ACT 1: Ab Initio

"As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning."

- Criss Jami

Jaune Arc was not a person of many talents, if he was being honest with himself. Lack of social skills and his less-than-stellar swordsmanship aside, his inability to get up on time also contributed to his already long list of faults, often landing him in troublesome situations filled with sheepish apologies and disapproving glares.

Thankfully, the man behind the ticket booth did nothing of the sort, though he did raise a brow at the young adult, who was currently doubled over, panting and sweating from exertion. Clearly the blonde overslept and legged the whole way, the man surmised. The only difference from the day before was that this time, the kid managed to arrive minutes before the airship took off.

"A-am I… late…?" Jaune huffed.

"Not this time, kiddo. The terminal's to the right. Get in there before you miss the flight again." The man gestured to the side, pointing at a line of people.

Jaune exhaled in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. Shouldering his only baggage in form of a simple backpack, he stepped through the terminal, trailing after the crowd through the long terminal, and finally, into the airship bound for his destination.

Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a pill container. Popping the lid open, he tossed one into his mouth, swallowing in trepidation. He only hoped the flight, and the aftermath, would be as bright as the weather outside.

Ruby Rose wasn't much of a morning person.

It wasn't that she didn't – or couldn't – get up on time, just that she preferred not to. Nothing was worth leaving the comforting warmth of her bed for, unless cookies or strawberries, or heaven forbid, her sister, was involved.

This morning wasn't like the rest, though. No pranks, no shaking beds. No Yang. Just incessant alarm screeching in her ear.

The girl groggily rolled off the bed, the clock in her grip, now silent. Yawning widely, she made her way to the bathroom, and sounds of rushing water was heard minutes later. The facility wasn't what she was used to back home in Patch; the walls were coated with aged dirt, moth-eaten carpet flooring, and faint traces of odour wafted about in the air.

She smacked herself the moment she first stepped in the backpackers several days ago. In hindsight, she shouldn't have chosen the cheapest accommodation without looking up the details first. The silver lining in this grey crappy room, she mused, was that this would be the last morning she would spend in here before she joined up with Yang in Beacon Academy. In truth she was supposed to be in the academy yesterday, though an unforeseen circumstance forced her trip to be pushed back by twenty four hours.

And in fifteen minutes she would be leaving this place behind her for good…

Ruby's thought screeched to a halt. Fifteen minutes? Her eyes widened.

"Crap!"

The passenger airships, compared to the variants used for military purposes, travelled at the fraction of the latter's velocity. Coupled with the large windows in the viewing gallery that doubled as accommodation area, these aircrafts were suitable for scenic flights.

And the scenery was breath-taking. The green of wilderness wasn't an unusual sight for him, having spent good portion of his childhood in the forest and rural settings, but this was his first time seeing it from several hundred feet up above. And he could appreciate the sight without having to worry about his motion sickness acting up. Anti-emetics, thy name was a miracle, indeed.

Directing his eyes away from the wide windows, Jaune surveyed the crowd in the gallery, looking for signs of tech and weapons among the sea of civilians. He was sort of hoping that there were at least few others like him, those who overslept and missed the scheduled flight, resorting to hitch a ride with the visitors and hoping to still find a way in to what was most likely the most prestigious combat academy in not only Vale, but possibly of all Remnant.

He shifted his focus to the citizens, all split into their own groups and mingling. Despite the flight being scheduled for at least several hours, none of them seemed bothered by the fact. Jaune wasn't surprised though, since they were most likely visitors, eager for the tour around the institution that was famed for its long history of producing the greatest Huntsmen since the end of Second Age and continuing that trend through the current Third.

His hand trailed down his side until it wrapped around the hilt of his blade, Crocea Mors. Prized heirloom of the once revered family of war heroes, his grandfather, Remus Arc, was one such hero, who have led a small but skilled team of Hunters and Huntresses against outbreaks of Grimm infestation in Vale, cutting his way through scores of the foul beings with the very same blade in young Jaune's hand.

Jaune's grip tightened. Remus Arc was not the only Arc renowned for their combat prowess and altruism, many names have been recorded in the Arc Codex along with their deeds and achievements. Jaune refused to be the only failure of the family. He wouldn't, couldn't, fail.

"I can do this. My parents did, so did my sisters. I can do this." Jaune muttered solemnly.

So lost in thought, he didn't notice the crowd gathering around the windows until their loud cheers echoed in the gallery. Curious, he made his way to the congregated crowd, and saw what made them cheer. The numerous holographic projectors were displayed on the window, each of them different showing different live footage of the Initiation that was currently transpiring down on the forest below.

One of the monitors showed a black-haired boy taking on a two-headed snake Jaune recognised as a King Taijitu, his dual SMGs letting loose green bursts of bullet on the white and black-headed serpentine Grimm while nimbly twisting and dodging their attacks. The crowd gasped as the boy was knocked to the ground, the fang dripping with venom closing on the fallen boy, though it soon turned to gasps of awe as the Asian blocked them with his bare hands. His body glowing green, he delivered a single palm strike powerful enough to completely pulverise both heads at the same time.

On the monitor to the right showed a orange-haired girl brandishing what seemed like a giant warhammer which she swung around effortlessly, batting away a large bear-like Grimm easily several times her size with ease. The look of pure joy as she did so unnerved some of the crowd, Jaune himself included.

Trailing not far behind the girl Jaune saw a red-haired girl, wielding a spear and a round shield which piqued his interest. That interest soon grew into amazement as she lobbed it as one would a discus, hitting several wolf-like Grimm in multiple succession before returning back to its wielder. Jumping over the fallen corpse of a Beowolf she thrust another in the chest, before shifting the spear into a short sword, which she used to slash a monkey-like Grimm that tried to sneak up behind her.

And on and on it went, as various prospective Beacon students unknowingly showed off their skills and proficiencies in their chosen arms. The longer it went, the louder the cheer grew.

And the pit in his stomach continued to deepen, and for the first time, it wasn't due to his motion sickness.

The familiar sensation of rising bile saw to him pushing through the crowd and rushing into the nearest bathroom. There he heaved himself dry, emptying contents of his stomach. The noise must've drawn some attention, as he heard footsteps drawing closer, before hastily backing away, no doubt warded off by the stench. Jaune found himself too distracted to care.

"Holy shit..." He's heard of Beacon Academy, and the caliber of those who were invited to enlist. But actually seeing them in action, taking down Grimm with practiced ease and honed expertise, he knew that even if his faked credentials got him past the watchful eyes of the administration, his obvious lack of skills and training would immediately stand out. Then it would've been only a matter of time before he was found out and kicked out, his crime forever staining his name, thus ending any chance of being a Huntsman. The thought of being mocked and laughed at was nothing new to him, and yet it never failed to terrify him.

That fear, coupled with resignation, made his choice for him before it formed in his mind. Why risk certain humiliation when he could simply, quietly step down? He was never a Huntsman material, and he couldn't see that ever changing. Admitting it to himself was bitter, as was the fact that he was tearing up in a public area, where anyone could've walked in and saw him as he quietly broke down. He couldn't bring himself to care.

Ruby leaned against the wall near the bar, two glasses of soda in her hands. Holding a drink for two was awkward enough, but even more so was loitering around the entrance of the male bathroom, if the stares she got from other passengers were anything to go by. She flushed in embarrassment, though made no attempt to move away from her spot.

Just minutes ago she was amongst the crowd, watching and cheering as her sister starred in the live footage, punching an Ursa clean through several trees, her long hair crackling with fire. With her choice of attire that emphasised her femininity (one that Ruby was still getting green-eyed about), she was, for all intents and purposes, hot, and the audience knew it as well. The younger sister couldn't help but shake her head; Yang just drew attention wherever she went, intentionally or not.

Yang flickered out of view, and Ruby chose to focus on another projector, this one showing a white-haired girl garbed in a regal dress of same hue. She watched in amazement as the white girl flourished her rapier, hurtling spikes of ice towards bipedal amphibian Grimm.

A black-haired girl leapt from the corner of another monitor, her blade piercing through the jugular of a stag Grimm, and back-flipped gracefully as another rushed towards her with its antlers. Ruby squealed mentally as the girl's weapon shifted form, and long black ribbon flowed from the end, snaking around the Grimm's legs until she pulled on it, causing it to stumble.

If Ruby was nervous before, she certainly was now, but it was out of excitement. Here, she would meet other high-calibre students with their unique weapons and Semblances. Here, she could freely take her dear Crescent Rose out for a 'walk' without having to worry about holding herself back. She also heard about the forge in the academy, and how it was maintained with the latest techs and tools she could only read and dream about, and that lane of thought just led down to all the upgrades she could try and maybe even new weapons and armours she could forge and…

She was shaken out of her daydream when she was rudely shoved to the side, landing on her rear. Before she could cry out in indignation, the person was already running through the crowd and bolted towards the bathroom marked for gentlemen.

Huffing, she stopped and waited for the asshole to step out. If he thought he could simply get away with it, then he was about to find out how wrong he was. Intentional or no, her stinging posterior demanded justice, paid in full with a heartfelt apology and maybe a bag of cookies if she was lucky. The sound of wretching reverberated around the bathroom and she winced in disgust, an expression mirrored by a man who stepped out of the bathroom. The man muttered under his breath, before he disappeared into the crowd. Ruby watched him leave, before turning her attention back to the bathroom, disgust swiftly changing to that of astonishment as she heard him sob.

The underlying sorrow in his sobs tugged on her heart, and her thoughts of revenge soon evaporated, replaced with concern for the poor guy, and the urge to do something, anything, to make him stop crying. 'What do I do? What do I do?!' Ruby panicked, fidgeting with her fingers as she walked in circles, chewing her lips.

Hence her current predicament. Her initial plan involved sharing her stash of cookies stored in her bag with a glass of milk from the bar, though that plan was quickly foiled when she found out that, no, no self-respecting bar would ever sell milk (not on their own, anyway) and the only non-alcoholic beverage the bartender would ever sell to a minor was simple soda. Begrudgingly she asked for two glasses, slapping her lien on the counter before quickly relieved them from his hands.

The guy had yet to come out, and the heat on her face was increasing as the stares continued. Seriously, what was taking so long? Coughing, she mustered whatever shred of courage she had left before hovering over the bathroom entrance.

"H-hey? You… okay in there?" Ruby asked hesitantly, looking back to see if anyone noticed what she was doing. She received no reply, and she was getting sick of getting stared at. Why on earth she decided to do something like this, all for a guy she has never met before and rudely manhandled her mere minutes before, she had no idea. It was at times like this she wished she could just ignore other people and leave them to their own misery, considering she had her own to deal with.

Sighing, she decided to just leave him be, when she heard the footsteps.

The cold sensation of cold water on his face was a welcoming one. The taste of bile was still there, though it wasn't anything a quick mouth rinse couldn't fix. Feeling somewhat refreshed, he took a shaky breath, and checked his reflection. His eyes were still red, and his face was locked in a grim expression. He didn't want to face the world looking like now, but staying in the toilet wasn't an option either.

He sighed. Now that it was established his dream of getting into Beacon was an impossible one, he had no idea where to go next, what to do next. His only possessions were in that one backpack he carried with him, he no longer had enough lien to pay his rent, and he no longer had a dream to pursue. That left him with only two options. The streets, or going back home, and neither appealed to him.

With a frown he stepped out, and nearly ran into a girl in black.

"Woah hey!" Jaune and the girl yelped.

"Uh, sorry." They both spoke at the same time. Embarrassed, they averted their gaze, suddenly showing interest in their choice of footwear.

"So uh, can I help you with something, miss?" Jaune asked politely. Flustered, the girl squawked, before she mumbled.

"I, uh, I mean, would you like to- no wait." The young girl stuttered, before shoving both glasses into his hands. "H-here!" And with that she took off, disappearing into the crowd.

Dumbstruck, he could only gape as the girl took off in a blink, leaving behind a faint trail of rose petals in her wake. Shrugging, he stared at the glass filled with clear fizzy liquid, and took a sip. He had to admit, the cool taste was a refreshing change to sour taste of vomit in the back of his mouth.

In spite of his current plight, he couldn't help but smile a little.

'Stupid stupid stupid!' Ruby moaned, burying her face in her arms as she sat on one of the stools. It didn't require an intellectual to know that her face took on a hue redder than her cloak, if such a thing was possible.

She couldn't get the image of his youthful face out of her head. Those clear blue eyes, puffed up and red from crying, it wasn't something she was expecting to see. Nor did she expect him to be so young and tall.

Her train of thought derailed, words came out in jumbles, made even more awkward when the guy/boy(?) in question didn't exactly help filling in the blanks, either. Then she just had to fumble and run like a coward, without even telling him what she wanted to say, after wasting minutes of her life getting stared at as if she had few screws loose in her head.

Fan-bloodly-tastic.

How on earth did Yang do it? She couldn't fathom how her older sister could converse with anyone with such ease and confidence, that even when she was in an awkward situation, she knew how to bounce back. Ruby didn't.

Not for the first time, Ruby wished she had her sister's seemingly inherent ability to easily befriend anyone. Then she wouldn't have to worry about trying hard to make friends wherever she went, like Beacon Academy, filled with people she's never met before, and all who would be two years her senior. And she thought her days in Signal Academy were difficult.

She felt the table tremble, and then felt the world around her shake as shockwaves rippled through the aircraft. She felt the pull of gravity as the airship plummeted towards the ground, the heat of fire and explosion drowning the screams of fright of other passengers, and the sudden embrace of darkness that extinguished all light.

Somewhat redundant, but I'd like to point out that the cover image is not mine. Hopefully that'll mean I won't have to deal with the lawsuits.

Anyways, this is my first RWBY fic. I've had the story sitting in my head for some time, and I decided to give it a go. It's been some time since I last flexed my writing muscle though, so I hope it hasn't atrophied too much. That being said, grammar's not exactly my strongest suit, so if you happen to come across any that I happen to miss, feel free to point out. That applies to other story-related things, too. Gives me a reason to re-write past chapters, anyway.

*Updated as of 25/04/17 - because I can.*