Chapter 6: Get Ready
Ruby, Ryder and Jaune took the time to talk to each other. Ruby apologized for calling him vomit boy. They then got into the talk of Weapons. Ruby showed off her weapon and Jaune was shocked by it. However, Jaune was impressed with Ryder's weapon. They were also lost but eventually found the Academy's auditorium which was massive. Ryder took note that it almost looked like an arena for fighting. He was really prepared for anything but couldn't be prepared in unfamiliar territory. It's how he always was and he hates it. He is broken from his thoughts as a familiar voice calls out to him and Ruby.
"Ruby! Ryder! Over here! I saved us a spot!" Yang calls out.
Ruby turns to Jaune.
"Oh, hey, I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony! Come on Ryder." Ruby said before she and Ryder walk off. Leaving Jaune all alone.
"Hey, wait!" he sighs. "Ah great, now where am I supposed to find another nice pair of people to talk to?" Jaune complained.
Ruby and Ryder walk over and meet up with Yang. Ruby didn't look happy and Ryder knew why. Their whole issue with Weiss Schnee.
"So how's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asks.
"You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?" Ruby asks, a little angry.
"Yikes! Meltdown already?" Yang asks.
"No, she literally exploded." Ryder said. "Well technically she sneezed and that caused the explosion so by technicality she didn't explode her sneeze did."
Yang and Ruby just looked at him with wide eyes. They both blinked in sync. Noticing their reaction, Ryder blushes in embarrassment.
"Anyway, this is a joke, right?" Yang asks.
"I Wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, then at Ryder, and then I exploded and then she yelled some more and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling!" Ruby explains quickly.
Meanwhile, behind her was said crabby girl just listening to her ramble on. She stood behind Ruby and Ryder noticed at the last minute.
"You!" Weiss said.
Startled, Ruby leaps up and into Ryder's arms. Ryder holds her up pretty easily.
"Oh no, it's happening again!" Ruby cried out.
"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss said, angrily.
"We were meters away from the nearest cliff." Ryder said in a monotone.
"I was exaggerating, you dolt!" Weiss retorts.
Yang looked at Ruby surprised.
"Oh my gosh you actually exploded." Yang said, now believing her.
"It was an accident." Ruby said.
Ryder put Ruby down and the silver-eyed girl turns to face Weiss to apologize.
"It was an accident!" she repeats.
Weiss then pulled out a pamphlet and held it up to both Ruby and Ryder. It was titled "DUST for dummies and other inadequate individuals". Ryder snorts a little as he found it humorous due to the drawing on the cover which was a confused person holding a dust crystal. It almost looked like a stickman.
"What's this?" Ruby asks.
"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for ay injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages its customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy-to-follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field." Weiss explains.
"So basically, a how to guide for newbies?" Ryder asks.
"Precisely." Weiss answered.
Ruby was still a little confused but understood Ryder's simplified explanation.
"You really wanna start making things up to me?" Weiss asks.
"Absolutely." Ruby said.
Weiss then hands Ruby the pamphlet.
"Read this and don't ever speak to me again." Weiss said, harshly.
Ryder rolls his eyes at Weiss. The girl definitely notices this and glared at him. Yang decides to attempt to defuse the situation as she can tell it isn't desirable.
"Look, uh it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang asks.
"Yeah! Great idea sis!" Ruby said, agreeing.
She put away the pamphlet before holding her hand out to Weiss while clearing her throat.
"Hello, Weiss. I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies." she said.
"A for effort." Ryder commented.
Yang smacked him with her elbow to his side for that comment. Weiss decides to just humor Ruby despite not liking her.
"Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys like tall, blond and scraggly over there!" Weiss said, before pointing in Jaune's direction.
The oblivious Jaune heard this and looked over.
"Wow really!?" Ruby asks.
Weiss just gave her a glare while giving silence for a moment.
"No."
The group's attention is snatched by the sound of a microphone turning on. On the stage in the large building stood the Academy's Headmaster, Professor Ozpin. He wore a black suit with a green vest shirt and a black tie. He also sported silver hair and a cane. Though it didn't appear he really needed the cane.
"I'll keep this brief." he starts. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But i look amongst you and all i see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin said.
After he gave that short speech, Ozpin leaves and Glynda steps up to fill his place.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." Glynda informs.
With that, Glynda leaves. All of the students had varying reactions.
"He seemed kind of... off." Yang comments.
"That was cryptic." Ryder mumbles.
"It's almost like he wasn't even there." Ruby adds.
Jaune then walked over and talked mainly to Weiss who looked at him.
"I'm a natural blond you know." he said.
Weiss sighs while putting her hand on her face in exasperation while Ryder facepalms.
[Later]
The Ballroom of Beacon was full of students each with different sleeping bags. Ryder was off in a corner of the room with his sleeping bag in a set of pajamas. Ryder's weapon was in the lockers that each student was assigned to prior to being put into the Ballroom. He was worried about some of the students. He has trust issues .He still does, but with Yang and Ruby, that shell has been significantly cracked. He really appreciates the friendship he has with those two. He always struggled to make and keep friends, so having met them was a blessing. As he sits down, he pulls out his journal and begins writing down some ideas for future stories. Yeah, he still is going to write stories even while becoming a Huntsmen. Who knows, maybe his stories will become popular here on Remnant. But as he writes away, someone walks over.
"Is it alright if I place this here?" a voice asked.
Ryder looked up from his journal to see a girl with red hair and green eyes in orange pajamas. She was holding a sleeping bag and he kinda guessed what she was asking. He figured there was nowhere else.
"Sure, I don't mind." Ryder said.
The girl smiled, a thankful smile. She places her sleeping bag down and sits down on it before she notices what he's doing.
"Taking notes?" she asks.
"Yeah, you could say that. I'm just writing down some ideas for a story I'm working on." Ryder answered.
"You're an author?"
"Not yet. But I plan to be. I mainly plan to do this as a side job to being a Huntsmen." Ryder said.
"Well I'd say that's a good way to spend your time." she said.
"Thanks."
Not many people knew of his fascination for writing stories. He always kept it a secret because he thought people would just laugh at him. He was always self-aware of these things and was always nervous about talking about them to other people. But he's thankful he met someone like Yang and Ruby. Those two really brought him out of his shell, and this new girl seems to be nice. He then realizes something, he never asked her name.
"Oh, where are my manners." Said Ryder before holding out his hand. "I'm Ryder, Ryder Falcone."
The girl shakes his hand and gives a welcoming smile.
"Pyrrha Nikos." said Pyrrha. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ryder."
"You too." he said. "So, what do you do in your free time? Since you asked me what I did, well you didn't really ask."
Pyrrha lightly chuckles at Ryder's comment.
"Well, if you want to know. I participated in fighting tournaments back home." she said.
"Really?" he asks.
"Yep. I'm honestly surprised you didn't freak out." she said.
"Why? Are you famous?" Ryder asks, completely oblivious.
"You could say that." Pyrrha said. "I'm known as the Invincible Girl by the public."
"Wow, quite the title you have, Pyrrha. Wish I had a cool title." Ryder said, mumbling the last part to himself.
"Thank you, and I'd imagine you'll get a title one of these days." she said, kindly.
"Wait you heard that part?"
Pyrrha chuckles to herself.