3Everyone was now gathered in the ballroom, sleeping bags scattered all across the floor and everyone changed into their PJs. Ren and Nora were already sacked out, odd considering I figured the ginger to be a ball of energy even at night. Though one thing I learned from this is that she sleeps like the dead and snores like a bear.
Lovely.
I decided that with those two knocked out I would head over to Yang and Ruby, even though we weren't formally introduced yet. Eh, that can easily be fixed.
I walked up to the siblings just in time to see Yang get a pillow thrown in her face.
"Shut up!" Ruby gritted out after assaulting the blonde. "I didn't get to take my friends with me to school; it's weird not knowing anyone!"
"What about Jaune?" Yang offered. "He's...nice. There ya go plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase! Not to mention that girl we met today! Another friend!"
"We don't even know that girl's name so down to one. Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero..."
"There's no such thing as negative friends. You just made one friend, one acquaintance, and one enemy!" Another pillow assault. "Look, it's only been one day. You have friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet."
I deemed it good to speak now, "Diana Meranict."
"Huh?" silver and violet eyes stared up at my form.
"There, you've met me. We're friends now, right?" I asked with a grin.
Yang beamed up at me as she roughly patted her younger sister's back, "See, there ya go! I told ya so!" The blonde looked back to me as Ruby rubbed her now aching shoulders. "My name is Yang Xiao Long! And this is my little sister Ruby Rose! Nice to meet ya, Diana!"
The black-haired girl smile at me awkwardly, "Yeah, it's good to finally know your name."
"Likewise," I nodded, "You two are an interesting pair, to say the least."
Yang laughed, "At least our hair is still our natural colors!"
I raised my hands in surrender, "Guilty."
I saw Ruby glanced to the side where a warm light flicked on. Looking in the same direction, I saw a ebonette with a black bow in her hair leaning against the wall, reading a book. "That girl..." the younger female trailed off.
"You know her?" the busty teen inquired curiously.
"Not really, she saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."
"You should talk to her," I suggested. You don't have to be a genius to see how awkward Ruby is with new people. I can sympathize with her cuz I was like that when I was younger, too. I just mellowed out over the years (other than when people get the jump on me, that is). I think she should try to break that shell surrounding her, and this seemed like a good situation to.
"Yeah, now's your chance!" Yang proceeded to drag her sister over to the reading girl while I watched them, yawning in my hand.
"Welp, I'm headin' off to bed," I spoke over Ruby's complaints and headed back to where Ren and Nora were sleeping. My sleeping bag is position next to Ren since I fully plan on using him as a shield when Nora gets overly chatty. He'll be fine. I'm pretty sure they're like childhood friends or something.
He's been dealing with it for a long time, he can deal with it a little more.
"Wake up, lazy buns!" I heard Nora's voice as I was waking up. Knew she was going to be a morning person, ugh. I also heard her singing "It's morning!" repeatedly as Ren rose from his lying down.
I threw a pillow over my face and groaned as I still heard Nora singing, "I'm not gonna get to fall back asleep, am I?" I questioned the male at my side.
"No, you're not." I gave a louder groan before I tossed the pillow and finally sat up, my bangs no longer their normal straight but a mess of cowlicks. Yeah, I get bad bedhead, that's why I tie the rest off so it's not too god awful. Ren got up from his sleeping bag and lent me a helping hand in getting up as well, which I gladly took, as Nora continued to ramble out things we didn't bother listening to. The three of us left the ballroom to go brush our teeth and, in my case, hair.
"Can you believe we've been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours?" Nora spoke while Ren brushed his teeth and I tamed my hair. "Not that I thought we would get kicked out or anything. You're the perfect student and I'm, well, me! Diana seems like she wouldn't care about breaking any rules."
"Too much trouble," I commented in agreement. She surprisingly has a good read on me, but it's kinda the same with me to them. I feel like I've gotten to know them pretty well within the one day. Weird.
"But it's just crazy, ya know?"
"We've been friends since forever," Nora said as brushed her hair, "and one day, counting Diana." We were back in the ballroom to put the sleeping bags up and away. "What're the odds that we'd still be together? Well, not together together. Not that I'm not saying you're not handsome. You are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?" I can't tell if she said all that awkwardly 'cause she still spoke really casually.
I ship it.
"Right, what was I thinking?" the ginger questioned rhetorically with a pancake hanging from her mouth. We had moved to the cafeteria for breakfast and she was still rambling, good grief. "But, so, I hope we all end up on the same team together." Nora was somehow able to slurp up the pancake in her mouth.
She's such a conundrum.
"Ooh, we should come up with some sort of plan!" She stood from her seat and placed her hands on mine and Ren's shoulders, "To make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster."
"Ya know, as full proof as that sounds, I don't think it'll work," I commented and Nora gained a thoughtful expression.
"You're right, he has a school."
Not what I mean, but okay.
Now in he hallways of the school, Ren and I opened our lockers (lucky us we were locker mates) as Nora cried "I know!" We grabbed our gear, his StormFlower and my WhispBlade, as the blue-eyed female continued talking. "We'll have some sort of signal, like a distress signal!" Nora gave a sudden gasp, "A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest!" She got between us and stared at us calculatingly, "Can either of you imitate a sloth?"
"Nora?" Ren spoke.
HE FINALLY SPOKE.
"Yes, Ren?"
He compacted his pistols in his sleeves, "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise." I strapped my crossbow-halberd onto my belt and shut my locker, watching the two apparent long-time friends.
Nora looked around before grinning, "That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're all working together!"
"Come on, you two, let's go," the ebonette shut his locker and started to walk with me and Nora following. Okay, Nora was actually bouncing more than anything.
"But not together-together."
I nodded my head in amusement at the shorter girl at my side, "Yes, yes, Nora, we understand very well."
The three of us and some other students were all lined up in a row and standing on what I could see were platforms in-bedded into the ground. In front of us stood Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin, with his trusty mug still in hand.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors," Ozpin spoke. "Today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
Goodwitch looked to us, "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 given teammates, today."
I looked over and saw Ruby looked a bit uneasy at the idea of already getting our teammates.
Ozpin resumed, "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is within your best interest to be paired with whom you work well with." This didn't seem to help Ruby either. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years." Oh yeah, Ruby's gone. Ozpin broke her.
To my right Nora turned to Ren and said, "See, I told you."
"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." Okay, now queasy blonde looks scared. Nora just looks really happy. "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. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately." There was a pause, "Are there any questions."
Queasy blonde raised his hand, "Um, yeah, sir-"
"Good," Ozpin interrupted.
An A to the kid for trying, at least.
"Now, take your positions."
Everyone readied themselves for blast off. I widened my legs a bit and tried not to be too stiff.
I was third to get launched.
The platform lurched forward and I was sent flying through the air. I was pretty chill whilst all this happened. I grabbed WhispBlade from my belt and had her open into her combat form. Spotting a tree branch coming in hot, I gave the halberd a twirl before unhooking the clasp in the middle of the staff. With a toss, I sent the head of my halberd flying to the branch, a chain trailing behind it as it went. It wrapped around the tree limb and sent me circling a few times before I gave a harsh tug. I landed in a crouch on the ground, branch hitting the dirt at my side with the chain still wrapped around it.
I tugged the tree limb free and, with a click of button, the chain reeled back into the staff as I reclasped it. Standing from my crouch, I twirled WhispBlade before resting her on my shoulders.
"Time to get this show on the road."