LYRA flew through the air as momentum carried her backwards.

She grit her teeth, performing a walkover and springing off of her hands to land properly. As she righted herself, her golden axe gleamed as it slammed into the ground. Lyra cocked a grin as she pulled it out of the splintered floor with ease.

A blur of scarlet red zoomed straight for Lyra, and Lyra deflected the blow with her axe with a ferocious swing. Her redheaded opponent and best friend Pyrrha Nikos expertly twirled her javelin, calculating her every move. As her opponent swung her leg downwards, Lyra jumped above her limb and swung her axe downwards.

The blow was blocked, of course, but Lyra whirled around herself to slice her axe in a horizontal slash. Lance and shield worked together to block Lyra's advances as Pyrrha slid under Lyra's axe blade.

As the momentum from Lyra's axe carried her sideways, her adversary expertly twirled her weapon, hitting Lyra square in the head. The golden eyed warrior stumbled backwards as Pyrrha kicked her upwards, jumping to slam her shield into Lyra's stomach.

Lyra toppled to the ground, quickly flipping out of the way of her opponent's lance. She grit her teeth, her eyes flickering with red flecks as her opponent darted toward her. Lyra twirled the axe around herself, deflecting Pyrrha's attacks, and she quickly slammed her axe downwards.

Pyrrha blocked the blow, but only barely. She began to buckle under Lyra's immense strength, and Lyra kicked out her leg. Pyrrha dodged in the nick of time, feinting backwards. The sparks from Lyra's eyes faded, leaving her with her natural golden irises.

Lyra rushed towards the redhead again, feinting an attack from above. As Pyrrha rushed to block the blow, Lyra swung her axe from below.

Her axe blade connected with the redhead's aura protected chest, but the force was still enough to send Pyrrha flying upwards. Lyra winded her axe backwards, slamming it down.

Pyrrha twisted out of the way, and Lyra felt her axe being pulled to the side in order to avoid hitting her opponent. Lyra landed on the ground as Pyrrha rolled away safely, holding lance and shield confidently.

"Wrap it up! The planes leaving soon!"

Lyra sighed at the voice of her mother, Alexa Nikos. The woman gestured them over, her piercing green eyes gazing at the pair of warriors. Lyra was almost tempted to disobey those instructions so they could continue the sparring match. Then she realized;

"We're leaving to Beacon!" Lyra exclaimed, immediately strapping her golden axe to her back. She ran towards her best friend excitedly, golden eyes shining in excitement. "Pyrrha, we're going to go!"

Pyrrha smiled, folding her spear down and tucking it behind her back. She strapped her shield to her arm, placing her hands on her hips confidently.

"Since we didn't get to finish our fight, how about the winner is the first person to make it to the plane?"

"Oh, you're on!" Lyra smirked, and the two girls immediately took off. Lyra sprinted forward, Pyrrha right beside her. The two girls began laughing as they raced, and Alexa Nikos chuckled softly at watching her beloved children go.

"Okay, you win!" Lyra exclaimed as they skid on the pavement by the plane. It had been close; but Pyrrha had managed to sneak ahead at the last moment. She took deep breaths to try and catch her breath. "That was fun."

"Maybe now you'll actually sleep on the plane," Pyrrha grinned, panting lightly. "Get some rest before it's time to leave."

"Hah, you wish," Lyra rolled her eyes as she watched the people begin to load things into the plane. Alexa Nikos had requested they take a separate plane from everyone else, despite Pyrrha's insistence. While their mother was trying to look out for them, she didn't realize that it only further separated the warrior from everyone else. "Oh, I am so excited..!"

"Yeah...me too," Pyrrha grimaced, a nervous look in her emerald eyes as she looked down. Lyra placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Come on, Pyrrha. You've taken on way worse things than meeting a bunch of new people," Lyra reminded her, a gentle smile on her face. "Someone will be just who you're looking for. I promise!"

"I hope you're right.."

"Are you girls ready?" The pilot yelled down as the people continued to load the plane. Alexa Nikos finally caught up to the girls, smiling. Lyra and Pyrrha ran up to their mother, hugging her tightly.

"Bye girls," Alexa whispered, squeezing them equally tight. "I love you."

"Bye, mom," Lyra responded quietly, scared to let go. But it was going to be okay; Alexa Nikos wasn't going to just disappear. She'd be waiting for when Lyra and Pyrrha came back; and besides, Pyrrha was coming with her. Lyra still had her family with her. "I love you too."

"Goodbye," Pyrrha waved. "I love you. I'll write to you soon!"

After one last hug, they departed. They stored their weapons in the compartment above, their suitcases already taken care of. Lyra gleefully sat down in one of the many empty seats, looking out the window. Pyrrha sat next to her as the plane started.

"I can't believe we're on our way to Beacon," Lyra said breathlessly as she strapped herself in. "What if we're not on the same team? I'll have to threaten the headmaster, and-"

"Relax," Pyrrha chuckled as Lyra began to ramble. "You're going to be fine, even if we're not together."

"But-"

"How would you even make a team name out of L and P, anyway?" Pyrrha questioned. This seemed to deter Lyra's anxious train of thought.

"Uh...Pl...Pal...PL...air..Palh...?" Lyra tried a multitude of combinations, a confused look on her face. "I suck at this."

The plane began to move upward, and Lyra leaned back in her seat in thought.

"Hm...PEAR...no, there's no L in that," Lyra cursed under her breath as Pyrrha chuckled. "P...PLNK?"

"If you manage to find a team name that works by the end of this, I'll be impressed."

Lyra smirked.

"Oh, you're on."

The plane ride passed quickly as the two talked the whole time. Lyra continued to try and think of a team name, miserably failing. At one point, she contemplated forgoing the challenge, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Lyra never gave up.

"So, I was thinking that if you ever had a- OH MY GOSH!" Lyra immediately cut off her train of thought as she glanced out the window. There it was; Beacon Academy in all its glory.

The school was ivory white, surrounded by circular columns protecting the inside. There was a long avenue, with flagpoles lining the sides. A large tower glowing green stood at attention in the middle of the Academy. The plane descended further as Lyra admired the outside.

"It's beautiful!" Lyra breathed, tapping her foot on the ground in impatience. "Come on, come on! Land faster, you dumb plane..."

"Oh, did you ever come up with a team name?" Pyrrha asked, hoping to deter the girl so she didn't die of excitement. Lyra paused, running a hand through her long platinum hair.

"Oh, yeah!" Lyra nodded, looking mildly proud about her idea. "Team... PLNT."

"Ah, that's pretty good," Pyrrha nodded encouragingly, and the plane landed swiftly. Lyra quickly unfastened her seatbelt despite the pilot's insistence to 'remain seated until instructed otherwise". Lyra was about to rush out until Pyrrha instructed her to stay down.

The door opened before long, and Lyra stepped out of the plane excitedly as the pilot cleared them to leave. Pyrrha walked out right beside her.

"Wow. It's beautiful!" Lyra gawked, brushing her platinum blonde hair behind her ear. Yes, Atlas was pretty, but it was nothing like Beacon. Beacon looked so...free and open. "I just...Wow. I can't believe we're finally here."

"Seems surreal, doesn't it?" Pyrrha agreed, watching as passengers began to exit from another plane. They all looked just as they did; amazed. Workers began to take their suitcases from the plane. "I didn't expect this to be quite so big. I know we've been crazier places, but..."

"It's just magical here," Lyra finished, a large grin on her face. "Oh, wow.."

"Oh. My. God!"

A female with bright blue hair and tan skin rushed up to the two females. Her stormy blue eyes were wide in admiration as she jumped up and down.

"You're...Pyrrha Nikos, aren't you?" She gushed loudly, screaming. She was attracting more attention, and people began to gawk and stare in recognition. Pyrrha blushed red as the girl continued to gape. "I'm such a huge fan! Remember that one tournament, you looked like you were about to lose, and then you threw him into the sky and sent him flying! I love Pumpkin Pete's cereal! It's so good! Oh, and Lyra Nikos-wow! You're both attending Beacon Academy!?"

"Oh...That's great," Pyrrha said awkwardly. Lyra shot her a sympathetic smile as the girl began to circle around and around her excitedly.

"Okay, I think we're going to leave now-"

"Oh, I'm Tanya! So, Pyrrha, Lyra, can I have your autographs?" She questioned, eyes never leaving her idols. "I'm such a fan. You're going to be the best huntresses in the world! Eek, I can't believe I got to meet the Pyrrha Nikos!! Oh, I thought you were just a ballerina, Lyra! This is a dream come true!!"

Tanya whirled around in a circle, flailing her arms as she screamed. As she flung her arm outward, she accidentally hit a shorter female, sending her crashing to the ground. Tanya stopped, peering down sheepishly.

The girl on the ground looked rather irritated as she stood and brushed herself down. She had darker skin, framed by her violet hair. Her amber eyes watched Tanya with slight annoyance.

"Please watch where you are going," She sighed, brushing through her hair with her fingers. The girl checked her nails before eyeing Tanya.

"S-Sorry!" Tanya immediately apologized regretfully as the girl finished smoothing herself down. The newcomer clasped her hands behind her back and continued on her way, and Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. "Whoops. My bad.."

"Right. Okay, Pyrrha and I are going to head out," Lyra tried to excuse them from the conversation, pulling on Pyrrha's arm to try and walk away. Tanya didn't exactly get the hint, and followed them as they walked toward Beacon.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Tanya enthused, eyes wide. "Wow! I hope I'm on your team, Pyrrha! Wouldn't that be fun? Or I could be on a team with a famous ballerina...or we could just all be on the same team! What do you think?"

"Yes, that would be...great," Pyrrha smiled, but Lyra knew better. It wasn't that Pyrrha held any ill will toward Tanya, but she hated the fact that Tanya seemed to idolize her.

"It's all just too much to handle!!"

As they continued to walk, Tanya's eyes followed a petite person walking in the opposite direction. They were wearing a hood over their face and a large cloak. This outfit concealed their body entirely, stirring Tanya's curiosity.

"Don't they look a little small to be attending this academy?" Tanya whispered to Lyra and Pyrrha, although her attempt to remain silent was rather awful. Lyra was interlocked within a conversation with Pyrrha, and neither of them noticed Tanya's concerns. The person glanced towards them shyly before looking away. "...Hello?"

"What? What's wrong?" Lyra asked, turning back toward Tanya. By this time, the person was already gone. Tanya shook her head.

"Ah, never mind.."

"Well, I'm so excited to attend this Academy!" Lyra smiled widely, glancing at Pyrrha energetically. Pyrrha offered a small, encouraging but nervous smile. "I think everything is going to turn out really well here. Don't you think so?"

Pyrrha nodded hopefully.

"Yeah. We're going to learn a lot here."