435The chirping sound of cicadas filled his ears as he strolled along the paved pathway. Green trees in full bloom lined either side of him, and a warm breeze washed over his face as surely as the bright rays of the mid-morning sun.
"Huh, Spring really has arrived, hasn't it?" Jaune Arc said as he walked through his new home.
An unfamiliar place.
An unfamiliar world.
Beacon Academy.
Jaune would have never thought it possible that he would be attending such a prestigious academy. After all, how could he? He was a man, after all, and as everyone on Remnant knew, men were innately unable to unlock their Aura and harness Semblances. It just so happened, however, that Jaune was special. A one in a billion specimen, who, for some reason, could in fact unlock his Aura. Who could utilize his Semblance. One who had already done both of these things, much to the surprise of himself and the delight of his family.
For you see, Jaune came from a long line of heroines and huntresses. His great-great-grandmother had fought in the Great War more than eighty years ago, where she had won fame and fortune for the Arc family. His mother, when she wasn't busy birthing and raising himself and his seven sisters, was a skilled and capable Huntress herself. The sheer good fortune that she'd had seven daughters, all whom were capable of becoming powerful Huntresses themselves, would ensure the legacy and dominance of the Arc line for generations to come. For the longest time Jaune had almost been the black sheep of the family. The lone male. The only child among eight who was incapable of becoming a warrior and fighting on the front lines as his ancestors had before him.
That had all changed barely a year ago, when by a stroke of fate or chance, Jaune had unlocked his Aura. After suffering an injury on the family farm, Jaune's body had glowed white, and he had willed his injury to heal itself in the process.
His family had been stunned. Even a little scared. However that fear soon turned to elation, and that elation to the thought of limitless possibilities. Here was one of, if not the only man in the world capable of using his Aura, and he belonged to the Arc clan. A family which had risen to prominence eighty years in the past had been granted a new lease on life, and his parents were determined to make the most of it.
It was how he had found himself here, at the most famous Huntress academy in the world. Now... if only he knew where he was going.
"Oh man, where even is the main building?" he asked himself aloud. "I have to go talk to the Headmistress, but I have no idea where that is."
There were so many buildings. So much land. A few minutes back he had passed a fenced off area which looked remarkably familiar to him. After all, he grew up in a farming community, so he knew a free range animal pen when he saw one. As it turned out, Beacon Academy housed free range chickens. For what purpose he couldn't even begin to fathom, but this was a fact. Beacon had chickens. Cute, clucky, feathery chickens.
"I wish someone had given me a map or something," he continued to lament. "Seriously, who just drops their kid off at an unfamiliar school and tells them to go talk to the Headmistress? The school could have at least given me a guide, too. I'm totally lost here."
There weren't even any students or faculty members walking around. Seeing how it was nearing nine in the morning, he assumed all of them were in classes right now. Anyone who wasn't would be considered tardy. At least that's how it would have been in a normal, civilian school.
Jaune's eyes were drawn to the building with the big tower. It stood out even among all of the other giant buildings which made up Beacon. Maybe that one would be where the Headmistress' office was located? It was as good of a guess as any. As such, Jaune made up his mind, and decided to head over there to try his luck.
As luck would have it, his new path also put him on the opposite one as the first person he'd seen since arriving on the school's grounds. Wearing white pants dotted with pink hearts, and a dark tank top, the girl was seemingly running for her life across the campus. The red hooded cape she wore billowed behind her, while the piece of jellied toast which hung out of her mouth flopped about wildly as she ran. Jaune had no idea who this girl was, but seeing how she neither wore a school uniform nor was in class, surely she couldn't be a student, right?
Her eyes were focused on the scroll she worked frantically with her fingers, both of her hands free thanks to the toast she ate hanging from her tightly clenched teeth. Still, despite this, she was still somehow able to speak as she neared Jaune.
"Oh man, I'm so late!" the girl cried out as she grew closer and closer to Jaune. "I'm so late! Weiss is gonna kill me!"
Jaune stopped in his tracks, unable to believe what he was seeing. This girl not only wasn't paying attention to him, but she was on a direct collision course with him. The boy raised his voice to try and ward her off as she was mere seconds away from colliding with him.
"Hey, watch out!"
At the last possible second her face lifted up, and a pair of silver eyes grew wide as they locked with his deep azure ones. It was too little too late, and despite attempting to skid to a halt, the girl in the red cape could do nothing to halt her momentum, and crashed into the boy, knocking both to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
Jaune groaned, something wet and sticky covering his face as he tried to open his eyes. He saw nothing but darkness, for the girl's torso was covering his eyes entirely. Something soft in addition to the stickiness pressed against him, but he couldn't figure out what it was for the life of him. Only when the girl finally pressed herself up and off of him was Jaune finally able to see the light again.
The girl, and a beautiful girl at that, straddled his waist with her legs and pressed her hands down on the ground on either side of his head. Short red-black bangs hung down loosely from her head, and those previously shocked silver eyes peered down on him with concern. She opened her mouth to speak, but balked for a few moments as her lips quivered with unmistakable trepidation.
"Oh my gosh!" she cried out softly. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
Jaune blinked hard, and once he was finally able to tear his eyes away from the gorgeous girl who was currently atop him, diverted his attention to the mess which was assaulting his face. The toast which had previously found its home in the girl's mouth had landed jam side down on his face, smearing his cheek and lips with its sweet and sticky goodness.
He peeled the offending toasted bread from his flesh, leaving a wet mess in its wake. With his free hand he wiped the jam off of his face, and he looked at it to see red. Well, that was better than blood, at least. Without even thinking he licked his finger to taste the residue.
"Huh, strawberry," he said absentmindedly.
The girl atop him gasped, and snatched the toast out of his grasp. "Crud! My breakfast!"
Without wasting another second the girl stuffed the toast into her mouth, filling up on it so quickly that her cheeks bulged out like a hamster before she began chewing. After a few seconds she'd succeeded in swallowing it, leaving the only evidence that it had once existed the faint amount of sticky jam which still remained on Jaune's face.
Wait a minute. If that toast had landed on Jaune's face, including his lips, and that girl had just eaten it, did that mean that they'd just shared an indirect kiss?
"I'm so sorry!" the girl once more exclaimed after eating her toast. "I'm late, and I didn't eat breakfast, and I was in such a hurry, and I didn't see you there until the last moment, and I'm super fast so even when I tried to stop I couldn't stop in time!"
Her fast-moving mouth rambled a mile a minute, fitting for the girl who was so fast that she couldn't even stop or avoid him.
"It's okay," Jaune reassured her. He held no ill-will toward this girl. Especially one who looked a couple years younger than himself.
Yeah, there was no way this girl was a student. Not when she'd essentially just rolled out of her bed and was running around in her pajamas when the rest of the school was busy in class. Speaking of which...
"You know you're in your pajamas, right?" he asked the girl who was still straddling him.
She looked down at her tank top, which upon further inspection was actually a cute little Beowolf head shaped like a heart.
The girl's face grew as red as her cape, and in an instant she physically recoiled and fell backwards off of Jaune. "Oh noooooooo!" she cried
Free from her featherlight weight now, Jaune stood up to gaze down at the panicking girl who sat sprawled out on the sidewalk. She was adorably clumsy and awkward, it would seem, and seeing such a person here at Beacon Academy did a great job at helping to put his mind at ease. No longer was he concerned about being special, or finding the Headmistress' office. Right now he was simply living in a moment, and that moment involved helping out this girl who he'd literally run into by only a chance encounter.
Reaching down with an outstretched hand, he offered it to her in order to help her to her feet. The girl looked at it, and him for a moment before accepting it. Jaune used his immense size and strength to pull her up, earning a surprised squeak from the girl as she stumbled forward and into his chest once more. Only this time Jaune was ready, and caught her in his manly arms before steadying her.
"You good?" he asked the top of her head, for it was all that he could see of her.
She nodded into his body, and it took a few seconds for her to realize what kind of position she was in. She pushed herself off of him and stumbled back a couple steps, but this time was able to catch herself before she fell.
"I'm Jaune, by the way," he said, introducing himself. "Jaune Arc."
The girl bashfully bit down on her lip, nodding softly as her gaze averted from his own. "I-I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."
Ruby Rose. What a pretty name. She was no longer a stranger, but as his mom always said, strangers were just friends you haven't met yet. Now that he'd met her, did that make her his friend?
"It's nice to meet you, Ruby," he smiled. "Do you mind me asking you a question?"
The question to ask a question prompted Ruby to look back up into his eyes, and she nodded. "Sure."
"What are you doing running around here in your pajamas?"
Ruby groaned, covering her face with her hands and letting them slowly trail down until her eyes were visible once more.
"I super overslept and I'm totally late," she whined. "I didn't even have time for a real breakfast, but I was able to get a piece of toast. I was in such a hurry I didn't even have time to get dressed. I didn't even realize it until you pointed it out."
If that was the case then Jaune was happy he'd run into Ruby. He'd hate for her to have embarrassed herself in public in such a manner. It turned out that happy little accidents like these happened for a reason. It was serendipitous indeed that Ruby had crashed into him how she had.
Jaune had no idea what she was late for, but she definitely looked too young to be a student here. Maybe she was shadowing her older sister? Maybe she was a prospective student who dreamed of one day attending Beacon Academy?
"Ah, gotcha," he answered. However, the answer to his question only prompted another one. "Sorry for being nosy, but are you someone's little sister? You seem younger than a normal student here would be."
Ruby nodded once more, this time more timidly than before. "Y-yeah," she confirmed. "I have a big sister who's here at Beacon too. I'm actually two years younger than her."
Ah, that explained everything. The reason she seemed so out of place here is because she was. She wasn't a student at Beacon, she was merely a student's younger sister. Still, this did nothing to deter Jaune. He would still befriend this stranger all the same, because that's simply the kind of nice guy he was.
"I'm sure you'll make a great Huntress," he told her, flashing that winning Arc smile of his. He wanted to give her nothing but confidence and good vibes, just like he'd want someone to give him.
Ruby's face darkened, and she pulled her red hood over her head to conceal her face. Why, Jaune couldn't figure out. It wasn't like it was cold out or anything, so why was she trying to shield herself from the rest of the world?
"Actually while you're here can I ask you another question?"
Silver eyes peered out from their cocoon of crimson. "S-sure."
"Can you tell me where the Headmistress' office is? I'm trying to get there, but I have no idea where I'm going."
"Ooooh, that makes sense," Ruby said knowingly. "It's not every day that we see a boy on campus, seeing as how guys usually can't use Aura."
Usually indeed. Jaune wondered if Ruby had heard of him, and that might be why she'd said 'never'. He didn't want to brag or make a big deal out of it, so he kept the fact that he was part of that 'unusual' group of men to himself.
"You wanna keep heading to that building," she said, pointing to the giant tower which he'd been on his way to. "You need to take an elevator all the way to the top floor. That's where you'll find Headmistress Ozpina. But you'd better hurry, since there's going to be a big assembly happening soon and that's where she'll be."
A big assembly? That meant Jaune had to hurry. He didn't want to miss the Headmistress and have to wait for the assembly to be over.
"Gotcha. Thanks, Ruby. I owe you big time."
Ruby's arms wrapped around her body, and she shook her head softly. "No, it's nothing. If anything I owe you for running into and falling on you. I'm super sorry again for that."
Jaune waved off her apology. "Nah, it's okay. Water under the bridge."
She smiled and nodded. "Thanks. I should go back to my room and change into real clothes. I don't know what I'd do if everyone else at the school saw me and realized I'd forgotten to change out of my pajamas."
"I'm always happy to help out a friend."
Ruby had started to turn around, but Jaune's last sentence prompted her to pause. "Friend?"
"Well, sure," he said matter-of-factly. "My mom says strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, and now we've met. I'd be happy if I could call you my first friend here at Beacon. What do you say?"
Ruby's hands had come up, and she nervously began tapping the tips of her index fingers together. Her eyes were locked onto her hands, and she couldn't even look up at him when she replied.
"Yeah, I'd like that too..." she said shyly.
"Great! Maybe you could show me around later? For now though I really need to see Headmistress Ozpina."
"Yeah! It's a date!" she stated with sudden confidence. At least until her face reddened again, and her hands clenched down on her hood tightly. "As a figure of speech, I mean!"
Jaune had no idea what had caused her to become so flustered. Even a farm boy like him had heard that particular phrase before.
"Yeah, it's a date," he agreed. "I'll see you around then, Ruby."
Jaune smiled and walked past the girl, his heart filled to the brim with confidence that he'd lacked prior to literally running into the girl. Wow, his first few minutes at Beacon had resulted in his very first friend. What a wonderful way to start his new and burgeoning career as a Huntsman.
He didn't know what his meeting with Headmistress Ozpina would result in, but he could already tell that his experience at Beacon was going to be a positive one. With friends like Ruby at his side, he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do. And the best part? There was an entire school of Huntresses who were all potential friends as well!
This was going to be the best school year ever!
The elevator dinged when it had arrived at the top floor of Beacon's tower, and the doors slid open. The first thing Jaune noticed before even stepping out of the small compartment was that the room was filled with the rhythmic, grinding gears of clocks. Even if they hadn't been visible in every square foot of the room, their constant ticking would have been enough to know that they were all around him.
The second thing he noticed was the tall woman who stood between a large wooden desk and an even larger circular glass window. She wore a dark green pantsuit, and her hands were clasped firmly behind her back. She was staring out the window and over Beacon's courtyard like a Queen might do with her Queendom. If this woman was who Jaune thought she was, the comparison might just be apt.
"The cherry blossoms at Beacon are beautiful at this time of year. Wouldn't you agree, Mister Arc?"
Whether she'd seen his face in the reflection, or if she'd just been intuitive, Jaune couldn't say. All he knew was that Headmistress Ozpina had addressed him, and it was up to him now to respond.
"They are," he agreed. Along with its lush and verdant trees, Beacon also possessed a row of beautiful pink cherry blossom trees. Another sign that Spring truly had arrived here in Vale, and with a renewed year came renewed possibilities.
The Headmistress turned around, and for the first time Jaune got a good look at her. Despite her position, Ozpin didn't seem all that old. Maybe her early forties? The shoulder length gray hair she wore had nothing to do with age, and seemed to be her natural color. Her brown eyes were partially shielded by small circular spectacles, which added a sense of knowledge and experience to who was obviously a very knowledgeable and experienced Huntress.
"Please, take a seat," she offered, gesturing to the chair in front of her desk.
Jaune nodded and did so, pulling out the chair and sitting down before scooting it back up close to the desk.
Ozpina rested her elbows on the desk and locked her fingers together, resting her chin on the bridge that they formed. "Welcome to my academy, Mister Arc," she greeted formally. "I'm looking forward to having you attend it."
"I'm looking forward to attending," he agreed.
"The semester only started out a few weeks earlier, so you haven't missed all that much," she continued. "It's a shame we couldn't get you in from the beginning, but there were certain obstacles in our way which had to be overcome. Hurdles which had to be leapt. However, you have my assurance that I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are assimilated comfortably into this school. No expense will be spared, and no detail overlooked."
Jaune knew that such reassurances should have been comforting, but if anything he felt an added sense of weight on his already burdened shoulders. Not only would he be the only male at this school, but they were going to throw resources at him to ensure he wanted for nothing. The pressure to succeed threatened to be overwhelming.
"I'll do my best," he assured her. "I just hope I can handle it."
Ozpina smiled a soft, knowing smile at him. "Of that, I have no doubt. You come from a long line of warriors and Huntresses, after all. Growing up the way you have with seven sisters, some of whom are already Huntresses themselves, I'm sure they've helped prepare you for the trials to come."
For sure. Aside from the usual troubles and teasing which came with siblings during youth, Jaune had received an extra bit of attention from his family once they'd learned that he possessed Aura. Suddenly he'd gone from a part-time punching bag to actually training and sparring with his much stronger sisters. They'd gone from dance lessons to combat lessons. Braiding hair to weapon maintenance. He knew the basics, but much like a lump of metal in a forge, he had a long way to go before he was shaped into a weapon which was able to reach its full potential.
"Yeah, they helped," he agreed. "Still, this is a little bit scary. I'll be the only guy here in the school, after all."
Ozpina waved off his concern. "Fear not. Unlike other students here, you will have your own dorm room. Like all rooms, it will have a bathroom, so there will be no need to feel uncomfortable. And if anyone treats you as an outcast, all you need to do is let the faculty know and we will deal with it. You are a remarkable individual, Jaune, and I would not want to lose you."
The fact that she cared so much for his happiness and success gave Jaune strength and hope. With all of the tools and resources here at his disposal, maybe, just maybe, Jaune could become the first Huntsman in history.
"If anyone gives you trouble, I'll set 'em straight," another voice said.
Emerging from the shadows was another gray-haired woman. Unlike with Headmistress Ozpina, however, this was one whom Jaune had seen before. One whom he was more than familiar with.
Wearing tight black leather pants, a gray shirt, and a tattered red cape, the middle-aged woman sauntered out with a flask in her hand. Her spiky black-gray hair tilted back as she poured the contents of the flask down her throat, taking huge gulps for long seconds before pulling it away from her lips and gasping.
"Mister Arc, I believe you're familiar with one of my most trusted associates-"
"Qrowe Branwen," the woman finished for Ozpina. "Yeah, the kid knows me. I'm the one who found him, after all."
When Jaune had first unlocked his potential, it had taken a little bit of time for word to spread. After all, coming from a small farming community in Vale, it took time for any information to come in and go out. They didn't have a dedicated CCT tower, and so it was usually travelers arriving in the village who brought word of new developments to the community. Or in this case, travelers who were going to the big city to carry word out.
The word that a male had unlocked his Aura had eventually reached Vale proper, and with that, brought a new traveler back. She'd appeared out of nowhere, like a bird on the wind, and come directly to the Arc home in order to seek out the man who'd done the impossible.
Jaune swallowed hard. He remembered how things had gone the first time he'd met Qrowe. "Y-yeah. I remember."
"Yeah, you can't forget a face like this," Qrowe slurred, stumbling over to Jaune to lean in and take his cheek in her hand. "Just like I can't forget an old face either. Brothers, how is it even possible?"
"Qrowe," Ozpina said sternly, and that alone was enough to cause her to remove the offending hand from his face. What followed was just to reinforce the sentiment. "That's enough."
Qrowe grunted softly before standing back up to full height and taking another swig of her flask.
"I apologize for her. Qrowe likes to indulge in her alcohol, despite the fact that she can't control it. The fact that she's an unbelievably reliable associate is a miracle."
Jaune nodded, brushing off the sudden physicality of Qrowe like it was nothing. "It's okay. It's actually not the first time someone here got a little too close for comfort."
Ozpina's head tilted. "Oh?"
Qrowe spat out a laugh. "That's right. The kid met one of my nieces today. The clumsy little rascal. One of the funniest things I've seen all week."
Nieces... wait a minute. Ruby was Qrowe's niece? Suddenly it made a lot more sense why she was hanging around a place like this.
"Yeah, I met her," Jaune confirmed. "She's really nice, and we're friends now. She said she'd help show me around later."
"Is that so," Ozpina said matter-of-factly. "That's good news then. I was planning on introducing you at the ceremony today, but the fact that you've already made a friend will help ease things. Especially with Miss Rose's already extensive connections here at the school."
Extensive connections? Jaune wondered how and why a random girl who wasn't even a student here would have such connections, but he wasn't about to complain. If Ruby could help him on his journey here in this strange new world, then he would welcome it.
"More like history's about to repeat itself, if you know what I mean," Qrowe chuckled before taking another drink.
"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Qrowe," Ozpina chided her. "Just because we're alive to experience two incredibly improbable events does not mean they're comparable."
Jaune had no idea what the pair of women were talking about, and he didn't know that he wanted to know. However, it was apparent to him that they were in on some secret that only they were aware of.
"Rather," she continued, standing up from her desk and prompting Jaune to do the same. "The time has nearly arrived for the assembly. Come, Mister Arc. It's time to meet your new classmates."
He swallowed hard but nodded. This was a necessary step in order to attend this academy. After all, it wasn't every day, every year, or even every decade that a boy suddenly showed up in an all girl's school. He would need to be introduced. He would need to be accepted. He would need to prove to them all that a man was capable of doing everything that a woman was.
He would need to fight. He would need to study. He would need to increase his power and control over his abilities. In order to be accepted as a male Huntsman, he would need to not only just fit in, he would need to excel. He would need to be at the top of his grade when it came to combat power and academic skill.
Jaune Arc, the only man on Remnant who could use Aura, would need to become the strongest student in the school. His journey would begin now.
It had taken her a few precious minutes that she didn't have, but Ruby had successfully made it back to her dorm room and changed into her school uniform. No one else was around. Of course they weren't. Unlike Ruby, they weren't complete spazzes who overslept and then forgot to change out of their pajamas before going outside!
Luckily that nice Jaune boy had been there to help her. She still didn't know who he was or why he was here. After all, boys didn't have Aura and so they couldn't go to Beacon Academy. Maybe he was someone's younger brother? Or maybe he was Miss Goodwitch's son! They both had blonde hair, so that made sense, didn't it?
Whatever the case, Ruby made use of her speedy Semblance as shr burst through the door of Beacon's assembly hall, a trail of rose petals behind her. Running down the aisle, she quickly spied a massive mane of blonde hair and knew instantly that she'd spotted her sister.
Squeezing her way through the gathered throng of girls, Ruby squeaked out apologies as she made her way toward where her sister and friends stood waiting for the assembly to begin.
"'Scuse me," she offered under her breath. "Sorry. Coming through. Just gotta... get over here..."
After a few seconds of pushing through the mass of bodies Ruby had made it to a home of familiar faces, and she let out a relieved gasp. Yang flashed a knowing grin, and reached over the ruffle Ruby's short and spiky hair.
"Welcome to the party, Rubes," she greeted.
Ruby swatted the offending hand off of her, and did her best to repair the damage Yang had done to her hair. Not that Ruby ever really brushed or styled her hair. She wasn't into that sort of stuff, unlike her blonde bombshell of an older sister.
"And where exactly were you?" the small and lithe form of Weiss Schnee asked her accusingly. "Why are you so late? I don't want my name sullied because of my partner's tardiness."
Ruby winced, suddenly feeling bad for her lateness. It had taken a lot of hard work to win Weiss over, and despite the fact that the two girls had become closer since their initial rocky meeting, Ruby didn't want to put any of that at risk by being too careless. She was a leader, after all, and leaders had to lead by example. Oversleeping and being late was not a good example.
"Sorry," she said softly but genuinely.
Weiss scoffed, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you? It looks like we'll be needing extra study sessions after classes today."
Ruby groaned. Extra study sessions? Leave it to Weiss to dish out punishment like that. Ruby had planned on playing video games after school today, but if Weiss was on the warpath she knew that those plans would be thrown out the window.
"Aw, lighten up," Yang interjected. "We should be celebrating today. This is some huge news."
Apparently Yang knew something that Ruby didn't. Wait, did it have something to do with the assembly here today?
"Why are we even here?" Ruby wondered. "I haven't heard anything."
"You mean to tell me you haven't heard?" Weiss practically snarled. To Ruby she sounded even angrier than usual, and that was saying something. It seemed that Weiss wasn't angry that Ruby wasn't in on the news, either.
"No, what's going on?"
"We're getting a new student today," Blake, the fourth and final member of their team, answered. She held a small book open in a single hand, not even bothering to look up from it as she spoke. "More specifically, a male student."
A male student? Here? At Beacon? That was impossible! Okay, maybe not impossible, but it was highly improbable! A once in a generation phenomena! And if what they were saying was true, then a boy would be coming here to Beacon to study with them?
Wait a minute... she'd met a boy earlier in the morning. Did that mean...
"Aw yeah, a guy here at Beacon," Yang grinned excitedly. She began to gently tap one fist into her palm before switching up the hands again and again. "This is gonna be awesome. I hear he's the sexiest thing since sex."
"Sex isn't that sexy," Blake countered. "Way too much sweat and grunting and bodily fluids."
"Oh is that so, Blakey-Wakey?" Yang said, her teeth flashing with excitement and eyes glinting with mischief. She came up behind Blake and wrapped her arms around her torso where she began to squeeze her partner liberally. "And how would you know that? Are you hiding all sorts of naughty past experiences from your bestie?"
To her credit, Blake didn't seem fazed by the sudden assault, and her eyes remained glued on her book. "Yang, please. Just because we're partners doesn't mean you can grope me whenever you feel like it."
"Aw, but then what's the point of being partners?" Yang groused, not letting up on her partner.
Partners or not, Ruby knew that this was something she could never do with Weiss. Not only would she never tolerate such actions, but she simply wasn't... big enough to do that with anyway.
"Please, can you two act a bit more mature?" Weiss snarled, and this finally put a pause to Yang's liberal use of her hands. "We're about to receive the worst news imaginable, and the least you can do is respect the somber atmosphere that it's creating!"
Three sets of eyes turned to Weiss, who seemed to be positively fuming. Ruby had no idea why she was so adamant that this was bad news. All she knew was that the mood around them all had changed.
"Weiss..." Ruby said softly.
Before she could inquire further, however, the sound of footsteps on the stage earned her attention. Headmistress Ozpina strode up to the microphone which stood front and center, and tapped it once before leaning in to speak.
"Ladies," she addressed them. "You have gathered here today to receive truly once in a lifetime news. Up until this point, you have attended an all-girls' school. After today, this will no longer be the case."
A collective murmur all around them caused Ruby's head to turn left and right. Apparently a great number of the students here had no idea what this assembly was about.
"For the first time, you will be joined here at Beacon Academy by a male student. One who is able to harness and use his Aura. Please allow me to introduce you to Jaune Arc."
There was no applause when the boy walked onto the stage. Maybe it was due to the nature of the announcement and the shock that it brought. Maybe it was due to resentment for altering the status quo. For Ruby, however, it was neither of those things. No, for her it was the shock of seeing the boy whom she'd met earlier in the morning stride onto the stage as the only boy here in school who was capable of using Aura.
As he stood side by side with Headmistress Ozpina, Ruby realized just how much he dwarfed the already tall Huntress.
This, among all the other things, earned the reaction it did from Ruby. "Huuuuuuuuuuuuh!?" she gasped.
In the deafening silence her outburst was extra conspicuous, and everyone's attention, Jaune's included, fell on her. Jaune's eyes widened much as hers had, and he stared down from his spont on the stage at her.
"Ruby?" he gasped.
She instantly felt a hand on her shoulder, and Ruby was whirled around to face her sister. "You know him?"
Her brain was working a mile a minute, and that was unfortunately too fast for her mouth to keep up with. "I was on top of him in my pajamas this morning and I ate toast off his face!" she sputtered out.
Yang's eyes went wide, but thankfully not red. All around her, however, Ruby heard the gasps, murmurs, and screams of the other girls of the school.
"Wait!" Jaune cried out. "That's not- I mean while that's technically true that sounds all kinds of wrong!"
Rather than being angry, Ruby found that her sister wore a satisfied, even proud smirk on her face. "Way to go, Ruby!" she cheered, embracing her sister in a tight hug. "Sinking your claws into the guy before he's even introduced to the rest of us? You're not nearly as innocent as you make it seem, are you?"
"N-no! I am innocent! This is all a big misunderstanding, I swear!"
"Aw don't give me that," Yang pressed, picking Ruby up off the floor and swaying her gently back and forth. She was almost like a dog having fun with its favorite toy, shaking it wildly in its mouth. "Look at you, getting ahead of me like that. Well don't think that I'll sit back and be idle now. Your big sis is a Huntress after all, and now I'll be on the hunt."
Ruby had no idea what Yang was implying by this, but she didn't like where this was going. This was all just one big misunderstanding! She and Jaune weren't like that! Even though she did say she was going to show him around later, and even though she had called it a date, they weren't dating!
"No!"
The sudden, shrill voice of her friend and partner cut through the chaos, and Yang put Ruby down so that they could both look at Weiss. The slender white-haired girl's hands were balled up into fists, and despite all of the fun that her teammates were having, she didn't seem amused in the slightest.
"Weiss?"
"I refuse to accept this!" she screamed, first at Ruby, and then turning back to the stage. "You hear me? I refuse to accept you! I will never accept you! I will never accept a man attending this school with me!"
Without waiting for a response, Weiss stormed away from the crowd and fled from the building. Ruby was about to go after her, but another touch on the shoulder from Yang stopped her.
Glancing up to her sister, she saw Yang shaking her head. "Let her go," she said gently. "Whatever she's going through right now, she needs some time to process it. This is a big day, after all."
Ruby may have been the leader, but even she knew when to bow to the experience and advice of others. After all, part of being a good leader was about listening. About knowing that you didn't have all of the answers. Right now, when their collective worlds had been turned upside down, Ruby knew that answers were in short supply for them all.
She and Weiss would discuss what was troubling her later. For now, however, she needed to help guide the rest of her team through the fact that Beacon Academy had a new student, and this student was a boy.
Author's Note: So I've been sick for the past week, and one thing I hate about being sick is that I don't want to write. I don't feel like I can write well when I'm sick. But you know what I can do? You know what I felt like doing? I felt like writing a bunch of trash. So I did! I wrote this all today, and now I'm posting it for shits and giggles.
This is one of the dumbest things I've ever written, and I hope you enjoyed all of its stupidity. I don't know whether I'll continue it or not. It depends if people are in the mood for more trash.
Thanks for reading, I guess?