RWBY 1. Chapter 1

**Hey, people! Ok, I've had this idea running through my head for a while without doing anything about it, but now, I'm finally going to be able to write about it. So, there are a couple of things to remember about this story. First, and foremost, I will be updating this story as RWBY progresses. This means this story will rarely have more chapters than RWBY has episodes. If I'm putting in some more story for my OC, it'll happen as an extension to the chapter. That being said, the first chapter will be my OC's story of how he got into Beacon Academy.**

**Second, I'll be shifting viewpoints throughout the story. Even though the viewpoints will be shifting, this story primarily revolves around my OC. Therefore, this story will be told primarily from his perspective.**

**Finally, this story will be my character's story from a point relatively close to the beginning of the series.**

**Now, with all the alerts done, I have to say this next part; _I do not own RWBY, it's content, or any of its characters. All rights to these belong to Rooster Teeth, Monty Oum, and the rest of the RWBY team. The only thing I own is my OC._**

**So, now that the legalities are all out of the way, let's get this story started!**

* * *

-**Narrator's POV**-

Soft, white snow lays still upon the ground in the White Forest. Frigid winds gently waft through the trees. There is little noise apart from the soft crunching of snow approaching from between the trees. An unknown, shadowy figure traverses along a snow-covered path, emerging onto a high cliff. This cliff is covered in the same crystalline powder. As he comes to the edge of this cliff, the figure becomes illuminated by the pale light of the moon.

He was a roughly 17-year-old boy. He stood looking out over the cliff towards the dark of night, a black shadow casting over most of his face, leaving only his nose and mouth visible. He wore black & white shoes, black jeans with yellow-lined side pockets. A red undershirt could be seen peeking out from underneath his black zip-hoodie, which bore a strange, dark red symbol on the back (see cover art). His hood pulled over his head cast a shadow across his face, hiding it from the night. The loose, open sleeves of his hoodie shifted lightly by his hand, which rested at his sides. His breath puffed out into the cold as a small cloud of vapor. Turning back from the cliff, he noticed the headstone. He approached it and read the inscription silently. "Summer Rose - Thus, kindly, I scatter." He stood still for a moment before shaking his head slowly and turning away, walking back along the winding path through the forest.

The snow fell quietly around him as he walked the unmarked path through the trees. Lost in thought, he was oblivious to his surroundings. He walked through the vast forest until he finally emerged onto the vast white clearing he'd previously viewed from atop the cliff. Suddenly, he stopped, sensing a sinister presence he hadn't previously noticed. He looked up from the ground to see something he didn't want to see. They had come after him again.

He gazed out at the vast sea of monsters before him. The creatures filled the field before him. Looking to either side of him, he saw that they had left no escape, save the path he'd just traversed. He couldn't take this route, however. He needed to move forward. He took a few slow steps back, hoping they would leave him alone. Of course, these hopes were soon crushed as the creatures slowly crept towards him. He stood there, the creatures of Grimm slowly closing in on him, waiting for their next move. This carried on for only a second or two. Then, suddenly, several of the Beowolves attacked.

**BGM Start: Whispers in the Dark**

**by Skillet**

They rushed in at him, quickly closing the distance between himself and them. Bringing their claws back to strike, they jumped up and lunged at him. The Beowolves crashed into each other as the boy's figure disappeared just before their claws came into contact with him. Stumbling back to their feet, they briefly scanned their surroundings before their gazes rose to the skies.

His body was silhouetted against the pale, undying light of the moon, appearing to twist back almost in slow-motion. He had turned his entire body upside-down whilst leaping out of the way of the Beowolves' incoming attacks. His hood, which previously hid his face from the world, was now flung back from his head, revealing his face to the night. He had a face to match the rest of his body, appearing to be no more than 17 years of age. He had spiked hair flowing down from his head, black as the night encompassing him, with dark, crimson highlights scattered throughout. His hair was slightly longer than average length, which resulted in a few strands falling in front of his face. Slowly, he opened his deep, crimson eyes wide. Determination flickered across these deep, bloody pools as his body shifted upright. moving his right arm back, he stared down at these creatures. An ominous, crimson light began to glow, emanating from his right arm and quickly growing in intensity. A moment later, the light disappeared as a sword shot out from the palm of his hand. It was a double-edged sword with three triggers adorning the grip. Three gun barrels adorned the handle, with one protruding form the top of the hilt and one in each side of the handle. The sword shot out less than an inch from his palm as the light vanished. Quickly wrapping his hand around the handle of this weapon, he swung it back without even thinking. He held the sword so his fingers were placed over each of the triggers, glaring down at he creatures of Grimm. With his weapon positioned behind him, he pulled the lower of the three triggers. The barrel on the right side of the blade fired, propelling him down to the earth at a blinding speed and straight towards the nearest Beowolf, who was given no time to react.

He swung down at his foe, using the momentum of the gunshot to strengthen his attack. Bringing the blade down, he cleaved the Beowolf in two. The two halves of the creature fell to the ground, lifeless, as his deep crimson eyes pierced through the night. Others began to charge at him, wildly brandishing their claws and growling angrily. He fired again, using the force of his gunfire to propel the weapon along, slicing down three more of them down in a circle around him. He turned the weapon to the enemy in front of him and pulled the middle trigger, causing the weapon to fire from the barrel at the hilt of the blade. It blew a hole cleanly through the skull of the nearest enemy, forcing it to fly into another and bring them both to the ground. Spinning around and lowering himself to the ground, he fired again, slicing the next one from the torso and legs and causing it to collapse into a heap behind him.

Rolling out of the way of another attack, he jumped forward and propelled both of his legs into the side of another one's head before launching himself back and forcing the beast into one of its allies. Flipping back, he spun with his weapon and decimated three more, with the edge of the blade resting at the neck of another. Firing from the center (barrel), he severed the Beowolf's head from its body, which crumpled into a heap before him. Another jumped up from behind him in an attempt to slash his back. Turning just in time, he raised his left hand in an attempt to block the incoming attack. Just as his hand was raised, a blast of fire shot out from the palm of his hand, igniting the Beowolf and launching it back in a smoldering heap.

He rose to his feet and stared at his hand, not quite sure how he did this. He had little time to think, however, as several more of them began to rush him, accompanied by a Boarbatusk. Readying his weapon, he jumped over the first attacker, igniting it as he descended. He rolled under the next, firing out and slashing it in half. The Boarbatusk charged at him and he slammed his sword down into the ground, blocking the attack with the broad side of the blade. Turning the blade to the side, he swung the creature into the air before spinning around and blasting its underside with fire. The others charged before him, never allowing a stop in the assault. Slamming his hand onto the ground, he launched a thick field of ice out, encompassing several of his foes. Firing behind him, he rushed forward through the newly frozen enemies, hacking and slashing as he went along. He reached the end of the row of Grimm and let the pieces of the creatures fall down upon the snowy ground as the ice shattered. Rolling to the side as another of them lunged for him, he shot a bolt of electricity out at them, piercing through them as it arced from one creature to another, causing them to collapse. Behind him, an Ursa clawed at him. Turning just in time to witness the incoming attack, he swung his sword back, blocking the blow. The force of the impact launched him back several feet until he slammed his blade into the ground, causing him to slow to a stop. Looking out, he saw several Ursa had joined the remaining Beowolves. He dropped to one knee, his hand still resting on his sword, suddenly exhausted and stripped of energy. It must've been those elemental attacks that had done this.

Staggering upright, he wrenched his sword from the ground, determined not to lose and to survive. The same dark, glowing, crimson light that appeared when he summoned his sword suddenly began to envelop him. The light intensified, growing and growing, encompassing the boy completely. The glow continued to grow brighter until, with a guttural shout, a small shock wave erupted as the boy flung out his arms. Now encompassed by this ominous crimson light, which flowed around him in wind-like, wispy strands, the black and crimson areas of his hair switched colors. His eyes changed from their piercing crimson color to an intense, shimmering silver. Standing up straight, he locked eyes with his enemies as they charged at him.

Before they could even get to him, he charged, moving forward with incredible speed. The closest Ursa roared and swung at him with its claws. Using his current momentum, he swung out as hard as he could, slicing the Ursa cleanly in two. As the remains of the Grimm fell behind him, he fired right and flung himself through another, separating its head from its body. The Grimm kept up their assault, but he continued to rapidly block and counterattack. After cutting down several more, he flung his sword forward, sliding his finger over the trigger as it left his hand and causing it to spin. The blade flew through the air, slashing down Grimm after Grimm after Grimm, until the boy ran past and caught it, letting it spin gracefully into his hand. Without letting it losing momentum, he swung the sword back at yet another Beowolf. As it collapsed in a heap on the ground, he twisted his sword into the stomach of another one, forcing it to the ground.

With his blade impaling the Grimm to the ground, he swung himself around, kicking the surrounding enemies as he spun. Finishing his spin, he perched himself atop the cross-guard of his blade and shot down, launching himself up and out of the way of another attack. Flipping back into an upright position, he glared down at the few remaining enemies as they began to jump up after him. Firing back, he spun down at the nearest one, slicing through its skull and cleaving its arm off. As he hit the ground, he grabbed the severed arm and flung it back at another one. As the last Ursa attacked, he slashed up at it, knocking its claws away. He pointed his sword directly at the creature and rapidly spun the blade in his hand. Letting his finger slide across the middle trigger with each spin, he rapidly unloaded a barrage of gunshots into the last Grimm before slashing through it, coming to rest on one knee with his sword behind him.

**BGM end**

He stood up as the wispy glowing aura around hi faded away and his features returned to normal. His sword began to glow briefly before vanishing, just as it had appeared, into his arm. In the aftermath of this battle, the forest returned to its previous state of calm. He raised his left hand in front of his eyes, staring at it intently, lost in thought. Staring at his hand, he silently wondered to himself "...What... What is this...?" He didn't know. No matter how hard he thought, he came up with nothing.

Suddenly, all the energy in the boy's body seemed to vanish all at once. Eyes fluttering half-shut, he fell face-first onto the cold, snowy ground with his hood falling over his head. He was utterly exhausted. He lay there silently for a few moments, the snow gently falling down on him as it enveloped him in a thin blanket of white. He struggled to his knees unsteadily, trying desperately to get up. Looking up, he saw his destination in the distance; a large, castle-like structure, silhouetted by the pale light of the moon. Still weak, he attempted to get to his feet, only to fall back to the ground. Trembling and utterly exhausted, he slowly pushed his head up again, eyes closed, determined to reach his destination.

"Excuse me."

He opened his eyes and saw the legs of an unknown figure. Surprised, he shuffled back as quickly as he could, not knowing the new arrival's intentions. As he came to a stop roughly a foot away, the figure came into focus. He was a middle-aged man with tousled grey hair and spectacles, dressed in black attire and an emerald-green scarf. He was holding a cane in one hand and looked like some kind of teacher. The man reached his hand down to him and spoke again.

"Do you need a hand?"

He was offering to help the boy up. Tentatively, not sure if he could trust this guy, the boy reached out and took the hand. Slowly, the boy was pulled to his feet. The man stared at him inquisitively.

"Excuse me for asking, but what are you doing here?" he asked. "I'm assuming you don't live around here, as there are no homes nearby?" The boy opened his mouth to speak, but after a brief pause, looked away, not entirely sure what to say. The mans eyes narrowed slightly, but then he broke into a small, warm smile.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Ozpin. What would yours be?" Turning back to the man, he opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it again after a brief pause. The man raised an eyebrow. "You do have a name, don't you?"

"...Uh-... I-" The boy finally spoke, tentatively. The man simply stood there, waiting for an answer.

"I-... Cori" said the boy, at last. "Cori Mason."

"A pleasure to meet you, young man." Cori nodded. Ozpin shifted back to his earlier question. "So, Cori, where are you going, exactly?" Cori, now confident that Ozpin was not a threat, turned.

"There." He pointed at the castle in the distance.

"Oh?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "And what are you going there for? What are you looking for?"

He took a moment before replying. "Answers." Ozpin looked slightly puzzled.

"And just what answers do you believe you will be able to find at my school?"

"...School...?" Cori turned to him, puzzled.

"Hmm..." Ozpin thought to himself for a moment before saying "Well, then, come with me." When Cori hesitated, he added, "I'll take you there."

Cori couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked back at the castle briefly before turning to Ozpin.

"... Okay..."

* * *

-**Cori's POV**-

I wasn't sure what to do. Ozpin had us taken by airship to a place he called Vale. He received a video message on something he called a "scroll," which we watched on the flight. A young teenaged girl in a red cloak wielding a scythe that doubled as a gun fought off a gang of thugs. Not only did she deal with them non-lethally with incredible speed, but she did all of this singlehandedly. Ozpin seemed to be really impressed by this girl. I know I was. She wasn't the reason I was here, though.

Ozpin had me wait in a small room, saying he had something to take care of and that he'd be back in a few minutes. I looked around and noticed that the walls were bare. There was only one table under the single hanging light in the room. The door opened and a blonde woman in glasses walked in. "Professor Ozpin would like to see you now, young man."

"Oh... Ok." She led me to a room at the end of the hall. Just as we reached it, a grinning girl burst through the door and sprinted past us. I managed to catch a glimpse of a red cloak as she rounded the corner. That must have been the girl from that message Ozpin got earlier.

"Ah, Cori." Ozpin motioned to the chair opposite him. "Please, come in and have a seat." I did as he asked. I pulled my hood down as his colleague closed the door. "So, are you looking for someone at my school, Cori?"

"I don't know..."

"Is there something you're missing, then? Or, maybe, somewhere you're trying to get to?"

"I don't know..."

He laced his fingers together. "Then, what answers do you believe you will find at Beacon, exactly?"

I sighed. "I... I want to know how to control this power."

"Oh?" He gave me a quizzical look.

"I... lost my memories."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah..." I stared at my hand in front of my face. "I woke up all alone in some ruins, without any idea who I was or how I got there. I couldn't remember my home, my family, or even my name. I found a burnt photo from a file in the ashes of the ruin. It was a photo of me, and it had my name on it. I had this strange power, too, but I didn't know how, when or why I got it."

"And then, my weapon... well, you saw what it did, didn't you, Ozpin?" I asked, referring to the way my blade absorbed into my arm. "I don't know how or why this happened. All I have is a name. I wanted answers. The nearest and biggest place I could see was your school, so that's where I figured I'd go to try and find out how to control this power."

"Hmm..." Ozpin simply nodded, quietly. I sighed and looked up at him.

"So, that's it, Ozpin. That's all I know." He sat there in silence for a moment before he responded.

"Well, it seems you've had a rather rough time, Cori." I nodded silently. "However, I'm not entirely sure you could find out who you were at Beacon Academy." Saddened by this statement, my gaze fell down to the table. Was there really no answers left for me to find?

"However, I think I may know a way for you to learn how to control your powers."

I shot straight up in my seat. "What? Really?" He nodded.

"Are you familiar with Huntsmen and Huntresses?" When I shook my head, he continued. "Well, they're people with exceptional capabilities in the field of combat, just like you. Huntsmen & Huntresses are those with special powers who train to fight monsters, just as you did back in the forest, and work for the protection of the people."

"Wow..."

"Beacon Academy is a school designed to train these warriors. It's one of the finest in the world." I was in awe. There were that kind of people in the world? That was just amazing to me. I wondered if I could do that, even though I'd lost my memories. I didn't really know. Ozpin looked at me and smiled lightly.

"Do you want to come to my school?"

I stared at him wide-eyed, shocked at the question I had just been asked. He wanted me at his academy? _Me? _He just met me a few hours ago, yet he wanted me to attend a school for warriors and monster hunters? I didn't know what to say.

"What? You want... me?"

"Of course. I've seen what you can do first-hand, and I can tell that, with proper training, you'd make a fine Huntsman. You'd also be able to learn how to control your powers during your time there. After all, it's not as if you have anywhere else to go."

"I-... I don't know..." It was a good offer. I had no idea what to do, so this would definitely be an ideal way to learn how to control my powers. I'd be able to learn more about those monsters that attacked me, too. "You're... _sure _you want _me_, Ozpin?"

"Well, of course. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." He looked me dead in the eyes. "Cori, I've seen some warriors of incredible skill before, but you are, by far, one of the most unusual fighters I've ever seen. Second, of course, only to the young girl that passed you in the hallway just a few minutes ago." So it _was_ her. She was the girl from the video. "What's more, from what you've told me, you seem to have the necessary skill set to become a Huntsman. That girl happens to be two years younger than anyone else in Beacon Academy. She has trained at Signal Academy for the past two years to attend Beacon, though everyone else has trained for a total of four years. I have only ever seen _one_ other scythe-wielder of that skill before, and that happens to be her teacher. She told me she wanted to become a Huntress to help people. Cori, do you believe you could fight for the same cause?"

I thought hard about this. What did I fight for? To survive? To reach my goal and find an answer? I didn't really know. But, Ozpin _did_ have a point. I had nowhere else to go.

"I-" I took a deep breath. "Yes. I think I could." He smiled slightly.

"Well, that's certainly good to hear. So, then, what is your answer, Cori?" I took one last second to think about his offer. I didn't remember anything about who I was. This was a chance to start a new one. Plus, I could learn to not only control my powers, but put them to the best possible use. I looked up at Ozpin and gave him my answer.

"I want to learn to control my powers. If I can't remember anything from my past, then I want to make new memories in the future. If what you say is true, if you really think I can help people there, then... I'll do it. I'll come to Beacon, and try my hardest to become a Huntsman... if you _really_ think I can..." I didn't think I was up to the task. But, what good would it do me to not even try?

"I suppose we'll find out, won't we?"

* * *

I was staring out the window of the airship, headed to Beacon. I still couldn't believe I was here. Ozpin had told me what flight to get on and that he'd take care of the rest. Even so, I decided I wasn't going to reveal my powers to anyone. Ozpin told me he'd never seen anyones' weapon do what mine had done. For that reason, I chose not to reveal myself. I decided I'd try to be a normal guy. Until I knew just what my powers were, I would have to blend in.

Some news station was playing on the screens throughout the ship, but I wasn't listening. I was staring out at Vale from the airship window, wondering what was waiting for me there.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me!"

A loud, female voice made me turn from my spot at the window. A blonde girl of about my age had someone in a tight bear-hug. What shocked me was that it was the same girl Ozpin had talked to after we got to Vale, the girl from the video!

"This is the best day _ever_!" She was squeezing the girl so tightly she could hardly breathe.

"Please stop..." she choked out. Her sister finally released her, bouncing slightly out of excitement.

"But I'm so proud of you!"

"Really, sis, it was nothing." Why did she seem so reluctant about what she'd done? I, for one, thought she was amazing. Why did she want to deny that what she did was so important? She seemed almost shy about it.

"What do you mean? It was _incredible!_ Everyone at Beacon is gonna think you're the 'bee's knees!'"

"I don't wanna _be_ the 'bee's knees'! I don't wanna be _any_ kind of knees! I just wanna be a normal girl with normal knees."_  
_

It felt like she was the same as me. I just wanted to get control of my powers and try to be normal. Just then, a profile of a red-haired man came on the screens and a male voice continued an earlier report.

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Dept. Back to you, Lisa."

"Thank you, Cyril." The screen changed to a woman named Lisa Lavender, accompanied by a header bearing her name. This was accompanied by an odd symbol of an animal head and three diagonal claw marks. "In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights Protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted-" The screen disappeared and was replaced by a small hologram of the blonde woman I'd met when I was in Vale with Ozpin. She began to speak, addressing the students on the airship.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon."

The sisters turned to view the projection, the older of them being the first to speak. "Who's that?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of piece, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. And now, it is _our_ turn to provide _you_ with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

The figure disappeared and the younger sister approached the window, wide-eyed and grinning. "Oh, wow!" She pressed her hands up to the glass, staring out the window at the world below. "Look! You can see Signal from up here!"

Moving next to her, I gazed out the window and mouthed the same words. All of Vale could be seen from there. The whole city stretched out across the landscape, buildings of all kinds wrapped by countless streets. It was truly breathtaking to see all of this.

"I guess home isn't so far after all..."

The blonde put her hand on her sister's shoulder and smiled. "Beacon's our home now."

The sound of someone ill broke my focus on the window. I turned to see a blonde boy running past, holding his mouth and trying hard not to puke.

The elder girl watched as he ran past, then turned to her sister. "I wonder who we're gonna meet?"

"I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy." She then glanced down at her sister's feet, her face changing to one of disgust. "Oh, Yang, _gross!_ You have puke on your shoe!"

"Gross, gross, gross, gross! Get it off, get it off, get it off, get it off!"

"No, gross! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!"

After seeing these two, I chuckled lightly from my hood. I remember thinking of what Ozpin had told me, that she was two years younger than anyone else at school. It seemed like those two years didn't really matter to her sister.

"Well," I said to myself as I watched the two siblings freak out over their new problem, "It looks like there are even some people as odd as me at this academy." I pulled back my hood as the airship approached the school.

"I think... I'm gonna like it here."

* * *

**This is, by far, the longest chapter I have ever written in my entire life. But, I'm _so _glad that I got it done and posted for everyone to read! I'm gonna have _so _much fun writing this story! In any case, what did you guys think of the first chapter? Every chapter after this one will be written up to the "mid-point" of their appropriate episodes. Each episode of _RWBY_ (except for the episodes 1, 8, 15, and 16) is half of an actual chapter, so I'll be posting them like this as the series progresses. Thanks a lot for reading, guys. Please remember to rate and review, as I always appreciate your feedback. I'll be responding to any reviews I get at the start of the next chapter, so don't forget! Thanks again for reading, and look forward to the next chapter! See you then!**


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome Home, Students

**Chapter 2: Welcome Home, Students**

* * *

The minute the airship parked, everyone on it started for the exit. Everyone, of course, except for me. I stayed behind just a bit longer, still absorbed in the overhead view of Vale. It was truly beautiful. Seeing so many people and buildings, and so much light, were all clustered down in that one little area. After fighting for survival against the Grimm, it was hard for me to believe there was anywhere in the world that had so much... life. I could've stayed there for ages, staring out at this place from the window, but the sudden quiet in the airship reminded me that I needed to get off.

After I stepped outside, I turned and watched as the airship took off. It soared out across Vale and out of sight, fading into the distance. I wondered briefly where it was going, but I turned around and started walking towards the school. I stopped dead in my tracks. Everywhere I looked, there was something amazing. The place was unbelievable. Aside from being just plain huge, Beacon had many towers and courtyards, walkways, arches, and even a statue in the main courtyard. The statue depicted a Huntsman and Huntress standing atop a Beowolf, brandishing their weapons. This place really was like a castle.

Just then, a noise coming from a spot to the left of me brought me back to reality. Turning, I saw that the noise was the same blonde boy from earlier. He was hunched over a trash can, hurling violently. I walked over to him, wanting to see if he was going to be ok.P

"Hey." He turned to me, panting heavily. "Um, are you gonna be alright?" He nodded slowly, holding up a finger to show he wanted me to wait. A few short moments later, his stomach finally seemed to have calmed enough for him to speak.

"Yeah," he managed to say, between pants. "I... I'm... ok... now..."

"So, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"No, it's... motion sickness." He wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand before finally letting go of the trash can. I felt a little bad for him, remembering how that girl in red had nicknamed him "Vomit Boy." He stood up, a little shaky at first, and turned to face me properly. "But, thanks for your concern, I guess."

"No problem." I looked around and saw that hardly anyone else was still standing around the school. They had either started inside or gone off looking for their friends. "Well, we should probably get going. The entrance ceremony might be starting soon."

He seemed to be stressed about this, but after glancing at a clock in the courtyard, he let out a relieved sigh. "Nah, I think it'll be ok. It looks like we've still got a little time before the ceremony." He laughed a little, and we started walking up towards the school.

"So, motion sickness, huh? That must suck."

"Yeah, sometimes. So, uh, what's your name?"

"Oh." Somehow I'd forgotten that little detail. "Uh, my name's C-"

"ACHOO!"*BOOM!*

I was cut off by a loud explosion just a few meters ahead of us. Turning to see what just happened, I saw the girl in red standing amidst a pile of suitcases as an older girl in white yelled at her. The explosion seemed to be triggered by the girl in red sneezing a few seconds earlier.

"Whoa." I turned to the blonde guy next to me. "Well, that just happened." He nodded, and we turned back to see another older girl, one in black, walk up to the two others. Apparently, she said something really upsetting to the girl in white, because she stormed off. The girl in red called after her, before turning to thank the newcomer, only to find said newcomer was walking away. She the sank to her knees and fell flat on her back, defeated.

"Think she's ok?" He looked concerned when he said this.  
I shrugged as we made our way towards her. "Let's find out." I kneeled next to her, holding out my hand to help her up from her left.

"Hey." She opened her eyes and looked up. She glanced from him to me, then back then back to him, who held out his hand on her right.

"Are you ok?" I asked as she sat back up. She looked back from me to him again.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "I'm Jaune."

"Ruby." She smiled shyly before taking first his hand, then mine, as we helped her to her feet.

I released her hand. "I'm Cori."

She looked back at Jaune and stifled a giggle. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?

* * *

We walked around the school for a few minutes as Jaune and Ruby argued about which one of them was made out as more of a fool. Personally, I didn't think it mattered. Of course, if I had to pick a side, I'd say that the most embarrassed one should've been Ruby. Both "Vomit Boy" and "Crater Face," as Jaune had called her in his defense, were both victims of something out of their , in all honesty, it didn't seem to bother them too much. I guess it was a kind of weird ice-breaker for the two of them.

After so much mystery, I finally got to meet the girl in red; Ruby Rose. She was 2 years younger than Jaune and I, but she was friendly and we got along well right after we met. The three of us were walking in one of the inner courtyards, just talking and getting to know each other better. Jaune was apparently hoping to be a favorite with the women at the school, though he knew it wasn't likely. It was at this point that Ruby pulled out her scythe, a weapon I'd seen her use well before now.

"So, um, I got this thing." she said as she drew it. Jaune jumped, pointing at the weapon and shaking slightly in surprise.

"Whoa! I-is that a scythe?"

Ruby picked up the massive weapon and held it. "It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle."

"Uh, what?"

She pulled back the lever-action, showing him the gun-like aspect, before simplifying her earlier statement. "It's also a gun."

I could see she took care of it, as the blade was evidently sharp and recently polished, from what I could tell. It was clear she took a considerable amount of time to maintain her weapon. She was obviously pretty attached to it.

"Oh. That's cool!"

"So what've you got?" She seemed quite eager to see what weapons Jaune and I had, though I wasn't sure how to summon it without giving away my powers. It looked like this whole "don't show anyone your powers until you know you can trust them" thing was going to be harder than I expected.

Luckily, Jaune was there to give me some time to think on how I could avoid it.

"Oh. Well, uh, I-I got this sword." He drew his short sword, showing it to Ruby, who beamed.

"Ooooohhh."

"Yeah, I've got a shield, too." He grabbed the sheath for his sword and made it expand into a large white shield. They seemed very low-tech from what I could see. Don't get me wrong, they were obviously made well. They just seemed bit less advanced than what everyone else seemed to be using.

Still, the level of simplicity of these weapons were probably perfect for Jaune, as his shield collapsed after Ruby tapped it, asking what they could do. He fumbled around with the shield for a moment, before explaining that the shield got smaller so he could put it away once he ws tired of carrying it. When asked by Ruby, he dejectedly admitted that it still weighed the same as it did when expanded. Ruby simply chuckled, examining her own weapon.

"I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons. I guess I _did_ go a little overboard when designing it."

Jaune looked at her in surprise. "Wait, you _made_ that?"

"Of course!" She responded so matter-of-factly to his question, it was like this was common knowledge to everyone except Jaune. All students at Signal forge their own weapons. Didn't you make _yours?_"

There was that name again: Signal. Ozpin had told me a bit about Signal Academy, but the details were still pretty sketchy. All I really knew was that those training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses went to school there, Ruby trained there for half the amount of time a student normally would, and that it was located in Vale. It was still a mystery to me, but I chose not to ask about it. There'd be time for that later.

Jaune examined his weapon, his eyes fixated on it. "It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me." That explained why the blade seemed so rustic and low-tech. Though, I had no knowledge of any war ever taking place. Man, this whole "lost my memories" thing kinda sucked at times. Still, if I hadn't lost my memories, I would never have met Jaune, Ozpin or Ruby. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

Jaune sheathed his weapon, smiling lightly. "Yeah. The classics."

Incidentally, they'd all but forgotten about me until then, and Ruby took it upon herself to bring me back into the conversation at this point. She suddenly turned to me, catching me off-guard. "So, what about you, Cori?"

"Huh?"

"What kind of weapons do _you_ have, huh?" She and Jaune took a step closer. "C'mon, Cori."

"U-Uhhh..." I stammered, trying to think. "I-I..." Looking around, I quickly noticed that no one else was nearby. It was just the three of us in the courtyard now. With a sigh, I gave in to her demands. "Ok, I'll show you." Jaune seemed unphased, but Ruby waited there expectantly. "But, uh, y-you have to close your eyes for a second, alright?"

"Huh?" She tilted her head, puzzled. "Close our eyes? Why? What's wrong?"

"Uhh..." I couldn't let her know. I had to think fast. "I-it's just more of a surprise this way, right?" I scratched my head, chuckling lightly.

"Uhh, I guess?" They seemed to buy it, but they could tell that something was up, I was sure of it.

"L-look, just do it, alright?" Slowly they closed their eyes. I closed my own and took a deep breath. Opening my eyes, I concentrated on my weapon. The familiar crimson glow began to emit from my arm, and my sword flashed before me, shooting out from the palm of my hand. Grasping it firmly, I lifted it to my side. "Okay. You can open your eyes now."

The moment their gazes came to rest on my sword, their eyes, most notably Ruby's, immediately widened. "Whoa!"

"That's awesome!" Jaune walked up beside me, while Ruby ran up to look at my weapon.

"Woooowww!" It was like she was a little kid who'd just seen a shooting star for the first time. Her bright silver eyes sparkling, Ruby was clearly intrigued by my sword. "That's so _cool!"_

"Umm, thanks." I wasn't really expecting this kind of reaction. "It's really nothing special, though."

Ruby turned to me, shocked. "What?! You're kidding, right? It's _your_ weapon, Cori! _You_ made it, so of _course_ it's special!" She could say that with just one look at it? Well, she was right, of course. It was certainly something special. If only she knew how right she was.

"Uhh, y-yeah, ok. But, is it really _that_ special?"

"Well, of _course_ it is!" She flung out her arms in excitement before quickly curling them up to her neck and returning her focus to my weapon, looking like a child. "No matter where you go, you're always going to see new kinds of weapons. Sure, there are some standard-issue weapons out there, but they aren't forged by the people who use them! No two weapons are exactly alike. They're an extension of ourselves. They're a part of who we are, a part of _us_!"

"Wow." Ruby was right. She really _was_ a bit of a dork with weapons. It was still pretty cool, though. She knew even more about my weapon than _I_ did. The way she said it made it feel like my weapon was a part of me. She was right, of course, but not in the way she probably thought. I was beginning to really wonder what the history of my weapon was like._  
_

Ruby kept admiring my sword from every possible angle, absolutely enthralled by it. "It's just so cool! I mean, I've never seen anything like it! It's so unique!" She finally seemed to remember I was there. Turning to face me, she let out a small, embarrassed chuckle, scratching her head and grinning sheepishly. "Uhh, sorry. I guess I got a little carried away there."

"D-don't worry about it." I said, shaking my head. "There's no need to apologize. Really, it's fine."

She quickly returned her attention to my blade. "So, uh, what can it do?"

"Oh!" I held my weapon in both hands, supporting the blade with one hand and grasping the end of the handle in the other. "Well, it's a high-power, high-caliber rifle, as well as a sword." I motioned to the handle. "The handle has three triggers, each one corresponding to one of the barrels in the hilt and cross-guard." I repositioned my hand to point out the triggers as I continued. "These two..." I tapped the upper and lower triggers "...cause it to fire from the left and right barrels, while this one..." I tapped the trigger in the center, "...fires from the barrel at the center of the hilt."

"Oh, man." Jaune finally worked his way into the conversation. "That's incredible!"

I went on, holding my weapon as I normally did and pointing it straight out beside me. "While they're all used for propulsion in some cases, the two barrels on the sides are used primarily to strengthen my swings. The central barrel is the one I usually use for ranged attacks. They all work well, though, if you can properly use them together."

Ruby was practically swooning. "Oh, wow!" She looked up and down the sword once more. "That's just so _cool!_ It's amazing!"

"Not really, Ruby." It was strange how entranced she was. I didn't see anything obviously special about it. Well, not counting the fact that it was like an actual part of my body, of course. But, it's not like I'm just gonna show that off. "I mean, your weapons are pretty cool, too. _Loads_ more interesting than _mine. _I mean, Jaune's has so much history behind it. And it's clear that you take pretty good care of that scythe, too."_  
_

"Oh, stop it!" Jaune waved it off, flattered.

Ruby smiled and laughed a little. "Yeah, I do. It's important to keep it in good shape if I wanna be a Huntress, after all." She turned and walked ahead a bit with Jaune. "So, why'd you help me out back there, in the courtyard?"

Jaune jogged up a bit to meet up with her. "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Friends are just strangers you haven't met yet.'" I took this opportunity to put my weapon away, hiding it behind my back so they wouldn't notice the glow as it absorbed back into my arm. I quickly jogged back up to them, following slightly behind.

"I just thought you could use a hand, really. Plus, I kinda didn't know anyone here, so it was probably the best chance I thought I'd get to make my first friend here."

"Hmm." Ruby looked around briefly. "Hey, where are we going?"

Jaune stopped. "Oh, I don't know." Ruby and I stopped as well. "I was following _you_."

"Over there." I pointed over at a towering archway where many of the other students were gathering. "That must be where the ceremony's being held."

With that, we all headed of to attend the entrance ceremony. It was nice to have made friends with Ruby and Jaune, but especially Ruby. I'd wanted to meet the "girl in red" ever since I saw her run past me in the hall. I didn't say anything about it, of course, as it might imply that I was someone special or something like that. Jaune was great, too, though. They were both easy to talk to, and we seemed to get along really well.

I was starting to look forward to our time together at Beacon.

* * *

**Well, that's the first half of this chapter, guys! Hope you like it. I would've had it up sooner, but I was vacationing with my family in the Bahamas and Florida. As you can probably guess, it didn't really leave me with much time to write. The second half of this chapter will be posted in the next update, so check back every so often to see if it's there. I'm back in college now, so I'm not sure when I'll be posting it, but I'll try to make it soon. **

**I was recently told that Cori seemed like a male recreation of Ruby to someone. I admit, the first chapter did make it look a little like that was the case, but it's not. Cori has an entirely different frame of mind, drive, wardrobe, personality, and fighting style than Ruby, and his backstory, which will come into play in much later chapters, is entirely unique. I can't reveal what that backstory is, for purposes of the story, but I can tell you that it will definitely be included by the ninth chapter (that's _Episode 15: The Stray_ in the actual show, for those of you who didn't know). **

**Also, I have set up a poll on this story. I'm trying to figure out if I should leave Cori as a one-man team or give him an OC partner. I'm leaning more towards the one-man team option, but I want to know what you, the readers, think should happen, before I make my decision. I'd really appreciate the input.**

**A big thanks to the users twilightrusstle, anakedtaco1, shadowknight226, aPOWFUSION, and TigerLily940, for being the first ones to favorite/follow this story. It really means a lot to me to know that there are people out there who like what I'm writing. Thank you.**

**Please remember to rate and review this story, and I'll respond to those reviews at the beginning of each new chapter. Thanks a lot for reading, guys, and look forward to the next half of this chapter in the next update. See you then!**


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RWBY