WinterRose Running (RubyRose x Winter Schnee)

Chapter 1. Welcome To Atlas

The True Beginning

Ruby couldn't believe she had made it. She had made it to Atlas Academy, one of the top four hunter schools in all of Remnant. After submitting a few of her personal designs to the Atlas Mechanics magazine a few months prior, she had received a letter from General Ironwood inviting her to attend the school for both the Hunter and Engineer fields, with a guaranteed position in the military upon graduation. She had just started to make her way towards the front of the academy while trying to make sense of the campus map on her scroll when she ran into a very tall, very regal, white-haired woman. In the process, she caused the luggage cart full of dust to go scattering on the ground, cracking a few bottles.

The woman's face turned into a mean scowl, her ice-blue eyes sharp and almost predatory. "Excuse me! It is typically proper conduct to apologize after knocking someone over."

Ruby snapped her eyes from the scattered bottles to the ice-blue eyes above her. Her own eyes widened at the mean scowl she was met with. With a meek shrug, she looked back to the ground and let out a small mumble.

Eyes getting sharper and even more annoyed, the woman spoke again, "Please speak up, that was hardly audible."

Gaining a small bit of courage, Ruby finally spoke up. "I'm sorry I ran into you, miss. I was just trying to make my way to the entrance hall."

The woman relaxed a small amount and finally stopped scowling. "Apology accepted. Now, do you mind helping me pick these up?"

Using a quick burst of her semblance, Ruby collected, sorted, and packaged the dust back into their luggage containers. Returning to her original place with a frenzy of flying rose petals floating up into the breeze, some landing on both women, she said, "They're all fixed and back where they should be! Oh, by the way, my name is Ruby Rose. Sorry once again for knocking you over. I really didn't mean to!"

After regaining her sense of reality, being taken aback by the level of speed the small woman displayed, the woman proceeded to double-check the dust containers before readdressing Ruby. "My name is Winter Schnee, eldest daughter of the Schnee Dust Company."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Schnee. Would you also happen to be going to the entrance ceremony?" Ruby slightly ducked her head once again in a meek tone, adding, "You also wouldn't happen to know how to get there, would you?"

Winter gained a small grin, finding the smaller woman quite intriguing. "Follow me, Miss Rose, or we may be late, and from what I understand, General Ironwood would be very upset if we do not arrive on time." Spinning around, she started to lead the way to the large amphitheater across the campus, Ruby hot on her heels, trying her best to make it on time.

Time Skip

Upon arriving at the large theater, which from the outside looked like a giant bullhead hangar, they saw many other young students making their way inside. Upon entry to the hangar, they were greeted by a massive stage containing two Atlesian Paladin-290's, around six Knight-200's, and a large white podium with blue lights running along the edges. They proceeded to find good seats almost all the way in front of the stage.

As others started to fill the room, the rumbling of talking students quieted down as a side door to the stage opened, with General Ironwood making his way towards the podium. Taking an authoritative stance, he gave those within the auditorium a once-over before clearing his throat and beginning his welcoming speech.

"Welcome, students and new faculty. I'm sure many of you know who I am, but for those of you who do not, my name is James Ironwood. I am your headmaster here at Atlas Academy, and I am happy to have every single one of you here today. Unlike other huntsman and huntress schools, you will not be partaking in an entrance exam today. As most of you are aware, you have been hand-selected by the faculty and myself, whether it be for your skills as a huntsman or your bright minds as our future engineers and scientists.

You all have the ability to become the next brilliant minds of Atlas, and this academy plans to provide you with all the materials necessary for you to do so. The only thing not provided is whether you have the mental capability to push yourself towards the end goal we here at Atlas hope you strive to achieve.

Due to our unique method of enrollment, your partners have already been selected for you as the best possible match. After careful analysis of your semblances, skills, demeanor, and knowledge levels, your information was cross-referenced with all other students until we achieved the best success rates in our simulations. You should be receiving a message containing your dorm number and partner assignment."

Both women opened their scrolls and read their messages before looking at one another. Ruby stuck out her hand, meeting Winter's eyes, and with a low whisper, said, "Well, I guess it's nice to meet you, partner." The white-haired woman responded in kind, "Well met. I believe this means we will be together for the next four years."

Ironwood began to speak once again. "I look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Now, I'm sure your trip here was quite long for many of you, so I will cut this speech short. I hope to see you bloom into true Huntsmen and Huntresses. Now please make your way to your new dormitories and get to know your partners better. Classes will begin in three days."

Ruby and Winter stood up and made their way out of the amphitheater and to the dormitories, locating their dorm room on the third floor. Once inside, both girls got to work unpacking their clothing and items, claiming their respective sides of the room. Winter unpacked her dust vials and crystals, organizing them within her personal weapon cabinet and storing her textbooks on her bookshelf. Ruby pulled out her toolbox and weapon maintenance kit, setting them up on her desk and setting up a rack to store her blueprints in.

Winter decided to strike up a conversation with her awkward teammate. "Since we will be working together for the foreseeable future, should we showcase our weapons and describe our abilities to one another?"

Ruby glanced up from the rack she was constructing with excitement. "Absolutely! I would never pass up a chance to ogle another person's weapon! Plus, I don't even know what semblance you have!"

Winter unsheathed her sword from her hip, holding it out in front of herself. "This is my sword. It's a single-edge curved blade that has an internal smaller blade that can become detached when you pull this switch. Both handles can hold dust cartridges to assist with dust casting. My semblance is a hereditary one passed through the women of my family called Glyphs that have varying effects from time dilation all the way up to summoning, depending on the level of training you have received."

Ruby was bouncing in her seat like a child in a candy store, listening to Winter speak until she couldn't take it anymore, squealing at the top of her lungs, "THAT IS SO COOL! What kind of materials is it made of? Can you make me a Beowulf puppy? Can you—" Before she could ask another question, Winter had covered her mouth, eliciting a little "hmp" sound. "One question at a time, and high-carbon steel. No, I will not make you a Beowulf puppy."

After asking an ungodly amount of questions, Ruby finally got around to herself, pulling out her weapon in its compact form before unfolding it in a quick twirl, making Winter's eyes bulge at the size of the weapon. "This is my baby, Crescent Rose. She is both a war scythe and a high-impact sniper rifle, and I made her all by myself! My semblance is called Petal Burst. It's a speed semblance that lets me go really fast. I mean, I can't really show you without being outside, but I'm like, really fast." After folding away her weapon, Ruby looked towards Winter. "I have to admit, I was not expecting you to have such a large weapon. But I can see many combinations we can come up with in the future to combine our fighting styles."

After all the excitement had settled down, both girls finished unpacking and laid down to go to sleep for the night. "Goodnight Winter." "Goodnight Ruby."

Author's notes: Thank you so much for reading the first official chapter! I am making this entirely for fun, so sorry if there are any pacing or spelling mistakes. I am working on this solo and have no one to beta read before posting, and most of this is getting created between 12-3 am lol. I'll try and update as much as I can, but I'm really not consistent, to be honest with you guys and myself.