The Rose of Nakajima

"Wow. Welcome to Beacon." Yang said from beside Haruka, stepping off the airship and looking around at the massive campus of Beacon Academy.

"It is quite impressive." Haruka agreed, glancing about, as she hadn't been paying much attention to the place when Qrow had brought her here to meet Knight Ozpin. The scale of the campus wasn't quite up the Grand Cathedral and its surroundings, where she had been raised, but as far as schools went, the only larger ones she knew of were the Academies for the Air Armaments Service and Dimensional Navy, though the largest campus of the University of the Arts and Sciences in Cranagan on Midchilda came close.

"So, we're here. Now what?" Haruka asked Yang, glancing over at the blonde brawler as the two walked out into the middle of a small plaza, Haruka adjusting her gloves slightly.

"Uhhh…" Yang put her hands up in an 'I don't know' gesture. "Not a clue, but I do see a few of my friends from Signal Academy…" She glanced at Haruka meaningfully.

"Go on, then." Haruka told her, with a small grin. "I will be fine, we will meet up later. Go with your friends." She lightly pushed Yang's shoulder, who grinned in return and jogged to catch up with a small group of other students, waving and shouting a few names as she did so.

"So, according to today's schedule, we've got some time to kill before we have to report to the auditorium. Any ideas?" Haruka asked her Device as she began to turn around, noting the luggage cart behind her and avoiding it. The unfamiliar weight in the small of her back shifted slightly, and she made a mental note to reset the magnetic clamps holding Rosenkreuz, in her new configuration.

"Well, Master, we could—"

"Be careful!" A shrill voice shouted at her, and Haruka turned towards the direction of the voice.

A pale girl in a dress stood behind her, arms crossed, glaring at her. "You should watch where you're going!" She demanded of the Knight, her voice haughty.

"My apologies." Haruka responded, in the interests of not starting a conflict with other students at Knight Ozpin's school. As she spoke, she completed her turn and spotted both a familiar figure and a nice garden path where she would most likely not be bothered.

Well, hello again. I didn't expect to see you here.

"Do you even know what you nearly knocked over!?" The pale girl practically yelled from behind Haruka.

"Dust, I presume, given the labels." She said over her shoulder as she began to walk away. "I am not as blind or clumsy as one may think." And you are supremely annoying.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Fast footsteps sounded behind her, and Haruka spun, her combat reflexes acting, her left hand going to Rosenkreuz, her right coming up in front of her in a blocking position.

The pale girl stopped dead, looking at Haruka with confusion.

"My apologies." Haruka said with a small bow, letting her arms drop back down to her sides, leaving Rosenkreuz where she was. "I was acting on reflex."

The pale girl just looked at her for a few seconds, a mix of emotions visible on her face before her expression became blank, ice-blue eyes locked on her own.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." With that, she turned and walked back to the luggage cart. Haruka caught her muttering under her breath as she did so.

"Just like Winter…"

"Huh. I didn't think that would be a reaction I'd get from her. I wonder who 'Winter' is. Or if who is the proper question."

"I didn't either, and I don't know."

Haruka shrugged slightly and turned around, to meet a familiar golden-eyed gaze, this time evidencing confusion.

"I can not say I expected to see you here. You did not mention that you also would be attending Beacon Academy." She said to the cat faunus she'd meet six weeks earlier.

"I didn't get my acceptance letter until later." Came the offhand response, as the faunus girl slowly lowered the book to reveal her face.

Haruka inclined her head in acknowledgement at this.

"Fair enough." With that, both fell silent, an uncomfortable silence developing. Finally, after a few minutes of the two standing around awkwardly, she sighed softly, and put her hand out.

"Haruka Nakajima."

The faunus girl looked at her for a few seconds, then slowly took the offered handshake.

"Blake Belladonna."

Haruka nodded again at the girl as they both allowed the handshake to break.

"It is nice to see you again, Fraulein Belladonna."

Blake looked at her with slight confusion, but before she could speak, a public address system activated, and a woman's voice spoke over it.

"All incoming students are requested to report to the auditorium. Again, all incoming students are requested to report to the auditorium."

"Apparently, we have someplace to be." Haruka noted.

***

"Haruka! I saved you a spot!" Yang called across the auditorium as she spotted the other girl entering the auditorium, accompanied by a rather handsome girl with dark hair and a bow on her head.

Haruka told the girl something, who nodded and walked off, while Haruka made her way over to Yang.

"Already making friends?" The blonde brawler asked her sister, grinning. "That's good! It's about time you started making a few."

"Acquaintances, more like." Haruka gave her a blank look. "It is a bit too early for that." Then, at the edge of Yang's hearing, she whispered something, very softly. Yang could barely make out the words, though she could tell it was in Belkan. "Ich will keine Freunde finden, weil ich Angst habe, dass ich sie verlieren werde."

"What?" Yang looked at her, blankly.

"Do not worry about it." Haruka told her, then, glancing at the stage, gestured towards it. "Ritter Ozpin is about to speak."

Why do you always call Professor Ozpin, Ritter Ozpin? And what does Ritter mean, anyway?

"I'll… keep this brief." Ozpin's voice broke into her thoughts, and she turned to look up at the stage, where Ozpin stood in front of a microphone. "You have traveled 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."

At this statement from the Headmaster, the students began to whisper among themselves. Yang glanced sideways for a brief moment, and noticed that Haruka was muttering to herself in Belkan.

Yang turned her head back to the stage as Ozpin continued.

"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."

With that, the Headmaster of Beacon turned, and walked away, the blonde woman next to him taking his place at the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She, too, turned and walked off, following Ozpin out of the room.

Yang glanced back over at her sister, who hadn't stopped muttering, though after a few seconds she did, and began to walk off, in the direction Ozpin had left in, gently pushing her way through the crowd. Yang followed, curious.

"Where are you going?" She asked as she slipped between two groups of talking students.

"To speak to Ritter Ozpin." Came the response, delivered quiet enough it was hard enough to hear her.

"Why?"

"There are things I wish to discuss. Not for prying ears." She added, gesturing around.

"Can it wait?" Yang asked her. "You'll just stick out more."

Haruka stopped for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. I will discuss things with him tomorrow, after initiation." She turned to Yang. "Any ideas on what we are supposed to do now?"

"Well…"