Welcome to chapter 3. Not much to say for this pre-chapter A.N, besides I hope you enjoy it. I've been a bit busy and my muse has been lazing about like a drunken monkey so this chapter may be a little messier as a result, but I wanted to get some writing done anyhow.

That being said, enjoy!

Chapter 3: Ambivalentidea

As she laid there on her sleeping mat, in the massive auditorium among the many other resting or restless future students, Weiss Schnee couldn't help but feel a little worried. It was quite close to midnight, and she still hasn't seen neither hide nor hair of Antonio.

When he went off earlier, she wasn't too concerned. For someone as reclusive and private as Antonio Salieri, being able to walk within such a massive castle of a school must be quite exciting. It'd make sense to want to wander around.

But it's less than an hour away from midnight, and he still hasn't returned.

"You are concerned."

And she's still stuck with her unusual company.

Weiss turns her head to look at her fellow snowy haired girl, Altera, who laid… on the floor. No blanket, no sleeping bag, she just laid flat on the cold ground with all the emotion and expression of a dead fish, her head turned slightly to stare at Weiss.

She was… strange. Very blunt. Blinked very, very rarely. And those eyes of hers were… unnatural, to say the least. White pupils were not natural, especially with how they were just faintly glowing. It was incredibly concerning.

What little Altera did divulge of her story is that she is from Atlas, like Weiss, though she was tight lipped about where in Atlas. Perhaps her eyes were cybernetic? Replacements for her original eyes due to blindness, or an injury? They looked real enough. It would explain the glow, and why she didn't blink nearly as often as normal people did.

"A-ah, well… my companion has wandered off and I haven't seen him since the end of Professor Ozpin's speech. I'm… a little worried, yes."

"Your companion is Antonio Salieri." Altera stated, staring blankly at Weiss.

"That's right. Do you listen to his music?"

The tanned girl shook her head slowly, never breaking eye contact. "Father does. Says it helps him think while working."

"What does your father do?" Weiss rolls over on her sleeping mat to lay on her stomach.

"Science."

"….can you be a little more specific?"

"No."

Well, that went nowhere. Much like previous attempts at conversation, Altera tended to end them quickly, and bluntly. She seemed to prefer listening, rather than talking.

"Mrmm… gotcha now Torchwick…. You'll never… get away with taking my cookies… mlem… sic 'em Zwei…"

Weiss' brow twitches as she turns to look at her other new, unlikely companion, who snored away on her sleeping mat, drooling a little into her pillow.

Ruby Rose.

From what the younger girl exposited about herself in an attempt to get to know Weiss better, the Schnee heiress learned that Ruby was raised in a Valean countryside town called Patch, went to Signal Academy, and apparently attempted to stop Roman Torchwick in his latest robbery, which honestly stunned her considering no mention was made of Ruby at all on the news. That was how she got into Beacon so early, Ozpin took notice of her achievement and offered her a place here.

A large part of Weiss was very irked about that. This one dunce of a girl tried to help stop one criminal, regardless of his infamy, and she gets a free pass to try and join Beacon, whereas Weiss had to work her arse off giving her blood, sweat and tears as she tried to convince her father and his damned secretary-

Weiss closed her eyes and slowly exhaled through her nose. No, no thinking about that. She's here now. She's at Beacon. Far away from home. No need to think about them.

"You are distressed."

Altera was pointing out the obvious again.

"Shouldn't you be back with… Yang, was it? They've obviously quieted down." Weiss mutters, brow twitching as she glances at another girl a few feet away.

Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's sister. Half-sister at least.

The blonde was messing around on her Scroll, having winded down from her loud and raucous behavior when she was talking with that… that Faunus.

Another blonde, he was obviously a Faunus from his incredibly sharp teeth. He was almost all canines. He looked like a brute and he seemed to inject the word 'Golden' or some variation of it into each and every sentence he spouted. She could hear him all the way from her spot with Ruby and Altera when the pair of blonde brutes were busy being all chummy.

Right now, said Faunus was fast asleep on his sleeping mat, his (admittedly impressive) torso bare to the world, wearing only a pair of silken golden pajama pants that looked a size too tight.

With a body like that, he would have fit right in with those White Fang degenerates as their brawn with no brain.

"I have already entered a comfortable position to rest in, to move now would jeopardize my comfort." Altera stated blankly, staring at Weiss.

"You are laying on the cold, tiled floor without a blanket and you are barely clothed." Weiss deadpanned. She didn't care if Altera came from the same Kingdom as her, there was no way she could wear such… thin and borderline scandalous looking clothes and not feel a chill.

"A very comfortable cold, tiled floor." Altera replied in monotone. "And I have been asked to keep you company regardless of my newfound friendship with Yang."

"Keep me company..?" Weiss started, her eyes widening a little.

Another fellow Atlesian… was told to keep her company?

"D-did my father send you?" The heiress whispered, her fists clenching, only for the tension to leave her body as Altera shook her head in negative.

"No. Specialist Schnee did."

"Specialist Schnee..? Wait, WINTER told you to keep me company?"

NOW Weiss was… confused. Though she was beginning to pick up some pieces.

Altera's father worked on 'science', she lived in Atlas, and now she seems to know her sister. Not just her sister, but her official military rank as well.

Meaning Altera's father must work for the military as well.

The red eyed girl nodded slowly. "She visits my father and uncle with General Ironwood occasionally. When it was revealed I would be attending Beacon, she expressed concern over your wellbeing and requested I endeavor to keep you company. I have never been given such a task so I am unsure of what that entails beyond me remaining in close proximity with you."

Weiss sighed softly as she processed all this, unable to help a small smile forming on her lips. Winter was watching out for her, even when they were miles apart. At least that's ONE family member she could count on.

"….well, I would say you are doing a… relatively good job at it. Keeping me company I mean." Weiss says as she rests her chin on her folded arms, laying on her stomach. Her eyes catch the faintest twitch of Altera's lips, possibly a ghost of a smile.

"I am glad to hear that. I will of course continue to remain friends with Yang, so I will be required to have you both in close proximity in order to maximize efficiency. Specialist Schnee has also instructed me to ensure I vet any potential suitors from approaching you according to her specific list of merits and standards they are required to meet. I was unsure if this was a serious request but I wish to inform you of the bar she has set just in case."

Of course Winter would do that.

Weiss sighs as she listens to Altera listing off a number of… 'Requirements' that Winter has set for potential suitors…. and felt a small amount of embarrassment when she realized that so far, Antonio was meeting all of these standards Winter had set.

Speaking of whom, she hoped that Antonio was doing well, wherever he was in Beacon's grounds right now.

Antonio Salieri was not doing well. He felt sick to his stomach, his brow furrowed as he steepled his hands in front of his lips, elbows resting on Ozp-his father's desk.

He was trying to process the sudden dump of information the reincarnated wizard had just given him.

The Deity Brothers.

His mother being rescued by his father from her incarceration in her castle.

His father's fall to sickness.

His mother's rebellion against the Gods.

The first extinction event of mankind.

The curse of immortality bestowed upon his mother.

The four relics.

The task the God of Light had given his father, only for him to be swayed by his mother to instead rule over mankind.

The second death of his father, the night Antonio lost his sisters.

"Are you alright?" Ozpin asked with unrestrained concern in his voice. Antonio simply closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.

"No, father, I am not. I am… trying to understand all of this… and yet once more, I find I have more questions."

"Ask them, I will do my best to answer them. It is the least I can do." The headmaster admitted sadly, hands folded on his desk.

"Then start by telling me… what exactly is your plan? For this… conflict with mother I mean."

There was a tense silence.

Antonio's eyes widened as he looked at his quiet, and regretful looking sire.

"You… you do not have one… do you?"

Ozpin said nothing for a few seconds before he sighed. "No. No I do not. I have asked Jinn, the spirit sealed within the Relic of Knowledge on whether or not there was a way to destroy Salem… and she said there wasn't. I am afraid that, right now, my only plan is to raise generations of Huntsmen and Huntresses strong enough that we can at least mitigate the tide of the Grimm and hopefully, push them back enough so that one day, Salem can be imprisoned."

Antonio stared at his father intensely as he gritted his teeth. "And how confident are you that such a thing is even possible? Father, she has not been sitting idly by! She has been planning things, and I do not even know what those schemes entail! Every time I looked into her eyes, I saw a burning rage that will not be contained. She has armies of Grimm, monstrosities that she continues to tinker and experiment with to create bigger, stronger beasts! If you think the hordes that lay beyond the walls of Vale are numerous, they are paltry compared to the swarm of beasts she has at her beck and call surrounding her castle! If you try to imprison her, she will make sure that she kills as many people as possible before such a thing can happen."

"And what do you suppose I should do then?" Ozpin raises his voice, eyes narrowed as he stands up and gestures out his tower's window. "Negotiate with her? Plead to the Gods? There is no way for anyone on Remnant to kill her now that she is… THIS. If I cannot kill her, I will at least make sure the damage she deals is decreased exponentially. I will die and come back as many times as it takes to make sure that even if the Gods never return, even if Salem wanders the earth as a vengeful, furious wraith of evil for all eternity, mankind WILL survive!"

The wizard took a deep breath before calming himself down as he holds his hand out towards his son. "And you can help with that, Antonio. You have been in her stronghold for years before your sudden debut as a musician in Atlas. You know exactly where she is hiding. When James, General Ironwood that is, told me of a prodigious young musician who seemed to appear out of nowhere and had the first name 'Antonio', I thought it was nothing. Just another child named after my dead son. But you are here, and you must know SOMETHING about Salem's plans! Join me and you can help me ensure that humanity will have hope!"

Antonio stared at his desperate sounding father for a few seconds, before he sighs and closes his eyes.

"I still love mother."

Ozpin froze, his eyes widening.

"Despite her flaws and the insanity she has become absorbed in, I know she loves me as well. Despite everything, I know that, deep down, a part of her is still human, and that part of her is what reminds me that she isn't completely beyond saving." Antonio Salieri mutters, before shaking his head. "I… I need time to decide. I am not sure I can partake in a cold war between my parents… a war that has no foreseeable end in sight. I came here for answers.. and for a chance at a normal childhood."

"Your mother is an immortal witch who manipulates the Grimm, your father is an ever reincarnating wizard, and you are attending a school that hunts monsters." Ozpin noted a little dryly, his brow raised. "If you were looking for normalcy, you probably should have stayed in Atlas."

"Well, normal for ME." The red eyed youth shrugs. "I desire to see exactly what a school run by you is like, and perhaps gain myself some allies who see beyond my status. And it isn't as if combat appalls me. I wish to become a Huntsman and hunt Grimm… and perhaps return to becoming a musician when I eventually retire, or simply find myself bored. I will fight for humanity, because the music people make, the arts and crafts that humanity created… they are all beautiful."

"Then-"

"But at the same time, I cannot say I care too much for the rest of humanity, because of what that pool of darkness has done to me." Antonio declares, his sclera bleeding into black, causing Ozpin to take a step back in shock as red veins begin to inch their way up the sides of his face. "I am.. not the son you knew, father. There is a darkness inside me, a thirst for destruction. A part of me that despises humankind for what it is. Greedy, selfish and hypocritical humans that brew conflict and hatred to fuel their own desires at the cost of the happiness and lives of others. A part of me agrees that humans are better off going extinct. Lock them up in cages like they did to the Faunus I saw back when I was a child. Do you see the problem here, father?"

Antonio wills his features to return to normal, a sight which made Ozpin visibly relax, though tension was still present in his stature.

"I am stuck between two worlds, and my soul is torn in two directions. Fight for my mother, or my father. Fight to protect humanity, or destroy it. Love, or hatred. I cannot make such a choice in good conscience… so for now, I will simply learn. Initiation has only just begun and I have much to learn from your academy."

"I see…" Ozpin murmurs, before sighing heavily as he almost collapses into his chair. "I… understand. I do not completely agree, but… I do understand. I just hope that when the time comes, you make the right choice…. No, I just hope you make the choice that you believe is the right one."

"As do I…" Antonio mutters, before staring at his father in the eyes. "However, the least I can do is offer some information on what little I do know of mother's plans."

"That would be greatly appreciated, Antonio."

As Ozpin leaned forward in his seat, chin resting on his steepled fingers, Antonio tried to recall what he knew.

"She has a number of henchmen… for starters there is a large man by the name of Hazel."

"Hazel Rainart. I know him." Ozpin sighs, regret lining his features. "You need not speak of him. I am well aware of his position in this war and what he is capable of."

There was a story there, but Antonio didn't inquire as he continued. "There is a… Faunus, I believe. A psychopath by the name of Tyrian. He is intensely loyal to mother… he calls her a Goddess. I am not sure what sort of Faunus he is, but a number of times I have heard mention of him having a tail of some sort."

"Noted."

"A man named Arthur Watts. He was the one I had create my Atlesian identification."

"Arthur Watts… I think I remember a pariah of a scientist by that name… I will need to ask James to look into that…" Ozpin rubbed his chin slowly.

"There was… a woman. A protégé of sorts. I never saw hide nor hair of her." Antonio's eyes narrowed as he tried to remember his mother's apprentice. "Mother ensured that we were never in the same room. I do not even know her name… just that she is incredibly important to her plans."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed. Salem taking on an apprentice… that did not bode well.

And with each individual description of Salem's inner circle, Ozpin found himself cursing his luck more and more as the list went on.

Blake wasn't in the best of moods right now.

She had to relocate her futon and reading light (so it was a candle, sue her, she liked reading by a warm orange light) several times to avoid the constant gibbering of other students that seemed to somehow get louder as the night went on.

She just had to move away, yet again, when a pair of blondes started to crack jokes and puns related to 'Gold'. It was honestly annoying, and it didn't help that the Schnee heiress was also near them.

Finally, she sighed as she set her futon down in an empty spot, right by one of the auditorium's massive windows.

"Oya, it's you."

Blake almost dropped her candle onto the ground and set her futon on fire when she realized she was about to sit down right next to one of the last people she was hoping to see.

The creep from this afternoon with the heavy kimono and coat.

He hadn't even changed clothes, still wearing his full ensemble, weapons included. He was sitting cross-legged with his back against the wall, his cloak covering most of his body. Probably didn't even need a blanket with how thick the fabric looked.

He didn't look as… 'Unstable' as he did previously though. He looked more annoyed. Restless even.

"Oi, are you gonna stand there and stare or sit down?"

"R-right." She flinches briefly before sitting down, setting the candle beside her as she opens her book back up and tries to continue reading.

Tries to.

She couldn't shake off her more primal instincts, the urge to regard this person as a threat. It wasn't as noticeable now, but it still put her on edge.

The boy paid no attention to her. Instead he simply stared out at the sea of teenagers, his eyes half-lidded. He looked exhausted. Why wasn't he sleeping?

"Oi. If ya keep staring I might have to cut your eyes out." His pale orange-yellow eyes flicker towards her briefly. "Fuckin' speak already or something."

Blake's fight or flight instincts flared again for a moment before she swallows. She's better than this. She's handled Adam. Adam fucking Taurus for Oum's sake. Why is she so nervous around this human?

"Why haven't you changed your clothes?"

Maybe not the best question to break the tension, but she asked it anyway. It made her feel less nervous, and it certainly seemed to catch him off guard as his eyebrows raised up for a moment before he scoffs.

"Don't have any others. All I've got is literally right here with me."

Blake nods, her lips pursed. That wasn't too unusual, there have always been students that had nowhere to go, so they took all their worldly possessions and skills to live at the Huntsmen academies, ensuring they would get employment once they graduate. Those people usually had to work much harder than the others so that they have something to show for it.

"Why did you threaten me before?" Blake asks, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glances at him from the corner of her eyes. This was what she really wanted to know. He 'had' simply just… told her he couldn't wait to see her bleed. "Huntsmen don't threaten to want to see each other bleed, or threaten to cut another's eyes out."

At least, the sane ones didn't.

The youth simply smirks, one brow cocked upwards as he lets out a small, unnerving chuckle.

"To see if I could scare ya shitless of course. Gotta weed out the weak ones in this place and leave the strong ones around, right? Grimm feed off bad vibes so if a bunch of cowards fill the ranks of future Huntsmen and Huntresses, humanity would be pretty fucked, right?"

"I… see." The feline Faunus nods slowly, deciding not to press further.

"Plus it was fun to see you look like you were about to piss yourself."

This absolute prick.

He was definitely not stable. Was he actually psychotic? Perhaps he had schizophrenia?

Regardless, she's had to deal with Adam's madness for a long time. She wasn't ready to deal with a new brand of insanity right now.

Unfortunately, this conversation soured her mood for reading, so she simply shut the book, causing the pages to clap together a little loudly, startling him enough that he almost moved to unsheathe his blade.

"Look… we probably got off on the wrong foot somehow, clearly. I won't ask what your problem is… because clearly you have many, but we are going to be classmates for the next few years. We might as well exchange names for now. Then we can go back to ignoring each other. I won't take those threats lying down however, and if you turn out to be dangerous, I will do my best to ensure you can't hurt anyone."

The messy haired youth glanced at her, brow raised, before his sickly autumn colored eyes narrow as he flashes a toothy smirk. "So the kitty cat's actually a deadly panther, eh?"

Blake's heart stopped, her eyes widening as her grip on her closed book tightened. "W-what are you talking about?"

"If you think a cutesy ribbon is enough to fool some people, you're really dumb." He snorts, shaking his head.

Blake's hands shake for a moment.

She thought the ribbon was a damn good disguise. Seems she was wrong.

"You will not tell anyone about this or I will slit your throat in your sleep." Blake hissed, panic in her voice.

"There it is…" The roguish youth's smirk widens, almost splitting his face as his eyes widen. "That's what I wanted to see. I'll keep quiet, I don't give a fuck if you're Faunus, human, or a Grimm. If ya give me a challenge, then I'll be plenty satisfied."

He raises a hand and rests it on the pommel of one of his blades. "How about it? A little spar before bed?"

Blake stares at the youth in confusion, her mind racing.

Was he serious?

Was he insane?

He was probably both.

Still, she sighs and shakes her head.

"Teachers will stop us, especially since orientation is tomorrow."

"Pssh, who gives a crap."

"I do, and most everyone here." The raven haired Faunus grunts, before narrowing her eyes. "I have to beat you to get you to stay silent on my true nature?"

"I don't care if ya beat me or not, just gimme a good fight and I'll be fine."

"…fine then. You'll have your fight, but not tonight. After orientation. This place probably has training halls so we can use one of those when we get the chance."

As the youth's smirk somehow gets even wider, taking on an almost demonic quality, Blake wonders if she traded the insanity that is Adam for a brand new one.

"The name's Izou. Okada Izou. I'll be the one who makes you bleed in the coming fight." The heavily robed youth almost growls out, holding out a hand for a handshake.

Blake stared at Izou's hand with a small amount of suspicion and disgust, before she narrowed her eyes at him and took his hand, gripping it firmly.

"Blake Belladonna. And not if I make you bleed first, lunatic."

"Oh you are just a treat."

As next day soon arrived, students found themselves preparing for initiation in the locker rooms.

And Salieri found himself trying to placate Weiss.

"You were gone ALL night! You cannot just brush it off and say you were lost somehow! I was beyond worried about you!" The Schnee heiress jabs her finger against Salieri's chest as he chuckles sheepishly.

"Calm down, signorina, as you can see, there was nothing to be worried about. Besides, you made friends, didn't you?" The musician gestures towards the trio of girls behind Weiss, currently grabbing gear from their lockers.

The blonde one with violet eyes grins over her shoulder as she equips a pair of bright yellow wrist bands, which transformed into a pair of gauntlets as she flicked her arms a little, before she transformed them back. "She sure did! Though she mainly became friends with my little sis, I'm just an acquaintance! Name's Yang!"

"I'm Ruby!" The silver eyed girl smiled as she pulled out a red, clunky weapon of some sort that was folded up from her locker. "And this is my baby, my Crescent Rose!"

"….Altera." The tan skinned and red eyed girl stated bluntly as she reached into her locker and pulled out a… folded red sword handle of some sort, with four metal prongs extending from the hilt, before strapping it to her waist.

"I am Antonio Salieri, it is a pleasure to make your collective acquaintance." He bows formally with a flourish, before standing back up, his brow raised as he sees Weiss watching the girls expectantly with a proud look on her face.

"….W-Weiss, what's with that look?" Ruby asks, a little put off. "You look really… smug about something."

"Yeah, what gives?" Yang raises a brow as she shuts her locker door. "Glad you get to be showing off your boyfriend?"

Instantly, the Schnee heiress' expression flips around as she glares at them, her pale face turning redder than Ruby's hood. "He is not my boyfriend! And what do you mean 'What gives'? What is with that reaction!? Do any of you have any idea who Antonio is!?"

"E-ermm…" Ruby murmurs, fidgeting nervously now at the sudden question.

"I know-" Altera raises her hand before Weiss points at her.

"I know you do Altera, you're from Atlas, you would have to be living under a rock to not know him. But for goodness sake, the two of you must have HEARD of Antonio at least!"

"I mean, his name sounds kinda familiar…" Yang mutters, cupping her chin. "Is he… I dunno, royalty or something?"

Salieri couldn't help but snort, immediately covering his mouth with a gloved hand at that, ignoring the affronted look Weiss was giving him. If only she knew.

"Antonio!"

"L-leave it Weiss, I honestly do not care about fame and reputation as much as you do." He chuckles, shaking his head.

"Okay, so not royalty. Is he a model from some fashion magazine? He looks the part." Yang tries again, smiling awkwardly as Weiss fumes and mutters something about uncultured blondes.

Suddenly, Ruby perks up and rummages through her pockets, pulling out her Scroll as she fiddles with it. "Hang on, that name DOES ring a bell… I think it's… aha!"

She presses a button and cranks up the volume, before suddenly their section of the locker room was filled with the sound of chanting… accompanied by an electric guitar.

"Dies irae! Dies illa! Solvet saeclum! En favilla, teste davidcum sybilla-"

Weiss levelled a flat look at a suddenly embarrassed looking Salieri.

"Is that a rock version of-"

"I-it was an experiment, I-I never conducted the song live, just uploaded it onto the net." Salieri coughs, his cheeks colored a little pink. "It was my first time trying to play something properly with an electric guitar."

"You're the one who made Dies Irae?" Yang raises a brow as she walks over, smirking a little as she notices that Ruby was beaming a big, wide smile, sparkles in her silver eyes.

"Wow… I listen to this every time I practice with Crescent Rose! I mean, I listen to Red Like Roses too and This Will Be The Day, but I listen to this a lot as well!" Ruby almost bounces in place. "I had no idea you're Avenger492!"

"That is good to know… though, I didn't really make the original song that version is based off on my own… I and a friend of mine made it…" Salieri smiles, his embarrassment gone in favor of amusement at Ruby's expression.

The sight of his own face in her almost mirror-like silver eyes made him remember the end of his conversation with his father last night.

"I suppose I will need to update James on people he needs to be on the lookout for…" Ozpin murmured as Salieri stood up.

"Indeed. Goodnight for now father.. I will see you tomorrow."

"Before you go, I have a small question." The headmaster raised a hand before his son could turn around. "Did you happen to run into a girl with a red hooded cape and silver eyes?"

"Silver eyes… yes, I did actually. I happened upon her being yelled at by Signorina Weiss Schnee due to an accident that involved a fire Dust enhanced sneeze." The young musician chuckles with a wry grin, his father forming a near identical one on his lips.

"Just as clumsy as her mother… anyhow, what I wish to know is if you… felt anything when you saw her eyes."

"Felt anything? Such as…?" Salieri stared at his father in confusion, watching his sire's face form a thoughtful and curious look, before the older man shakes his head.

"Hmm, nevermind, perhaps it is because you bear more of my blood that you do Salem's. There is an old tale of Silver Eyed warriors bearing powers that let them obliterate the Grimm using their eyes. Considering Salem dropped you into the Pool of Annihilation-"

"-you wanted to know if my more Grimm-like side felt any sort of instinctual fear at the sight of her eyes." Salieri hummed, his brow furrowing. "I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but I am in my human form so perhaps I would feel differently if I was in my Grimm form… or perhaps her powers simply haven't awakened."

"Grimm form? No, never mind, I suppose I will find out what that is later… loath as I am to know that. Perhaps you are right. In any case, on the off chance you 'do' feel some sort of reaction to her eyes, make sure you tell me so I can… endeavor to at least see if I can find a way to help mitigate the effects." Ozpin shrugs, smiling calmly. "For now though, goodnight."

Looking at Ruby, Salieri couldn't believe that such innocent and cheerful looking eyes were supposed to be fabled weapons of mass destruction against all Grimmkind. It was like a children's tale in which the divine hero who was meant to slay the eternal darkness took the form of a puppy.

"And what you have isn't even the original version. The original is a grand and powerful orchestra conducted by Salieri himself. He is the greatest classical musician in all of Atlas, perhaps even the world! A prodigy among the youths of the kingdom!" Weiss smirks proudly, her arms crossed.

Yang whistles with raised eyebrows as she grins. "Not bad, a bigshot in Atlas! Does that mean we get free tickets?"

"Yang, you don't like classical music thoug-hmpngh!" Ruby points out before spluttering as Yang's palm covers her face, muffling her words.

"I don't but after hearing you blast that darn song over and over again outside our house while training, I'm kinda curious to see what the original sounds like, especially live-EW, Ruby! Did you just drool on my hand!?"

"Unfortunately, I am temporarily retired from my life as a musician due to my decision to enroll here as a future Huntsmen, so you may have to wait a long time before the next concert. However, perhaps a private show may be possible in the near future, I 'did' bring some of my instruments here after all." Salieri offers a smile at the two, garnering a strangled 'Yes!' from Ruby, who was currently put in a headlock by her sister, who gave him an easy wink.

"Sounds cool to me. We just gotta make it through initiation." The blonde bombshell smirks, before letting go of Ruby. "You all ready?"

"Yep!" Ruby grins as she kips up, deactivating her Scroll and tucking it away, before holding tightly onto Crescent Rose.

"I am always ready, Xiao Long." Weiss huffs, Myrtenaster sheathed at her hip.

"I am combat ready." Altera nods, briefly startling Weiss since she had moved her position in the room to stand behind the Schnee heiress.

"One moment." Salieri hums as he opens up his locker… and walks into it, before shutting the door behind him.

The four girls stare at his locker in confusion, before Weiss broke the silence. "Um… Antonio?"

"This may take a while, I have to get into my battle armor."

"You have battle armor!?" Ruby squeals, her eyes widening as she smiles brightly. "That's so cool!"

"I do, my body is unfortunately not as durable as it should be due to an… odd condition with my Aura, and my abilities require for me to stand still at times to use them, hence why I need armor to keep me alive when I am immobile. You all go ahead, I need to suit up." Salieri chuckles from inside the locker.

"Erm, isn't it a tight fit in there? How are you changing clothes without much space?" Yang asks as she raps a knuckle on the metal door.

"It is special armor. Now go, vai Avanti."

The four girls stare at his locker some more before shrugging and moving along.

Barely a few minutes later and Weiss was already scoping out potential teammates besides Antonio.

Don't get her wrong, Ruby and Yang were…. Nice. Bearable, if childish.

But she knew that if she was going to excel here, like a Schnee should, then she would need to have a team of complete elites.

Altera would be one of them. There was a part of her that just told her that Altera, despite her odd behavior, was powerful. The fact that her weapon was only a bladeless hilt and a handle too short to hide any sort of telescopic blade attachment meant that it must be either an incredibly awkward firearm, or some sort of beam weapon.

Like a Dust Energy Sword.

As cool as the concept of Dust Energy Swords are, they are unfortunately highly expensive to make, almost just as pricey to maintain, and went out of fashion a long time ago due to how much Dust it took to power one for even a few minutes. Now, the only people who used such weapons were Atlas' military, and they usually had those weapons attached to mechs.

If Altera, a teenager of all people, had one, then it must be an experimental model of some kind. And experimental weapons usually tend to be highly unstable. If it was unstable however, Altera would not have been allowed to bring it with her, nor would she even have considered such an idea due to how… well, logical she seemed.

And fighting with an energy weapon wasn't easy, since you had to ensure that you didn't accidentally shatter your own Aura from accidentally hitting yourself with the blade, or worse, accidentally searing off your own arm.

With those things in mind, Weiss deduced that Altera's supposed Dust Energy Sword was some sort of stable experimental prototype, and Altera was using it as her weapon here as a sort of field test so that data could be sent back to Atlas, and thus allow for adjustments or possibly even mass production.

It was with that assessment that Weiss decided that Altera would be a suitable team member.

Another prospective member was standing right in front of Weiss. A tall, gorgeous girl with an Amazonian build, clad in bronze colored armor, sporting bright emerald eyes and scarlet hair.

Pyrrha Nikos herself. A true celebrity, but not for the same reasons that Weiss and Antonio were.

Whereas Weiss was known for her family and its reputation, and Antonio was known for his musical fame, Pyrrha was a celebrity because she was the running Champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament, for four years in a row. She wasn't just a skilled prodigy, she was an elite among elites, a true example of a future Huntress and a heroine in the making.

And she acted in a manner befitting her title. She was polite and demure, humble and sweet, and had an amazing smile that most certainly would have caused butterflies in Weiss' stomach if she swung that way.

The idea was certainly appetizing though.

"So I believe the three of us would all benefit greatly if you were to work along with us in Beacon. The four of us would make a wonderful team, excelling far beyond the ranks of our peers!" Weiss smiled up at Pyrrha, her arms crossed.

"Well, I'm not THAT strong… though I am sure we would be able to work well together. I will admit, I am curious to see how a prodigal musician and the Schnee heiress fights." Pyrrha chuckles almost uncertainly. She was so humble and bashful! How inspiring!

"Weiss, you realize there is still a chance I will decide to go and find Yang and team up with her instead." Altera quipped from behind Weiss, staring blankly.

"Yes, but I also took into account that she will likely seek to team up with that blonde muscle head from last night and her sister, and I am sure you do not wish to be in a team of noisy blondes or awkward weapon nuts."

"Your logic is sound." Altera concedes, her eyes shutting as she nods slowly.

"Hey now, there's more to blondes than being noisy!"

Weiss's expression turns sour as she looks towards an approaching boy with blonde hair, deep blue eyes and relatively simple armor. Wasn't he the one wearing that godawful onesie last night..?

"And… you are?"

"Name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it." Jaune grins and winks at the trio, flashing a finger gun.

"Do we?" Altera looks towards Weiss with confusion.

"Trust me, we do not." Weiss immediately douses whatever charm Jaune was trying to use with her cold retort, eliciting a grimace from him as he scratches awkwardly at his cheek.

"Yeahhhh, figured that wasn't gonna work…"

"I-I didn't mind it!" Pyrrha tries to mediate, chuckling at the awkward introduction. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos, it is nice to meet you Jaune."

"Nice to meet you too Pyrrha!" He grins and holds out a hand to her, his smile faltering at the look of surprise she gave him. "Erm, you okay?"

"You… erm, don't know me?" Pyrrha tilts her head, her tone odd, almost curious.

"Erm… should I...? Oh crap, are you a celebrity and I just totally offended you?"

"You dolt, she's-" Weiss starts, causing Jaune to turn to look at her, which in turn left him missing the sight of Pyrrha shaking her head rapidly as she looked at Weiss.

What.. what is wrong with her? Does she… dislike her fame or something?

Perhaps she just wants to evaluate him herself without him knowing of her reputation, yes, that might be it.

"She's…?" Jaune tilts his head in confusion.

"She… she's on the back of Pumpkin Pete's cereal box!" The Schnee heiress exclaims, smiling awkwardly. It wasn't a lie at least, but it should be sufficient enough.

"Oh my God, really!? I love that cereal! I totally didn't recognize you!" Jaune exclaims, grinning widely at Pyrrha. "Wow, they usually reserve that for athletes and stuff, you must be pretty tough! You definitely look like an athlete."

"I-I.. well, I'm not THAT strong." Pyrrha chuckles, briefly glancing at Weiss with a small nod and a smile before focusing on Jaune again.

"Well, don't worry, I've got a shield and apparently a LOT of Aura. I'll protect you, if you decide to join team Jaune here." He winks, flashing a thumbs up.

"That… sounds lovely." The Amazonian girl smiles down at Jaune, completely relieved, her posture far more relaxed as her emerald eyes stare at Jaune's sapphire ones.

"…Altera, what am I looking at?" Weiss murmurs to her quiet companion.

"I have read about this. I believe we are seeing a romantic flag. If he passes through a few more, he will complete her route." The red eyed girl hums in monotone, observing the two lovebirds in the making. "So this is what they call a Romance Dawn…"

"I believe that term is meant in the context of sailing and mystery, but it does sound apt." Salieri hummed from behind the two.

"Ah, Antonio-WAH!" Weiss yelps as soon as she turned around to face her companion, leaping back a good foot or so, her eyes wide. "W-w-what are you wearing!?"

"My armor."

"That is NOT armor!"

"And a dress is so much better protection?"

"Fair, but… it looks…" Weiss grumbles, her eyes focused on Antiono's features.

Or, lack thereof under his 'armor'.

It looked more like some sort of… gothic carnival costume.

It was entirely black and red in color scheme, taking the form of a gaudy, extravagant coat similar to that of an old fashioned orchestra conductor's. Wing shaped scarves hung down from the back of his right shoulder, and both his arms were encased in form fitting clawed gloves colored bright red, which went up to just below his shoulders, ending in crown shaped armor of some kind connected to his outfit's shoulders. His legs were clad in tights and he had low heeled armored boots that went up to his knees.

The most striking part of his strange ensemble was his… helmet? Mask?

Either way, his head was encased in a helmet of sorts that had a silver mask covering the eye area, a pair of twisted antler shaped protrusions on either side of his head, a hat similar to that of a conductor's connected to the top of the helmet, and red fabric that covered his neck and went down to his chest, like a cravat.

(Look, it's almost impossible for me to even begin to describe Antonio Salieri's 1st stage appearance, had to rewrite this at least ten times to try and make it work. Just look him up on the wiki and you'll see him.)

He had a longsword shaped like a cross sheathed at his hip, and from the way the sword looked, it probably mechashifted into a much longer blade when in use.

"…it looks ridiculous." Altera finishes Weiss' sentence, prompting Salieri to chuckle.

"I will admit, I look a little gaudy, but I feel much more comfortable in this when I have to fight. I am still working on a way to make this armor more…. Portable, however. In time, I will be able to switch into this within seconds."

"Mechashift armor?" Weiss hums, cupping her chin. "I suppose something like that would certainly be useful… if only you didn't look like you walked out of a teenager's dark fantasy comic book or video game…. Oh Gods, I recognize that mask and parts of your outfit now, the aesthetic looks like one of sir Mozart's costumes in the musical you both did a year ago.."

"Despite his taste in clothing, I must admit that sometimes he has good taste." Antonio chuckled, shrugging. "Still, a video game? Do I really look that tacky?"

"What's this about a video games-HOLY CRAP, you look like something from a True Goddess Renaissance game!" Jaune exclaimed upon turning to look at Weiss and her companion, his eyes wide and almost sparkling as he's beholden to Antonio's armor.

As the musician chuckled and allowed Jaune to marvel at his appearance, Weiss sighed, rubbing her temples, feeling a migraine coming on.

Nora Valkyrie was in a great mood!

She was in Beacon, she had an amazing breakfast consisting of nothing but pancakes, and she has her best friend with her!

They were going to absolutely blitz through this academy with style, together!

But not 'together' together.

"Nora, if you don't watch where you're going, you'll bump into someone." Lie Ren sighed, watching his childhood friend walk backwards as she grinned at him, her arms folded behind her head.

"Aw c'mon Ren, you're talking to the world champion of walking backwards! I'll be fine-oof!" The ginger haired girl gets cut off as she bumps her back into someone. "Oh no, my reputation!"

"Whoops, didn't see ya there."

Nora craned her head up to see a tall boy with blonde hair in a bob cut and purple sunglasses staring down at her before she turned around to face him fully, grinning as she held her hand out.

"Hiya! Name's Nora, Nora Valkyrie! And this is my best friend Ren!"

The pink eyed boy just sighs and nods. "Lie Ren. Hello."

The blonde with absolutely rocking muscles just grinned toothily and pointed a thumb at himself. "Name's Kintoki. It's golden to meet you both! Excited for orientation?"

"Heck yeah! We're gonna blaze through it! We've even worked out perfect code names for each other and signals! I can make a perfect imitation of a sloth!"

"Weird flex, but okay?"

Blake hummed quietly as she pulled Gambol Shroud from her locker.

Well, the time had come. Time to really put herself to the test and truly distance herself from the White Fang.

She wasn't going to fail this initiation. She couldn't.

"Nice weapon."

The idea was tempting though.

Her feline ears twitch under her bow as she turns to face her… she wasn't going to call him a friend for sure…

An unfortunate acquaintance, yes. She turned to look at her unfortunate acquaintance, her expression deadpan as she straps her weapon to her back.

Izou was smirking at her from his spot, leaning up against a wall. His weapons were there under his cloak, even if she couldn't see them aside from the slight bulge in the fabric formed by the pommels of his katanas.

"Shouldn't you be readying up for the test?"

"I'm always ready, kitty cat."

"Don't say that in public!" Blake hisses out a whisper, her eyes darting around. "I'll actually gut you."

"Please, nobody's around this section, and nobody cares right now. They're all either flexing for girls or grabbing their shit." Izou rolls his eyes, still smirking as he moves away from the wall and starts to walk off. "Still, don't forget our deal. After initiation, we fight."

"I haven't forgotten." She growls as she slams the locker shut and walks after him. "Sooner we get this over with, sooner I don't have to speak to you ever again."

"You realize if you're real good I'm gonna end up challenging ya again for as long as we study here, right?"

"I am suddenly dreading studying here."

Ozpin smiled as he looked upon the many students that would take on the challenge of Beacon's initiation test.

They'd all entered through scholarships, paying large sums of money or taking academic and practical tests to qualify for being here.

Now they had one final hurdle before they could call themselves students.

"I am sure many of you have had questions, or heard rumors of teams being set today." Glynda says beside him, about to explain how the whole team selection method worked.

Seeing young Miss Rose's world apparently shatter upon hearing that your partner was decided upon eye contact was a little amusing. It was almost the exact same reaction her mother had.

Brothers rest her soul.

His eyes glanced over to the red and black clothed figure that was his son.

Honestly, he was startled when he saw that getup.

Antonio's ensemble made him look tall, imposing, yet also rather… campy. Not to mention the black and red color scheme reminded him too much of the Grimm. The silvers and pinks in the outfit thankfully negated most of his unease with the costume, but still, it was rather perturbing to look at.

None of the students seemed to share his opinion, as they were either glancing at his son's costume with some form of awe, or derisory amusement.

Still, despite the color scheme and how gaudy it looked, Ozpin felt that there was something more to this outfit. It looked like a ridiculous costume… but he knew it was something more. With his experiences and abilities, he could tell immediately that what Salieri was wearing was heavily saturated in his Aura. Almost as if it was made from it.

Was this his so called 'Grimm form'? It didn't 'feel' like a Grimm.

As Glynda droned on about the rules, Ozpin continued to focus on Antonio's costume, subtly of course.

Focusing his senses deeper, he came to a startling realization.

The costume wasn't made of Aura.

It was Magic.

He could sense magic from the costume. His son was using Magic to maintain it.

He had to steel his expression to prevent himself from showing his utter shock. Antonio could never use magic before as a child, unlike his sisters. He and Salem always thought it was just because he was born sickly.

What changed? Did Salem give him magic somehow? Or did the Dark Brother's Pool of Annihilation grant Antonio the power to use magic?

Despite his unease in wondering how this could be possible, another part of him felt something.

Pride.

He felt pride in his son being able to use magic.

Perhaps the same sort of pride he felt when he and Salem learned his daughters could as well, despite the circumstances.

As Glynda finished explaining how the rules of finding your partner worked, and how they had to find relics in the Emerald Forest, Ozpin cleared his throat.

He could ponder on his son's achievement another time. Right now, he had to be a headmaster.

"In addition to the relics, we have discovered that a small number of incredibly old Grimm may be dormant deep within the Emerald Forest. I would advise against attempting to draw one out, and would instead advise that you all stick to the partners you gain and head for the center of the ruins. I do not believe I need to remind you all that the chance of death is certainly possible in this test." He calmly explains, watching some students turn pale.

Most of the notable candidates looked rather excited. Wonderful.

"We will be dropping you off in the Emerald Forest shortly. Are there any other questions?"

"U-um, yeah, can I-" One mister Jaune Arc raised his hand.

"Good, then let's begin, shall we?" He immediately cut off Mister Arc, smiling mischievously.

One by one, students were flung into the air, while he continued to, as the children say these days, mess with Mister Arc.

"W-were we given parachutes or something before this?"

"No, you will be using your own landing strategy." The grey haired headmaster stated as he briefly sipped from his mug of coffee.

"A-and what is a landing strategy-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

And there he went, the blonde haired youth sent flailing through the air like a ragdoll. Ozpin chuckled quietly to himself, ignoring the flat look Glynda gave him, while noticing his son's slow shake of the head.

"Is an old man such as myself not permitted to have a little fun, Mister Salieri?" Ozpin asked, cocking his brow.

"I suppose you are, Headmaster, though your choice of humor is baffling to me." Antonio sighed, before readying himself as the student next to him was sent flying off into the air, his fingers splayed out, palms facing his front.

"In time, you will probably develop a similar sense of humor." Ozpin shook his head slowly, before smiling. "Good luck."

"Grazie, but I do not believe in fortune. I will make my own."

With that, the Launchpad activated, and Antonio Salieri was sent flying into the air, towards the forest, his wing-like scarves fluttering through the wind.

"…you didn't indicate any interest in Mister Salieri before. He wasn't in the auditorium either for most of the night. Did something happen?" Glynda asks, pushing her spectacles up a little as she watched Ozpin stare after the musician.

"You could say that. I am confident he will succeed this test and become a fantastic Huntsman." The aged yet youthful looking headmaster nodded, sipping from his coffee.

"That is a lot of faith to put in a musician." The blonde professor hummed curiously, directing her gaze towards the forest as the students all plunged into the woods one by one, no doubt stirring up the Grimm with their presence.

"Is it not a father's job is to have faith in his son, Glynda?"

"I suppose so." She nodded, watching as Salieri vanished through the canopy of the forest.

A few seconds later her head snapped towards Ozpin fast enough that her glasses almost flew off her face, her eyes wide. "I BEG YOUR PARDON!?"

Ah, this was going to be fun to explain.

Her expression was worth it however. He hasn't seen her cool and stoic facade shatter so thoroughly in years.

Such were the thoughts Ozpin had as he sipped from his coffee, chuckling at his coworker's utterly flabbergasted expression.

Not much to say about this chapter, writing so many characters is tough. I'll continue to push through of course.

I managed to sneak in a little bit of Nora and Ren there. Yippee! Boops for everyone!

I finally found a bloody color I can use as the acronym for the team name. It isn't perfect, but it'll do. You'll just have to see in the next update what it is.

And no, Ozpin isn't going to hide that Antonio is his son, at least, not to his inner circle. So yeah, Qrow and Ironwood will find out, eventually.

I know I'm portraying Izou a bit more psychopathic than he probably normally is, but with the background I've got for him, it's a little justified. I'm planning on a unique love-hate relationship between him and Blake.

No, they're not getting paired together…. Maybe. If my muse decides it happens, it happens, but obviously that kinda shit wouldn't happen for a long while.

And if anyone's curious about the specific cover of Dies Irae Ruby played on her scroll, it's a rock version by Carlo Ragno. It's pretty cool.

And as for Antonio's, ahem, "Dust-tube" account name, Avenger is his class, 4 is the amount of copies of him I have, and 92 is the level of the Salieri I have.

And yes, Jaune did just reference Shin Megami Tensei. Persona specifically since I'm referring to the fact that Salieri's 1st form looks like Arsene from P5.

On to FGO stuff, Gray is a cinnamon bun and deserves to be protected. A shame I only managed to get her to NP4, but it's better than nothing. Now my NP5 welfare Shiki has a friend!

And I managed to somehow accidentally summon Reines Archisorte/Sima Yi by burning a summoning ticket. I'm honestly shocked (and was lowkey disappointed cuz I was gunning for Luvia/Astraea). She's a great unit though, a perfect counter for Berserkers or any other Servant types that clash with who you have in your party, and a perfect partner for any Berserkers in your party. Turn those glass cannons into steel ones. With her honestly ridiculous NP gain, just slam that Noble Phantasm and boom, the damage you take from any enemy that's got an advantage over you becomes normalized. Berserkers finally become a viable strategy with Reines on the case. Ivan's still my favorite Rider but DAMN, she's coming in at a close second along with Ryouma.

Also, Salieri is getting rated up around the end of May, so I'm gonna be rolling for him and hopefully get my hands on my final copy so my won Salieri can become NP5 after being stuck in NP4 since 2018's mid-year guaranteed gacha, and perhaps one of the other rated up Avengers, like Hessian Lobo (I NEED MY GOOD DOGGO) or Gorgon (I NEED MY BIG SNEK). Fingers crossed, though I've learned never to hope for the best with these gacha games. You always get what you don't expect. And it isn't even a guaranteed gacha, just a rated up, so there's a chance I get NOBODY. Which would suck.

Anyway, see you all in the next update!