Liberating Remant

Chapter 2 Settling In (Overhauled)

Beacon Academy...

RWBY's Dorm...

With a sparkle in her eyes that only she seemed to have, Ruby moved on her bed. "Can you believe we're actually here? Beacon Academy! It's like a dream!"

With a slight smile on her lips, Weiss lifted her gaze from her textbooks. "Well, dreams do tend to involve less combat and more beauty sleep, but I suppose this is our reality now."

Yang laughed aloud from the sofa. "Who needs beauty sleep when you're already as stunning as me?"

With a tinge of amusement visible in her golden eyes, Blake looked up from her reading. "Speak for yourself, Yang. Some of us appreciate a good night's sleep."

Yang gestured to a nook and cranny on her bookcase. "Your porn says otherwise."

"It's art, not porn!" said Blake.

Ruby exuded infectious delight as she hopped on her toes. "I wonder what classes we'll have tomorrow! Maybe Professor Goodwitch will teach us something super cool."

Weiss furrowed her brow. "Super cool, as in more combat training, I assume?"

Yang grinned. "Hey, combat training is what we're here for, Ice Queen. Gotta be ready for whatever Grimm or other challenges Remnant throws at us. Anyway, watcha reading, Blake? I hope it's not that filth again."

Blake glanced up, her lips forming a little grimace. She answered, "Oh, just a story my parents used to read me. It's about an ancient kingdom that stood strong against the Grimm, and the rest of the world. It was a land built on equality before the law and a land of opportunity."

Yang snickered a little. "A kingdom built on equality and opportunity, eh?" She smirked and said with playful teasing, "Sounds like one of those fairytale kingdoms that exist in stories to make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside." She paused for a moment, and her gaze became more serious. "If only there was really a kingdom like that... But alas. Fairy tales *are* only that: fantasies."

Blake sighed. She said with a touch of bitterness.* "Yeah, I suppose that's true. I wish there was, though. A place where everyone was accepted and treated kindly. But that may be asking too much..."

Weiss snorted. "You really think such a perfect kingdom could exist? With this world's chaotic history? How naïve."

Ruby pipes up. "Maybe it's naive, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't want it, right? I mean... who doesn't want a happy and fair world?"

Weiss shakes her head, clearly disapproving. "The world isn't fair. And it will always find a way not to be. All efforts otherwise would end up fruitless. No one can change the way the world is. So expecting otherwise is simply... foolish."

Blake paused and then said thoughtfully. "The kingdom in the book wasn't completely perfect, to be honest. It was simply a little better than most kingdoms at the time. You have to remember, the other kingdoms other than Vale before the Great War were far worse than they are today."

Blake pointed out, "The book didn't ignore the racism inherent in its time, as you can see by how it describes how people of different races were treated differently in the kingdom. It also mentioned how the workers who worked in great forges to produce goods were treated just less or are as bad as the Faunus employees in the SDC and barely paid fairly. It even mentioned political corruption and injustice."

Yang snickered. "Sounds like a pretty shitty kingdom."

Blake continued, "There's even a part of the book that talks about how this kingdom had slavery in the past. It also mentions a brutal civil war that was fought to end slavery and establish equal rights for everyone. So, even with all its faults, the kingdom in the story was a good place. Or at least it eventually became one. It kinda reminds me of Vale which is why it's a good read."