Chapter Text
Afternoon, Beacon Airship "Fixed Addendum"
‘Normal. Normal. Everything was fine, everything was normal. Normal girl, normal knees—is that what Yang said? It was, right? Whatever, I-’
The grav-engines hummed louder and louder as they ascended. Certain aircraft always did leave a pleasant buzz every time they started to fly, kinda like a bee. It was a common thing with grav-engines, really. The stabilizers did a job well done as well, keeping just about everybody steady on board as they were intended to do. ‘…Except that blonde guy, I think..’
Her silver gaze remained on "that blonde guy" for a moment, watching him press his face on the window—what the hell is he doing—and just staring down at what Ruby could only assume was the port for some reason. Did he forgot to take something from there? Like a bag or two? Did she forget something? It’s starting to give her a headache.
‘Ugh, whatever…’ She shook her head lightly, raking her attention off the man and putting it on something else. ‘What else could I- Oh god, I’m going to Beacon two years early..!’ Aaaaaand back to square one, great. She pulled her hood even closer to her face—wait, when was it, actually never mind—and leaned against the nearest window. Cold glass pane.
At least the view was nicer than her mental state. 'I did NOT think this through, did I? This is stupid, why did I accept..?! I mean, I know I fight well with Crescent Rose but the sheer amount of things that I missed on learning if I went the normal way! Basics in Aura Manipulation, Intermediate Aura Studies, Intermediate Dust Applications on Aura, there’s just too much subjects-’
"Ruby!"
‘Oh f-’ Ruby, gaslight herself all she might, could not for the love of her sanity brace nor even process that Yang was going in for a tackle instead of a normal hug. Because yes, why not. Not like she was the physically gifted older sibling anyway, noooo sir. Admittedly though, the impact was much better than she imagined it. Fortunately, she didn’t fall to the floor!
THUOMP-
Unfortunately, Yang was trying to unintentionally kill her against the wall. She swore she saw her aura flare a bit before it instinctively went out upon her knowing that it was just Yang.
"Oh, I seriously can’t believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me!"
"Please stop…" Was all Ruby could really murmur out. It’s not that she was pressed against the window or anything, she was pretty sure that she was running out of oxygen though. She’d watch as Yang slowly unwrapped her arms around her shoulders, mouthing a small little ‘sorry’ before she backed up with a little hop, raising her hands as if making a surrender gesture.
"What, can’t your big sis celebrate a win every now and again? And besides, heard you did them good down there! Once everyone hears about what you did, everyone’s going to think you’re the cat’s whiskers. Though those guys did kinda look familiar, hm… wait a minu-"
"…What? Cat’s whiskers? Don’t you mean bee’s knees?" She questioned, confusion obvious in her voice. Again, she swore Yang said something else earlier. ‘…Seriously, am I suddenly getting some memory loss because of all my panicking or something? Y’know what, it’s probably nothing. Whatever, at least I’ll be here with Yang, she’s the only one I could count on in staying with me till initiation.’ "I swear, you said something about knees earlier."
"What? Bee’s knees? I mean, they basically mean the same thing but that isn’t exactly what I said earlier. Maybe you must’ve heard somebody else mention that? Lotsa people goin’ to Beacon, y’know?"
At the reminder of people, Ruby would suddenly look around themselves. People, huntsmen and huntresses to be. Just like Yang, just like her. Wielding various different weapons. Chainsword-Shotgun, Halberd-Whip-Rifle, Flail with throwable payload? Huh. Wait, is that a folding hand fan? Must be a semblance thing. Weird. She couldn’t really see how dust could be used with it though. Without a warning, Ruby would feel a soft bump to her right, causing her gaze to return back to Yang. ‘..Oh, she’s making that face again…’
"..Hey, what’s wrong? Thought you were excited about this whole advancing-to-Beacon-early thing..?"
‘Ugh, this is stupid, I’m stupid, I-’ "Look, I-I’m just… starting to have doubts, okay?" She confessed, doubt crawling on her back. "I think I should have thought about it more. There’s too much I missed just because I wanted to be a huntress quicker!" She let out a sigh, her nervousness leaving her body despite the self doubt that still remained in her head.
"I don’t want to make people think I’m special just because I beat a well-known criminal." Ruby remained silent, her body straightening as she tried to at least look stronger than earlier. Yang kept quiet as well, her gaze momentarily going over to a projector that displayed a certain newscast before it returned back to Ruby herself.
"Well, if you don’t want to be, then that’s fine too y’know. No pressure or anything, I know you’re already a nervous wreck enough as it is. Dunno about after they see you fight though."
Ruby honestly couldn’t help but just sigh in relief as Yang gave her head a little pat or two, finally pulling her cloak’s hood down as the news was interrupted by the holographic projection of a very familiar huntress. It’s one of the hunters from yesterday night, the one with an extremely high proficiency in dust manipulation courtesy of her semblance anyway. A rate of one hundred percent, Ruby was pretty sure.
‘And a weird spike-y aura too, heh. Anyway, I guess it’s late now though at this point. No use in backing down when I’m a few minutes away from Beacon...’ As Yang was about to ask nobody in particular about who the figure was, funnily enough followed up by Glynda Goodwitch introducing herself which made Yang let out a dumb ‘oh’, Ruby simply shook her hood before letting out a sigh with a genuine smile finally plastering itself on her face for the first time this long hour.
‘It’s gonna be a real long day, huh?’
Afternoon, Beacon Academy: West Wing
‘How?’ is currently the only thing in Ruby’s mind. She genuinely thought Yang wouldn’t just run off on her, really. Like with friends or something. Ruby knew Yang was popular with her age group but she was also responsible enough to be a proper older sister considering the fact that she basically raised her half her childhood—wow that sounded kinda sad and pathetic now that she thought about it out loud.
‘How did she even find a valid reason anyway? Did she pay vomit boy or something..?! No, no, she wouldn’t- Point is, she’s gone and it’s not like Ruby would have done the same in her situation. That’s probably the worst part. She wouldn’t want barf on her combat boots neither.’
Whatever, whatever, whatever. This is what she had been asking for anyway! Partial absence of a totally overprotective sibling. Ignoring the fact that the entire day was basically just intermission, preparation, and some recreational free time right before basic staff welcoming later closer to evening before finally resting for initiation tomorrow, students were left to essentially free to explore the entire academy as they please.
Now, was she going to make friends? No, not yet, that’s stupid. She knew well enough that Yang’s overprotectiveness had stunted her socializing capabilities to some degree and she’d rather not test how severe it actually is. Instead, she’d rather do something productive, like finding the library.
"…" Klak, klak, klak.
"…"
Klak, klak, klak. "…"
‘Hm. Rather peaceful walk, didn’t think it would be this quiet considering how many new enrollees there were on the airship. Maybe it’s because everybody had a weapon? Or maybe it’s because it’s kinda just common sense? It’s a prestigious school after all. At least I’ll be able to make a good impression on new people, probably.’
‘There’s no possible way for me embarrass myself any further than just tripping on a pebble or something considering how I can essentially mentally prepare myself with how quiet it is. Like, what am I gonna do, explode?’ Just as Ruby finished her self ted talk with a big and stupid grin on her face, the moment she’d round the corner, she’d immediately bump into someone. As a result, they’d both take a step back, rubbing the respective parts that have been hit. However: "Umph-" ‘Wh- was that on oof?! Did I just-’ God have fucking mercy.
Rubbing her left side a bit, she’d autonomously start apologizing of course. Why? Because that usually works. Pretty sure it’s never failed her before. "Oh my god, I am so sorry… I didn’t think I was moving that fast. Or maybe I didn’t move fast enough..?" ‘..Hahah… perks of having speed-based semblance..’ She sarcastically remarked. To herself of course, internally. Probably would’ve been the best thing to say if she wanted an awkward atmosphere.
But she didn’t, and kept silent about it.
Moving on, being the sniper and marksman that she was, she couldn’t help but just look at the person right before her as they both readjusted themselves the next few seconds after they spoke. Quiet, real quiet, wow. She hadn’t made a single sound let alone a word when they bumped into each other. It’s like she’s on mute or something, that’s actually kinda funny.
"It’s…it’s fine. Not like I was paying attention to the path either anyway."
Black hair, yellow and blue eyes. Lots of books even through her own standards, maybe more in the backpack that’s slung over her left shoulder? Ruby would’ve assumed she was a huntress-in-training with a stealth-based semblance but started to doubt her assumption now that she noticed the stupidly massive bow on top of the other woman’s head. ‘Support-based, maybe?’ She’s pretty well trained looking at her physique.
Not exactly focusing on gaining any muscle from the looks of it, "athletic"’s probably the right word for that. She’s as tall as me too—wait, no. I think she’s like an inch or two shorter. She has one of those excessively inefficient-grade heels. ‘Five foot five without those lady stilts just eyeballin’ it, pretty sure. Why do some people wear heels bigger than 2 inches..? And in a combat setting too, that’s dumb. Her aura also looks kinda-’
"..Is there something wrong with my face?"
‘-smudged. Oh, that’s definitely a cautious and/or weirded out look she’s giving me. Sorry that I only get interested in stuff I can see and not like, the actual people making said stuff, weird bow person.’ Fortunately, something shifted in the cautious woman’s face as Ruby made a face of her own. Red couldn’t really tell what face she was making and she’d rather think about how it at least got the monotone woman to lighten her glowering expression ever so slightly.
Nervously, Ruby cleared her throat, letting out an awkward laugh to try and lighten the mood which honestly only made the entire situation much more awkward right before finally replying properly herself. "No, n-no." Wait, there’s a perfect response to this- "I-I was kinda just wondering where the library was? I’m a little lost. Passed by the cafeteria twice already unless I just circled around it or something. Not really good with overly complicated map directions. Unless you just usually carry around that-"
She’d gesture to the eight books Black had stacked on her arms.
"-everywhere you go. Then sorry for just assuming."
"Oh, uhm, it’s fine. Don’t worry, I did get these from the library. I don’t think this many books were allowed to be even brought from what I can remember in the form anyway.
"There was a limit?"
"…Yes?"
"Huh…"
"…"
"…"
"Ah, right, the library’s at the very back of the school by the way. North of the tower if you want a cardinal direction."
"Oh thank God, so that’s why I couldn’t find it…" Ruby let out a sigh of relief once more before her face finally brightened as her problem was essentially resolved now. "Been searchin’ for half an hour now, honestly. I kinda just assumed the back area was officially reserved for gyms. They’re usually like that here in Vale from what I can remember." As she made an obvious thinking face, her thinking expression eventually broke as the girl in front of her let out a little snicker.
She wasn’t exactly bothered by it, primarily because she cared more about negative reactions than positive ones in certain social contexts. "Right, actually, before I go... have you seen an stupidly loud and obnoxious blonde girl with a weird fetish for puns around here?"
"No. Although I did hear that there was a ruckus at the dorms. Something about a bright haired girl making trouble over…actually, I didn’t get that last part."
Ruby merely gave the other woman a nod, reaching out for her scroll on her right pocket. "Alright, thanks for the heads up. I’ll um, get going now if you don’t mind." The other huntress-to-be also gave her own nod at this point as Ruby went by her, heading towards what she could only assume was the path the book girl took to get to that one corner they met themselves at.
‘Well, maybe if I knew what initiation even was then I’d at least be trying to make some friends. Like that relatively nice girl just now. Instead, I get to panic about not knowing if it’s a written or practical test. Because I skipped two years and got into Beacon Academy alongside my older sister and—okay, I should really stop thinking about this anymore.’
Afternoon, Beacon Academy: Librarby
Y’know, there are some real big pros to the library. Such as the fact that Ruby could properly calm herself down and also learn as much as she could before the inevitable result of her lacking studies show either during initiation or after team assignment when standard lessons finally started to begin. Also, the couches were pretty nice too.
Ruby’s right leg bobbed in place as her now fairly relaxed mental state still felt the small prickly grasp of nervousness bugging her like a relentless mosquito. A level low enough for Ruby to not talk herself down. More or less because of the headache that was the first book she had picked, which is out of five. Great.
Again, considering her circumstances, Red eventually succumbed. Even if it meant drowning herself in words she’s only now beginning to take in. Unbeknownst to the social wreck herself, her silver eyes softly twinkled in interest, instinctively keen on knowing something knew about being a proper huntress herself even if she didn’t seem like it.
Aura. It is a finite, self-regenerating energy originating from the soul. All living beings possess it; hunters learn to consciously mobilize it.
It exists in three functional states.
- Latent - Though it usually refers to the dormant state of Aura with civilians, it also represents the state of aura from those who’ve unlocked it where it is in a completely passive form, merely there to assist in the most basic of functions as a biological organism.
- Guarded - The most common state among hunters in training. Unlike the "latent" state where it only boosts certain functions through a minimal amount, the "guarded" state is where the automatic or conscious defensive buffering happens. In more simpler terms, it is where the soul shield makes it’s proper appearance.
- Directed - At this point, Aura is at it’s strongest, manifesting as a clearly visible form of radiance with the same properties as their user’s soul energy. Generally used by senior trainees or fully graduated hunters, this is where all utilizations of Aura can truly shine. Material infusion (notably seen in metallurgy), martial reinforcement (particularly those that manage to utilize raw soul energy for offense), and even exploring one’s self. To further develop their own soul and power to their heart’s will.
‘Huh, I already know what "Imbuement" is and a few particular ways of material reinforcement but what’s-’
Through controlled output around and beyond the epidermal boundary, users may extend Aura a measurable distance from the body. This extension forms the basis of many prominent close-quarters combat skills and could even bridge the gap between an aura user without a semblance to one with a semblance.
‘Huh? Wha- Why didn’t Uncle Qrow teach me any of this..?! I know I said I liked my combat style a lot but this is just too much to pass up, isn’t it? I could’ve probably gotten a solid chance at knocking out Yang in hand-to-hand combat if I knew about this sooner…’
At advanced levels, Aura may even be condensed and expelled as a projectile independent of a semblance that allows a similar effect. However, such projection is energetically expensive and requires precise control to avoid destabilization of one’s Guarded state.
’Didn’t know we could do this in real life too and not just in anime, what- I thought, actually no, it’s kinda stupid to think that we never really experimented on how to weaponize aura now that I think about it. Especially with the Grimm around. I swear, just reading this is starting to make me feel more unprepared. I know I’m really fast but…’
Dust is reactive to Directed Aura. While Dust can function mechanically, Hunter-grade performance requires conscious modulation. Compatibility between an individual’s Aura signature and specific Dust types of course depends on their skill. Semblances may refine or specialize in this interaction, allowing even the most magical of outcomes depending on an individual’s knowledge about dust, their proficiency with their semblance, and the management of their Aura reserves.
‘Okay, yeah. That’s it, I’m so fried. I’m not exactly religious but, maybe God hates me or something. I just wanted to be a huntress, why is the two-year knowledge gap this big? This is like putting Dust lessons alongside Math all over again…’
". . ."
A turn, a grunt. Smooth, a little cold, like the AC.
A groan, a twitch, and a slight ease. A little uncomfortable but there’s not much of a better substitute here aside from a book.
And eventually, brightness. Blinding her of seeing the world before her very silver eyes. Ruby whined a little, obviously annoyed at what any person would have experienced if they were in her shoes.
She let out a yawn and stretched her arms as her body stiffened and twisted in place. Cracking her knuckles and making sure everything was okay, she eventually looked around to see that there were barely any students in this place. ‘Weird, thought some of the enrollees like me would at least be studying just in case. I mean they were a while ago but… wait..’
She’d raise her left arm, momentarily studying her crumpled sleeve (what are you lookin’ at?) for some odd reason before pulling it down ever so slightly and checking her wrist watch. Nervous. ‘Oh God, please have some ounce of mercy for me-’
"…"
She stilled, and then, much like a true love’s kiss, her face met it’s lover: the library table. If Ruby was any more dazed, she’d probably be sexually assaulting the thing with her tongue.
Thud.
"..I missed the opening ceremonyyyyy…"
Evening, Beacon Academy: ⏱︎
…
Tap, tap, tap.
…
"Hm." A small pause, a hum, and a sip of some warm chocolate.
…
Tap, tap, tap.
…
Tapping one’s fingers on the surface of an object is a common nonverbal thinking aid, often seen in people who are mentally active, restless, or processing complex ideas.
Ozpin’s allies seem to think he’s either the first, the last, or both of those two all at once. In actuality, he is usually all three. No matter how intoxicated he is, temporarily stuck in limbo once more, or how much he acts… this feeling—this unease—it’s always been at the back of his mind. He didn’t know when it started, however, he does know that the Wicked Burned Witch of the West did not cause this. Whatever this is. Neither the twins nor their mother did this. He could tell.
Of course, there are times where this feeling disappears completely. Take now for example.
"Ozpin, I don’t exactly see the benefit of bringing Miss Rose here at Beacon."
His assistant finally spoke, letting out the thoughts her face had been ever so slightly alluding to the more she thought about the young woman they met just yesterday ago.
"I know our circumstances, believe me, but it’s rather hard to believe Miss Rose’s condition. Everything has had an explanation as far as I can tell. Salem can’t be beaten conventionally because as you said, she’s been cursed with physical immortality. Different from your own where you can reincarnate onto a person’s soul, spiritual immortality."
"The relics exist because of the Brothers, in order for humanity to call them back here to initiate Judgement. You and Salem have magic because you’re both from an era where humanity had it."
"You gave just about everything a proper explanation, except for dust and silver-eyed warriors are."
He remained silent, even as Glynda’s gaze remained on himself and the intel given to him by a certain corvid. ‘Cinder Fall. The Fall maiden’s attacker. How curious, coincidental, and bold. Is this a move out of desperation or one done outside of Salem’s will? I’m old enough to know patterns when I see one, memorize them even, she should know this better than anyone.’
‘This still seems to be a deliberate and blatant attempt however, the only thing I can deduct from this is that she’s letting her helpers have at it with their roles. Decide on their own. Whatever the case, I can at least guarantee that this wasn’t a plan Salem came up with.’ With that, he held onto the papers, slipping them back into their respective physical folder and returning them back to their respective cabinet.
"Why, Glynda, I thought it was already obvious as to why I’m not explaining it—is it not?" Ozpin said, hiding his small grin behind another drink of his hot chocolate. "After all the years we’ve been acquainted—or rather the whole circle really—I thought that at least you would specifically know some of the little things I’m thinking about, even if I make it hard by not reacting as one would instinctively do."
"There are some instances where I do, yes, but I assure you that it’s harder to read you when the very thing you’re contemplating about has some incredibly drastic impact on our world as a whole. Again, may I ask, what are the silver-eyed warriors?"
"I don’t know."
"…E-excuse me..?"
"I do not know what the silver-eyed warriors are, Glynda. They did not exist during the time-before." Again, Ozpin took another sip of his drink. Not to hide a grin this time but to simply allow himself to enjoy the mellow taste under the cold of the AC as he looked at Glynda’s face.
He could practically hear the gears moving in her head, much like those of Beacon’s clock tower. It was always a nice experience, taking a swig of something warm in a cold environment. "I only know what they can do. The complete and concrete how, what, and why completely eludes me. But if you really want me to explain, I could give you my own assumptions."
"Elaborate."
Ozpin gave Glynda a dull nod and did as he was told. "Silver-eyed warriors. According to their legends and other related interpretations, those born with silver eyes are said to be destined to lead the life of a warrior. A tale about the finest warriors on the planet. It’s an old legend that predates the hunters of today. A common misconception with the tale is the eyes being some sort of gift from the Older Brother God, considering it’s mentioned feat of a single stare supposedly killing Grimm instantaneously."
"The first silver-eyed warrior I ever encountered was during one of the more volatile fights I’ve had with Salem after our reunion and my following murder. The man did not use magic, however, he did utilize his aura and semblance to an astonishingly high degree. It was as if he was in tune with his very being, completely in sync with his own soul. The sheer mastery he had with soul energy, it was well beyond those from even my era. He caused my second stalemate with Salem, and her first ever retreat."
"His eyes shone in a familiar yet foreign energy. It felt extremely similar to the God of Light’s presence, but that’s where the similarities end. It only felt like the older god and is not actually related to him however. They are extremely rare, and in all my years of living, I haven’t even seen more than ten alive in a single millennium. I don’t think I’ve even seen more than fifty, actually. Of course, this doesn’t exactly stop me from seeing their descendants."
"Like the Schnees and the Arcs, one born with the skills related to their manifestation while the other gained something akin to their proficiency and capacity in aura." Ozpin would give himself another small pause, shaking his warm mug with his right hand before taking another swig of such warm sweetness under the cold evening showcasing itself on the horizon. "Suffice to say, I was extremely happy when I found the existence of Summer Rose. …She could have been the shield for the people of Remnant for the next century."
He couldn’t help but give a moment of silence. Summer’s death was not something he saw coming. He doesn’t know what killed her, and that’s the thing the bothered him the most. The only thing that could have killed a silver-eyed warrior of her caliber was Salem, a maiden as well if she wanted Summer’s chance of escaping to be nonexistent.
Either a maiden or an ancient Grimm or two. Unless she walked into the Grimmlands herself, there should have been zero chance of him not noticing anything. Summer isn’t that reckless, not unless she had a reason to be. He didn’t give any missions, no one else independent had. That month was clear for team ST(R)Q. She simply just vanished into the night, never to be seen again. Glynda eventually broke the silence in order to pursue her curiosities.
"And how does this exactly tie back to Miss Rose?"
"As you can see, their descendants have rather different scales of power. Much like how the silver-eyed warriors had a diverse set of abilities, their most basic being their expertise in aura manipulation with their most complex of abilities capable of even messing with certain things on a scale similar to what Salem and I could do." Ozpin lets out another small hum, right before finally setting his mug of cocoa back down on his desk and turning to look past the glass curtain wall and down below.
A small bright flash made itself known near the entrance of Beacon tower, covering that little fraction in smoke temporarily. ‘An explosion? Not even enough to give a little shake to the windows, a dust mishap perhaps?’ "Have I ever told any of you about the story of their descendants’ gifts? Maybe as a tale to pass the time or as a simple opening to a conversation? Gave a small smidge of their capabilities, perhaps?"
"No, I don’t think so, actually. Well, aside from that Jaune boy, of course. At the very least he trained the bare minimum. I still do not have a single clue as to why he wanted to be a huntsman in this academy with that level of training, however. Right, what about them?"
"The descendants’ capabilities depends on their ancestors’ prime. The strongest out of all of them, the man I previously mentioned before, had essentially given me a way to gauge their abilities. Aura, Semblance, and Soul. Those are the first three stages of mastery." He paused for a moment as he watched the dust clear, it revealed a red and white dot surrounding what he can only assume was what used to be a suitcase of dust. How quaint.
"The much more complex stages include Energy, Life Force, and Convergence. However, he theorized that there was a final stage, an impossibility. A seventh. The highest stage a silver-eyed warrior could theoretically reach: Fate." Ozpin would cease his explanation as Glynda let out a sigh, most likely rubbing her temples just trying to process everything he just said. Turning back around, he was proven right, also once again meeting her mildly annoyed expression. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Again, Headmaster, what does this have to with Ruby Rose?"
"Well, have you noticed anything odd about the descendants?"
"Miss Rose inherited the silver eyes, others like the Schnees and the Arcs did not. However, they did inherit a small portion of their ancestors’ abilities. I still don’t see why you plan on enrolling such a young huntress-to-be here even if she is a silver-eyed warrior, especially with you planning on leading the false maiden into this acade-"
"The silver eyes are not hereditary, Glynda."
"I… what..? How?"
"That, I do not know. The direct descendants I have met in the past had no silver eyes, only remnants of their father or mother’s capabilities. When the news of Ruby Rose’s birth reached me, the color of her eyes did as well. With Summer and Qrow being regulars here, I essentially got informed of how she had been growing up without me needing to ask them myself."
"She can see aura, did I not mention that yet? With detail even Pastel, the strongest silver-eyed warrior in Remnant’s well hidden history, could not visualize. She could even see latent aura, and that’s as a child in the single digits. Summer told me this herself. So, for all intents and purposes,"
Once more, Ozpin reached out to the handle of his mug with his right hand, giving it a small shake before taking a quick sip as his gaze returned back to the white and red dot below on the courtyard. ‘What a peculiarly odd and explosive bunch.’ White eventually left for the dorms. Red followed soon after. His eyes remained on the crater the duo had left on the courtyard, steeling ever so slightly.
"Ruby Rose is an anomaly among anomalies. And unless proven otherwise, she’ll be staying here with us, under our care and surveillance. Until she graduates."