RWBY 1. Make a Wish

Meena sat at the kitchen table with her mother and brothers surrounding her, singing to the tune of 'Happy Birthday', a blush rising up on her cheeks, her blue eyes staring at the floor as her short brown hair covered her glasses. She always felt embarrassed when she was the center of attention. She felt that she didn't need a celebration just for turning seventeen, but her family did so anyway, placing a huge homemade cake in front of her with royal blue icing spelling out _'Happy Birthday, Meena Espada~!'_ "I… I don't know what to say… I mean… this cake is enough for a hundred people! And did you have to have our last name put on the cake too?" Meena stammered as her three brothers squished against her to take a look at the cake, eager to get one of the corner pieces. "That is because it is. I offered a piece to everyone working the farm today as a thank you for all the apples and pecans they gave us." Her mother said before her father interrupted. "I don't think we will ever be able to eat it all… and be proud to be an Espada! We put our names on everything to the weapons we make to your cake." he chuckled as he walked in with his blacksmithing clothes on, dirty with soot. "Hurry up and make a wish!" squealed one of her brothers. "Yeah, hurry up!" the other two chimed.

Meena laughed at her younger siblings. "Okay, okay, let me get enough breath to do so…" she said as she pushed then out of the way, staring at the lit candles that were now starting to drip their wax onto the frosting. She thought for a moment before taking a deep breath, blowing out the candles with a single blow. It was then the small crowd that squeezed their way into the kitchen then cheered, her parents patting her shoulders as the familiar farm workers from next door were now starting to file in for their piece of cake. "So, birthday girl, what did you wish for?" Her mother asked sweetly as she then started to remove the candles, laughter and chatter now starting to fill the kitchen. Meena continued to stare at the floor, tangling her hands together as she muttered something barely audible. "What was that, dear?" Asked her father, his hands now clean of soot so he could receive cake. "I said I wanted to go to…" Meena continued as she tried to say what she had been wanting for herself for the past month, the chatter becoming louder still with the workers now pouring in, now seeing the owners of the farm, the Legolas, now coming in to congratulate her. "What was that?" one of her brothers asked, now curious on what their eldest sister wished for.

Meena could no longer hold her voice back, her need to say something stronger than anything she had felt before. "I WANT TO GO TO BEACON AND BECOME A HUNTRESS!" She shouted, the entire room now becoming quiet. Everyone stood in their place, her mother in mid-motion of plating a piece of cake while her brothers about to take a bite of the piece of cake they had. Even the workers who have known Meena for as long as they could remember where shocked at this revelation. This was the first time that Meena had ever asked for anything for herself. "D-do you mean it?" Her mother asked, tears forming in her eyes. Meena simply nodded a look of determination in her eyes.

The next thing she knew, she was in her mother's bruising hug, her hysterical sobs ringing in her ears. "My baby wants to follow in my footsteps! I am so happy!" her mother muttered as she rocked back and forth with Meena in her arms, the entire group now cheering on for her. "You will be an amazing huntress, Meena!" "Yeah! Those grimm are no match for you!" "Yeah, maybe you will see Travis when you get there!" The entire group then continued to encourage her, the sun slowly setting into the mountains.

A few weeks later, Meena's paperwork had finally gotten processed and her acceptance letter from Beacon finally arrived, her bags already prepared weeks in advance. She had prepared exactly what she would wear the first day: Her favorite white peasant blouse with her family's familiar sugar skull crest, her best cargo pants (minus the pocketful's of dust crystals), and her favorite blue teardrop earrings. It took her an hour to tame her short hair but was satisfied with the result. After a tearful goodbye to the villagers she had grown accustomed to, she and her family headed to the airport.

She looked up to the massive airship that was going to take her to Vale and subsequently, Beacon. "Honey, the ship is getting ready to leave…" Mrs. Espada said, gently pushing her along. Meena then gripped onto the strap of weapon bag, her nervousness starting to show. "Don't worry, Meena. If you ever feel lonely, just send us a letter." Her father whispered to her as he gave her a hug. Meena then nodded softly, hearing footsteps behind her. "You are not leaving without saying goodbye to us now, are you?" said a pair of familiar bull type Faunus. "Mr. and Mrs. Legolas! You didn't need to see me off!" Meena said as she blushed. "No need? This is coming from the girl who helped save our farm countless times from grimm! No need…." said Mr. Legolas, giving a small huff before his wife intervened. "We also wanted to make sure that you get our son to call us more often. If he won't listen to us, we are sure he will listen to you." "No, problem, Mrs. Legolas." Meena said as she gave a soft bow. "And thank you for helping our family with giving us part of your harvest." Mr. Legolas chuckled. "Well, it is a small price to pay for all of the weaponry your old man had provided to protect ourselves from the grimm." Mr. Espada then latched onto his neck with a muscular arm. "Who are you calling old man, you cow?" He taunted as he grabbed one of 's horns. "Who are you calling a cow? Haven't you heard of the saying 'Don't mess with the bull'?" "And what if I do?" challenged , the two men now getting ready to fight before their wives pulled them apart, a small tune now playing over the intercom of the airport.

"Attention, the airship to Vale now boarding. The airship to Vale, now boarding." A soothing voice over the intercom said, Meena now being bombarded with hugs before being pushed to the gate, now being given a small white box from her mother. "We love you!" Shouted her mother as her brothers made faces at her. She waved goodbye to the other, giving a small smile. "I'll miss you!" She said before she turned her back on them, now climbing the steps up the ship, doing her best to keep the box in her arms safe and settling down in the closest window seat she could find.

"Woah…" Meena said as she looked up at Beacon Tower, her jaw hitting the floor as she slowly walked off of the ship, her three bags now dangling off her arms precariously after failing to find a bag cart. She starts to drag her bag slowly through the gardens and toward a statue of a male in a triumphant position and a female looking into the distance. She then continued to walk, awestruck by the schools beauty until she bumped backwards into a tall, blond boy, doing her best to protect the box she carried. "EEK!" she heard the boy scream, her arms outstretched, just saving the box from being smashed. She sighed in relief, finding a nearby ledge and placing the box on it, helping the boy up. "Sorry… I got distracted by how beautiful this place is." She said shyly, now starting to pick her bags back up.

"Are you new here?" asked the boy, seeing him grabbing two of her bags with one hand, a look of surprise on how light they were. "Yes, I am. Meena Espada, nice to meet you." Meena said as she offered her free hand. "Jaune Arc. Please to meet you, too." He said as he shook her hand, watching her grab the box that she was protecting so carefully. "So, you are a new student in the middle of the semester? How did you manage that?" Meena then laughed nervously. "Yeah…. You know how much paperwork you needed to do if you started at the beginning of the semester? Now, picture that, but four times that much. I couldn't write for a week after that…" she then looked at the sword around Jaune's waist, tilting her head. "Is that a sword? Can I see it?" Jaune then laughed, putting down her bags and pulling out the sword from its sheathe and the sheathe turning into a shield. "You remind me of someone I met when I first arrived at Beacon…" Jaune thought aloud as he handed the sword to her. She then took the blade and looked at the angle of the blade, weighed the hilt in her hand, and took a few swings with both the sword and shield. "It doesn't do anything special if you are wondering. It's just a sword and shield." Jaune said in a deflated tone. "I can tell by the weight. It's a good sword. Strong, yet flexible. Balanced for precision strikes. It's rare to find something made to last centuries. You are quite lucky." Meena then smiled, turning the shield back into its sheathe and putting away the blade, handing it back to him. "You know a lot about swords…" Jaune pointed out, Meena now shrugging off her large bag off her back, pulling out a black bladed long sword with a ring for a hilt. "My father makes weaponry, so it is kind of hard for it not to rub off on you. This is the weapon he made for me before I got sent to Beacon. I tried making it before, but I couldn't get the releasing mechanism to work just right…" She said as she accidently pressed the jewel at the bottom of the blade, the blade splitting horizontally in two and unfolding into a large white fan with a sugar skull imprinted on it, making Jaune jump backwards. "AH! Sorry!" She said as she quickly spun the fan around by its ring, making the fan collapse back into a sword. "Man, does everyone's weapon turn into something else in this academy except me." Jaune groaned, Meena shrugging in reply.

As if to break the awkward silence, the bell tower rang, Meena counting the strokes. Her face began to pale, realizing the time. "Can you tell me where the Dean's office is?" She asked Jaune, her eyes wide with fear of being late. "Yeah… it's that building over there… you want me to…?" "OKAYThanksforthehelpitwasnicemeetingyouokaythanksbye!" Meena quickly said as she ran to the building he pointed to, grabbing all of her things in one swift motion before speeding off, Jaune's hair getting softly tossed with the wind she had generated.


	2. Welcome to Beacon

Meena was panting hard as she arrived at the Headmaster's office, dropping all of her bags save for the one on her back and the box onto the floor, a man with gray hair and piercing brown eyes staring at her. She placed the box onto the desk in front of her, eyeing the nameplate that said 'Headmaster of Beacon, Professor Ozpin'.

_'So this is Professor Ozpin…'_ She thought to herself before opening a box, revealing a perfect cake for a moment before she closed the box again, glad that it was still safe for now. "I am so sorry I am late…" She apologized before flopping into one of the chairs in front of his desk, catching her breath, "I'm afraid I got lost along the way." She then watched Ozpin slowly lift his coffee mug to his lips, taking a small sip before putting it back down on the desk and placing his hands behind his back. "I expect you to be on time for your classes at Beacon." Ozpin calmly said as he watched Meena quickly nod her head in agreement. "Yes, Professor, I'll be sure not to be late." She quickly said, giving Ozpin her utmost attention. Ozpin then gave a soft smile, as if he wanted to laugh but suppress the urge. "Relax, Meena." He said as he picked his mug back up, taking another sip, "You are not in trouble. It's just a few wise words that I humbly offer you." Meena took a deep breath, giving another small nod as she rested her hands on her knees.

As a silence grew between them, she gazed up at the gears turning endlessly over her head, her mind wondering a bit as he then started to sift through the many papers on his desk. He eventually pulled out a large Scroll, pushing its golden diamond-shaped button and displayed the screen filled with her personal information, placing it on a stand and rested his hand on his chin. "It must be difficult for you, to move so far away from home…" Ozpin said as he casually flicked the screen. "Yes, sir… It's so different from the little village I grew up in…" The silence then snuck back in. Meena's leg was slowly starting to bounce up and down as she waited for Ozpin to instruct her. Her curiosity then got the better of her. "Do I need to take a test or something now that I am here?" Ozpin then looked up from the screen, a stern look in his eyes. "Test? There is no need for that. We have plenty of footage of you that shows that you are more than capable to handle yourself out on the field."

"Footage…? I don't remember sending any…" Meena muttered aloud, Ozpin now turning the screen toward her, a video now playing without sound. "You father sent this along with your paperwork." Professor Ozpin explained as he continued to let the video play. She watched as she saw herself opening her fan and blocking an attack from an Ursa, a serious look on her face that she was not familiar with. She then watched as she then folded the fan back into a sword and plunged the blade into the grimm's throat, giving it a deft twist before severing the head from the body, the video stopping on a pan of her face in pure concentration. "I think this speaks for itself… Now, before I give you your room assignment, I want to ask you a question. Why do you want to become a huntress?"

Meena froze in her chair, that question had never crossed her mind before. Why did she want to become a huntress? The few moments she took to think felt like an eternity to her, until her eyes drifted back to the screen of the scroll, still paused on her face the moment she dealt the final blow to the grimm. Only then was the answer clear to her. "Clarity…" she softly mumbled, her eyes still glued to the screen. "What was that?" Ozpin asked, his hands weaving together as he put his elbows on his desk, observing her every movement. "I have always felt lost when I was living back home. It felt as if I didn't belong there for the longest time even though I love my family very much. Nothing I did felt as if it had any meaning outside of helping my father make his weapons. It wasn't until the day I fought those grimm did I felt like I did anything worthwhile. My world always felt so small. I have never felt such at peace with my soul until that very moment…" She then paused to smile, her eyes now staring straight at Ozpin, "I want to become a huntress so I can make our world feel bigger for others who also feel small and lost in this world."

Professor Ozpin sat quietly, making sure that she was finished with her explanation. He then opened his left hand drawer, pulling out a smaller Scroll, colored white with her name etched on its case. "Welcome to Beacon, Ms. Espada." He said warmly as she took the Scroll in her hands, feeling the etched lettering. "Congratulations on becoming the new leader of Team Midnight. I am expecting good things from you." Meena then gave the professor a puzzled look. "Team Midnight?" She asked, opening her Scroll and noticed the letters MDNT as her background.

"Every team's name is made of the first letter of the team's first names. The team used to be called Gradient, GDNT, but I am afraid that due to an unforeseen accident, their leader had to be hospitalized for more than half a year, so we decided that a new team leader will take his place and he can join a new team when he eventually recovers. So with a new team leader, comes a new team name." "Is this really okay for a team to get a new leader like that?" she asked, now feeling the new responsibility now weighing down her shoulders along with her bags she picked back up as she stood. "Well, I do admit that it is a first for us… But I'm sure you will do just fine. After all, your father kept going on and on about how well you ran his workshop in the letter he sent with your application." Ozpin said as he offered his hand to her, Meena shaking it gratefully with her free hand and another smile.

After leaving the headmaster's office, she opened her new Scroll and played around with it for a minute until she found a map of Beacon, softly muttering her dorm room number as she balanced it on the cake box she carried. She entered the dorm building as a chime rang throughout the campus, signaling the end of the school day.

As she entered her new dorm room, she noticed four beds and four desks. There was one in each corner of the room, and each corner decorated to suit the owner's personality. Two of the corners looked identical, the beds and desks covered in computer parts and robotic salvage and books with diagrams and coding languages. In another corner, the walls were covered in posters of hunters and huntresses posed with weapons. She recognized a lot of the posters, remembering Travis having many of the same in his room before he left for Beacon. In the corner across from that one, she saw a plain bed with plain walls and an empty desk, just begging to be decorated. She placed her bags at the edge of the bed, placing the box on the desk, sighing in relief as she flopped onto the bed, closing her eyes for just a moment but quickly falling asleep.


	3. Meet the Team

"Who do you think this is, Brother?" asked a sweet voice, a pair of brown eyes looking at an unfamiliar girl with glasses sleeping on the empty bed as she was unbraiding her pigtails, leaving a wave pattern on her shoulder length red gold hair. "Her Scroll says her name is Meena, Sis. It looks like she is our new leader." said an equally sweet voice that was much deeper, a second pair of brown eyes looking at Meena's Scroll before putting it back on the desk. He lifted the goggles that protected is eyes, letting them rest on top of his rust colored hair.

"MMn…" the girl moaned softly as she tried to curl up into a ball, wanting to get more comfy. The set of twins just looked at each other before they both started to nudge her awake. "MMMn… Travis… I don't want to get up... too early…" She softly mumbled before trying to cover her head with a nonexistent blanket with one hand while batting the air with another. The twins then looked at each other, sighing softly. "Great, another fan girl…" said the boy rolling his eyes, now unzipping his orange jumpsuit and slipping it off, now showing a black tee shirt and khaki shorts. "She can't be. She just got here today, judging on the mail she has…" said the girl as she started to look through the Scroll, keeping her own orange jumpsuit tied around her waist as she sat down at Meena's desk, her own black tank top keeping her covered. "She hasn't even opened her welcoming letter on her Scroll yet. Maybe she knows another Travis?" The boy then shrugged, now taking off his shirt and replacing it with a white one with a logo the shape of an orange. "Beats me. Maybe Travis is a popular name?" he asked as he walked back up to the girl, staring at her face "Maybe, but I guess we can ask her when she wakes up." she said as she tried to remove the mystery girl's glasses off of her face, causing the girl to jump as she awoke.

"Ah!" she muttered as she sat up, still half asleep and mumbled something the twins could not understand. "What was that?" The two siblings asked, now looking at each other. "I said I must be more tired than I thought… I'm seeing double… ow!" Meena said as she started to rub the sand from her eyes, her neck stiff from sleeping at a weird angle. "Morning, sleeping beauty!" the two twins chimed, smiling happily as they then came together to clasp their hands with one another, each lifting their leg to give a somewhat comical pose. "We are the Sienna twins. Please to meetcha', Meena!" Meena gave them a puzzled look. "How did you know my…?" She started to say before the presented her with her Scroll.

"Oh…" she said as she looked back up with the twins, not sure on which one to look at. "Well… Um… I guess you already know my name. What are you… the two… um… Name please?" The twins then laughed at her, their mannerisms exactly the same. "I'm Don." said the boy, reaching out his right hand. "And I am Nuri." said the girl, extending her left hand. Meena then looked at both of their hands, crossing her arms so she could shake both at the same time. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry you two had to meet me while I was asleep. That was rude of me." She said as she blushed. "Don't worry about it, welcome to Team Gradient." The twins said, now going to the side of the room that was covered in tech. "Actually, Professor Ozpin told me the team is renamed to Midnight." Meena said meekly as she glanced at the clock, shocked at how late it had become, her stomach now growling, "Is it really that late?" "Yep." The twins said at the exact same time again. "Do you always say everything at the same time like that?" Meena asked as she eyed the box that hid the cake her mother had made her.

"Not always…" The twins said, now going to their desks and started to work on various projects. "We also tend to finish…" Don started. "…each other's sentences as well." finished Nuri. "Also, they just finished serving dinner an hour ago, so it looks like you will go hungry tonight." She added as she started to type a fast rhythm on her laptop. "Well that's good to know… I guess you guys wouldn't have room for dessert, now, would you?" Meena said slyly as she started to unbox the cake she had brought.

"Cake?" the twins said, their attention now hers again. Meena giggled. "I guess that is a no. Hang on; let me get something to cut it with…" She muttered as she started to look through her bags, the clanging of tools filling the room just as the door swung open, a disheveled looking Faunus slipping inside as cooing voices trailed behind him. "I swear these girls…" the horned Faunus muttered to himself, trying to comb around his freshly washed hair off of his horns, scratching the short cut sides of his hair a little as he combed the longer top half forward. He then stopped as he saw a familiar figure now standing up, triumphant in her hunt for her set of cutting knifes, her back still turned to him. "Found them!" Meena said as she spun to face her desk, the twins paying no attention to the now flabbergasted Faunus. "I don't think our missing teammate would mind if we have a piece." She said brightly.

"What are you _doing _here?" Travis said as his green eyes rested on Meena, her motion now stopped in mid-slice. She simply stood there, looking up at him in disbelief until she noticed his hair was wet, her sisterly instincts kicking in. "How many times do I have to tell you not to walk around with your hair wet?" She said as she rummaged through her bags again, pulling out a small hair dryer. Her eyes then scanned the walls for an outlet, finding one rather quickly and plugging the machine in. "You didn't answer my question, Meena. What are you doing here!?" Travis said as he tried to follow her, only to get blasted in the face with hot air. "Didn't you get my letter? Or any letter we sent? You never respond to any of them." Meena said as she started to blow dry Travis's hair, ignoring his attempts at escape. "Will you stop that?" Travis said as he grabbed her arm with the blow dryer, taking it from her before she pried her arm from his grip. "_Why are you in our dorm room?_" Travis asked again, staring her down. Meena then looked up at him, her eyes now like a deer's in headlights. She had forgotten how much taller he was then her. "I-I'm a student here, now… I'm the new leader of…" She started to explain before she was cut off. "Student!?" Travis gasped, shaking his head, "No, no, no, no, no. You are going home, where you belong." "_Where I belong_?" Meena scoffed, now noticing the twins watching them with amused looks on their faces, as if they were watching their favorite television show.

"What do you mean 'where I belong', Travis? Because from what I remember, you where the one trying to drag me here with you when I clearly told you I wasn't ready yet!"

"I'm not the one who stopped training for seven years!"

"I'm not the one who hasn't bothered to ask to train together since he was ten!"

"You never said a word about becoming a huntress since you were ten!"

"That's because I didn't seem like a brat, like _someone_ who_…_"

The twins at this point where ecstatic, now helping themselves to the cake Meena had brought as they continued to watch them argue. "You think they are going to stop anytime soon?" asked Don with a grin, crumbs now falling on his clean shirt. "I'm not sure, but I don't want this to end. It has been _ages_ since we have seen a good argument. Not to mention I have never seen Travis this hot under the collar since the first band of fan girls came to give him chocolate." commented Nuri as she finished off her piece of cake, licking her fingers as Travis and Meena were at their wits end. "You know what? FINE! If you want me out of here so badly, I'll be more than happy to leave!" Meena sneered as she grabbed her sword, swinging it on her shoulder as she grabbed her key, bolting for the door. "You can't leave! There is a curfew in an hour!" The twins chimed in just as she slammed the door behind her. Don and Nuri then turned to Travis, the identical pouting look on their faces. "We haven't had this much fun in forever!" Nuri said, stomping her foot on the ground. "Although I do have to admit she is kind of hot when she is angry…" Don said with a hand under his chin. The twins then just stared at each other, as if they were having their own private conversation that no one else could hear as Travis started to pale. The twins then looked at Travis after they finished, noticing the look of horror on his face. "What's wrong?" The twins asked, tilting their heads in opposite directions. "I screwed up so bad…" Travis muttered as he sat on the bed, dread and guilt starting to consume him as he thought about how horrible he had been to Meena.


	4. Recollection

Meena continued to fume as she walked the halls of Beacon, letting her feet take her where ever they wished. After wandering around for ten minutes, she crossed a training ground, now fingering the strap on her shoulder as she looked for a way inside. She then found a couple of dummies lined up in a row, carefully taking her sword out from its case. "That idiot…" she mumbled as she gave her sword a quick flick, allowing it to open into a fan. She then took a running start, yelling out as she then used the fan to make a strong gust of wind with a strong swing, making the dummies teeter on their stands before she collapses her fan back into her sword and with a swift swing she knocked them all over, a deep gash in each one that fell. She then took a few more swings in the air, a grunt after each one, a sweat breaking out on her skin. As she practiced, a small girl with short rose red hair and silver eyes watched her swing her blade, a bundle of books in her arms.

"Um… Hello!" said the girl, Meena stopping in mid-swing, panting hard. "Oh… Hello. Was I making too much noise?" Meena asked as she tucked her sword back in its case. "Oh, no. I was just wondering who was training here when it is ten minutes to curfew." said the girl, using her knee to rebalance the stack of books in her arms. "Curfew? I didn't know there was a curfew. I guess I better get back to the dorms…" Meena said as she started to go to the exit, turning around shyly. "Um… do you think you can lead me back? I'm new here." The girl smiled at her, nodding. "Sure. I'm Ruby, by the way. So… what was that sword you were using? I have never seen anything like it before." Meena nodded as she hugged her sword. "It's nice to meet you, Ruby. His name is Kanti. I designed him myself. My father helped with building him, though. It took forever for me to get the release mechanism just right, but it was worth it." Meena then started to babble on about the finer points of Kanti's construction, stopping herself short on how she had made the blade by hand picking the metals.

"Sorry… I must be boring you…" she said as she saw Ruby shake her head. "I actually like it. I can tell you are very passionate about weaponry." "I must get that from my father…" she said as they entered the dorm building. "Maybe I can show you my scythe, Crescent Rose, some time later." Ruby said as she looked in the direction opposite of where Meena's dorm room was. "I would really like that…" Meena said as she smiled, feeling a lot better now that she had worked out her emotions. "Oh! I never got to introduce myself. I'm Meena Espada, nice to meet you, Ruby!" They both waved goodbye to each other as they went their separate ways, Meena almost forgetting completely about her argument with Travis earlier, casually swiping her keycard on the door's lock and pushing the door open.

She was greeted by a set of hands pulling her inside, her feet being lifted off of the ground as Travis held her up. "Don't scare me like that!" Travis said as he sat her down on her bed, now starting to lecture her on how she shouldn't run off. "… and you run around here like you already know the place. Do you know how big Beacon is? You are lucky you got here before curfew or you would have been given detention for the first week! And I know that you are still mad at me, and I am so sorry, and I didn't mean any of that and…" Don and Nuri had then stopped working on their weapons, ready to watch another argument with grins on their faces. As he continued to ramble on, Meena stood on the bed so she was tall enough to be a head higher then Travis and kissed the top of his head. "Okay, already. I'm sorry. I'm not mad, okay?" She said with a smile, the twins rolling their eyes in disappointment. "You two are so boring…" They said as they headed to their beds, getting ready to sleep. Travis still looked nervous, still looking up at Meena . "Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. "Travis, you knew me since I was three. Have I ever been mean to anyone, much less hold a grudge?" She asked as she rubbed the top of his head, messing up his hair before jumping on the bed and letting her body flop onto the mattress. "No…" he muttered as if he was a child that was being forced to answer a question. "That's right. Now, get ready for bed. You need to show me where my classes are before they start tomorrow." She commanded with a smile. "Good night, Team Midnight. I am looking forward to getting to know you better tomorrow."

Nuri and Travis were peacefully asleep in their beds as Don slowly started to stir, hearing a small scraping noise in the corner where Meena slept. He glanced at the clock besides his bed, the red LED lights shaped into the number five and two zeros along with the letters 'A' and 'M'. He groaned, covering his face with his pillow for a moment before he became curious about the scraping noise. He flung his cover off and willed himself to stand, seeing someone hunched over a desk as they continued their work. "Too early…." Don mumbled as he wandered toward the light, the hunched figure now starting to straighten, turning toward Don. "Sorry… Did I wake you?" Meena asked as she turned toward him, now putting the sharpening stone in her hand down. "No… you didn't…" Don said as he rubbed his eye, giving a loud yawn. "What are you doing up so early?" Meena stayed silent for a moment, pondering why this was even a question. "I am always up this early." she said simply, now picking up Kanti, carefully looking over the blades edge before putting it back down. "You always sharpen your weapon at five in the morning?" Don asked as he leaned on Meena's head, looking down. "It's more like maintenance. Been doing it since I was nine, but that was my mother's weapon at the time." She said as she looked over the blade again.

"What kind of mother lets her daughter play with weapons when she was nine?" Don scoffed, leaning in more on her head. Meena then pushed Don off of her head, giving him a mean glare. "One who is a huntress…?" Meena gave a small pout before giving a soft sigh. "My mother was still a huntress when I was younger. I became so scared that I would lose her. I would always try to keep her home…" She glanced at her hands as she spoke, "One day, she told me that if I sharpened her weapon, she would be less likely to lose a fight. So every day around this time, I would. And no matter how beat up she came home, she came home. Even after she stopped hunting, I still did it out of habit. And apparently I got so good that my dad started to teach me to make weapons when I was fifteen…" She then saw Don's dazed look at her, shaking her head. "Sorry for boring you." She said as she softly blushed, turning away. "You're not!" Don stammered, turning her chair around. "Really, I was just thinking on how different people can parent their children. I mean, our parents would not let us touch a butter knife when we were nine." Meena giggled, now starting to put her things away. "Yeah, that does sound odd. Well, you better get a little more sleep before you have to get ready for school." Meena said as she layed on her bed, taking a relaxing breath. "Talk to you in a few…"


	5. First Impressions

"I feel so exposed…" Meena said with a hand pressing the back of her school skirt down, walking as carefully as she could with what was left of the rest of her team. "You are too self-conscious." The twins chimed, both of them dressed in their school uniforms as well. "Well, now I am kind of glad that Travis went ahead of us. Although I wish he would have told me…" Meena said as she continued to take small steps. "So what is our first class again?" "It's Grimm Studies." Nuri answered, sticking out her tongue, "Be careful, Professor Port tries to flirt with the girls in his class…" Meena grimaced, now using both of her hands to anchor down her skirt. "Lovely."

As the three entered the class, Meena noticed that Travis was already sitting down, his seat surrounded by girls that seemed entranced by him. "Let's sit over here…" Meena said as she pointed to the opposite side of the room, now noticing that she was standing alone as the twins sat with friends that they have made earlier in the year. "Never mind then…" She said slowly as she then sat in the emptiest section of the classroom, now scanning the room. She noticed many hand drawn diagrams of Grimm tacked to the front of the class room with details about every angle, a golden bust of a man with a magnificent mustache, and a blunderbuss with axe-like blades attached to the barrel. Meena eyed it attentively, wondering if the professor would let her take a look at it when the class was over as a murmur tremored over the class. "Who's that girl?" wondered one of the girls that surrounded Travis to one of her friends, "I didn't know that Beacon allowed students this late…" "Whose team do you think she is from?" "What a shame, to be all alone without someone to talk to." "I bet she can't even find a date for the dance later on this year…"

The comments fell on deaf ears, Meena's thoughts racing as her inner thoughts were deconstructing the magnificent weapon. The twins simply listened to the comments, giving a glare at the girls that were almost clinging to Travis, who in turn had a disgusted look on his face as he looked at Meena's blank stare. "Okay, class! Settle down." Said Professor Port, walking into the classroom with such gusto, overlooking the entire class "Today we are going to talk about… oh, what do we have here?"

The entire class was now staring at Meena who was now shrinking slowly down into her seat. "It looks like we have a fresh face in my class. Care to introduce yourself miss…?" Meena felt herself freeze, now noticing that the golden bust was in the very shape of the man that was before her. "I-I-I'm… My name is Meena… I… I just arrived yesterday." Professor Port then gave a hearty laugh, his entire body seeming to shake. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. We can talk more after class, if you wish." He added as he winked at her. "I'm going to have to take you up on that offer, Professor." She said, the rest of her team shuttering, already knowing what the professor is like when it comes to his self-centered teaching style.

Without any further interruption, Professor Port started his lecture on the Death Stalker. Meena then actively listened to his story, nodding along as the twins switched from seat to seat until they were on either side of her. "What the heck…" Don started as he drilled his knuckle into the side of her shoulder. "…Where you thinking?" Nuri finished as she did the same on the other side of her. Meena then tried to shoo them both away, wanting to know the end of the story. "Be quiet, I am trying to listen." She whispered, her eyes following the professor as he paced the floor. The twins continued to pester her, with her in turn trying to shoo them away. This continued until the class had finished, Meena now standing from her seat and heading to the professor's desk. The twins finally decided to give up, now wanting to be lectured more than they have already sat through, now deciding to leave. "Travis, you coming?" The twins inquired as they passed Travis leaning on the back wall of the classroom. "No, you two go ahead…" he said, his gaze still on Meena.

An hour had passed, Meena finally leaving Professor Port's classroom in a chipper mood, her arms wrapped around her scroll as she hummed a melody. "Just as diligent as ever…" Travis said as he leaned over her, Meena rolling her eyes before staring into the small green pools that made his irises. "You didn't have to wait for me you know…" Meena started to say before she was pushed away from Travis by a large group of girls, landing on the floor. "Travis, where were you?" moaned one of them. "You know we can't live without our horned prince." Said another. Travis then pushed past all of them, now extending a hand out to help Meena up. Meena then looked up at Travis, then at his hand, using her own to push it away. "I can pick myself up." She said sternly, standing up in a huff. The girls behind her gasped. "How dare she!" "I would kill to have a chance to hold my prince's hand!" "Don't pay attention to such a dull girl." Meena then clicked her tongue. "That's right, Travis. Don't pay any attention to me. After all, you have all these pigeons cooing after you." She said in such a way that it did not sound sarcastic. "Aw, come on, Meena, don't be mad. Is that how my brave and glorious team leader is supposed to behave?" Travis said a moment before Meena made a small hop and grabbed his horn, yanking his head down. "No, it's not. But I am not the one who is collecting a harem." Meena retorted as she grabbed his other horn and started to twist his head. "Ow, ow, ow! Let go!" Travis complained as he haphazardly walked behind Meena who was now heading to the mess hall. "Fine." She said as she let him go, letting his body fall to the floor as she started to march ahead of him. "Meena…" He griped as he followed her, Meena feeling the gazes of the girls behind her as she continued on.


	6. The Bet

"Would you stop following me like a lost puppy, you stubborn bull?" Meena sneered as she continued to their next class, pushing Travis away from breathing down her neck. "I said I am sorry!" He whined as they entered the battle basics class. Meena glanced around the room, seeing many of the girls from before. She tried to find the emptiest spot until she saw Don and Nuri chatting amongst themselves, deciding to sit in the seats in front of them. She quietly took out her pen and notebook as she overheard bits and pieces of their conversation, Travis now sitting next to her. "No! We have to wait for our battle debut!" Whined Nuri, "I am having a bad hair day…" "But, Sis…" complained Don. He about to debate with her again before Professor Goodwitch walked into the room.

"Okay, Children, settle down." Glynda said as she waved one arm in the air, walking into the middle of the stadium that the class would be held in. "Now, for today's lesson, we will be taking volunteers for today's lesson. Anyone wish to go first?" Meena then raised her finger in the air. "Ma'am? Are we allowed to change for the battle?" she asked, her team staring at her. "Ah, you are the new student, correct?" Professor Goodwitch pondered as she opened her Scroll, looking up Meena's information. "Yes, you are required to change into more suitable clothing. Do you have any other questions?" Meena nodded. "Yes, are we allowed to use dust?" Travis raised his eyebrow, now curious. He had never seen her use dust before. "You are to use anything in your disposal. So long as you don't kill your opponent, Meena, anything goes." Professor Goodwitch replied, now walking to an area similar to a commentator's box. "Then I would like to volunteer!" Meena shouted as she stood up, paying no attention to her team's astonished reactions. "You just got here! Don't go jumping into a mock battle!" The twins shouted together, "You don't know what you are in for!" Travis just stared at her, shocked at her willingness to fight. Glynda simply nodded, "Okay, first door on your left at the top of the stairs will lead you to the locker room. Change in there and prepare for your fight. Now, who else wishes to fight?"

"I will." Travis said his arms half crossed with his other hand in the air. The stadium was then filled with yells of his fan girls. "Travis is going to fight for us!" One of the girls shouted, her screams now drowned from the cheers of all the other girls. "You sure you want to do this? I won't hold back." Meena said as she stood up, looking down at him with a serious face. "You bet I do. In fact, how about we bet on it?" Travis asked with a grin on his face. "Fine. We can talk details in the locker room." She agreed as she walked toward the stairs, Travis hopping to his feet, excited about finally fighting his childhood friend after so long.

After they had changed out of their uniforms, Meena took a few test swings with Kanti. "So, what will be on the line? It has been a while since we had one of our world famous bets." Travis said as he smoothed out his favorite shirt for battle. "I win, you buy me dinner." Meena said as she put on a pair of black, fingerless gloves, now checking the pockets of her cargo pants to make sure nothing in them was loose. "That's all? Not much of a wager." Travis said as he rolled his eyes, weighing his logging axe in his hand, occasionally tossing it in the air as they waited to be summoned to the stadium. Meena laughed. "Have you really forgotten how expensive my tastes are? Remember the dinner I prepared for your going-away party?"

She then smirked as she saw Travis's face grow pale. "Alright, I will agree to your terms. But if I win, I get another 'parting gift.'" It was Travis that was grinning now, Meena's cheeks turning scarlet. "I told you that was a one-time deal!" she shouted as they heard the intercom screech to life. "The arena is now ready. Please finish off your preparations and head into the stadium." Travis then crossed his arms. "They are playing our song. So, are we doing this or not?" Meena stood silent for a moment, her mind racing. "Give me a minute…" She said as he walked ahead of her, now taking a clip from his pocket and slipping it into the base of his logging axe. "Make it quick, because that is all you have." Travis taunted, "But let me remind you we do have that one restaurant that you have been dying to go to since you found out about it last year…" She then looked up at him, a slight sparkle in her eye now, her mind now made up. "You're on…" she said, her words barely a whisper as she was now running after him with Kanti now settled on her back.

They both stood on their lines, Meena posed with her blade open as a fan, as if she was daring him to attack. Travis held onto his axe, waiting for the buzzer to sound for their bout to start. The tension was thick in the air, so thick that even the audience felt it. "I'm getting chills, and the match hasn't even started…" whispered one of the spectators by Don and Nuri, the two of them looking at each other, then back at their two teammates. The buzzer then finally broke the tension, the clash of metal filling the stadium. Blow after blow, Meena blocked Travis' blade with her own, her serious look slowly turning into a smile. It had been so long since she had a serious fight. After a few minutes of constant blocking, Meena backed away, giving her fan a few swings. "¡Ándale, Toro!" She shouted, her old habit of baiting him kicking in, "Hit me already!" Travis growled softly under his breath, dashing as fast as he could at her, his head tilted down as he aimed his horns at her. Meena held her ground, ducking out of the way just in time for him to pass her. She gave a big grin as she shouted 'Olle!'. Travis was slowly starting to see red, taking his axe and giving it a quick spin before chucking it in Meena's direction, her smile quickly disappearing as she swatted his axe away, only to be greeted by a punch in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her long enough for Travis to recover his axe. "You know what happens when you mess with me…" Travis threatened as he pushed a button on the base of his axe, now giving it another quick spin as the axe transformed into a dual barrel shotgun, the blade now becoming the buttstock of the gun. He then shot a few rounds of rubber buckshot, aiming to miss as he walked forward, Meena started to back away. She felt the shots graze her clothes, now concentrating her energy into protecting her body from the shots, a faint blue glow covering her body.

"What's the matter? Too timid to attack?" Travis mocked as he ejected the used shells from his gun and putting in shells infused with lightning dust. "No, just observing my prey before making the final strike." Meena said simply as she noticed his left side was still as open as ever as he was reloading. She then collapsed her fan back into a blade, now screaming as she dashed out to strike him. But her speed was not enough to prevent his next shot from striking her directly. Travis's aim struck true, Meena only having enough time to put her right hand up to the barrel of the gun, a cloud of dust surrounding her, a startled shriek filled the air.

The stadium became silent as Meena's yell dwindled, the dust cloud still heavily hanging. "That's what you get for messing with a bull…" Travis said as he swung his shotgun back into an axe, walking toward the dust cloud and fanning away the dust to see Meena's dazed face. But as the dust settled, the air started to feel electrified around him. "You always were a bit heavy-handed when it came to using dust…" Meena said as she walked forward, arcs of electricity traveling around her body a few times as she released the rubber pellets from her hand. "If it was anyone else, it would have knocked them out cold. I guess it is my turn now." She smiled as she used both of her hands to grip her sword that was now humming with electricity. Her footsteps arched lightning with each step she took as she charged at him, giving a light swing with her sword, another arch of lighting being created in it's wake. She had finally pushed Travis to use his superhuman skills, dodging her swing by a few inches. It was now Travis that was on the defensive, almost unable to keep up with Meena's new speed. He grimaced as he decided he had no other choice but to use his semblance. After she had took another large swing, Travis jumped into the air, landing behind Meena and quickly swung her body onto the floor, pinning her face down. "You made me do this." Travis said as he concentrated his power into the palm of his hand and placed it on her expose back. "TRAVIS, NO!" Meena shouted, yet again too late to stop him. She felt her own semblance dwindle, using the last of her strength to push Travis off of her before the lightning she previously controlled started to arch from her, a painful scream piercing the air as the electricity bounced around in her body, fainting almost immediately after.


	7. Treatment

The crowd was silent. The room was still for a full minute, everyone shocked at what had just conspired. Travis then slowly picked himself off of the floor, now seeing Meena fainted on the floor. "No!" He shouted out as he ran toward her, gingerly picking her up as Professor Goodwitch now ran into the stadium with a full team of medics trailing behind her. "Out of the way!" She ordered, Travis now pulling away reluctantly as the medic team swarmed around her, putting on an oxygen mask as they took her heart rate. "Her heart rate is all over the place..." said one medic. "Her aura seems to be gone as well..." Said another, waving a wand-like device over her, an uneven heartbeat slowly becoming steady as one of the machines displayed a bouncing line. After further checking, the head medic finally spoke. "Let's take her to the medical ward. She seems to be stabilizing now." The others nodded and then started to move her to a stretcher. Travis continued to watch, the look on his face much like a wounded puppy, hovering over Meena and the medics.

A few hours had passed and Meena has yet to awake from her shock induced slumber. Travis sat in a chair next to her backwards, his arms draping the back of it as he sat. Don and Nuri now walked in with trays of food, placing them on the table that sat next to the bed. "You need to eat something." said Nuri. "And get to class. We can only take notes for you for so long." Said Don, "And you know it is not for very long." Travis simply ignored them, continuing to stare at Meena. "Geez, anyone who would look at you would think that you are in love with her or something." Nuri laughed as she watched Travis' weird behavior. Travis' line of sight then moved to Meena's open palm, now exposed and showing how rough her hands were from working with intense heat and soot. "That is because I am..." He said softly, staying still as his serious tone of voice did not match the tone of his words. The twins then looked at each other, not sure if they had heard correctly. But before they could ask, a soft moan was heard coming from the bed, the sheets softly moving as Meena stirred. "Ugh... too bright..." She muttered as she slowly opened her eyes, the light above her obscuring her vision. Meena then tried to turn in bed, only to have the pain all over her body stop her. "MMMH!" she shouted as the rest of her team rushed over to her. "You're awake!" The twins shouted, the both of them now at the foot of her bed as Travis picked her hand up softly. "Can you hear us?" Travis asked as he looked at her with fear. Meena then gave a small chuckle, the pain still too strong for her to give a full fledged laugh. "I'm fine... Just a little bit burnt, that's all. Nothing too bad..." Meena said as she slowly sat up despite the others trying to stop her. "I've been through worse." She then gave a soft smile, pain still on her face as she tried to put them at ease.

"I see my patient is awake." the doctor said from the doorway, walking in and taking a look at Meena with his glasses that seem to give off a small glow. He then started to make motions in the air, as if to shoo away pesky flies. "I am afraid that you will have to leave. I need to inspect her burns and I doubt she would want anyone to see her in the buff." Meena then blushed, looking down at the sheets as her team now started to walk out. "How long do you think she will be here?" Travis asked a moment before he was about to exit. "Not too long. Now go to your classes. You have already missed half of the day." The doctor said as he then started to ask Meena about how she felt and to tell her what had happened and what he was about to do.

As the day came to an end, Meena sat at her desk back at the dormitory, reading one of her textbooks off of her Scroll as she sipped tea with her other hand, the room now smelling like masala chai. She casually wondered where the rest of her team was right before they had walked into the room. "Hey, guys." She greeted as she took another sip. Don, Travis, and Nuri then stared at her. "What?" She asked, gesturing to her now emptied mug, "If you want some, I can make it for you." Travis then ran over and picked her up, giving her a tight hug with her feet dangling off the ground. "I'm glad to see you too, but you are crushing me!" Meena sputtered. "Deal with it." Travis said as he spun her around, glad to see she was okay. "How are you okay now?" Nuri asked, now poking her side. "You looked like you were at death's doorstep!" Meena then somehow got away from Travis, smoothing out her now wrinkled clothes. "The doctor used his semblance on me. He said other than the burnt skin, I was okay…" she started to say before the twins broke out into a barrage of questions.

"How did you control the lighting?"

"Why did you lose control of it?"

"What did you mean earlier that you have had worse?"

"What is your semblance anyway?"

"Why didn't you tell me about the scars on your hands?"

"What does it feel like to be struck with that much lightning?"

"What kind of weapon is your blade, anyway?"

"Okay! Okay! Hold on, one at a time. Don't rush me…" Meena said as she waved her hands in front of her, Travis giving a small snort. "Yeah," He added, "the more you push her, the less likely she is to answer your questions. Although I am curious as well, I didn't think you had a semblance. I'm surprised you have an aura." Meena then slapped his forearm before turning to the twins.

"My semblance allows me to not only make me stronger and faster, but I am able to deflect most melee damage dealt to me, as well as deflect bullets." She started to explain, closing her eyes and focused on her hand. A faint blue outline then started to form, stopping just at her wrist. "I can generate a sort of thin shield around me and whatever I am touching. The closer this 'shield' is, the stronger the resistance. But.." She then opened her eyes, now walking back to her desk and pulled out a small vial of red dust, the blue aura still surrounding her hand as she poured a small pile in her palm. "But, when dust is added, it changes the property of it. The dust is consumed in the process, but the effects last for as long as I don't expel it." The dust then slowly vanished, her blue aura now turning a soft red, her fingertips now alight with a gentle flame. "As long as I keep a steady flow of aura, I can keep control of it." she said as she picked up her black blade, sending the flames from her hand to the cold metal, Kanti now burning for a short duration before she gave it a quick swing, snuffing the flames out. "But when Travis used his semblance to cancel mine out, I lost control before I could expel the dust he coated me with. That is why I got barbecued."

As she finished her explanation, Travis sat on his bed, thinking of a way to apologize. "And this happened before…?" the then motioned his hand for her to continue. "I practiced this while you were here at Beacon. Although I used earth instead of lightning. Much easier to control, but it took me months to get all the dirt out of my ears and for my skin to get back to normal." She then sat on the bed next to him. "Don't worry, it was an accident." she said as if she read his thoughts, rubbing the top of his head before getting ready for bed. "At least the rest of my week will seem a lot better compared to today." She happily said, the twins looking at each other and having their own unheard conversation between themselves as they shook their heads.


	8. Suspicion

"You missed a great fight after you fainted, Meena. Pyrrha Nikos not only went against an entire team, but she was picked out to fight against one of the students from Haven academy! That fight didn't last too long, though…" Don said as he pulled up a recording of the fight on his Scroll, tilting it so Meena could see. Nuri then stood on the other side of Meena, the three of them now blocking half of the hallway as they walked to class, Travis trailing behind them as they headed to Professor Oobleck's classroom. "Hey, Don… Have a date to the dance, yet?" Nuri asked with a smile as she watched her brother cringe. "Yeah, well, do you?" He retorted, the twins now sandwiching Meena as they stared at each other. Meena then pushed them apart. "What dance?" She asked as they entered the classroom. "Oh, yeah. You are still new. Well, apparently we are going to have a dance later on in the semester. It is probably the only social event that we are going to have all year. That is why the other schools are coming here since Beacon is hosting it." Nuri said, her eyes wide with excitment. "You are such a girl…" Don said as he poked his sister in the ribs behind Meena's back. "And you are a twit!" She said as she poked him back, squishing Meena a second time before she decided to abscond, deciding to sit with Travis as the twins continued to bicker. "Do they do that to you too?" Meena asked as she sat. "No, I don't think they like the idea of their horns being in between them." He said as he gestured to the top of his head.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" said Professor Oobleck at an extremely large volume, the class quickly becoming quiet. "Now, today's lesson will focus on mainly the Faunus Rights Revolution. Now if you go to page 394 of your textbook, you will find a diagram of…" As Meena started to take notes, she felt someone staring at her in the back row. She turned around, seeing no one looking at her direction anymore. She did notice a few students that did not have the same uniform as them. There were three students dressed in black and gray instead of the usual burgundy and gold, watching the professor zip from one side of the classroom to the other, the coffee cup in his hand occasionally being tilted up his mouth between breaths. Meena then turned back to pay attention to the lecture, finding out that she had already missed a chapter's worth of notes.

Meena stood up, noticing that she was the last person in the classroom again, the rest of the class having already left as she was copying the last of the notes that she had missed. She softly sighed, wished that at least one of her teammates had stayed behind with her. As she picked up her textbook, a small journal slipped out, the cover opening to the first page. "This Journal Belongs To: Grayson" the text said in large gray letters. She picked it up, looking around to see if she was being watched and sat back down again, her curiosity getting the better of her. 'I must have picked it up with the rest of my textbooks by mistake. Weird…' Meena thought as she casually flipped through it. She stopped at the last entry that was half-finished. "I have been noticing that some of the students from Haven are acting odd. It always seems to be the same three: The girl with long black hair, the girl with short green hair, and the guy with gray hair." she read, remembering the same three that she had saw. The entry had stopped there though, leaving Meena to wonder for a moment before she heard the bell toll for the next class, making her jump up from her seat and dash madly for the door.

"I'm staying here." Meena said plainly as the twins asked her about the dance, now tilting a bottle of oil onto a clean rag. The twins were clearly not amused with her answer, each one now pouting in their own way. "What do you mean, 'I'm staying here?'" Nuri mocked, her impersonation of Meena spot on. "Well, that is what I mean. I don't know anyone else other than you three and a few others, but…" she started to mutter, her shyness getting the better of her as she tried to go back to working on Kanti's weekly cleaning. "But, nothing!" Shouted Don, spinning her chair back around to face them, Travis now laying on his bed reading his Scroll. "You are going to that dance!" The twins shouted as they rolled her over to the closet. "Now, let us see what you have." Nuri chimed as she opened the wardrobe, now seeing nothing but white blouses and pants. "Is this seriously all you have?" She asked, stopping Meena mid-way of turning her chair around, forcing her to face them again. "Uh…" Meena uttered, knowing that she would be damned either way she answered. "The last time I saw her in a dress was on her eighth birthday." Travis chimed in, making Meena glare at him. "Shut up!" she said as she blushed. "But it was so cute how you…" Travis started to say before Meena threw the oil soaked rag that was still in her hand at his face. "Say one more word, and you will die. And you know I do not make idle threats!" she sneered for a moment before being pushed out of the chair and forced into a T-position, the twins now making measurements. Travis just laughed, now having distracted her long enough for the twins to finish. "Your dress will be here by tomorrow." Don said happily as he smirked, loving the tortured look on Meena's face as she grimaced. "No… I don't want to go!" she reiterated, stopping her foot on the ground. "Don't fight it. Once the Tangerine Twins decide to do something, there is no stopping them." Travis said as she sat up, walking over to Meena and patted her head as he gave back the rag.


End file.
