Chapter 4
Beacon Academy, Vale
Stopping by the cliff of the landing dock, airships filled with students can be seen hovering near it's edge. Up ahead a massive castle of a campus was standing tall.
The doors opened inside the airship, where a certain blonde boy rushed out first, locating the nearest trashcan he began throwing up. This is none other than Jaune Arc.
"Dude, that's like the fifth time you've throwed up today. You're gonna scare of my fans if you keep doing that." Walking out of the ship while holding six heavy luggages is Johnny Cage (MK Legends Design). He is amongst the youngest actors in Mistral, being brought into the movie industry at a young age by his mother and is currently at Beacon to broaden his horizons.
Jaune simple groans at Johnny's antics as Yang and Ruby also exit the airship along with other students.
The students all looked up in awe at the school. Was it even a school? A castle would be a better fit.
Yang and Ruby were amazed over the sight of the building.
"The view from Vale's got nothing on this!" Yang commented.
"Meh, I've seen better views." Yang looked about ready to punch Johnny for his statement but Ruby managed to hold her back.
Letting go of her sister Ruby then caught sight of a passing student's weapon and instantly entered weapon fangirl mode.
"OOH! OOH! S-SIS! THAT KID'S GOT A COLLAPSIBLE STAFF!"
Another student walked by, and her wide eyes followed eagerly.
"AND SHE'S GOT A FIRE SWORD!" Ruby gasped as she began to wander off.
Facing another group of students Ruby yells "OH MY GOD, HIS HAT IS A BLADE!"
Stopping in there track, Kung Lao and Liu Kang turn to face the excited Ruby.
Jaune leaned close to Yang and asked, "Is she always like this around weapons?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Yang answered before grabbing Ruby by her hood, much to the younger girl's annoyance.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Ruby exclaimed.
"Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons." Yang said.
Ruby seemed pretty offended by her comment. "Just weapons?! They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!" she replied entering fangirl mode again .
"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?"
Ruby transformed her weapon, earning an impressed look from Kung Lao as he and Liu Kang starts walking towards the group.
"Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones! It's like meeting new people, but better." Ruby answered while cuddling her weapon.
Kung Lao chuckled at Ruby's statement. "Sorry for barging in unannounced, I just happened to notice your weapon's unique design and I have to say, I'm quite impressed.
"Thanks, your weapon's pretty cool as well." Ruby said smiling.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kung Lao, this here is my friend Liu Kang. We're from the White Lotus Society."
"I'm Ruby, this is my sister Yang. Vomit boy over is Jaune."
"HEY!"
"And sunglasses over here is…"
Johnny interrupts her before she can finish "Don't worry Rubes, I can introduce myself." Dropping his luggages while wearing a confident smirk "Name's Johnny Cage, of the Superstar Variety but you probably knew that."
Noticing some students pass by, Yang turns to Ruby "Hey Ruby, why don't you go try making some new friends?"
Ruby looked to Yang and answered, "But why would I need friends when I have you?"
"Weeeellllactuallymyfriendsareherenowgottacatchupseeyoubye!" Yang quickly said before running off with a large group of students, leaving Ruby alone with the group confused.
"Hey, wait! Where are you going? Aren't we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?! …I dunno what I'm doing…" Ruby stuttered in confusion and after being rushed by a crowd of students.
The rest of the group are caught in the chaos as well and are trying hard not to lose their footings.
Ruby fell over in a daze and landed on a cart, knocking over a pile of white briefcases. As Ruby got her bearing, she was hearing a shrill voice scolding her, and as she opened her eyes, she saw a girl in a white skirt yelling at her with cold, blue eyes. Her long, white hair was done up in a ponytail on the side of her head, and a rapier was at her waist, but judging from the revolver barrel at the hilt, Ruby could tell this wasn't an ordinary sword.
"What are you doing?!" Weiss yelled.
"Uh… sorry!" Ruby tried to apologize, but the girl wasn't having any of it.
"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?!" Weiss yelled at her again.
Ruby picked up a suitcase, before Weiss took it from her. "Give me that!"
She opened the case, revealing multiple colored vials and crystals. "This is dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry." Weiss explained.
Ruby was still coming to her senses and barely processed her words.
However, Weiss was impatient and continued to lecture the girl while removing a vial. "What are you, brain dead?! Dust! Fire! Water! Lightning! Energy!" Weiss shook the vial to further emphasize her point, but failed to notice some Dust escape the vial as a cloud of dust wandered over to Ruby.
"Uuuhhhhah…ah…ah" Ruby was still stunned and as the dust came to her nose, her nose began to flinch as she started to breathe in the unstable minerals.
Weiss, still angry didn't notice her situation and continued to scold her. "Are you even listening to me?! Is any of this sinking in? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!" Weiss shook the vial one last time, and that was the last straw.
Ruby couldn't hold it in anymore, and sneezed loudly, igniting the dust cloud and creating a giant explosion of fire and ice.
Johnny immediately snapped out of his daze as he heard the terrific bang behind him. He saw Ruby being scolded by this one girl in white. He was still confused as to what the hell was going on, but he had a feeling it had something to do with that vial of dust rolling around.
The vial stopped at the boot of a certain black-haired girl reading a book. She looked over to the scene in front of her, and then at Johnny. He noticed this and just shrugged. Blake picked up the vial and looked at the famous snowflake symbol.
"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" Weiss continued to yell at Ruby, who was looking like a kicked puppy at this point.
"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby tried to apologize but honestly, this was a Schnee she was trying to apologize to, so naturally, she was still upset.
"Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?" Weiss continued, noting her age.
"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know. We're here to fight monsters, so watch where you're going!" Weiss scolded her.
Johnny getting tired of Weiss banter spoke up, "Hey Ice Queen, she said sorry so why don't you just leave her alone?"
Weiss was about to retort before Blake piped up. "It's heiress actually. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
Weiss, impressed by Blake's words said, "Finally! Some recognition."
Johnny however, spoke up. "Doesn't matter who you are, a bully is still a bully."
Weiss was offended, naturally and stuttered, "Wha-h-how dare you…!"
Blake looked on with a smug grin, while Ruby was quietly snickering at the scene. Weiss slapped Johnny on the cheek so hard the smack could shatter glass, as he sprawled over the road, stunned. Weiss then strutted up to Blake, took back the vial of dust she had and stormed off into the campus.
"I promise I'll make this up to you!" Ruby called out to Weiss, but her words fell on stubborn ears, as she didn't listen.
Ruby sulked for a minute, before remembering Blake. "So, what's…"
Blake had walked off, and Johnny was still on the floor with palm imprint on his cheek. Ruby collapsed on the road with disappointment.
"Welcome to Beacon…" She said to herself quietly.
She then noticed Jaune walk up to her, offering a hand.
"Hey, you alright." He said in a polite voice.
"Yeah, thanks for asking." She said while grabbing Jaune's hand and letting him help her up. Turning to Johnny she added "Thanks for defending me."
"No probs, never was a fan of bullies. But damn, that woman packs a punch!" Johnny said rubbing his cheek.
"I think she was just having a bad Day." Ruby said
A few moments later.
"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune tried to explain to Ruby.
"Look, I'm sorry. Vomit-boy was the first thing that came to mind." Ruby apologized.
"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater-face?" Jaune threw back at her.
Ruby's face turned red as she heard Johnny snickering beside her. "H-hey, that explosion was an accident!"
"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it!" Jaune said confidently while gesturing to himself.
Johnny simply raised his eyebrow at him. "Oh, do they?"
"T-they will." Jaune replied. "I mean I hope they will. I mean, my mom always says that… Never mind."
Ruby and Johnny laughed to themselves at his words, before Ruby broke the silence.
"Sooo… I got this thing." Ruby brought out Crescent Rose, slamming the blade into the pavement, startling the boy.
"Whoa! I-is that a scythe?" Jaune sheepishly stammered.
"It's also a customizable, high impact velocity sniper rifle." Ruby explained further.
"Wha-?"
"It's also a gun." Ruby explained while cocking the weapon, emphasizing her point.
"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune said with an impressed look on his face.
"So what've you got?" Ruby asked the knight with excitement.
"Oh. Uh, I got this sword." Jaune pulled out his double-edged sword from his sheath. The blade was long and sharp with elegant craftsmanship.
"Ooooh…" Ruby exclaimed as she studied the blade in awe.
"Yeah, I've got a shield too!" Jaune pulled out his sheath, transforming it into a white shield with a golden symbol decorating the front.
"So, what do they do?" Ruby asked him while stroking the shield, accidentally flipping a button. The shield contracted into its sheath form, causing Jaune to fumble around trying to catch it, earning a chuckle from Ruby.
"Well…t-the shield gets smaller…So when I get tired of carrying it, I can always…put it away…" Jaune explained.
"But wouldn't it weigh the same?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah it does." Jaune admitted in disappointment.
"So Johnny, what've you got?" Ruby asked.
"Me? I got these hands." He said showing of his fist.
"Really? How strong are that you don't need a weapon?" Jaune asked clearly shocked
"Jaune my man, you have no idea, besides I still have these Nunchucks which also happen to be guns. But I prefer to use my fist." Johnny said swinging his Nunchucks
"Cool. You made it yourself?" Ruby said
"Nope, it's a gift from my Mom." Johnny said
"Heh, sorry about that. I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons. I guess I did go a little overboard in designing Crescent Rose." Ruby said with an embarrassed blush on her face.
Jaune looked impressed. "Wait. You made that?"
"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons. Didn't you make yours?" Ruby asked Jaune.
"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war." Jaune answered the girl.
"Hmm, sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby said, looking on the positive side as usual. Johnny nod in agreement.
"Hmmm… hey, where are we going?" Ruby suddenly spoke up.
"Oh, I dunno. I was following you!" Jaune answered.
The trio paused in awkward silence when they realized they had no idea where they were going.
"Y-you think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? A sort of recognizable landmark?" Jaune tried to break the silence, while Ruby just snickered under her lips.
"I-is that a no?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Johnny answered him as they groaned at their present situation.
MMM
With her book in hand Blake was heading towards the main Hall before she bumbed into someone. Turning around, she froze in fear at who she was staring at. Sub Zero
Noticing the girls reaction, Sub Zero raises a brow slightly suspicious of her. Smoke on the other hand decides to handle the situation. (Both have their mask on)
"Are you all right? You seem tense." Smoke said trying to calm her down.
Taking a few steps back Blake managed to calm down "Sorry, your friend reminded me of someone."
Realizing what she meant Smoke adds "Now I see, you are mistaking him for his older brother. He's far nicer compared to him though so you don't need to worry." Sub Zero just glared at Smoke from behind
Upon closer inspection, Blake realizes that Smoke is telling the truth. He looks younger than the one that attacked her and Adam plus she can see a scar on his face despite the mask. Still she had to be careful around them.
"If I may ask, where did you encounter my brother?" Sub Zero asked with calculating eyes.
"Kuai Liang, that's enough interrogation for today." Smoke scolds his friend. "Please forgive my friend. I hope we meet again, under better circumstances." Smoke adds dragging Sub Zero away.
As they leave Sub Zero is still suspicious of the girl. If she really encountered Bi Han, how is she still alive? "I will find out what she knows about my brother".
MMM
The three students walked in the hall, seeing a massive crowd of teens and just then Ruby heard her sister call out, "Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"
"Oh! Hey, gotta go. See you after the ceremony!" Ruby said to Jaune before leaving.
"H-hey wait! Sooo… wh-" Jaune looked to his side to see that Johnny had walked off too.
Jaune sighed before saying out loud, "Great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?"
But little did he know that as he was saying this, a girl with red hair done up in a ponytail and dressed in bronze armor blinked her green eyes at the boy, eyeing him with interest.
Glancing right, Johnny notices Sonya working on her scroll without thinking he walks towards her.
"Hey there beautiful, name's Johnny Cage. Sure you've heard about me." He said but she didn't even register him.
"Citizen Cage? Ninja Mime? Doesn't ring a bell?" He said still trying to get her attention
Finally she said "Get lost".
"Come on, that's no way to treat a fellow student. For all it's worth we could even end up being partners." Johnny said placing his hand on her shoulder.
It at that moment that he knew, he Fucked Up.
Without missing a beat Sonya proceeds to kick Johnny in the family jewel causing him to fall face first on the ground. Jaune who had witnessed this had to cover his groan.
"Now you listen well asshole, no one touches me without permission got it?!" Sonya growled
"Yes Ma'am." Johnny replied in a very low tune.
MMM
Back with Yang, Ruby, Kung Lao and Liu Kang.
Yang asked Ruby, "So, how's your first day going, little sister?"
"You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?" Ruby answered with annoyance.
Yang cringed at her answer, "Yikes, meltdown already?"
Ruby protested, "No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! And there was some fire, and I think some ice?"
Yang leaned in close with a smirk, "Are you being sarcastic?"
Ruby answered, "Ugh, I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me! And then I sneezed, and then I EXPLODED, and then she yelled again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"
Yang piped up, "Girl with a white dress?"
"Yeah, actually."
Liu Kang interjected, "Single ponytail on the side?"
"Yeah! Ho-"
Kung Lao continued, "Cold blue eyes that look as if they could freeze your soul by them staring at you?"
"Umm… YEAH! How do you all… she's right behind me, isn't she?"
"Yep." They all finished.
"YOU!"
"Oh God, It's happening again!" Ruby screamed as she leapt into Yang's arms.
"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of a cliff!" Weiss scolded her again.
"Oh God, you really exploded." Yang said.
"I-it was an accident! It was an accident!" Ruby insisted, before Weiss held up a pamphlet in front of her.
"What's this?"
"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustainable while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. AlthoughnotmandatorytheSchneefamilyhighlyencouragesourcustomerstorefamiliarizethemselveswiththiseasytofollowguidetodustapplicationandpracticeinthefield."
Ruby didn't quite process the last part because she zoned out, and only could mutter, "Uuh…"
"Do you really wanna start making things up to me?" Weiss asked her with a commanding voice.
"Absolutely!" Ruby meekly answered.
"Read this and don't ever speak to me again." Weiss said as she shoved the pamphlet into Ruby's hands.
"Look, sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you just start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang interjected, trying to make the situation better.
Ruby rose up and asserted herself. "Yeah! Great idea, sis. (ahem), Hello Weiss, I'm Ruby. Wanna hang out? We could go shopping for school supplies!" she introduced herself while extending a hand.
"Yeah! And we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys, like tall, blonde and uh-scraggly over there!" Weiss replied sarcastically, while gesturing to Jaune as he and Johnny walked towards the group.
"Wow! Really?" Ruby asked with excitement.
Weiss's expression turned colder as she answered, "No."
Ruby hung her head in disappointment as Ozpin cleared his throat on the stage.
"(ahem) I'll… keep this brief. You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people." Ozpin began into the microphone, filling the students with pride, especially Ruby.
The man then changed his tone of voice. "However I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this. But your time in this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin finished his speech.
Ozpin walked off, and Glynda spoke into the microphone. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."
The crowd dispersed, but Yang spoke up. "He seemed…off."
"It's almost like he wasn't even there." Ruby finished for her.
"I'm a natural blonde, you know!" Jaune said as he leaned in close to Weiss, who faceplamed.
Ballroom, Beacon Academy
The students all gathered in the room, some were asleep, while others were getting ready. Some were talking, others minding their own business.
Ruby was writing in a small notepad in her pajamas.
"It's like a BIIIIIG slumber party!" Yang exclaimed as she slammed down on her mattress.
"Don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though." Ruby said quietly.
Yang's voice turned sultry as she replied, "I know I do."
She glanced over and purred at some shirtless guys play wrestling and giving each other noogies.
Yang looked up and noticed Jaune walked by wearing… a blue onsie with bunny slippers.
Yang winced at the sight of the boy's attire, before looking over to her sister. "What's that?"
"Oh, a letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going." Ruby said.
"Awwwwww, that's so CUUUUUUUTTEEE-" Yang squealed only to receive a flying pillow to her face.
"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" Ruby growled at her sister.
"What about Jaune? He's…nice. There you go! Plus one friend! That's a 100% increase! Or Johnny? He seems cool!" Yang cheerfully stated.
Ruby just sulked in her bed, "Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend…"
"There's no such thing as a negative friend! You just made two friends and one enemy!" Yang remarked with her cheery tone, getting another pillow thrown at her face.
Yang removed the pillow from her face and comforted her sister. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."
Ruby sat up and noticed a familiar girl reading in the corner.
"That girl…" Ruby muttered softly.
"You know her?" Yang asked.
"Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything." Ruby answered.
"Well, now's your chance!" Yang said, grabbing Ruby by her hand.
"W-wait! What are you doing?" Ruby exclaimed in surprise.
Blake looked up from her book to see Yang walking toward her with the widest grin on her face, dragging a struggling Ruby by the hand.
"Hellooooo!" Yang greeted the girl with a bubbly tone. "I believe you two may know each other?"
Blake glanced to Ruby and asked, "Aren't you that girl that exploded?"
"Uhh, yeah! My name's Ruby. But you can just call me…crater… actually you can just call me Ruby." Ruby stammered awkwardly.
Yang asked the girl, "So… what's your name?"
"Blake." She answered in a monotone voice.
"Well Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow! It goes great with your… pajamas!" Yang replied cheerfully.
"…Right." Blake said awkwardly, seemingly with little interest.
"Uh, nice night, don't you think?" Yang asked Blake.
"Yes, it's lovely. Almost as lovely this book…" Blake answered for them.
"…that I will continue to read…"
More awkward silence followed.
"…as soon as you leave."
"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause." Yang muttered to her sister.
"What's it about?" Ruby piped up.
"Huh?"
"Your book. Does it have a name?" Ruby asked Blake.
"Well, it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body." Blake answered Ruby.
"Oh, yeah… that's real lovely." Yang responded with a hint of sarcasm.
"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed." Ruby recounted.
The faunus looked at her, obviously interested in her words.
"Stories of heroes and monsters… They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress." Ruby said with eyes shimmering with hope and wonder.
Blake asked her, "And why would that be? So we can all live a happy life with a storybook ending?"
"I'm hoping we all will! As a girl, I wanted to be just like the heroes in those books. Someone who fought for what was right, and who protected people who couldn't protect themselves." Ruby answered the young girl.
"That's very ambitious for a person your age." Blake told her.
"However, it's a cruel world out there, and not all of us have a happy story to tell." Blake continued
"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better!" Ruby replied.
"Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang squealed as she lifted Ruby in a bear hug.
"CUT IT OUT!" Ruby yelled at her, as the two began to play fight.
"Ruby, Yang…" Blake began before she was interrupted.
"What in the world is going on over here?!" Weiss interjected.
"Yang turned and recognized her, and Weiss the same. "OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!" Both girls yelled in unison.
"Shh! Guys, she's right. People are trying to sleep!" Ruby reminded the pair.
"Oh, now you're on my side!" Weiss exclaimed.
"I was always on your side!" Ruby insisted.
"Yeah! What's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!" Yang growled at the heiress.
"She's a hazard to my health!" Weiss threw back.
Blake, however, blew out her candle. She wasn't getting any privacy, so she would sleep instead. Weiss went back to bed, as Ruby was about to leave, when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hi, I'm Kitana by the way." The assassin introduced herself to the girl.
"Ruby." She replied
Not wanting to keep them up for too long. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I believe you'll get along fine with her. She said referring to Weiss.
"Thanks.". Nodding they all went to sleep.
Next Day Ballroom, Beacon Academy
Lie Ren was stirring early in the morning, and when he opened his eyes to welcome the warmth of sunlight, he saw her up and awake with a gigantic grin on her face, as always.
"Waaaaake up, ya lazy butt!" Nora cheerily exclaimed.
Ren got up from his bed, tired but got his stuff ready and walked to the bathroom. Behind him, Nora was her usual hyperactive self, singing with a lively skip.
"It's morning, it's morning, it's mooooorning, iiiiit's MORNING!" Nora sang as she casually followed the boy into the bathroom.
At first glance it would seem very unlikely for the stoic and soft-spoken Mistralian to be best friends with the bubbly, hyperactive gremlin of a child, but Nora Valkyrie was a very close friend. Ren and her went very far back and both of them looked out for each other through thick and thin, considering the fact that both of them were orphans. She may be a handful, but Ren learned to live with it. After all, they were best friends.
Ren got out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel, with Nora still waiting outside for him, blabbing nonstop.
"I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full 24 hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything. I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm, well, I'm me! But it's just crazy, you know?" Nora chattered away while Ren brushed his teeth.
"We've been friends for SOOOO long! What are the odds that we'd still be together? W-well not "together" together. Not that I'm saying you're not handsome! You are handsome, but that'd just be weird… right?" Nora continued on while brushing her hair outside. Ren simply listened calmly, most likely not processing her drabble.
Later the two were at the breakfast table with multiple students. Nora had a full pancake in her mouth, a mouth that was still chatting away. "Right. What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together."
She slurped up her pancake, somehow swallowing the thing whole. "Ooh! We should come up with some sort of plan! To make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster?! No. That wouldn't work, he has the school."
Ren was retrieving his weapons from his locker. Stormflower, two green machine pistols with knife blades. Nora was still not-so-secretly discussing their plan to be on the same team. "I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal! (gasp) A SEEEECRET signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"
"Nora?" Ren finally spoke.
Nora for once stopped talking and asked, "Yes, Ren?"
Ren stowed away his weapons and said calmly, "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."
Nora stared off into space for a minute. "That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!"
Ren shut his locker and walked away. "Come on, Nora."
"But not "together" together…" Nora said with a giggle.
Meanwhile, about a couple of feet away…
"What's up with those two?" Ruby asked her sister while watching Ren walk away with Nora skipping behind.
"Oh, who knows … So! You seem awfully chipper this morning!" Yang replied.
"Yep! No more awkward small talk and introductions. Today I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." Ruby said while cuddling Crescent Rose.
Johnny was walking by and noticed the two. He walked up to greet them, but stopped when he noticed Ruby cuddling her weapon like a baby. "Okay now that's just weird."
"Oh, hey! Uh… what's up?" Ruby stammered as she dropped her scythe in surprise.
"So, we're gonna meet our teammates today! You excited?" Johnny asked her.
"Yep! We finally get to fight Grimm! I've just been waiting so long for this moment." Ruby answered him.
Yang intervened. "Ruby… remember. You're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and to learn to work together."
Ruby groaned at her sister, "Ugh, you sound like dad! First of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And second of all, I don't need people to help me grow up! I DRINK MILK!"
Literally a foot away…
"Come on! There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high!" Jaune said to himself when he realized he forgot which locker was his.
Why does this have to happen today?..." Jaune groaned as he passed Weiss talking to a certain redhead,
"So Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you would like to be on?" Weiss asked the girl.
Pyrrha answered her, "Hmm, I'm not quite sure. I was planning to let the chips fall where they may."
"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could be in a team together?" Weiss asked her.
"Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha responded.
"Great!" Weiss said before saying to herself ominously, " This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we'll be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!"
"You know what else is great? Me, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you." Jaune said as he interrupted the two girls.
"Ugh, you again?" Weiss groaned at his appearance.
On the other hand, Pyrrha greeted him politely. "Nice to meet you, Jaune!"
Jaune however, only had eyes for the heiress. Pushing Pyrrha aside, he said to Weiss, "Yeah, yeah. So, Weiss! Couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding." Weiss groaned as she facepalmed at his advances.
"Oop, no need to be embarrassed! So, been hearin' rumors about teams! I was thinking you and I would make a good one! What do you say?" Jaune said to Weiss.
Pyrrha, on the other hand interrupted the two. "Actually, I think the teams are comprised of 4 students each, so…"
"You don't say…" Jaune smiled as he went up to Pyrrha. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."
Weiss came up between the pair and said to the boy, "Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"Not the slightest, snow angel." Jaune blankly responded.
"This is Pyrrha." Weiss gestured to Pyrrha.
"Hello again!"
"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum." Weiss informed Jaune.
"Never heard of it." Jaune responded bluntly.
Weiss was getting confused. It was one thing to not recognize Pyrrha, but to have never heard of Sanctum Academy it was just absurd.
"She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament 4 years in a row, a new record!" Weiss stated.
"The what?" Jaune replied, still confused.
Weiss was fuming with frustration and disbelief at his cluelessness, but she continued . "She's on the cover of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes."
To this, Jaune reacted with starstruck glee. "(gasp) That's you?! They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"
"Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha replied.
"So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?" Weiss asked Jaune.
Jaune sighed and lowered his head in defeat. "I-I guess not. Sorry."
Pyrrha however, walked up to the knight and reassured him. "Actually Jaune, I think you'll make a great leader."
"D'oh, stop it!" Jaune adoringly replied.
Weiss on the other hand, still wouldn't have any of it. "Seriously, stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!"
"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings. Find a place for you. What do you say?" Jaune said as he leaned in close to Weiss.
"Okay, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha, a little help please?!" Weiss exclaimed as she stepped away from Jaune.
Pyrrha threw her javelin at Jaune, pinning him against the wall by his hoodie. "I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologized.
Just then, Glynda's voice was heard on the intercom. "Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."
The students in the locker room began to get up and leave, and Pyrrha retrieved her weapon from Jaune. "It was nice meeting you!" Pyrrha said to the boy before she left.
"Likewise." Jaune replied with a sigh.
Ruby and Yang passed by. "Having some trouble there, lady killer? Yang jokingly asked Jaune.
"I don't understand... My dad said that all women look for is confidence. Where did I go wrong?" Jaune responded.
Johnny laughed and answered, "Look on the bright side, at least your nuts are still intact."
"Come on Jaune. Let's go." Ruby helped Jaune up and the two walked out of the room.
Beacon Cliff
The first year students were all gathered at a cliff on the outskirts of the campus, where the steep ledge dropped off into acres of forest. Each student was standing on the edge, each atop a stone slab with the Vale crest marked on it.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin said to the students while sipping from his mug.
Glynda continued for Ozpin. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be assigned teammates… Today."
Ruby whimpered worriedly as she heard this. She didn't like where this was going and she knew she wasn't good with teaming up with a random stranger who wasn't her friend.
Ozpin continued his speech. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."
Ruby let out another whimper. This wasn't going to end well.
"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years." Ozpin finished.
Ruby's world shattered (almost literally) around her when she heard this. "WHAT?!" This was literally the worst-case scenario for her. She was already terrible with making friends, and she sure as hell wasn't happy with the chances of ending up with a total stranger for a partner.
Ozpin continued on with his instructions. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."
Jaune nervously gulped
Ozpin ignored him and continued on. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
Jaune meekly raised his hand, "Yeah, um sir…"
Ozpin however, disregarded him and continued on. "Good! Now, take your positions."
Each student readied themselves.
Jaune, however was still skeptical. "Uh, sir? I've got a question."
Just then, students were being launched into the air, directly into the forest.
"So, this landing strategy thing, uh, w-what is it? You're like, dropping us off or something?" Jaune asked nervously.
"No. You will be falling." Ozpin deadpanned at him.
"Oh, I see. So like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" Jaune asked again.
"No. You will be using your own landing strategy." Ozpin answered him.
"Uhhuh… Yeah." Jaune responded with dread and worry.
Jaune was the last student standing at the cliff and raised his hand again. "So, um, what exactly is a landing strateGYYYYYYYYYY…" Jaune screamed out the last part loudly as he was flung from the cliff and sent plummeting into the vast wood below him.
Ozpin looked behind him to see the students falling down to the forest, showing a sly grin as he sipped from his mug.