Vale
After what seemed like an eternity on the airship, the two brothers finally got off.
"THAT JACKASS!" Cole cried out. "HE PUKED ON ME!"
He frantically scrubbed his footwear with a rag he had made wet with his water canteen. Kyle gave a small sigh...waiting. Eventually, Cole managed to get all the vomit off of his lower half.
"WHY'D THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN ON THE FIRST DAY!?!" he screamed angrily. "WHAT'D I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!?"
After listening to his brother complain
for what seemed like forever, Kyle finally began to walk away.
"Hey! What's the matter with you?" Cole shouted, running to catch up to him.
"I'm just trying to prepare myself for what lies ahead," Kyle replied with a slight shrug. " You know, the actual reason we're here"
"What are you ta-" Cole froze mid sentence.
Both of them suddenly stopped walking as they looked ahead.
They found themselves standing in awe at the sight of Beacon Academy.
"Aren't you the least bit excited?" Cole exclaimed, walking in front of Kyle. "We're going to be HUNTSMEN!"
"Yes, but this won't be an easy task," Kyle said in a rather calm tone.
"You're no fun anymore..." his brother complained.
"Let's just find out where we should go first" Kyle said sighing.
Both of them soon came to a holographic screen on the paved path.
"Wow, looks like everything we need to know is right here" Cole grinned.
"And a map as well, looks like I'll find out where we need to be and how to get there then," Kyle said as he approached the screen and touched it.
Suddenly they heard a loud crashing noise as Cole spun around to see a girl sprawled out on the floor. She had black hair with red tips. She had tripped over a luggage cart and was lying on the ground. Above her stood a white-haired girl.... she had a very pale complexion, almost white.
"What are you doing?!" she cried.
"S-Sorry!" the red-haired girl apologized as she began picking up suitcases.
"Sorry?! Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused?!"
"Uh.." the red girl gaped.
"Give...me that, this is Dust!" she said snatching the suitcase away from her.
"Uhh.." continued the other girl in confusion.
"What are you....brain dead? Dust! fire, water, lightning...energy!" the white-haired girl said, slamming her case down. Dust flew out and into the other girl's face.
"I...*COUGH*...*COUGH*" the girl wheezed as she began coughing.
"Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?" the pale girl said as she continued waving the dust vial around.
The girl finally sneezed, igniting a small explosion of fire, electricity, and Ice Dust onto the white-haired girl.
The noise drew the attention of several others nearby.
At this point, Kyle stopped looking at the map and looked over in the direction of the two girls.
"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" the pale girl shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry!" the other girl apologized.
"You complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending beacon?"
"Well...I-I..." the red girl stuttered.
"Are you seeing this?" Cole said, nudging Kyle in the side.
"I'd rather not" he replied as he continued looking up at the screen.
"This isn't your ordinary combat school...we're here to fight monsters! So, watch where you're going!" The white-haired girl snapped.
"Hey, I said I was sorry Princess!" the other yelled back.
"It's Heiress actually," said a voice from behind.
They both turned to see a girl approaching.
She wore a big black bow on the top of her head and had black hair.
Cole listened from afar as Kyle continued studying the interactive map and asking for directions.
"Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee dust company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world," the girl said informatively.
"Finally! Some recognition!" Weiss complained proudly.
The girl added something else that Cole didn't manage to catch but could see it wasn't pleasant by the look on Weiss's face.
"How dare-The nerve of some people!" Weiss huffed before storming off with attendants carrying her luggage.
"I promise to make it up to you!" the red girl shouted as Weiss left.
"I guess I'm not the only one having a bad day...so, what's-" she said turning to see the other girl walking off.
The red girl sadly slumped to the ground until a shadow appeared as someone stood over her.
"Hey, name's Jaune. Jaune Arc" said a boy.
He had short blonde hair, was skinny, and carried a sword on his waist.
Cole suddenly squinted as he began to slowly make his way over to the two.
"Ruby," she said smiling up at him as Jaune helped her up.
Cole was slightly annoyed he hadn't been the first to reach her. But his attention wasn't all on the girl. It was on the young boy. It was HIM.
"HEY, YOU'RE THE ONE!" Cole shouted out.
The two students spun in his direction with their eyes wide open
"YOU PUKED ON MY PANTS! MY BOOTS!" he continued. "What the hell was that for?!?. Couldn't you have introduced yourself in a much better way?!?
"Uhhhh, Ah!" Jaune cried as a look of panic struck his face. "I'm so sorry! Please, I didn't mean to do that!"
"You better be...." Cole replied as his eyes narrowed. " Do you have any idea wh-"
He suddenly stopped once he saw the gaze of the young girl in front of him.
"He....did say sorry...." she told him while twirling her fingers. "He must've been a little nervous is all...right?"
"Uh...r-right! Jaune stammered before nodding. "Very nervous, it is my first day ya'know!"
A sudden calmness came over Cole. It was very unfamiliar to him.
"I'm Cole....Cole Voltio" he said with a small smile.
He met eyes again with the girl as they shook hands.
"Ruby Rose," she said with an endearing smile.
He then turned and shook hands with the male student.
""Nice to meet you, I'm Jaune Arc. Who's that behind you?" he asked, looking behind Cole.
"That's my older brother, Kyle," he said motioning behind him.
The two students looked over at him as he managed a small wave before turning away.
After a brief small talk about what had happened aboard the airship, the two students said their goodbyes before Cole walked back over with his brother.
"Why didn't you come over and say hello?" He asked in an irritated tone.
"I waved, that was enough" Kyle told him.
"No, it wasn't"
"I disagree" Kyle replied
"You sure are a weirdo around others...." Cole said. "Anyway, did you find out where we're supposed to be going?"
"Yes," he replied.
They began walking again on the paved path towards Beacon Academy.
Kyle thought out Cole's words....not wanting to talk to strangers.
But he couldn't help but notice how fair-skinned the Weiss girl had been before she had walked off.
Cole was secretly angry at his brother, he thought it made them look different when he was quiet, especially when they were together.
He was thinking that Ruby looked rather cute the way she apologized.
Both of them were.
"Did you see that other girl?" Cole asked turning to look at his sibling.
"I did not," he said lying.
"Whatever...I saw you gazing in that direction" Cole said smugly.
"That brunette...with the bow...there was something different about her" Kyle thought to himself ignoring his brother.
Soon all the students had gathered around in front of a stage. Soon a figure came onto it to address the whole room.
Everyone soon became quiet as they listened to what he had to say.
"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." The man said.
There was a brief silence followed by several whispers around the room.
"Who the hell is he?" Cole asked his brother as quietly as possible.
"You should already know that. That's the headmaster...Professor Ozpin." Kyle replied in an irritated tone.
"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." Ozpin finished as he walked away.
A woman passed him as she stood in front of everyone and prepared to speak as well.
"Oh...now HER I'd definitely like to know about.." Cole said quietly with a smirk.
Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as he attempted to ignore his sibling.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready, you are dismissed" the woman said.
Kyle knew exactly who she was. The headmistress of Beacon Academy. Glynda Goodwitch.
Soon everyone crowded around the ballroom as they were struggling to find the ideal place to rest for the night.
Cole removed his shirt, briefly revealing his chest.
"Please tell me you brought a change of clothes," he asked turning to Kyle
"I had no room, and I wanted to bring...these" he said opening his knapsack.
Kyle began taking out his books and placing them on the floor next to his sleeping bag.
"Wow, you plan to do some studying tonight" Cole remarked sarcastically. "Still, that's gross...."
"To each his own" Kyle told him.
"I'm so ready for tomorrow," Cole reminded himself.
He looked and saw Kyle's lance already cleaned and neatly prepared for tomorrow.
He set his battle ax down on the floor and yawned.
Kyle looked up and saw the girl from earlier sitting by herself. The one with the bow.
She had candle lit next to her and was reading alone.
Soon, Ruby and a blonde-haired girl appeared and walked over to the bow girl.
Cole smiled as he watched Ruby desperately try to make friends with a stranger.
Kyle glanced at the blonde girl before looking away.
"Who was she?" he thought to himself.
"Hm...." Kyle murmured as he continued gazing in her direction.
"Would you quit gawking?!" Cole scorned throwing a pillow at his face.
Kyle winced before angrily throwing the pillow back at him.
"I'm trying to read," he said looking back down at his book. "Strategy is key"
"Whatever, this is the first time I haven't you with your nose in your book.... you suddenly interested in a girly?" Cole chuckled.
"Stop talking...go to sleep" Kyle demanded.
"No way, I'm doing what matters most.... training" Cole stated.
"Why do it here...of all places?" Kyle asked.
"You don't get muscles like these from reading books" his brother said.
"GAHH!" Kyle exclaimed before slamming his book closed and pulling the covers up on his sleeping bag.
"What....I say something wrong?" Cole said laughing. "The truth hurts, you know"
Kyle knew he could easily outmatch his brother in anything, no matter how much training either did.
His brother thought so little of his sibling and so highly of himself. He only cared about his physique and training.
Besides....he'd never seen Kyle's physique, knowing full well his brother would work day and night perfecting himself to match his brother.
"I could've sworn I saw that Jaune guy In BUNNY pajamas...." Cole said to himself lying back in his sleeping bag. "Neat"
The Next Day
Everyone gathered on Beacon Cliff in preparation for their initiation.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So, it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Professor Ozpin began.
"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years".
"WHAT?!" Ruby cried.
"Don't follow me, alright?" Cole whispered to Kyle.
"No promises" He replied.
"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" Ozpin warned.
Cole and Kyle both gripped their weapons at the Professor's words.
"You will be monitored and graded through 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 grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" he said concluding.
"Yeah, um, sir?" Jaune asked raising his hand.
"Good! Take your positions." Ozpin commanded pretending not to hear him.
Just then Weiss was launched from her tile off the cliff.
The other students followed as one by one they began catapulting from the cliff.
"Uh, I've got... a question... Are you...like, dropping us off or something?" Jaune asked nervously.
Cole and Kyle both turned and gave him a disapproving look.
"No. You will be falling." Ozpin answered.
"So, what exactly is a landing strate-" Jaune began before he was catapulted into the air.
Cole and Kyle soon followed before they were soaring over the treetops.
"THIS IS!" Cole called to him with a confident smile".