Chapter Text
Remnant was, for all intensive purposes in a time of peace.
The Atlas military stood strong out of tradition but showed no inclination start back up the great wars of old.
Social unrest of coarse persisted with many faunus being discriminated against, but strong activist movements were making great strides to fix this even if some were less than happy at the progress pace.
Little did they know, something was stirring.
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A pair of blood red irises on pitch black sclera were revealed as a woman in a dilapidated castle opened her eyes.
She would have been beautiful, a refined woman with nice features in a elegant black dress... were it not for the previously mentioned eyes as well as her skin which was so pale it looked like all the blood was drained from her only offset by the twisted vein like patterns that marked her arms and face.
She eventually emerged into a conference hall.
All those present looked over and immediately took notice
"Master, your awake!" A (at least comparatively) mundane looking woman with dark hair in a red dress greeted.
"Indeed Cinder, it took me a while but I have at last regained my strength. Tell me, how long has it been?"
A thin man in a trench coat bowed his head and answered "Only a few years your grace!"
She smiled and walked to the table at the head of the room
"Good, then let us waist no more time and get to work"
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Ruby hugged her father tight.
"I'll miss you girls!" Taiyang Xiao Long chuckled as his daughters prepared to set off.
Once she released her father she soon found herself perhaps karmically, trapped in an embrace herself by her older sisters Yang.
"Ah! I'm so excited my little sis gets to come along with me!" She gushed before Ruby pried herself free to breath once more she blushed but smiled
"I really couldn't prouder of you two girls" Taiyang praised looking on fondly at his children.
And he had every right to be proud. His oldest daughter had been accepted into Beacon Academy, one of mainland Vales most prestigious schools on a athletics scholarship. Meanwhile his youngest was skipping two grades to attend on academic merit.
Soon enough they got the rest of their things packed up in the car and began the drive to the port.
Overhead a dusty old crow flew.
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Weiss looked through her things one more time as she prepared to depart.
'Okay, School supplies? Check. School uniform? Check. None uniform street clothes? Check. Electronics? Check.'
She mentally listed off
"Hm, that should be-Oh!"
She cut herself off remembering something
'I can't believe I almost forgot!' She thought as she dug through her door to where she'd carefully hidden it at the bottom.
Her signed autograph of Maiden Winter!
To this day she's not sure how her sister got this for her, she most certainly never believed the explanation she was given that everybody with winter in their name secretly knew eachother.
Yep, never not even for a moment. That was what she'd insist to her dying breath.
After carefully packing the image of the masked blue and white clad heroine and her personal inspiration Weiss set out.
This was her big chance, Beacon boarding school. A chance to get away from her father and out of Atlas! To truly prove herself!
With thos excited thoughts she left the mansion to catch her flight.
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Blake was less than pleased.
"Blake please" Ghira Belladonna sighed out "I understand you want to help and I'm thankful to have such committed daughter. But you need a proper education."
"I still don't see why I need to go to some stuffy boarding school."
"Because out of all the options Beacon has the best curriculum and it was amongst the first major academies to allow Faunus students back during desegregation. This means you'll both get a good education and it will be less likely you'll have to deal with any serious prejudice on school grounds given it's zero tolerance policy." The large man explained
Blake let out a sigh but uncross her arms
"Ok I'll go dad, but the moment I graduate I'm coming back to use what I learned to help!" She declared with conviction
Her father chuckled "I'd expect nothing less."
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"Oooh!" Ruby looked around at the sprawling city of Vale.
She'd come to the mainland before of course, but it never failed it excite her. Especially compared to her humble island hometown.
"Ok Ruby, I'm gonna head into that convenience store to grab a snack or two then we'll head to campus alright?" Yang ask and her sister nodded.
Once Yang was gone Ruby put on a pair of headphones and began listening to some music.
...and proceeded to get zoned out doing so, not noticing a person on a bike zooming along the sidewalk as she shifted into his path
"Wuh?!" Ruby let out as she was suddenly pulled out of the way!
"Watch where your standing!" The cyclist yelled rudely before zooming away.
Looking over Ruby saw a crow had grabbed her hoodie and pulled her out of the way.
"Oh, did you just save me Mr Crow? Heh, ya know I actually had a uncle named Qrow once, though I think he spelled it with a Q-" As she talked to the animal it flew off while she was mid sentence.
"Oh, by birdy!" She called to it as Yang finally came back
"Heya sis, ready to get going?"
"Sure"
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Later in front of Beacon Academy, the schools headmaster Professor Ozpin stood on a podium before the incoming class of students.
"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your minds and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you will go out into the world to use that knowledge you aquired here. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."
The various students gathered begin whispering amongst themselves before he continues.
"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."
Once he finished his speech he simply said "You'll find your dormroom assignments on the wall of the main entrance hall." Before stepping away from the podium.
"Well he's cheery" Yang muttered as she and her sister made their way to see their assigned rooms.
"Let's see" She said looking over the board
"Room 1-1, room 1-2 Oh! Room 1-3: Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long- hey we're sharing a dorm!" Yang cheerd and Ruby smiled, bunking with her sister would certainly make things easier.
"Hm, looks like I'm in that one as well." The two turned around at the sudden voice
"oof!"
...and Ruby bumped right into her knocking them both to the floor
"Ruby you ok?" Yang asked as her sister and the new girl got up.
She had white hair, blue eyes and a scowl as she dusted herself off
"Be more mindful of your surroundings!"
"Sorry!"
"Ug, Aren't you a little young to be going here?"
"Hey I said sorry! Calm down princess!"
"It's heiress actually." Another new voice cut in.
Walking up was a dark haird cat faunus "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Mining Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
Weiss smirked smugly but that smirk soon dropped as the dark haird girl continued
"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."
"What-why the nerve- who even are you?" She angrily asked in a huff.
"Blake Belladonna" She answered pointing to the last name under room 1-3 "It looks like we're sadly roommates."
At the realization that they'd all have to share the same room for the next school year, the four girls at last all agreed on something as they each sarcastically thought
'Wonderful'
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Cinder stood atop a Vale skyscraper looking out at the city about to be ravaged.
"Ok boy, it's showtime~"
On her signal a shadowy figure decended.
It was Beowolf time to shine.
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Ruby, Yang, Weiss and Blake had all deposited their bags in the doorm room and were now heading off campus to individually explore the town
CRASH!
When a loud sound suddenly caught all of their attention.
"HOOOooooowwwwwllll!"
Standing in the middle on the street was a black beast, it vaguely resembled a wolf, but stood upright with glowing red eyes behind a while bone like mask on it's face.
A Grimm.
"What? A Grimm attack!? But there hasn't been one in year-"
She was cut off by the beast beginning a full speed charge!.
It dragged it's claws along the asphalt leaving a nasty gash in it as people began to run about in terror and panic!
The four began to run away as well
"Ah!"
...until Ruby heard a voice cry out and turned just in time to see a small child cornered by the beast.
Acting on instinct the fifteen year old sprang into action dashing forward and getting the kid out of the way just as the monsters claw hit where he'd just been sitting!
"Ruby!" Yang called out as her sister got the kid to run off after a quick check over...not noticing the irate Grimm turning it's attention on her.
But just as it was about to lung forward
"Hey ugly!"
Yang threw a fist sized peice of rubble at the creatures back gaining it's attention.
"Ruby run!" She called before turning tail her.
Sadly Yang wasn't quite fast enough and soon it was upon her ready to strike
"Hraa!"
Only for Blake to suddenly jump on it's back!
'This is such a bad idea' the faunus thought as she pulled out a pocket knife and shoved it into one of the monsters eyes!
"Grrrr!"
It let out in surprise before knocking Blake off of it and turning around, slowly walking up to her while pulling the knife out showing it inexplicably did no real damage
It snarled and reared back
Clunk!
...and got smacked in the back by Weiss who picked up a street sighn it had broken in half during it's rampaging and used it as a impromptu club!
It whirled around but Ruby ran up and pulled Weiss back while Blake slipped away and Yang ran up.
"Ok that was...something. what now?"
The others had no answer as the monsters charged again and they prepared to run away
...only to suddenly get surrounded by swirling whirlwind and several feathers?
And in the blink of an eye they were gone.
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The four all blinked and looked around in confusion as they suddenly found themselves in a entirely different location.
When Ruby noticed a familiar black bird.
"Did you save us mister Crow?' Ruby asked the perched animal half seriously.
"It was nothing kid." The crow responded.
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To be convinced...