A Cosmic Journey

by Sleepless Elite

One minute asleep in an apartment, the next clearly not. This is no quest with a goal, no adventure voluntarily undertaken. This is a journey without acquiescence, a constant fight for survival, the creatures of Grimm just one problem. This is a story, now woven into that of many others, that better not end anytime soon. (Male SI/OC) (Tags may change as story progresses)

24. Chapter 21: Miss The Forest For The Tree

A Cosmic Journey

A/N: So much work…so much writing…not enough sleep…In all seriousness though, hope everyone had a good weekend, and hopefully people didn't lose too much money over Superbowl bets. In other news, I see that this story has surpassed 300 followers! I'm sometimes surprised that over 300 people are reading my writing weekly. Thanks to everyone who's helped shape this story in some shape or form, and hopefully I can keep to the promise that things are only getting better from here on out. Now for reviews.

Bartholomew Black: Yup, the idea was to let Ilia fade out for a bit, before bringing her back to the fore. As for the potential Blake and RWBY hate, you can bet that there'll be some interesting events unfolding that didn't happen in canon.

HoldMyFOOF: Well, I can definitively say that there's nothing wrong with overkill, so long as it doesn't infringe on other things. In Kouzai's case, he'd certainly try for overkill if he could, but there isn't a whole lot of time until all the balls start dropping.

AlexFalTon: Thanks for the props, we'll have to see how that partnership goes. To answer your question, I considered a few choices as Kouzai's partner, but came back to Ilia because of the potential dynamic between the two and ease to fit her in the story. And I'm also clueless as to what sloths sound like.

Raidentensho: You know, I didn't even consider the Fate series as references, but with all the mythology references in there, I suppose I'll be giving it a look now. In terms of using a bow, I think that having Mirror's Edge and Corona is enough ranged options for him. At least for now. And as for Coco and the twins, I expect that to be quite the interesting encounter, when that actually happens.

Gobert600: Interesting thought, but I'll be keeping Ilia's preferences as they are in the show. Fear not though, for there are others in line.

PyromaniacRabbit: Thanks for the feedback, I also considered the viewpoints as something to use sparingly. It's good to know that the pacing thus far has been fine, and good on you for guessing that Ilia was going to be the fourth.

Explosives Guest: Well, I'm sure that it's something that the Brother Gods or Primordia could consider.

R26: Much woe will befall Kouzai if anything close to that ever occurs. As for the writing, much thanks for the confirmation, and rest assured that this chapter's a bit more of a return to form. And work and classes are quite time-consuming as well.

Guest: I believe that pre-Beacon Yang, possessing all the temper shown in episodes with none of the caution instilled by Adam, tends to fly off the handle a little quicker than after the Fall. After Kouzai both indirectly insulted Raven during their first meeting, and later "abandoned" Ruby during the Torchwick fight, Yang likely would have trouble keeping calm after two of her berserk buttons have been pushed. At least Kouzai didn't mess with her hair.

Van Der Linde: With tactics and preparation, Kouzai could certainly handle most of what Yang has to offer if a fight ever occurred. The underlying issue is that he doesn't really want a fight with the main characters of RWBY, both because of himself and because RWBY is supposed to be friends with JNPR. As for their overall strength level, I believe that although life-threatening battles can drastically raise the skills of those who overcome such odds, the bulk of their training is still the primary factor. While Kouzai, Nora and Ren were training with one another and generally becoming more skilled, they still lack the quality of training that comes with being taught by superior mentors. With Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Pyrrha and Jaune being taught by Huntsmen and professionals of the highest caliber, and Blake being taught by Adam himself, there's only so much that an amateur fighter with knowledge of future fighting styles can do to raise his and his friends' skill levels. In a profession like being a Huntsmen, where dangerous situations are the bread and butter of the job, having experienced such battles means less when nearly every student has likely gone through various battles against the Grimm.

Chapter 21: Miss The Forest For The Trees

Chapter Date: 02/03/2020

Light grey eyes with a hint of blue gazed at my shades, and likely past them into my silver irises.

'No reason to keep my partner in the dark about that one though.' I lowered my sunglasses for a moment and let my silver pupils show to the outside world. Ilia's eyes widened in surprise, which I took advantage of to fire the opening question.

"How long have you been watching me? I thought I was being pretty careful with keeping out of Blake's sight, but I guess my stealth still needs work." Just another reminder that I was still far from a master in too many aspects. For now though, better to focus on the matter at hand.

Ilia's expression turned sheepish, which was amusing to see for the first time. "Only a day or so. I saw your…confrontation with Weiss Schnee and those sisters. I also saw Blake watching you in the background, so I had to wait until initiation started for you to leave her sight."

"Well, I'm flattered that you had your eye on me for that long, but aren't you, well…Blakesexual?" Her jaw fell open at my blunt statement of her preferences. Which also begged another question. "Also, have you spoken to her at all since you left? Because I had a lovely run-in with her a few months back, and she seemed quite disgruntled with the Specter that one of her best friends had left. So namely, she kind of hates my guts at the moment."

That seemed to knock her out of her shock, only for her to shake her head. "She doesn't…hate you, per se. It's more…cautious dislike."

"How exactly does Blake not hate me?"

"If she did, she'd switch tactics from trying to spy on you to actively trying to stop you, or getting as far away from you as possible."

"…Fair point." suppose that answered a couple questions, leaving me with about a thousand. However, there were other pressing concerns at the moment, least of which was that we were both in the middle of the Emerald Forest, likely surrounded by Ozpin's cameras. "We've got an initiation to get to, so we might as well do this while walking. I assume you know which way the temple is as well?"

With an eyebrow raise the likes of which Weiss, Blake, and even Glynda would've been proud of, we set off towards the temple, with me internally glad that I actually had the direction correct after all the time spent tracking the other pairs.

"So, haven't seen you for a couple years." I kept my eyes peeled for any of Ozpin's cameras and other Grimm, but both were either scarce supply or very well hidden. "What led you to Beacon? It didn't necessarily seem like becoming a huntress was the direction you were heading in when we last met."

Ilia's gaze also remained on the path ahead, though she seemed to be more reflective than I'd been. "I've…spent a lot of time travelling, and seeing Remnant. The people, the places, even the Grimm. And, after all that…I still haven't given up on my goal of helping the Faunus. I've just seen that there's more than one explanation for why inequality still exists, and it's not just human supremacists or heartless corporations. Maybe as a huntress, I'll be able to bridge the divide, and hopefully without all the hate and horror that came with my actions before."

I nodded, mindful of digesting what she'd said and thinking of how to word things. "So you were open about your status on your application to Beacon then?"

"Yes. I once had the opportunity to hide amongst humans, but I see that it didn't do me or them any good to hide who I was." Ilia's eyes cleared, and for a moment turned a deeper, more vibrant blue. "I'll change people's perception of the Faunus, and I'll do it as a Faunus."

"Well, it's not the only thing you changed," I commented, noting the chameleon Faunus' new hairstyle, which had her tail-like ponytail cut in favor of shoulder-length brown locks. In addition, her attire of the black tailjacket and maroon jeans now also sported an elbow-length black glove, upon which had a silver bracer equipped onto her forearm. Lightning Lash, hanging from a holster on her back, also appeared slightly different, with four canisters instead of two, all appearing to be different colors.

My once-over was far from subtle even with sunglasses on, and Ilia smirked for the first time today, holding up the bracer and Lightning Lash. "I've worked on expanding my arsenal a bit in the past couple years. Even though I kept a low profile while travelling, some situations required a…heavier approach. And after that brush with the short red-haired one and her lightning semblance, I learned my lesson and added some variety to the Dust at my disposal."

I chuckled for a moment, remembering and likely failing to understand the sheer terror Ilia must've experienced while fighting an angry, High Voltage-powered Nora. Then her words prompted remembrance of another conversation topic. "So, about our mutual friend, I think-"

BOOM

THUD

BANG

CRASH

Ilia and I looked at the smoke rising from the direction of the temple, then at each other, but I had far more of an idea of what was likely happening than her. "We'll save that topic for later. For now, why don't we see if anyone might need a bit of help getting out of sticky situations?"

"Yup, that's fine by me," Ilia replied too quickly, looking away and confirming my suspicions that she was aware of the Blake-sized bullet she'd just dodged. We both dashed through the forest, Ilia more than a match for me in agility, and drew closer to the source of the noises and explosions. As we did, Ilia cocked her head sideways. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear wha-"

"STAND STILL, PINT-SIZE!"

"Yup, I can hear it." I deadpanned for a moment, before my brows furrowed. "Wait…that's Yang's voice…what on Remnant is she fighting to call it…pint-size…"

"AT LEAST I'M NOT A STRIPPER HALF-ASSING A COWGIRL COSTUME!"

"Hah, nevermind…" I sighed, then nearly shattered my eyelids from opening them so fast. "Oh Dust…Yang is fighting Nora…oh gods, we have to move. Ilia, come on!"

I streaked forward, and began to see brief flashes of bright red and pink explosions past the trees, some of which were now shattered and lifeless on the ground. 'Oh good, they're both in rare form as well…'

With a low factor of Burst, I beat Ilia to the temple clearing, landing past the trees and surveying what I was prepared to see as a desolate wasteland of carnage. I wasn't that far off.

Both powerhouses of RWBY and JNPR were locked in blow-for-blow combat, with Yang throwing shotgun blasts from Ember Celica and Nora shooting grenades from Magnhild. Every so often, the clouds would disperse as both girls rocketed towards one another, launching their weapons forward in an aim to pulverize the other. Ember Celica would meet Magnhild in a clash of thunderous proportions, and I saw Ilia wince from the shockwave, before both Yang and Nora were thrown back, as both looked ready to continue the cycle after regaining their footing. And unfortunately, that wasn't even the worst part.

Off to the side, Blake and Ren warily circled one another, with Gambol Shroud and Stormflower both at the ready but not being used for trading gunfire. If either agile fighter attempted to move towards their partner or partner's opponent, the other would close in and forcefully clash their blades to arrest all movement.

"Oh, this…this' bad in various ways…" I groaned to the air in general, though a sideways glance showed that Ilia had joined me without so much as a word. She too was looking at the increasingly-growing battlefield and its combatants. "Okay, We need to nip this in the bud before we attract more Grimm, or Goodwitch and Ozpin will get so fed up with our unprofessionalism that we fail the initiation."

"And you want to get in the middle of that?" Ilia pointed at the veritable minefield that was Yang and Nora bulldozing their way around the clearing. Then she pointed at the whirlwind of blades that was Blake and Ren. "Or did you mean that? Or both? I am rather curious to see in how deep a hole you'll likely land yourself in with those girls."

I paled at the thought, but then the spark of genius that was perhaps emulating Primordia lit up, as I turned to Ilia with a smirk on my face. "Or, or…we can both stop these fights from going on any further."

Ilia's eyes bugged out slightly, ironically looking more like a chameleon than she did in the show, and stared at Ren, Blake, and NORA in increasing amounts of horror. "I don't think any part of that is a good idea. I'd rather not meet Blake until-"

"Until she gets eaten by a Grimm because of her underlying habit of letting things seethe," I replied, as she winced. "It's alright, you won't have to encounter Blake. You, are going to pop up in front of Nora and Ren, and see if your super-sudden appearance is enough to shock them back to their senses."

"Great, I get to shepherd the duo who might not hate me away from the fight. And what will you be doing?"

"…Let's just say that I'll be using the fact that Blake 'cautiously dislikes' me and that Yang straight up hates me as a temporary shock factor."

"…You know, if we're going to be partners for the next four years, I think I might have to take issue with the recklessness of your plans."

"Hey, my plans get results," I joked weakly, pulling out Mirror's Edge and splitting it into my longswords. Beside me, Ilia extended Lightning Lash and awaited my signal. "Also, all complaints will have to come after Nora and Ren's; they've been dealing with my ideas for five years already."

I nodded, and we both shot off towards the Ren/Blake duo first, as the less volatile of the two fights going on. As Ren began to make another break towards Nora while Blake attempted to intercept him, I jumped in front of Blake and levelled Mirror's Edge in line with Gambol Shroud, our blades clashing just as they had a few months prior.

Blake's face near-instantly turned to one of irritation. "Move. I need to get to my partner."

A clash very close behind me let me know that Ren's advance had been similarly stopped. "Yeah, no. All of you need to cool it, unless you want your negativity to cause Grimm to swarm one of the mission objectives." A spark seemed to glint in Blake's amber eyes as she recognized that we were all still at the temple grounds, and in the middle of initiation. Sensing an opening, I shifted slightly, hopefully giving Blake a view of the people behind me. "Plus, you can spend the time I'm about to use breaking our two bruisers apart to catch up with your lovely friend behind me, who I will again remind you that I also haven't seen in years."

A quick glance showed Blake indifferent about the figure's back, before her eyes narrowed and she focused in on the details, the profile of the figure's back, and her weapon. Like she'd been burned, Blake jumped back from our deadlock, arms falling to her sides as Gambol Shroud nearly slipped from slack fingers. "Ilia?"

Giving myself the luxury of a look behind me, I caught Ren's eye, as my friend now seemed more aware of the situation around us, and content, if not a little confused, to let the situation play out in my hands. Ilia, on the other hand, visibly flinched at being addressed, and turned to level red eyes full of irritation at me. Thankfully, after Raven, Qrow and Yang, I was near-inoculated to the sight by this point.

"Well, I'll leave you all to your peaceful devices, while I jump into the middle of an explosions-heavy battleground." Leaving Blake behind, I rolled my shoulders in anticipation of the strain, then used a factor of Burst to close in on Nora and Yang.

"AT LEAST I'M NOT NUTS AND DIDN'T WANNA RIDE AN URSA!" Yang roared, slamming a fist into Magnhild's shaft, driving Nora back a few feet. She seemed to be fully in the grasp of Burn, with no intentions of stopping her rush.

"HEY, GRIMM TRANSPORTATION IS AN ENTIRELY SENSIBLE IDEA!" Nora shouted back, shifting the grip on Magnhild in preparation for a full-power swing. Fearing repeats of a certain food-fight showdown, I streaked between the two just as they started moving, levelling a longsword at each and startling them from my sudden appearance.

"By the Gods, there's a time and place to settle spats with each other, and it's not while we're still trying to complete initiation to become students! Now, for the love of Dust, would you two please calm down before every Grimm in the area decides it wants to take a bite out of both of you? The last thing we need is for the temple grounds to be swarmed, and ruin everyone else's chances of completing initiation. What would Ruby think of that, or Pyrrha and Jaune?"

At the mention of Ruby's name, Yang began to flare even brighter in anger, before she seemed to wrestle her temper back in check, albeit with clearly-hostile vibes towards Nora and I. Nora, on the other hand, near-instantly dropped her tense posture and gave up the fight, but not before sending Yang a stink-eye for the ages. I cautiously re-sheathed Mirror's Edge in response. "Are we good for now? Because I should probably get back before-"

"TWO YEARS!"

"Hah…that…" I turned to see Blake positively stalking towards Ilia, who was standing by the temple pillars and looking exceptionally guilty. Ren stood in the no-mans land between them, hands raised in a placating gesture as he took occasional glances behind him to confirm that Ilia was still there. Noticing my approach, he sent me a look of extreme puzzlement at the situation. I signaled an explanation for later, which I was hoping I could put off as long as possible.

"Two. Years. You abandoned the cause, abandoned me, and didn't talk to me, didn't so much as send a scroll message for two years…and now you're here? Just like that?" Incredulous, Blake passed by Ren while he was distracted by me, and came to a stop inches away from Ilia, seemingly taking in the sight of her former friend for the first time in years. Before anything drastic and even more negativity-inducing could occur, I gently but firmly laid a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Blake, not the time," I reminded her. "Whatever your thoughts and feelings towards Ilia are at the moment, leave them for later."

Blake didn't so much as acknowledge my presence, but fell silent. "Kouzai Higure, if you don't remove your hand now, I'm-"

"We finally made it!"

"Of course we did, you dolt! I was the one leading us after all."

"Weiss, that's why I said finally…"

Everyone paused to look at the newcomers, though I could tell from tone and context alone who it was, as Ruby and Weiss entered the clearing, stopping as the duo stared at the crater-strewn field before their eyes landed on our disjointed group.

"YYYYAAAAAAAAANG!" Only fast reflexes saved the brawler from a Petal Burst-powered tackle hug, as Yang swung Ruby around to bleed off the momentum. Weiss approached soon after, and in a contrast from canon seemed merely amused by the sisters' behavior, with something close to wistfulness also appearing in her expression.

"Well, I'm glad to see that the small fry of the Emerald Forest weren't too much of a challenge for you, Yang," Weiss stated primly, though a smirk was present on her face.

"Psh, this girl's far too hot to be touched by some Beowolves or Ursa." Yang punctuated the 'hot' with a momentary activation of Burn, as her hair flickered in vibrant gold.

"And suddenly, I'm less enthused at the prospect of merely having to deal with your antics for the next four years." The smile slid off Weiss' face as her eyes slid over to me. "And most definitely with this vagabond." The heiress then began strutting in my direction.

"Aw Weiss, you said you wouldn't make a fuss about the whole Qrow and Winter thing…" Ruby protested weakly, as Yang promptly raised her sister to eye level.

"What was that about Qrow?"

Meanwhile, I warily kept an eye on the business end of Myrtenaster, which turned out to prove nearly fatal as Weiss' finger nearly jabbed my eye out.

"YOU! I thought I recognized your name from somewhere, but after Ruby told me about her relation to Qrow Branwen and about his relationship with my sister, I remembered. Winter told me stories of how your encounter with both her and Qrow indirectly led to them entering into a relationship with one another. Therefore, this entire business is your fault!"

"But didn't you just say that my involvement in this was indirect in the-"

"WHAT?!" A glance over at Yang had her flabbergasted, with her gaze cycling between Ruby, Weiss and I, her face going through similar cycles of expressions. I took the opportunity to sidle up next to Ren and Nora.

"What the hell were you two thinking? I get that you might have beef with them, but this is one of the worst places to start a fight at the moment." It wasn't often that my chastising Nora over her actions got her to look guilty, but an ounce of shame appeared briefly, before being replaced with massive pouting.

"But that bi-"

"Nora…"

"But that…walking disaster killed Mr. Cuddles before I could ride him!"

I sighed, requiring no explanation as to who 'Mr. Cuddles' might've been, thanks to canon. "Nora, I get that she killed your ride, but it was literally a Grimm. Plus, there's a million of them out here in the Emerald Forest. And Ren, I get that you're whipped, but could you have put in a bit more effort to persuade Blake to let you or even help you end the fight?...Now, I'm assuming those are the relics over there on the pillars. Mind telling me which one you picked up?"

"THIS ONE! I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle…"

"…Am I really whipped?"

"If it's any consolation, you've been that way ever since I met you two, so it's not a drastic change now that you two are finally together-together." I grinned, before clearing my throat. "Anyways, time to grab these relics, then it's back to the cliffs for us."

Making a show of walking over to the pillars, I examined the twenty or so pillars, split off into various colors of chess pieces as relics. Knowing that I likely still had Blake's attention, I grabbed the black king piece and walked directly over to Ilia. "This one good?"

Ilia nodded wordlessly, attention still split between me, Blake, Nora and Ren, and Weiss.

"Wow, and he's so modest as well," I heard Yang say sarcastically, and turned to see the rest of RWBY come to join Blake, with Yang and Weiss sporting similar glares as the cat Faunus in my direction. Ruby appeared torn between forgiving me and being rightfully disgruntled.

"Shouldn't our focus be on completing the task assigned to us by the headmaster, instead of focusing all your misplaced anger on an innocent individual?" Ren asked, trying to be the miraculous voice of reason between the two groups. He was also the biggest thing keeping Nora, still raring to go, beside him instead of on top of RWBY, or specifically Yang. Ilia, still nervously out of place amongst the assembled teenagers, stood on 'our' side of the clearing, but less as a show of support and ironically more to avoid the burning stare that Blake was giving her. Unfortunately, that left precious few voices in favor of peace and far more in favor of 'pound Kouzai's face in.'

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you. As I mentioned yesterday, if you were to attack our friend, we would respond in kind." Heads turned as Pyrrha and Jaune strode out of the forest, the signs of competitive Grimm killing clear from their exertion and faint trails of fading Grimm ash that clung to them. Honestly, it was only the Grimm ash that prevented a very different picture from being painted.

'Good news, it doesn't look like my face is gonna get rearranged. Bad news, RWBY and JNPR are about to duke it out and probably blow up half of Vale.' With all roads leading to 'fight', it'd take a miracle to stop the teams from fighting at this rate.

CAAAAAAAAW

'…The universe has to be messing with me at this point.' Everyone looked up to see the familiar form of the Nevermore beginning to fly overhead. I said the, because holy hell, it was bigger than any Grimm I'd seen thus far. 'Weiss and Ruby actually went on foot this time, so how did-ohhhh, yeah.'

"Alright boys and girls, it looks like your arguing is literally attracting negativity, because damn if that isn't the biggest Grimm I've ever seen," I shouted, paling as it reared its wings back. "Everyone with a shield, cover those without one NOW!"

Weiss and Ruby hid under Weiss' Glyphs, while Pyrrha and Jaune shielded a reluctant Blake and Yang. Ren readied his Aura barrier, while I hauled Ilia under the cover of Mirror's Edge. A moment later, a rain of arrow-sharp feathers rocketed towards the ground, with hundreds of the projectiles colliding with our defenses. After a solid five seconds, the hail finally ceased, which meant that it was time to move. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Ruby, use your semblance to get a relic, so we can return to the cliffs!" Weiss yelled over the Nevermore's shrieks above.

"You should do the same as well, Jaune! I can cover you." As one, Pyrrha and Jaune dashed for the relics, and moment things looked like they would be in canon.

'If both teams work together to beat the Nevermore, it should go a long way towards patching things up between them. And it's a good thing Jaune wasn't stupid enough this time around to enter that-"

"Run faster, Miltia!"

"I'm TRYING! How are you running that fast with HEELS?!"

"I'm a kicking-based fighter!"

TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

'…Nevermind.' Again as one, all heads turned to see Miltia and Melanie sprinting full-tilt out of the forest, the Ancient Deathstalker hot on their heels. Jaws were dropping, and I already heard Yang starting the beginning of her rant, but I had since gotten used to the sight. "JAUNE! GRAB THE OTHER BLACK KING PIECE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!"

Jaune, to his credit looked confused for only a moment before he caught on, grabbing both the rook and king pieces before he and Pyrrha began running back towards the group and handed the piece off to me.

"We need to get that Deathstalker off their backs! Everyone with projectiles, fire at the fucking huge target!" I was already unloading a couple shots with Corona's regular mode of fire, and all of RWBY and JNPR followed suit. The combined fire was enough to stagger the Deathstalker for a few seconds, valuable time that I used to dash in and haul Miltia and Melanie along.

"HOW on Remnant did you two manage to wake an Ancient Deathstalker?" I asked rhetorically. I knew the how of the situation, but really wanted to know the why.

"How were we supposed to know that there was a massive Grimm hidden inside a cave?" Melanie roared, not nearly as out of breath as she first appeared.

'Clearly, my teaching was ineffective…' I deadpanned, chancing a look back only to see the Deathstalker absolutely razing the forest in its path, the massive trees only a slight inconvenience to him. Overhead, the Nevermore was definitely scanning the forest for an opening to shoot its feathers. 'Ideally, we'd wanna stay in the forest instead of escaping out to the ruins, which have less footing and are likely somewhat relevant to history buffs like Oobleck. Just need to convince the others.'

"We should try and beat the Grimm while we're still inside the forest!" I called out, and everyone seemed to at least acknowledge my statement. "We're not gonna outrun both of the Grimm, and there's not enough cover by the cliffs to-"

"Not sure I wanna be taking combat advice from a guy whose friends didn't know that Grimm live in caves!" Yang yelled.

"Listen Blondie! I've had it up to here with your bullshit! First at Junior's, then before initiation, and now here! Is your life goal to royally piss people off so you have an excuse to beat them up?"

"Why you prissy-wait, you both work for Junior? No wonder why you're both so chummy with that asshole!"

"Still right here, guys…"

"Hmph, that explains the caliber of people that he hangs around. Uncouth individuals will seek out similarly lacking companions."

"For your information, Ice Queen, who Kouzai chooses to hang around and who chooses to be friends with him is none of your business, and isn't up to something so flimsy as your judgment!"

"OI! If you all don't quit it with the teenage drama, we're going to have more on our hands than we're already-"

GRRAAAAAAAAAAHHH

'Dealing with…Qrow, this is somehow your fault…' Up ahead of our group of twelve was the largest Ursa I'd ever seen, both on the screen and on Remnant. It was larger than the Beringel we'd fought in Shion, and larger and more armored than the Ursa Major that Jaune had fought.

"Ursa Superior…" Melanie murmured from beside me, and I would've been impressed at the correct answer if we weren't royally screwed.

"SHIT! EVERYONE TO THE SIDES!" I shouted, and thankfully everyone agreed with this judgment call, because we all picked up the pace massively as the Ursa came from the front and the Deathstalker from behind, forcing us towards the ruins.

I made my sunglasses transparent to use Chronometry's passive effect. 'Shit, shit shit shit…thinkthinkthink. This is even worse than canon! We have three massive Grimm gunning for us! Ozpin, where the hell were the professors looking while culling the Grimm population, because they missed these three! Okay, we'll be overwhelmed if we all stick to one spot, and we'll run out of cover if we stay in the forest…nuts, we have to do it!"

"WE NEED TO SPLIT UP!" Ruby, Jaune and I stared at one another after all uttering the same phrase, but I had a game plan going quicker than they did. "Ruby and Weiss, Blake and Yang will take the Nevermore! Jaune and Pyrrha, Nora and Ren will handle the Deathstalker! Miltia, Melanie, Ilia and I get the Ursa!"

Weiss was the wonderful voice of defiance in that moment. "And why should we be taking-" I started jabbing fingers at each of them.

"Your pairs have either long-range weaponry or sharp, pointy weapons. Two of these three Grimm are heavily armored. Do the math. Jaune and Nora's pairs have good defense and extreme power, perfect for crushing carapace armor. And by process of elimination…"

"That leaves us with the walking Grimm tank…" Melanie muttered, as if somehow unhappy about the designation.

"All three of these Grimm are certifiably lethal, and will kill any and all of us if we fuck up. So don't. If any of these Grimm leave your field, they will come after the rest of us, so finish things quickly.Ruby's team gets the forest to use as cover from the Nevermore. Jaune's gets the temple clearing since it has the most space. We'll take the field in front of the cliff ruins." We were running out of room before the forest ended, so I took one last look at the rest of them.

Ilia was apprehensive about the fight. Understandable, considering that she'd been working alone for years. The twins were quite frankly terrified. Also understandable given how oversized this Grimm was.

Ruby appeared to be nervous, but ready. Weiss was taking deep breaths as if to center herself in preparation. Blake had chosen to stare right back at Ilia and I, with the grim determination that she likely carried during missions for the White Fang. And Yang was intensely focused, so much so that it looked like Burn was nearly activating without her eyes turning red.

And JNPR? Somehow, against all conceivable logic, they were relaxed. Not in the sense that they weren't gearing themselves up for strenuous battle, but that they somehow weren't concerned about the outcome. And also apparently that my group would be fine as well, if their nods towards me were any indication.

'Well, after the changes from the last five years, they likely are one of the strongest teams at Beacon, and definitely the strongest first-year team. If only I shared your confidence…' Our window coming up, I readied Mirror's Edge and Aura-reinforced the blade.

Three.

Two.

One.

"KICK SOME ASS!" I roared, and we split into three groups going in separate directions, as Ilia, the twins and I broke through onto the field in front of the ruins. Turning around, we could see the Ursa fast approaching, not even needing to swipe trees out of the way when its near full-body armor plates and spikes bulldozed everything in its path.

"Okay, prioritize speed and defense. Look for weak spots first before trying to land heavy hits, because its certainly stronger than us. Melee, ranged, support items, use everything you've got." The girls beside me nodded silently, as all our eyes were on the Grimm. "Alright, time's up. LET'S DO THIS!"

Now in the middle of the clearing, we charged the Ursa just as it barreled down on top of us, swiping a desk-sized paw downward. Everyone rolled, jumped or slid out of the way as it hit the ground, ripping up a shower of dirt as the four of us made our way around its sides.

'Armor on head and neck, decapitation is out. Plates on the torso and spikes on the back mean stabbing and bifurcation aren't viable…AHA!' I swung Mirror's Edge down onto a slim patch of exposed hind leg, only to gape as the Grimm pivoted, my blade glancing off and coming up to guard as multiple jutting bone spikes stabbed towards my body. The Ursa's near-roll knocked me back over ten feets, and I bent my knees to absorb the shock. Ilia, Miltia and Melanie were in similar states, the four of us forming a haphazard perimeter around the Grimm.

"This stupid Grimm is too damn fast for its size!" Melanie growled.

"Not to mention, even its unprotected areas are tough as iron from all its muscle." Ilia grimaced as she held Lightning Lash, her wrist shaking slightly from what must've been a jolting impact.

"I tried hitting it with Dust projectiles, but they bounced right off the armor!" Miltia called, scraping her claws together in a display of nerves.

The Ursa charged directly for Ilia, and the twins and I closed in to distract the beast. Internally, my brain was working triple overtime. 'It's armor is near-impenetrable. The exposed areas are too tough for thin blades and too small for Mirror's Edge. And Dust projectiles are useless on the outside. Then what about the inside?'

"Try and discharge your Dust inside its body! Stab first, then fire!" I called out, and predictably, the group quailed under the makeshift plan.

"How…in the hell…are we supposed to find an opening?!" Ilia shouted, just as the twins groaned in realization.

"You're about to…"

"He's about to…"

"Yup." I cut them off. "I'll give you all an opening, so make sure you take it."

Firing off Corona, I watched the Grimm shrug off the projectiles and turn its malice-filled eyes onto me. Lumbering, it quickly picked up speed and barreled right towards me. Splitting Mirror's Edge apart, I activated both Chronometry and Burst, watching the world slow down as I sped up. Strengthening my body and weapons, I grit my teeth, and then rocketed forward to meet the Grimm. As we neared collision, I watched the Ursa swing its left paw around towards my torso, and swung my right longsword in response.

CLANG

My arm damn near-snapped from the force of the Grimm's arm, and I forced my legs to not buckle under the continuing pressure. 'Here comes the right…' In it's predictable one-two pattern, the Ursa slammed its right paw down towards my head, and I cleaved upwards with my left longsword, again meeting its limb in a clash of back-breaking proportions. Now with the majority of the Ursa's weight bearing down on me, I crossed my longswords for reinforced support, but was still forced to one knee in just a few seconds.

FOOOOM

TSSSSSSSSS

ZZZZZZT

I watched through the haze of the strain as plumes of Fire and Ice dust exploded from the Ursa's back, while arcs of Lightning Dust coursed through the Grimm's body.

'Hell ye-OH SHIT!' I locked my swords in front of me as the Ursa actually spun in place, and the wall of bone spikes slammed into my weapons, sending me flying back and crashing into the ground. I righted myself quickly, but didn't have time for much else.

"MILTIA!"

I sprang to my feet to catch Melanie and Ilia in the same situation that I'd been, except without a large weapon to block the spikes, they'd both taken some heavy damage to their Auras. The Ursa, although slower and more unsteady on its feet, was still advancing on a near-faded Miltia dazed on the ground.

"SHIT!" I ignored the creaking of my legs and arms and exploded off the ground, applying Burst in liberal quantities to make it over to Miltia in time. Coming to a stop in front of the red-clad twin, I watched as the Ursa actually reared back this time before sending its claws towards us in a stab.

'No room to back up, and I can't block all it's claws! Fuck it, no one's dying on my watch!' Throwing my right hand forward, I channeled Aura to the white gauntlet on my right hand, watching the warm blue crystal set in the palm light up. 'Come on Weylin, let this work!"

STRRRRRRSTTSTSTST

A barrier of hexagonal blue plates appeared just beyond my palm, expanding out to encompass the space around Miltia and I. The Ursa swiped its other palm toward the barrier, but it held firm.

'That AK-130 blueprint is paying dividends…thank the gods Weylin is a master crafter…' I scooped up Miltia, deactivated the barrier and dashed around the injured and slowed Grimm towards a regrouped Melanie and Ilia, before laying a now-conscious Miltia on her feet.

"You did not have that when we last saw each other," Ilia commented in awe, staring at the still-glowing white gauntlet.

"He didn't even have it as recently as a month ago! When did you get it, where did you get it, and I want one!" Melanie seemed to be much quicker on the reactions, which was something at least.

"There'll be time for explanations later. For now, just know that I can cover you if needed, but let's all agree that trying to discharge Dust into its exposed areas again is a terrible idea." Although the Grimm had suffered some significant degree of damage, the cost was that the entire team had taken a hit to their Auras, with Miltia's being near-depleted. "We need a new plan, so who else has an idea?"

"Go for the eyes and insides." The twins and I turned to Ilia, who shored up her resolve to continue. "Even if they're armored, even if they have Aura, if you stab someone or something in its eyes, the fight is pretty much over. The same goes for if you can mess up their organs."

"Great advice. Who wants to volunteer as tribute to be eaten by an Ursa?" Melanie snarked as we ran to avoid the oncoming Ursa, but I cut her off.

"That…might actually work, or at least be the only thing that our weapons will work on," I replied, drawing incredulous stares from the twins. "Hear me out. If Ilia and I give you and Miltia an opening, you both can-"

"Hell no! I am not letting Miltia back out there with her current Aura level! If she takes another hit-" Melanie stopped as Miltia grabbed her twin's arm.

"If any of us take another hit this'' turn ugly." Miltia turned to me. "What do we need to do?"

"We need some way of upending the Ursa, so that it lands on its stomach. From there, you and Melanie can approach from the sides and use your weapons to stab the Grimm's eyes out. But only the eyes! If you stick around to fire another Dust discharge, it'll likely get up and swipe you both down. The only thing is…I'm not sure how to make it fall. I could try sending Mirror's Edge around to have the combining upset the Ursa's balance, but it looks too heavy for that to work…" I trailed off as Ilia pointed at her bracer. "What's that?"

"I've got an extendable grappling hook claw in here. The range isn't terribly long, but the cord is strong. It's called-"

"We can discuss weapon names later! For now, get ready to do some eye-gouging." Melanie turned to face the Ursa, and Miltia joined her while Ilia and I brought up the rear.

"Alright! We only get one shot at this! Is everyone ready?!" I watched all three of them nod in turn. "Let's kill ourselves a massive Grimm then."

Firing off what was left of Corona's magazine, I got the Ursa's attention once more as the other three positioned themselves. As the Ursa began bounding forward, I focused my Aura back to Chronometry and Burst, noting the dwindling amount of Aura remaining. 'Okay…wait for it…wait for it…' My hands gripped Mirror's Edge, and feet remained the Grimm and I. And then…

"NOW!" I ducked under the Ursa's paw, then swung Mirror's Edge around aided by the firearm function. At the same time, Ilia fired her grappling hook, looping around one of the Ursa's hind legs. As I slammed my weapons into the Grimm's armor-plated shin, Ilia yanked back with all her might, and our combined force pulled the Ursa's legs out from under it. As I rolled out of the way, the Grimm's body slammed into the dirt, before being instantly set upon by Miltia and Melanie.

"CAN'T WAIT TO TELL JUNIOR ABOUT THIS!" Melanie screamed, as her heels and Miltia's claws sank into the Grimm's eyes, and a spray of dark Grimm blood gushed out. The sound the Ursa made was maddening, like warped metal being drawn across stone. Leaping off of the Grimm, we all watched as the Ursa thrashed and writhed, swiping wildly as it attempted to search for its prey. Unfortunately…

"How is this thing not dead yet?" Ilia gaped in horror, and I wasn't that far behind. The Grimm had taken far more punishment that any of us would've been capable of, but I suppose that was the purpose and nature of them. That being said, it didn't help us beat a nigh-impenetrable Grimm that had already had its weaknesses ruthlessly exploited.

I noticed Miltia staring at my white gauntlet intently. "What is it?" I watched her gaze trail from my glove, over to the Ursa. "I know it protects us from the Ursa's attacks, but that's all it does right now. The only function it really has is to expand into the-OHHHHHHH!"

I grasped Miltia's shoulders. "Miltia, you're a genius! I mean, I might die, but still a genius!"

"I think I missed the subtitles there. And the audio," Melanie commented, confused.

"Right, sorry. Ilia, do you think you have the technique to loop your grappling hook around the Ursa's neck?" Ilia nodded dumbly, also lost on the details of the plan. "Great. Melanie and Miltia, do you think you have it in you to stab the Ursa's paws and hold them down for a few seconds if the Grimm is on its back?"

"We can handle it if its just a few seconds, sure, but what's the point?" Melanie cocked her ear as Miltia whispered into it, before her eyes widened to comical proportions and her jaw nearly hit the ground. "Kouzai, are you absolutely insane?"

"Only if it doesn't work," I joked back. "So make sure I've got a proper opening, yeah?"

Handing Mirror's Edge over to Miltia and Melanie, I prepared myself as we separated to points of the clearing around the Ursa. Now slower and without its vision, Ilia was able to properly aim for the Grimm's neck, looping her grappling hook around as we both yanked backwards. With its hind legs debilitated from the earlier internal Dust blasts, the Ursa was unable to remain standing, and fell back onto the ground, this time with its bone spikes seeking deep into the earth. Fast as lightning, both Milita and Melanie arrived, each twin stabbing a longsword down into the Grimm's unarmored paw and holding on for dear life. As the Ursa opened its mouth to roar, I streaked forward and buried my right arm into its mouth, channeling Aura to the arm as fast as I could. With a soft blue glow overcoming the road inside the Grimm's maw, the Ursa's head rapidly ballooned, then burst as the barrier of Hard-Light Dust expanded into being. With a shower of Grimm blood and ash, the Ursa went limp and began fading away, leaving the four of us free to sink down onto the ground, uncaring of if there were other Grimm lurking around.

"Hah, hah…you owe me a new dress, Kouzai…" Melanie panted as her head was hung, finally spent. Miltia, flat out against the ground, merely nodded in agreement.

"Are all of your plans always this crazy?" Ilia asked as she approached, retracting the hook back into her bracer.

"No."

"Yup."

"Oh, definitely."

I glared at the twins, then shrugged my shoulders as I leaned back on my arms. Not even the arrival of RWBY and JNPR made me budge, as they collectively gazed at the fading, hulking remains of the Ursa.

I grinned. "Who wants to bet that we had the coolest team kill?"

… … …

"Kouzai Higure. Miltia Malachite. Melanie Malachite. Ilia Amitola. You four collected the Black King pieces. From henceforth, you shall be known as, Team KMMI (Cosmic). Lead by, Kouzai Higure."

'Oh, you immortal sonofabitch…' I squinted at Ozpin, who seemed to take a sip of his cocoa in response. On the screen above us, highlights of our battle with the Ursa Superior were playing out.

"Well, no surprises there," Melanie remarked as we left the stage. "Though I'm kind of surprised that Ozpin used Cosmic, when your name starts with a K."

"Eh, Cosmic comes from Cosmos, which originally was spelled with a K by the people who created the word. Maybe Ozpin just enjoys old history." I kept my eyes on the wizard as JNPR took the stage. 'Very old history…'

"…Team JNPR. Lead by, Jaune Arc. Congratulations, young man." I watched as JNPR celebrated with one another, far more and far closer of a family already than at this point in canon. Onscreen, their battle with the Deathstalker played, and my jaw dropped.

"Now that's just unfair…" We all watched as a Tranquility-cloaked, Aura Amp-enhanced, Polarity-aided, High Voltage-powered Nora literally flew through the air like Thor himself, before bringing Magnhild down on the unsuspecting Deathstalker and completely obliterating its carapace.

"I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE!" Nora shouted, posing onstage as most of the other first-year students backed away in sheer terror.

"Woe befall anyone that has to face you all in sparring class, including us," I groaned to Jaune, before groaning for real when the blond playfully punched my shoulder and near-knocked me over.

"…Team RWBY. Lead by, Ruby Rose." I watched as Ruby looked flabbergasted, Yang cheered, Blake smiled, and Weiss had grace this time around to look magnanimous. Onscreen, in a more realistic departure from canon than the abomination from JNPR, the Nevermore was finished off by a combo of team attacks. Yang, propelled by Gambol Shroud, smashed the Grimm from above, while Ruby, aided by Weiss' speed glyphs, decapitated the Nevermore from below.

'Oh yeah…this is gonna be one hell of an interesting year…'

… … …

"Lasher's Grip."

Now in our Beacon dorm room for the very first time, very little decorating and unpacking was getting done, set aside in favor of winding down from the breakneck pace of the day. After discovering that our room was next to JNPR's and diagonal to RWBY's, we all agreed, save for Nora, that relaxing in preparation for the beginning of classes tomorrow was a better idea than partying all night long. 'At least Jaune and Pyrrha will be there to rein in Nora now.'

Now we were listening to one another describe our weapons and semblances for the benefit of the others. Ilia had just finished explaining her grappling hook, leaving the role to fall to me next.

"Well, I'm assuming that you all already know about Mirror's Edge and Corona, along with my semblance, Chronometry, so I won't delve into that too much." I help up both hands, with Luna in my left hand and the white gauntlet in my right. "Let's move onto these then. This knife is something that I got from a huntsman, in exchange for a promise to watch over the man's two nieces. Prizes as to which two girls they are. It's got some special effects, like letting me fire Aura blasts and whatnot.

Now, the gauntlet is admittedly something of a recent addition, though it's been in the works for a while. The short of it is that the gauntlet is equipped with Hard-Light Dust crystals on the front and back, and the gauntlet itself is capable of being worn on either hand. Currently, its only function is the barrier, but I might be able to do more things with it later on."

"What's its name?" Miltia questioned, trying to examine the gauntlet up close.

"Well, with the white coloring and segmented pieces, I figured that it looked like a skeleton hand. So I named it Mortem." Now Ilia was also taking a look at it, and something sparked in her eyes in recognition.

"Is this something that you came across while you were…performing some services?" Ilia asked, and Miltia and Melanie flinched and stared. On her part, Ilia stared right back. "Wait, you're telling me that both of you know that he's…"

"Uh, yeah. How do you know?" Melanie was glaring at Ilia, which in turn was putting Ilia on edge.

"Okay, let's not have infighting while I've got an entire team across the hall whose shitlist I'm on. Basically, Ilia is a contact that I knew while I was active in Mistral. Melanie and Miltia are related to people who I provided my services to while still in Mistral. As for the gauntlet, I came across the idea during one of my excursions in Mistral, namely the one in Kuchinashi. Does that satisfy everyone's curiosity?" Everyone nodded, and I sighed in relief that my room itself wouldn't become a battleground. At least, not yet.

A notification from my scroll caught my attention, and I glanced down at it, then did a double take at the message.

Prim: Figured it might be time for another chat. I'm on the dorm roof whenever you're ready.

… … …

… … …

"Well, Ms. Autumn, classes will be beginning tomorrow. How do you currently feel?"

"I really hope that's a rhetorical question, Ozpin. Like I've already told Qrow, Glynda and Ironwood, I've recovered from my injuries and am acclimated to the new arm. Mostly though, I need to get outside of the school and stretch my legs before I go stir-crazy."

"Be that as it may, the current situation is far too precarious to potentially allow your powers, and your life, to fall into the hands of-"

"It's my life Ozpin, and currently my power. That woman, those people tried to kill me and those protecting me, and so help me, I will-

… … …

"Kill her and take what is mine."

"Good. But take heed, Cinder, that you are aware of the power that lies within you now, and what that truly means."

"Are you referring to the malice and rage that stems from this new arm of mine?"

"It is more than that, dear Cinder. Understand that you now are connected with the essence of Grimm that extends to a fundamental level. That connection, which is likely what gives you such a sensation, may also affect you in other ways if you are not vigilant. And should I determine that you are of greater detriment to me than benefit, rest assured that I can procure another inheritor for my plans. Are we clear?

"…Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Now, tell me more about this new plan of yours, now that your infiltration into Beacon has been foiled…"

A/N: Whew, that was a thing. I'm glad to finally be done with initiation proper, which means we can now get to the fun stuff, or other fun stuff. That means time for chapters of slower pacing, character development, and fluff. I haven't written too much of that yet, but I already like the sound of that. Rest assured though, I'm aiming to keep the plot and events of Volume 1, or rather the new Volume 1, around a range of 16 chapters or so, just like in canon. That means the arc of Volume 1 will likely conclude around the end of April, so everyone can look forward to that. Alright, back to work. See everyone soon.

-SE

Next Chapter Date: 02/10/2020