Chapter 5

-Yosuke's Pov-

Continuing my trudge through the forest, I felt the ground beneath me trembled lightly, causing me to stumble.

'What's happening?' I ponder as the rumbling grew louder, accompanied by the distinct sound of dust explosions and an unsettling screech that pierced the air.

'Someone must be fighting up ahead... I should go check it out.'

Resting my gloved hand on Sanction's hilt, I stepped forward slowly whilst observing the area for signs of any irregularities.

Moving closer to the source of the commotion, the sounds of dust and beastly roars served as my guide through the forestry, drawing me closer to the conflict. Swiftly stowing away behind a tree, I peered out to get a glimpse of what was happening.

It was another participant, she was engaged in battle with an Ursa Major. She seemed to be on the shorter side, her blonde hair styled in a faded undercut that went well with her tanned skin. On further observation she seemed to be wearing a black cargo pants with multiple compartments, a tight fitted yellow crop top along with black fingerless gloves—presumably for better grip on her weapon.

'She seems like she'd be useful in combat, I'll watch from the sidelines just to be sure.'

—3rd Person POV—

Ducking beneath its swipe, the blonde took aim at the creature's gut, cocking her shotgun as her boots dug into the soil and steadying herself before swiftly squeezing the trigger.

Combustion dust exploded into the beast's midsection, the clap of dust staggering the Ursa Major backwards. However, the force of the recoil also sent the girl tumbling, only for her to execute a mid-air flip; gripping and swinging herself off of a nearby branch to propel herself towards the Ursa once more.

The beast's roar rang with untamed malice as it raised its monstrous paw, striking at the airborne teen with a burning desire to kill. Though, before it could hit her, she shot at the ground, the force allowing her to maneuver out of the way of the creature's swing.

'She's good… She makes good use of her surroundings as well as her agility and weapon. Though a bit reckless, she seems to know what she is doing.'

Firing behind her, the girl thrusted herself forwards yet again, this time, earning a death stare from the irate Ursa. Opening its toothy maw, the beast revealed rows of blood stained teeth all the while chanting bitter tunes of agony at the smiling girl…

Why is she smiling?

Slender phalanges cocooned around a lever located on the side of her gun, a swift flick of the lever causing unseen changes within the weapon's innards as she touched down atop the Ursa Major, feet crashing against its boney chest-plate as her free hand wrapped around its snout, returning the crimson glare the creature showed her with verdant orbs of mockery, a callous look to her soft features, pursed lips and an unblinking stare momentarily halting the puppet of madness before SHOVING the barrel deep into the behemoth's throat, the beast staggered back, confused as to what the thing on its face was doing.

"It's kinda cold out, don'cha think?" She queried, grinning all the while forcing the weapon deeper, "How 'bout I turn up the heat!?" Shouting so, the girl clenched the trigger causing the Ursa's head to erupt into a smoking sea of flames, blowing it's skull to bits as the creature dropped to its knees, the girl safely gliding to the ground as she released the now non-existent snout.

The creature eventually succumbed to the intense heat, dissolving into nothingness before her eyes. A thin trail of smoke flowed out of the barrel of the girl's shotgun. The blonde teen hefted the weapon over her shoulder with a wide grin, "That was fun."

—Yosuke POV—

Remaining hidden behind the tree I placed a hand on my chin, 'Dispatching of an Ursa major that quickly is rather impressive. Her choice of weaponry is unique as well, along with the way she utilizes it and her agile physique. There's a slight chance that she has a semblance that could work well with mine....'

'Should I partner up with her or should I find someone else?'

Peering out at the blonde girl once more, confusion gripped my mind as I realized that the girl from a while ago had vanished without a single trace leaving me to ponder on her current unknown whereabouts.

Though I didn't have to ponder for long.

Suddenly, a girl's voice came from above, "Hellooo!" I looked up to see the dark skinned girl from before, now hanging upside down from a branch of the tree behind which I hid, her cyan eyes gazed directly into mine with a wide smile etched on her face.

She managed to approach me without my notice... So she can be stealthy when needed? Yet another reason to team up.

"Hello." Waving and returning her smile with a small one of my own.

Her smile grew wider as she swung herself from the branch, landing right in front of me. Introducing herself, "Nice to mee'cha, the names Aria!" She beamed, extending her arm for a handshake, her short blonde hair swayed with the slight winds that had picked up.

'Aria...'

"Nice to meet you too, Aria. My name is Yosuke." I replied, shaking her hand briefly.

Aria's excitement bubbled up as she fiddled with her thumbs before raising a question, "Hey, umm, since we made eye contact n'all, does that mean we're partners now?"

She seems eager, if her fidgeting is anything to go by.

Clearing my throat, I began to articulate my reply, "According to Professor Ozpin, yes." I confirmed with a slight nod of the head.

Upon hearing my words of confirmation Aria's face seemed to brighten a shade as she let out a small cheer, pumping her fist into the air with child-like exuberance.

"Hahaha! This is gonna be so much fun!" She exclaimed, her excitement contagious.

I felt my lips curve into a grin, her excitement rousing a distant memory as I found a part of myself looking forward to our future endeavors.

"Haha! Do it again! Do it again!"

"I think so too." I replied, releasing a small chuckle.

I glanced up at the sky momentarily before returning my gaze to the forest trail, "But, I think we should get going." I spoke as I turned on my heel and sauntered off into the forest's grassy depths. Aria followed close behind, bouncing with a bright smile as she walked.

She must be really happy.

After a few minutes of walking, we finally entered a clearing with what seemed to be a bridge leading to a small temple like structure in the middle.

"Ohh! That looks so cool and ancient!" Aria squealed, clapping her hands together, "Onward!" She said as she marched off towards the ruins.

"Lets go~"

Widening a fraction, I could swear I saw the faint visage of a smiling younger boy decked out in a royal blue.

'So... Similar.' Wincing, my chest tightened the slightest bit before shaking my head to rid myself of such thoughts, 'No. They aren't the same.' I mused, a wry grin forming as I watched the rapidly retreating figure of golden energy.

"Be careful. You might fall." I warned as I followed behind.

-.-

Perched atop the podium were altars adorned with chess pieces, each kind represented by two pieces being either black or white.

'Chess pieces? Those must be the relics Professor Ozpin told us about.' I mused to myself, glancing at Aria who seemed to be vibrating with childish glee before darting off and snatching up one of the pieces.

"The king piece looks so priestly. Makes ya wonder why they didn't name it the bishop instead?" Aria contemplated aloud, as she inspected the relic closely, almost like a child who had just encountered their first math problem.

She really doesn't hold back when she's enjoying herself, huh?

"Ya think so too, right?"

"Right, big brother?"

My breathing hitched, a lump in my throat expanding like a balloon. The comparison between the two arising once more, why are they so simil—

Calm down.

I sighed, 'They aren't the same...' my eyes trailing to the right to see Blake and Yang emerging from the woods.

"Hey there handsome, didja wait long?" Yang asked with a teasing grin as they both strolled over to where I was.

I chuckled as I raised a question, "You two are partners now, I presume?"

"Yep!" Yang replied, puffing out her already big chest.

Blake rolled her eyes at Yang's behavior as she walked up to me, "Who's that?" She questioned, pointing behind me.

I look to see Aria gazing at the other chess pieces, "That would be my partner, her name is Aria." I replied, returning my gaze back to Blake.

Blake looked at Aria, her brow raising slightly, "She seems... like a handful." She said, watching as Aria giddily ran around and examined each chess piece.

I felt my lips curve into a smile as I spoke, "She is, but don't let her playful nature fool you, she is quite capable." I informed.

"I see." Blake nodded as she walked over to an altar, browsing for a while before finally picking up the White Knight piece.

Rustling emanated from the woods to my right, then suddenly... A massive Ursa Major burst forth.

"Wha-!" Aria expressed her surprise, which quickly turned into admiration as she exclaimed, "That looks so fun!"

"You've got to be kidding me..." Yang muttered exasperatedly.

"I wanna try that too!" Aria yelled, nearly shaking the life out of me.

Her enthusiasm was understandable since someone was riding the Ursa. Specifically, a girl with orange hair, followed closely by a boy with a ponytail who appeared exhausted from running for quite some time.

The Grimm collapsed onto the ground, signifying its demise.

"Awww, it broke..." The orange-haired girl lamented.

"...Nora...Please...Don't ever do that again..." The ponytailed boy panted, stopping to catch his breath.

"Drat, I wanted to ride it too." Aria muttered, snapping her fingers.

'Could this day get any crazier?' I sighed, only for a shadow to suddenly loom overhead. I peered up and let out an even heavier sigh at what I saw.

Why...

"Why is a Nevermore here..." I groaned under my breath, my grip tightening around my sword's hilt while watching as the enormous Grimm soared above us.

Yang squinted her eyes, appearing as if she had spotted something.

"Is that–Is that RUBY!?" She exclaimed.

And right on cue, the aforementioned girl began hurtling toward the ground with a prolonged scream.

Yang positioned herself to catch her sister. "I've got you! I've got you!" She assured.

Ruby continued to descend, but just as Yang was about to catch her; a screaming blonde collided with her, and they both ended up in a tree some distance away.

"I don't got you..."

Amidst the increasing commotion, I turned my attention toward the source of the noise, only to witness an Amazonian red-haired girl emerging from the forest and sprinting towards us.

"Whozzat?" Aria questioned, peering over my shoulder from behind.

"That... Is Pyrrha Nikos? But why is she-'

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled, bringing her hand to her mouth as she ran.

The boy named Jaune shouted back, assuring her that he was okay.

Ruby soon leapt down from the tree and rolled to a stop in front of her sister.

"Yang!" Ruby said, sounding joyful as she raised her hands, as if going for a double high-five. However, their hands were interrupted by an orange-haired girl.

"Nora!" The orange-haired girl shouted, popping up between the sisters.

"And Aria!" My rather energetic chimed in as she teammate dived bombed the quartet.

'This is becoming rather...chaotic.'

And just when we thought things couldn't get any crazier, another Grimm joined the chaos.

Which Grimm?

A Deathstalker.

"So now we have to deal with a Nevermore and a Deathstalker? What's next, a King Taijitu?" Blake remarked, crossing her arms with a raised brow.

As if on cue, a series of thuds and explosions echoed from the forest. A pink-haired boy, dressed entirely in black, burst forth from the woods and into the clearing, his lance poised to strike the serpentine body of the King Taijitu beneath his boot.

"The author's really pulling out all the stops, huh?" Yang quipped. Blake and I shared a deadpan expression.

The boy raised his red-gold weapon and swung, effortlessly decapitating the Grimm with a single swipe before looking our way.

Everyone eyed him in silence for a moment, causing his face to scrunch up in what seemed to be irritation.

"What? Was I not supposed to kill it?" He asked, raising a brow.

The bushes behind the boy rustled, and emerging from the bushes was a girl with short pink hair, donned in a smoke themed super crop top with a thin fuchsia pink seam stretching across her sizable cleavage; merging into a black tube top accompanied by a dark grey cargo pants and dual knives strapped to either thigh with both hands enveloped in florescent pink fingerless gloves.

"Toño, stop idling and get the relic." She instructed, as she cast a languid gaze at the Deathstalker that was a good distance away from the group.

The boy, now identified as Toño, huffed, "Yeah, yeah." Attaching his spear to his back, he waved dismissively as he walked towards the altars.

'First Grimm, and now twins?' I sighed inwardly. Today was filled with surprises.

"I can't take it anymore!" Yang screeched, her frustration evident. "Can everyone just chill out for a few seconds before something crazy happens again!!!" Her hair shimmered with a brilliant gold, as her lilac eyes transitioned to crimson.

"Umm, Yang?" Ruby interjected, pointing up to the sky. Yang let out a sigh that seemed to convey defeat.

Weiss was still clinging onto the Nevermore.

"How could you leave me here!" The heiress shouted against the billowing winds, frustration evident in her voice.

"I did say jump~!" Ruby yelled back, shrugging awkwardly as she peered up at the flailing heiress.

"She might fall, you know?" I commented, glancing up at the Nevermore.

"She'll be fiiiine." Ruby replied confidently, waving away my comment.

"Aaaand she's falling," Aria chimed in.

—3rd Person Pov—

Jaune mustered all his strength and managed to stand upright, a hint of exhaustion evident in his huffs. He lifted his head, his gaze fixating on the descending figure of the Schnee heiress.

'If I catch her and showcase my bravery, she'll surely develop feelings for me!' He thought, a small grin forming on his face.

Balancing himself on a tree branch, he waited a few moments before leaping off, skillfully catching Weiss in a bridal-style hold.

'Perfect, now to display my heroism!'

With a rizztastic grin, Jaune's dark blue eyes met Weiss's pale blue ones as he smoothly commented.

"Just, dropping in~" He delivered in his most charming voice.

Weiss stared at him, her lips slightly parted in disbelief, before her eyes drifted downward to the still-distant ground.

'Now I just need to land and-'

Land. Where is land?

Jaune's grin faded as he realized the situation, his own gaze shifting to the ground below.

"Uh oh."

They continued their descent, with Weiss landing on Jaune's back, resulting in an audible crack in his spine.

"My hero." She remarked dryly, rolling her eyes, while inspecting her fingers as Pyrrha was seen fleeing from the Deathstalker in the background. Pyrrha dove, sliding to a stop at Yang's feet before quickly getting to her feet and dusting herself off.

"Well, the gang's all here. Now we can die together," Yang quipped in a highly unenthusiastic tone.

Ruby turned to her with a small grin. "Not if I can help it!" She declared, exuding confidence in her tone as she darted off.

"Hey, don't hog all the fun for yourself!" Aria chimed in, a wide grin etched on her face as she propelled herself forward with a pull of her shotgun's trigger.

'... She really is a handful.' Yosuke sighed inwardly as he slowly unsheathed his weapon, Sanction.

"The joints and eyes are its weak points." A soft female voice stated matter-of-factly.

Yosuke glanced back to see the pink-haired girl from before yawning and rubbing her eyes. He raised an inquisitive brow, studying her.

"Hey, stop staring, I don't like it." Toño frowned, stepping in front of the pink-ette protectively, his pink gaze narrowed at Yosuke.

Yosuke scrutinized the two, his eyes locating the Black King chess piece in the boy's hand.

'It seems we're all members of the same team...'

The girl regarded Yosuke with a knowing gaze as she spoke, "We'll have time for introductions later. For now, focus on the Grimm."

Yosuke nodded silently, redirecting his attention to the task at hand.

Ruby sprinted along the wind to the crab-like creature, rapidly firing her weapon at it.

The shots merely left small scratches on the tough exoskeleton, dents and nothing more, only serving to enrage the already frustrated tool. In retaliation, the Grimm snapped its tail at the young Rose, squeaking in surprise only to leap back at the prompt.

Aria spiraled in from above, her weapon aimed at the Grimm's head. However, just as she was about to pull the trigger, the Nevermore cawed, spreading its wings and unleashing a barrage of razor-sharp feathers toward the ground.

Aria adjusted her gun, shooting to the side to propel herself out of range of the attack. Ruby dashed back to the group, skillfully dodging and weaving through most of the feathers, but one managed to embed itself in her cloak, pinning her to the ground.

"RUBY!!!" Yang's voice pierced the air, filled with worry as her legs burned towards the unfolding scene. Yosuke kept his gaze fixed on Ruby but remained motionless.

Struggling against the feather's grasp, Ruby fought to break free, but her efforts proved futile as the stubborn feather remained embedded in her cloak.

"Hey, get outta there!" Aria shouted from a distance, propelling herself forward with a shotgun blast, only to be met with yet another barrage of incoming feathers.

"I'm trying!" Ruby screamed back, her struggles intensifying.

However, it was too late.

The Deathstalker had closed in, its tail menacingly poised above the young Rose. Witnessing the imminent danger, Yosuke leaned forward, tightening his grip on his sword. But as he was about to make a move, a streak of white blazed past him, encasing the Deathstalker in a sheet of ice, its tail mere inches away from Ruby's face.

'It seems I won't need to intervene after all.' Yosuke huffed.

"You are so childish!" Weiss scolded.

Ruby cautiously opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the frozen stinger, before slowly lowering her arms from their protective position over her head, locking her eyes on the silhouette of her savior.

"Weiss...?" Ruby's voice held a hint of uncertainty.

"And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style," the heiress continued, her tone softening.

"But if we're going to do this, we'll have to do it together. So if you stop trying to show off, I'll be..." She paused, a light blush gracing her cheeks. "Nicer." She conceded with a hushed whisper.

"I'm not trying to show off. I just want you to know that I can handle this." Ruby retorted easily, staring up at the alabaster Schnee.

"You're fine." Weiss stated dismissively before walking away.

Ruby ran back and quickly reunited with Yang, who promptly enveloped her in a tight bear hug, squeezing her so tight she nearly popped.

"Yang... Can't breathe..." Ruby gasped, tapping her older sister's back in surrender.

Yang relinquished her hold on Ruby, flashing a sheepish smile, "Heh, Sorry..."

"Um, guys, hate to interrupt, but, uh... Shouldn't we just get out of here? I mean, we don't have to fight the Grimm... right?" Jaune's spoke, glancing back at the still frozen Deathstalker, a chuckle of uncertainty escaping his throat.

"He's not wrong. Our mission is solely to retrieve the artifact and make it back to the cliff. There's no point in engaging the Grimm further than necessary," Yosuke agreed.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, aligning with the idea.

Well, not everyone.

'Where's Aria?'

---

A/n: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the chapter (obviously). This is my first time writing an RWBY fic that actually managed to go somewhere past the first chapter and I think I've done a pretty good job so far. But, all the credit isn't mine to take since aloliindisguise played a huge part in it's creation and ideas for characters. Honestly, without his greater experience I might've shelved this one due to being unable to express myself as well as he could.

And now, after finishing Volume 1, I can safely say that we have gotten better at writing and that much will be more evident in the coming chapters. Though we still do struggle in some areas, the improvement is still there.

From here on, I'll be doing weekly releases which will be published every Saturday.

That's all-

Oh, and, like and leave a comment. If you have any questions, ideas or theories don't be afraid to share.

Now that's all fr, Karma out.