there by toying with Noelle and Nero. You're doing fine ok."
"Really?" Ruby asked finally looking up and at Weiss.
"Yes you are." Weiss said with a smile at her. "There's a lot to improve but that's the same for all of us so don't feel bad. We all face challenges at school, you've got it right now but don't think the others will not face them in the coming months and years at U.A."
Ruby paused to think on that for a moment, it was hard to really picture that when she had her own challenges right now, but there was certainly truth to Weiss's words. Weiss saw her hesitation so continued with examples to help Ruby out.
"Midoriya and Noelle have control issues that they're going to have to overcome to be good heroes." Weiss said. "Asta's got his recklessness that isn't too bad but he's too reliant on the power of his Quirk at times I feel. Bakugo is an ass who needs to learn to be less of a selfish dick. Todoroki has to thaw out the dude's too closed off and I know that well. Hell, Momo may look like she's the best, but I've known her for years and I know that she's never faced a true obstacle in her life ever since she got the hang of Creation so her confidence, while good at the moment, could be shattered if she faces something that she's not faced before like a quick loss."
"Really?" Ruby asked. "Yaoyorozu seemed so cool and composed when I met her. She almost beat me in the recommended exam's practical and I had speed on my side."
"She mentioned, it certainly impressed her, and I think losing that race actually helped her in some way, but time will tell on that front." Weiss said. "We all deal with this shit, Ruby, it's ok to ask for help or doubt yourself at times. What matters is how you overcome it."
"I, I never really…" Ruby began with a gulp and then drank some more coffee before continuing. "I guess I never really thought of it like that before. It's, well, I've never really had the guidance I needed growing up so this was all a lot to take in and I'm naturally shy and introverted compared to Yang, she's super extraverted and confident."
"If I may ask, and feel free to not answer if you don't want, but what is your home life like?" Weiss asked with a note of hesitation in her voice. "It's just I did note that you don't share a family name with your sister, and I recall watching the last Sports Festival, you don't look anything like Yang, so I'm curious."
"Well technically she's my half-sister and got a good mix of looks from her parents while I basically got my mom's look." Ruby admitted. "Yang's mother married our father and had her but shortly afterwards she abandoned us for reasons unknown and even resigned as a Huntress before she disappeared. Dad was devastated but my mother, who had been in the same class and on a team with him and Yang's mom and our uncle who is Yang's mom's brother, comforted him and they fell for each other in the end. They never married, dad couldn't do that again, but they had me two years after Yang and as they weren't married, I got her name not dad's."
"I see." Weiss said.
"Well, it's a bit more than that." Ruby said. "And I guess if we're being open, I should say that my mother, and Yang's as she's the only mother Yang knew so she considers mom her mom as well, disappeared on a mission over 10 years ago and has been presumed dead ever since. We have a memorial for her on Patch, but her disappearance destroyed my dad, she was the second love he lost in such a short period of time, and it took him a long time to recover. That left Yang to grow up way before she should have and raise me. So yeah, I've not had a normal upbringing to understand all this so the whole recommendation thing has thrown me as I didn't have anyone to really talk to about it."
"Trust me I get it." Weiss said.
"You do?" Ruby asked.
"I do, I just have my own version of it because we all have our own version of stuff like this." Weiss said and she decided that as Ruby had been open with her it was her turn to be open with Ruby. "Money doesn't buy happiness. I was always praised for being a Schnee and tried to live up to it even if people were just doing that because of my family name, but it never fulfilled me, and I saw that my parents weren't close."
"They weren't?" Ruby asked as she finished her coffee and put it down on a coaster, Weiss had already finished hers and done so a few moments ago.
"It started with separate balconies when I gave a singing performance." Weis said. "Then it was separate beds. Then mother began to drink more and more and reclused herself while my father exerted more and more control over the family business that my mother is technically in charge of because she's the Schnee by blood. Finally, on my birthday no less, my father finally admitted that he only married her for the Schnee name so yeah, I know it just my own version of it."
"Weiss…" Ruby said looking surprised. "I…"
"It's ok, I made peace with it and the fact that my father is basically a caricature of an evil rich man from those stories, he's the stereotype people believe is real but most I know like that aren't assholes like he is." Weiss said with a small smile. "It helped when Winter showed that my father could be defied, alas my younger brother Whitley is under his thumb, so I did so in my own way, I escaped by defying him as well."
"That's why you chose U.A.?" Ruby asked.
"It was one of the reasons yes." Weiss said. "I chose not to go to Shiketsu and thus not enter their support or business courses as he wanted but to become a Huntress and attend U.A. for it. He refused to help with the application which was fine as I wanted to earn my way in the normal route, to come here and as you said about not trading on Yang's reputation forge my own path away from where the Schnee name caries the most weight, but he did make me prove it and, well, that has left me with a permanent reminder of it all."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked confused.
"I appreciate that no one has asked me about my scar, not Todoroki's I've notice and as I have one myself, I know better than to ask about his, but I'm not ashamed of it, in fact I'm proud of it and what it means." Weiss said raising her hand to touch the thin, vertical, scar over her left eye that Ruby had noticed and couldn't deny actually made Weiss more attractive as it showed a sense of normalcy to her if that made sense though Ruby's sense of sense wasn't like most people's. "Though I was really lucky that I didn't lose my eye."
"Wait, so, um, how did you get it if I may ask?" Ruby asked.
"Of course, you can, I don't mind and right now I think we're well beyond the point of secrets given what we've discussed." Weiss said as she thought back on the memory of how she got her scar before telling the story to Ruby. "When I made it clear that I was going to go to U.A. and be a Huntress dad decided that he'd only let me have my petty defiance as he saw it, I'm sure he has some trick planned to force me back under his control, if I proved to him that I could handle it."
"Prove it?" Ruby asked. "He made you show that you were worthy of being a Huntress?"
"Yup, even after all my training I still needed to prove it." Weiss said with a nod. "That proof came in the form of a Geist Grimm that was caught and put in a giant suit of armor at our home to make what my family calls an Armor Giggas Grimm. Then, in the training room of the house, I was made to fight it as he watched on from a safe observation room."
"Geist Grimm, they're the ones that possess things, right?" Ruby asked as she thought on the strange Grimm that would possess things protect their naturally weak bodies. "And use them to fight because they are so weak otherwise."
"Correct and this one possessed a massive suit of European armor that we have complete with massive broad sword." Weiss said. "So, it was a challenge to face."
"I bet but I take it you won or else you wouldn't be here." Ruby said.
"Of course, I did." Weiss said with a grin. "It was a hard, tough, battle and the armor was hard to get through with Myrtenaster, so I was tiring quickly. In the end I let my guard down, no excuse for that, and got punched in the face which gave me my scar, but I pushed through the pain and blood and attacked. This time I went plus ultra as I would be expected to at U.A. and beat it so here I am."
"So, it's like a prize then, a motivator and reminder all in one." Ruby said.
"Precisely." Weiss said smiling at Ruby getting it. "But it was a lot of work and it hardened me for a bit to what I thought was needed to be a hero and I took that out on you and for that I am sorry."
"It's ok, I understand now and I am sorry for being so over enthusiastic at times, I have my own things to work on as well." Ruby said before she surprised Weiss by taking Weiss's hand in hers and squeezing it noting how slender and delicate Weiss's fingers were compared to her stronger, slightly calloused ones. "I'll take your words to heart Weiss and while I know I need to be better I will also try to not let how I got here affect me but rather do this for myself."
"And I will be the best teammate and friend I can be." Weiss said squeezing back as she continued to smile at Ruby. "We are Huntresses Ruby; we should be partners in this and help each other out. We both clearly failed, me more so than you and I'll own that, but we've dealt with this properly right at the start which does show that we can grow when needed and we can move on from here."
"Yes we can." Ruby said smiling back at Weiss. "And…"
Before Ruby could finish her phone began to go off from her skirt pocket with her ringtone and she stiffened as she pulled it out and saw that Yang was calling as she let go of Weiss's hand though she'd been enjoying holding it. That was when she'd realized that she'd not told Yang her plans and looked to Weiss apologetically.
"I'm sorry, this is my sister I've got to take it." Ruby said with a bow of her head. "I, um forgot to tell her I'd be here."
"That's ok I'll get us some more coffee and look over the homework so we can start it." Weiss said. "So long as she allows you to stay that is."
"Thanks, I hope so." Ruby said as Weiss got up and Ruby answered her phone a little hesitantly. "Hey sis, sorry, um..."
"Ruby, where are you?" Yang's worried voice came over the phone. "Blake and I got off early, we found the Ursa pack that we were looking for and kicked their asses so got to go home afterwards but to our surprise you aren't here. You can't still be at school, can you? It's only the first week so you shouldn't be too keen just yet. I know you got your bell rung yesterday, god I gotta face that Asta kid now as his Quirk sounds fun to face and a great challenge in mobility as I don't think I can absorb the blows with Burn, but you should be fine as today is just Port's Grimm Studies lecture and that's a snooze fest."
"Yang calm down I'm ok." Ruby said with a smile at how worried Yang was. "I'm at a friend's place sorting some stuff out."
"Friend?" Yang asked confused. "Wait, it's not a guy, is it? If it is I'll be there in a moment to monitor it and make sure he's got no bad intentions for my sweet sister. I've already begun to hear rumors that there's a little pervert in your class, so it had better not be him."
"No, it's not a guy, though I've not yet noticed a pervert in the class as it's only been a few days." Ruby said shaking her head even though Yang couldn't see it. "It's another girl, I'm at Weiss Schnee's place. She invited me back after we had another argument today and, we, um, patched things up and decided to have a chat so that we can be closer as Huntresses."
"Oh, ok well regardless if you do swing that way, which of course I fully support if that's the case and it would explain a lot actually, but if you do know that it's safe to tell me and that it's the same thing as if it was a guy." Yang said. "I'll have no guy or girl putting the moves on my sister without my approval first."
"Yang!" Ruby said going bright red at what her sister was implying as she'd never really thought about something like romance. "You know I'm innocent right? I don't think of that stuff at all. Besides, Weiss is just a friend, we're chatting and going to do homework if that's ok."
"Ok but remember you can always come out to me if that's the case, you know we accept that stuff." Yang said. "Would certainly explain why you weren't into guys at the same age I was and don't have any posters of fine males on your walls but whatever, if it's just homework that's fine but if she tries anything I don't care about her name, I will punch her into next week if she hurts you."
"Yang…" Ruby began with a sigh.
"Sorry just teasing you." Yang said with a chuckle over the line. "But seriously I'm happy you're making a friend, well friends it seems, and a Huntress gal pal will help. I've got my little kitty cat…"
"Yang what have I told you about that." Blake's voice came over the phone showing that Ruby was either on speaker or that she was so loud that Ruby could hear it which given Yang's penchant for puns, especially cat ones when Blake was around, it was likely the latter. "No cat puns. I just endured a 3-hour patrol where you couldn't stop making them, as well as bunny puns about Velvet's ears, even as you were fighting those Ursas, please give me some peace to read my book with a nice cup of tea after that."
"Aww the kitty's grumpy because she's not had her tuna yet." Yang said before adding a stage whisper. "She'll be purrfect when she's had her tuna. She'll feline better after that so I'll make her some soon so that she purrs with contentment."
"That's it I just had to deal with cat and bunny puns for three hours, this is cruel and unusual punishment Yang." Blake yelled. "One more and I'm going to go and call Sun and see if he's around to talk."
"Fine don't ditch me for your boyfriend." Yang said. "Sorry Rubes."
"It's ok, thanks for calling and checking in." Ruby said smiling at the interaction and knowing that Blake was just threatening seeing as her boyfriend went to Ketsubutsu Academy and was busy there, so it was just to annoy Yang and rub it in that she was single while Blake had a serious boyfriend even if said boyfriend was one of the least serious men Ruby had ever met, based on her one meeting with him. "I should have texted so sorry for that."
"Nah it's fine just glad you're making a friend." Yang said. "Text me the address and when to pick you up though so that I can collect you and evaluate Miss Schnee. If she's a potential partner in any sense of the work, she needs the Yang seal of approval."
"I'll let you know when to pick me up sis." Ruby said ignoring that. "Love you."
"Love you too." Yang said and Ruby ended the call to look up and see a smiling Weiss walking in with fresh coffee and her bag over her shoulder.
"You have a great relationship with your sister I can tell." Weiss said as she set the tray down and then put her bag down happy to see that Ruby really admired her sister and was already considering Weiss a friend, she'd heard that part, which was what she wanted now that she'd properly gotten to know Ruby though there was a slight churn in her stomach at that which she didn't understand. "Sorry, I overheard the last bit."
"That's fine and yeah she's great." Ruby said as Weiss sat down next to her glad that Weiss had only heard her words as Yang was being embarrassing and annoying though Ruby couldn't help but let what her sister had said linger in her mind for a shade longer than normal, but she chalked it up to being at Weiss's and nothing else. "She was just checking in and will pick me up when we're done but I don't want to go just yet."
"Neither, but, um, well seeing as your sister called do you want my number as well?" Weiss asked. "It's just we should exchange contact information if we're to be working together going forward."
"Of course, I'd love that." Ruby said with a wide smile that Weiss really liked as she held her phone out to Weiss to put the info into it.
"Alright I'll text you my details." Weiss said as she handed it back to Ruby and then pulled out her homework and getting into study mode. "So, what should we go over first?"
"Let's start with the Grimm Studies stuff." Ruby said turning to her bag to get her books out picking up on Weiss's mood and doing the same though she was a little more hyperactive which was normal for Ruby. "The normal school stuff is all math, physics and English which I'm good at, but I did mess around in class today so please help me Weiss."
"Of course." Weiss said with a smile as they pulled out their notes. "So where to start?"
"Let's address the Nevermore and Deathstalker stuff." Ruby said looking over the entries she had on them and the lack of notes she had done for those particular species of Grimm. "The others I'm used to dealing with so I understand them but those two could be tricky for me."
"Very well let's start with the Nevermore as it's an avian Grimm so the trickier of the two as it has greater mobility but less armor though I feel like with that scythe of yours you could behead one if you got the crook under its throat, had something solid to brace on, and I helped somehow." Weiss said as she pulled out the Grimm textbook they had and flipped to the right page. "But for a Nevermore, the best way to fight one is…"
With that the girls got down to their homework with a zeal as Weiss helped Ruby understand what she'd missed in class and Ruby helped with some of the practical stuff for the Grimm that Weiss didn't know well but Ruby did. They may have started their relationship on the wrong foot, and it got worse, but they'd begun to patch things up and they were now closer than ever as their friendship truly began and would continue to grow as they worked.
This was just the first step however, the first of many as they worked but it was needed after the eventful first few days at U.A. Hopefully things cleared up some and a normal routine began tomorrow when they returned to school and properly got into U.A. with the first thing they would deal with, choosing a Class Rep. That would come in time though for now the girls worked in peace as their friendship grew, their issues in the past, and looking forward to what the future would hold as they properly began their journeys at U.A. High.
I think I'll end this chapter off here as the girls get down to work. This was a needed, Weiss and Ruby focused chapter to make sure they patched things up and began to really work and grow their relationship (who knows where that will go) and understand each other on a deeper level which will help going forward. This also concludes the whole Weiss and Noelle coming out of their shells and thawing out part and thus establishes the groups fully with just the tsundere girls' integration into the group which will be coming but not right away as first we will be taking a brief step away from this to check in on how Class B is doing with their hero studies (the Grimm studies are uneventful for them) and how well Yuno, Mimosa, Leo, Oscar and the others are fairing in the calmer class. That is all I have for y'all however so I will end this chapter off here. If you like this story please follow, favorite (this story and me) to keep up with it and leave a review or PM, your support is what helps motivate me to keep up this work and any questions posed before the next chapter is uploaded I will try to answer. Until next time.
Stringdog