Ravensdagger_Princess

Chapter Thirty-Five

Beacon was really pretty from the air. In a city like Vale, where the walls drew hard lines on where one could and couldn’t build, it was normal that as soon as space ran out, room for new buildings was at a premium.Vale was, in essence, rather cramped.They made up for it with nice decor and well lit roads, but it was still a city that didn’t have room to expand.Beacon, on the other hand, had an entire plateau to itself, and it showed. The front lawns were long trenches with grass and flowers and trees all in neat, orderly rows, little stone-paved passages running through them.The buildings themselves had a sort of whimsical, fantasy feel to them, all high arches and white walls that glimmered in the noonday sun. Wide, inviting doors lead into the school proper, the passages almost all used by students talking or walking or play fighting in a display of youthful eagerness that had Akelarre aching to join in.Their Bullhead, one of the commercial sorts that taxied people around for a fee, landed without so much as a bump, the pilot’s bored expression changing not one whit as he turned to look at his two passengers. “We’ve arrived,” he said with the tone of someone being paid too little for his work.“I noticed,” Akelarre said before opening the craft’s door and hopping out. She extended at hand to Penny who had to be careful not to let her trench coat trail too far behind her as she disembarked.“This is very exciting,” Penny said as she took in the school. At Akelarre’s behest, she had tucked her pipe into one pocket and folded up her hat in the other, so her hair was free to whip in the wind as they moved away from the Bullhead and towards the school proper.“It is,” Akelarre said. “So, I have that latter to deliver, but I kind of want to meet my friends first.”Penny nodded eagerly. “This is an acceptable detour. Friends are good.”“They are,” Akelarre agreed. “I think you’ll love Ruby. She’s very sweet, and looks to be about your age, I’d guess.”“I doubt that,” Penny muttered.“And there’s Velvet. She’s super nice. But a bit shy, so try not to come on too strong around her, okay?”“I understand,” Penny replied.Grinning, Akelarre started moving towards the school proper, her hood up and her new jacket snug around her waist. She waved at a few students, all of them in their burgundy uniforms who stared at her and Penny with open curiosity. Some even waved back.“I can see why Ruby likes it here,” Akelarre said. “The people seem really nice, for people who spend their lives training to kill Grimm.”“I have never been to school before,” Penny commented idly.Akelarre almost missed her next step. “You haven’t? But, uh, you do know how to read and write and about history and math, yeah?”“I do!” Penny said.“Okay, good,” Akelarre said. She didn’t try to hide the fact that she didn’t really think it was all that good, and Penny didn’t try to catch on either. “I don’t actually know my way around the school,” Akelarre said. “We’ll have to find someone and ask for directions.”“What about her?” Penny said as she pointed off to one side. “Her hair is similar to mine and she looks friendly.”The girl Penny was pointing at was superficially quite similar to Penny. Short, red hair, green eyes. Dress Penny in the Beacon uniform, and Akelarre figured they could pass as siblings. The redhead was gesturing wildly as she spoke, another mannerism that would wouldn’t be out of place with Penny. Her teammates, or at least three people that seemed willing to endure her enthusiasm, were sitting on some benches off to one side, soaking in the sunlight as it filtered through the branches of a tree.Before Akelarre had time to really come to a decision, Penny was off towards the ground, one arm raised and waving above her head. “Salutations, potential friends and hug partners. I am Penny and this is my best friend Akelarre. We are searching for other friends.”“Hi!” the redhead said before imitating Penny’s wave. Even the other-other redhead, a very pretty woman sitting next to a blonde boy, gave a bit of a wave in return.Akelarre was beginning to think that there were maybe too many redheads around.“I’m Nora, this is team Juniper!” the first redhead said as she pointed to her teammates. “That’s Jaune. He’s single and ready to mingle. That’s Pyrrha, she’s also single and mingleable. And that’s Ren. Touch him and die.”“What Nora means,” the boy she called Ren said as he laid a hand on her shoulder and looked at them with eyes as filled with as much excitement as a cow’s after a heavy meal, “Is that we’re team JNPR, and we’re pleased to meet you. You said you were looking for someone?”“You seem to disagree with potential-friend Nora. Does this mean I can touch you?” Penny asked.Ren blinked slowly. “I would rather you didn’t.”“Not even hugs?” Penny asked as she tilted her head to one side. “I never got a hug from a boy before. Are they more special? Do you want to be my first boyfriend?”Nora’s genuine, happy smile started to take on a distinctly sharp look.Akelarre sighed and stepped up between Penny and the team. “Sorry, Penny just really likes hugs. Actually, we’re looking for either Velvet Scarlatina or team RWBY.”“Velvet... she’s in team CFVY, yeah?” the blond boy asked. “I don’t know where she is, sorry. But team RWBY is probably training right now. That’s what they do when classes are over. Well, that or argue.”“That sounds like them,” Akelarre admitted. “Any idea where I can find them?”Jaune shrugged. “Their room is down that hallway, then to the right and up the stairs to the third floor. It’s the one with the big sign on the door that says ‘Do Not Disturb.’”Akelarre nodded along to the directions. Her bugs had already found the room. It was easy enough to track Ruby’s scent through the halls of Beacon and it was especially concentrated around Ruby’s room which was in a state of disarray that made her own room look perfectly respectable in comparison. “Thank you. I appreciate the help,” she said. “Penny did you want to come, or did you want to stay?”This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.Penny considered the question for a moment. “I will remain with you, friend Akelarre. Girlfriends should stick together.”“Um,” Akelarre said. She turned to team JNPR to find that Jaune was blushing, Pyrrha had a hand clamped over her mouth and Nora looked lost. Ren, on the other hand, seemed completely unruffled. “Right, we can talk about that on the way there.”

* * *

Blake was... Blake wasn’t sure. On the one hand, her secret was out and her team seemed perfectly okay with it. Even Weiss, who she thought would have the biggest problems with her Faunus heritage was taking it in stride. The Schnee heiress was more worried about Blake’s family name than her cat ears.On the other hand her team didn’t know of her ties to the White Fang, ties that she hadn’t really broken. Ties that could come around to bite her at any moment. Ties that lead her to know who, exactly, Akelarre was.She shuddered at the memory of the girl they had met at that club just a few days ago. She had been all smiles and good cheer, the very image of a friendly young woman meeting new people. It was a perfect disguise for the killer that she was underneath, for the monster in the skin of an innocent girl.And that act had caught Ruby hook line and sinker.“You okay, Blake?” Ruby asked, her wide silver-y eyes staring at her like a puppy looking up to someone that had a raw steak stapled to her forehead. “Are you cold? Is it because your tummy is exposed?”Blake rolled her eyes. “I’m fine,” she said.Ruby hopped ahead of her and started walking backwards. “Are you sure?” she asked again. “I don’t want you getting a cold. Do Faunus get special colds?”Weiss snorted. “Faunus are biologically similar to humans, Ruby, they won’t get any illnesses that you won’t. You really ought to research Faunus biology a little if you’re going to have one as a teammate.”Yang tilted her head to one side, long cascades of blonde hair tumbling around. “I thought some Faunus needed, like, vets to care for their animal bits.”Shaking her head, Weiss raised one hand with her index pointing at the ceiling. “First off, Faunus specialist doctors are a thing. Second, do you have any idea how racist you sound when you imply that they have to go to a vet for medical care?”Blake didn’t trip over her own feet, but it was a near thing. She gave Weiss a look. The kind of look her mother gave people to cow them into submission. The kind of look that had made Sienna Kahn pause for a moment and rethink what she was saying.“What?” Weiss said, sounding rather defensive as the look persisted.“Your family runs the SDC. You enslave Faunus and make them work to death in mines surrounded by Grimm. Accusing others of racism is.. I don’t know if irony is the right word here.”Weiss’ chest puffed out. It was not an impressive display. “We don’t enslave anyone. They’re paid reasonable wages.”“They’re paid in company scrip. It’s worthless.” Blake’s eyes narrowed. “And you wonder why your family is so hated by the Faunus.”Weiss had the decency to blush and look away. “I don’t like it any more than you do,” she said. “But I can’t change it, not until I’m in control of the damned company.”Blake hummed to herself and turned away from Weiss. Unfortunately that brought her line of sight onto Ruby who had jacked up her puppy dog eyes to eleven. “Please don’t fight,” she begged.“W-we’re not fighting,” Blake denied.“Don’t be silly, Ruby, we were only-” Weiss cut off as she turned and was caught in the radius of Ruby’s look. “Were only discussing the future of our respective families.”“You know, maybe I could help?” Ruby said. “I’m sure we could help all those poor Faunus, and if the Grimm stop hurting the SDC they could hire people properly.”“And how, exactly, do you intend to pull the Grimm away from distant mining sites?” Weiss asked. “It’s difficult enough to keep huntsmen around to clear out the occasional migration, I can’t imagine how you would clear them away.”“I could ask Akelarre,” Ruby said.Weiss snorted. “I don’t know what kind of trick or illusion that girl showed you Ruby, but she does not control the Grimm, no one does.”Blake and Yang shared a glance but neither wanted to pop the heiress’ bubble just yet.“Akelarre isn’t a tricky person. She’s really nice. And she’s my best friend. So there.” Ruby crossed her arms and stomped a little for a few steps.“Hey, what about me?” Yang shot back.“You’re my sister, it’s not the same.”“Yes it is!” Yang was quick to defend.Sensing that things were going to escalate, Blake picked up the pace. They were almost at their dorms. The siblings would be just as loud, if not louder in their rooms, but at least Blake would be able to tuck herself into a pile of blankets and read a bit while they fought.“She gives better hugs than you,” Ruby said.Yang’s crestfallen expression had both Weiss and Blake rolling their eyes in synch. Blake was the first to arrive at their dorm, picking up the pace considerably when Yang gestured towards her chest and said, “Did you see these girls? They’re made for hugging.”Flashing her scroll across the door handle, Blake unlocked the door, pulled it open and stepped in.She froze.A girl was sitting on Yang’s bed, legs kicking out to an unknown rhythm while her arms were stretched out above her to hold out a book. A book with an orange cover. She looked up, hood falling back and onto the bed to reveal terribly familiar red eyes that bored into Blake. “Hi. This is your book, right? It smells like you.”Blake took a step back and closed the door. “Hey guys, let’s... let’s go somewhere else,” she said. In the back of her mind she wondered if her mom would let her have her old room back on Menagerie.

Chapter Thirty-Six

“Akelarre!” Ruby said as she saw her best friend laying down on Yang’s bed. She stepped over Blake, who for some reason decided to flop onto the ground right by the doorway, and used her semblance to shoot across the bedroom and into the air above Akelarre.She saw Akelarre’s eyes widen a second before she crashed down on her with a glomping tackle. Akelarre’s breath left her in a cough, but she was quick to start laughing and poked Ruby in the ribs to get her off. “Hi Ruby!”“What are you doing here?” Ruby asked as she rolled over to sit on her knees atop Yang’s pillows. It was then that she noticed the other girl in the room, a short redhead with bright green eyes who was staring at her and Akelarre while writing down something in a notepad. She was sitting at their desk the same way Weiss sat, with her back straight as a board and legs out just-so.Akelarre sat up too and waved at the rest of team RWBY. Yang waved back, though she had a hard time since she was busy lifting Blake in a bridal carry to deposit her on Weiss’ bed. She huffed before turning a pouting glare on Akelarre “How’d you get in our rooms?”Akelarre raised both hands in surrender, but her smile never wavered. “Peace. I just unlocked the door from inside. I didn’t want to be stuck waiting in the hallway for you guys to arrive. Also, are they okay?” She pointed at Blake, who was still napping, and then at Weiss who was rocking back and forth on her heels in the doorway.Yang pressed a hand on each temple, then gave up on that and pulled Weiss into the dorm room and shut the door.It was growing a little cramped, what with six girls in one small-ish room.Ruby felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on her again, and just when she was starting to have fun. “Give me a minute, then you can present us to your new buddy,” she told Akelarre before hopping off the bed.With a few steps she found herself between Weiss and the rest of the room, then she grabbed her friend by the shoulders and slowly turned her around so that Weiss was facing the door and away from all the others. “Weiss, are you okay?” Ruby asked.“She’s real?” Weiss said.“Yes Weiss, she’s real,” Ruby said. “She’s also super friendly and nice and she won’t eat anyone. Right Akelarre?”“No eating nice people,” Akelarre said while giving them a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, Weiss, I love making new friends.”The redhead at the desk took more notes, the scribble-scribble of her pen the only noise in the room for a while. “Okay,” Weiss finally said. “But I want a full accounting when this is done. Whatever this is.”“Sure,” Ruby said easily. She turned back towards the others and saw that Blake was sitting back up with Yang’s hand holding up up and rubbing circles into her back. “Is Blake okay?”“I’m fine,” Blake said.“Is it because I touched your books?” Akelarre asked. She raised one of Blake’s books from off the bed. “I’m sorry about that. I was just curious about why they were hidden so well.” A touch of pink appeared on Akelarre’s cheeks. “I, I think I know why now, though.” She put the book back down.“Just, just don’t hurt the books, okay?” Blake said.“I would never,” Akelarre reassured her.“Okay! We’re all friends again!” Ruby cheered.Akelarre laughed along with her and the tension in the room bled out a little. Then Akelarre snapped her fingers as if remembering something and pointed to the quiet redhead. “I almost forgot! Everyone, this is Penny Polendina. I met her today. She’s a friend.”Penny stood up in a flash, then bowed at the waist. “Salutations!”“Hi!” Ruby said as she gave the girl a warm smile. Learning that Akelarre had a bunch of friends who weren’t Ruby didn’t hurt. Not at all. “Any friend of Akelarre is a friend of mine,” she said.Penny stood back up and raised her hands, then lowered them. She looked for a moment like she was completely lost for words. “So many friends. So much hugging.”Akelarre snorted and patted the bed next to her. Ruby started to move, but then Penny beat her to it and sat down primly next to Akelarre. “So, what’s going on with team RWBY this week?” Akelarre asked.Ruby didn’t glare at Penny because Penny looked like a nice girl. Instead she walked over to Weiss’ bed and sat down next to Blake. “Not too much. Oh, well, Yang and Weiss were put in charge of the Beacon Dance.”“You guys have dances?” Akelarre asked. “That’s neat. Did you all find dates yet? You shouldn’t have any trouble since you’re all very pretty.”As one, every member of team RWBY found something interesting to stare at, like the floor, or the ceiling, or their own knees.“Ah,” Akelarre said. “Sorry?”Yang snorted and waved it off. “Nah, it’s cool. Weiss and I are busy organizing, Blake is a Princess and that means she can’t just go out with anybody and Ruby is, uh, well, she’s my little Ruby.”Ruby might have been reluctant to glare at Penny, but she had no such restraint against glaring at her silly big sister. “A-actually, Akelarre,” she said. “I, I was wondering if, maybe, if you’re around, and aren’t too busy, if you’d maybesortawannagowithme?”“Sure!”A bubble of giddy giddiness bust in Ruby’s tummy and she felt herself smiling until her cheeks-which were rather warm-started to strain. “Awesome!”“Ruby!” Yang protested. She was really red. Redder than Ruby had ever seen Yang go. Even redder than that time Yang and dad had had a talk about hiding her toys so that Ruby couldn't find them. Which Yang must have listened to because she spent a long time looking and never found any toys in Yang’s room.“What?” Ruby said, and she didn’t even sound petulant at all, not even when Blake and Weiss and even Penny gave her considering looks. “You’re just jealous that I get to go to the dance with a real life princess.”“I’m not jealous,” Yang said. “I’m, I’m... very proud that you, uh, asked someone out, like that.” Yang seemed to be at a bit of a loss for words.“You’re totally jealous,” Ruby said, her blush was fading, replaced by the routine of years of sisterly banter.“No I’m not,” Yang said.“Uh huh,” Ruby said right back. “You’re jealous cause I was brave enough to ask someone out and she’s a princess on top of that.”Yang continued to go red until her ears were burning up too. Weiss winced in sympathy and even Blake patted her sister on the shoulder in a show of support.Ruby One, Yang nil.“I could totally ask someone out!” Yang shouted right back as she jumped to her feet, fists balled by her side.Akelarre and Penny were watching the show with avid interest, like pedestrians looking up to see two bullheads ram into each other.“So, ask someone then,” Ruby challenged. “I did, and she said yes. I bet we’re going to have tons of fun together, and we’ll dance, and, and we’ll...” Ruby started to feel lightheaded again.“Will you engage in recreational hugging?” Penny asked.“Yes. That.”“Fascinating,” Penny said.“Fine then!” Yang said, her voice just shy of a shout. She turned, finger pointing right at Blake who leaned back and away from the assauling index. “Blake, we’re going to the dance together.”Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.Blake blinked. “What.”Ruby huffed and jumped to her feet. It was her turn to be indignant. “That’s not how you’re supposed to ask,” she said.“Yes it is,” Yang said.“Nu-huh.” Ruby shook her head for emphasis. For once she was the sister with more experience. Sorta. “You’re supposed to tell her that you really like her, and that she’s a good friend, and that you want to have a fun night together.”“And engage in recreational hugging,” Penny added.Ruby nodded. “And that.”Yang sputtered for a moment. “You didn’t say anything like that to her!” she said, finger swinging around in a long arc to point at Akelarre.“It was implied!”Yang’s entire body shook. “Okay, fine.” Stomping her foot, she turned to face Blake head on.“Please no,” Blake said.“Blake, you’re my partner, and my best friend. An even better friend that my annoying brat of a little sister. Would you-would you do me the honours of going out to the dance with me?”“No.”“There!” Yang said as she turned to face Ruby, arms crossed over her chest and head held high. “I asked and she said yes. I get to go with a princess too.”“I said no?” Blake added.“Fine then,” Ruby said.“Yeah,” Yang replied.Penny raised a hand in the air like a little schoolgirl. It was a small motion, but somehow everyone in the room was focused on her within seconds. “What about myself and Potential-Friend Schnee?” Penny asked.Akelarre hummed, looking between Penny and Weiss. It only took one look for Ruby to get the same idea. She turned to Yang, then gestured with a nod towards Penny, then towards Weiss and got an approving nod from Yang.Blake just sighed. “Keep me out of this one,” she said.“Keep you out of what?” Weiss asked. “Why are you all giving each other looks?” Ruby saw the moment she caught on, her head whipping around to stare at Penny, then at the rest of the girls. “No, no, I’m okay. It’s better that I go alone. After all it wouldn’t do for someone of my family to... wait, no, that’s rude. I mean, I think I’ll be too busy to properly enjoy the dance with someone.”“What does she mean about someone from her family?” Penny asked Akelarre.Even Ruby covered her face with her hand.Akelarre hummed. “It’s because she’s from a very rich family. I think it would reflect poorly on them if she went to the dance with just anyone.”“Ah,” Penny said. She turned towards Weiss. “My uncle is James Ironwood. General of Atlas. Does that make me eligible for hugging and dancing?”“Your... your uncle is Ironwood,” Weiss said. She sounded a little faint.“He is. He said so himself,” Penny confirmed. “We are very close.”“And if I say no, you’ll be reporting it to him, of course,” she added.“I tell the general everything, yes,” Penny said.Weiss bent forwards, face falling into her open palms as she muttered to herself. None of the words Ruby caught were very nice. “Fine. I suppose I shall be going to the dance with you. But don’t get any ideas.”“Spectacular!” Penny enthused.“So, we all have dates?” Akelarre asked. “That’s great! Ah, but it’s getting a little late.” She nodded toward their window where the setting sun was starting to dip behind the trees of the Emerald forest. “I kind of have to go.”“Already?” Ruby asked.Akelarre shrugged one shoulder in a ‘what can you do’ sort of way. “Sorry. But I didn’t come here just to see you guys. I do have some things to take care of. But I’ll see you guys soon, yeah? If not, well, there’s always the dance!”

* * *

Akelarre felt like humming as she left team RWBY’s rooms, so she did. A happy little toneless song that went well with her skipping steps. Penny followed after her, staring and taking notes on her little notepad as she kept pace with her.“That was very amusing,” Penny said as Akelarre lead them out of the dorms and towards the front offices.“It was! Are you happy you made new friends?” Akelarre asked.“I am,” Penny said. “I cannot wait to tell uncle Ironwood and dad about new friends Ruby, Yang, and Blake.”“What about Weiss?” Akelarre asked. She couldn’t help but indulge in a little gossip gathering. Penny and Weiss looked like they would make a cute couple. Penny was very down to earth, or was that Remnant, and Weiss had a whole lot of drive. Plus they were both short and that somehow pleased Akelarre’s sense of aesthetics.“Girlfriend Weiss seems very nice. I will research her properly before our date at the Beacon Dance. I will be sure to pleasure her thoroughly.”Akelarre felt some warmth climbing to her cheeks but dismissed it as they reached the main lobby and followed a sign into an elevator that lead to the headmaster’s office. “You can take your time, Penny. You wouldn’t want to push her too quickly. That would be... Rude.”“I will acquire her consent,” Penny said.“That’s... wonderful.”The elevator doors dinged as they opened and both girls found themselves in an opulent office space. It was long and wide, with a huge window taking up the entire outside wall and revealing a picturesque view of Beacon, the cliffs over the Emerald forest and a large part of Vale proper in the distance.A majestic wooden desk covered in papers took up the far end of the room, behind which a man in a green jacket sat with a cup of something halfway to his lips. His eyes widened behind round spectacles as Akelarre walked into the office and crossed it until she was standing over his desk.She reached up and pulled back her hood to reveal her widest, most happy smile. “Hi! You’re Ozpin, right?” she asked.The man didn’t answer for a few long seconds, but fortunately Penny was there to help her. “His biometrics match that of Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon,” she said.“Brilliant!” Akelarre reached into her cool new jacket and pulled out the letter Salem had entrusted her with. She placed it on the desk next to an unfolded blueprint. “This is from my mom, Salem, the Queen of the Grimm, ruler of Remnant, and all those other titles that I can’t remember.”“What?”She nodded, her job done and was about to turn away when she noticed the name on the top corner of the blueprint. “Oh, hey, that’s the hotel I rented for tomorrow’s meeting.” She eyed the other papers, schedules for employees, the names of some of the people she had invited, what looked like the rough outlines for infiltration and extraction plans. “I’m sorry, Mister Ozma, but you do know that you’re not invited, right?” She looked him in the eyes, smile still firmly in place. “It would be a real shame to have something I worked so hard to plan interrupted. No one likes surprises.” She smiled grew a little toothier. “On that note. I’ll be seeing you.”She walked back into the elevator and pressed the button to go back to the first floor.Ozpin was still holding his mug up in the same position he had when she entered the room as the elevator doors shut. “So, Penny, did you want me to drop you off at your place, or would you rather have a sleepover at The Club?”