2

A loud noise echoed throughout the amphitheatre, interrupting Ruby. She looked towards the stage and saw Ozpin standing in front of the microphone. He cleared his throat before he began his speech. "I'm going to keep this brief. You all came to this school to obtain new skills and hone old ones. To gain knowledge about the world, and fight the evil that is plaguing it. To make it a safer haven for those who cannot fight for themselves."

Ozpin paused a bit and looked at the new students. "After you leave this school, you'll face dangers like Grimm or maybe something even more deadly." He narrowed his eyes. "That's why you came to this school, so you'd have a better chance of survival, instead of being just wasted energy. I trust that each and every one of you will make your time spent here at Beacon worthwhile." With his speech over, Ozpin walked off the stage.

Glynda walked up to the microphone, instructing the first years. "You will all gather in the ballroom later tonight, and tomorrow morning, your initiation will begin." Once she was finished, Glynda left the stage and followed after Ozpin to discuss more important matters.

"Sooo… what do you guys want to do until tonight?" Ruby asked as she looked at the three other girls.

"That's up to you three, I have better things to do with my time." Weiss sniffed, turning away when she almost choked as a hand yanked on her collar. "Unhand me, you dunce!"

"Come on! Don't be like that! Hey, what if we learn a few things about each other?"

"Is she always so… hands on?" Blake asked as the small girl dragged away her equally as small hostage.

"You could say so." Yang chuckled.

Ruby released her hold on Weiss' ruffled collar, the girl glaring daggers as she smoothed her top. "Let's talk about ourselves! Who wants to go first?"

Weiss finished straightening up herself before observing the girl. "How about you do? Since you took the liberty of dragging me out here, I'd like to know why a girl so young, as you, is at Beacon."

Ruby cheekily smiled. "That's because I'm awesome like that. Grk!" A fist rapped her lightly on her head. Snapping her head left, she saw Yang standing beside her, a roguish smile on her lips.

"Yang! What was that for?!" Although Yang hadn't hit her hard, her dear sister often forgot how strong she was, which meant her 'light' taps felt like rocks being thrown at your head.

Yang smirked as she patted Ruby's back. "Maybe next time you shouldn't sound so cocky." She said teasingly, snickering as Ruby crossed her arms and pouted.

Meanwhile, Blake was lost in her thoughts. Ruby's presence felt… familiar. Why it did, Blake couldn't understand.

"Ruby," she began, gaining the attention of the little redhead, "what did you do before you came to Beacon? "

Ruby stared at Blake before she answered. "I helped out a lot with people when I could. I also helped this special bunch of folks for a couple of years."

'Special? Hm, I don't often do this, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.' "Do you mind telling me who they were?" Blake queried.

Ruby tapped her chin, thinking a bit before she returned her gaze to Blake. "I think they were some faunus that needed help at the time." She turned away too quick, had she lingered a second longer, she'd have seen Blake's widened eyes.

Figuring it was her turn to ask some questions, Ruby turned to Weiss. "What about you, Weiss? What did you do before coming here?"

"Most of my time was spent training in my family's practice arena so that I could attend Beacon when the time was right. It could be tiring at times, but the end result was worth it." Weiss droned.

"You must be pretty good in combat then." She grinned before facing her raven-haired friend. "And you, Blake?"

"Nothing noteworthy if that's what you're asking. I'm just here to try and make a difference." Blake briefly said, a glimmer of emotion flashing across her eyes as recalled the memories of her past.

"Your turn, Yang." Ruby hugged her sibling tightly, smiling wide.

"Don't you already my story, Rubes?" Yang said as she ruffled her sister's mop of hair.

"Yeah, but Weiss and Blake don't, so time to share." She swatted Yang's hand away from her already messed up mane.

"Fine, fine." She patted Ruby on the head, and again, her hand was knocked away. " When I was a kid, I considered it my duty to protect Ruby, she was always getting herself into trouble, ya know." Yang quipped, dodging a swipe from her sister. "Once she was old enough, I decided I wanted to become a huntress, for the thrill of it. You know, fighting monsters, and bad guys, helping the occasional citizen when I could."

"That's still not the full reason, Yang." Ruby chimed.

"You'll know when the time is right, for now though, it's my own little secret." Yang tenderly smiled at Ruby as she placed her hand on her head.

"Fine, have it your way." She rolled her eyes, smiling soon after to show she wasn't angry. "I think it's time we head back. I'm feeling beat." Ruby yawned, the three girls silently agreeing with her.

Yang crashed on top of her sleeping bag, and let her head fall limplessly to the side, the signature colours of her darling sibling coming into view. "Whatcha up to?"

"Just chilling." Ruby turned her head and spotted Weiss headed their way. The little redhead raised her hand and waved her over. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much, seeing as we only spoke like ten minutes ago," Weiss said as she laid out her sleeping bag.

The silky feel of a robe brushed pass her, a shiver running up her arm at the light touch. Sitting up straight, Ruby saw Blake bypass her, opting to sit in the far corner of the ballroom. She opened her book, using the light of her candle to read.

"I'll be back, Yang," Ruby informed her sister, getting up and making her way over to Blake. Sharp gold welcomed her as she towered over the sitting girl. "Hey, Blake! Mind if I sit next to you?"

"I usually prefer to read alone." Blake tried to gently turn the girl away.

"What're you reading?"

"Huh?"

"Your book, what's it about? Believe it, or not, but I like reading too. It was one of the things I did while growing up instead of going out." Ruby offered as an explanation.

Blake stared at the girl joined her on the floor, back pressed up on the wall. "It's about a man with two souls who fight for control over his body."

"Sounds interesting. Do you think I could read it with you?"

"I don't think I'd mind." Blake lightly smiled, centring the book between them so Ruby could see the words. Blake thought it out of character of herself as she entertained someone else's company while she read. She grew accustomed to reading on her own when she found not many shared her interest in literature. It was a nice change from the script to find someone who actually shared a trait she considered hard to find with her.

They read until the candle waxed melted to a stub, lost in their own world.

Ruby slowly woke, a warm weight on her head. Blearily, her eyes opened to see a few strands of long black hair dangling in her face. 'I don't remember my hair being this long.' Rubbing her face, she realized that head was resting in the crook of Blake's neck, and that warm weight on her head was Blake's.

'Guess we fell asleep reading.' Ruby figured if the book between them was anything to go by. "I guess it's time to get ready," said the red hood wearer, still tired. She carefully eased herself out of Blake's slack hold, the girl's head unconsciously shifting to the side as her support vanished.

She got up and began stretching before she turned her gaze to her sleeping sister and Weiss who were in the middle of other bodies.

'Should I wake them up?...Nah.' Ruby picked her stuff up and walked off to get ready.

She came back with her usual attire on, noticing that everyone was now awake. "Since you guys are awake, I'll head to the equipment lockers. See ya there." Ruby waved as she moved towards the exit.

"So, did you guys sleep well?" Yang said as she stretched. "I know I did."

"I had a good night's sleep," Blake stated, thinking back to last night. She did have a good night's sleep indeed. Reading with Ruby until her eyes felt heavy. The sentiment had been shared when Ruby's head fell on her shoulder, soft snores coming from her.

"How about you, Weiss?"

"It was fine," Weiss said straightaway, already on the move. "We don't want to keep Ruby waiting, so get dressed."

Upon entry to the locker room, Ruby steadily moved through the columns of lockers, searching for hers. Turning around another column, she saw a young woman standing in front of her locker.

Ruby had two options. Option one, go over to her locker and ask for an excuse so she could get to her locker and then leave. Option two, go over to her locker, politely greet the girl while getting to her locker.

Option two seemed the wiser choice.

"Here I go." She breathed, mentally pumping herself up. "Hi!" She cheerfully squeaked. Mystery girl's motions came to a halt as she turned to look at Ruby, lips twitched upwards. 'Pretty girl… Familiar looking, too.'

"I'm Ruby. It's nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand.

The girl respectfully received her gesture. "Hello, I'm Pyrrha. It's nice to meet you, too."

'As in Pyrrha Nikos?! The champion of Mistral several times over, Pyrrha Nikos?! Squee! I love her!' She squealed in mental delight. "I knew you looked familiar!"

"Oh, so you know who I am?"

"Mhm!" She nodded, head bobbing so rapidly Pyrrha thought her neck would snap. "I sorta made you my role model before being accepted here. Whenever I see you fight, it drives me to better myself." Ruby averted her gaze, voiced growing faint near the end.

"I'm flattered that I could be such an inspiration for you." Pyrrha graced her with a toothy smile.

Ruby almost screamed, the full smile giving her butterflies in her belly. 'Calm yourself, Rose. You do not want to embarrass yourself in front your role model. Think about something else.' "Your eyes are really pretty, shiny like two emeralds." 'Oh, great, I must sound like a complete suck up. Way to go, Rose.'

Pyrrha giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth. The girl was young, and encouragable in her efforts as she praised her. Though, the praise she received now was far different from what she received in the arena. Ruby's praises were pure and honest, she could tell simply by the gleam in her eyes. It'd been a gleam of honest admiration. Very different from the shallow appreciation given by the masses.

"As are yours. One doesn't often see silver eyes such as yours."

"Hehe, thanks, I, uh, I get that a lot."

"Ruby!" Yang's calling interrupted their little session. Time to go, she guessed.

"That's my sister, I should get going." Ruby beamed brightly. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Pyrrha!"

"Likewise, Ruby!" She shouted as the girl rushed to meet her sister. 'Energetic, but cute.'

Initiation

"Now, that everyone is here, I'll explain how the teams will be assigned. After being launched from the platforms and you land, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner throughout the rest of your time spent here." Glynda observed the students as they spoke amongst each other about the news. "After you find your teammate, you are to head to the ruins hidden in the forest, and grab a relic of your choice from its pedestal," Glynda concluded as she walked back to Professor Ozpin and stood next to him.

"I urge you to be careful, and not to hesitate about killing anything that crosses your path which may pose a threat. I wish you the best of luck." Ozpin bid them his well wishes before the first years launched themselves into the forest.

Ruby glanced at Yang who winked at her before she put on her favourite pair of shades, and launched herself in the air.

"Let's go." Ruby followed her sister's example, taking to the air. It had only been five minutes into the initiation when she encountered her first Grimm. Wait, was that a baby Nevermore?

"Birdie, no!" To her dismay, Ruby had killed the bird on impact. Moment of mourning passed, she remembered where she was. Soaring through the sky. With no landing apparatus. Gradually descending as she lost flight speed.

"Oh, no!" Adjusting her body, she fired a couple of shots, the recoil of Crescent Rose lessening her speed as she fell. The ground grew closer as she continued to fall. Once in range of the trees, she used the blade of her scythe to latch onto a tree branch, sadly forgetting how well maintained she kept the blade as it sliced through.

"This is going to hurt." Ruby closed her eyes, bracing herself as she smacked into the ground at full force, head hitting on a rock before she lost consciousness.

Groans echoed in the forest as the motionless girl woke. She sat up, torso wobbling a little while her nose throbbed. "Trees are painful, must avoid." Ruby rose from the dirt, dusting off herself, and observing her surroundings. "Guess I should move onwards." She started a steady jog through the woods, skipping over branches and shrubbery.

Ruby slowed to a stop, her sluggish run making it easy. She slid into a defensive stance, feet wide, shoulders hunched, eyes wide open. There'd be rustling in the bushes covering if not all, most of the forest. Maybe it was some Grimm, or perhaps a possible partner.

Her eyes shot to the right side just as a shadowy blur sped by. The blur paid her no heed as it kept up its sprint, so it obviously wasn't any form of Grimm.

'That means it's a person!'

Ruby felt excited as she promptly gave chase, catching sight of the blur as she drew close.

"Gotcha!" She lunged at the figure, her speedy momentum sending them tumbling to the dirt.

"Huh?" The blur happened to be the very mysterious, calm, and collected, Blake Belladonna, who could add confusion to that short list. Blake was currently pinned to the ground, raven hair mixing with brown dust as Ruby's slender hands held her in place. 'Why the hell was I taken down so easily? Have I grown lax?'

"Blake?"

Blake peered up at Ruby, noticing how close their faces were, and their awkward positioning. She could feel the tips of Ruby's hair tickle her face, the girl's knee near her groin, causing the muscles to spasm each time she shifted. 'Okay, time for her to get off.' "Mind releasing me?"

Request granted, she got to her feet, shaking the dirt loose from her hair. "I guess we're partners now." 'Rather her over the other options, I avoided.'

"Yeah, it's great, uh…" was the unsure reply.

"Something wrong, Ruby?" Blake asked. Did she not want to be partners with her?

"Um… I'm sorta lost. Do you know where to go?" Oh, so that's what the problem was. Blake, admittedly, worried for nothing.

Blake let out a breath mixed with a chuckle. "Come on, it should be this way." She resumed her sprint, this time joined by Ruby.

Ruby and Blake roamed the forest in search of the ruins until Blake's bowed twitched, ceasing her run as she signalled for Ruby to do the same.

"Something wrong?"

"Shh!" She spread her arms wide, showing her partner the small inhabitants of the forest, scurrying away to find safe haven. "Get ready, something's coming our way." Gaze trained on the woods they'd just explored.

Trees toppled as whatever was hidden in the forest closed in, rumbling growing louder. Suddenly, an orange-haired girl and a boy with pink streaked ebony hair bolted through the shrubs, and straight past them.

"Run!" The boy yelled over his shoulder.

As soon as his warning came, a giant Deathstalker burst forth, pincers snapping dangerously. The Deathstalker let out a mighty roar when its eyes fell on them, rushing towards the two with bloodlust.

"Ya know, I was totally not expecting that." Ruby chuckled before both of them zipped after the two teens, the Deathstalker roaring as it hounded them.

"We'll have to slow it down somehow!" Blake yelled over the rushing wind.

"Got it!" Ruby dead-stopped, bringing Crescent Rose out in one motion as she got on her knee. She shut one eye, the other focused through the scope at the approaching titan. 'Just a bit closer.'

The Death Stalker raged through the forest like an angered bull, toppling over trees with its large pincers and deadly tail. A bit more, and the giant Grimm would be in Ruby's face. i

"Hurry!"

'A bit more…' Ruby steadied her finger on the trigger, applying pressure slowly. 'Now!' Ruby fired two rounds at the trunks of two opposing trees, the trees collapsing under their weight, and falling directly atop the Deathstalker.

"Screeeee!"

"Woooo! Got it!" Ruby rejoiced.

"Good work, but we should go before it breaks free." Blake praised, glancing at the monster that was squirming under the weight of the trees, no doubt in her mind that it would soon get loose.

"Right."

On the cliff, Ozpin watched as the students found their new partners; some happier than others. Shifting to the next slide, he quirked a brow as he saw the newest partnership. 'Rose and Belladonna, interesting.' On to the next one, his brows nearly touched his hairline at this pairing. 'Xiao Long and Schnee. Unusual at best.' And, from what he could tell, they were off to a bad start already. Schnee stomping away, a visibly frustrated Xiao Long spewing cusses as he read her lips.

Ozpin drank a small mouthful of coffee. "Oh, dear, I seem to have forgotten the sugar."

Having created a sufficient distance between them and the Deathstalker, Ruby and Blake came to a clearing where they found the boy and girl from before; the boy panting and trying to catch his breath while the girl had a wide grin on her face. Their arrival must've been heard since the male hailed them.

"Are you two alright? We thought the Death Stalker got you back there." He asked.

"Yeah! That thing was moving like super fast! Ugh, I didn't even get to break its legs!" His bubbly friend complained.

"We're fine. Thank you for asking." Blake said.

"Thank goodness. I'm Ren, by the way, Lie Ren," Ren gestured to his sulking partner, "and this is Nora Valkyrie."

"I'm Blake." She motioned to herself first, then to her companion. "This is Ruby."

"A pleasure to meet you both."

"Likewise."

While Blake and Ren conversed, Ruby glanced over Ren's shoulder and saw a dilapidated structure of broken columns and a crumbling foundation. She tapped Blake on her shoulder, gaining her attention.

"Hey, Blake, are those the ruins we're supposed to be looking for?"

Blake followed Ruby's gaze, spotting the ruins. "It's possible, it won't hurt any if we go check it out."

All four of them headed for the structure in the ruins. Reaching the ruins, they noticed several stone pedestals with chess board pieces.

"Is this it?" Ruby asked.

"It more than likely is," Ren motioned to the pedestals which had missing pieces, "some of them are already missing, which means others have been here before us."

"So, I guess we just take one then?" Ruby turned to Blake for confirmation, grabbing the closest piece to her when Blake nodded while Nora picked up a rook piece, securing it for both her and Ren.

"Alright, we got what we came here for. Nothing can go wrong, right?" Ruby noticed Blake and Ren glance to the side, and the sound of more trees falling in the distance. "I just jinxed us, didn't I? Well, it can't possibly be that bad."

Four figures came out the foliage, triggering a smile from Ruby when she spotted her sister among the four. She cupped her mouth, preparing a shout when the smile slipped from her face, arms returning to her side as a behemoth of a Nevermore flew after them. "I'll just be quiet from now on…"

"We'd appreciate it." Blake and Ren said in unison.

"Um, Ren," Nora tapped her partner on his shoulder.

"What is it, Nora?" Ren's answer came as Nora pointed above them, her focus on the tree that was heading their way. "Get down!" Ren equipped Storm Flower and charged at the hurtling tree. He jumped into the air, turning his body to a side before spinning and meeting the tree head-on. The tree crashed into the ground, missing the three girls by a hair's breadth as Storm Flower sliced it into two. "You girls all right?"

"We're good, thanks, Ren!" Nora chirped.

"Where the heck did that come from?!" Ruby cried out, then she felt someone touch her on the arm. It was Blake, motioning for her to look back. "Do I want to?" Blake nodded her head morosely. "Ugh…" Ruby reluctantly turned around, her eyes centred on the falling trees before the Deathstalker returned, looking might vengeful. "I didn't even say anything!"

"Don't worry! Me and Ren can hold it off. Right, Ren?" Nora said, hefting Magnhil onto her shoulder, getting a grunt of confirmation from Ren.

Ruby's loud cry reached Yang's ears, preoccupied with evading the Nevermore snapping at her heels. Weiss, Jaune and Pyrrha faired no better as they ran.

"Ruby?!" Yang swerved, running for Ruby now.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, meeting her sister halfway.

The instant the two were close enough, Ruby jumped into her sister's arms and wrapped her legs around her waist, hugging her. "Yang!"

Yang wrapped her strong arms around her sibling's waist to support her weight, even though she weighed little. "Ruby!" She twirled with Ruby in her arms before placing her on the ground. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? Do I have to hurt someone?" Fussing as always.

"I'm alright, Yang, you don't need to hurt anyone." Ruby laughed.

"Good, because you know I'd blast them to the moon if you were." Yang removed a piece of Ruby's hair from her face, staring at her before comical rivers of water poured down her cheeks; the same being said for Ruby. "Ruby!" She smothered her sister with another hug.

"Yang!" Ruby reciprocated the embrace.

Little ways off, Blake watched them with a small smirk on her lips. 'What dorks.' Garbled chittering reminded her that they weren't alone. Blake faced the Deathstalker, beady red eyes glaring at it, foam dripping from its mouth while pincers incessantly clacked.'Great, a Nevermore and Deathstalker all in the same day.'

Blake cautiously eased over to Ruby and her sister, making sure she kept her movements steady. Reaching the two girls, she whispered to them, "I hate to break up this lovely moment, but we have two major problems."

Yang and Ruby broke from their hug and rubbed their eyes, tears no longer on their faces.

'Dorks indeed.'

"Gotcha!" Yang exclaimed. "Pyrrha, Weiss, Jaune! Over here!" She hailed the three teens who futilely tried to fend off the gigantic bird; Pyrrha's attack seemed to bear slight fruit, but she couldn't take down a Nevermore on her own. Could she?

The Nevermore intercepted any means of escaping, flying low to rake its talons along the ground. It flew up before it circled again, and came back down for a second attack. Weiss backflipped, switching Myrtenaster's loadout to ice Dust. She made an arch above their heads, a bank of ice appearing just in time to block the beast's attack.

"Nice work, Snow Angel!" Weiss shot Jaune a dirty glare. "I mean, nice work, Weiss!"

"Hmph!" Weiss disregarded him.

'Oh, Jaune.' Pyrrha shook her head, embarrassed for her new partner.

The Nevermore squawked loudly, retreating for the moment.

They made their way over to Yang and the others; Blake and Weiss greeting each other with stiff nods.

"It's good to see you two are unharmed, Ruby and…?" Pyrrha hinted towards the raven-haired girl.

"Blake Belladonna."

"Blake, a pleasure to meet you." Pyrrha smiled.

"Same to you, Ms. Pyrrha Nikos, Champion of Mistral," Blake said, her tone light to show she held no contempt.

"It's good that we're all acquainted, but we should get going soon. That Nevermore will be back any minute now." Weiss interjected, eyes levelled on the beast flying in circles in the distance.

"We can't forget about the Death Stalker either," Blake added, gesturing with her head to the monster that Ren and Nora were currently holding off.

"Weiss is right, let's get moving!"

"Get 'moving' to where, exactly?" Weiss asked.

"We're going…" Ruby's arm shot out, shifting side to side before she stopped in a random direction. "That-a-way!"

"And where is 'that-a-way'?"

"I don't know, but we're going with that-a-way!"

"You expect us to venture further into the forest when we don't know what could be lurking around the next corner, ready to jump at us?" Weiss scrunched up her face. "You're insane."

"Just a lil' bit!"

"No, no, I absolutely refus−Hey!" Weiss felt herself being lifted by the collar of her bolero.

"Yeesh, Ice Queen, you sure do complain a lot," Yang hefted the pale girl over her shoulder, ignoring her indignant cries of 'put me down' and 'let me go', "but you heard what sis said, we're going," she pointed in the same direction as Ruby, "that-a-way!"

"Yeah!" Ruby spun around and yelled for Ren and Nora. "Nora! Ren! We're moving!"

Nora brought down Magnhild with exceptional force on the hard armour of the Deathstalker, stunning it temporarily as she grabbed Ren's collar. "Come on, Ren Ren!"

It turned out that 'that-a-way' was home to more ancient ruins. A grey, stone bridge in the midst of a light fog that concealed the deadly drop beneath. More columns stood in the fog, fractured and covered in moss and other undergrowth.

*Squaw!*

"Crap! Hide!"

Everyone took cover behind the stone pillars as the Nevermore glided over them, perching itself on a lone tower as it scanned the area for its annoyingly elusive prey.

"Don't let it see you!" Ruby whisper-yelled.

*Screee!*

"Oh, geez." Ruby moaned softly. The Deathstalker was back. "Move!"

The Nevermore's sharp eyes caught sight of its prey. Drawing back its enormous wings, it launched a volley of sharp feathers down on them. Weiss stepped up to the plate again, creating another shield of ice. When the rain of feathers ceased, Weiss twirled from behind the block of ice and aimed at the Nevermore, but Nora had beaten her to the punch; firing several shots in quick succession that exploded on contact with the Nevermore.

*Scraaw!* The Nevermore screeched, withdrawing.

Grimm either had some mental connection with one another or the teens probably just had shitty luck. As soon as they sprinted for the bridge, the Deathstalker chased them, it's poisonous tail thrusting dangerously.

*Scrawk!*

Oh, hey, the Nevermore was back now!

Yeah, they definitely had shitty luck.

While the Deathstalker couldn't follow them onto the bridge, it's body too wide, the Nevermore had free reign over the air as it dove straight into the bridge, breaking the weak structure and dividing it in two.

Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha were forced right into the mouth of the Deathstalker. The giant scorpion-like Grimm engaged them in combat instantly. Swiping, and stabbing, and pinching.

The three youths fired back with their own attacks; a barrage of purple and red and green.

"This isn't working," Blake growled. 'Time for a change.'

Blake charged in among Pyrrha, and Ren's fire, making use of the cover as she swung Gambol Shroud at the Grimm.

*Screee!* A giant pincer thrust forward, narrowly missing Blake, but pressuring her to halt her attack.

"Be careful, Blake!" Pyrrha said as Blake rushed in again, electing to leap over the wide sweep, only to be slapped by the Death Stalker's tail. Both the impact of being hit and colliding with the ground left her temporarily dizzied.

Blake wasn't quite sure the amount of time she took to recover, but her dizziness had worn off enough for her to pick herself up. 'Ow…'

"Smash!" Nora's booming vocals echoed in the ruins, slamming Magnhild down on its head. In the meantime, Jaune crashed to the ground, Nora's unexpectant flight school left him stunned.

The Death Stalker squealed in discomfort, driving its tail at the spirited teen. Nora reacted quicker than the monster, squeezing Magnhild's trigger, a minute pink explosion on its cranium as the blast helped her evade. But, that didn't stop the Grimm from coming for her, its golden stinger surging forth.

Nora dodged again, though she accidentally ended up shoving Blake off the bridge.

As she fell, Blake looked up to see the Nevermore flying by. 'Perfect.' She threw Gambol Shroud in its kusari-gama form over to a supporting pillar, swinging with the ribbon onto the avian Grimm. Blake grabbed onto Gambol Shroud's cleaver-like sheath, activating her semblance to propel herself forward in mid-air, and cleaved at the creature's head before landing on its dark mass. She slashed down the length of its body as she ran, jumping off when she reached its tail. 'Damn it! That didn't help any!'

On the side with Yang and Weiss, Ruby shot at their flying foe, accuracy a bit shoddy. In the end, she ceased fire when she noticed Blake riding the beast.

"It's tougher than it looks!" Blake warned after safely landing.

"Then, we just gotta hit it with everything we've got!" Yang said, loading Ember Celica.

Ren, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora wrestled against the Deathstalker, the beast proving to be as daunting as it looked. For every round Nora fired, the Grimm utilized its giant pincers as shields. Deadly, and intelligent.

Pyrrha charged next, the Grimm employing the use of its stinger as done many times before. She rose her shield, blocking the strike, but the strength of the blow pushed her back. In spite of that, Pyrrha hurled Milo at the beast, piercing one of its many eyes.

It shrieked in agony, and in its pain ridden tantrum, knocked Pyrrha to a deadly drop.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune cried out.

On Ruby's side, the girls aimed at the Nevermore, letting shots fly loose as it came in range. The beast navigated around the attacks fearlessly, soon beginning a descent, picking up more speed the longer it stayed in the nose dive. Its wide wing span slammed into the structure they stood on, prompting them to apply any means necessary for surviving out of their element.

Ruby hopped from stone to stone, using Crescent Rose as a spring.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune's cry reached her ears. Imagine her shock when she saw Pyrrha falling.

Ruby hopped off the debris, incorporating Crescent Rose's recoil as it sent her over to the falling Mistral. Pyrrha looked around when a lean arm encircled her waist before Ruby stuck Crescent Rose's blade into the ridge, bringing their descent to a close.

"Thank you, Ruby." Pyrrha breathed.

"You can thank me after we get out of this situation," Ruby said as she tightened her grip on Crescent Rose. "Weiss! A little help!"

At the sound of her name, Weiss looked around and spotted Ruby hanging off the side of the cliff with Pyrrha holding onto her. "Great…" She twirled her wrist and created a coiling slope of glyphs scaling back up the cliffside.

Ruby removed her weapon from the cliff as she and Pyrrha landed on the glyphs. Weiss returned to the fight with Yang and Blake since her job was done.

When they reached the top, they found the others still fighting the Death Stalker. Ruby released her hold on Pyrrha before facing her.

"So, I'll let you and your friends deal with that, then?" Ruby asked, gesturing to the Deathstalker issue.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," The champion said, bounding back over to her comrades.

"Talk about gusto." Ruby whistled, a loud crow in the distance bringing her back to the problem her friends faced. "Welp, back to work." She aimed Crescent Rose at the ground, and pulled the trigger, sending herself airborne over to her companions.

Ruby landed next to the girls, eyes trained on the circling Nevermore. "Any ideas?" She said, announcing her arrival.

"Nope." Yang simply said.

"Our attacks are basically useless," Blake grunted.

"What about you, Ruby?" Weiss narrowed her eyes in disdain at the Grimm.

"Hm..." Ruby hummed thoughtfully. "Aha! I've got it."

"Mind sharing?"

"Okay, here's the plan." Ruby made a come hither motion with her hands, huddling up. "Everyone got it?" They nodded in confirmation. "Good. Now, let's go kill a giant Nevermore!"

After the loud cry sounded, Yang leapt onto a pillar, assuming her position. "Yoohoo!" She loaded Ember Celica before firing some explosive rounds at the beast, capturing its attention.

Annoyed, the Nevermore screeched and flew straight for Yang. Its beak opened, and Yang leapt into its mouth, lodging her left hand on the upper beak while she kept her legs stationed on its lower beak, pressing the Nevermore to keep its mouth open. Yang reloaded Ember Celica with her free hand, releasing consecutive pulses of kinetic energy. She looked at her rear and smirked. 'My job's done.' She jumped out of the Nevermore's mouth, and landed on the bridge below, turning around just in time to see the Grimm smash into the cliff.

Weiss glided past her, her time to play her role.

The Nevermore recovered, and tried to fly away, efforts squandered when Weiss hurled upwards by use of a glyph, and pierced the ground, creating spikes of ice, thereby trapping the Nevermore by the tail. Weiss dropped back, landing on the bridge with the others.

Blake vaulted onto a stone pillar, and wrapped the ribbon tied to her hand around Gambol Shroud's trigger, and tossed it over to Yang, who stood on the opposing column. Yang grabbed onto the pistol, and pulled, stretching the ribbon together with Blake to create a makeshift slingshot.

Ruby used the kickback of Crescent Rose to throw herself onto the ribbon, standing on the blade of her scythe as Weiss created a glyph, the colour shifting to black as she kept Ruby in place.

"Of course, you would think of an idea like this." Weiss was certain Ruby had some form of brain damage. The plan was insane, but working so far.

"Think you can make the shot?"

"Hm, can I?" The pale teen said smugly.

Ruby gave pause, slightly concerned. "Ca-"

"Of course, I can!" Weiss snapped as Ruby faced forward, cocking Crescent Rose while the glyph shifted to red. A low hum reverberated before Weiss sent Ruby catapulting through the air.

Ruby fired multiple shots while airborne, acceleration increasing the more she did until she reached the avian creature, hooking Crescent Rose's blade to its neck, and locking in it in place against the cliff.

Weiss created an entire column of glyphs on the side of the cliff, ensuring that Ruby could maintain her footing before she slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"Yaaaah!" Ruby let out a war cry, sprinting vertically up the cliffside, firing shot after shot as she sped up while dragging the Nevermore along with her. She ended the incursion with one final shot as she simultaneously yanked Crescent Rose, rending the Nevermore's neck from its shoulders.

She landed in a flip before she strolled over to the edge, smiling a bit as she looked at her comrades before she dropped to the ground. Eyes staring at the clouds above, and fatigue taking over, she slouched to the ground, rightfully exhausted. "I'll sleep for days after this."

Those who made it past the initiation were gathered in the amphitheatre, buzzing with anxiousness. They quieted down as Professor Ozpin and Glynda took to the stage, preparing to announce the teams.

Ozpin turned towards the group that Pyrrha and her companions made up.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie, you four obtained the white rook pieces, which means from now on, you shall be known as Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc," Ozpin said as he raised his hand towards the blonde haired boy. Ozpin waited for Team JNPR to descend from the stage before he announced the next team, which was Ruby's.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long, you four obtained the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you shall be known as Team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose." Ozpin, again, raised his hand towards the leader of the team.

Yang glomped onto Ruby and crushed her in a bear hug. "I'm so proud of you!" Yang squealed as she lifted the smaller girl off the ground. "Already a leader of your own team!"

"Yeah, I'm excited too, forgetting the fact that I've never led a team before." Ruby chuckled.

Everyone emptied out the theatre, Team RWBY would soon leave as well had Ozpin not called them back.

"Something wrong, Professor?" Yang asked.

"Not necessarily, Miss Xiao Long, but it has to do with your partnerships," Ozpin stated, hands firmly placed on his cane head.

"What about them?" Ruby didn't see anything wrong with them. They seemed pretty okay to her.

"I don't often do this, but I'm switching your partners." Ozpin rose his hand, stopping any rebuttals. "Now, I know you might not want this, but from what I've seen in the forest between Miss Schnee, and Miss Xiao Long, I think you all may need a mediator among the partnerships."

"So, what are you saying, Professor Ozpin?" Blake asked as the voice of the group.

"Simply put, Miss Belladonna, from now on, you shall be partners with Miss Xiao Long. Someone with your tolerance will be able to handle her sometimes… rash behaviour."

"Why I've never been so insulted." Yang gasped before smiling. "Just kidding. I know I can be a handful."

"Which leads me to my next reason. Despite your brash behaviours, you also have a sunny outlook on things, greatly in contrast to Miss Belladonna's own." Ozpin chuckled when Blake's bow twitched. "You'll both even the other out; Xiao Long's cheerful disposition might brighten Blake's view on things, bring her out of her shell while Belladonna sets you straight should you get too wild."

"Welp! I have no problem with that!" Yang turned to Blake, showing all thirty-two teeth. "What do you say… partner?"

Blake twisted her mouth as she studied her options. She honestly had no issues with being paired with the blonde, but she was already paired with her sister who she found quite the mystery. One, quite rightly, she'd love to solve. On the other hand, Yang was an equally as compelling character. Always full of energy, a smile constantly on her face. Rarely seeing the dull side to a situation. She, in her own right, served to be a riddle. In all, both sisters were interesting. It was up to Blake who she wanted to try solving.

"I say… why not." Blake finally said after quiet deliberation.

"Woo! Alright!" Yang rejoiced, snagging Blake in a tight one-armed hug.

"Sooo, that leaves me… and…" Ozpin watched as Ruby and Weiss stared at each other, expressions unsure.

"Yes, it does. Miss Schnee has a very stern view of things." The pair listened as Ozpin spoke, Weiss standing straighter at the compliment. "Which can be a good, and a bad thing."

She deflated instantly. "How do you mean, professor?"

"While being serious about life can have its good merits, it can also have bad ones as well. People are often afraid to approach those who are always so serious. Hence, my reason for partnering you up with Miss Rose." He motioned to Ruby. "She has a rather relaxed and bubbly nature, one I think might help you became a little less, if you don't mind, stiff."

"Heh!" Ruby giggled as Weiss groaned.

"Don't rejoice just yet, Miss Rose. Should you grow too lax, you may start falling behind." Weiss smiled smugly whereas Ruby whimpered this time. "I'm sure Miss Schnee will have no problem whipping you back into shape whenever you start slipping. She'll make the perfect tutor for someone of your curious nature."

"Eh…" Ruby tugged her collar, side-eyeing Weiss. Weiss wasn't exactly a bad person, but she wasn't the warmest either. 'Sure, she's pretty, like really pretty, and really talented with her rapier. She's also graceful, resourceful and smart, and her voice does that thing where it goes really high whenever she's surprised or angry and it's like super adorable−Gah! Getting side-tracked, Rose!' She lightly shook her head. 'Weiss isn't a bad person, just a little sharp around the edges. I'm sure I can get around that as time goes on.'

"I don't have a problem with that." Ruby straightened out her hand, head bowed slightly as she peeped through her bangs. "Partners?"

Weiss puckered her mouth, eyeing the offered hand. Did she honestly want someone as juvenile and wild as a partner? Though that wildness was what led up to the plan that brought them victory against the Nevermore. And, she did prove self-sufficient and reliant on the battlefront. 'It might not be a terrible setup.'

"Go on, Ice Queen! Shake her hand! You know you want to!" Yang urged.

"Oh, fine!" Weiss gave in as she snatched the offered hand. "Do know I'll work you the bone if you start slacking."

"Deal!"

Ozpin observed as they interacted, faintly smiling. 'An interesting year this is shaping up to be.'