We see several airships carrying students and docking at the entrance of the school. As soon as one lands, a blonde-haired boy emerges and goes over to the nearest trash can, hunching over it as he loses his lunch, as a red-haired girl is gently rubbing his back. Ruby and Yang, alongside several other students, walk out of the ship and head down the paved path to the front of the school.
Ruby and Yang: (as they take in the entirety of Beacon Academy) "Wow..."
Yang: "The view from Vale's got nothing on this!"
Ruby: (getting so excited she suddenly becomes a 2-D, starry-eyed, floating chibi) "Ohmygosh, sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword! (she tries getting closer, but Yang pulls her sister by the hood back into realistic proportions) Ow! Ooww!"
Yang: "Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!"
Ruby: ""Just weapons"? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"
Yang: "Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?"
Ruby: (transforms her weapon into its Scythe Form) "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better..."
Yang: (playfully pushing her sister's hood down over her face) "Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?"
Ruby: (taking off her hood) "But... why would I need friends if I have you?"
Yang: "Well... (in a flash, a group of other students surround Yang and they all dash down the road) Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!"
With that, Yang bolts off with her friends.
Ruby: (spinning and dizzy-eyed from Yang's sudden leaving) "Wait, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms? (stopping for a moment, still reeling) I don't know what I'm doing..."
Ruby falls backwards into a luggage cart, sending cases flying. Just then, a white-haired girl, named Wiess Schnee, is standing over her.
Weiss: "What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!"
Ruby: (getting up on her hands) "Uh, sorry!"
Weiss: "Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?"
Ruby: (holding a case) "Uuhhh..."
Weiss: "Give me that! (she snatches the luggage from Ruby and opens it to reveal its twinkling-sounding contents) This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"
Ruby: "Uuuhhhh..."
Weiss: "What are you, brain-dead? (holding out a vial of red Dust and shutting the case) Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!"
Ruby: "I... I know..." (starts coughing from the Dust pouring into her face)
Weiss: "Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Ruby, who had been receiving more and more Dust to her face, finally sneezes, which erupts into a full-blown explosion of flame, snowflakes, and electricity right onto Weiss. The bottle she had been holding then flies over the courtyard and lands at the feet of a black-haired girl wearing a black bow, who picks it up and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene.
Weiss: (now covered in soot, though it quickly disappears) "Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"
Ruby: (apologetic and embarrassed) "I'm really, really sorry!"
Weiss: "Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"
Ruby: "Well, I-I..."
Weiss: "This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going!"
Ruby: (finally fed up) "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"
Just then, the black-haired girl, who's name is Blake Belladonna, walks over to the two girls, holding the bottle.
Blake: "It's heiress, actually. She's Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
Weiss: (smiling smugly) "Finally! Some recognition!"
Blake: "The same company that's infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."
Weiss: (getting angry again as Ruby chuckles) "Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh!" (gets in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow)
Ruby: (to the storming Weiss, still sorry) "I promise I'll make this up to you! (sighs) I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day... So, what's... (sees Blake walking off as well, then collapses to the ground on her back) Welcome to Beacon..." (she remains this way until a shadow comes over her, as she looks to see the reddish-brown-haired boy from the aircraft)
Boy: (holding out his hand to Ruby) "Hey... I'm Nick."
Ruby: (takes his hand) "Ruby. (stands up) Thank you."
Time Skip....
We then see that Beacon, inside the walls, is filled with scenic trees, arching architecture, and a winding road alongside a river, which Ruby and Nick are walking down.
Nick: "I saw what happened back there, you know?"
Ruby: (embarrassed) "Seriously?"
Nick: "Yeah. Honestly, I'd say just forget about that spoiled brat. People like her down really deserve the time of day."
Ruby: "That's a bit much, don't you think?"
Nick: "Not even remotely."
Ruby: (awkward silence falls) "So... I've got this thing!" (she pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground)
Nick: (impressed by her weapon) "Whoa! Is that a scythe?"
Ruby: "It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"
Translation: It's also a big gun.
Nick: "Oh. That's cool!"
Ruby: "So what've you got?"
Nick: "Oh! Well... (pulls out a white and red railgun) I've got this railgun!"
Ruby: "Ooooohh!"
Nick: "Yeah, and it can do this too!" (pulls up part of the gun to make a blade)
Ruby: (touching the blade) "So, what does it do?"
Nick: (folds the blade back into a railgun) "The railgun can become a blade, so I can switch between far-range and close-combat."
Ruby: "But... doesn't it still weigh the same?"
Nick: "Yeah, it does."
Ruby: (giggling) "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when I was designing mine."
Nick: (chuckles) "Yeah, I was just making mine something that's simple, but still useful in a fight."
Ruby: (starts walking again) So, why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?
Nick: (walks alongside her) "Eh, why not? It's like people say, "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet". Plus, you looked like you needed some help, I wouldn't have just left you there when I could've done something to help. That's just the kind of person I am."
Ruby: "Hmm. (looks around) Hey, where are we going?"
Nick: "Oh, we're going to the Auditorium. That's where the new students gather for the welcoming speech."
Time Skip....
Nick and Ruby then enter the giant auditorium, where all of the new students are gathered, filled to the brim with people. Ruby looks over when she hears Yang's voice.
Yang: (waving) "Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"
Ruby: (to Nick) "Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! Come on! I wanna introduce you to my sister! (grabs Nick's hand, as he chuckles at Ruby, and walks over to Yang) Yang, this is my new friend, Nick. Nick, this is my sister, Yang."
Nick: (does a two-finger salute to Yang) "Hey, nice to meet 'cha."
Yang: "Same here. Aw, look at you, Rubes. You really did make a new friend. And a handsome boy at that, too~."
Nick: (raises an eyebrow) "Do you always flirt with every guy you meet?"
Yang: "Only the good-looking ones~."
Hearing this just makes Nick roll his eyes.
Yang: (to Ruby) "How's your first day going, little sister?"
Ruby: "You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?"
Yang: "Yikes! Meltdown already?"
Ruby: "No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! And there was some fire, and I think some ice...?"
Yang: (smiling broadly) "Are you being sarcastic?"
Nick: "No, she's being serious right now. I saw it myself."
Ruby: (scoffs as the camera pans around to reveal Weiss right next to her) "I wish I was being sarcastic! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"
Weiss: "You!"
Ruby: (quickly jumps into Nick's arms) "Oh, God, it's happening again!"
Weiss: "You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!"
Yang: (deadpan) "Oh my God, you really exploded."
Nick: "Told ya. (looks at Weiss) And how the heck does that make any sense? You weren't anywhere near a cliff."
Ruby: "It was an accident. (gets down; to Weiss) It was an accident! (Weiss holds up a pamphlet titled "DUST for dummies and other Inadequate Individuals" to Ruby) What's this?"
Weiss: (listing off policies to a clueless and horrified Ruby, going faster and higher pitched with each word) "The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field."
Ruby: "Uuhhh...?"
Nick: "I have literally no idea what you just said."
Weiss: "You really wanna start making things up to me?"
Ruby: "Absolutely?"
Weiss: (handing the pamphlet to Ruby) "Read this, and don't ever speak to me again."
Nick: "It's not like anyone would want to even be in the same building as you."
Weiss: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nick: (deadpan) "You're blaming Ruby for the explosion earlier, despite the fact that you were the one shaking the cracked bottle of Dust in her face. Of course she was gonna sneeze. And you gave pamphlet that just shows you're nothing but a rude spoiled brat."
Weiss: (insulted) "How dare you! Do you not know who I am?!"
Nick: (deadpan) "I don't give a thousand tons load of crap about who you are. It doesn't how you look at the situation, Ruby is the victim, and you're the one harassing her."
This makes Weiss angry that this boy is calming she's the one in the wrong, and is defending Ruby. While this was happening, a girl with brown hair walks over to them.
???: "There you are, Nick. What are you doing?"
Nick: "Oh. Hey, Amber. Nothing much. Just putting a spoiled brat in her place. Ruby, Yang, this is my friend, Amber. Amber, this is Ruby and Yang."
The brown-haired girl, now known as Amber, waves at the two girls, who wave back.
Yang: "Anyways, 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?"
Ruby: (putting the pamphlet away) "Yeah! Great idea, sis! (holding out her hand as she clears her throat) Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"
Weiss: (seemingly enthusiastic) "Yeah! And then we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys, like tall and handsome over here!"
Nick: "Yeah, you're not my type. I'm not into spoiled brats with dumb superiority complexes."
Ruby: "Wow, really?!"
Weiss: (dead silence under her glare) "No."
The group's attention is drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin is readying the microphone, with Glynda beside him.
Ozpin: "I'll... keep this brief. 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. (as the students whisper among themselves) 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."
Glynda: (as Ozpin leaves, she steps up to talk) "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."
Yang: "He seemed kind of... off."
Ruby: "It's almost like he wasn't even there."
Nick: "Honestly, that's nothing new. Ozpin has always been like that."
Hearing this makes Ruby, Yang and Weiss look at Nick. Confused about what he was talking about.
Time Skip....
The first night at Beacon has begun, and the new students are splayed out in sleeping bags. Ruby, in her pajamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, is writing in a journal when Yang crashes next to her, similarly dressed.
Yang: "It's like a big slumber party!"
Ruby: (not looking up) "I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though."
Yang: "I know I do! (purrs as she watches several muscular, shirtless guys... and the blonde-haired guy from before, who is dressed in light-blue track jeans and a white tee-shirt, before she returns her attention to Ruby) What's that?"
Ruby: "A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."
Yang: "Aw, that's so cuuuute!" (knocked back as a pillow is launched at her face)
Ruby: "Shut up! I didn't get to take any of my friends with me to school here! It's weird not knowing anyone here!"
Yang: "What about Mick? He seems nice! And kind of cute! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!"
Ruby: (turning on her back) "Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. So it's back to zero..."
Yang: "There's no such thing as negative friends! You just made one friend, and one frenemy! (hit with another pillow, this time looking like a dog, to the face) Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!"
The two sisters notice a candle being lit nearby, and Blake is seen leaning against a wall, reading her book, while Nick and Amber are about ten feet away from her.
Ruby: "That girl..."
Yang: "You know her?"
Ruby: "Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."
Yang: "Well, now's your chance!" (grabs Ruby's arm and lifts her up)
Ruby: "Wait! What are you doing?!"
Blake looks over her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip as she leads her sister over to Blake's spot before letting go.
Yang: (singing) "Hel-looooo! I believe you two may know each other?"
Blake: "Aren't you... that girl that exploded?"
Ruby: "Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater... (smiles, embarrassed) Actually, you can just call me Ruby."
Blake: (back in her book) "Okay."
Yang: (whispering to Ruby) "What are you doing?"
Ruby: (whispering back) "I don't know - help me!" (goes back to smiling)
Yang: "So... What's your name?"
Blake: (sighing as she's distracted yet again) "Blake."
Yang: "Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!"
Blake: "Thanks."
Yang: "It goes great with your... pajamas!"
Blake: "Right..."
Yang: (as Ruby laughs uncomfortably) "Nice night, don't you think?"
Blake: "Yes - it's lovely. Almost as lovely as this book. (Ruby and Yang stand there) That I will continue to read. (Ruby and Yang continue standing) As soon as you both kindly leave."
Yang: (to Ruby) "Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."
Nick: (as he and Amber walk over to the three girls) "Nah. I think Ms. Kuroneko here (motions to Blake) is just more of a bookworm, and less of a conversationist."
Blake: ""Kuroneko"? My last name is Belladonna. Not "Kuroneko"."
Nick: "I was actually referring to your bow."
Blake: "Why?"
Nick: "Well, sense it's the same color as your hair, it makes it look like you have cat ears."
Hearing this makes Blake stiffen for some reason.
Yang: (looks closer at Blake's bow) "Oh, yeah. It really does look like you have cat ears. You have a funny way at looking at this, huh, Mick?"
Nick: ""Mick"?"
Yang: "Isn't that your name?"
Nick: "...No. My name is Nick, not "Mick". (thought) 'Why do I feel like someone already mistook my name for "Mick"?'
Meanwhile, in the Dimension of Teora....
We see a large watchtower, where someone who looks exactly like Nick is watching TV, along with a pink-haired girl with a headband shaped like cat ears, a sky-blue haired girl, a green-haired girl, a brown-haired girl, a red-haired boy, and a purple-haired guy. Just then, the Nick look-a-like sneezed.
Nick(?): "Achoo!"
Brown-Haired Girl: "Bless you."
Green-Haired Girl: "Are you ok, Geo?"
Nick(?)/Geo: "Yeah, I'm good. I just feel like someone was talking about me."
Sky-Blue Haired Girl: "You don't think it's that crazy lady again, do you?"
Nick(?)/Geo: "Nah. I don't think it's Luna. She hasn't really been seen for a while."
Green-Haired Girl: "You think she's planning something?"
Nick(?)/Geo: "I wouldn't put it past her, to be honest. She really likes plotting and scheming."
The others all nod in agreement.
Back at Remnant....
Ruby: (to Blake) "What's it about?"
Blake: (surprised) "Huh?"
Ruby: "Your book. Does it have a name?"
Blake: "Well... it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."
Yang: (sarcastically) "Oh, yeah... That's real lovely."
Nick: (thought) 'That's nothing. They should try having more then just two.'
Ruby: "I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress."
Blake: (laughing a little) "And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"
Ruby: "Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"
Blake: "That's... very ambitious for a child. (her smile turns into a frown) Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."
Ruby: "Well, that's why we're here. To make it better."
Yang: "Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!" (hugs Ruby into the air)
Ruby: (kicking out) "Cut it out!" (the forced sisterly bonding evolves into a dust cloud of fighting limbs and flying stars)
Blake: (laughing slightly) "Well, Ruby, Yang, other two, it's a pleasure to ha-"
Weiss: (storming onto the scene in her own pajamas as Ruby traps Yang's leg) "What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?"
Weiss and Yang: (at the sight of each other) "Oh, not you again!"
Ruby: "Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!"
Weiss: "Oh, so now you're on my side!"
Ruby: "I was always on your side!"
Yang: "Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"
Weiss: "She's a hazard to my health!"
Nick: "You're a hazard to your own health. Ruby just wants to be friends. By the way, Ruby, you seem to be younger then the rest of us. Did you skip grades?"
Ruby: "Uh, yeah. I skipped two grades."
Nick: "That's impressive."
Yang: "Not only that. (wraps an arm around Ruby) My little sister here just so happens to have been personally recommended to this school by none other then the Kamen Rider, himself!"
Hearing this makes Nick, Amber, Blake, and Weiss all surprised.
Weiss: (refusing to believe it) "Oh, please! You seriously expect us to belie-"
Nick: "Whoa. The Kamen Rider? Seriously? That's totally awesome. You must've done something pretty impressive to get the attention of the first Huntsmen, himself."
Ruby: "It's nothing special."
Blake: "Did the Kamen Rider really recommend you?"
Yang: "And, he taught her how to do martial arts too."
Nick: "Well. You're definitely an interesting person for gaining the attention of the greatest hero on planet, Ruby."
Weiss: "Oh, please! Their just making up pathetic delusions! It's obviously nothing but a lie! The Kamen Rider has never recommended anyone before, so it makes zero sense that he would do so for a child who doesn't know what she's doing!"
Hearing this makes Nick upset for some reason. As they're arguing, Blake, who rolls her eyes at the fighting, simply closes her book, reaches over to grab her candle, and blows it out, enveloping the scene in black.