After celebrating the end of his long and exhausting exploration, he took time to explore the city. Unfortunately, many stores or restaurants were closed, given that it was nearly midnight. Only a few people roamed the streets and they weren't willing to answer his questions.
Soon enough, he was close to giving up and finding a place to stay for the night, until he came across a dust shop that was still open. Looking at the sign, he whistled at the name, as it was quite fitting.
"From Dust Till Dawn, huh? Pft." He deflated, flapping his coat and entering the shop. There was a plethora of Dust within the shop, but it wasn't what he was searching for. Thus, he went straight to the register.
At the register stood an elderly man, wiping off the glass to a dust crystal display. Of course, he stopped once he noticed Raikō, tossing the rag into a bin. "Welcome. Can I help you with anything?" He asked with a hoarse voice.
"Actually, yes. I was wondering if you know of anything or anywhere by the name of Earth?" Raikō asks. Hearing this, the old man points directly at a light orange crystal within the display.
"I don't know of a place named Earth, but I do sell dust that goes by the name of it." He answers, resulting in Raikō beaming with surprise.
"Wait, there's a crystal by the name of it? Do you know who named or manufactures these things?" The Male with Blue-Streaks asked, planting his hands onto the glass display in anticipation. Finally, a clue to send him closer to what he needs! If he was lucky enough, he could find the person who named these, and they may have info on the planet itself.
"I-I don't know who names them, but I do know that the Schnee Company sells us what has been mined. . .I could ask them, whenever the opportunity rises—" The old man stammers.
"Yes, please! That would be really helpful!" Raikō yelled in excitement, before looking at the crystal itself. He hadn't noticed that a girl dressed in red and black had glanced at him in concern, before turning back to her magazine again.
"Well, it's gonna take quite a while to do that, unfortunately, but can I help you out with anything else?"
"Yeah, I'd like to buy some Earth Dust. Never thought I'd say that. . ." He looks down at the crystal, his focus dedicated to the info he's received. After being led to where he could buy them, he was debating on which one to choose.
". . .Should I buy it in a bottle, or as a crystal? If I buy it in a bottle, it'll be a bit cheaper, but it's prone to spill. . ." He muttered, hovering his hand between the two. But before he could make a purchase, an uneasy feeling overtook him.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust Shop open this late?" A random voice would peer out, as several men in fedoras and shades would stand behind, suddenly aiming their weapons towards the Elderly Man.
"P-Please! Just take my Lien and leave!" The old man pleaded, holding his hands up to surrender. Seeing this, Raikō stood up and clenched his fists, before exhaling deeply. As much as he wanted to intervene, he needed to focus on his plans. And engaging in such conflict would only result in more attention drawn to him.
". . .Sorry." He muttered, squatting back down, to grab a bottle of dust. Grasping onto it, he observed the label for any numbers.
Whilst doing so, a gun was pressed to his head unexpectedly. "Hand it over, kid. You should've got out sooner." One of the male's accomplices said in a dark tone.
". . .You don't want to do this," Raikō warned him, slowly raising his hands and standing up.
"Shut up, and hand it over! I won't ask again." He yelled, pressing the gun against his head even more.
". . .Fine. You want it? Take it." Raikō stated, tossing the bottle into the air. Noticing this, the male's gun lowered, yet foolishly.
The leader of the accomplice turned to see that two of his followers had flown into a magazine stand by the entrance. Looking at one of his accomplices that were walking over from grabbing dust, he merely tilted his head towards where they had been sent from, directing him to investigate.
"Alright, now to get the hell out of dodge—" Raikō stated, lowering his fist and grabbing the dust bottle from midair. After looking to make sure he didn't crack the bottle whilst walking from the aisle, he accidentally bumped into the Girl in Red and Black, stumbling backward.
"Hey—!"
"Oh, sorry! You're not. . .With them, are you?" Raikō asked.
"No, you?" She'd ask, as he shook his head. However, once he realized what was happening, he recalled that there was news on Dust Thieves that were at large, thus making him tense. He wanted to get out as soon as possible, due to not wanting to have so much attention drawn to him for his intrusion with the thief's plans. Turning away to head towards the back, the girl in red suddenly squealed in sudden joy.
"Is that your sword!? Does it transform into a Sniper or an Assault Rifle? Can it turn into another sharp weapon?" The girl would circle him sporadically with a multitude of questions, observing his sword with an amazed expression.
"Huh? Wha?" His eyes widened in confusion, which was interrupted by the clicking of metal.
"Freeze! Both of you!" Another member yelled, pointing his gun both at Raikō and the other girl. Blinking, Raikō and the girl looked at each other, before looking back at him with a serious expression.
". . .So much for finding a way out." He muttered, throwing the bottle of dust directly at the accomplice.
CRASH!
Both had sent the accomplice flying out of the window with them, landing outside in the middle of the street. The Girl in Red had unleashed a giant Scythe hybrid, turning to face the thieves with a smirk. Raikō merely stood with her back to back, holding his sword hybrid. In unison, the two had spun their weapons and pointed them forward, with the girl turning off what music remained on her headphones.
The male in white merely looked with an unimpressed expression. "Okay. . .Get them." He looked towards one of the remaining accomplices, as all four nodded and ran after the two.
Spinning on her Scythe, she dropkicked one of them, sending him crashing back into the store with a loud thud. After slipping a sword slash from the second, Raikō struck him with an inward crescent kick, and fired behind with the shotgun counterpart, spinning and sending the second flying into the wall. After pummeling the third one in unison, Both Raikō and the Girl in Red evaded gunfire from a fourth accomplice before she'd finish him off.
"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were. Well, Red, Blue, I think we all can say this was an eventful evening. . .And as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this, is where we part ways." The man in white said, putting out his cigar and pointing his cane towards the two.
Firing a blast at them, the two had no other option but to launch themselves upward to evade the explosion. After landing, they were surprised to see that the thief had disappeared, and frantically searched around the streets.
". . .Where did he go?" Raikō muttered, finally turning to see him climbing up a ladder.
". . .So much for a flashy disappearance." He deflated, as the girl in red spoke up.
"You should wait here until authorities come. It's not safe." She told the two, as Raikō simply planted his sword onto his back.
"Don't worry about me, We need to catch that guy before he gets away." He said, fixing his coat.
"B-But—!" The girl stammers, stopping once she saw him take off.
"Wait a sec! I don't even know your name!" She yells, running after him and eventually catching up.
Meanwhile, The Male dressed in a white coat was standing on the farthest end of the roof, turning once he heard the two shoot upward with their own individual weapons.
"Hey! You left before we could discuss business!" Raikō called out, pointing his sword directly at him.
"Persistent. . ." The Man muttered as the air around them began to hum. Soon enough, the cause revealed itself; a Bullhead had flown upward from the rooftop and shined its light towards the three, temporarily blinding both Raikō and the Red-Headed Girl.
Getting into the Bullhead, the man smirked, before pulling a red Dust Crystal from his pocket. "End of the Line, Kids!" He yelled, tossing it at Raikō.
After shaking off the blinding light, Raikō was able to catch the Crystal just in time, looking at it with confusion. However, he was too late to notice that the man was aiming his cane directly at him once again, firing a blast directly towards him.
"Shit. . .!" He yelled, holding his sword in front of him in hopes to block off the explosion to the best of his ability. But before he was struck, a purple glyph had blocked off the blast entirely. Behind it, stood a blonde-haired woman, seeming in her mid-thirties, who had shot out purple energy towards the bullhead. Landing each blast, the aircraft began to shake from the blows, causing the man in white to stumble.
Walking to the front, he faced the woman in the aircraft, holding onto the seats as much as he could. "We've got a huntress!" He yelled, as the woman stood from the cockpit and went out to the front of the cargo door.
Raikō was somewhat confused at the sudden encounter but was in awe at what he was seeing. Was this magic, or could it be something else?
Eventually, the blonde's attacks would go null, as the woman who formerly flew the Bullhead was countering the sudden attacks, bringing them to a deadlock in power and potency. After a brief struggle, the girl with red hair began to fire at the Cargo, providing an assist.
The Woman merely blocked it off with powers of her own, before setting geysers of fire at their feet. Raikō took notice of this and tackled the girl in red, moving her out of the way along with himself. The Blonde Woman had evaded as well, thus keeping herself safe.
Looking up from where he kneeled, he turned to the right to see that the Door to the Bullhead had closed, and they were flying away. ". . . Almost had 'em. . ." He muttered, lowering his head with a sigh, and closing his eyes.
". . .Hey. . .? C-Could you get off of me?"
"Huh?" Raikō's eyes reopened to see that he was on top of Ruby, as he jolted back in shock. Ruby's cheeks were covered in red by what just happened until her focus shifted to the woman who had saved them.
Standing up, she dusted herself off. "You're a huntress. . .Can I get your autograph?" She says in awe, as Raikō stood up as well. Looking at her face, he saw that she was not amused, nor impressed at their efforts.
————————
After some time, the woman had taken the two into her custody, placing them in what appeared to be an interrogation room. The Red-Headed Girl seemed quite sad due to the other's scolding, whereas Raikō seemed nonchalant.
"I hope you realize your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, you two. You've put yourselves and others in great danger." The Blonde would state, as the Blue Streaked Boy winced.
"Are you kidding? If she and I didn't step in, they would've gotten away with a boatload of Dust. You should be thanking us for even putting our lives on the line." He stated, to which she glanced over at him, and stopping pacing back and forwards.
"Putting your lives on the line to do another's job does not mean you deserve a medal, Young Man. But I will commend you for your efforts. If it was up to me, you both would be sent home with a pat on the back. . ." She stated, which caused the girl in red to grin.
That grin shifted to fear, as the blonde-haired woman slammed her riding crop onto the table. ". . .And a slap on the wrist." Raikō and the girl in red jolted away from the crop, terrified by the weapon.
"But. . .there is someone here who'd like to meet you." The woman said, stepping aside from the doorway. A man with white hair and glasses of a scholar had walked in with a plate of cookies and a mug of cocoa, facing the two of them.
"Ruby Rose. . .and Raikō Namaiki." He called out their names, as Raikō and the girl in red had looked at him with surprise. Of all individuals, they had never expected to see him.
". . You have silver eyes. . ." The man leaned towards Ruby, as she seemed lost.
"U-um. . ."
"So, where did you two learn to do this?" The male asked, showing footage of the two fighting against the male in white's accomplices, in unison.
"S-Signal Academy. . .?" Ruby says with a raised brow.
"They've taught you how to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?
"Well, one teacher in particular," Ruby says, as the man sits the plate of cookies down on the table. After Raikō had taken one, Ruby immediately began to annihilate them one by one.
"It's just that I've seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before. . .A dusty old crow. . ." He explains as she's still stuffing her face.
"Thash muh unkul!. .Sorry, that's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing, and now I'm all like: 'Hoowahh! Witchaa!' " Ruby explains, repeating herself after swallowing the cookies and making ninja poses, or what seems to be an attempt at them.
"So I've noticed. And what about you, Mister Namaiki? Do you and Ruby go to Signal together?" The male asked him, as he shook his head.
"No. . .I've. . I've learned how to use swords on my own, but my own Uncle taught me how to fight. You could say I'm Self-Taught, in a way." He explained, rubbing his chin.
"I see. . .Well, I wouldn't happen to know them by any chance, would I?" The male with white hair asked as Raikō was preparing to take a bite from his cookie.
"No, he's not exactly from Vale. . ." He mutters, tilting his hand away from Ruby, who was attempting to sneak his cookie away from him.
". . .Hm. Well, we'll get back to that in a moment. Anyways, what would an adorable girl such as yourself be doing in a school designed to train warriors?" He asked, turning away from Raikō and back to Ruby, lowering his mug.
"Well. . .I want to be a huntress. . ." She says, turning away from Raikō's cookie and facing the white-haired man.
"You want to slay monsters?"
"Yeah!" Ruby nods.
"I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I'm gonna apply to Beacon! You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a huntress, and I'm trying to become a huntress because I wanna help people! And my parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it! I mean, the police are alright, but Huntsman and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and just really, and gosh! You know?" Ruby explodes with energy, overwhelming herself with the thoughts of being a huntress.
Raikō and the blonde-haired woman blinks at this for a moment, sweat dropping from his forehead in a comical manner. ". . .Erm, sure. . ." He muttered.
". . .Do you know who I am?" The male with white hair asked, to which Raikō nods.
"You're Professor Ozpin, correct? The Headmaster of Beacon." Raikō responded, as Ruby finally took his cookie and ate it in an instant.
"Heh. . .Hello." He says, forming a triangle with his hands.
"Nice to meet you!" Ruby smiles, wiping the cookie crumbs from her face.
"Yeah, pleasure." Raikō adds, looking at his now empty hand with widened eyes.
"So, you want to come to my school?" Ozpin asks. Ruby leans in, placing her hands on the tabletop.
". . .More than anything." She says as Ozpin looks at the blonde woman. She merely looks away in disapproval.
"Well, okay. Goodwitch will take you back to the front room, and contact your father of the news. Pack your things, and be at the nearest Bullhead stop at 5 in the morning." Ozpin states, as Ruby jumps up, and freaks out in excitement.
"Congrats, Ruby. Good luck." Raikō smiles, remembering that his friend was going to the school as well. With that memory, he felt sad in a way, as it had been days since they've last spoken to each other.
After Ruby had left in a burst of happiness, Raikō and Ozpin remained within the interrogation room, Raikō's smile fading once she had disappeared from his view.
"So, Raikō Namaiki. You said that your family isn't from Vale, correct? Where would they be?" He asked.
Raikō looked towards him with a nervous expression, before looking away. "Well. . .T-They're from Sumire. . . I kinda traveled alone, due to wanting to explore Vale a bit, and I ended up in Patch." He stammers as Ozpin seemed unphased by this.
"Well, that's quite odd. I've gone through files of all Kingdoms, Cities, and Stores in Remnant and I didn't find anything beyond you buying your first scroll. Not only that, there is no one else who shares your last name, nor are related to you." Ozpin states as Raikō begins to sweat profusely. This was the number one thing he wanted to avoid, being discovered by a higher-up or someone of significance. However, it was inevitable, given his month of living here.
"Erm. . .Well. . . "
"But, you do have an excellent amount of skill and endurance, given that you were able to adventure through the Fallen Forest, which is not only swarmed with Grimm but takes weeks to even make it out of, and with a team, no less. You must've just gotten into Patch because I couldn't find any transactions or footage of you being there aside from this morning. So if I may ask, who are you?" Ozpin continues, before lifting his mug and taking another sip.
Raikō had stopped panicking and finally gave in, sighing as he ran his fingers through his spikes. ". . .Yeah, okay, you got me. I'm not really from Remnant. . ." He says as Goodwitch steps back in and closes the door.
"Might want to take a seat for this one, Blondie. We're gonna be here for a while." Raikō states, before taking a deep inhale, then a deep inhale. At that moment, Raikō explained that he was not of this world, but rather from a place called Earth. He also stated that he had found a person that goes to Beacon that had taken care of him and made sure that he was prepared for his plans, which were to explore Remnant and find any way to recover his own memories. The story had gotten longer, but it had never changed in its core.
". . .Well, you have quite the tale, don't you? But may I ask, do you have any sufficient proof that you're not from this world? Anyone could find a way to remove their files from the face of Remnant and go under hiding. . ." Goodwitch asks, as Ozpin looks towards her.
"Wha— Are you kidding me?" Raikō looks towards her with slight aggression, as Ozpin speaks up.
"Now, now, Ms. Goodwitch does have a valid point. While it may seem harsh for us to not believe you at the moment, We'd like to make sure that you're truthful of your words." Ozpin says as Raikō stammers into his own pit of anger. Suddenly, he begins to spark, as his arms and hands generated a blue stream which evolved into electricity. Seeing this, Goodwitch jumped back from her seat, holding her riding crop due to instinctual habits. Ozpin however, sat with an unchanged expression.
"Does THIS prove my point?" He said in a rather agitated manner. Seeing this, Ozpin opened his scroll and was surprised. He saw that the male in front of him had no Aura, and yet this source of energy was flowing from outside of him.
"It's your semblance. So what?" Goodwitch says, removing her hand from the riding crop.
". . .Yes. . .It certainly does." He says as Goodwitch walks over to Ozpin, shocked to see the same thing he did.
"But, how is that possible. . .? You can't be a maiden, so. . .How?" She asked as Raikō sighed, and the Electric current faded.
"Can't say for myself, but if you noticed, I don't have an Aura. . .And in case I didn't read up on the latest book of Remnant, don't you need to have an Aura in order to have a Semblance?" Raikō asked.
"Yes. . .Ozpin. . .?" She freezes, looking over to Ozpin, who was merely drinking his Coco.
"Yes. Well, it seems that you are being truthful." Ozpin smiles.
". . .You think?"
"However, as calm as you may be with this fact, Not many others will take this so lightly. Thus, It'd be best if word of you not being from Remnant didn't get out to anyone else. However, your adventuring across Remnant would only bring this to light amongst many others, as you'll be searching for years for a way home. So, this brings me to one question." Ozpin states, before leaning into the desk once again.
"What are your thoughts on becoming a Huntsman?" He asks.
Tilting his head, Raiko looked at him with a confused look. ". . .Why?"
"Well, you have quite the spectacular amount of skill and preciseness, minus your efficiency with the Long-Ranged aspect of your weapon. It'd be a waste to let that go without being used for the greater good. And let us say since I was able to read your files, I may be able to assist you with what you require." Ozpin explains, sliding his mug aside.
". . .One, I only had two shells in the chamber. Two, are you bribing me. . .?" Raikō asked, squinting at Ozpin.
"Bribing, giving you an easier option. . .Call it what you will." He states, as Goodwitch literally looks at the Male in Grey and makes a swiping gesture under her chin with her hand.
Being in Beacon. . .Thinking about the opportunity, he didn't feel so bad about doing so, as he might have a greater chance of finding the answers he needed. Not only that, he would get to see his dear friend once more. It was a pretty big step and an easier option for his long-term goal.
". . .Alright, you can count me in," Raikō states, which Goodwitch facepalms at his response.
"Good choice. Welcome to Beacon." Ozpin says with a welcoming smile, standing up and holding out his hand to shake. Raikō takes his hand, as the two engage in a firm handshake.
(Time Skip, brought to you by Raikō Push-kicking and breaking glass in front of the RWBY Logo, with Raikō saying "Sweet Dreams" After it's displayed.)
——————
After spending until sunrise convincing the police to give back his bag from the dust shop, He was able to take a Bullhead straight to the carrier for Beacon's new students. Entering it, he saw a rather large amount of students, merely conversing and exploring the extravagant carrier. Raikō on the other hand was trying to message Erica about the good news, walking into the hallways for a better signal.
". . .She hasn't answered any of my Texts. . .Maybe she's still asleep." He muttered to himself, looking up to see the girl from last night, along with a taller, blonde girl.
"Oh, I can't believe that my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"
"Please, stop. . ." Ruby would choke out, before seeing Raikō.
"Oh, hey, it's you!" She called out, as Raikō gave a simple wave.
"Yo." He greeted her, as the other girl had finally let go of Ruby, turning to see him as well.
"Oh. . .My Baby sister finally has a guy friend?"
"Yang, stop it. . .I just saw him when I met Ozpin. . ." Ruby frowns.
"Yeah, it's not like that. . .Anyways, I'm Raikō. It's cool to meet ya'. " Raikō said, as Yang gives him a short wave.
"Yang Xiao Long. Cool to meet you too. This is my Little Half-Sister, Ruby." She says with a grin.
"Ha, I know. Kinda met up during that incident with the dust shop. She's one tough fighter." Raikō states with a chuckle.
Ruby looks away from the two in embarrassment. "Really, sis, it was nothing. . ." She says with a bashful expression.
"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon's gonna think that you're the bee's knees!"
"But I don't want to be the bee's knees, okay? I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."
"What's with you, aren't you excited?" Yang asked.
"Of course I'm excited, I just. . . I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think that I'm special or anything. . ." Ruby says, as Raikō steps in and pats her shoulder.
"Kinda too late for that, don't you think? You kicked all kinds of ass and stopped a Dust Robbery. If that doesn't say special, I don't know what does." Raikō said with a smile.
"Y-yeah. . .Thanks." Ruby smiles in return. Feeling a buzzing sensation in his coat, The Male in Grey reached for his scroll and saw that Erica was replying to his texts.
'Haha, very funny.'
' I'll see you in Beacon then, " First-Year ". '
Looking at these messages, Raikō chuckled. "Oh man, she's gonna flip out when she sees me." He muttered, looking up to see the news on a holographic screen.
". . .The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have an idea of his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department." The reporter announced, showing the image of the man from before.
"Roman Torchwick, huh. . .? Of course." Raikō's smirk shifted at seeing the Male in white's face once again, as Yang looked towards him.
"Wish we could've caught him. . . Just looking at him angers me," Ruby mutters.
"You aren't alone there. Guy's kind of a worldwide thief, so I doubt he'd be that easy to catch." Raikō stated, rubbing his nose.
After an interrupted report of The White Fang, Goodwitch had appeared where the holographic news once was.
"Hello, and welcome to Beacon!" She says to all viewers, getting the attention of many who stood in the hall.
"Who's that?" Yang asks.
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The holograph states.
"Oh."
"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our own world." Glynda would state before the holograph had disappeared once more. Seeing this, Raikō seemed further motivated on getting into Beacon, stepping forward to view out of the windows.
"Woah. . ." He said in amazement. The view was simply too astonishing to fathom.
Ruby had joined him seeing the view, tapping his shoulder and pointing towards a rather large academy. "Look! You can see Signal from up here!" She told him, as he saw it from afar.
"Amazing. . ." He coos, as Yang joins the two with a smile.
"I guess home isn't too far, after all," Ruby says in a saddened tone. Raikō notices this and looks away from her. Home was way farther than she could've known, for him. But even still, he knew that it was still waiting for him.
"Beacon's our home, now," Yang stated, reeling the two in for comfort.
"Ugh. . ." A blonde-haired boy was seeing the sights for himself and eventually broke, running off whilst holding his vomit.
"Sheesh. I'm glad I'm not airsick. . ." Raikō looked as the male ran off, finding a garbage can and letting loose.
"Maybe the view isn't for everyone. . ." Yang says nervously.
"It was a good moment while it lasted. . ." Ruby adds.
"I wonder who else we're gonna meet," Raikō says while stretching.
"I hope they're better than vomit-boy. . ." Ruby sighs.
"Pfft, Vomit Boy? That's kinda messed up, even fo— Yang, you have vomit on your shoe!" Raikō yelled, pointing down at the sludge on her foot.
"Grossgrossgrossgrossgrossgross!"
"Get away from me!"
"STOP TRYING TO KICK IT AT ME, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME THROW UP NEXT!"
All three of them were racing down the hallway, enjoying the ride. However, they were unaware of the astounding journey to come.