Hey, guys! The story's still alive, don't worry. I just had my hands full with life. Well, for the wait, here's a special treat; it's a chapter that'll double my word count. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Anything from RWBY is Rooster Teeth's. Yue is partially River Mountain's, and the other OCs are mine.
Chapter 3: Into the Forest
Yue stood nervously on a metal square overlooking a forest. The Emerald Forest, to be exact. On either side of her were a line of students, waiting with confused looks. She looked over her shoulder to the left, trying to catch Daniel's eye. The black-haired teen finally looked in Yue's direction, meeting her gaze and giving her a thumbs-up. Yue meekly smiled back and waved. Realizing that Ozpin and Goodwitch had been talking for a bit, she tried to listen in.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin continued his lecture, "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
Yue heard a small, squeak of terror at the prospect a few spaces beside her. She herself just rolled her eyes at the explanation. "Very nice school design," she remarked to herself, "What's next- throw us into a potentially life-threatening experience to see if we are capable?" She looked in the distance, over the luscious green foliage and the square spring beneath her. "Oh wait, it is next."
"After you've partnered up," Ozpin continued, "make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."
"Is this an initiation for a school or a suicide pact?" Yue snorted.
"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately."
"Find a partner, get a relic, go to the cliff, and kill everything in my way," Yue listed, "Well, sounds simple enough."
Yue bent her knees like a sprinter would at the start of a race, looking far into the distance. When she heard the springs and gears lock into place beneath her feet, she turned to Daniel, giving him a toothy grin. "See you on the other side," she shouted just before she was launched.
Yue now understood the reason why skydiving existed. The rush of air in your face was intoxicating, and the feeling of weightlessness was amazing, to say the least. The only thing that could take away from the experience was the fact that gravity would always catch up.
Unfortunately, Yue's mind only focused on that tiny little detail. Understanding doesn't always mean agreeing, and she absolutely did not agree with the fact that skydiving existed.
"Holy nope, nope, nope, fricking Aghhhhh!" Yue kept shouting, eyes planted on the ground beneath her. As she started to dip down and the trees started getting closer, her brain went into overdrive as it panicked. Noticing a tree rather taller than the rest of the others, she unhooked a chain from her back. As it drew closer, Yue threw the end of her chain at the top of the tree, aiming just to the side of it. When she went one way and the chain in the opposite direction, wrapping around the trunk, Yue gave the links under her hand a sharp twist. A metal ball formed at the end of it, giving it enough force and weight to get it completely wrapped around the tree. Like she planned, it slowed Yue down enough and was wrapped tight enough so she wouldn't be flung off.
Luck was not on Yue's side, however, as the tree started groaning under the incredible stress. "Shit," Yue managed to say just before the tree gave way, and the top broke off with the ball and chain, dragging Yue down with it. Yue screamed the entire way down, hitting a few branches that slowed her just enough for her to safely land in a bunch of bushes with only a few scratches and bruises. "Freaking ow," Yue commented, hissing slightly as she nursed a bruised bicep. She looked up at the tree that allowed her to fall with an annoyed expression, noticing that the top of it was still swaying by a few fibers of wood. "Thanks a lot," Yue shouted at the tree.
With a barely audible snap, the top foot or so of the tree that was formerly swaying fell- right onto Yue. "Oh, you've got to be KIDDING ME," Yue cried out, diving out of the way as the bark crashed down where she used to stand. She looked back in disbelief. Sighing in defeat, she picked herself up and started on her way, following the direction of the flying students overhead.
After a few minutes of walking, she heard a young girl's voice start calling out, "Yang? Yanngggg?"
Yue sighed, looking over her shoulder on high alert for Grimm. "She's going to attract a lot of Grimm," Yue commented.
"Who is?" a voice said from right next to her.
Yue jumped back, tucking into a roll. When she ended, Yue took the two pistols on her sides out of their holsters, aiming it at the source of the voice. When she realized who it was, Yue rolled her eyes, relaxing her arms. "You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.
"What?" Finnick said with an amused expression, "It's just me."
"I'd actually take the Grimm," Yue said with a snort, turning her back to Finnick and continuing to walk towards the ruins.
"Ok, what's your problem?"
Yue turned around in surprise. "What?" she asked.
Finnick stared back intently, slightly furious. "What's your problem?" he repeated, "Every time I meet you, it's always the same attitude. Do you, I don't know…, hate me?"
"What?" Yue exclaimed, "No!"
"Then what?! Because this isn't going to work if we're partners for the next four years."
Yue groaned as she put her head in her hands. After a second or so passed, she looked back up. "Bad impressions, that's it," she said.
Finnick blinked. "That's it?" he clarified.
"That's it."
Finnick chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Now that I think of it," he admitted, "it was probably a bad introduction."
"Yep," Yue agreed.
"Well, let's try this again." Finnick stretched out a hand. "Finnick Chazwick, at your service," he said in greeting.
Yue laughed genuinely as she took his hand. "Yue Bing Yin, now your partner."
Finnick grinned cheekily. "I guess we should be on our way," he stated.
"Yeah." Yue started walking away, beckoning for Finnick to come. "Come on, it should be this way!"
"How can you tell?" Finnick shouted back, following her regardless.
"I don't know," Yue admitted, facing the direction she was walking, "I'm just following the flying students."
Finnick laughed. "Seems about right," he replied.
A few minutes of comfortable silence followed as the two of them continued through the forest. "So," Finnick started, "Which school did you come from?"
"I didn't," Yue replied. When she noticed Finnick looking at her questioningly, Yue explained, "I didn't go to a school. I was taught by my mentor. He took me under his wing because he saw potential, and here I am."
Finnick nodded in understanding. "So, who's your mentor, then?" he inquired.
"Port," Yue answered nonchalantly.
Finnick stumbled as he tried to catch himself. "Wait," Finnick exclaimed, "You're telling me you're an apprentice of one of the teachers at Beacon?"
"Yep," Yue replied, popping the 'p'.
Finnick groaned. "Oh, come on. That's not fair! You probably know how everything runs in Beacon at this point."
Yue snorted. "I wish," she said, "I was taught by him- I don't actually live in Beacon, thank you very much."
Finnick folded his hands behind his head. "What's he like? Professor Port, I mean."
Yue put a hand on her chin in thought. "Booming is the best way to describe him," she said, "Always does things to the fullest and nothing less. Also, he rants. Like, all the time."
Finnick nodded. "Yep, that sounds like every other explanation I've ever heard of him."
"He's also extremely passionate about his work," Yue continued, "Don't try to interrupt him when he's on a mission or teaching. I learned the hard way." Yue rubbed her temples at the memory like she had a headache.
"Noted." Before Finnick could finish his thought, they heard a loud roar come from nearby. Quickly jerking their heads in the direction of the noise, the two of them saw something that made their jaws drop. A large plume of smoke was starting to rise from their left. As Finnick was opening his mouth, Yue prodded his shoulder, making him turn around. Again, another plume of smoke was rising from their opposite side.
"What are they doing?" Yue exclaimed, "Are they trying to burn us all?"
"Let's, umm," Finnick stammered, "Let's not go there."
Yue raised her finger as if saying 'stop'. The two of them stood still, listening. After a moment of waiting, they could feel the ground shaking. Like if a herd of animals was coming their way. Yue looked up at Finnick with panicked eyes. "Run?" she asked.
"Run," Finnick agreed, starting off in a sprint while pulling Yue along. After she found her footing, Finnick let go, the two of them running side by side. "Is this usually your kind of luck?" he shouted, swatting away another branch.
"Sadly, yes," Yue answered, hopping over a fallen tree. She noticed the trees starting to thin out. "There's a clearing up ahead," she yelled, pointing in front of them, "That should be where the ruins are!"
"How do you know?" Finnick asked.
"Just trust me!" Yue looked over her shoulder, trying to spot their pursuers. In the corner of her eye, she saw it- a pair of red beady eyes. A moment later, another popped up. And another. And another. Within seconds, she noticed the dozens upon dozens of Grimm eyes staring back at her. "Just run!" Yue yelled at Finnick, panic seeping into her voice, "And don't look back!"
Naturally, Finnick had to look back. His eyes shot wide open as he managed to find his second wind. "I hate your luck," he said.
"You and me both!"
Finnick and Yue broke through the trees, into the clearing Yue mentioned. Neither of them slowed down until they reached the center which contained their ruins. "Grab a relic and run," Finnick commanded, pulling out a revolver with a comically long barrel from under his shirt, "I'll cover for you."
"What?" Yue exclaimed, catching her breath, "I'm not leaving you here to die! Besides," She pulled out her two pistols and stood side by side with Finnick, "I'm not letting you have all the fun."
Finnick smirked at his partner. "You're an idiot," he commented.
Yue snorted as she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "Says the one that wanted to take on a pack or so of Grimm on their own," she retorted.
As the first of the Beowolves emerged from the woods, they heard a pair of fingers snap. In front of them, a line of fire was started in between the two students and the Grimm. The rest of the Beowolves piled in, snarling at the pair but looking at the fire apprehensively. Eventually, after a few heartbeats, the largest of the pack (Yue assumed it was the Alpha) barked out an order, returning back to the forest. The rest of the pack followed, not without a few snarls in their general direction, however.
Once the wolves were out of sight, another snap was heard. From literally out of thin air, water rained down from a few feet above the fire, dowsing it so only a patch of smoldering grass was left. Yue turned around quickly, aiming at whatever made the snapping noises. She paused when she saw a smirking Daniel, sitting on top of one of the pillars and swinging his legs freely. One of his index fingers was coated in a black substance with his thumb covered in a silver one. Before Yue could even look annoyed with him, he was pushed off by the girl sitting next to him. "What the hell, Daniel?" Sapphire shouted, "I'm not letting you start another forest fire again!"
As he fell, Daniel tucked his knees in, rolling upon impact. "Hey!" he exclaimed, turning back to his partner with nothing more than an annoyed look, "I could've been hurt."
"Sadly, you weren't," Sapphire remarked. She hopped down from the pillar, landing in front of an agitated Yue and Finnick, who was sporting an open mouth of shock. Sapphire smiled when she looked at Yue. "Nice to see you again," she said.
Yue shot Sapphire a small smile. "Hey, Sapphire," she greeted. She took a onceover at Sapphire's clothes- a light blue t-shirt with a matching jacket, black jeans that cut off at her knees with silver splattered randomly over it, navy blue converse sneakers, a chainmail skirt (for some reason), and on her left arm was a silver brace that stretched from wrist to elbow with a small mechanism on the inside of her arm. On her waist, a red cylinder hung from a small buckle. If it was a sword, a gun, or just a canister for water, Yue didn't know (in this world, it could've been anything).
"So," Yue continued, looking over Sapphire's shoulder at Daniel who was dusting off his jacket, "I take it Daniel's your partner?"
"Unfortunately," Sapphire groaned.
"Fortunately," Daniel said at the same time.
Yue laughed as Sapphire placed her head in her hands, muffling a scream. "Well, I'd gladly trade partners, but I don't think you'd get along with Finnick either."
"What is this: 'Blame Everything on Boys' Day?" Finnick exclaimed.
"Yes," Sapphire and Yue responded instantly.
Daniel sighed, putting a hand on Finnick's shoulder. "Don't try and argue with girls- it never works," he advised, "Well, more like it won't work 99% of the time."
Sapphire grinned. "Hey, you're catching on," she commented.
"Quick question," Yue piped up, raising a finger, "What's with the toolbelt, Daniel?"
"Oh, this?" Daniel clarified, shifting his toolbelt on his waist. Daniel was wearing one of those brown belts you'd see one a TV show, covered in pockets. He also had on a black, wool coat over a red shirt, a pair of black pants, and black leather boots. The two things out of place on his outfit was the toolbelt and a weird red cape that only went down to his waist. "The toolbelt's for my Semblance," Daniel explained.
Finnick cocked an eyebrow. "Which is…?"
Daniel wagged a finger at Finnick, a smirk playing on his lips. "Nope, can't tell you yet," he said, "You're just going to have to find out for yourself."
Sapphire sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's Matter Manipulation," she explained for him, "Basically it's alchemy from the fantasy books."
Yue nodded in understanding while Finnick continued to look confused. "Alchemy?" he asked.
Daniel picked up a good-sized rock from nearby, tossing it in the air. He flared his blue aura, making a small light in his palm. When it died, the deformed rock was now a fully-fledged dagger, minus a comfortable grip. "Basically, I can make stuff out of almost any material, but I can't make stuff out of thin air," Daniel tried to explain, "Well, I technically can, but just not anything that I don't have the materials for."
Finnick nodded, looking at the stone dagger with wide eyes. "Huh," he acknowledged, "That's useful."
Daniel chuckled as he practiced a few thrusts and slashes. He frowned as he threw out another experimental swipe. "Can't manage to get the balance right," he said under his breath. He clipped his dagger onto his belt, turning back to the others. "So," he started, "Should we pick a piece?"
Yue looked around at the 'relics' surrounding them. "Chess pieces?" she commented, "Alright. I call the black knight!"
"Hey," Finnick joked, "shouldn't I get a say?"
"Nope," Yue quipped, picking up the piece, "I already have it."
Finnick sighed as the other two in their small group laughed. "We should probably get the other knight just to be safe," Daniel stated.
Sapphire raised an eyebrow at her partner. "And why's that?" she asked.
"Think about it," Daniel said, "We're supposed to be put in teams of four, every person has a partner, and there are duplicate pieces. Also, Ozpin said that he'd be grading us on the pieces we get. So…"
Sapphire tilted her head in thought. "You're probably right on that," she agreed. As Daniel was walking towards the relic, she noticed the big smirk on his face, adding, "Don't get a big head about it- that won't happen often!"
Daniel sighed in exasperation. "How does she know?" he exclaimed, picking up the other knight.
Finnick tapped his foot, waiting for everyone at the edge of the ruins' circle. "Alright, can we head up to the mountain now?" he asked, "I'd really rather not waste any more time in this place."
"Finnick's right," Daniel agreed, peering at the mountainous area in the distance, "It's probably not a good idea to stay any longer in this Grimm infested forest. So," he turned to the others, "you coming or what?"
Yue and Sapphire nodded as they walked forward, joining the other two as they walked out of the clearing and into the forest. After a minute or so of walking, Daniel started, "We probably should get to know each other's weapons and styles- just so we don't have to make everything up on the fly."
Yue nodded in understanding. "Sounds good. You should start."
Daniel smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, about that," he drawled, "I don't actually have a weapon. I just sorta use my Semblance to create what I need at hand."
Finnick stared at him in disbelief. "So, you're no good in a fight?" he assumed.
Daniel looked back with a raised eyebrow. Without a word, he pulled out some twine that was unraveling from his sweater and the dagger from his side. Once again, he used his Semblance, this time creating a small crossbow with a stone bolt. In an instant, he took aim at the sky, pulling the trigger and letting the bolt fly. Daniel counted down from three on his fingers, a bird falling from the sky when he got down to one. "I think I can to pretty well in a battle," he commented.
"Yeah, but why did you have to kill a bird?!" Yue shouted at Daniel, nudging the animal gently with the tip of her boot, "You could've done something else!"
Daniel turned to Yue with a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, you're probably right," he relented, "But I did prove my point."
Yue threw her arms in the air, walking back towards Sapphire who was watching the entire exchange with a vacant expression. "You're hopeless," Yue exasperated.
Daniel huffed as he caught up to the rest of them. "So," he carried on like he didn't just shoot down a bird, "What's your load, Yue?"
Yue took her pistols out of their holsters. Now, with a good look at them, the others noticed that one was completely blue while the other had a white camo. "Meet Jötunheimr and Niflheim," Yue said, twirling them around one by one, "Full auto tools of destruction. Jötun here," Yue held up the blue pistol, "fires ice rounds, and Nifl," she held up the white one, "fires boil rounds."
"Boil rounds?" Sapphire asked, eyeing the guns with slight interest.
"Fire and water rounds combined," Yue clarified, "Stings like hell against anyone with Aura. Lethal against all types of Grimm."
Daniel nodded, admiring the guns with a weapon expert's eye. "Any close-ranged weapons?" he asked.
Yue nodded as she unhooked a chain from her holster. Smirking devilishly, she yelled, "Catch!" towards Daniel, tossing him the end. Daniel caught the black chain on instinct with one hand, inspecting the small ball attached to the end. With a broad grin, Yue twist the portion closest to her hand with a small jerk. The ball at Daniel's fingers enlarged, swelling to ten times its size to resemble a soccer ball.
Daniel's eyes widened in shock as the extra weight took him by surprise, dragging him down to the ground. He landed with a thud, his chest hitting the top of the metal ball. "Ow," he winced, prying his fingers out from under the ball, "Well, it's a good surprise tactic."
The other three laughed, Yue, being the one laughing the hardest. "I've always wanted to do that," she exclaimed, wiping away a small tear.
Daniel glared at her for a good second before cracking a smile himself. "You got me there," he laughed.
Yue smiled as she reeled the ball back in, swinging it around like a yo-yo. A fifty-pound yo-yo. "Meet Daybreaker," she said, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Finnick gave Yue a weird look. "Sure," he agreed hesitantly, "Anything else we should know about it?"
Yue shrugged nonchalantly. The ball on Daybreaker's chain caught aflame as Yue kept swinging it around, drawing a circle with the fire's trail. Finnick and Daniel jumped away in shock, giving her a wide birth. "I don't know," Yue said smugly, "you tell me."
Finnick laughed once he got over his shock. "Ok, that is amazing," he exclaimed.
Sapphire stared at the meteor hammer (AN: I swear, it's a thing) with wide eyes. "A bit excessive, don't you think?" she asked.
Daniel snorted as he gave her a pointed look. "I've seen more extravagant- once, I saw someone have a sniper-scythe combo maybe twice her size."
"I stand corrected," Sapphire replied, turning back around to see if they were still going the right direction.
Daniel stood by Yue's side once she extinguished the fire and reattached the shrunken ball to her side. "Neat loadout," he commented, "So, you have a Semblance?"
Yue's smile morphed into an indifferent frown, looking at the ground. "I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled.
Daniel draped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, don't be embarrassed," he reassured, "There's a lot of embarrassing Semblances- one more wouldn't surprise me."
"I said," Yue stared at Daniel with a deathly stare, "I don't want to talk about it."
Daniel backed away, throwing his arms up in means of surrender. "Okay, okay," he said quickly, "You don't want to talk about it; I get it." A few seconds of silence passed. Then, "So, is it something that happened in the past or…" Daniel was stopped with another deadly stare from Yue. "I'm going to shut up now," he gulped.
"Yes, please do," Sapphire teased lightly.
Daniel turned to glare at Sapphire but only had the pleasure to see the backside of her head. Sighing, he turned back to Yue only to find her staring forward stormily, lost in thought. He then looked at the last member of their small group. "Hey, Finnick," he addressed, "What d'you have?"
Smirking back, the brown-haired teen pulled out the revolver from a holster under his arm. The 'pistol' had a comically long barrel- about the size of his forearm- and silver paint job with a blackened grip. "Glad you asked," Finnick said with a smirk, the light shining off the magnum's barrel, "This right here is Obliterate. Single-shot that can put a bullet through nine inches of concrete."
Daniel whistled in appreciation as Sapphire turned around apprehensively, looking at the hand cannon. "That might actually be excessive," she stated, "And I'm also including Daniel's aforementioned sniper-scythe."
Finnick shrugged as he placed the gun back into its holster. "Gets the job done," he answered, "I also have these." Finnick pulled on a golden band resting on his left wrist. A few gears groaned and hissed as it expanded, growing a couple of straps and plates of metal. Once it was done, Finnick's hand was covered in gray and gold plates, covering major parts of his hand like the outsides and the joints of his fingers while connecting them by a few straps of leather. On each of his knuckles, a small spike poked out from the metal. Finnick pulled on the band on his other wrist, forming another cover for his hand. "I call them Duster," he stated, testing the flexibility of the gloves, "I'm more of a 'hands-on' person, but they do form a mace if I want to." To explain his point, he pounded a fist on the other, letting the mechanisms do their work. The plates fused together, fusing together in Finnick's palms. Moments later, a gold Morningstar with a thin handle was in Finnick's hands.
Yue finally looked up from her sulking mood, eyeing Duster in appreciation. "Very nicely designed," she complimented, "Though I don't think the helve is going to hold." Noticing that Finnick was hefting his weapon with a grin, Yue quickly added, "That doesn't mean you should smash a tree to prove your point!"
Finnick sighed as he pressed a button on the hilt, twisting it to activate it once again. It transformed back into their deactivated mode, allowing Finnick to slap them back on his wrists. "Fine," he relented.
Sapphire stopped in her tracks. "Um, guys," she started, "You might want to pull out your weapons again. We may or may not have stumbled into something… bad."
The other three teens formed a line next to Sapphire, looking around as the blood drained from their faces. All around them were glowing red eyes in the shadows of the trees, sometimes accompanied by an Ursa or a Beowolf with the occasional Creep. "Just our luck, huh?" Yue stated, pulling out her pistols.
Daniel reached into his toolbelt, but was stopped when Sapphire shouted at him, "And don't you dare try that same tactic! We're surrounded- you'll just trap us as we burn in the forest."
Understanding her reasoning, Daniel took his hand out of his belt, reaching instead for the crossbow on his waste. He used his Semblance to make it resemble a dagger. He threw around his small cape, using his ability once again to transform it into a red shield, about as large as a car wheel.
Finnick pulled the bands on his wrists again, Duster hissing to life as Finnick ducked down into a ready stance. "You should really show us your weapon now, Sapph," Finnick suggested as the small group formed a defensive ring.
"Don't call me that," Sapphire warned, unhooking the cylinder on his waste. Before she could activate her weapon, the Grimm attacked from all sides, making her duck as Yue shot a Creep that tried to jump her. "Scatter," Sapphire shouted, slamming the butt of her canister against the ground. The device unraveled until formed a broadsword a meter in length, red Dust lines forming floral patterns along the blade.
On Sapphire's word, Finnick, Yue, and Daniel leaped into action. Yue skirted around Grimm after Grimm, picking off the smaller ones first so they wouldn't be as much as a nuisance or take up unnecessary space. Finnick rushed the Ursa to his left. When he neared the first one, the Grimm raised a massive paw, swiping while Finnick rolled underneath into its guard. Before it know what hit it, Finnick slammed both of his reinforced fists into the Ursa's stomach, blowing it back into the herd behind it and throwing many of them off balance.
"Are you serious?!" Daniel exclaimed, impaling another Beowolf in the head. He battered another head away as one leaped at him, tugging his dagger out of the dissolving skull. "I think we ran into four packs at once!"
Sapphire swore, taking down a few more Creeps with a single swipe. "Punch through one direction!" she yelled at her friends, "Make a break for the mountains!"
Yue and Finnick nodded in agreement, both of them taking out their secondary weapons. Yue unhooked both chains from her back, twirling both ends of her flaming chains in a sort of dance, any small Grimm around her dying in a single swing. Finnick, meanwhile, aimed in the direction Sapphire mentioned. As he took aim, he activated his Semblance. To his left and right, two clones of Finnick appeared, guns in hand. With a massive, ear-shattering bang, three bullets rang from their hand cannons, blowing away enough monsters to make a small opening in the chaos. "This way!" Finnick yelled, absorbing his clones and dashing for his exit, reloading and firing at an Ursa that Sapphire was fighting, obliterating its head instantly.
Sapphire looked up, noticing Finnick's mad dash. "Yue, Daniel!" she shouted at the other two, "Time to make our exit!" She followed him in a quick retreat, swinging her sword or rolling under any Grimm in her way.
Daniel threw his dagger at an Ursa in the midst of a large group of Grimm, impaling it in the thigh and making it fall on a couple other Grimm. There was a slight opening of breathing room, and Daniel took it to follow the others. Yue didn't hear Sapphire's warning, but she did realize their exit when Daniel was gone. Cursing that she was last, Yue swung her Daybreaker in another large arc, making every creature in its range either jump back or get clobbered by its massive mass. She hastily hooked the chains to her back, collapsing the balls and sprinting after Daniel.
Blood pounded in Sapphire's ears as she gasped for breath, having trouble keeping up with the boy in front of her. "Wait up!" she yelled after Daniel. When Daniel looked back at the source of the shout, slowing down slightly so Yue was running almost by his side. "You know where the others are?" Yue asked between breaths.
Daniel shook his head, ducking a tree branch. "I know they're somewhere up ahead," he replied, "Other than that, I have no idea!"
Yue took out Nilfheim from its holster, spraying blindly behind her when she heard trees falling from massive bodies colliding with them. She grinned when she heard a satisfying whine and a couple of howls of pain. "Yeah?!" she shouted over her shoulder, "You want some more?!"
"Yue, get out of the way!" Yue looked forward, noticing nothing. Then, looking up slightly, she noticed the sun being bolted out by a massive foot above her. Daniel tackled her to the side, the black foot coming down with an earthshaking thud. She groaned, pushing Daniel off her body so they could scramble up to their feet. What they saw made their jaws drop in disbelief.
Yāntezo (AN: Tamil, Italian, and Japanese combination of the word elephant. Way too much time on my hands). And by the looks of it, one that had been alive for very, very long time judging by the plates along its trunk-like legs. It towered over the two humans and even the trees, easily doubling the height of even the tallest in the forest. While they stared at it, mouths agape, the Yāntezo looked down at them with its three pairs of beady red eyes. It seemed to be judging them.
Like if it was really worth its time to stomp them flat.
The stomps and sounds foliage being trampled brought the pair out of their trance. Yue shoved Daniel to the side, moving him along. "Just my luck," she muttered as they began to run again, "It always has to be the worst possible luck, doesn't it?"
A giant thud sounded right behind them, knocking Yue and Daniel off their feet. Looking back, the saw the Yāntezo with its next foot outstretched. It apparently decided it was in its best interest to killing the two teens. "Does this always happen with you?" Daniel shouted, scrambling on his hands and feet.
"A bit," she replied loudly, "Now come on! Do you want the giant elephant or the horde of Grimm? Your pick."
As they talked, the Ursa and Beowolves piled in by the numbers, Alphas flanking their coinciding packs. Daniel and Yue paled as she pulled out her two guns, Daniel morphing his cape into a pair of sickles. "I'll probably take the giant Yāntezo if you don't mind," he spoke in a shaky tone.
An Alpha jumped the pair as they rolled away, allowing for the rest of the Grimm to catch up to the pair. "Go," Yue shouted, spraying down the one who leaped at them. The Beowolf howled in pain, retreating back into the mass of black. Yue emptied the rest of her clips into the horde, killing about another six wolves.
Daniel charged at the Yāntezo, pausing briefly to time its stomp. As the foot came down on him, he dived out the way, barely missing getting crushed by mere hairs. Before it could pick its foot up again, Daniel tried to sink his weapons into it, but he couldn't find a space wide enough for the blades between its ivory-like plates dotting the legs. Daniel cursed, looking around for anything else to try and climb before one of the tusks on the creature blindsided him and sent him flying into a tree.
Spots dotted Daniel's vision as he got up from what remained of the tree, groaning and holding his head. Like it was being said underwater, Daniel heard Yue yelling, "Roll!" He reacted on instinct, barely evading the Ursa that slammed its paws where Daniel once laid, roaring in pain as splinters broke through its skin.
The swarm continued to pile in from the thick of trees with no end in sight. Snarls and howls rang from the mass of darkness that continued to roll in. Daniel shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his brain as he rolled again on Yue's command. He barely noticed when Yue hoisted him up by his arm, dragging him through the forest towards a random direction. "We've gotta run," she yelled, her voice blurry and out of focus in Daniel's ears.
Daniel shrugged off her hand while his feet carried him almost mechanically, looking around and spotting the Yāntezo swinging its trunk their direction. "I'll be right back!" Daniel yelled over the buzzing in his ears, backpedaling and jumping away.
Right onto the ancient Grimm's trunk.
Yue looked back in disbelief, hopping over another fallen tree. "Great," she exclaimed, slamming her chained-ball onto an incoming Creep's head, "Brilliant- my only friend right now abandons me to kill an unkillable Grimm. Fantastic."
Meanwhile, Daniel continued to climb the trunk of the Yāntezo, a rather difficult task since the Grimm was trying its hardest to shake off the pest on its head. After a few excruciating minutes, Daniel could finally get a stable hold on a piece of armor plating near the creature's massive ear. As he reached up to sink his fingers into the next handhold, a violent jerk to the Yāntezo's left sent Daniel flying straight up. Far enough that it felt like he could be hit by an airship flying at cruising altitude. Seconds passed as he continued to feel this experience of being weightless, finally able to catch his breath for the first time in an hour, his head in the clouds both metaphorically and literally.
To his dismay, Daniel plummeted back down, screaming his heart out as the Grimm, worse- the ground-, drew closer and closer. Thinking on his feet, Daniel spread out his arms and legs, leveling his body out. He then stretched his hands forward, concentrating his Semblance into his palms. A thick, white foam appeared out of thin air underneath Daniel's fingertips, expanding until it was as thick as a mattress and barely larger than one.
Just in time, the ground came rushing up. Daniel slammed into something solid with the foam under him acting as a cushion, softening the impact just enough to knock the wind out of him and nothing more… severe. He groaned, kicking and swatting away the foam so he could stand properly. He brushed off a stray goop off his shoulder before being knocked off balance- not by a projectile or a Grimm. Well, not in the way he would've thought.
Daniel dropped to his stomach, fisting a bundle of fur on the Yāntezo's back as he held on for dear life. With its massive size, the elephant-like Grimm didn't notice such a soft impact on his back, trying to avoid trampling the other monsters beneath it as Yue danced for survival, weaving between its thick legs as another Ursa got caught in collateral damage.
Daniel crawled on his ride's back, the thick Velcro-like fur making excellent grips even if it dug into Daniel's skin. Daniel popped his head off the side, paling at the scene under him.
And the distance it was from where he laid.
Daniel swallowed his fears, emptying the contents of his toolbelt and pelting any Grimm that was unlucky enough to be seen by his red and blue eyes. Colorful red, blue, and yellow explosions rang out as numbers of Grimm were being demolished by his stock of Dust crystals.
Noticing Yue's dance of death, Daniel unhooked his toolbelt from his waist, changing its shape so it resembled a rope many times longer. He threw it over the edge of the Yāntezo, cupping a hand over his mouth and shouting down, "Grab on!"
Yue battered away another Ursa's paw, looking up at Daniel's voice. With that momentary distraction, a Beowolf managed to get a swipe in, tearing through the back of Yue's jacket and shirt and drawing blood. Yue hissed, hunching over from the three gashes in her back. She twirled her twin chains over her head like a fan's blades, only this time the blades were red-hot and burned anything in its way. With the new breathing room, Yue took the precious seconds to look up again, catching the descending rope out of the corner of her vision.
Taking a heartbeat to plan out her path, Yue holstered Daybreaker, charging towards the Yāntezo's back leg. An Ursa stood in her path, snarling as it stood on its hind legs. "Perfect." Yue crouched down like a she was about to slide under the creature's legs, the Ursa taking the bait. While the Ursa swung a paw down, lowering its body, Yue sprung herself up, using the Ursa's head as a springboard to reach higher.
It wasn't high enough yet- maybe another jump away from where she floated. Yue didn't jump towards the rope, though. In a fit of madness, she was headed for the Yāntezo's hind leg, kicking off its boney thigh and pushing off with all her might, reaching for the lifesaver.
For a heart-stopping second, it seemed like Yue wouldn't be able to close the gap. As the second passed, her fingers wrapped around the bottom of the rope. Her grip started to slip, making Yue yelp out in panic. As her hand started running out of material to grip, the rope glowed a dim blue, wrapping around Yue's wrist just as her grip slackened. Yue breathed a sigh of relief as she was pulled up.
Another minute of back-wrenching pain for Daniel, Yue was finally able to lay on the ancient Grimm's back, facing the sky as she panted like she didn't know the next time she would breathe air this pure. Daniel sat back, propping himself up with his hands as he tried to replenish his reserves again.
A few seconds passed, the only sound being the screeches and growls of the Grimm underneath and the methodic pounding of the earth every time their ride took another step. "How many?" Daniel asked.
Yue tiredly turned her head to look at Daniel with blank eyes. "Hmm?" she responded.
"How many times did you think you were going to die?" Daniel clarified, "I think I got up to twenty."
Yue took a few more deep breaths. "I don't know," she eventually said, "I lost count at twelve."
A few more seconds passed as they looked at each other with dead expressions. Then, sporadically, Yue and Daniel started laughing. It started out as wheezing between breaths and escalated to sound like a pair of hysterical hyenas. "Some Initiation, huh?" Daniel said once he could stop laughing, a grin plastered on his face.
"I've had worse," Yue boasted.
"You sure?" Daniel asked with a raised eyebrow, "The most peace we've had is resting on the back of a Yāntezo."
Yue lifted her head, looking at the midnight black fur under her fingertips. "Touché," she relented, chuckling for a second.
The two of them felt their ride growl beneath them, seeming to shake the entire world with its breath. The crowd of Grimm whimpered as it heard the spine-chilling noise, giving it a birth just wide enough to make sure Yue and Daniel know they still had no escape.
"That's bad," Daniel stated, looking at the ring of monsters surrounding them, "I count at least another three packs-worth of Grimm- mostly Ursa and Beowolves."
Yue groaned, sitting up and rubbing her face. "I'm getting sick of running," she complained, arching her back.
Daniel looked at her with a blank expression. "Who said anything about running?" In response, Yue shot Daniel a slight glare. He put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay," Daniel answered quickly, "Sheesh, it was a joke."
Another step from the Yāntezo jolted the pair, almost throwing Yue off the edge. Her breath hitched from another near-death experience, and her face paled as she stared at the scene beneath her. "No way am I fighting that many Grimm," she stated matter-of-factly.
Daniel nodded, scanning the distance to see which direction they should go. He pointed off in the distance, saying, "Hey, isn't that the northern point of the forest?"
Yue crawled over to her friend's side, following where his finger was pointing. Indeed, the forest thinned until it led to a more mountainous area where they could see a ruinous structure built at its base, its tallest pillars as tall as Yue's thumb from this distance. "Yep, that's it alright," she confirmed, rolling her shoulders. Her muscles screamed in protest, making her wince and let out a silent hiss from behind her clenched teeth.
With his minuscule resources, Daniel took note of what he had in stock. It was a relatively small list: the clothes on his body, minus the cape, the rope in his hands, and… that was it. Daniel swore as he looked back down to the smoking craters from where his Dust crystals fell. "I could've used those," he grumbled to himself.
"What was that?" Yue asked.
Daniel waved her off, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Thinking aloud. Don't worry about it," he reassured. Giving Yue a once over, he asked, "Do you have anything on you that I might be able to use? Besides your clothes and weapons, I mean."
Yue reached into the insides of her jacket, her fingers lingering on the talisman her mom gave her. At the last second, she decided not to take that out and instead tossed Daniel her copy of Wilted Rose. Daniel caught the square object with a hand, looking between the book and Yue with a weird look. The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement, making Yue blush. "Don't judge," Yue exclaimed, hugging her sides, "A lot of people like to read."
Daniel just sighed, shaking his head with a smile on playing on his lips. "You're really going to hate me for what I do next," he chuckled.
Yue narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And why's that?"
Daniel opened the book to a random page near the middle of the story, his hands gripping the tops of the brittle leaves. Yue's eyes widened to golf balls as she scrambled after Daniel. "Don't you dare!" she panicked.
Too late. Daniel already separated his hands, violently tearing the book in half. "No!" Yue screeched, stopping in her tracks with her arm outstretched.
Daniel rolled his eyes as he shrugged off his sweater, exposing more of his red shirt. "Oh, grow up," he chided lightly, "You can get another copy at the nearest bookstore- my treat."
Yue hung her head in exasperation. "It's not the same," she whined.
Daniel huffed indignantly, trying to stifle his giggles. "What's more important, your life or your book?" The depressed girl didn't respond for a few seconds. "Okay," Daniel laughed, "that took way too long to answer."
Yue blew a strand of hair out of her face, sternly glowering at the book-murderer which only made him chuckle at the response. Daniel mentally measured the measurements he would need to make while Yue continued to mourn. "Shit, it's not enough," he cursed. He looked up to stare at Yue's form. "I'm going to need your jacket."
"Haven't you taken enough?"
Daniel sighed. "Oh, for the love of… Just give me the damn jacket!"
Grumbling, Yue reluctantly threw her torn Harrington jacket at Daniel. "Thank you," he replied, laying out his materials side by side in front of him.
Yue looked at the grinning boy, reminding her of one of those insane mad scientists, moments before he created a monster that ravaged cities. "What're you going to make?"
Daniel grinned like a madman before looking up. "You ever heard of Icarus?" he asked in response.
She nodded her head before stopping abruptly. "You can't be serious," she protested, "There's a reason he died- it didn't work!"
"Well," Daniel insisted, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, "his was made of wax. And either way, there's only one way to find out!" He bundled up the objects in front of him, activating his Aura. A blue glow radiated from his hands, the sides elongating and narrowing into wing-like shapes. When the light subsided, Daniel stepped back, gesturing in a "Tada!" fashion while Yue blinked a few spots from her eyes. "What do you think?" he inquired.
Yue rubbed her eyes with her fists, taking them away just to take a glance at what he'd created. When she caught sight of them, her jaw fell like it was made of lead. "You're actually kidding," she stated.
In between the two of them were two hang gliders, their canopies made of mismatched material with random patches of brown and red dotting it. The handles were nothing more than poles jutting out under the wings, small hooks barely big enough for hands extending to the sides at the bottom. "This is a joke," Yue tried to reason, "There's no other explanation. You're joking with me."
Daniel merely grabbed one of the gliders and slung it over his back. "What's it going to be?" he questioned, "Do you trust me?"
Yue evaluated their 'transportation' with apprehension, eventually sighing and taking the other one. "This better not unravel," she mumbled.
Daniel snorted as he turned towards the cliffs at the edge of the forest. "Never doubt the maker," he replied. He took a few deep breaths, hopping up and down a few times. "Well, here goes nothing!" he shouted, running towards the edge of the Yāntezo and leaping off, whooping at the top of his lungs. For a brief second, Yue stared at the open air where Daniel used to be, waiting for a shrill scream of panic, or worse, a loud thud.
Instead, what she got was a black-haired boy swooping into view, gliding his way over the forest. Yue laughed in disbelief, unaware that plans like these actually could work. "When in Rome," she grumbled to herself, adjusting the glider on her shoulders. After just a second of doubt, Yue sprinted towards the edge, trying to gather all the speed she could.
By sheer luck, the Yāntezo had the brilliant idea to shift its balance slightly at the perfect moment, making Yue stumble against its surface. She didn't have the luxury to leap off like Daniel, only drunkenly stumble off the side, barely upright. Yue screamed as she started to plummet, the wind not catching in her glider. After a heart-wrenching moment, Yue finally stabilized and managed to slowly fly over the heads of the swarm.
Her takeoff was significantly lower than Daniel's, however, so Yue barely made it three-quarters of the way Daniel did before she reentered the thick canopy of the forest. Somehow landing on a thick branch, Yue threw off her mismatched glider, letting it fall to the ground as she wrapped her arms around the tree in comfort. She let out a deep breath, dropping to the ground softly. The blue-haired girl stretched her arms over her head, groaning as her muscles continued to torment her. Pausing mid-stretch, her ears perked as a sound came from behind her, slowly growing louder.
Footsteps. Quickly turning into a stampede.
Yue cussed like a sailor, turning 'round and 'round as she searched for North. Spotting the mountains jutting out from the tops of the trees, Yue dashed in that direction without a second thought. "Why?" she complained, her feet screaming in protest from the constant footwork and running, "Why, why, oh why is it always me?"
Yue ran for who knows how long, breaking through the dense foliage and into a sort of plateau area. She barely made note of the ruins around her as she turned around, pistols in hand as she braced for the onslaught of Grimm.
What she didn't expect was a familiar mop of black hair shooting out of the edge of the forest, covered head to toe in soot. "Daniel?" she exclaimed, lowering her weapons, "I thought you were ahead of me."
"I probably was," Daniel agreed, wincing as he rubbed his left bicep, "I had a rough landing, though. Right next to a Beowolf." He lifted his hand away from his arm, showing off a new cut in his skin. "Small scratch- nothing to worry about." He looked back towards where he came from, "Well, the forest might be on fire again, but not a worry."
Yue walked over to her friend, cuffing him around the neck. "You, idiot," she scolded, "Stop setting fire to everything, you pyromaniac!"
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck, shooting Yue a small glare of annoyance. "Got it," he muttered, "I'm sorry for getting that pack of Grimm off our backs."
Yue just sighed, turning around and stumbling towards the ruins she just realized they were in. She pulled the small black relic from her pocket, holding it up triumphantly, swaying it in the air drowsily. "We did it," she murmured happily, "We freaking did it."
A small tap on her shoulder took Yue out of her world of fantasy. Daniel caught up without her noticing, a small frown on his face. "Not quite," he demurred. He looked back towards the Emerald Forest. "We're still missing something. Or rather, some friends."
Yue slowly pieced it together, realization drawing on her face. With an extremely angry groan, she threw her chess piece against the ground, flopping over like she didn't even have the energy to stay on her feet. "Finnick and Sapphire," she remembered.
Daniel gathered Yue's discarded relic, dragging her over to the nearest pillar to lean against. "We just have to hope and wait." Not getting a response from the girl, he went on, "I'm definitely not going out there again, not with you in this state. I hate this as well, but it's all we can do." Still no response. Daniel turned back towards Yue who was face down on the ground. "Yue?" Daniel asked in concern.
A second later, Daniel received an answer in the form of a loud snore, shaking him to the very core. Daniel sighed before breaking into a fit of laughter, the gravity of the situation being lifted as if the Yāntezo had been sitting on his chest the entire time. Daniel shook Yue's shoulder, and he did it again a bit rougher when she still didn't wake. Daniel stopped to think as Yue continued to rest. A lightbulb went off in his brain, leaning down so his mouth was right next to her ear, whispering, "Movies are so much better than books."
"The fuck did you just say?" a muffled Yue growled.
Daniel leaned back against the column, a small look of disbelief donning his face. "I honestly didn't believe that would work," he remarked.
Yue sat up, arching her back and stretching her mouth wide open in an enormous yawn. "How long was I out?" she asked, her words contorted with a drowsiness.
"A minute, tops," Daniel answered.
"Ahem," a new voice cleared its throat from behind the two of them. Yue and Daniel turned around, the former a lot slower, and saw four teenagers. Three of them were looking at them curiously as the last one was laying on the ground, completely drained. The girl that cleared her throat had vivid green eyes and a bright red ponytail, dressed like a warrior princess with her spear and shield that sent the opposite message as her crown-like headpiece. "Hello. Who are you two?"
Daniel flashed the girl a peace sign as Yue just rested her face against the ground again with a small thud. "Hey," Daniel responded, "I'm Daniel. The girl over there is Yue."
A blonde-haired boy in armor and jeans sat facing the teen. "Hey, Daniel," he greeted, "I'm Jaune Arc. The girl over there," he jerked his thumb towards the girl in red, "is Pyrrha."
Pyrrha smiled brightly, waving and politely greeting, "Hello!"
"The other girl," he pointed to the one with orange hair and a war hammer, "is Nora, and the boy on the ground," Jaune motioned to the resting boy in a green tailcoat, "is Ren."
Daniel waved in their direction. "Nice to meet you guys," he said.
Jaune's eyes flickered between Yue and Daniel. "You two partners?" he asked politely, nodding his head towards Yue's direction.
Daniel shook his head. "Sorry, you got it wrong. We were traveling with two others and got separated by a lot of Grimm."
The boy nodded, looking towards the forest. "Well, they should be fine. Apparently, from the look of it, you guys and we were the ones that got the short end of the stick."
Daniel groaned, placing a hand on his face. "You don't know the half of it," he whined.
Nora raised an eyebrow at his comment. "You mean you had to face something worse than a Deathstalker and a Nevermore at once?" she challenged.
"You managed to kill them, right?" Daniel countered, peeking his eyes between his fingers. Nora gave him a reluctant nod, allowing Daniel to continue, "Yeah, I think we had it worse."
"Any elaboration?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yāntezo. At least fifty years old based on a number of plates on it." Daniel noticed the other three paling at the idea. "And this girl here," he nudged Yue with his elbow, "had to fight about three packs by herself while I tackled the Yāntezo."
Jaune slowly blinked, trying to digest the information. "Yep, you had it worse," he relented.
"Hey!" a voice sounded from the trees, "Why's there no love for us?"
Daniel rotated his head, catching sight of Finnick and Sapphire walking over. A chunk of Finnick's pants leg had been torn away, and Sapphire's hair stuck out like she put a finger in an electrical outlet, soot and smoke flying out of it with every step. Daniel whistled in amazement. "Dang, what happened to you two?" he exclaimed.
Sapphire glowered at Daniel, storming over until she stood right in front of him. Without a word or warning, she punched Daniel in the shoulder roughly. "Ow!" Daniel shouted, cradling the bruise, "What was that for?!"
Sapphire continued to glare at Daniel. "Stop setting the forest on fire, you, dunce!" she shouted back, "You nearly got us killed! Twice!"
"Actually," Finnick interjected, a smirk playing on his lips, "once. The other time you panicked and ran head-first into a tree."
Sapphire whipped her head around, silencing Finnick with a death glare. "Because he set the forest on fire!" she yelled.
"Can you keep it down?" Yue begged, curling her legs up to her chest and turning over so her back faced the others, "My head freaking hurts."
Finnick frowned, nudging Yue with the toe of his shoe. "What's wrong with my partner?" he asked Daniel.
"Tired beyond all belief."
"Ah."
Daniel looked around, suddenly bursting into giggles. "How did we manage to screw up Initiation this badly?" he snickered. His giggles escalated into rancorous laughs, literally rolling on the floor, laughing.
Sapphire turned to Finnick, a completely bewildered painted on her face. Finnick shrugged, sitting next to Yue's head. "We're done with Initiation," he pointed out, "Pressure's gone, so they're probably just letting out everything with laughter."
Sapphire nodded at Finnick's explanation, freezing as a fact dawned upon her. "We're done with Initiation," she breathed, "Huh, never thought about that."
"Yay," Yue murmured, "Whoopee. Now if you'll excuse me…" And she sank into blackness, her eyelids too heavy to lift.
AN: And fin. Hey, guys! Fireflame again. So, I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter of Polar Opposites.
I'm gonna be honest for a second- I really don't know where this is going to go. I have a few more chapters planned out, but I have no idea on how to end this story. Should I continue on and do the entire thing that happened in Season 3 or should I just cut it short and end it during the Vytal Festival? I'm gonna need you guys to decide that, so I'm putting up a poll. If you want to go further or try and trim it, let me know!
Also, I have to talk about another person. Dan Song, a good reader that's also a large part of my other story, Wilting Rose. Thank you so much for picking up this story. I really have to thank you for sticking with me, even for a different story.
I'm going to cut my rambling short. Have a nice day/night/evening/whatever!
Signing out, Flames of Fire.
