The Shining Beacon

Chapter Credit and Help: https://rwby.fandom.com/wiki/The_Shining_Beacon

Once the transport ship finally landed, the blond guy still dealing with motion sickness ran past all the people and finally finished throwing up in a nearby trash can.

Just behind him were the three excited passengers staying behind while the other ones moved past. Ruby, Brian and Yang were now looking at the academy in awe.

“Wow!” “Wow…” Both sisters said at the same time.

“Ditto…”

After taking a healthy amount of time to appreciate the scenery. They head down a paved walkway towards the front of the school where Yang of course comments.

“The view from Vale's got nothing on this!”

“Vale?” Brian asked

“Yeah, that’s where we left from… you really are clueless, huh?”

Brian opened his mouth to retort but sighed and said, “I’m a work in progress but yeah.”

Nearby, Ruby was getting so excited she becomes a 2-D, starry-eyed, floating chibi.

“Oh my gosh, guys! That guy’s got a collapsible staff! *GASP* and she's got a fire sword! (she tries getting closer, but Yang pulls her sister by the hood back into realistic proportions while Brian as usual watched in amusement.) Ow! Ooww!”

“Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!”

“Just weapons?! They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!”

Yang and Brian shared a look but he instead shrugged and smiled while she went back to speaking to her sister.

“Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?”

Ruby sighed before transforming her weapon into its scythe form.

“Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better...”

Yang then started playfully pushing her sister's hood down over her face.

“Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own? (She then motioned to Brian) You met this guy earlier and he seems cool enough and I figure you two are already friends so…”

He of course nodded and said “She ain’t wrong, I’d be glad to be friends with you Rubes.”

That nickname caught the two off guard before Ruby smiled for a moment liking the nickname.

Then Yang sorta looked awkward as she then rubbed her head.

“Also… (in a flash, a group of other students surround Yang and they all dash down the road) Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye and nice meeting ya Bri!”

As the group went away, Brian looked rather weirded out while Ruby was shaking her head.

“Did… her friends all look like walking shadows or am I just losing it…”

Of course Ruby, didn’t pay attention to his words and instead called out.

“Yang, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms? (stopping for a moment, still reeling) I don't know what I'm doing...”

Scratching his head, Brian did stand beside her and patted her shoulder.

“It’s normal to feel lost and confused in this kind of scenario, I’ve been there too, believe me.”

All Ruby could do was sigh and look at Brian with lost puppy dog eyes and purposefully fall backwards surprising Brian… except she didn’t realize she was in front of a luggage cart where the impact sent multiple cases flying.

Someone nearby was watching the two and called out in anger

“What are you two doing?!”

A young pale-skinned woman with pale blue eyes and long white hair in an off-center ponytail or braid on the right side and pinned with a silver, icicle-shaped tiara dressed in a rather regal looking dress and heels with an interesting scar on her face with her eye in between.

She did not look happy.

As Ruby was getting up on her hands, she quickly apologized.

“Uh, sorry!”

“Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?”

“Uuhhh... (Ruby was trying to hold onto a case.)”

“She didn’t mean too, it was an accident.”

“SHE… wasn’t the only one at fault here. You could’ve stopped her from falling but only stood there like a dimwit!!”

Brian scratched his head a little embarrassed and looks away.

“Yeah… sorry about that Ruby.”

Ruby also embarrassed tried to hand the case to the woman but instead almost dropped it.

“Give me that! (she snatches the luggage from Ruby and opens it to reveal its twinkling-looking contents to the two) Look! This is Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!”

“Uuuhhhh...”

“So that’s Dust? But… it looks just like colored sand. What’s the use for it?”

“What!!? Are you both brain-dead? (holding out a vial of red Dust and shutting the case) Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!

The woman was shaking the red vial in front of Ruby’s face where that red stuff was pouring out of it which Brian and Ruby both noticed.

“I... I know... (starts coughing from the Dust pouring into her face).”

“Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourselves!?”

“Umm… you’re spilling that stuff all over her.”

“QUIET! You don’t get to speak you freakishly tall vagabond.”

Brian blinked and would’ve retorted but instead just kept silent as he could tell this red dust stuff was likely gonna react.

Meanwhile Ruby, who had been receiving more and more Dust to her face, finally sneezes, which erupts into a full-blown explosion of flame, snowflakes, and electricity right onto the woman.

The bottle she had been holding flies over the courtyard and at the feet of another woman with long black hair and a black bow looking around with amber eyes also wearing a black buttoned vest with coattails and a single silver button on the front.

Underneath this is a white, sleeveless, high necked, crop undershirt and white shorts with a zipper on the front of each leg, emblazoned with the letters YKK on it.

The dark haired woman picks it up and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene.

The white haired woman now covered in soot, though it quickly disappears gets real irate.

“Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!”

“I'm really, really sorry!”

“Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?”

“Well, I.. I am 18…”

“That’s enough!”

The two turned to Brian who looked rather annoyed.

“It was a mistake when she fell down on your cases but it wasn’t on purpose and I admit I should’ve acted but didn’t…”

Then he put his finger in front of her so as to get her attention.

“You however recklessly spread that dust all over her causing her to sneeze in the first place. So, honestly you ain’t better yourself, now cool off ice queen because guess what, we’re human and we make mistakes so get over it!”

Ruby sighed as she appreciated Brian standing up for her and calling out to this ice queen.

The woman however smacked his hand away and narrowed her eyes.

“And you have the audacity to speak outta line with me? You really don’t belong here if you can’t behave yourself so know… (she got close to Brian’s face as he looked unsure of what to do) your… place.”

Then after stepping back and taking a deep breath, she spoke in a serious manner.

“This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going and learn to behave!”

Ruby finally fed up stands up and calls her out this time.

“Hey, we both said sorry princess, so maybe you should back off!”

The dark haired woman watching with her book in her hand and the jar in the other enters the conversation.

“It's heiress, actually. (Ruby, Brian and the ice cold woman look over as she approaches with the bottle) Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world.

The woman now revealed as Weiss was a smiling smugly!

“Finally, Some recognition!”

“The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners.”

“Oh shit! (Brian calls out while Ruby chuckles).”

“Wha.. How dare.. The nerve of... Ugh! (gets up in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow).”

(Ruby calls to the storming Weiss, still feeling bad) I promise I'll make this up to you! (Brian calls out “I probably won’t!”) *sigh* I guess we’re not the only ones having a rough first day... So, what's your... (sees the other woman walking off as well, then collapses to the ground on her back) name...”

Brian looks at the depressed woman and speaks his mind.

“You’re not gonna make a habit of falling back all the time right?”

She shakes her head but says nothing. Brian shrugs and lays next to her with his hands behind his head.

“Welcome to Beacon right Bri?”

“Yeah, Rubes. Some welcome indeed…”

Then as the two laid back looking at the sky another person this time a familiar man calls out and hold both hands out to the two.

“Hey... I'm Jaune.”

Ruby smiles and grabs with one hand while Brian respectfully declines and stands up on his own.

“Ruby and this is Brian.”

“Hey, how’s it going?”

…

… Some time exploring later

Beacon near the walls were filled with scenic trees, arching architecture, and a winding road alongside a river, down which Ruby, Brian and Jaune were walking.

“All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!”

“He ain’t wrong, I’ve probably been car sick maybe… six or seven times.”

“(Ruby was laughing at the two) Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind.”

“Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face and him… I don’t know.”

“Hey, that explosion was an accident!”

“You could try something original…”

Jaune sighed before picking himself up mentally trying to sound cool.

“Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!”

(Ruby shares a skeptical look to Brian towards Jaune) Do they?”

“Sometimes women respect confidence. I’d say try it and learn from it.”

“They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind.

(Ruby giggles before a short, awkward silence falls) “So... I got this thing! (she pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground)”

“Whoa! Is that a scythe?”

“It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!”

“That’s fucking cool as hell Ruby!” Brian said in the most serious tone.

“I know right!!?”

“A-wha...?”

(Ruby cocks it, smiling) “It's also a gun.”

“Oh. That's cool!”

“In her own words, weapons are an extension of us all. (Then Brian has a playful grin) So that tall scythe’s probably meant to compensate her being short~“

“Hey!!”

After sticking her tongue out at him, she turns to Jaune.

“So what've you got?”

“Oh! I, uh... (unsheathes a blade) I got this sword!”

“Ooooohh!”

“Yeah, and I've got a shield, too! (he gets his scabbard, raises his arm and expands the metal into his defense)”

“Wow! That actually pretty handy.”

(Ruby touching the shield) “So, what do they do?”

Jaune fumbling with the shield as it retracts off his arm, expands, and retracts it again before putting it back in place and finally shrinking it down for good, placing it on his belt) “The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away...”

“But... wouldn't it weigh the same?”

Jaune dejectedly answers.

“Yeah, it does...”

Brian patted Jaune’s shoulder and gave a reassuring smile.

“(Ruby giggling) Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it.”

“Wait - you made that?!”

Both the two guys looked interested.

“Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?”

“It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war.”

Ruby smiles as she gives her opinion.

“Sounds more like a family heirloom to me! (laughs) Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days.”

“Old school stuff’s still got its uses after all.”

“(Jaune was sheathing his sword) Yeah, the old school classics...”

The three continued walking until Jaune spoke up.

“By the way Brian, what’s your weapon?”

Looking at him and an interested Ruby, he answered.

“Well, I’m mostly a hand to hand combatant and honestly I don’t have a weapon, don’t need one either.”

Ruby looked confused while Jaune looked shocked.

“Wait… but those glowing dust spheres that appeared on your hands before… were those actually a part of your semblance?”

“Semblance? No, this is just my own power. I call it Omni Reality **** or ORF for short.”

“But… how did you learn to fight so good when you don’t even have a weapon. Weapons are what make hunters and huntresses able to fight Grimm, didn’t you go to a school before coming here?”

“Mmm… no not really, I’m not from around here and honestly I was offered to become a Hunter and I figured I could probably help people without looking like some reckless vigilante. Plus, that headmaster Ozpin said my inability to kill wouldn’t be a problem at least.”

This time the two were shocked silent as he continued.

“I’m probably going to surprise you both again but I have absolutely no clue about dust, whatever semblances are and probably a lot of other things. I mean I’m not stupid but I just need time to understand. I hope that’s fine with you two and will trust me when I say I have my reasons on why I only showed up around recently.”

“Umm… okay, I guess that’s fine if at least a little weird and mysterious.” Jaune spoke out loud.

The three continue moving on again while Ruby decided to move on for now. The mysterious back story of Brian Scruffy would have to wait.

“So why'd you help us out back there? In the courtyard I mean?”

“Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet’.”

“Sounds like a nice lady.”

“Hmm. (Ruby looks around) Hey, where are we going anyway.”

“Oh, I don't know! I was following you two.”

“I… have no comment or idea either.”

The three look around in slight worry.

“Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some sort of recognizable landmark? (Ruby starts chuckling) Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?

“That's a 'no'.”

Scratching his head, Brian, just to relieve the tension spoke with a joke.

“Well, it’s probably NO problem, heh… we should probably retrace our steps.”