Chapter 11: Are We Finally Partners Now?
That was a big bird.
A frown appeared on the Valkyrie's face as that thought echoed in her mind, her eyes fixed upwards at the monstrous grimm. Nora was no stranger to Nevermore, as the flying grimm were one of the more common types of creatures she and Ren had faced during their travels. Likewise, she never really had too much trouble with the smaller ones, since Magnhild was very effective at turning a flock of the flying annoyances into fancy smokey fireworks.
But that was only against the smaller ones.
The one that was currently circling the forest above them was, by far, the largest Nevermore she had ever seen. While her usual grenades did well against swarms of small, stupid birds, Nora really wasn't sure how much damage she could do against something nearly three times the size of a Bullhead. And to make things worse, this grimm was smart enough to stay out of reach of her grenades. Probably by accident, since it hadn't seen her yet, but the fact that it was still flying so high overhead couldn't be good.
"Oh dear. This may prove to be a bit problematic. What do you plan to do, Miss Valkyrie?"
The voice of a tiny green man echoed from Nora's shoulder, and she held back the urge to turn and face him. Didn't he know it was unsafe to try and attract the attention of someone who's busy driving? Fortunately, she was the safest, most responsible-est person she knew, and kept her attention fixed forward as she drove the Ursakart towards her distant classmates.
"Aren't you supposed to be the sagely mentor?" Sarcasm filled Cinder's voice as she spoke up from the Valkyrie's other shoulder, her words directed solely at her counterpart as she answered mini-Ozpin's question. "Shouldn't you be giving her some advice? Or do you still view people as expendable tools?"
However, Ozpin did not rise to her barbs. Instead, Nora heard the telltale sound of the man sipping at his tiny cup, which was extremely rude considering he was right beside her ear. Still, she couldn't exactly scold him with Weiss behind her, and the Valkyrie just tried to ignore the shoulder-people's silly voices. Since, you know, the giant Nevermore was more important.
"I will offer my assistance when it is required. With that said, it would be detrimental to her development as a huntress if she comes to rely on us. As a student, Miss Valkyrie must be capable of assessing the situation on her own, so that she may develop her own intuition and judgement." Nora could practically hear the man nod. Not that it didn't make sense, since she of all people knew how bad it was when she relied on other people... But still...
"Really." Cinder's response to the man's words was a scoff, her voice dry as she remained unconvinced. "Well, in case you've forgotten, Miss Valkyrie here isn't a student yet. Not even I'm cruel enough to throw unprepared children at dangerous grimm like that. At least, not without good reason."
Waitwhat? Nora immediately turned to face Cinder, disbelief in the Valkyrie's eyes. Unfortunately, that had caused the Ursakart to turn in the same direction, and the poor bear almost slammed into a tree as a result. A roar echoed from the monster, and Nora had to direct her attention back to the grimm, leaving her unable to ask the red lady what she had meant. Instead, all she could do was struggle with the grimm's fur as she heard Ozpin speak once again.
"Ah, yes. Certainly, I can see why you're reserved about this situation, given your lack of foresight-"
"Excuse me?"
"-but I assure you that Miss Valkyrie has the skill, as well as all the tools, needed to address the current problem in front of her."
A frown formed on Nora's face. It was sorta nice that Ozpin had faith in her? But really, she had the same doubts as Cinder did. She'd never faced something like a giant nevermore before, and something like the student initiation test thingy probably wasn't the best place to learn.
"So long as she and her classmates work together to face this threat, I am completely confident that neither the Nevermore nor the Deathstalker will pose a problem."
"Uh huh..." Unsurprisingly, both Nora and Cinder remained unconvinced. And while the Valkyrie wasn't able to voice her doubts, Cinder remained quite vocal, not moving from her spot on Nora's shoulders as she responded to Ozpin's silly non-answer. "I noticed that you failed to mention the King Taijitu."
"The what now?"
As if on cue, a roar echoed out from behind them, and Nora instinctively threw a look over her shoulder. It was fortunate that she did, as she had turned just in time to see the beast of grimm coil in on itself, both heads fixed on them for a few moments before the beast immediately uncoiled. That single motion launched it forward, the grimm's reckless charge uprooting dirt and grass as it drew closer, the gaping maw of the black snake's head threatening to engulf them entirely.
Nora banked hard to the left, throwing all of her strength into the Ursa as she forced her faithful companion away from the attack. The ground beside her exploded a second later, and the shock of the impact, as well as the sudden rush of adrenaline from nearly turning into snake food, drew an alarmed cry from the Valkyrie. Turning around, she spotted the grimm's head half-buried in a newly-formed crater, and couldn't help but stick her tongue out at the unfortunate monster. "Bleeeh!"
Thunk.
And then her partner's hand chopped down on Nora's forehead. But before the Valkyrie could even utter a cry of pain, her partner's voice rose first, as Weiss practically yelled at her. "Just what is wrong with you?!"
"...Bwuh? Hey! What was that for?"
Nora brought a hand to her forehead, slowly rubbing the pain away as she threw a look back to her partner. Not only that, but she tried to be as angry as she could while doing so, frowning at the white-dressed girl and everything. However, Weiss was undeterred, her own face far worse than the Valkyrie's as she returned an icy glare. "How else was I supposed to get your attention, you dolt?!"
"Gee, I dunno. Why didn't you just call my name or something?"
"Because," And Weiss crossed her arms as she spoke out, turning her face away in a very deliberate gesture to get on Nora's nerves, "I refuse to learn the name of someone who does not even acknowledge when someone is trying to speak with them."
Nora's sorta-frown broke at those words, her stare replaced by a look of confusion as the Valkyrie stared at the Heiress. "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? Did you honestly hear none of what I said for the past few minutes?" Nora flinched. She wasn't exactly able to say yes, since she doubted her partner would understand the troubles of having a shoulder-Ozpin and a shoulder-Cinder yelling beside your ears. Then again, she wasn't exactly able to say much of anything, since Weiss immediately continued without so much as a pause. "Honestly! When I issue you orders for the plan, I expect you to, at the very least, pay attention!"
"Plan? Plan for what?"
"What do you think? For the Nevermore and the- Deathstalker!"
The Valkyrie turned the moment her partner's finger came up, and through her quick reflexes, Nora had turned around just in time to catch the sight of the oncoming Deathstalker, its beady eyes clear as the Ursakart sped towards it. And Nora could've sworn that the beast of grimm had a smug glint in its eye, staring back at them as it casually raised its front pincer, tossing the Ursakart and all its passengers over it's head.
The final sight she saw before meeting the stone floor were a pair of silver eyes, filled with equal parts confusion and alarm.
"Nora! Are you okay?!"
Rather than answer, the Valkyrie could only release a groan of pain, her voice strained as her body reminded her of the disadvantages of not having a good landing strategy. Still, she was nothing if not energetic, and just because her everything hurt, Nora wasn't one to remain down on the ground for long. Slowly, she rose to her feet, her balance shaky as she turned her attention to the voice.
"Ru-...Ruby?"
"Nora!" Her friend's voice immediately rang out as the hooded girl acted, throwing her arms around the Valkyrie as she hugged her. Nora tried to return the gesture, but a sharp sensation flared in her arm, and Ruby noticed her flinch. "S-Sorry! You're not hurt too badly, are you? Can you walk? If not, I-I can carry you! I don't look it but I'm strong! You'll be okay, right?"
"Calm down, Rubes. Give her some space." The voice of her other friend rang up next as Yang approached them, a worried expression plastered on the blonde girl's face as her shifted from her sister to Nora. "You gonna be okay? I know your aura took most of the hit, but you still don't look so hot."
"My aura...?" It took her a moment to process that word, but the confusion on the Valkyrie's face soon changed to worry, her body tensing as her eyes widened. Her aura! She had already taken so much damage throughout this initiation. If her aura was depleted here, then what? They still had the grimm to worry about! Without wasting another moment, the hammerwielder closed her eyes, focusing her energy on herself as she tried to feel for her aura.
Thankfully, after a few short seconds, her hand began to glow, as the familiar light of her soul washed over her.
"Heh, guess you're fine, then." Yang's expression immediately brightened, giving the Valkyrie a thumbs up as she shot her a grin.. At least, it was a grin for a few seconds, before a look of confusion washed over the blonde's face. "... Wait, wasn't it orange when you crashed earlier?"
"Orange?" Nora's brow furrowed at that statement, as she turned her gaze from the blonde down to her hands. "What do you-"
The rest of her words were cut off by a terrible screech, the Nevermore above making its presence known once more as it billowed its wings. Feathery spears shot out from the monster, and none of the three girls needed any prompt as they lunged out of the way.
"Let's talk about it later! Head to the ruins!"
Ruby's voice rose above the chaos, and the other two girls only nodded in response. It took Nora a few moments to find the ruins in question, but her eyes soon fell on the sight of a collapsed stone tower, where a few other students had gathered, and she wasted no time as she sprinted fo-
Wait. Where was her partner? The Valkyrie's eyes widened as she immediately turned around, her eyes falling back to the spot where she had apparently landed, only to find the charred remains of a Nora-sized crater embedded into the stone. Weird, but not her immediate concern, as Nora could not see any sign of her partner or the Urs-
"Someone help!"
A very familiar voice rose up, and Nora turned to the source, drawing Magnhild with some difficulty as she gripped at her weapon. Her eyes narrowed, ready to assist her partner at a moment's notice... Only to see a certain white-dressed lady clinging onto an Ursa for dear life. As it turns out, Nora had been the only one who actually crashed, and both her partner and her ride were still in full swing, the shadowy bear rushing straight forward in a mad dash while being chased by a very angry Deathstalker. "Get me off of this thing!"
"Don't worry, Weiss!" And Nora lunged forward, her instincts already falling back into place as she slammed her weapon down behind her, releasing a pink explosion that rocketed her forward. "I'm coming!"
"Someone other than her!"
But unfortunately for Weiss, her protests fell on deaf ears, as Nora sped forward in a graceful pink arc. The Valkyrie raised her hammer, both hands gripping it tight as she flew towards both the Ursakart and the Deathstalker. And with a cheery grin on her face, the Valkyrie prepared to strike, shouting out a single word of warning towards her partner. "Weiss! Move!"
"Wha-?!"
Rather than the huntress-in-training, it was the Ursa who had enough of a mind to move, immediately throwing itself to the side, dragging Weiss along with it as it dove out of the way. Nora's path was clear now, and the hammer-wielder made full use of her advantage, triggering Magnhild one last time as another explosion launched her weapon forward and downwards.
Metal met bone.
Or Whatever grimm masks were made out of. Nora wasn't quite sure, but honestly, she didn't care either. The point was, her weapon and the Deathstalker's face had a little brawl, and the Deathstalker lost. Her arms shook at the force of the impact, and the Valkyrie found it difficult to stand... but she was still in much better shape than her grimm opponent, whose entire head had been forced into the dirt. The monster's legs twitched, and for a moment, the Valkyrie was worried that it'd get back up, but even those actions eventually stilled.
Did... Did she win? The air was silent for a few moments, and the grimm moved no longer.
"Ha! In your face!" Nora's voice immediately rose up, jubilant as she pointed her finger at the monster. She was tired, sure, but oh so giddy. This Deathstalker was nothing like the one she and Ren had fought before, and this little battle would make for an even better story! Shooting a cheerful grin at the monster, she felt her tension fade away, striking a hearty pose as she hefted her hammer high. "No one messes with my partner! Now, bow before your Que-!"
It happened in an instant. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a glint of light, reflecting off of something that was too smooth and gold to be natural. By the time she noticed it, the Deathstalker's stinger was already in motion, aimed directly for her chest as her opponent threw out one last attack. The Valkyrie couldn't move. She had already been exhausted twice over, and that last attack... she needed a few seconds to collect herself. A few seconds she no longer had.
So she closed her eyes, and waited for the inevitable.
"...You are a fool."
But rather than the Deathstalker's piercing stinger, Nora was met with the sharp words of her partner. Slowly, she opened her eyes, turning her gaze to the source, only to find Weiss glaring down at her. Behind the petite girl in white was the Deathstalker's stinger, completely encased in a flower of ice.
"Do you know that?" Nora flinched at the Weiss's words, pulling back slightly beneath the heiress's glare, as the white-garbed girl stared down at her, with a single finger pointed at the Valkyrie. "Never have I worked with someone so... impulsive. So eager to jump into danger without so much as a thought for the consequences."
The words were sharp, and Nora couldn't help but slowly avert her eyes downwards. Her partner... wasn't wrong. She knew that more than anyone else. Even Ren had told her so from time to time, and though Weiss's words were far harsher, the same sentiment remained. She had hoped that she could change some of it here in Beacon, maybe even find some way to stop being a burden... But rather than that, all Nora had done was go from being Ren's problem to someone else's. And even if that someone else was a meanie face, Nora still had to apolog-
"But that says a lot about you, doesn't it?" Her thoughts were interrupted by her partner, Weiss's voice far softer this time as the girl's hand fell to her side. Nora hesitantly looked back up, her vision meeting the girl's light-blue eyes, finding none of the edge that had been on her partner's face moments ago. "I've barely known you for a few hours, and even I can tell that you're simple-minded like that."
Those words, in any other context, would've been an insult. But the way Weiss spoke them... Nora couldn't help but wonder what she was talking about.
"...So why?" Her partner turned away from the hammer-wielder, settling her eyes on the frozen Deathstalker behind them. "We've both made it clear that neither of us enjoy this little arrangement we have. And it's clear that I've been... difficult in my interactions towards you. So why?"
Why what? That question, more than anything else now, was on Nora's mind. But before she could ask, her partner turned around to face her, a simple look of concern and confusion on her face as she finished her question. "Why did you impulsively do something so utterly foolish and dangerous?"
That question had caused her to stop. Of all the things Nora had expected her partner to ask, that wasn't it. Was it really so weird that she did that? She certainly didn't think so, and the Valkyrie wasted no time as she answered her partner's question, taking in a single deep breath before settling her gaze on the heiress.
"Because you're my partner, and you needed help?"
Weiss blinked. Then she blinked again, her expression completely blank as she stared at the Valkyrie. There was a moment of silence as the two just... stood there. Slowly, her partner averted her gaze away from her, crossing her arms in a deliberate motion as she turned her eyes to a random tree.
"O-oh. I see. In that case... I suppose I have no choice to but to do my best as your partner as well. S-since you're putting in the effort to make this work, I mean."
Nora's eyes widened, the doubts she had before slowly fading away as she turned to her partner. Did she really mean it? It was hard to believe, especially since they had been constantly shouting at each other up until this point. Or, well, Weiss had been shouting at her. But if she's actually willing to make things work...
"D'aww, isn't that sweet? They made up!" Yang's voice immediately interrupted the two, as the teasing tone snapped Nora from her thoughts. Her friend had a grin plastered on her face, clearly visible as she walked up beside them, bringing her hands together as she smiled at them. "Now kiss, you two!"
"Yaaang!"
Ruby quickly followed behind her, clearly not impressed with her sister's antics as she pouted at her. At the very least, Nora was thankful that least, one of her friends was reasonable. Still, the Valkyrie couldn't help but release an awkward cough, not quite sure how her partner would take their arrival. With a single worried glance, she turned her face towards her partner, worried as to what her reaction would be.
"Uh... Guys?"
Instead, what caught her eye was the King Taijitu from earlier, locked in combat with four more students, while the Nevermore circled above. Her friends and partner followed her gaze, and the previous tone of absurdity fell away to concern.
The four students took off.
"Ren! Try to get behind it!"
As Nora approached the rest of the students, the sound of her friend's name caused her to stop for a moment, and her eyes fell to the King Taijitu. There, she saw the massive snake grimm rise up, its crimson gaze focused on a single student with a green dress.
"Ren!" Nora's voice rose up first, and she immediately sped towards her fr-
"Nora, Wait!" And like that, Nora froze, her partner's voice immediately interrupting the rest of her thoughts. Worry filled her mind, and the Valkyrie couldn't help but turned around, giving her partner a questioning look, searching for some explanation. Weiss, fortunately, complied. "... You are in no position to help them right now. You're exhausted, and your aura is drained. If you want to help, then at the very least, take a few moments to help yourself."
"B-But..."
"Nora."
Weiss's tone was firm as her partner gave her a stare. And unfortunately, despite the protests she held in her mind, Nora knew that the heiress was right... As much as she had wanted to help out Ren, she could barely stand. If she tried to run in and help in her condition, she'd just be getting in the way. Letting out a defeated sigh, the Valkyrie gave her partner a nod, her eyes filled with worry as she stayed back.
"Thank you. I understand your desire to help, but I would much rather not lose a... partner so early."
Okay, she had to admit, it didn't feel that bad to hear Weiss call her her partner. Nora turned to her partner, about to give her a cheerful smile, only to see the heiress draw out her weapon. Weiss turned towards her, a serious look on her face as she began focusing her aura. "Please keep an eye out for any additional grimm. I shall be providing support for our colleagues."
"Support? What do you mean?" Nora's eyes fell to the girl's weapon, unsure of what she was going to do. Then again, Weiss did that ice thingy, so maybe that was her semblance? A frozen snake would definitely-
Something caught her eye. More specifically, something that contained a lot of cartridges, each filled with coloured powder, caught her eye. The chamber in her partner's weapon lit up as Weiss poured her aura into the device, the blue cartridge filling up with energy. In a single, graceful motion, her partner swung her sword, and the energy followed her motions, as a blade of pure ice shot towards the King Taijitu.
Nora turned to Weiss. "Is... Is that dust."
Weiss gave her a stare, raising a single eyebrow as she stared of the Valkyrie. "Of course. What did you think it was?"
"Do you have any lightning dust?"
Her partner gave a slow, confused nod.
Nora smiled.
