3

Chapter 3:

Present day:

I can't believe I'm doing this, thought Ruby, her stomach roiling with nervous butterflies as she glanced around her, taking in the people crowding the passenger bay of the airship. Part of her was still stunned that she'd decided to accept Ozpin's offer. She was only fifteen years old, yet she was already going to the Beacon Academy, the place she'd dreamt of going for years, since she was little more than a toddler. Even when she had decided to defy her father and run away from home, it seemed almost like an impossibility. In fact, running away from home made it seem even more impossible as she'd learned about the obstacles that stood in her way, obstacles that mere determination wouldn't do anything about.

But now, here she was, about to go to the school of her dreams, two years early, and at the personal invitation of the school's Headmaster, no less. It was enough to make her head spin.

The fingers of Ruby's left hand slipped back to stroke the handle of her sword, feeling the engravings etched into it, the sensation calming her nerves. There was no question that Ruby felt out of place amidst all these people who were all two years older than her, at least. But touching her sword, her partner, her most-trusted companion, helped her feel more confident. At the end of the day, Beacon was a school for warriors. When all was said and done, what truly mattered was what Ruby could do when her sword cleared its sheath. As long as that was what mattered, Ruby knew she could succeed.

It's a good thing I got to talk to Sasame-nee before today, thought Ruby, relieved that her long-shot call had allowed her to reach the girl who'd become an older sister to her. Before they had gone their separate ways, the two of them had made arrangements to keep in touch as best they could. They'd leave messages for each other at the CCT centers in the settlements they passed through, informing each other of where they were going next, and the time-frame they expected to spend getting there.

Ruby's knowledge from the last message she'd gotten placed Sasame as making her way towards Curunir by the time Ruby had arrived in Vale. There was no guarantee that Sasame would get there in time to get Ruby's message, and set up a call between them, but it had fortunately worked out, and Ruby had found herself sitting in front of a CCT terminal, staring at Sasame's face with a sense of relief, Friday evening...

"I certainly wasn't expecting this, Ruby-chan," Sasame said with a cheerful laugh. "I knew you were heading towards Vale. But to think you'd wind up catching the attention of Beacon's Headmaster, and get invited in, just like that."

"Don't laugh!" protested Ruby, her cheeks flushing. "I don't know what to do about it."

"You don't?" asked Sasame, her eyebrow going up. "I thought this was your lifelong dream, Ruby-chan. You don't want to be a Huntress anymore?"

"I do!" exclaimed Ruby. "It's just...it's just so sudden. I wanted to see Vale again, that's all. I didn't expect to get wrapped up in a robbery and then...and then..."

"Ruby-chan," said Sasame, the firm tone of her voice getting Ruby's attention the way it always had, whenever she slipped into "instructor mode." "Breathe. I'm about a month away. If you start to hyperventilate, there's nothing I can do for you, right now."

"Okay," said Ruby, slowing her breathing down and trying to relax.

"Now then...what are you so worried about?" asked Sasame.

"It's just...I don't know if I'm ready," said Ruby. "I wasn't expecting to go to Beacon for two more years."

Sasame giggled. "Well now, if the Headmaster invited you personally, I would certainly say so. He's perhaps the person best equipped to judge someone's suitability after all."

"I...I guess," said Ruby nervously. "B-but what about our plans?"

"What about them?" Sasame repeated back. "Life rarely goes according to plan, Ruby-chan. If anything, this is a rare occasion of life going better-than-planned. You're getting to start on the path to fulfilling your dream a full two years earlier. You'll become a Huntress two years sooner."

"Yes, but...what about my training?"

Sasame tilted her head. "We both know you're past the point where you need technical instruction, Ruby-chan. The entire point of this little excursion of ours was for you to gain experience, and apply your skills in the real world. You have the pieces, the individual components of your style: Kyo's wind, Shinrei's dance, your speed, your sword, and your own special spark. Because your style is being born from the unification of disparate components, gaining experience for yourself, and learning what works and what doesn't, is especially important for you. So...there's no reason going to Beacon can't be part of that training for you."

"I guess..." said Ruby.

"I know that this is sudden and scary," continued Sasame. "But what did we teach you about fear?"

"I need to let my fear inform me," said Ruby, "but I shouldn't let it control me."

Sasame nodded decisively. "Ruby-chan...there's only one thing that matters here," she said, her voice still stern, but also filled with love and caring. "What do you want? Do you want to go to Beacon?"

"Yes," said Ruby.

"Are you okay with going now...or would you to prefer to wait a little longer?"

"I...I..." Ruby lowered her eyes, trying to figure out her answer. Why was she so hesitant? Ozpin himself expressed belief she had what it took to succeed. What was more, he'd discerned that she had been trained by the Mibu, using that same kind of insight that Sasame herself had once used on her six years ago. That knowledge only seemed to make him more sure of his decision. Ozpin understood that Ruby was strong. But, what was more, he understood how she was strong. And that made him certain she could succeed at Beacon.

"I think I'm okay with going now," said Ruby, looking up at Sasame with a smile.

"Well then, that's that," said Sasame, breaking out in a cheerful grin. "Oh! I'm so proud of you, Ruby-chan!"

"Thank you," said Ruby, sniffling and wiping tears from below her eyes.

"I know it's going to be difficult," said Sasame. "You're nervous about going to school with a bunch of people older than you. But I know you can do it. You're probably going to be the strongest person there."

"You think?" asked Ruby.

Sasame nodded. "My Ruby-chan is as strong as some actual Huntsmen, stronger even. What your peers have been learning in stale, safe classrooms you've been living for yourself for the past six months. And that's just this little excursion. There's no way you'll be shown up by a bunch of first-year students, even if they're all seventeen."

"A-all right," said Ruby. "I don't really care about that."

"So long as it doesn't make you worry too much," said Sasame. She sighed. "I suppose I'm going to have to amend my travel plans."

"Huh?" grunted Ruby, thrown off by the sudden swerve in the conversation.

"I'll send Kyo back to Onmyo to let Sora-sama and the others know what happened," said Sasame. "I, on the other hand, will head straight for Vale. Let's see...given the distances involved, I should be there in about...a month, give or take a week or two."

"You don't have to," said Ruby urgently.

"But I want to," said Sasame. "By then, you'll have settled in somewhat. I'll just check up on how you're doing...and I'll be able to give you that hug you clearly want."

Ruby couldn't quite keep herself from smiling. She really did want one of Sasame's hugs right now, the warm, fuzzy kind, with Sasame's tails wrapped around her like a fluffy cocoon.

"I won't hover," promised Sasame. "I'll be there to see how you're doing, give you a little encouragement, then I'll pop back to Onmyo, and let Sora-sama and the rest know how you're doing. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah," said Ruby, feeling a wistful sensation at the prospect of seeing her sister in person again. Training on her own had been good for her, but Ruby genuinely missed Sasame and Kyo, especially Sasame.

"Then I'll see you soon," promised Sasame. "Remember, I love you, Ruby-chan. So do Kyo, Sora-sama, Murasame-sama, Shinrei, Natsu-chan…we're all cheering you on, even if we're not there."

"Thank you," said Ruby, wiping her nose.

"Ready?" asked Sasame.

"Yeah," said Ruby. "Bye, Sasame-nee."

"Bye, Ruby-chan." Sasame's image on the screen winked out.

Ruby took a deep breath, then pushed herself back from the terminal to make her way back to the hotel. Her path was clear now.

Even with Sasame's encouragement, Ruby still couldn't quite control the nervous quaver of her stomach. She marked the location of the nearest restroom, just in case. She cast her glance about uneasily, looking for something to take her mind off her nerves. She settled for looking out the window, which was filled with the spectacular view of the Kingdom, and the bay they had to cross to reach Beacon. A nearby vid-screen was playing a news broadcast and, to Ruby's shock, the news of Roman Torchwick's arrest was playing on it.

Ruby was glad to see that there was no mention of her, not wanting to make herself stand out more than she probably already would, given her age. As it was, the only image on the screen was that of Torchwick's frustrated face on his mugshot. Afterwards, the news transitioned to a story about the faunus organization, the White Fang, disrupting a peaceful protest.

Having spent the last five years amongst the Mibu, Ruby had not given much thought to the faunus-rights organization. The faunus population of the Mibu Clan was perfectly integrated with their human counterparts. While the Mibu certainly had their faults, it could genuinely said that prejudice against faunus wasn't one of them. It helped that half of the Taishiro, the Clan's equivalent to the Council, were faunus as well.

However, the report was abruptly cut off by an image of Glynda, introducing herself to the prospective students and welcoming them to Beacon. Ruby largely tuned it out, finding more interest in the view out the window, especially as the Academy itself came into view.

It was a spectacular sight, classical architecture, featuring numerous buttresses and arches, and even a few spires; and, at the center of it all, Beacon Tower, a large clocktower that also hosted Vale's CCT, one of the lynchpins that kept the four Kingdoms in communication with each other, one of the lynchpins of the current world order. It was beautiful, looking more like a fancy boarding school than a school for training warriors…or maybe it was a fancy boarding school for training warriors.

Ruby's idle musings were interrupted by a low groan, and she looked over in time to see a blonde boy stagger away from the window. From the way his hands were covering his mouth, Ruby figured that she wasn't the only one with stomach issues, but the poor boy's were definitely getting the better of him. Worried, she stepped towards him. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

The boy gave her a look that plainly told her he was in no fit state to answer, and that opening his mouth would lead to something other than words coming out. He turned towards the same restroom that Ruby had marked earlier, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Here," she said, steering him to a seat and forcing him down. "Hold on."

Reaching up, Ruby pressed the palm of her hand to the blonde boy's forehead, sliding it beneath his bangs. Taking a deep breath, she gently sent her Aura flowing out and into him, finding the source of his problem, a minor issue of disrupted equilibrium caused by differing sensory inputs, which was triggering an impending vomit reflex, a condition otherwise known as "motion sickness." Ruby sent her Aura into the boy's inner ears, stabilizing his sensory feedback and easing the discrepancy that had been about to impel him to lose his lunch.

The boy sighed and relaxed, his hands falling from his mouth to rest at his sides. His eyes slowly opened, revealing orbs of deep-blue that gazed at her gratefully. "Thanks," he said. "I don't know what you did, but it sure did the trick."

Ruby giggled and took a seat next to him. As she did, she looked at the hand she'd held to the boy's forehead. The contact had told her about his problem, but it had told her about something else as well.

The boy's Aura wasn't unlocked.

In and of itself, that wasn't odd. In the outside world, it was rare for people who weren't Huntsmen and Huntresses, or affiliated with the profession in some way, to have their Auras unlocked. Unlocking was a basic procedure in every Combat School, one of the first things done to newly-admitted students. As far as Ruby knew, the Mibu were the only ones who routinely unlocked their citizens' Auras, whether they used it for combat or not.

She looked at the boy again, taking in his appearance more carefully. His blonde hair was shaggy and unkempt, a spiky mess that reminded her a bit of Kyo. He had a pleasant face and nice eyes, managing to look boyish, but not outright childish. His state of dress told her something else, though.

The boy's ensemble was a mismatched mess. Ragged bluejeans and a black hoodie were the basic form of it, over which he wore a diamond-shaped white chestplate, along with white spaulders and rebracers. His hands were covered by brown, fingerless gloves; and his feet were covered by ordinary sneakers. It looked as though the boy had woken up in the morning, and just thrown some armor on over his casual clothes.

Her eyes drifted to his weapon, which was resting at his left hip. It looked like a plain sword in a white sheath. With a blue handle and gold crossguard, it looked nice, but plain and basic. The sheath was decorated with two curved lines of gold, and gold trim where it met the handle of the sword. Granted, it was a given that Huntsmen and Huntress weapons often had transformational capabilities, thanks to the creative application of mechashift technology. However, aside from some creases in the metal that made up the sheath, Ruby got the impression that the sword within it was…just a sword…rather like hers.

Ruby chewed the inside of her lip. Whoever this boy was, Ruby's instincts were telling her that he barely knew the first thing about combat…if even that. She thought back and remembered a slightly lopsided posture that indicated he hadn't adjusted to the weight of the weapon on his hip, which suggested he wasn't used to carrying its weight. It also probably hadn't done his sense of balance any favors, which would have only exacerbated his motion sickness.

All told, these things made her nervous. She was fifteen, two years younger than this boy most likely was, yet she could easily tell that, even if she wasn't one-hundred-percent certain that she was ready for Beacon yet, this boy clearly wasn't…at all.

But, if he was here, then that meant he had gotten in somehow. He'd applied…and Professor Ozpin had accepted him. What that meant, she didn't know. What she did know induced her to keep an eye on the boy, and make sure he would be all right.

Perhaps getting to know him was the first step.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"A lot," said the boy, giving her a relieved smile. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"A friend taught me," said Ruby, glad that the basic Aura-healing technique Sasame had taught her was already coming in handy.

While Ruby wasn't interested in becoming a dedicated healer, like her adoptive sister, she had been inspired by the relief Sasame could bring to people, even if she wasn't always on the front lines, fighting the Grimm. Even before Sasame had lectured her to that end, Ruby was fully aware that she couldn't become a master swordswoman and a healer at the same time. But Sasame had been willing to teach Ruby basic first-aid techniques to tend minor injuries, or even stabilize severely-wounded people, ensuring that Ruby could help people both on and off the battlefield.

Of course, Sasame probably hadn't envisioned it being used to treat a boy's motion sickness, but whatever worked.

"I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose," said Ruby, giving the boy a cheerful smile, trying to look more confident than she felt. After a week in the Kingdom, she was getting back into the swing of talking with people again, but she still felt nervous, especially when everyone here was older than her.

"Nice to meet you, Ruby," said the boy. "The name's Jaune Arc; short, sweet, rolls off the tongue; the ladies love it."

Ruby found herself giggling helplessly, not noticing the slightly affronted look on the boy's face that indicated he'd been deliberately trying to be suave. "Well…it's certainly a nice name," she said as she recovered, before giving him a cheeky smile. "But I think you should probably cut the ladies' man part out of your intro. It doesn't suit you."

"It doesn't?" asked Jaune forlornly.

"Nope," said Ruby plainly, trying not to giggle at his crestfallen look. "You come off better if you don't try too hard."

"Thanks," said Jaune with a sigh. "And here my dad told me that all girls were looking for is confidence."

"That's not quite confidence," said Ruby. "A little pretentious really."

"Wow…way to lance the boil of my ego," said Jaune dramatically, making Ruby giggle again.

"Hey, better with me than some other girl," said Ruby. "I still think you're nice."

"Thanks," said Jaune. "I would have preferred dashing, with a hint of roguish charm, though."

"Trust me, 'nice' suits you better," said Ruby.

"All right," said Jaune. Then he smiled at her again. "Again, thanks for the save. I wasn't sure I was gonna make it to the restroom. I'd probably have ended up upchucking over some poor girl's shoes. Now that really would have been a bad first impression."

"If nothing else, I'm glad we avoided that," said Ruby.

The two of them were so wrapped up in their talk that they were startled to their feet when the airship docked with a slight bump.

"Well…ready to go to orientation?" asked Ruby.

"Yep," said Jaune. "Let's do this thing."

Standing up, they followed the flow of people out of the airship, merging with the other students as they made their way up a broad plaza, flanked by arches and columns towards the school. As they walked, Ruby fished for another topic of conversation, and decided to settle her curiosity about Jaune's weapon. "So…what kind of sword is that?" she asked, glancing at the handle.

"Oh, this…" said Jaune, drawing his blade. "It's nothing special, just an ordinary sword. And the sheath…" Pulling it off his belt revealed a pair of straps that he slipped his arm through and the sheath expanded out to become a rather plain-looking heater-shield. The two stripes of gold were revealed to be a pair of gold crescents, presumably a family crest of some kind.

"Wow," said Ruby, genuinely impressed. Sure, it wasn't some kind of fancy, transforming, melee/gun combination, but both the shield and the sword, while looking worn, were clearly forged from high-quality materials, and sported excellent craftsmanship, for all that they were simple.

"You don't have to pretend to be impressed," said Jaune. "They're just…kinda hand-me-downs. It belonged to my dad. Before that, it belonged to my great-great-grandfather…and so on. It was even used during the Great War. Their name is Crocea Mors."

"For something that old, it's in great condition," noted Ruby. "Were your dad and grandfather Huntsmen?"

"Yep," said Jaune, sounding depressed for some reason.

Ruby raised her fingers to the shield, brushing them over the surface. "If they've been in use that long, and they're still in such good condition…they're actually really well-made." As she made contact, she was struck with a faint tingling sensation, almost like static. Ruby barely managed to stop herself from gasping as she realized she felt the faintest sense of Aura from the pair of weapons.

That appeared to raise his spirits. "Thanks," he said earnestly. He closed down his shield and sheathed his sword. "So what about yours?"

"Mine's…actually not all that different." Ruby drew her own blade, careful to not call on it as she held it up, resting the flat against the first two fingers of her right hand. "This is Akaibara."

"Whoa!" gasped Jaune, his eyes going wide. "Does it do anything?"

"It's a sword," said Ruby, giving him a sly smile. "Just like yours. It does have a few tricks."

Jaune reached out to touch it and Ruby felt a faint surge of panic. She hurriedly shifted her blade to keep him from making contact. Ozpin and Glynda had been one matter, but letting someone whose Aura wasn't even unlocked try and make contact with her blade, which could be temperamental at the best of times, was just asking for trouble.

"Sorry," she said, seeing the hurt look on Jaune's face. "I'm the only one who really should be touching it. It's a…security feature." That's an easier way to put it than trying to describe what it might actually do, she thought.

"Okay," said Jaune, the look on his face showing he didn't quite buy it, but at least he didn't openly question it either.

Ruby quickly slid her sword away and relaxed, once it was back in its sheath. It wouldn't do anything, save not let itself be drawn, if anyone but her tried to touch it like that, as Glynda had found out the other night.

"So we both have swords, huh?" mused Jaune idly. "I guess that makes us sword-buddies."

"Buddies?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah, buddies. You know…friends," said Jaune.

"Oh!" Ruby felt her heart skip in her chest. He's my friend? I have a friend! It was all she could do to keep herself from squealing out loud. Her time at Beacon hadn't really started, and she already had a friend. Granted, he was a friend who was making her a little worried, what with his situation and all, but Jaune was still a friend. I made a friend…Yay!

By this point, they, and the other students, had reached the auditorium, where their orientation would be taking place. Already, she saw all the other students standing around, chatting with one another as they waited for whatever speech would be made to welcome them to Beacon. Ruby took a moment to turn her attention from her new friend-Squee!-and take in the other students that were there with them.

They were a mixed bag, dressed in all manner of outlandish outfits. Over, almost directly in front of the stage, she saw a girl in white, who possessed an almost ethereal beauty to her, with pale skin and long, white hair, done up in a bun that was capped by a snowflake-shaped tiara, before extending in a long tail off to the right side of her head. As the girl in question turned to take in the room herself, Ruby noticed her ice-blue eyes, her gaze being drawn to the vertical scar over the girl's left one, which only seemed to enhance her beauty further.

The girl was dressed quite elegantly, looking more like a high-society socialite than an aspiring Huntress. She wore a white dress, with a skirt that ended just above her knees, not unlike Ruby's own. Over her top, she wore a white bolero jacket with red lining. Her feet were covered by long, high-heeled boots that Ruby couldn't imagine were in any way comfortable, when it came to fighting, or even walking over uneven ground.

There was something about the girl's bearing, from her poise and straight, almost rigid, posture, to the slightly upturned cant of her face, so that she gazed at everything with the slightest of downward looks, that struck Ruby as haughty and condescending. Whereas Ruby had been taking in her surroundings with wonder and fascination, this girl appeared to be taking them in with a sense of disapproval. Ruby decided to turn her eyes away from the girl, before she noticed she was being looked at, getting the sense that being caught staring would not end well for her.

Sweeping her gaze along the wall, Ruby spotted another girl, this one dressed in blacks, whites, and purples. Her light skin contrasted sharply with the ebony locks of hair cascading down past the level of her shoulders. She wore a black vest, under which was a white, sleeveless undershirt. There was an opening in her vest where it split towards her waist, showing off a tantalizing portion of her midriff, before the rest was covered by her white shorts, the rest of her legs being covered by black stockings that faded to purple where they met her boots. Finally, the girl's head was topped by a black bow.

She was leaning against the wall, apparently disinterested with her surroundings, her amber eyes glued to the book she held in front of her face. All told, the girl exuded a sense of mystique, which made her only more beautiful and alluring. At the same time, Ruby got the distinct sense that she was the kind of person who preferred peace and quiet over socialization. And so, Ruby's gaze drifted on.

There were so many unique people in the room. There was the long-haired redhead with the bronze armor. There was the perky, orange-haired girl talking animatedly with the black-haired young man dressed in green, who appeared to possess a calm serenity that would have impressed any of Ruby's teachers.

Perhaps it was chance that dictated that Ozpin entered and begin his speech when he did. Perhaps one might call it luck, though good or bad could not be determined. Perhaps there were other, higher, powers in play. Whatever the reason, Ruby's attention was drawn back to the front, before her gaze had the chance to brush over one person in particular, with a head of flowing, blonde hair…

I wouldn't exactly call that a "welcome" speech, thought Ruby, somewhat morosely, as she she and Jaune filed out of the auditorium with the other students. Ozpin's speech had been...critical, talking about wasted energy and whatnot. She supposed it was to induce them to work hard and take their studies seriously. I guess, if we're supposed to fight man-eating monsters for a living, it's not the kind of thing we can treat like a game.

After Ozpin's speech, Glynda had made her own entrance up on the stage, and informed them that they would be spending the night in the ballroom, and that their initiation would be taking place tomorrow morning. After that, they were allowed to move on their own and explore the campus. The dining hall would be open for dinner, and they had a curfew. But, other than that, they were free to do as they wished with their time.

They were also assigned lockers, where they could stow their weapons between now and the initiation. Ruby, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her sword behind, kept it with her for the time being. She politely excused herself from Jaune, promising to meet him again at dinner, and decided to take some time for herself to explore the school and see what it had to offer.

Once again, Ruby was struck by how fancy and formal everything looked, for all that this was a school for warriors. She caught glances of second and third-year students as she went around, seeing them dressed in blazers with ties or bows. Apparently, they had a uniform they wore to class.

Eventually, her wanderings took her into a courtyard, an evenly trimmed, green lawn, dotted with trees. It had a quiet, relaxed ambience that Ruby thought suited her just fine. Reaching a large oak tree, she stared up at the swaying branches, watching as the leaves danced through the sunlight, throwing dappled shadows across the ground. It reminded her of being in the forest again, prompting her to close her eyes and breathe deeply, inhaling the fresh scent in the air.

Letting out her breath, Ruby allowed herself to flop down onto the soft grass, laying on her back and staring up at the sky through the gaps in the leaves. She grunted, then shifted, tugging her sheathed sword from its place at the small of her back, so that she could rest it against her shoulder. This is nice. After the initiation, I'll have to come back here.

She let her eyes drift closed, and enjoyed the ambience of her surroundings.

"Excuse me!"

Ruby's eyes snapped open at the sound of the shout. Even before the person had spoken, Ruby had felt her approach. Now Ruby sat up to look towards the source of the voice. Oh no...

Sure enough, there was the girl in white that she'd spotted at the orientation. Ruby had thought she might be prissy and superior-acting, and the haughty tone in the girl's voice appeared to confirm it. "Yes?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level. This was not someone she wanted to show fear or nervousness in front of.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" asked the girl in white.

"...Relaxing," said Ruby, not sure how else to respond.

"By laying about on the grass, like some child?" pressed the haughty girl.

Ruby canted her head, confused by the slight. "How is it childish?" she asked.

"It's..." The girl clearly didn't have an answer and, from the irritation she demonstrated, also wasn't accustomed to having what she said questioned. "It's beneath us."

"It's grass," said Ruby. "Of course it's beneath us."

"That's not what I meant!" snapped the pale girl. "We're training to be Huntresses. We can't be laying around on grass."

"Uh..." Ruby blinked. A sense of irritation was worming up within her. Ruby plain didn't like this girl. She was minding her own business, and this prissy, haughty...princess had gone out of her way to accost Ruby as though she'd done something indecent...and for what? Ruby's adjustment period for being back in civilization had passed, and she was not in the mood for some bratty rich girl's nitpicking.

The girl squinted as she came closer, scrutinizing Ruby with those ice-blue eyes. "Aren't you be a little young to be coming to Beacon?"

"Maybe," said Ruby, not feeling any obligation to give the other girl a definite answer.

"How old are you?" pressed the girl.

"None of your business," said Ruby, an angry harshness leaking into her tone.

The girl in white reeled back, clearly not used to being so directly defied. "I beg your pardon," she hissed.

"Good, I forgive you," said Ruby, laying back, unable to keep her lips from quirking a smile at the girl's indignant "Hey!"

"Do you have any idea who I am?" demanded the girl.

Ruby lifted her head and looked the girl over again, taking in the details of her appearance. "No."

From the way her jaw dropped, that was clearly not the answer she'd been expecting. She sputtered indignantly. "Does the name, Weiss Schnee, mean anything to you?"

Ruby paused. There was a familiar ring to it, however, she couldn't place it. "Nope."

"So you don't know about the Schnee Dust Company?" pressed Weiss.

"Oh...them?" Ruby blinked. "I've heard of them."

"I'm one of them!" yelled Weiss.

"One of the company?" asked Ruby, canting her head again.

"I'm Weiss Schnee!" snapped the girl.

"You said that already," replied Ruby.

"I'm-" the girl began.

"The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company," said a quiet voice from behind the tree.

Ruby blinked and turned to see the black-haired girl from the auditorium. She'd apparently been behind the tree, whether or not it had been the whole time, Ruby couldn't say. The girl was good, whoever she was, if Ruby hadn't sensed her presence before she got so close. Or maybe I let my guard down a little too much. Strangely enough, her book was still in front of her and she'd raised the level of her eyes just enough to take in the two of them.

"Oh..." she said in response to the bookworm's statement. She turned back to Weiss. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"I...you...why...I...UGH!" Weiss threw up her hands in frustration and stalked off.

"What's her problem?" mused Ruby, her eyebrows going up.

"She must be used to being recognized," said the black-haired girl. Her tone was level and bland, but the slight crinkling at the corners of her eyes indicated she was hiding a smile.

"It sounds like it's important. The Schnee Dust Company is big, right?" asked Ruby.

The girl nodded, still not looking up from her book, though she did seat herself down a short distance from Ruby, leaning against the trunk of the tree. "The SDC is the main purveyor of Dust to all four Kingdoms," said Blake. "But they're also widely known for their controversial labor policies and shady business tactics."

"Oh...okay," said Ruby, looking after Weiss again. The heiress had already disappeared inside one of the school buildings.

"You really didn't know?" asked Blake.

"Well, I've heard about the Schnee Dust company once or twice," said Ruby. "But I don't use Dust, so it never really stuck."

"You don't use Dust!" said the black-haired girl in surprise, lowering her book to stare at Ruby.

"Nope," said Ruby. "This is my sword." She hefted the blade in question. "It's just a sword."

Given the nature of its make and who had made it, describing Akaibara like that was doing it something of a disservice. However, experience had taught her that trying to explain just what made her precious blade so special tended to be met with responses ranging from incomprehension to skeptical mirth. So nowadays, Ruby chose to call her sword "just a sword," and let her sweetheart do the talking for her, when it was necessary.

"That's...unusual," was all that the black-haired could say in response to Ruby's assertion.

"I guess," said Ruby with a shrug, before smiling at the girl. "I'm Ruby Rose, by the way," she said.

"Blake Belladonna," the black-haired girl introduced herself.

Ruby's eyes drifted up to Blake's bow and, to her surprise, she saw it twitch. "Blake...are you a faunus?"

Blake gasped in shock, her hand going to the bow, her eyes narrowing at Ruby. "H-how did you-?"

"Sorry," said Ruby. "I noticed 'cause I've spent a lot of time around other faunus. My adoptive sister is one. She has a fox-tail though."

"Your sister is a faunus?" repeated Blake, her eyes wide.

"Uh huh," said Ruby. "Sasame-n-... She cut herself off, remembering that honorifics like that didn't see use outside the Mibu Clan. "...Sasame is the one who unlocked my Aura, and taught me how to use it."

"Oh," said Blake.

"Why are you hiding them?" asked Ruby.

"It's just..." Blake looked down. "I want people to see me for who I am...not what I am."

Ruby canted her head to the side. "I don't get it."

"You don't...?" Blake asked. "I know Beacon is progressive in how it welcomes faunus. But that won't change the attitudes of students right away."

"Oh!" said Ruby, her eyes going wide. "You don't want to get bullied."

"Well...uh...yes," said Blake. That sounded rather childish when Ruby put it like that.

"But I still don't get it," said Ruby.

"You don't get not wanting to get picked on for being different?" deadpanned Blake.

"No! I get that," protested Ruby. "I just don't get that whole 'who you are' versus 'what you are' thing."

"You...don't..." Blake blinked furiously at that.

"Yeah, I mean, who you are and what you are are kinda tied together," said Ruby. "Being a faunus is something you shouldn't feel you have to hide. It's something you should be proud of."

"I am proud to be a faunus," said Blake.

"Then why are you afraid to show it?" asked Ruby. "If people bully you for that, then they're just jerks."

"It's...just..." Blake looked down. Ruby got the distinct impression that it wasn't really bullies Blake was afraid of. "I just want to keep a low profile."

"Oh...okay," said Ruby.

Her words petered off into silence and the atmosphere took an awkward turn. "A-anyway, sorry to disturb your reading time," said Ruby quickly.

Blake smiled again. "It's not your fault," she said.

"I'm just gonna lay here, if you want to keep reading," added Ruby, flopping onto her back again.

"That's fine with me," said Blake, leaning back and raising her book up again.

As she stared up through the foliage again, Ruby found herself reflecting that she might have made another friend. The thought cheered her immensely, soothing the sour feeling of knowing that she'd apparently earned the ire of Weiss, through no fault of her own that she could tell. Still, whatever Weiss' problem was, Ruby figured it would be up to Weiss to get over it. All Ruby had to do was what she did best.

Ruby and Blake passed the time quietly until dinner arrived. Ruby invited Blake to sit with her and Jaune, but Blake declined, instead choosing to settle into a more isolated position, presumably where she could eat and read at the same time. Ruby understood that.

Ruby took her plate and settled next to Jaune, trading pleasantries with him and talking about what they had done that day. Ruby had to admit that she didn't have a whole lot to share, save for her altercation with Weiss. Revealing Blake's secret to Jaune was out of the question, of course.

It turned out that Jaune hadn't done all that much either, mostly wandering the grounds and seeing all the different buildings and classrooms. He'd also asked around about what the initiation entailed, but it seemed that none of the others that had arrived with them knew anything about it. If anyone did, they were keeping mum.

"Is that her?" asked Jaune as Weiss crossed their field of vision during their conversation.

"That's her," said Ruby.

Weiss noticed them, and her eyes met Ruby's briefly. Then Weiss turned away sharply with a twitch of her chest and shoulders that suggested an angry "Hmph!" even if Ruby couldn't hear it over the general din of the dining hall.

"She's beautiful," said Jaune, longing in his voice.

"Yeah...she is that," Ruby conceded. God help me...he's one of those romantic types. "It's too bad she's such a priss though."

"Maybe she's just on edge because of nerves," suggested Jaune.

"Maybe," Ruby conceded again, admitting to herself that it was indeed possible. However, if that was the case, it wasn't to Weiss' credit that accosting random people for invented slights or innocuous things (like laying on the grass) was her idea of blowing off steam. "Still, if that's the case, I'd suggest not trying to woo her, Lover Boy," she said, grinning and teasingly elbowing Jaune in the side. "On edge or not, she'd chew you up and spit you out in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, but a guy can dream," said Jaune.

Ruby sighed and resigned herself to her friend mooning over one of the most annoying people she'd met in her life. And, considering some of the people she'd dealt with in the Mibu Clan, that was saying something.

For all that it annoyed her, Ruby couldn't exactly fault Jaune for falling for Weiss' beauty. The girl in white was practically the image of a storybook princess brought to life. She was fair and elegant. Even her scar enhanced her beauty, rather than detracted from it, giving a tiny bit of asymmetry to her face that lent her a quality of uniqueness, which was further helped by her decision to wear her hair in a tail that was offset, rather than straight out behind her.

In fact, she reminded Ruby of the stories of faerie queens that Sora and Sasame had read to her, when she was younger. Just like those storybook queens, Weiss was hauntingly beautiful, but also capricious and quick to anger. Ruby just hoped that Weiss didn't have any faerie magic to go with that attitude of hers. Ruby didn't fancy the idea of spending her life with the head of a donkey.

Ruby also pointed out Blake to Jaune, though she advised him that Blake apparently liked her peace and quiet, so they wouldn't disturb her. Jaune had agreed.

Aside from that, they chatted about other topics to pass the time until they'd finished their meal. Afterwards, they took their trays to the dish-washers and made their way to the ballroom, where they would spend their first night at Beacon.

Upon entering the ballroom, they were given bedrolls by the staff and left to find space for themselves. Ruby and Jaune chose to set up near the wall, where they would be out of the way, for the most part. After staking out their space, they had retired to the bathrooms to change into their pajamas.

Ruby didn't wear pajamas when she was on the road. Even if it meant her clothes getting a little ripe, it was always good to be prepared, lest Grimm come on her during the night. However, when she had the luxury, Ruby had the present Sasame had gotten her for her fifteenth birthday. It was a set of jinbei, the equivalent of pajamas favored by the Mibu. Cotton or linen were the favored fabric, but Ruby's were made from silk, dyed a dark-red color, with a black rose-print pattern climbing up the left side so that the rose's bloom rested over the left side of her chest. The leggings were short and loose, extending about halfway down her thighs.

Settling onto her bedroll, Ruby sat back against the wall, resting her sword against her shoulder as she took in the scene of other students wandering in and getting ready for sleep. Then Jaune walked in, and Ruby had to cover her mouth to keep from bursting into laughter.

Jaune's pajamas consisted of a blue onesie. However, the most hilarious part was the adorable bunny face plastered across his chest, and the cute little bunny slippers that covered his feet. The way Jaune wore it, with complete assurance and confidence, only made him seem all the funnier to Ruby, who felt like she was about to explode as her mirth built up within her.

"What?" was all that Jaune said when he reached her and sat down next to her.

"Y-you just look..." Ruby couldn't hide it anymore and she burst out laughing. "God! You look adorable!"

"W-well, yeah," said Jaune, finally appearing to have developed enough awareness to at least look sheepish. "My big sister made this for me. The whole rabbit motif was a joke on her part. But it's super comfortable, so I use it."

"W-well, comfort is what, c-counts," said Ruby, trying to rein in her laughter again.

Jaune sighed and gave Ruby an indulgent smile. "Oh, go ahead."

Ruby surrendered to whoops of laughter, falling over onto her side, while Jaune looked on with a twitching eyelid. His twitching only got worse as Ruby's laughter drew the attention of others in the room, which soon had them chuckling or giggling as well. Jaune slumped and sighed with resignation.

"So much for keeping my dignity," he lamented.

"Your dignity died an early death when you decided to wear that onesie," said Ruby as she righted herself.

"Glad to know I have such a supportive and caring friend," Jaune groused with all the sarcasm he could muster.

"Aw, come on, it's cute," said Ruby, poking him in the shoulder. "And I think it's pretty daring that you're willing to be seen in public like this. That takes guts."

"I guess so," said Jaune. He glanced over at Ruby and his eyebrow went up. "By the way...you're keeping your sword?"

"Y-yeah," said Ruby, glancing at the blade that rested against her shoulder. "I'm used to sleeping with her on the road. You don't want your weapon out of reach...ever...when you're in the wilderness."

"Wow," said Jaune, before frowning to himself. "I guess that's a good habit to cultivate."

"You don't need to," said Ruby quickly. "I just do it because it's what I'm used to. At home, I have a rack I hang her from when I go to bed. But, when I'm not there, it feels more right to sleep like this. I can't even sleep in an inn or hotel room without her close by."

"I understand," said Jaune. Then he yawned hugely, stretching his arms over his head. "I guess we should get to sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day."

"Yeah," agreed Ruby, her heart thudding alarmingly, and not simply in anticipation.

As she watched Jaune climb into his bedroll, Ruby couldn't help but recall the fact that his Aura wasn't unlocked, and she wondered what that might mean for the initiation. Still, if he was here, that must mean he'd been accepted. Given what she'd experienced from Professor Ozpin herself, Ruby figured the man knew what he was doing. So she climbed into her own bedroll and closed her eyes, figuring that she would just take tomorrow as it came.

The laughter had drawn the attention of nearly everyone in the room. Of course, once they saw what had the girl in red pajamas rolling around and kicking, nearly everyone else began to chuckle or giggle. However, there was one person whose laughter stopped dead before it even left her mouth. In fact, any sense of mirth had died in its infancy at the mere sound of the laughter that had drawn her attention in the first place.

No way! Lilac eyes blinked, before opening wide, staring across the room at the girl in red pajamas as she recovered and sat back up.

Yang Xiao Long's mouth hung slack as she stared. She couldn't believe it. It shouldn't have been possible. But there was no mistaking that laughter, a sound that had practically vanished from their home after four years spent under Taiyang's thumb. There was no mistaking that radiant smile, a smile that Yang could barely remember seeing as resentment had replaced it within their home. Nor did she mistake that black hair, shading to red towards the tips, still worn in that slightly asymmetric style that her little sister had always favored. And, finally, there were those silver eyes...her mother's eyes.

There was no question. She was older and more mature-looking, but it was definitely Ruby, Yang's little sister, who had disappeared from her life one night, six years ago. Uncle Qrow and Taiyang had both searched frantically for her, but had never found her. After six years, with no word, they had all but given her up for dead. Only Yang had held on, stubbornly, to the faint hope that Ruby was alive somewhere. But for her to wind up here and now...at Beacon.

How? She's fifteen. That's two years too young! Did she lie about her age? Yang frowned at the idea. Does she even know how to fight? One might assume so, from the sword that Ruby rested against her shoulder as she sat. But Yang couldn't fathom how or when Ruby had learned how to use it. Knowing Ruby's ambition and drive, Qrow and Taiyang had checked for her with every combat instructor and class in Vale, only to come up empty-handed.

Other questions flooded Yang's head, questions that were only natural after not seeing Ruby for six years, only to find her coming to Beacon as part of the same class Yang was in. It didn't make sense. Yang shifted, preparing to get to her feet.

Then she saw Ruby and her friend, the silly, blonde boy in the rabbit onesie both climbing into their bedrolls. Yang frowned, uncertain of what to do. She was desperate to know where Ruby had been, what she had been doing. But Yang couldn't bring herself to disturb her, now that Ruby was going to sleep. She swallowed. Okay...I can talk to her in the morning. She's not going anywhere now.

Resolved, Yang slipped between the covers of her own bedroll and pulled them up. However, sleep would prove elusive for her that night.