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hellowhoisthere · 7 months ago

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BEACON ACADEMY: FIRST CLASS

this was alternatively titled "When Two Birds and Dragon Walk Into a Rose"

Once the last students arrived at the edge of Beacon Academy’s property, the headmaster began his speech.

“I would like to begin with expectations.This class will be the first class to be initiated under my tenure, and I intend to have you be the best huntress and huntsman Beacon has to offer Remnant. The first step will be a test. You will have until dusk to enter the forest, locate one relic from the abandoned temple in the northern edge of the forest and return here to present your findings. This will not only be a test of your aura, your skills, but also your intentions as future huntsman and huntresses.

The headmaster took one long look at the two students who arrived last as he spoke of the meaning of being huntsmen and huntresses. One was a boy with a fringe over one eye, dressed in what looked like a jacket with attached fingerless gloves on the sleeves. The other was a girl with bright red streaks throughout her wild raven hair. The headmaster closed his speech with, “Now, get off my cliff”.

Some students did not hesitate and jumped from the cliff, one female student did so with a flourish of her white cape as she bid adieu to the other students. Others used their weapons or dust to shoot off the cliff. While others, one student, had to be pushed off by the headmaster. However, that wasn’t Taiyang’s fault.

He had been searching his pockets for something to help him rappel from the cliff. He did not have any rope in his pockets, but he did find something as he was falling to the whitewater of the waterfall. The sail of the hang glider caught the air just in time and flew Taiyang over the Emerald Forest allowing him to take in the view. It was not that Taiyang was lost, but the view was spectacular the longer he was in the air. There were trees, and more trees, and one tree with what looked like a guy standing on the branches.

That guy must be lost, and it is Taiyang’s duty as future huntsman to help out the unfortunate.

Taiyang folded the glider to drop himself on the branches below the other student. Taiyang started to climb up, but was stopped,

“It’s not a good idea.” the guy shouted while keeping his eyes on the landscape.

“You don’t have to worry about me, partner. I can climb this tree blindfolded, and you had a good idea getting a bird’s eye view from there.” Taiyang said as he continued his climb up the tree.

“I’m looking for my sister. She is my only partner.”

Taiyang reached the branch the other was on. “I’m already here, so might as well help. I’m Tai by the way, so how do you know where your sister is?”

“Where there is a fire, there is my sister.”

“That should be easy to spot then.” Taiyang swept over the forest from this height; it still looked like a bunch of trees, and the guy stubbornly kept his gaze from meeting Tai’s. “Your name is, or I’m gonna give you a nickname.”

“Listen, I’d think twice before teaming up with me. I’m not a good person to have around.”

“Listen Moody Fringe, I only have to think once about it.”

Qrow finally looked at Tai, sorta. Qrow had rolled his eyes at the nickname, but Tai could tell he was suppressing a smile as he did. “My name is Qrow.”

Then for an indeterminable reason the branch beneath their feet gave way.

A few miles away, Raven heard the sound of a tree falling in the forest and knew it to be her brother. She started in a straight line towards the sound by cutting away at anything in front of her.

“Hey! Watch where you’re swinging that thing!” Raven has cut into some flowers, at least she thought so as only a few petals floated in the air.

Then, a girl was next to Raven. Raven was certain the girl had not been there seconds before, but what caught her off guard was something else about her.

“You have silver eyes.”

“Yeah, and you have red eyes.”

“I’ve never met someone with silver eyes before,” Raven lied.

“Likewise. I mean, I’ve seen myself in mirrors, but I’ve never seen red eyes.”

“You’ve never been to Anima, I guess. Red eyes were common in my village.”

“Haven’t, but maybe someday” Summer shrugged shyly.

Raven almost told her that no one could visit the village, that she and Qrow were the only survivors.

However, a beowulf howl on wind broke up the conversation. Raven turned away from the conversation and kept going forward, and the girl followed.

“We are done talking, so why are you following me?” Raven turned with her sword, and once again the girl dodged with the use of her semblance. Teleporting just before the strike came into touch with her.

“Why do you keep trying to kill me? We are going to the same place, so why not go together. Since that beowulf didn’t sound too far from here”

“I’m moving away from the temple. If you can make it through the forest by yourself, you would be going that way.” Raven pointed in the opposite direction that she could feel Qrow’s aura now.

“Nice try, but I know the relics are east of here. Maybe I’m worried about you making it through the forest?”

“I’m the strongest one here, and I would take the advantage if I were you.”

“It isn’t a competition, and how sure are you about the strongest hmm?”

“Everything is a competition. To find who is worthy, who is strongest, and only the winners stay alive. That is why I need to find Qrow, because we are going to win this together. Take the head start, Petals.”

Raven drew her sword up faster than before. Bring the tip just below the girl's chin, and the girl didn’t flinch.

“Wow, Qrow? Is your name Lark then, because my name is Summer Rose not Petals. ”

“My name is Raven.”

Summer smiled like she won something, and used her semblance to dance around Raven to reappear behind her. “Then we better get going Raven if we are going to beat the grimm to the finish line.”

Raven had a feeling she would find Qrow fighting with a pack of beowulfs, but she was not expecting for him to have such bad luck as to be in the center of a horde.

“That is bad luck, but I think the four of us can handle it.” Summer said bring her weapon out from under her cape. It looked like a hunting rifle with an ax blade .

“The two of us can handle it. Stay here.” Raven flew towards the eye in the center of the horde where Qrow was sundering grimm with his sword.

“Get the hell outta here” Qrow growled once she was back to back with Qrow.

“That’s the welcome I get for coming to save your skin?”

“He was talking to me,” Another person appeared from the ashes of grimm. Knuckles studded with dust he was punching grimm outright. “You must be Raven. You can call me Tai. I’m your brother's new best friend.” Tai punched another grimm in flames with fire dust. Then, Tai said to Qrow, “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Raven smelled fresh flowers, because she actually heard Summer, and she heard her before she saw appear. “I can’t believe you just tried to ditch me.” She said as she cleaved a beowulf as soon as she was a solid person.

“It’s a real problem with them I’m guessing.” Tai said. “But now this is going to be a party.”

“A short lived one, if you two don’t focus.” The smile Qrow had when he saw Raven was back in a frown at the situation. This was his fault, and he knew it.

“We need to kill the alpha beowulf, and make a run for relics. We don’t have the time to take on this horde.” Summer chopped a beowulf.

“Sounds like a plan, but which one is the leader?”

‘The one with the loudest howl” Raven and Qrow said together as the howl rang out above the horde of growls and baying.

“That one! Help me get a clear shot.”

Summer reverted her ax into a hunting rifle. Raven switched the blade of her sword with one for a blade of wind dust that cleared a direct path to alpha beowulf with one heavy swing. Qrow took to extending the path Raven made for their getaway run and Tai kept the rear to keep any grimm from chasing them through the forest.

The four of them ran until they came to the end of the path to the temple.

Raven struggled to save face while the others freely caught their breath.

“See like I said the four of us could handle it.”

“I don’t consider running from grimm handling it.”

“No one died, so I consider it handled”

“Let’s just pick a relic and get back to school before sunset.” Qrow picking up one of the crystal figurines at random.

“There are only four left, so it looks like we are in last place.” Tai said, picking up a figurine.

“It's ruby red. My lucky color.” Summer Rose said with a smile at Raven.

“The luck here is that this wasn’t a competition.” Raven didn’t smile back, but repetition of Summer’s words didn’t go unnoticed by her.

At the cliffs the group was at a standstill as getting to the top of the sheer cliff face was going to present a problem.

“I can check my pockets for a hot air balloon,” Tai said, considering the cliff face.

“The only place with hot air is your head.” Qrow rolled his eyes at him.

“You have green dust, right?” Summer asked Raven.

“Even if I had enough, it's going to be a long climb.”

“I thought the strongest of us would have no problem with it,” Summer teased, “We will only need to get closer, then I should be able to take us up one by one from that ledge.”

It was a good plan, but Qrow had the bad habit of messing up even a good plan.

The first thing to go wrong was Qrow losing his relic to the abyss as he climbed to the ledge. The second wasn’t his fault, but he blamed himself for it anyways.

“How does your semblance work?” Qrow asked as Summer held out her hand to him.

“I don’t really know, but it will help if you close your eyes and not think about anything.”

“That shouldn't be a problem for him.” Raven snorted.

“It will be even less of a problem with her.” Qrow retorted. Raven glared in response, and Qrow would have stuck his tongue out at her if she hadn't disappeared in the next second.

It wasn’t Raven that left though, it was Qrow. Now standing next to the Headmaster without a relic.

“Oh what? No way? Must have lost it in the teleport.” Qrow lied.

The headmaster only hummed in response. Qrow didn’t know how to understand that, so he looked over the edge for his sister.

Below Tai and Raven were waiting for Summer to renew her energy as teleporting herself was no sweat on her aura, but teleportation with another person took more.

Then, a wild updraft came, nearly blowing them off the cliff, or maybe it did because Qrow lost sight of the three.

Next to Qrow though appeared a pile of petals. It was worse than the blossom season back home, but out though petals appeared everyone standing safe and sound.

Summer Rose was bright as she handed the headmaster her relic. It was a mission well done as no was hurt, and everyone brought back what they needed.

Then, the world went dim. As soon as Summer released the relic she fell over, and so did Raven and Taiyang.

“Hmmmm,” The headmaster said, looking at three unconscious students before pulling out his radio. “Please bring a bus to the orientation site. Also, let my secretary know I thought of new rules for the orientation next year.”

When the world came back into color it was white. Actually off-white, or more like a very very pale green. Summer could faintly hear the muffled cheering from somewhere.

“It is the orientation ceremony, it sounds like the whole school is there.”

“I think passing out during the first exam means we didn’t make it.”

Raven and Tai were in cots on either side of her, and Summer came to with her last memory.

“I’m sorry, I took too much on, and I brought you down with me.”

“Are you hungry? Food always helps me feel better when my aura gets depleted.” Taiyang’s voice was so soft with concern as he held a footlong sub sandwich to Summer.

Summer was so hungry, but-

“Where did you get that?” Raven asked for both of them.

“It’s my semblance. I can basically fit anything into a box, so it came from my pocket. My semblance keeps things preserved as the day I stored it. Want some?”

“Sounds like a fair enough explanation to me. You don’t have to ask me thrice.” Summer took half of the offered sandwich.

“I can’t believe you’re eating that” Raven said. Eventhough she had no place to judge with the food she had to eat when there was nothing else.

“Don’t have the strongest stomach?” Summer said to her, and then to Tai, “Do you have any cookies? I think if I’m about to be kicked out of school before the first day, a cookie will make it all better.”

Tai nodded with understanding as he checked every pocket of his attire which consisted of cargo pants and fishing vest.

Meanwhile in the auditorium Qrow watched as everyone was either called to join a team or cheered to welcome the new students.

Qrow didn’t cheer, he didn’t move at all for the entirety of the ceremony.Qrow was too busy falling into despair as each student was called. He had hoped that he would finally find a place in the world. A place to belong, be accepted, just for a little while.

Qrow didn’t wipe his tears, because he wasn’t crying in the vacant auditorium after it was clear that he failed acceptance to Beacon Academy. He would get up, find Raven, and leave this place behind him… as soon as he could get up.

However, Qrow was found first by Headmaster Ozpin.

“We’ll be leaving soon enough, can’t even stay the night?” Qrow cleared his throat.

“It's a pity as I had high hopes for you and your team.”

“My team?”

“You may not be the leader, but it will be your team nonetheless. If you would please follow me, I’ll introduce you to-”

The headmaster fell over as Qrow followed him.

“That is an interesting semblance you have.” The headmaster said, straightening himself and continued walking.

“Are you blaming me for you falling over?” Qrow blamed himself too.

“You will be able to learn to trigger the probability field, but I suspect your semblance is passive to a degree.”

“I got shit luck that is all.” Qrow grumbled.

“I may not have the semblance of divination, but I do have a hunch. Do you not see the effect you have on your surroundings, the people, or grimm around you.”

Qrow stalled as his whole life realigned itself with this information. There was no hope for Qrow after all.

“I’m a bad luck charm to my very soul?”

“Not the way I would define it, but a stroke of good luck may be just beginning for you.”

The headmaster said as he opened the infirmity to find three students on one cot with a stack of cookies between their teeth for each of them.

Headmaster Opzin could not laugh now matter how much Ozpin wanted too, so he hummed a non-response. As he watched Summer Rose swallow the cookies whole, he knew he made the right choice. He has high hopes for these huntsmen.

Ozpin announced the team in a similar introduction from the orientation ceremony. “You will be Team STRQ (stark). Led by Summer Rose. I look forward to seeing you all in class tomorrow.”

Headmaster Opzin exited stage left after his announcement that shook Summer’s world entirely. She arrived at Beacon yesterday, with only the hope of passing orientation, had lost that hope in a low aura incident, and now was team leader.

Taiyang was happy to be at Beacon Academy of course, but had resigned himself to be unlicensed huntsman, or maybe take up teaching just one cookie stack ago. Now he broke the silence of his teammates, “This calls for cake! Give me a second. I have one in case of celebration.”

The Brawnwen siblings did not process their feelings from the day until they were alone with each other. Once on the roof of their new dorm they passed a flask between them. Together they allowed the reality of today’s events to set in as they watched the stars over Beacon’s campus and Vale beyond that.

Raven was tasked with learning how to be a huntress, so she could defeat other huntsmen. After two near failures in one day, she doubted her ability to make the next four years. Especially, with the teammates she had been given.

“Thinking about how you’re on a team with your favorite fairytale?” Qrow said, because growing up the only survivors and living in the tribe together gave Qrow the talent to read her mind.

“At least we won’t have to worry about them figuring us out.”

“Didn’t answer my question. Do you remember the guy from Kutanashi with the silver eyes?

Raven would never forget her first solo mission for the tribe. “He was strong, but no match for us.” Raven had been amazed by meeting a true silver eyed warrior, he had fought like one too, but she didn’t allow it to deter her from her mission. In the same way she wouldn’t let Summer Rose distract her now.

“Do you ever wonder who paid us to cut his eyes out?”

“Not our place.” Raven said automatically, but one day she would be one to have knowledge in the tribe. One day four years from now.

“Think about it, though. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn’t be here. After that the tribe said the only ones that could stop us are the huntsmen, so now we are here learning to be huntsmen. Because whoever that was, we get to do this normal thing.”

Everyday for the next four years Qrow wouldn’t need to prove his strength to be accepted, be fearful of falling behind, or forced to raid to survive. He would have friends, his sister, and a chance at a new life for himself.

Maybe the headmaster was right. This was only the beginning of Qrow’s good luck.

Raven and Qrow both a final swig of the flask to the same pledge,

“Until graduation.”

~~~~

@shiny-good-rock

@remnants-of-rwby-exchange

#remnants of rwby: fanworks exchange #team strq #rwby strq #i really headcanon Summer's semblance as cross between Ruby's and Blake's but teleport worked better here.#Also please imagine Raven and Qrow with the classic Scene/Emo kid look from the mid 2000s #i hope to have fulfilled your request for some summer/raven and this was all just emotional whump for qrow and overall silly strq

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