Chapter 3: Initiation
"It's morning, it's morning, it's morning, it's morning~"
I groan and roll away from the noise. "Ughhhh, five more minutes…" I yawn and sit up straight.
As my consciousness slowly comes back online, I freeze momentarily, the events of yesterday rushing back into my mind.
I guess that really wasn't a dream. I'm actually on Remnant.
Pinching myself to confirm that I really am experiencing this, I grimace as I recall how careless I was regarding interacting with team RWBY. Cursing to myself, I get up, surveying the room in the process.
Weiss is already up and in her huntress outfit, while Ruby and Yang are just waking up themselves. I silently leave the dance hall without attracting the attention of the girls. I head to the washroom to brush my teeth, which took a while, as I never bothered to remember where it was, and I promptly change back into my hunter clothes, which were conveniently washed. I pat myself down and pull on my glove to seat it tightly against my skin. I head to the mess hall, careful to avoid the girls when they walk down the hallway.
Looking at the menu, it's pancakes. Right. I should've remembered. Waiting in line, I grab a tray and some food. Standing in a somewhat empty space of the room, I scan it for an empty seat. My eyes land next to... Pyrrha Nikos.
I blink.
Uh... What do I...
Turning around, I bump into...
Oh my god.
The person in front of me is wearing full body armor, covering him from neck to toe, a large yellow bird symbol on the chestplate. A mace is attached to his hip. He has orange brown hair, purplish blue eyes, and a terrible grin on his face.
It's Cardin Winchester.
...If he actually starts bullying me, I am going to kill myself.
The towering boy smirks and pushes me roughly, causing me to fall to the floor on my face.
...Someone please kill me.
Turning over onto my back, I stare at his upside down face, and he crosses his arms and laughs his terrible guffaw, walking away. "Watch where you're going, punk."
I sigh, closing my eyes and running a hand over my face.
At least he didn't escalate.
I wince a bit as I make to sit up from the floor with my elbows. Before I can stand, a shadow obscures my vision, and I look up to see the cause.
"Are you alright?" A girl leans down, her face finally registering in my vision. Blake. Her purple cat eyeshadow accentuates her eyes.
I groan, leaning my head back, cradling my nose.
"I'm doing... just fine." Blake opens up her hand, gesturing for me to grab onto. With a breath, I clasp my hand onto hers, and she pulls me up. Clumsily, I almost fall into her, our faces flushing as our bodies almost touch. I play it off and turn away from her before coughing into my fist. Looking at the floor, my face falls and I let out a disappointed 'aw' as I realize my plate fell when Cardin pushed me down, and the contents of it spilled onto the floor.
Picking up the plastic plate, I discard it into the washing bin before grabbing a handful of napkins to pick up the soggy food. I pause when Blake does the same, and she pauses when she realizes I paused. I tilt my head at her questioningly, and she shrugs, before kneeling down and helping me clean up.
Shaking my head, I kneel down and clean up as well, both of us finishing in a few moments.
Straightening my legs, I dust off my hands and turn to Blake. Looking into her eyes for a few moments, I nod deliberately in appreciation, a little twitch on my lips.
"...Thanks." I point behind me with a thumb. "Well, I guess I should-"
"Heyoooo~! Noooct! Oh! And you too, Blakey!" Yang's clear voice cuts through the cacophony of voices in the cafeteria. She is sitting at a mostly empty table with her sister, Ruby, who is busy poking at her food. She waves at us with gusto.
I freeze and my eye twitches in annoyance.
Can't I just go one day. One. Day. Without talking to these people?
Arguing with myself whether or not I should even acknowledge Yang, I have this dilemma solved for me when she comes up behind me and Blake, forcefully dragging us to her table. The only other person at the table with her is Ruby.
Stumbling a bit when Yang lets go, I huff before taking a seat across from Ruby, with Blake sitting next to me.
"Good morning." Blake says, at least acting cordially.
"Morning." I dole out, still a bit tired. I fidget in place as the three girls begin eating their breakfast silently. Ruby with her giant stack of cookies. Yang with her giant stack of pancakes. And Blake with a reasonable amount. And me with nothing.
Ruby is the first to notice that I don't have a tray of food in front of me.
"Ehh? Noctis, where's your food?" I lower my head, my bangs covering my eyes.
"Wasn't hungry." I lie easily. Blake shoots a dirty look at me, which I catch from the corner of my eye.
"Noctis. He was out of line. You know that, so don't lie."
...Et tu, Blake?
Ruby tilts her head. "Who?"
"That bully. I couldn't catch his name, but he pushed Noctis to the floor." Blake recounts tonelessly.
Yang punches her fists together and grins widely. "Alright then. We'll break his legs!" She says predictably.
Lowering my head in shame, I sigh to myself. I've been sighing a lot these past days.
A cookie slips its way into my view. Then another.
Looking up, I see Ruby reaching across the table with her hands, cookies in her palms. I blink slowly.
"I'm sorry about your breakfast... but I-I'll feel bad when you go to Initiation on an empty stomach... so, here you go!" She nods at me with a bright smile, moving her arms up and down to catch my attention.
"O-Oh. Ah, thanks... Ruby." Awkwardly, I reach my hands out, and Ruby drops the cookies in her hand into mine. Staring down at the chocolate chips, I begin munching on them.
...
They're... actually pretty good.
"Ahaha Ruby! You're such a good friend! Just what I'd expect from you!" Yang squeals, hugging Ruby from the side, tickling her.
"Yang, stooooooop~!" Ruby giggles hysterically, her eyes closing and tearing up.
Just looking at the two sisters... it makes me feel... I don't know.
I smile sadly. Ruby and Yang tease and poke each other incessantly, their conversation muffles as I think.
Just knowing what will happen after Volume 3... I wish they can stay like this...
Having the knowledge to change things sucks so bad... What the hell do I do...? I can't just tell them... Can I...? Will they even believe me?
I clench my hand into a fist and bite my lip. I finish up the last cookie, wiping off the stains from my mouth. With the bell ringing, I stand up and leave without saying a word. Ruby and Yang don't notice me leave, but Blake turns to look at my back, an unsure look on her face. Making up her mind, she slinks away from the oblivious sisters, whom are still busy teasing each other.
Catching a shadow in the corner of my eye, I dismiss it at first. But then I round the corner and-
"Noctis, what are you doing?" Blake asks me.
I sigh. "What do you think? I'm going to the locker room to get ready." I am about to move past her, but she stops me with a hand. I click my tongue impatiently.
"Are you okay? Look, I... I haven't known you for very long, but I know when something's not right. What's wrong?" Blake's voice is sincere, a total 180 from her regular sarcastic tone.
"Blake... Look... it's nothing. Nothing that you can help me on, anyway. Not... not yet." I tell her, subtly hinting at something more.
The girl hesitates for a bit, but relents anyway, sighing. "I won't push you... but you can let me know if you need to talk..."
A shadow falls over my face and I shove my hands into my pockets. Without saying goodbye, I leave Blake standing alone in the middle of the hallway. She lets out a breath and begins walking away, the click of her heels slowly disappearing in the crowd. Palming my face, I enter the locker room. It's packed.
Sitting down on the bench, I look up towards the ceiling. Blinking slowly, I gather my thoughts. Closing my eyes, I lower my head and heave a breath through my nose.
A shadow falls over my face. I look up.
"Ah, it's the punk." I meet the face of Cardin.
Great... Just who I wanted to see. I grumble sarcastically.
Cardin smirks his terrible smirk and grabs hold of me by my collar. A bored look crosses my face, and my head lolls backward. What a waste of time.
"Say, I don't think I was thorough enough with you back there in the cafeteria. Looks like I have to teach you a lesson." His smile widens.
Are you actually serious? Is he actually bullying me... for the sake of bullying me?
...
Don't answer that question.
"I don't have time for this shit." I mutter.
Cardin pulls my collar again, invading my personal space. "What was that? You have something to say to me?"
With a lethal stare, I look at Cardin. "I said, I don't. Have time. For your bullshit."
Cardin blinks momentarily before laughing out loud. "Ha! Get a load of this guy! You're a funny dude." He shakes my limp body.
"Let go of me." I simply say.
"What?"
Clenching my fists and growling, I yell at him. "I said LET GO!"
With a burst of strength I didn't know I had, I grab on his arm, causing him to let go of my collar in surprise. Turning around, I pull hard, throwing him across my back and across the room. He hits the floor with a flash of Aura and rolls to a stop with a loud thud. A crowd that gathered during this altercation whispers loudly around me.
...
I stare at my hands and back at Cardin's groaning figure. My eyes widen as tunnel vision sets in.
"Shit."
Gathering my bearings, I slowly backpedal and quickly run outside, fearing what Cardin will do to me when he gets up. Running as fast as I can, I round a corner and hide inside a part of the wall that juts inward, holding my breath in. After a few excruciating seconds, Cardin stomps past the indentation in the wall without finding me. Waiting a few more moments as his footsteps fade away, I slowly detach myself from the wall and let go of the breath.
"Are you okay?"
I snap my head towards the voice.
"That person looked quite angry with you." A red haired girl smiles at me.
Pyrrha...
I memorize her appearance. Pyrrha is pale, with green emerald eyes, accentuated with green eyeshadow. She is dressed in her hunter attire. Pyrrha wears what seems to be a leather corset, and a bronze choker. Her gloves reach to the middle of her bicep, and she has a bracer on her left arm. She also wears a red sash wrapped around her mini skirt. Her armor consists of greaves that start from the middle of her thighs and reach all the way down to her boots. The boots in question are brown and are heeled.
A scoff interrupts my inner monologue. "That brute? He looks angry with everyone."
Out of the frying pan and into the fire...
Weiss finally notices my appearance and she growls. "You! Argh, you'll pay for what you said!"
Pyrrha stops her from approaching me, softly grabbing at her arm. Weiss opts to glare at me silently, which I return in favor.
Pyrrha shushes Weiss before turning to me with a smile and a tiny bow. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. It's nice to make your acquaintance."
"...Okay." I say dumbly. "I'm Noctis Fleuret. Call me Noct if you want."
...
"You don't even know who she is? Pathetic." Weiss crosses her arms and looks at me incredulously.
"Should I care?" I say, kicking my boots at the ground. I already know who she is, but I'm not giving you the satisfaction.
Weiss grits her teeth. "She's Pyrrha Nikos!" Weiss brings up her hands to count off Pyrrha's achievements. "She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum! She's a fourth-time champion in the Mistral Regional Tournament! And she's even on the packaging of Pumpkin Pete's!"
Pyrrha stands in place, fidgeting and blushing at Weiss's praise, not sure what to do.
I slowly blink. "What's a Pumpkin Pete?" I say, legitimately not knowing what she is referring to.
"...You...! You are impossible!" Weiss gives up, getting angrier and angrier.
...Seriously, what's a Pumpkin Pete?
Weiss tries ignoring me, putting up a false smile and addressing Pyrrha. "Well, I hope we can be on a team together. Personally, you're my top pick, and I doubt I'm the only one."
Pyrrha smiles again. "I'm honored you think so."
With a loud tone of feedback, the PA system springs to life. Professor Goodwitch speaks through a microphone. "Would all freshmen please proceed to Beacon Cliff? The Initiation is about to begin. I repeat, all freshmen report to Beacon Cliff, the Initiation is about to begin." With a sound as if a phone is hung up, the speaker turns off.
I frown.
I follow Weiss and Pyrrha as they both chat with each other. Finally reaching Beacon Cliff, Professor Goodwitch has us stand on platforms that would be launching us into the Emerald Forest. I'm at the far right of the middle row. Looking around, I see way more students than was in the show. There are people ahead and behind us. The rows are significantly longer as well. Professor Ozpin, with his mug in hand, and Goodwitch at his side, clears his throat and begins his speech. His loud booming voice washes over the crowd.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated. In this Initiation, you will make your way to the temple ruins within the Emerald Forest, and retrieve a relic." The headmaster pushes up his glasses.
"However, these woods are filled to the brim with Grimm. Each a threat in their own right. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." Ozpin's tone of voice makes it clear that he is not joking.
With a small smile, he continues, the dark atmosphere disappearing almost immediately. "Naturally, you will be monitored and graded, but... do not expect any assistance, if at all. It is up to you, and you alone, to ward off any and all dangers." With a final adjustment of his glasses, Ozpin stands back, allowing for Goodwitch to take over.
"You may have heard the rumors of the formation of teams." She begins. Ruby, who I just notice is right next to me, rocks back and forth on her feet in anticipation.
"They are all true." Ruby almost begins celebrating. "However, the deciding factor of your teams will be the results of your performance during the Initiation. Pairing up will not be a requirement. It will be a necessity for your survival .So don't think about who you would like to team up with too much." Goodwitch dispenses the cold hard truth. Ruby and Weiss deflate like a balloon, though for differing reasons.
"Any questions?" Ozpin asks. Total silence answers him.
"Hm. Very good. Now, on your marks."
Slowly, one by one, from left to right, row by row, students are launched off the cliff with extreme speed. I shuffle my feet as adrenaline and heartrate amp up accordingly. Suddenly Ozpin makes eye contact with me.
"Ah, Mr. Fleuret. We will be meeting after the Initiation. Is that clear, young man?" He frowns at me.
My eyes subtly widen. Does he know?
I answer his question. "Uh... crystal cleEEEAARRRR!?" Right as I began speaking, I am launched in the air, the extreme G forces warping the skin on my face, causing it to flap around. I begin screaming like a little girl.
"FUUUUUUUU-" My voice slowly gets quieter and quieter as I blast away from the cliff.
Goodwitch looks at my vanishing form on the horizon. "Are you sure about this, sir? He may get hurt."
"To be perfectly honest, Glynda," Ozpin takes off his glasses and wipes it thoroughly. He replaces them on the bridge of his nose, the sun flashing them opaque momentarily.
"I have no idea."
"-UUUUUUUUUCK!" Flailing my arms, I almost start crying.
"No doubt about it, I think I'm going to die!" I yell out to nobody in particular. I continue flailing, and I spin around in freefall. Every second, I fall closer and closer to the treeline, almost about to clip the branches.
I'm fucked. I'm totally fucked.
This is it... I'm going to die. Again. I close my eyes in anticipation.
Suddenly, the sound of a rocket propeller slowly increases in volume behind me.
"What is tha-" I begin, immediately silenced by a sharp object attaching itself in my collar. With my trajectory changed, it begins to guide itself towards the nearest tree.
"Oh no."
Hurtling towards the tree, I angle my neck so that the spear, now that I could see part of it, could hit the tree bark and not my spine. Luckily, the spear embeds itself into the bark, and pulls me into a dead stop. You know Newton's third law of motion. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. With double the G forces I experienced at launch, I... pass out. Hanging from a tree.
Yeah.
"...where... you going... teammates..." Muffled speech rings in my ears.
Regaining consciousness and control of my muscles, my eyes slowly open and my neck creaks at the position its held in. I have a killer headache.
How long... how long have I been out?
Groaning slightly, I cradle the side of my head before forcing myself to not slip into unconsciousness again. After a while of collecting my marbles, I look down, seeing Weiss walking away under my view, probably from Ruby.
"I am a Schnee... I must have the perfect partner..." Weiss disappears behind the brush after that.
Looks like she didn't notice me...
I begin twiddling my thumbs before trying to remove the spear from the tree. Grunting with effort, I quickly give up that endeavor, and just slip off my jacket from my shoulders, causing me to fall down to the forest floor. Absorbing the force of falling with my legs with a grunt, a jolt of pain rockets upwards. I fall to my hands and knees, rolling on the ground before I land on my back.
I only have to spend a few minutes wallowing in my own despair before a bush rustles from my peripheral vision. I follow the mass in the corner of my eyes until I can finally see what they look like. Bright, red hair comes into view as Pyrrha steps forward, and she stares me down from above.
"Do you need any help?" She asks me rhetorically, a small grin on her face.
She takes a few seconds to be amused by my predicament before using her Semblance to take her spear back, my jacket fluttering down to the floor. That is, before Pyrrha catches it.
I sit up on my behind and Pyrrha hands me my jacket.
"So... do you have a spot on your team?" She smiles disarmingly.
Taking my jacket from her hands, I quickly put it on, lifting my arm up and pulling on the front of the jacket to slide my arm through the hole.
"Sure." I answer curtly, still a bit miffed at being knocked out by a tree. Pyrrha puts out a hand for me to grab on. With a raised eyebrow, I clasp my gloved hand around hers, pulling myself up off the forest floor with her help.
Shrugging my shoulders and dusting off the back side, I address Pyrrha.
"So we'll be working together?"
"Of course. The Grimm are a threat; it would be wise to team up." Pyrrha replies.
I nod understandingly. "Right... we should get moving, it's probably not safe to stay in one location. Let's go find the relics, or something." I gesture for her to follow, and she does so, jogging slightly to catch up by my side.
With a moment of clarity, I dig out my Scroll from my pocket, and bring up the compass app on it. Spinning in place, the compass finally points north, and I breathe out of my nose in satisfaction.
"Let's move out, Pyrrha."
"I'm right behind you, Noctis."
Since Pyrrha's the only one with weapons, I am relegated to being a scout, making sure we aren't walking into a death trap. Pyrrha travels ahead of me, clearing the way with a few slices of her xiphos, Miló. Suddenly, a few explosions crack out in the distance. Pyrrha reacts by stopping in place and readying her blade for combat. I just jump at the loud noise.
With a sigh of relief, I tell Pyrrha, "It's just gunfire."
Pyrrha relaxes her stance and puts away her shield, Akoúo̱. "It seems our comrades have encountered an enemy." Pyrrha continues slicing at the undergrowth, pushing away larger branches too thick to be cut.
"It'll be best if we follow those shots. That seems like the best course of action." Pyrrha explains.
I gulp silently. Yeah... follow the gunshots, where people are fighting Grimm... I've got a bad feeling about this.
Not paying attention, I follow Pyrrha right as she pulls back a branch. My eyes widen as the branch rebounds, racing right towards my face. Ducking underneath it, I immediately eat shit as I trip over an exposed root. Straight towards a rock.
Fuck.
I hit my head against it with a sickening crack, and I yelp when a sharp pain stabs into my forehead. All I hear is a loud ringing, and my vision goes bright, causing me to hiss. Picking myself up, I stumble away from the bloodied rock and I sink to the ground. Pyrrha, who stopped and turned at the noise, gasps and runs to my prone body.
"Noctis! Are you alright!? What happened?"
Ah, dammit... the ringing... the ringing just won't stop...
With a guttural groan, I slowly remove my bloodied hands from my forehead, Pyrrha flinching a bit at the excessive blood. Kneeling down, she turns me onto my back and runs her hand over my hair, pulling it back from the sticky mess that is my forehead.
"Why... Why didn't you activate your Aura?" Pyrrha's voice is noticeably jaded.
I mumble out an answer. "I don't... I don't think I have... any..."
She lets out a shaky breath before adjusting her posture to better look at me. With a tone of finality, she speaks. "Alright. Close your eyes. I'll activate your Aura."
I mumble a little 'Sorry' as my eyes flutter shut. Pyrrha places her gloved hand on my cheek before closing her eyes as well. She begins the chant to unlock my Aura.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all." A warm feeling spreads through my body. Pyrrha places her other hand on my chest. "Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee."
Gasping, I open my eyes as I feel the wound on my forehead slowly closing. Pyrrha is doubled over me and breathing heavily.
"Ah... Pyrrha...?" I start.
She places her hands on her lap, straightening her back and taking a deep breath. "I'll be fine. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but… the energy that protects you now is your own…" She takes a few more breaths before smiling at me, exhausted.
"You have a lot of it."
It's like I can feel my skin closing up. I wince a bit as my skin basically stretches over the wound and heals it with no scarring. Hesitantly, I reach my bloody hand up to my forehead, doing a double take as no more fresh blood seeped out. I still hiss a bit at the tenderness. Looking down at the palms of my red hands, a faint blue glow surrounds my body.
This must be my Aura.
It fades as quickly as it appeared, and I begin rubbing off my forehead and hands of dried blood. Accepting Pyrrha's hand, I pull myself up and dust off my clothes.
"Thank you... Pyrrha."
"It's fine." She brushes it off and starts walking away, continuing to clear out more brush.
I am about to start following her, but suddenly, a loud glass-like explosion fills my ears, and a bright blue crystalline blade materializes, spinning like a top and orbiting me. The flash of light forces me to shield my eyes, the effect akin to a flashbang.
"What the-!?"
Pyrrha turns her head, but doesn't look back at me. "Is something wrong?" She asks.
I shake my head. "Uh... it's... it's nothing." Pyrrha continues moving, and disappears behind the treeline.
I rub my eyes to clear my vision of stars.
The translucent blade continues orbiting me, but at a much slower pace than before. With a hesitant motion, I make to grab at the hilt of the sword with my left hand. My eyes widen as the blade takes on a more opaque and more colorful appearance, the weight of it almost making me fall. Adjusting my grip, pointing the sharp edge away from me, mind you, I hold it up, before dropping the blade down softly on my gloved right hand.
It's around the size of a broadsword, if I had to guess. The handle is wrapped in black grip tape, the crossguard a dull golden sheen. The blade itself is wider than the average broadsword, single edged as well, like a katana. It has a straight back, and an unusual curvature to it, like a subdued sine wave, reaching to a tip at the top of the blade. It emits a glowing, silver sheen, a reflection of Remnant's sun.
...Is this my Semblance? No way...
I grip the handle tighter, a smile spreading across my lips.
If this is how it is... then I guess I know what else is in store...
I begin laughing, starting slowly at first, then reaching a fever pitch before Pyrrha pokes her head out from behind the trees.
"What are you doing?"
I immediately shut my mouth and let go of the grip, the sword exploding into tiny blue crystals, and glowing a bit before disappearing. "Don't worry about it." I deflect miserably.
She tilts her head in a 'Really?' expression before turning back around and disappearing behind the trees. Guess she didn't see the light show.
With a little sigh, I reach my hand out again, thinking of my weapon before making a grabbing motion, pleased when the sword predictably forms in my hand. Testing the weight, I spin it around with a flick of my wrist, a low hum resonating from the blade. With a small breath, I raise my sword up in a throwing motion.
Well... it won't hurt to try.
I chuck the sword at a tree, the blade flying straight as an arrow, and embedding itself into the trunk, splintering the wood.
...
Is... something supposed to happen now or-
I yelp when a cold feeling punches me in the stomach and hooks me forward. Closing my eyes on instinct, my skin freezes as I experience a brief moment of vertigo. I lurch forward and come to a stop as my brain struggles to catch up with the rest of my body. The distinct shattering of crystals fills my ears as I come to a stop, my hand unconsciously closed around the grip of my sword, still stuck in the tree. Slowly opening my eyes, I turn around, noticing some residue of blue crystals falling to the floor behind me, disintegrating in seconds. I smile.
Amazing... if this is how I think it works...
I begin pondering the events that transpired just now. I shake my head with a small smile.
Summoning... and teleportation. This shit is so overpowered.
I pull the blade out of the bark and throw the sword behind me, the unmistakable shattering of crystals announcing its departure from reality. My sense of curiosity fading, I finally notice how tired I feel, and taking a look at my Scroll confirms my suspicions. My Aura levels have dropped significantly, a large chunk taken out of it, though the bar still remains green. With a click of my tongue, I pocket my Scroll before trying to slow my breathing, and start jogging to catch up to Pyrrha.
Atop the cliff overseeing the Emerald Forest, the crunching of boots on grass disturbs the quiet ambience. Professor Glynda Goodwitch strolls up behind Headmaster Ozpin, Scroll in hand.
"Our last pair has been formed, sir." She begins courteously, catching Ozpin's attention. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren." Goodwitch swipes the screen to a drone following them, manually overriding the auto-flight. Nora is riding an Ursa while Ren follows her from above, tree hopping from branch to branch. "They seem to be a good match. Their prior relationship will a boon for them."
"Hm." Ozpin hums off-handedly.
Goodwitch presses a few buttons on her Scroll, shifting to a different camera.
"Pyrrha Nikos and… Noctis Fleuret." She pauses in thought before looking towards Ozpin. "Sir, are you absolutely sure about this?"
Ozpin stands in silence and glances at Goodwitch. "Of course not." He says bluntly. "But what is life without a little risk?" He takes a large sip of his drink, possibly to annoy Goodwitch.
Glynda raises an eyebrow at this, and sighs deeply before turning back to her Scroll. Ozpin's eccentricity knows no bounds.
The headmaster lowers his mug and his expression softens. "Please don't worry, Glynda. I will judge his performance. If he does not perform to my standards…" He shifts his glasses and turns away. "Well, perhaps I was wrong." He looks back to his scroll, switching viewpoints from Ruby and Weiss to Pyrrha and Noctis. A black shadow dances around the edge of the two, all parties unaware of it.
Glynda sighs and closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Opening her eyes, she turns away from the cliff drop. "At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes."
Ozpin nods silently, swiping at his Scroll. "Very well. Keep me updated, Glynda."
"By your command, Professor."
A/N: Sorry about the length of this chapter. Thinking of splitting the Initiation Arc into two chapters. AP exams are also not helping.