The Silver-Twist of Fate

So back once again.

I began writing this on 3/10/2020 at 12:10 AM! Insomnia mixed with writer's block for my main story and Spring Break is not a good combination.

I hope to have this done before the end of the week. I'll say latter whether I managed it or not.

I don't know how punch drunk this first this first this first section is will be.

I didn't mean that section to be that punch drunk but I'm keeping it, DAMMIT!

Now onto the chapter, I'll fix the punch drunk text past here.

Chapter 2

Emerald Forest Chaos

Ozpin walked the halls of the school, drinking the beverage he had poured into his cup.

He had always been an early riser in every part of his life, once he had a chance to properly acclimate to the circumstances he had been given.

Some of the students had already woken up and gotten dressed. Ms. Rose and Ms. Valkyrie were the ones who stood out the most. Ms. Rose seemed to be on edge due to nerves and the headmaster certainly couldn't blame such nervousness considering the initiation's circumstances. Ms. Valkyrie was running around on pure energy and he noticed that the girl was in the middle of rousing Mr. Ren.

He started moving towards another part of the building and found Tyriant leaning on a balcony railing, looking contemplative.

"Should I be worried and attempt to talk you down while having silently having Glynda get a clean-up crew on standby?" Ozpin said to the purple haired man.

The man chuckled before turning to face the professor: "No, that won't be necessary. I just woke up early enough to see the sunrise and decided to go view it from here."

Ozpin smirked. "That is a pretty good reason. No matter where you live, the dawn is always nice to look at, just as much as the twilight and sunset. Though I can tell something is bothering you."

Tyriant pulled out a water bottle and took a drink before he gave a response: "Yeah, you're completely right on both accounts. I have a bad feeling about today. It almost feels like something is just waiting for the right circumstances for it to go absolutely fucking wrong."

Ozpin sighed: "I know that feeling all too well, and I feel it even now as well. Like a threat we are not directly aware of but can sense its intent, has begun making its move."

"Good. It means that it isn't just my nerves deciding to put me completely on edge." A new voice added.

Ozpin and Tyriant both turned to see the familiar face of Glynda Goodwitch standing nearby.

Tyriant smiled before he made a comment towards her: "Ah yes, Glynda, I thought I heard someone lurking around nearby. I had a joke ready but this atmosphere has really put me into mood where it doesn't feel right to say at all and removes my desire to tell it completely." He paused for a moment and took out a flask of liquid courage before taking a swig of it and then continued: "I very much don't like it, dammit."

Glynda smiled slightly before responding: "By the Brothers, it's an actual miracle. Tyriant shutting up and not making a joke about something. I don't know if I should be happy and grateful for such an occurrence, or terrified for the most definite confirmation of my worst fears."

Tyriant's smile widened: "My god, was that a joke? I'm almost scared of what might happen then. Almost. Though seriously, if I start having a serious conversation seemingly with myself or something just behind my shoulder that it looks as though only I can see, then it is time to get the brown pants on. But we all agree that this feels too much like an ill omen. Cause you know what they say, once is pure happenstance, twice is just a coincidence, but three times is a direct threat against you."

The other two nodded while Ozpin spoke: "Yes, we are in agreement there. We will take a few additional measures to ensure safety of the students."

Glynda nodded: "As you wish, Professor."

Tyriant nodded as well with his smile dropping: "You got it, Boss."

And so the three began plotting measure to take against a threat that they all felt as if it were coming.

Xxx

Ruby felt anxious as she walked away from the locker that she was using to contain her gear.

She got up feeling great, which was no surprise because she was a morning person as long as she got up at the right time.

But she was anxious due to just how great she felt this morning, especially considering that she was getting ready to, presumably, be dumped into a Grimm infested environment and figure out the objective given to them. They could do it far more safely by using droids and robots in place of Grimm, but considering the cost of those measures, it would be far more budget friendly to use the Grimm infested wilderness.

But she could not shake the feeling that the students were about to be thrown into a, as both Yang and Uncle Qrow would put it, a massive cluster fuck.

"Come on. Come on, where is it?" Jaune mumbled while scanning the lockers.

Ruby turned to him toward and asked, "Hey, Jaune. Do you need some help?"

Jaune turned around and saw Ruby before responding: "Hey Ruby, yeah I could. I'm trying to find my locker. I know this is the right number, but I can't find it. Could you help me?"

Ruby took a look at Jaune's number: "Number 312, huh? It's over there. I know cause 317 is mine."

Jaune smiled and replied as he retrieved his sword and shield, which Ruby had learned was called Crocea Mors: "Thanks Ruby. By the way, do you have any idea about what they're going to be throwing us into for initiation?"

Ruby contemplated before responding: "First off, you're welcome. Second off, they're taking us to the Emerald Forest, specifically the cliff overlooking it. More than likely they are going to make us do a landing strategy drill to start."

The moment that the silver eyed reaper finished her sentence, her mind flashed back to that night 4 days ago and what Mr. Blackshadow had said about Jaune.

The girl in the red hood slumped slightly: "But, since you didn't attend a lower academy, you don't really know how to perform any kind of landing strategy, nor do you have experience with the proper crash landing procedure."

Jaune winced slightly: "That isn't anything you can give a dumbed down five minute lecture on, is it?"

Ruby sighed: "No, it really isn't, parts I could but not the whole thing. I have an idea on how to get around it, but it relies on me being launched before you with enough time to get my bearings and calculate the general area you might land in and position myself at the center of it with enough time to compensate for whatever your actual trajectory might be."

Jaune just winced even worse: "That sounds very likely to backfire, in a lot of different ways."

Ruby nodded: "Yes, the odds are not with us. But it is the best idea I have got."

Hopefully it would be enough and luck would favor them.

Unknown to the two teens, luck had favored them indeed already.

Someone had heard them talking and began planning to assist.

Xxx

At the cliff head

All the first years stood on the cliff overlooking the forest with Professors Ozpin, who had just finished explaining the initiation's objective to them: find the ruins, get an artifact, and return to the cliff side. Sounded easy enough, though he did mention that Grimm were lurking below and that Mr. Blackshadow was also present in the forest and would deal with any Grimm that was too far out of the ability set of any student.

And the fact that the first person you made eye contact with after landing was your partner. That definitely didn't start worrying the Red-Hooded Reaper.

"Alright students listen up. Professor Goodwitch is going to hand out a small slip of paper to each student and it will have a number on it that will determine the order that you shall be, let's say deployed, into the forest below. Though I do recommend that your landing strategy not be too intense on your aura, there are Grimm here and some of them are rather old, powerful, and intelligent. And I will go ahead and say this: No one, under any circumstances, is allowed to attack a team and steal their artifact. Every one set of partners must make their way to the ruins and grab their own artifact, we have eyes in the forest that will see you if you try to attempt this. Do I even need to repeat this?" Ozpin finished, taking a sip of whatever he kept in that mug of his.

"No sir, Headmaster!" was the response everyone, including Ruby and surprisingly Nora, gave to the Beacon Headmaster.

With that Professor Goodwitch began handing the slips out. Ruby noticed that she was handing a specific slip to Ruby, noticing because of the shuffling through the papers trying to find the one to give the silver eyed student.

What was that about?

As soon as she finished handing them out, numbers were called out randomly. Hers was called second.

Ruby looked around at the queue after everyone had been called and assigned an order and noticed that Jaune was almost the last person on a launching panel.

It worked perfectly for the best idea she had to get him landed safely, but the scent of preparation and interference wafted through the air.

She turned to Ozpin with an inquisitive look in her eyes, only to be surprised when she found him looking straight at her with a knowing look on his face and gave a mere nod.

That had given Ruby all the information she needed: Ozpin knew about their plan, and had intervened slightly to increase their chances of success. Though just how much was yet to be fully uncovered, but whatever help they were given would be appreciated.

When the first one in the queue launched, Ruby assumed a ready stance as her mind began racing to count the duration between the launch of the first guy and her own launch.

Just when she reached 45 seconds did she begin to feel movement from the mechanism and then her launch occurring 2 seconds later and sent the young huntress in training flying into the sky above the forest, it took about a minute to begin reaching the tree line.

Just like she had practiced many times before, Ruby quickly unfolded Crescent Rose and positioned her feet on the blade of the scythe before firing off multiple shots to use the counter momentum to her fall to slow herself down enough to make a safe landing.

Once she had safely landed within the forest, Ruby quickly raced up the tree and used the scope on her weapon's sniper rifle form to get a view on the launching area. She recognized the one about to be launched as being a few places down from her, she had plenty of time before Jaune was launched.

She had managed to explain some of the procedures for these kinds of things to Jaune before they were at the cliff, so his chances were at least slightly better.

Though that thought did bring back the fact that he did say that his aura was just unlocked by Mr. Blackshadow the night of the Dust Till Dawn robbery.

Ruby had managed to choke down a shout at him for doing something like that when he didn't have an aura to protect him. Then realize just how brave it was to know he lacked a vital defense but chose to confront Torchwick and the thugs nonetheless.

While she was thinking about this in the back of her mind, Ruby was calculating how Jaune's trajectory could end up based on how far others flew and taking into account possible wind correction.

Eventually she figured out a general landing area and smirked at what she had been given to work with, a tall and strong tree that she already had a few ideas for forming.

She quickly moved through the forest, avoiding Grimm and any possible un-partnered students she encountered.

She made it to the area with barely any time to spare. She quickly checked with her scope to make sure that her calculation was right.

No sooner than she finished did Jaune finally get launched. Ruby almost began questioning her plan before she slap her cheeks and got into a ready position to jump in.

He would probably get hurt and have the wind knocked straight out of him along with maybe a broken rib or two, but he probably preferred that to the alternative which was maiming from landing on the forest floor followed by death due to either blood loss or Grimm.

Her plan was to interfere with his trajectory just enough to have him hit the tree and land on one of its sturdier branches.

He would undoubtedly be in a lot of pain, but probably far less than how much he would be in if he continued falling and gaining additional momentum.

One properly timed semblance propelled leap and a gunshot to give additional momentum later and she made contact with Jaune, his aura appearing around where Ruby's foot contacted him.

Ruby quickly unfolded Crescent Rose into its scythe form and aimed to have it stab into the tree and allow her to reposition herself to keep her momentum from crushing Jaune.

A yelp of pain from the Arc boy colliding with the tree and the vibration and sound of Crescent Rose's blade digging into bark signaled Ruby that her plan had worked as Ruby skillfully used her scythe's handle to twist herself away from landing on Jaune and crushing him.

The moan of pain she heard just below her told the Reaper that Jaune was beneath her on the branch, she looked down and saw Jaune's blue eyes meeting her silver eyes.

Soft smiles made their way onto both teenagers' lips.

Jaune spoke first: "I'm guessing that I'm the first person that you have made eye contact with?"

Ruby laughed softly and nodded: "Yup."

Jaune responded: "Well then, partner, let's figure out how to get me down from this tree safely and go from there."

Ruby nodded and the two made their way down from there.

They eventually decided to make their way north from the cliff face, facing Grimm along the way, however eventually Ruby's instincts began screaming that something was wrong.

Jaune picked up on his partner's distress and asked: "Is everything alright?"

Ruby shrugged before responding: "I think it should be but something isn't and I cannot figure out what. It's like it's something so obvious that the moment I realize exactly what I'm missing but my instincts aren't is going to be a scream of frustration."

Before the two could further travel down that line of thought, they heard woops of excitement coming from a voice they knew and shouts of admonishment from a voice they knew as well.

The two initiates ran up ahead but before they could see who it was they heard a voice: "Aww, man. I think I broke it." And another voice respond "Don't do that again."

By that point the two pushed through the bushes and found the sources: Ren and Nora.

Before Ruby and Jaune could speak they were quickly caught off guard: "Hey Look! Ren! It's Ruby and Jaune! How's it going?!" the short yet powerful girl screamed while pulling them into a bone crushing hug.

Eventually the four began moving onwards as a single group.

A while later they came across a ruin with multiple pedestals, most holding a chess piece on them.

Ruby spoke up: "I guess this is the place."

Ren spoke as well: "I do believe it is, and I think we are not the first to arrive here."

Jaune spoke up now: "Considering Ruby took a detour to make sure I didn't splat against the forest floor, I'd say that isn't surprising."

Nora didn't speak at all when the others were expecting her to, leading them to look to where she had been previously only to find her gone.

They found her when she began singing: "I'm Queen of the Castle~, I'm Queen of the Castle~!"

When they found her, the others found that she had picked up the Rook piece from one of the pedestals.

Jaune quietly asked Ruby: "Think we should grab the matching one? It is still here."

Ruby shrugged, "Sure. Why not."

The two grabbed the matching Rook Piece and began to make their way back to the cliff face when some voices caught Ruby's attention. "Guess this must be the place. Seems like we aren't the only ones to have found the place." "It would appear so." "Darn it, there goes proving myself by finishing this initiation first."

However the fourth voice she recognized, with the noticeable panic mixed in worrying her: "I can't we haven't seen any sign of Ruby, I hope she's okay."

Ruby quietly moved to where they were hearing the voices, her friends following her.

"If I'm not mistaken, you said she was your little sister. Right?" one of the voices from earlier asked Ruby could vaguely recognize from somewhere else.

"Yeah, she's two years younger than me." Yang's voice responded.

"Shouldn't she still be in one of the lower academies if she is that young?" another voice asked, one that Ruby had heard from somewhere before as well.

"Yeah she was supposed to go back to our local academy, Signal. Then she got caught up in the Dust till Dawn robbery from a few days ago with a few others and helped prevent that Torchwick guy from getting away with the dust they were trying to steal. She got Professor Ozpin's attention and he thought she was ready for Beacon." Yang's voice explained.

"You sound proud of her yet worried for her. Almost like a parent." The third voice, one that Ruby didn't recognize asked.

"I am. I knew she had what it takes to get into Beacon early. But I'm worried about what this line of work will do to her. I'm trying my hardest not to have a nervous breakdown right now over whether or not she's alright." Yang's voice added, Ruby could almost hear her big sister choking back the tears that were starting to form.

Ruby chose now to get out of the foliage and speak: "You know, Yang, you could just ask if I'm alright."

The group of four stopped in shock and turned around slowly to see the silver eyed reaper and her team just standing behind them.

Then Ruby noticed who Yang's group was, the girl wearing the bow who was reading last night before bed, Weiss Schnee, and Pyrrha Nikos.

Before anyone could say anything, Ruby was enveloped in one of Yang's suffocating hugs.

After a minute Yang spoke: "Dammit Ruby. Don't scare me like that again."

Ruby smiled: "Can't promise anything, but I will make a note of it and try a little harder."

Yang let go and smiled: "Sounds good enough to me."

Pyrrha asked: "So are you here for artifacts or have you already gotten one and were heading back but noticed us?"

Ruby and Nora responded by pulling out the Rook pieces they had grabbed.

The girl wearing the bow responded: "So, you found them and were heading back."

Ruby nodded: "Yep, sure did, er…"

The girl responded: "Blake. Blake Belladonna."

Ruby responded: "Sure did, Blake. By the way, I'm Ruby Rose, this is Jaune Arc, that's Lie Ren and we all call him Ren, and she's…"

"Nora Valkyrie!" the girl declared her name energetically.

Blake nodded, but Ruby noticed the slight twitch from her bow, as if it was a reflex action from a part of her. "It's nice to meet you."

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "I don't think the rest of you guys need to introduce your selves. We already know Yang, and Weiss and Pyrrha are impossible not to know of in some fashion. I think Blake was the only one who needed introducing."

Pyrrha looked saddened by that sentence, while Weiss looked almost indifferent to it.

However Jaune spoke up. "I might need a little introduction. I have no clue who either of them are."

After a conversation to get the necessary information to Jaune on who the two girls were, during which Pyrrha looked oddly pleased with meeting someone who didn't know a thing about her prowess in the lower academy fighting tournaments, Ruby felt a slight grimace come onto her as her instincts began screaming something was wrong yet again.

Ruby eventually spoke up. "I think you guys need to grab an artifact and get out of here with us."

Weiss looked at her and snapped: "Why should I take orders from a little girl who got in through the luck of being in the right place at the right time?"

Ruby was taken back by that and tried to respond: "I wasn't trying to give orders, I was just giving a suggestion."

Weiss was getting ready to snap at Ruby again when the assembled group noticed the sudden temperature increase followed by the low and tranquil voice that called to their attention: "Weiss."

Everyone looked at Yang and Ruby noticed the flame effect on her hair, the sign that her semblance was active, then Yang opened her eyes and her usually blue eyes were now a deep almost blood like red. Then she spoke: "Apologize to Ruby. If you don't or you say something else like that, I'm going to start punching you in the face. I don't know how long it will go on but I do know that I will knock every little tooth out of that pretty mouth of yours before I'm done." Yang said. Usually her temper would have her shouting, but the calm way she said that let everyone know that she was deadly serious right now.

Weiss looked terrified but regained her composure. "Ruby, I'm sorry about what I said. I snapped because of the pressure and some other things and it wasn't fair to take it out on you."

Ruby responded, "Its fine, I think I understand. I was giving a suggestion because of the bad feeling I've been getting."

Pyrrha cut in: "Like something is wrong, your instincts recognize it, but you cannot figure out what it is. Right?"

Ruby nodded: "Exactly, and weirder still is that it really starts going right after the Grimm we encountered."

Yang spoke up: "I fought some Ursas right after I landed. But I will admit that they were acting a bit funny."

Pyrrha spoke: "I encountered a young Berringel, as well as some Creeps."

Ren spoke: "I fought a King Taijitu."

Then Ruby realized what was wrong: "But has anyone seen a single Beowulf since they got into the forest? They should be crawling all over this place."

Then everyone's eyes went wide. They had been told that Beowulves were one of the most common Grimm in the forest, yet no one had seen a single one of them.

Weiss spoke now. "That's why the Grimm were acting unusual! Something that doesn't belong here must have moved in and then the Beowulves must have been driven out."

Blake spoke now: "And that same creature's presence is driving the other Grimm into behavior that is abnormal for them. I think Ruby is right, we need to grab our artifacts and run."

Blake's group nodded, the two pairs of partners grabbed the matching Knight pieces. As the group left the ruins holding the objectives, they heard a roar from the other side of the canyon that was in the area.

Yang exclaimed "What the hell was that?"

Blake responded: "I don't know but it sounded like a Grimm and a big one. We need to run, now!"

The group of eight began running, reaching a large canyon with ruins all around it and a massive cliff on the other side.

Before they could navigate across the area, two distinctive roars drew their attention: a large and rather well armored Deathstalker crawling along the ground towards them and a gigantic Nevermore circling above preparing to attack.

Ruby immediately spoke: "We need to deal with these Grimm. We won't be able to outrun them. We need to split up into two groups of four and each take on one of them."

Weiss responded: "Good idea."

Ruby nodded: "Me, Jaune, Ren, and Nora will take the Nevermore. You guys take out that Deathstalker."

Yang spoke up: "How are you planning on taking down that overgrown bird?"

Jaune spoke up then: "Ruby could draw its attention to her with her sniper rifle, position herself with her back to the cliff, and enrage it enough to charge her. She pulls out of the way late enough for it to not be able to pull up or change course and slam into the cliff. While it is stunned, Ren and I can clip its wings and Ruby can cut off its head with Nora using her hammer to force it head and neck downwards, giving Ruby a force pushing it down to help her behead it."

Everyone nodded and split up.

Ruby quickly positioned herself where Jaune had asked her and began shooting at the Avian Grimm. Most of the shots didn't do much but eventually a few did manage to inflict some damage, causing the gigantic bird monster to focus on her.

It began charging at her, Ruby used this opportunity to further unbalance its rational thoughts by taking aim down her scope and aiming towards the weak point that it had kindly made a much easier to hit target. She fired and after what felt like an eternity later, the sound of a Grimm being injured and the Nevermore's roar of pain filled the air. A direct hit, she had blown out the creature's right eye and blown off part of the right side of its face.

She could feel its maddened rage that now directed the monster to kill the red and clad insect that stood before it, to hell with all else. It began accelerating even more and Ruby's mind began racing, waiting for the perfect time to get out of the way and the Nevermore slam face first into the cliff with all of its momentum.

Ruby stood ready to move, 'Just a moment or two more. Not just yet…NOW!' and activated her semblance and quickly moved out of the way.

By the time the Nevermore noticed her movement, it was already too late and slammed into the cliff which further agitated its newest injury. The sheer amount of pain caused it to be stunned, just as the plan required.

Ren and Jaune quickly ran out and began slicing at the bones and muscles in the limbs controlling the monsters wings while it was trying to recover.

During this Nora was racing up the cliff to get the momentum to aid her slam into the Nevermore while Ruby was quickly placing herself and her scythe in a position to behead the bird using Nora's attack.

Jaune screamed: "NORA! NOW!"

Nora smiled maniacally and jumped of the cliff, shouting at the top of her lungs: "THE QUEEN OF THE CASTLE DECLARES: OFF WITH ITS HEAD!"

Ruby smiled and shouted in response: "YOU HEARD WHAT SHE ORDERED US TO DO, YOU BIRDBRAIN, AND I'LL GLADLY GO THROUGH WITH IT!"

As soon as Ruby finished her declaration, Nora reached them and smashed her hammer down onto the bird's head, sending it crashing downwards, while Ruby began putting her strength into swinging the scythe, firing shots to give her extra momentum. Not even 2 seconds later, the neck of the Nevermore connecting its head to its body was severed by the blade of Ruby's Crescent Rose and the blunt force of Nora's Magnhild.

This battle had been won. The Nevermore had been defeated and its corpse pieces had begun to disintegrate.

As the victorious students rested they looked over to see the final stroke of the battle against the Death Stalker: its legs frozen in place, the stinger severed and the tail limply hanging behind the creature, the claws completely severed from it, and one of its eyes gouged out with Weiss rushing down to stab with her Myrtenaster seemingly aiming to stab into the eyehole that had been gouged out. She stabbed into it and a few moments later the creature stopped struggling and went limp, with the disintegration beginning soon after.

The two groups reconvened and began offering congratulations. However before they could get some rest, the roar from earlier at the objective sounded again.

Jaune spoke this time: "Guys that sounded a whole lot closer this time!"

Everyone agreed and just about started running when they began hearing a sound that every one of them recognized.

Ruby spoke up first: "Those are Beowulves growling. And it sounds like a lot of them and of varying sizes. But whatever that thing that is roaring, it sounds like they coming from its direction. How much do you want to bet that their following it?"

No one responded. Each and every one of them began running.

Had the Ruby had time to inspect Crescent Rose, she would have noticed the damage that the battle had inflicted on it.

Xxx

Elsewhere: at the cliff face

Ozpin stood and reached for his scroll: "Tyriant, come in, do you hear me?"

The man responded "Loud and clear, Boss."

Ozpin responded, "Did you hear that roar?"

Tyriant responded: "Yeah, I did. It sounded like one monstrously big Beowulf. I'm currently tracking it. I have found footprints and it appears to be leading a massive pack. Hell it might be few packs and their respective Alphas with how big some of these prints are getting. It has to be, the largest ones are way bigger than the rest and it is big fucking Beowulf from the looks of it."

Ozpin asked: "Do you have an idea of where it is heading?"

Tyriant responded: "It seems to be tracking someone. Hell, considering some of the monsters I have fought and learned how they behave, it looks like this one is not only tracking someone, it's in the middle of moving to intercept. Their heading towards the center of the forest at the moment, a good ambush point if they are moving to intercept someone. As for who they're tracking because I know that question is coming, I don't know. Do you see anyone leaving the side of the forest where the ruins and the canyon are heading to the central forest?"

Glynda began scrolling through the cameras set up throughout the exam area until she saw the camera for the area they were looking for: "Tyriant, its Rose, Arc, Ren, Valkyrie, Xiao-Long, Schnee, Nikos, and Belladonna that are exiting that area. They are approaching the center of the Emerald Forest."

Ozpin could hear the curses that were flowing through the man's mind but didn't make it into the man's speech: "Shit, I think I just figured it out. This Beowulf looks to be incredibly old and Grimm learn with each fight they survive. What if it survived a fight with a Silver Eyed Warrior and saw part of the fight from just far enough away to not be affected by the Silver Light the Warriors use but close enough to see the effects it has on Grimm and that it recognizes that ability belongs to anyone with silver eyes? And building from that, what if there is a scent associated with Silver Eyed Ones that the Grimm can detect or its encounter was against one of Ruby's ancestors and this one is recognizing that connection through her scent and is identifying her as the single greatest threat to the Grimm in the area and is moving to take care of her?"

Ozpin and Glynda both began to pale at the point Tyriant just raised.

Ozpin quickly asked: "How far are you from the center of the forest?"

Tyriant responded: "Not close enough to kill this fucker before he can intercept them. None of us are if you're still at the cliff overlooking the forest."

Ozpin quickly responded: "Tyriant, keep following them. I'll head into the forest and attempt to reach them. Glynda, you stay here. Get a Medical team and transport on standby and on the way."

Glynda nodded: "As you wish, Professor."

Tyriant responded: "Already on it, Boss!"

Ozpin quickly began making his way into the forest, praying that another death too soon wouldn't be added to his conscious yet again. He had too many on there anyways.

Xxx

In the forest,

With the students

There comes a point in every one's life that you encounter a situation, usually a few times in certain occupations, where your instincts scream: RUN OR DIE!

For the eight Beacon hopefuls who had joined up to escape the forest, the moment had come when they heard the roar the third time, just before entering the forest proper.

They made their way to the center of the forest only to be stopped in their tracks by a massive swarm of Beowulves suddenly attacking.

The students began engaging the monstrous wolves: slicing, shooting, beheading, stabbing, smashing, and punching them down as they came.

However, what they failed to notice was the distraction tactic at work with the Beowulves engaging them.

The strongest among them crept into position to attack the one whose scent was similar to one he had fought long ago, and swung his claws down to unleash his attack.

Before it could end the Silver Eyed Reaper, Yang turned and noticed the massive Beowulf moving to kill her sister, anything else in her head had vanished, with a promise made so long ago that she hardly remembered making it suddenly echoing in her head, a voice she hadn't heard in 11 years suddenly spoke loud and clear in her head: "One day, I won't be around to protect my little Ruby. Can I count on you look after her for me?" A response came in from the memory, in a much younger Yang's voice: "You can count on me Mommy."

Yang could feel her Semblance activate on instinct and rushed to protect her sister. Yang shoved Ruby out of the way, who in shock lost her grip on Crescent Rose, and then aimed a blow straight at the massive Beowulf, knocking down but it quickly got back up.

Yang came down from her protective rage and the group then turned to see the cause of the commotion and saw something they could hardly believe.

It was a massive Beowulf, far bigger and older than any of them had ever fought. But the bone plating wasn't the jaggedly haphazard mess they were used, to it was much more elegant and refined, like it was made by an artist rather than cobbled together. The black hide looked even stronger than ever compared to the other Grimm that they had fought.

But then they noticed something else, green crystals growing on its body. Some just jutting out but with a discernible intent and elegance to it. The crystals could be seen on some of its bone armor and veins were visible on its hide that glowed green, as if a fluorescent green fluid pulsed through them. The bone that would form its claws had been encased in the green crystal growths as well. Its eyes were mostly green but at center were red dots that burned with the hatred of all living things that could be seen in the eyes of all Grimm and the eyes projected a cruel intelligence that sought to end the Beacon Initiates lives.

If the other Beowulves were the result of evolution damaging them, then this creature was one that had been restored by it. By who or what was the question but none of the students were willing to ask it.

The Apex Beowulf issued a roar and the Beowulves continues the assault. After swatting Yang away in her shocked state, it quickly returned to targeting Ruby who began moving to recover her Crescent Rose. It couldn't reach her before Ruby recovered her weapon and unfolded it into its scythe state.

The Beowulf slashed at Ruby who slashed with Crescent Rose, the crystal claws met the blade of the scythe and neither would give.

However, a loud cracking noise of metal caught Ruby's attention, she looked where it came from and went wide eyed in surprise when she saw the source: her Crescent Rose.

What felt like an eternity passed and the weapon gave breaking in the clash between the Reaper and the Apex Beowulf.

Ruby could only look around from where she fell to the ground, her friends and her sister's group fighting against the horde that was intent on killing them. They were doing well, but they were tired and soon they would fall.

The creature stood over poised to deliver the finishing blow.

Ruby could feel a dull pain begin to pulse in her eyes as her hand instinctively reached for the black dust crystal necklace she wore.

'So this how I meet my end. I don't want to die, at least not like this. I don't want any of my friends to die here. I don't want Yang to die here. I don't even want Blake or Weiss or Pyrrha to die here.I don't want any of them to die!'

A voice, similar to the young Reaper's own, reached out and asked: So what do you want to do?

Ruby could feel the pain in her eyes growing stronger but answered the mental question: 'I want to protect them!'

The voice responded: Then it shall happen, unleash the power that sleeps within you. Unleash the power that even now begs to be let out to fulfill its purpose. Hold to the thought of them and of protecting them it shall be so.

Ruby could feel the pain in her eyes growing even stronger and starting to gain at heated edge to it, her vision started whiting out but she did as the voice told her.

The others were fighting for their lives against the unrelenting Beowulf swarm, when suddenly the creatures stopped attacking and started staring at something.

The hopefuls felt something in the air and followed their senses, turning their attention to the coincidentally the same thing that entranced the Grimm: Ruby. Though they could tell her eyes were glowing and white light that almost looked silver. Even the Apex looked entranced before it shook from its stupor and attempted to finish Ruby before she could unleash this power.

It didn't by the time it began its strike, the silver light consumed the area, the howls of Grimm roaring in their ears.

When the light receded, the teens could hardly believe their eyes: some of the Grimm had been outright destroyed the only thing proving they were there was the black cloud they left behind, others were frozen as if time had forgotten they existed and left them that way, and others had become petrified, seemingly turned into grey stone statues.

But the Apex Beowulf was still there but scratching and scraping at its body as if something were on it, then they began to notice it changing color to the same grey that the statues possessed, it struggled for a moment before it gave one final roar of defiance before turning completely to stone and never moved again.

No one said a word, all attention was on Ruby, expecting some kind of answer for what happened from the girl. They did notice the black dust crystal hanging around her neck was no longer black and now glowed with a reddish light. All the reaper said was: "Woah." In quiet awestruck wonder before her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground. During the light she had managed to get to her feet but now she was falling over to the ground.

Yang tried to rush to her but before she could reach her sister, black tendrils rushed out and grabbed Ruby. Yang prepared for another fight with a Grimm before she noticed that the tendrils gently lower Ruby to the ground before their origin became visible: Tyriant Blackshadow, and the tendrils were extended off his own shadow. Once Ruby was safely on the ground, his shadow's tendrils receded back into his shadow, and the man kneeled over to catch his breath before looking around. To the teen's surprise, he didn't express confusion at what happened with the statues and the time frozen Grimm.

He asked a question: "She unleashed a Silver Light from her eyes that consumed the area and then all this happened, right?"

The students nodded, and the man took pictures of the scene and quite a few of the Apex Beowulf before he switched his scroll to a direct communication frequency: "Ozpin I found them, they're alive, Ruby's fine but her weapon has been destroyed and she has been knocked out. She unleashed the Silver Light to destroy the Grimm Horde, I have got pictures of what happened and the ugly fucker who was leading the horde. The rest of the students are banged up, scratched up, and bruised but no severed limbs or missing eyes or dead bodies. We need a transport now."

Tyriant put away his scroll before extending his shadow tendrils to pick up the pieces of Crescent Rose and stored them in a bag he pulled out and attached to his back.

Then he spoke: "We need to move, I know there is things that we need to explain and I promise we will give it as truthfully as possible, but now is not the time and if any other Grimm are in the area who have survived a battle where that was deployed, then chances are they will be hightailing it here to finish her while she is down. We will answer your questions when Ruby is awake."

The Student nodded and gathered their wits and began to follow the man to leave the forest.

Yang carried Ruby, and as she was stuck in her thoughts over what was said yesterday: 'You were right Ruby. I tempted fate last night, but you were the one who paid for it.'

Bitterness and self-loathing had taken root in the girl's heart and her thoughts.

It was going to be a long trip back to Beacon.

End Chapter 2

Well that is chapter 2 everyone. I finished it on 3/25/2020. A day after Seals of Fate chapter 7.

So the description of the Apex Beowulf should clue in any hardcore RWBY fan about who the scientist from the previous chapter is.

I don't really have much to say, other than leave a review explaining your thoughts. Constructive criticism is appreciated even if negative. Outright insulting is frowned upon.

My 20th birthday happened during the writing process for this chapter. It was March 13th, 2020. A Friday the 13th, and it was the day the Coronavirus exploded on us.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and

Until Next Time:

SEE YA LATER!