Smile-RWBY One Shots

The Elm and the Vine: Academy Days

Elm Ederne laced up her combat boots before doing some crunches to hype herself up. Despite her calm, cool, and collected facade on the outside, inside she was panicking. Today, her team of Atlas Academy third years would be facing off against a team of fourth years, a team that was said to be the best in the whole school. And if that wasn't enough, this match would be observed by their teachers, classmates, and the school's headmaster who also happened to be the general of the Atlas military. General Ironwood was coming to watch so he could scope out the students and see if any of them had what it took to make it in the military. Oh sure most graduates of Atlas Academy went on to join the military anyway but they mostly ended up as foot soldiers or guards for the various Atlesian military bases set up around Remnant. If the general liked you then it could mean a job at the very top. That's what Elm wanted more then anything, to be an operative and work at the general's right hand. There also weren't many high ranking officers that were female, so the young third year was hoping to change that as well.

She then heard her team leader call out her name signaling that it was go time. Elm followed her teammates down the hall and out to the arena, where the other team was already waiting. While three of the members of the opposing team were unfamiliar to Elm the fourth was at least someone that she sort of knew. If she remembered correctly his name was Vine Zeki and he had already been picked by the general for some new team or something like that.

No time to think about that though as their professor told them to get into position. Once the fight began Elm, as usual, headed toward the back to provide cover for her teammates that were much better at hand to hand combat then she was. She switched her trusty weapon, Timber, into its rocket launcher mode and was about to engage her semblance when something reached out and grabbed her and threw her halfway across the room. Elm mentally swore as she hit the floor and her aura crackled. She had completely forgotten to take into account Vine's semblance which allowed him to extend his limbs like, well, vines.

The brunette slowly sat up after a few seconds and casually looked over at the spectators. But what she saw made her blood run cold. General Ironwood was giving her a disappointed look and was getting up to leave. Elm slammed her fist on the ground in anger, that could've been her only shot to impress him and she blew it.

The fight continued on after that and surprisingly while the fourth year team did win it was by the skin of their teeth.

After class was lunch period but Elm was too upset to eat anything. Instead, she opted to take a walk outside to clear her head. As she walked she became increasingly more aware that someone was following her. She whipped around to see Vine standing only a few paces behind her.

"What do you want?!" She snapped.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok. And to apologize for what happened earlier," Vine said with his hands clasped in front of him.

Elm scoffed and crossed her arms before staring down at her boots.

"Do you think there's anyway I can make it up to you?" He then asked.

Elm still didn't look at him but she decided to answer anyway, "how?"

The older student led her to the airfield where a couple of airships were waiting.

"These ships are only really used for pilots to practice their flying as opposed to actual combat," Vine explained.

"So what does that have to do with me?" Elm asked

Vine took her hand and led her onto the ship, "why don't we take the ship for a test flight? If you wanna be an operative you need to know how to pilot one of these things."

The young woman was unsure but let the other student explain the controls to her. Soon enough, they had gotten the airship into the sky and Elm was standing behind the steering wheel, piloting it. They hit a couple of rough patches of air which caused the huntress in training to stumble a bit but Vine made sure to hold onto her shoulder with one hand and use the other to help guide her through the shifting air currents.

After about an hour they landed and got ready to head back to class. But as they disembarked the airship they found that General Ironwood was standing right outside waiting for them. Both students blanched.

"General Ironwood! Sir I-"

But the general held up a hand cutting Vine off, "No excuses Zeki. I just want to know why you two took an airship without permission."

Vine opened his mouth to answer, but once again he was cut off, this time by Elm.

"It was my fault sir. I was upset about my team's loss this morning and Vine was just trying to cheer me up."

The general stared at her for a moment, "Miss Ederne correct?"

Elm nodded, "yes sir. Elm Ederne."

"Well Elm I must say if you can fight as well as you can pilot an airship then I see a promising career in your future."

The brunette's eyes widened.

"Now then you should head back to class. And Mr. Zeki come with me, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Yes sir," the two students said in unison before going their separate ways. Vine following Ironwood and Elm heading back to the academy.

Later that day Elm returned to her dorm and found her teammates all staring at her as she walked in. They all were wearing identical smirky grins.

"What?" She asked.

Her team leader, Robyn, pulled out her scroll and showed Elm the screen. Someone had taken a picture of Vine and her in the airship and sent it to everyone at school.

"So you and Zeki huh?" Her teammate Joanna teased.

"As if," Elm scoffed before going to sit on her bed.

"So you don't feel anything for him?" May, the last member of their team, asked.

The brunette thought about how nice Vine had been to her earlier and how comforted she had felt when he gently put his hands on her shoulders or back when she was feeling nervous while piloting the ship. She couldn't admit that though, she did have a reputation as a tough girl to uphold after all.

"Nothing at all," Elm finally said, "Vine and I will always be friends nothing more nothing less."