DISCLAIMER: I do not own RWBY. All rights belong to RoosterTeeth. Any relations to individuals or places are purely coincidental.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

CHApTEr 01: CorpSE flOWEr

The morning sun had risen high enough in the sky to allow beams of light to slip through, causing the occupant of the bed to shuffle around in annoyance, as evident by their groan as they pulled their covers over their head in an attempt to block out the sunlight.

"Come on." a witty female voice called out as the door to his room cracked open. No figure entered. Unless, of course, a cat counted as a figure. "Out of bed, you lazy bum. Today's the day."

"Five more minutes..." the occupant of the bed replied sleepily, carrying a soft masculine voice. After a bit more shuffling, the movement underneath the covers vanished promptly.

Meaning, the boy had gone back to sleep. The unseen figure sighed as the cat leaped onto the nightstand next to the bed, looking at the lump with a look of agitation before it leaped on top of the lump and snuck its way inside before-

"YEOW!"

Screams and curses that would make a sailor blush echoed throughout the empty house as the bed shook violently as its occupant fought for dear life, struggling to face off against a calamity far worse than the Creatures of Grimm. After three minutes of engaging the enemy, the bed sheets were torn off and the bed's occupant fell flat on the floor, proceeding to scream and yell as he clutched the back of his head, rolling on the floor.

"That's what you get for not getting out of bed." the unseen figure said snidely, enjoying the sight of seeing the scratch marks on the poor boy's face. "Now, unless you want another round of tango, get dressed."

"Witch..." the boy growled as he sat upright. He was somewhere in his mid to late teens, bearing a mop of blonde hair with a few odds and ends sticking out. His eyes were a beautiful dark blue color. His sleep attire, little more than a loose white shirt and black dress pants, were in slight disarray due to his tussle with the cat earlier. "Did you have to do that?! I mean, you could have settled for tearing off my blanket!"

The unseen female snorted. "Now, where would the fun in that be?"

"I swear, Cheshire..."

The cat snickered and proceeded to walk out the room, flicking its tail. Grumbling, the blonde boy got up to his feet, wincing as he gently touched the fresh cuts on his face, courtesy of the feline that mauled him moments ago.

Why couldn't I have just gotten a dog for a familiar, instead…?

Shaking his head in sadness for his past self's stupidity, wondering if he would still have this problem if he had just made man's best friend his companion, he went over to his dresser and pulled open one of the slots, revealing an assortment of clothing inside. Without a care in the world, he rummaged through them, tossing clothes he didn't like into a slowly growing heap on his bed.

"Nope. Nope. Not this one. Definitely not this one. I mean, who wear's pink? ...oh, hey! I remember getting this! Shame I don't like Pumpkin Pete's anymore. Aha, here we go…!"

Ten minutes later, the blonde haired teen came down to the rather quaint and lavish looking living room, dressed in what looked like professional attire fit for someone of high-class, or at least someone who had their foot set in the world of business. For footwear, he wore polished black leather dress shoes with dark violet laces, tied neatly with navy blue socks. Black dress pants hanged off his waist perfectly, almost a tight fit if he was being honest, noting how uncomfortable it was around the crotch especially. Covering his upper body was a crisp white button-up shirt with a black vest sitting over it, complete with a black and gold striped necktie. Over his hands were thin black gloves with a symbol woven on to the back of the hand, resembling a curved moon, with another curve, slightly wider above it.

"Mama likes..." the female voice called out with a purr. The blonde teen looked over at the counter, where the cat was staring at him. If it was possible, the cat had a wide grin on its face. "This one approves greatly."

"Can you please stop staring at me like I'm some kind of slab of meat?" he begged as he adjusted the necktie, finding it similar to a noose. "Also, when does the flight for Beacon leave?"

The cat flicked its tail again, licking its paw. "In about two hours." it answered, with the same female voice no less! "Plenty of time to study up on a few tricks and have breakfast."

Smiling, the teen nodded. Closing his eyes, he held his arms out as a faint white glow began to dance around his body. Opening his eyes, revealing them to be glowing somewhat, he proceeded to clap his hands, releasing a small wave of noise over the surrounding area.

In the next few seconds, movement began to appear around the living room. Primarily in the form of brooms, which used the thick strands of its body as makeshift legs while the stick portion of its body proceeded to grow a set of arms. The animated broomsticks then began to move about, a few moving into the kitchen and grabbing dinner plates, cups and several items from the cupboard and fridge while another began to fire up the stove.

It was a surreal sight. Almost something straight out of a Disney movie, whatever that was. The cat looked at the sight and shook its head. "You know, it's days like this that I'm left utterly baffled by you." it said. "You, one of the few people who're capable of magic, using it for something as mundane and useless as bringing a few objects to life and using them to do chores!"

"Hush, Cheshire." the blonde chastised the cat with a grin as he took a seat. "It's convenient. Besides, what else am I supposed to do with it?"

"For starters, use it as it was intended." Cheshire deadpanned, hopping off the counter when a broom went to grab the sugar pot before the cat leaped up to the dining room table. "Enchantments, combative armaments, construction. Those sorts of things."

The boy looked rather sheepish as he scratched his cheek. "Okay, to be fair, so far, I only know how to use basic elemental spells and enchantments. As well as bringing inanimate objects to life." he reminded Cheshire. "I'm still learning the advance stuff."

Cheshire groaned. "How, exactly, did a dullard like you come to wield magic?" it asked itself as it shook its head. "And moreover, how did I get stuck being the familiar of Jaune Arc of all people?"

"Zip it, furball. I can turn you back into a stupid alleyway cat."

Immediately, Cheshire's fur stood on end, looking positively horrified. "You wouldn't!"

"Want to test me?" Jaune challenged the cat. Seeing the defeated and sullen look on its face, he grinned and proceeded to scratch its ears, eliciting a purr. "Relax, Chess. I'm not going to do that to you. For better or worse, I'm stuck with you."

An animated broomstick arrived, carrying a plate of food in hand. Toasted bread with melting butter already on top of it, a few croissants and a pot filled with tea. Nodding in thanks at the broomstick, which bowed back to him – and nearly smacking itself against the table in the process – and took its leave. Pulling his hand back, Jaune took the warm bread into his hand and took a bite out of it.

"Today's going to be a good day!"

...or not!

It was at times like these Jaune really wished he knew an enchantment that prevented motion sickness. It hadn't even been five minutes since the airship had departed from the port and already he was hovering around the nearest bathroom he could find, ready to barge in and dump his contents in the first toilet he could find. He was holding it rather well, all things considered, but it was only a matter of time before-oh dear, turbulance.

"Urp-!" Jaune groaned, keeping a mouth over his hand. "Urgh… Please let the ship reach Beacon soon."

"Doing okay there, Suits?"

Jaune looked next to him, finding a bombshell of a girl facing him with a curious look on her face. Actually, thinking she was gorgeous would be an understatement. Beautiful wavy golden hair, lilac eyes that burned like embers and a heart-shaped face that could make your heart melt. Her choice of clothing didn't really help matters, either. He could honestly feel his nether regions growing more uncomfortable.

Desperately reciting a mantra in his head, he kept his eyes focused on that beautiful face, rather than the gracious view she was giving him. Seriously, how big were they? Wait, no. Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts! "Um, y-yeah." he swallowed down his bile, gagging as he forced a smile. "Just peachy...and hoping the ride ends soon."

"So I've noticed." the blonde remarked, putting a hand on her hip. "Would hate for you to stain the fancy dress, though. Looks like its a pain to clean up."

"N-not really. It's easier than y-you think..." Jaune told her before a rather foul-tasting burp escaped him. The airship lurched slightly, making his stomach even worse than before. "It's getting rid of the smell that's the problem."

"I bet." she giggled. "By the way. My face is up here."

Shit, he was staring? Wait, why did she sound so amused? Was she Cheshire? When did she grow a human body? Actually, no. Wait. Cheshire wouldn't like having such an enormous bust. He once heard her gripe about how uncomfortable it must be, what with the back pain and all.

"Sorry." he apologized. His stomach growled angrily. His face paled. "O-oh, gods… Excuse me for a second!"

Quickly, he dived into the bathroom. Seconds later, the blonde girl heard violent retching sounds from inside the boys bathroom, making her wince. "Oof. That does not sound good." she remarked, feeling sorry for the poor guy. Such a shame, too. That suit of his looked very nice. Especially around the legs!

Wanting to explore more of the ship, and maybe make a few new friends before they arrived at Beacon Academy, she went further into the bullhead, eventually coming across a girl who was admiring the passing view. She blinked once, twice as she rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Ruby?" the blonde girl asked in a stupor. The red-hooded girl yelped and whipped around, revealing a young face with black-and-red hair and silver eyes. "What're you doing here?! W-weren't you back home in Patch?!"

"Huh? Yang?!" the silver-eyed girl squeaked in surprise, looking as if she had just been caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Which had happened before, much to her chagrin. Not her fault! "Um...surprise?"

By the time Jaune had finally stopped dumping his breakfast into the toilet and washing up his face, looking at least slightly more presentable, the airship had finally arrived at its destination. The door dropped open, allowing everyone to step and get their first real look at Beacon Academy.

Pictures had not done the place justice whatsoever. A real shame Cheshire couldn't come. Jaune thought with a sad smile as he walked out of that flying death trap, swallowed up in the crowds. She had to look after the house when I left. The brooms can only stay active for so long, after all. He soon paused at that line of thinking, however, cupping a chin and looking up thoughtfully. Actually, now that I think about it… How can a cat take care of a house all by its little lonesome?

It was definitely something to question his familiar about when he had the chance. Looking at the academy in front of him, he couldn't help but note how imposing the walkway looked from this distance. Especially with the statue out in front. Had he not known any better, he thought the message the school was sending to its applicants was, "Welcome to Beacon Academy, where you'll be training to become warriors or die trying!"

Okay. Maybe not that last one.

Okay, let's see here… Taking out a small pamphlet from his pocket, he unfolded it and looked at its contents, showing a map of the school grounds. The opening ceremony should be in the ampitheatre, right? Where is it…? It was only now as he was looking at the map that he realized how big the campus was. Was this seriously supposed to be a school, or was it just one giant huge mansion those rich folks had? Or was everywhere like this?!

...wow. I really need to get out more often. Jaune thought sadly. His mind drifted back to happier days, back when he was still with his family, albeit little more than a tyke playing around with his older sisters while spouting nonsense and getting into trouble like children always did.

God, he missed his family. When was the last time he had seen them? Had it really been that long since he secluded himself away in that small little hamlet in the middle of nowhere, far away from his old home? Thinking on that definitely made the pain in his heart worse than it already was.

Sucking in a breath, he shoved his depressing thoughts to the back of his mind and folded the pamphlet, slipping it back into his pocket. The opening ceremony was supposed to begin sometime in an hour, so he should have some time to look around.

"Ooh! Sis-sis, look! That kid's got a collapsable staff! Eeek! And she has a fire sword…!"

Somebody sounds excited. Jaune mused. The source of the noise was a girl, a few years younger than himself, with red-and-black hair and silver eyes while wearing a black corset with a black-and-red skirt, complete with leggings and boots. For some reason, she had a red cloak with a hood attached to the outfit. What had him interested, however, were her eyes.

Silver.

Huh. Weird eye color. he thought before realizing something. Wait. Didn't she say that silver eyes were a pretty rare in Remnant?

"Easy there, little sister." a familiar voice chastised the girl. Looking more closely through the coming and going crowds, Jaune realized the blonde girl from earlier was with her. "They're just weapons."

"Just weapons?!" the silver-eyed girl gasped. "They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! And their cool!"

Okay, weapons geek, much?

"Am not!"

Jaune blinked. Suddenly, the two girls were staring at him, the shorter of the two giving him a small pout of indignation. "Oh." Realizing his blunder, he at least had the decency to blush out of embarrassment. "I said that out light, didn't I?"

"Yep." the blonde chuckled. "Feeling better now that you're not a hundred feet in the air, Suits?"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Jaune groaned. Just thinking being back on that flying death trap was enough to unsettle his stomach. "It's bad enough I have to think about the fact that I'm going to have to get used to flying on missions while we're here. Assuming we pass Initiation, I mean."

"Oh, I think we'll do fine." she insisted before offering him a hand. "Name's Yang, by the way. This is my little sis, Ruby."

Jaune blinked. He looked at the now-named Ruby, who waved shyly at him. Then back at Yang, who was grinning. Back at Ruby, then back at Yang. "...half sisters?" he guessed haphazardly. Yang nodded in affirmation. "Huh. Okay, then. I'm Jaune Arc." he introduced himself as he clasped her hand. "Short, sweet and the ladies love it?"

"Do they really?"

"They will!" he insisted before he promptly faltered. "I mean, at least I hope they will. Cheshire likes to tease me about it."

"Cheshire?"

"My cat. And my annoying roommate." he answered.

Yang giggled. "Whatever you say, Lady Killer." she teased him, making him pout. She looked back at Ruby, ready to lecture her about reaching out to other people instead of geeking out about their weapons and making an attempt to actually learn to make friends, considering they would be in teams for most of their time here. However, a light bulb lit up above her head, causing her to break out into a grin. "Hey, Ruby! I got an idea! Why don't you go hang out with Suits over here! He can be your first friend!"

"W-wait, what?!" Ruby cried in shock. "B-but I thought-!"

Before she could even get a word in, Yang was already gone, swallowed up by a crowd of people that appeared straight out of nowhere. Left dazed by the tide, Ruby nearly tripped on her feet and fell back. She would have fallen on a passing trolley with suitcases filled with Dust vials, were it not for Jaune catching here in time.

"You okay there?" he asked. Still dizzy, Ruby nodded and responded with a bunch of gibberish. "You have a really lively sister, don't you?"

"Yeah..."

After Ruby became coherent enough, the two left the main avenue. While Ruby was angry at Yang for ditching her like that, she would at least try and make an attempt to make a friend with Jaune. Well, assuming he'd want her as a friend, anyway.

As they left, a white-haired girl with icy blue eyes watched them leave, slightly curious as to why a girl that young was here at Beacon before shrugging her shoulders, making her way to the ampitheatre where the opening ceremony was going to be held.

"Wait, so let me get this straight. You stopped this big time criminal from robbing a Dust shop?"

Ruby nodded, slightly embarrassed as he recounted her exploits the other day. "Um, y-yeah."

"And you were brought to the police station by a Huntsmen, who saved you in the nick of time before you got turned to burning red charcoal."

"Yep."

"A-and the Headmaster himself offered you a place here at Beacon, despite being only a second-year student at a training academy?"

Ruby nodded. Jaune was stunned into silence. While he wasn't made fully aware of what was going on in the world, due to his seclusion and whatnot, he never really expected to hear a story like that. It was like something out of those comic books he got whenever he had the chance. Of course, Ruby hardly looked the part of a super hero. Or maybe she did. They were technically here to train and become warriors, weren't they?

"...have to admit." Jaune finally said with a smile. "That's actually pretty impressive. Skipping two whole grades like that. Though I can't imagine it'll be easy. Aren't academies like Beacon supposed to be way harder than combat training academies?"

Ruby nodded. "They are. Especially Shade Academy, if what Uncle Qrow says is true. To be kind of honest, I'm a little worried. I mean, I don't want to be the bee's knees! What if people look at me different just because I got here early?"

"You'll be fine. Sure, some people might look at you funny, but everyone came here for the same reason, right? I doubt they'll see you any differently than they see others."

Either that, or he was giving people way too much credit. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been in school for years now. Not since he discovered his newfound talent for slinging spells and whatnot. At best, he remembered that you had to remember lots of things, such as math and history. Cheshire had more or less taken it upon herself to educate him, much like a nagging mom would, but there was only so much a cat could do to teach a youngster like him.

Ruby greatly appreciated his words, but soon afterwards an uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them. Jaune struggled to think up a new topic. Maybe he could show her a magic trick? Not a literal one. Cheshire warned him not to go showing it off unless he wanted to attract the wrong attention. His teacher told him the same thing when he discovered his new talents, and that the only people that needed to know about his powers were people he could trust. People who could keep secrets.

Before he could say anything, Ruby broke the silence first. "So, um, I have this!" Grabbing something attached to the back of her belt, she whipped out a red object, resembling some kind of customized rifle. With a click of a button, however, parts and pieces began to shift and extend, spreading out and growing thinner until it became a totally new shape: a long bloody red scythe with a wicked edge. "This is Crescent Rose! She's my sweetheart!"

Jaune took a step back in shock when Ruby slammed the blade into the ground, as if making an emphasis. "Um...cool?" was all he could offer while doing his best not to ogle. Seriously, where did she get that?! That looked way better than-than…

...oh, god dammit! He knew he had forgotten something!

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked him with a concerned look when she noticed his frustration. "D-did I do something wrong?!"

"No, you're fine. I just...remembered that I forgot to bring my weapon with me." At this, the silver-eyed girl's face fell into shock and horror. Whether it was the fact that she believed him to be virtually helpless or the fact that he didn't have a weapon was up in the air. She truly must have been a weapons nerd. "It-it's something of a family heirloom. It belonged to my great-grandfather when he fought in the Great War."

"That's terrible! Shouldn't you get someone at your home deliver it to you?!"

Jaune laughed weakly, trying to imagine the look on Cheshire's face right about now, no doubt having already discovered his missing sword and shield. It was surprisingly painful to think about, actually. Would she actually be capable of glaring at him like that? He honestly hoped not. "The only person home is my annoying cat." he told her, causing her face to deflate further. "It's fine, though. I'm not totally helpless."

She looked curious, but he didn't indulge her. Instead, he changed the subject. "We should probably be going to the ampitheatre." he suggested, taking out his pamphlet again. "We haven't gotten very far from the main avenue, so it shouldn't be too far."

"Okay..." It was clear that she really wanted to see his weapon. Chuckling and assuring her that he would let her see it when he had the chance to go get it back from home, he made a mental note to study up on his teleportation skills.

It couldn't possibly be as bad as transformation, right?

The ampitheatre was crowded, though that wasn't unexpected. Many of these people were all potential first year students. Initiation was more or less the entrance exam, from what he knew. If you passed, you were an official student of Beacon Academy. If not, pack your bags and wait for the next flight out of Beacon. It was harsh, but at the same time, also fair. That much Jaune understood.

Ruby parted with him shortly after when Yang had called out to her, having saved her a spot. The look on the girl's face as she left him made it clear she had some choice words for the blonde for leaving her behind. Jaune then began to look for his own seat while waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.

Thankfully for him, there was a spot open, one that a girl was kind enough to offer him. Much like Yang, she wasn't lacking in the looks department, but whereas Yang was bold and daring, this girl held an amazon vibe. Red hair tied into a ponytail, bright green eyes and a golden circlet on her crown. A red sash hanged from her mini skirt, matching with her corset and bicep long arm gloves.

"Thanks." he told her gratefully. "Man, it is crowded."

The red-haired girl nodded in agreement. "It is, isn't it? Then again, it does show how many people aspire to become Huntsmen and Huntresses."

Yeah, maybe. Even so, this is just-

Suddenly, his mind went blank, as if he had just short-circuited. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight. His skin tingled, as if it was lit aflame. Something in the air had changed. Jaune didn't understand what was happening, nor why he suddenly felt his insides heat up as they usually had whenever he was casting a spell. This had never happened before. Something was wrong, but what?

When he looked up at the podium, he felt the back of his head start to ache. There was a man in front of the microphone, wearing a black suit with a green scarf with a mop of gray hair and small dark sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.

What? Who? How?! Wh-wha-?

Then, suddenly, the unusual phenomenon vanished, as if it had never occurred in the first place. Blinking, Jaune looked around, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. No one looked puzzled, meaning he had been the only one to experience that phenomenon. He looked back at the podium, finding the man clearing his throat as he prepared to address the students.

What just happened…?

"I'll... keep this brief." the man began with a tired tone. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people." He took a momentary pause, looking at the crowd of students, which seemed to buzz in excitement. His words stirred up the inner child in them, as if they were being praised. When he continued, however, the crowd was put into a heavy silence. "But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."

"Wow..." Jaune murmured, laughing weakly while the red-haired girl next to him had a shaky smile. "Talk about peachy, prof."

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

The Headmaster of Beacon Academy then left the podium, leaving them all to their own thoughts while someone else spoke to the students in the wake of his rather peculiar and disheartening words. Jaune didn't pay much attention as he watched the man leave, feeling his mind becoming more fuzzy. Something about the Headmaster seemed very off. Why, he didn't know.

Maybe I should talk to teacher about this, the next time I see her. Jaune decided shortly with a nod.

Unknown to him, however, Ozpin had been looking at Jaune with a strange look in his eyes, as if he was studying something that left him confused and befuddled. "Sir?" Glynda Goodwitch called after she finished directing the students, returning to his side. "Is something wrong?"

"Glynda." Ozpin began. "Who is that young man? The blonde one with the old-fashion coat?"

Glynda looked puzzled by his request. Regardless, she heeded it and scanned the crowd as they began to leave. It didn't take her long to find Jaune as he got up to leave with the rest of them. Opening her Scroll, she quickly sorted through the information, fingers moving at a speed even Bartholomew would be envious of. In seconds, she found the young man's information.

"Jaune Arc. Age, 17. The youngest of eight siblings, and only son to the Arc Family." she reported, earning a surprised look from Ozpin. It had been a long time since he had heard anything about the Arcs, who had long since faded into obscurity. "According to his transcripts, he's never studied at combat training academies and was homeschooled for the majority of his life. He's also lived by himself for the past seven years."

"Is that so?"

"Is there something wrong with the boy being here, Professor?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Ozpin shook his head as he waved a hand in dismissal. "Something about that young man just feels...familiar, for some reason."

Jaune felt his cheeks flush as he struggled not to look around the room, keeping his eyes glued strictly to where he was going. He was suddenly very much glad that Cheshire wasn't here with him, otherwise she would be laughing her ass off.

Seriously! Did these girls' parents actually let them wear clothes like this?! Hell, he swore he saw someone in just their underwear! At least the boys had some decency. Okay, wait, scratch that, they didn't. He caught a few topless, showing off their muscular bods and subsequently making him feel very inadequate.

What the hell did you have to do to earn abs that you could grill a steak on, for crying out loud?

Finding a place to sit wasn't too hard. There seemed to be plenty of room in the far back. Taking the opportunity, Jaune opened up his bag and pulled out a few tomes. They were pretty old, with the bindings and spine practically ready to fall apart at the seams, but it wasn't anything he could fix. He had finally gotten a hang of enchanting, so he could probably make these books last much longer than usual. Most people would just automatically assume he was reading average books, maybe on history or something. In reality, however, the tomes had been purposely encrypted, in no small part thanks to Cheshire. That cat, for all her annoying traits, was very good at hiding things in plain sight.

He just didn't understand her unnecessary love for crossword puzzles, though.

5 – 3: Elemental Constructs

Elementals are spirits that have existed in Vytal for an unknown amount of time. Some evidence suggests that they have been around far longer than humans have. However, there is little to no information about this creatures, as they are usually invisible to the naked eye. Even the few who are capable of perceiving them can only see a faint shape, but nothing definite.

The term "elemental" comes from the fact that they govern an element. Examples include fire, ice, electricity, wind and so forth. To distinguish themselves, each Elemental carries a unique coloration. Fire Elementals are red, Ice Elementals blue, etc.

An "Elemental Construct" is when a magic user borrows power from an elemental to create an effigy that serves as an extension of themselves – usually in the form of a golem or weapon. As Elementals are practically everywhere, there is almost no limit to the amount of power one can borrow from them, though the user often runs the risk of burning themselves out.

Each Construct, depending on its form and what element it utilizes, has different properties and strengths. Earth constructs in the form of a golem are very powerful and are quite durable, but are very sluggish. In the form of a weapon, the construct can be very sturdy, but very heavy. An ice golem, meanwhile, is strong and agile but is very easily destroyed. Likewise, in the form of a weapon, the construct can be destroyed easily, but if it possesses an edge, it is far sharper than a normal blade.

The size and power of the construct will also determine how much energy the magic user must borrow from the Elementals. Additionally, the complexity and size of the construct may require time to materialize for the user to wield or control.

5 – 4: Elemental Sorcery and Dust Usage

It has often been theorized that Dust is a crystalization of an Elemental, but no substantial proof has been offered. Considering that there has been no account of a "Gravity Elemental" ever existing, this theory is highly unlikely. Even so, however, Nature's Wrath is proven to have beneficial effects to the applications of magic.

When utilizing Dust with a certain type of magic art, such as enchantment or construction, it is possible to enhance the effects of the latter with Dust infusement by drawing out the energy inside the crystal or powder-like substance. It is highly recommended that you use crystalized Dust, as Dust in powder form has proven to be highly unstable and often provides disastrous results.

It is also entirely possible to use a brand of elemental magic with Dust pertaining to a different element. An example would be if a magic user were to construct a weapon effigy by borrowing power from Wind Elementals, but use Lightning Dust. The substance will add electric properties to the effigy, lacing the blade with electricity.

It should be worth noting that, when constructing a golem, one may be required to use several Dust crystals if one is to increase the power of the construct.

Man, I would really love to know who wrote this. Jaune thought. Whoever had written such a detailed book on how to use magic must have been a genius. How long ago had this been written, he wondered. Magic was exceedingly rare these days, only used by the Maidens and himself. However, when he read several textbooks for the years prior to the Great War, or what little history there was left to know, there was hardly any mention about magic, if at all.

It really made Jaune wonder if there were other people who could use magic, not just him and the Maidens. Were they also hiding themselves away from the world?

"Yo, Suits!" Jaune blinked, looking up to find Yang approaching her. Not far behind was a very startled and dismayed Ruby Rose. "What'cha doing?"

"Just a bit of light reading." he answered before he closed his book and set it down on the floor. "What can I do for you guys?"

Also, damn! Look at the body on this girl! I didn't realize she was that stacked! No, wait. Bad thoughts, Jaune! Bad thoughts! Fuck, why is pretty much every girl here super cute or really freaking attractive?! Is Vale home to supermodels or what?!

Perfectly unaware of Jaune's inner troubles and his struggle to look anywhere she didn't want him to look or ogle, she grabbed Ruby and gently pushed her in front of him. "I hear you two became awfully acquainted while I was gone, so I thought it would be a good idea for you guys to bond some more!"

"Yaaaaang!" Ruby whined pitifully. "What're you doing?!"

"Oh, come on. He's the first guy you managed to hold a conversation with, right? That should make you two friends."

Jaune tilted his head. "We only talked for about ten minutes though." he pointed out, shrugging. He didn't really mind all that much, to be honest. He preferred having company anyway. "But if you guys wanna join me, be my guest. I think I have a home-made box here somewhere."

"What? Your mother made it for you?" Yang joked.

The male blonde smirked back at her. "No, my cat actually."

Athena looked at the ballroom, completely and utterly naked. She hated not having a weapon on her person. She had been forced to place it in the designated locker after they had been led into the ballroom. Not having her trusted sword with her made her feel naked. Helpless.

Being in the same room as so many damn people, the majority of which being humans, not helping any matters. So far, no one tried to look her way, except maybe a few random asshats she knew were going to be trouble. They were obviously staring at her horns.

She saw the way they looked at her like every other human being on this planet. It made her want to cut them to pieces and beat the shit out of them. However, murder and assault usually tended to lead to imprisonment, so she refrained from causing an incident. Even so, she made it a point to memorize their face. First change she got when nobody was looking, she was going to beat the shit out of them.

Athena soon realized where her thoughts were treading and scowled, shaking her head furiously and went back to meditating. She needed to calm down. Being around so many humans without her weapon was starting to get to her. She couldn't just lash out. Not yet, anyway. She'd have plenty of chances under the guise of mock battles and whatnot.

For now, though, she'd play her part. As far as anyone else was concerned, she was just another person going through initiation like all the others. The only difference was that, unlike most of these people, she knew how to fight. She knew how to kill Grimm efficiently. Not just them, but human opponents too. Athena sincerely doubted that anyone knew how to fight an actual human opponent. Sure, the Grimm were the bigger threat, but what about criminals and bandits who wouldn't think twice about killing you and pillaging and violating your corpse?

She had killed before, yes. It was something she had become used to, given her upbringing. Yet when she was reminded of the past, she was reminded of her former affiliations.

It was enough to make her heart ache.

...fuck it. she eventually decided. I'm going to sleep.

The morning had arrived. People wrapped up their beddings and cleaned up, changing into their casual clothes and going back to the ballroom for breakfast before they went to the lockers to grab their gear and prepare for upcoming Initiation. Jaune, however, naturally had no weapons, as he was oh so painfully reminded as he stuffed his belongings into the locker, along with his favorite coat. Last thing he wanted was for it to get ruined.

If there was so much as a single tear in it…

Jaune shivered. Yeah. So not bringing it with me. I've already been mauled by an angry familiar cat. Last thing I need is round two!

He looked around, finding several people already prepared and ready to go. A particularly chatty girl with bright orange hair was darting all over the place, talking to a boy with back hair with a magenta streak as he was procuring a pair of twin handguns with blades attached to the barrel from the locker. Off to the side, he spotted Ruby talking with Yang, though once again, the silver-eyed girl looked rather annoyed with her older half sister. Why was probably anyone's guess, though it was probably about last night. As it turned out, the poor girl would rather hang out with someone's weapon than the person who owned it.

Aside from the sisters and their bickering, there was the red-haired girl, Pyrrha he thinks her name was, speaking with a girl with pale skin and frost-white hair, with icy blue eyes to go along with it. Jaune promptly felt his heart skip a beat.

It's official. his mind declared solemnly with the utmost seriousness. Vale is the home of the supermodels. Particularly of the female variety.

That being said, though, the white-haired girl seemed to have this dubious expression on her face, as if plotting something dastardly. Whatever it may have been, Jaune didn't know. Instead, he focused on how uncomfortable the poor girl looked. Whatever they were talking about, she didn't really like it. However, she didn't look horrible enough for him to intervene, as one could tell that the white-haired girl didn't seem to have any malicious intent.

Another useful trick of the trade when it came to magic. Learning to tell when one was of malicious intent, and otherwise. A shame it never seemed to work on Cheshire.

Fucking cat.

Jaune looked at his Dust supply. He had enough to make it through Initiation, assuming he didn't try anything fancy like trying to make a golem. He was still a novice when it came to constructing, but he was decent enough to make a few weapons. Securing his dust into the pouch on his belt, closed his locker and then reset the lock, ensuring that his stuff was safe.

The PA cracked to life. [Would all initiates please gather at the Emerald Forest cliffside? I repeat, would all initiates gather at the cliffside?]

"Showtime." Jaune whispered to himself, muttering a prayer under his breath before he turned on his heel, following everyone else out the door.

Elsewhere, in the home of Jaune Arc, a lazy Cheshire suddenly felt as if she was missing out on watching a certain bumbling fool flander about in fright. "Somebody's enjoying his plight. I can feel it." she muttered, disappointed that she couldn't see what was happening. "If only I could use enough magic to create a makeshift TV. Would make for some interesting entertainment."

"Son of a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-"

Jaune's curses were promptly cut short when he found himself smacking headfirst into a tree. Were it not for his Aura and his enchantments on his body, lessening any damage, he would have surely snapped his neck with such an impact. Instead, his face was glued to the bark, sharp splinters trying and failing to dig into the flesh on his face. Struggling to pry himself free, he placed his palms against the bark. A soft red glow circulated around his hand before it grew brighter. A second later, a small explosion erupted from his palms, pulling him out of the tree and falling straight down to the forest floor, landing right on his backside with a resounding crack.

"OW! MOTHERFUCKER!" Jaune cried. Once more, he was very thankful for Aura and magic saving his ass, otherwise he would most definitely be dead right about now. Even so, what the actual fuck?! "Who's bright idea was it to launch somebody a hundred feet into the air?!"

If he ever met the demented sadistic bastard who did this, he was seriously going to give them a piece of his mind. Groaning and rubbing his back, he slowly stood up and looked around. The Emerald Forest looked as calm and quiet as it appeared, with lush green scenery creating a beautiful scene of tranquility.

At least, it would be, if not for the fact that it had a bunch of ravenous black creatures roaming about. His "senses" could feel them. Several malicious monsters, suddenly enticed the presence of fresh meat now close by.

Initiation was going to be relatively simple. He was supposed to find the temple where the relics were located, retrieve it and then return back to the cliffside, and maybe kill a few Grimm along the way. Also along the way, he was supposed to find a partner. Unfortunately, the first person he made eye contact with was going to be his partner for the rest of his time here. Meaning that, if he got stuck with someone he didn't like, he was really going to resist pranking them.

"Okay..." he breathed as he took out a yellow Dust crystal. A soft, shimmering light began to spread across his arms as he crushed the Dust crystal in his hand. Suddenly, electricity began to dance around in his grasp. On his left side, the electricity swirled around his arm, forming into a circular form resembling a shield. On his right side, it grew from his hand, becoming the shape of a long sword.

Jaune smirked. "I really do gotta thank whoever wrote that book." he said, giddy. "This. Is. Awesome!"

After landing, Ruby wasted no time in using her Semblance to dart through the Emerald Forest, leaving behind a trail of red rose petals. Crescent Rose was in rifle mode, in case she needed to switch on the fly when she saw a Grimm approaching her while she was making a mad dash.

Right now, getting to the temple was a secondary concern. Right now, she needed to find a partner. Ideally, she was hoping for Yang. Who else would she know how to coordinate and fight with? Both of them knew how the other fought, and then some. They were sisters, after all. If not Yang, then maybe Jaune. Actually, now that she thought about her new friend – they were friends now, weren't they? – she was officially worried. The poor guy forgot to bring his own weapon, so unless he had a really cool Semblance, he was going to be in trouble!

Off the top of her head, those were the only two people she could think of. Who else was there? There was that white-haired girl she saw earlier. She looked pretty confident in her skills, but something about her just screamed spoiled. She really didn't want to have to deal with someone like that.

Who else? Who-

"Ack! Grimm!"

Seeing a familiar black shape coming straight at her, Ruby lowered her body and slid across the forest floor, kicking up rose petals and leaves and twigs in the process while letting the Grimm fly right over her. Skidding to a stop, she looked up to find that the Grimm was actually sent airborn and already in the middle of dissipating, evident by the black smoke spewing from its body as it hit the ground.

Close by, literally next to her, she heard the sound of battle. Or at least the end of one. Turning her head, she found a red-haired girl battling an Ursa Major, charging straight at it with her weapon in the form of a rifle. The Ursa roared and swung its humongous paw at her, which she dodged easily as she duck and spun around on her feet, letting the rifle's muzzle sweep across the creature's exposed belly and shoot several bullets into its gullet. The Ursa cried and pulled away, but the girl wasn't about to let up. Her weapon changed shape, becoming a bronze sword that danced and cut into the air, slashing through the creature's body so quickly that Ruby could swear she was seeing blurs.

Calling it a fight was actually being nice. This was just a one-sided slaughter.

With a swift slash, the Ursa's arm was cut off. With it left stunned and in dismay from the loss of its limb, the girl used its head as a spring board, leaping into the air. Landing on the side of a tree, she bounced right off it and on to another tree's surface, proceeding to bounce off of it too while spinning, creating the illusion of a spinning saw blade.

The Grimm didn't stand a chance, as when she hit the ground, feet firmly on the ground with one hand steadying herself, the black bear fell to the floor with a thud, separated from its legs. Moments later, it began to break apart into black motes of smoke.

With a breath of relief, body relaxing from the tension of battle, the girl stood up and sheathed her weapons. She looked up, finding Ruby staring at her, slightly breathless from the impressive display of skill. Since their eyes met, they were now officially partners from this moment forward.

Before she could speak, however, Ruby sped right up to her, eyes dazzling with stars in them. "That was so freaking cool! Your weapon is awesome! What kind of mods does it use?! What else can it turn into?!" From there, the weapons geek went into rapid fire mode, completely forgetting the fact that she was worried about Jaune and concerned about finding Yang and making her half-sister her partner.

...well. Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl thought with a sweat drop, but smiling nonetheless. I suppose this works out?

The Beowolf bounced right off his lightning copy of Crocea Mars' shield, thrown right over his head and sent to the ground, where its head was promptly decapitated when he slammed the shield down on its neck, cutting straight through flesh and bone. Pulling his shield away, he found two Beowolves charging at him. Meeting their charge, he let out a grunt as he thrusted his makeshift sword, cutting one at the torso, but only grazing it before blocking the other's claws with his shield, parrying and shoving them back.

Jaune's attention was focused on the enemy in front of him, thus with both hands, he grabbed his lightning sword and tore straight through the Beowolf's body, cutting right up to the shoulder before kicking it off his sword. Turning his head to the second Beowolf, he jumped back to avoid its claw and swung in retaliation, slashing off its arm in the process.

With a howl of pain and anger, the wounded Beowolf leaped at him, mouth open. Jaune ducked and rolled underneath, avoiding the creature. When it quickly circled back and went straight for him, he promptly severed its head with a well-time swing, lightning cackling as it sliced straight through its neck.

Amusingly, the wolf's head bounced while its body tumbled, landing on its back. Panting heavily, Jaune straightened himself out. "I really do hate Beowolves." he muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Why do they always travel in packs?"

Around him, several Beowolves could be found lying on the floor, already well in the process of dissipating into smokes and dust. If there was any Grimm he hated more than those damned Creeps, it had to be Beowolves. By themselves, they were rather easy to deal with, but in packs? Good god, they were annoying. They always made him feel so exhausted.

Did that mean he was a Squishy Wizard kind of guy? Damn. He really needed to work out more.

Still, at least he dealt with them appropriately. Dismissing his electricifed sword and shield for the moment, conserving energy, he proceeded to delve deeper into the Emerald Forest.

Okay, let's think. The main objective of Initiation is to grab the Relic and get back to the cliff. Killing Grimm earns us extra points, and the first person we make eye contact with will be your partner for the foreseeable future. Jaune frowned, somewhat puzzled by the logic behind this requirement. Honestly, it just sounded like a recipe of disaster.. What if someone had become paired with somebody they hated? The Headmaster honestly didn't expect people to just get along at the drop of a hat, did he? There had to be something else about this. What it was, he couldn't see.

Speaking about the Headmaster, what in the heck was that back at the opening ceremony? Jaune questioned, still puzzled as to what happened. That sensation… It felt like my "senses" kicked into overdrive, but there wasn't any danger. And it happened when Professor Ozpin showed up. The more he tried to find a possible conclusion, the more frustrated he became when he couldn't find it. Eventually, he threw his hands into the air.

"Augh! It's no use!"

He was getting nowhere. He needed to focus on Initiation. For now, he should just find the temple and then find a partner.

Jaune then arrived at a clearing, soon coming to a stop. When he saw the clearing, his jaw dropped. Before him was a truly awe-inspiring and gruesome sight. There, a single person stood, surrounded by the dissipating corpses of countless Grimm. Beowolves, Creeps, Ursa, all by the dozens. They were strewn about, some shot all to hell while the rest were hacked into pieces. The limbs were practically thrown about like they were bones or toys that were shortly discarded. In the center of it all, was a lone woman, standing all by herself with a bloody red blade in one hand and a sheathe in the other.

She was a beauty, unsurprisingly. However, she possessed a much fiercer, more violent presence than Yang's boldness or Pyrrha's amazon feel. She had dark crimson hair that fell down to her shoulders, and narrowed eyes ripe with tension and danger to match them. From her forehead were two thin horns: the symbol of Faunus heritage and adding to the dangerous look she presented.

She wore a long-sleeved black suit jacket with slit sleeves and more red designs and a white symbol on the left side. The suit jacket was red on the inside with red flame-like accents at the bottom and a wilting rose emblem on the back over a white floral design. Her suit jacket is half-buttoned, exposing a red shirt with a black line running parallel to his collar under it. A few buttons were undone, exposing a fair amount of cleavage, though she wasn't as nearly as developed as Yang or Pyrrha.

Additionally, she wore long black pants, black shoes with red soles and black gloves with more red emblems on their forehand, most resembling an Omega symbol. Finally, she wore a black belt with white domino marks on it.

Jesus… Jaune thought, both in slight amazement and fear. She did this? By herself?

That was...impressive. Just how skilled was she? Judging by her choice of weaponry, he made a guess that she practiced some form of sword play. Perhaps Iado? He was somewhat familiar with that sword style, but he never made any attempts to learn it. God knows he sucked at it.

Actually, this seemed like a good opportunity. If she was this skilled, then maybe he could partner with her? He didn't see anyone nearby, so she was probably alone. Although, the look in her eyes made him nervous. He didn't need his "senses" to tell him that this girl had some serious issues.

So much anger… She's practically attracting Grimm all by her little lonesome. Jaune thought, weighing his options. On the one hand, having a skilled partner was definitely a boon, and he wouldn't have to expend so much energy. On the other hand, with her own negativity, she could draw in nearby Grimm like a magnet, leading to a lot more fights.

High risk, high reward, it seemed. What was that old saying? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?

After another minute of thinking, Jaune made his decision. Calmly, he entered the clearing, but before he could speak up, a branch snapped underneath his feet. He barely had time to react and conjur up a shield composed of asymmetrical lines, similar to a glyph of sorts, and defend himself from the red blade that would have cut him in half. "Sweet monkey butt loving! Hold your fire! I come in peace!

A second of confrontation went by. When it passed, the woman realized her mistake, recognizing him as friendly. At least, that's what he hoped was the case. Also, wow. If looks could kill, he would be so dead by now. Is she trying to kill him by glaring at him.

"...tch."

She pulled her blade away, allowing him to dispel the glyph while she slid her katana back into her sheath and then turned on her heel, about to take her leave. Jaune stared at her retreating backside, sweat dropping. "You, uh, do realize that since we made eye contact, we're technically partners now, right?" he called out to her.

Her response?

"Don't care."

Huh. Even her voice had a fiery tone to it. Such a spitfire!

"Well, the school does." Jaune said, proceeding to follow her. "So, um… Yeah. My name's Jaune Arc. What's yours?" He received no reply. Sighing, he drooped his head low. "Look… This may seem like an inconvenience to you, and if the dozens of dead Grimm means anything, you can hold your own, but the Headmaster said that anyone who looks the other in the eye automatically makes them partners. So, even if you don't like it, the guy's already probably paired us up."

"I'd rather not waste my time protecting a...dirtbag who can barely defend himself."

Oh, now that's just rude!

"I can defend myself just fine." Jaune shot back. "I blocked your sword, didn't I?"

That actually got the woman to stop. Slowly, she turned back at him. The angry fire was still there, but she looked as if she was evaluating him. She sized him up from head to toe, taking in his features and figure before her face scrunched. Obviously, she saw a scrawny kid who might have gotten lucky. Even so, she showed a hint of acceptance and shook her head.

"...touche. Fine. But let me make this clear. I'm not here to make friends. Especially with a dirtbag like you. I'm only here to get stronger. Nothing else. Understand?"

Jaune nodded. "I...can get behind that." he said slowly. It wasn't solid trust, but at least she didn't have her sword up against his neck. "I didn't get your name."

"It's Athena." she answered as she turned her back to him again, resuming her walk. "Athena Taurus. Try to keep up."

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Special thanks go to Starlight's Poet, who helped to bring this story to life.