Official chapter six.
Continuation of initiation - part two.
Have fun.
"Come on p-money! What wrong with this little cave?"
"I don't know about this yang..."
"Ah what's the worst that could happen? Not like there's going to be a ancient Grimm or something in there, come on." Yang thought Pyrrah was just being too cautious. But uncle Qrow always said that being a little cautious could mean life or death out in the real world. But they were strapped for time and Yang didn't like the thought of not finishing initiation. That would mean Ruby would be alone in Beacon all by herself. Not acceptable.
"It'll be alright Pyrrah, you're what? Like fourth time champion or whatever and I ain't no slouch. I would like to see some Grimm try to take us on."
"Well," Pyrrah hesitated before relenting. "Alright."
"Yeah! We're gonna kick some butt!" Yang slammed her gauntlets together before they both proceeded into the cave.
"So. What do you like to do Blake?"
Blake looked up to Jaune. "Hmm?"
"I asked what you like to do. You know, like hobbys, things to pass the time. Stuff like that.
Blake hummed for a moment before speaking. "Reading mostly. Although I like a little music as well."
Jaune and Blake were walking through the Emerald forrest on their way to the ruins that Blake had been able to spot from climbing up a tree. They hadn't seen any Grimm since Jaune's encounter, but one could not be too careful. There was literally nothing to do at the moment so Jaune wanted too at least get to know his new partner. The previous times they had talked did not count in Jaune's book. So came one of his weaknesses, small talk.
"Soooo... Uhhhh..." Welp. He tried. Three cheers for Jaune Arc.
Snrk.
What?
Jaune, who was puzzled, asked: "What did I do?"
"Nothing, nothing."
"You're full of it. I did something, what did I do?"
"I-snrk- I never thought that someone so outgoing would have so much trouble with talking to a single person."
Jaune flushed a little. "Hey! I have a valid reason." He defended himself.
Blake smirked in a way that suggested she had already caught him. "Oh? And what would that be?"
"I'm nervous because I'm partnered with a pretty girl." Blake stopped instantly, a blush noticeable on her face. Jaune looked back and called out. "Hey, you good? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing, just uh, wasn't expecting that." Blake replied with a shakey voice.
Jaune looked at her quizzically. "Expecting what?" Blakes face was getting even more red, this might be serious problem!
"I wasn't expecting the uh... compliment."
"Wait, that? I mean, I thought it was obvious." Blake stared at him but he continued. "You are very pretty and I'm sure any guy would be lucky to have your attention. I was thinking to myself this morning that it would be nice to partner up with a pretty girl or something-"
Blake jumped in front of him and started waving her arms. "Ok! I get it! Thank you for the compliments Jaune."
Jaune just shrugged. "Hey, that's what I'm here for, partner. We are going to be on a team together for the next four years and I want to prove that I'll have your back. No matter the situation."
Blake .EXE has stopped working. Would you like to restart? YES? - NO?
While Blake's brain was rebooting, Jaune kept walking. He passed by her and pulled a few bushes back to find they had reached the temple. "Hey! We're here!"
Blake regained her lost composure and jogged up to where Jaune was standing. There was still a slight blush on her cheeks when she looked at the armored boy. "You're right. Shall we head on down?"
"Yeah, sure."
Making there way across the open field leading up to the ruins, Jaune noticed that there were colored Chess pieces on pedestals situated around a circular chamber. The walls had fallen long ago but the main foundation still remained. While Blake was examining the surrounding architecture, Jaune grabbed one of the pieces.
"Hey, Blake!'
"Hmm?"
"How about a knight?"
Blake glanced at his armor again. "Isn't that a little on the nose?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing Jaune." The ground rumbled. "Did you feel that?"
Jaune drew his sword. "Yes, yes I did. Get ready, we don't know what that is."
Blake nodded in agreement, unclasping Gambol Shroud in the process. The rumbling continued, getting closer and closer. Jaunes grip increasing on Crocea Mors, Blakes on Gambol. They spotted the source of the anomaly coming from a cluster of brush on their left. Jaune stepped in front of Blake, She in turn arranging herself behind Jaune. She had to give credit to him, deploying his Heater shield in front and taking a guard stance. It allowed room to attack from behind with her "scythe on string" as he liked to call it. Both having decided to get better acquainted with each others choice of weapons after the Ursa incident.
"Ready Blake?"
"Yes, you?"
"As soon as it breaks the treeline we engage, stay back while I push forward, I'm the tank. You flank right when I lock it into melee, got it?"
"Got it."
The quaking got louder. Both tensed.
"Yeeeee-haaaaw!"
Jaune and Blake blinked.
'Dafuq?' Was what went through both their heads.
A girl in pink was zipping around a now deceased Ursa major, talking a mile-a-minute as she did. "Aaaaw, I broke it."
"Nora. Please, do not do that again." A boy in green was panting off to the side. Jaune and Blake shared a look between the two of them.
"You know them?"
"No. You?"
"Nope."
"What do we...?"
"No clue."
Zip!
"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"
"Nora!"
"Heh, coming Ren."
"What just-" Jaune began.
THOOM
Pyrrah and Yang came running out of the forrest with a large Grimm on their heels. "Hey guy's. there's a Deathstalker chasing us!" Yang helpfully pointed out. Blake and Jaune looked at each other again for what seemed like the tenth time in under thirty seconds.
"Heads up!" A tiny voice from above yelled out. [ODST I am not tiny! I drink milk!] (Yes you are tiny and quit breaking the fourth wall! This is my story, go away!) 'Ahem' Blake let out a startled gasp seeing Ruby falling. Grabbing Jaunes sleeve and pointing she said: "Jaune. Ruby is about to hit the ground."
"What? Shit!" Casting a glance upwards, he did indeed see Ruby falling at an alarming rate. But how could he stop her? Unless... Unhooking a vial of purple Dust, he popped the cork off the container and poured some onto his boots and greaves.
Blake looked perplexed. "What are you doing? She's going to fall."
"Watch." With that said, Jaune strapped Crocea Mors back onto his side and braced. 'Got to time this just right or this is going to hurt.' He watched as Ruby was starting to get into his range when he jumped as hard as he could. Leaping up into the air he collided with Ruby midflight, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. The gravity Dust having done its job, they both started to descend slower to the ground. They still landed hard but Jaune absorbed the shock with his armor.
"Clever, using gravity Dust as a type of propellant."
"Thanks, dad showed me a trick once, helps when you jump out of Bullheads. Hey Ruby, you good?"
"Uuuugh. What hit me?" Ruby was cradling her head with both hands. Little puppy Grimm and lighting bolts circling her head.
Jaune reached up to scratch the back of his head. "Uh sorry about that. Forgot you were falling and I was rising." Ruby gave him a thumbs up.
"How could you leave me?!"
Once again their gaze was turned towards the sky. Aaannnd Weiss was hanging onto a giant Nevermore. Great.
"She's going to fall." Blake said.
"She'll be fine." Ruby assured.
"I'm out of gravity Dust." Jaune supplied.
"She'll be fiiiiiine." Ruby doubly assured.
"She's falling." Ren acknowledged.
"Yep." Jaune agreed.
Ruby pouted.
"Here she comes." Nora said.
"Aaaaaaaah- oof!"
"Aaaannnd there she goes!" Nora pointed. A flying Yang having intercepted the Heiress in midair, Yang having been thrown by the Deathstalker along with Pyrrah who made a 'OOF!' as she landed right next to them.
"Ren, look! Were all here! That means that we can fight them all together!"
"Nora..."
Pyrrah was rubbing her behind where she landed. Getting thrown by a Grimm was a slight blow to her ego, but she felt it could be excused considering it was a freaking GIANT Deathstalker. She was contemplating that theory when an armored gauntlet was lowered next to her.
"Need a hand?" The knight offered. Even with all that armor he still cut a handsome figure. With his snow white armor and gold accents. There was even an ocean blue cape to go along with it. Wait... where did he get the cape?
"Y-yes, thank you." He had a nice grip. She could appreciate that, it showed that he obviously put effort into his training. Too bad it looked like he already had partner. With a tug, Jaune lifted Pyrrah back up to her feet. Ruby having done the same with Yang and Weiss.
SKRRAAARW!
"Guys? Any ideas on how to take these things out?" Ruby sped past in a burst of roses, heading straight for the Deathstalker. Little did she know that the giant Nevermore was right above her. It had seen the bright red cloak on her back, zeroing in like a missile on a mission. Yang tried to chase after but Pyrrah stopped her.
"Let go of me! We have to help Ruby!" She tried to break loose but the Spartans grip was too strong. "Yang wait!"
"Ruby!"
As Yang called out, Ruby was pinned to the ground by large black feathers. One piercing her cloak, the others coming close. She looked up in time to see another barrage coming right down on top of her. Ruby closed her eyes and said a prayer. 'Well, I gave it my best mom. I'm sorry I let dad and you down-"
"Ruby!" A male voice shouted out.
What?
Clang!
Slowly opening her eye's; Ruby's heart nearly burst from her chest. Standing above her was the six-foot wonder Jaune Arc. Shield spread high in the air protecting them from the Grimm's airborne projectiles. Up until this point Ruby had never been interested in anything romantic, Weapons illustrated? Sure. The Hunter's fashion guide to the Grimm apocalypse? You bet. 101-ways to kill a Beowolf? Please, already read it twice. But honest to goodness romance? She had no idea where to begin. That was probably why her cheeks were as red as her cloak right now. But with the way he stared into her eyes, deep ocean blue meeting sterling silver. She felt like she should get a start on it.
"Can someone get this bastard off me?!"
"Hah! Come're bird brain, let me show you what buckshot tastes like! Nobody hurts my little sister, nobody!" With that Yang went to town hammering at the Nevermore like a flak cannon. Her Ember Celica singing a deadly tune. Before he could get a better look however, a different noise drew his attention.
SKITTER SKITTER SKITTER SKITTER
"The Deathstalkers back! Ruby come on!" Jaune pulled the quill out of Ruby's cloak before hoisting her up to her feet. The two of them taking off like madmen across the field, the Deathstalker right on their tail.
"Weiss! Slow it down!" Ruby called out to her partner. She in turn seeing an ice-slick across the ground in front of them. There was a mass of trees ahead of them- Wait trees!
"I've got an idea!"
"I've got an idea!" They both shouted at once.
"Blake! Shoot your ribbon at that tree! Pyrrah, Yang, keep the Nevermore off us."
"Got it boss!"
"I will do my best."
Blake came running up along Jaune. "What did you need?"
"I need you and Ren to try to take out it's stinger while me and Nora take out it's legs."
"Yes! I get to break legs!"
"Anyways; if it's to busy trying to hit you two..."
Realization hit Blake. "Then it won't have time to protect the weak spot. Got it!"
The plan clear, they set out to work. Blake and Ren firing at it with small arms fire to the eyes and stinger while Jaune and Nora went wild on its legs. Yang, Ruby, Weiss and Pyrrah taking shots at the Nevermore. The Deathstalker swung a pincer at Jaune who rolled under only for Nora to swing at its unprotected face. The creature howled in pain as the massive warhammer made contact with its chitiness hide, the hit seemed to stun it. Jaune saw an opening.
"Blake! Go for its stinger!"
With a nod Blake descened on the scorpions large yellow stinger like a cat on tuna, slash after slash weakening the joint. "There!"
"Nora, hit with your launcher!"
"Got it!"
THOOMP-THOOMP-THOOMP
Black blood and gore went everywhere, the Deathstalker screaming as it whipped it's tail back and forth. Jaune and the other's taking this break to regroup.
Blake stood panting at his side. "How are we going to-(hah)-take this thing out? All we've mannaged to do is take out it's stinger. No offense nora but unless your weapon turns into a tank I don't think we can kill this thi- Hey, are you listening? Jaune?"
"...More firepower..."
"Hey, you good?"
He spun on his heel and turned to face them. "I have a plan."
"Argh! Why won't you die?!" Ruby complained, Crescent Rose barking angrily as her shots hit but having no effect on the Nevermore.
"Because its feathers are acting like armor you dunce! Nothing we have will dent it. Unless we get it to the ground." Weiss explained. She had to admit, this was getting rather annoying.
Pyrrah's repeater spat its opinion a few more times before needing to reload. "Weiss is right, my rifle is having minemal effect. Were it on the ground we would have a much easier time."
BANG! "Pssh, says you Pyrrah. Not all of us can be Championship fighters, or take on a horde of Grimm by ourselves." Yang threw in her two cents.
"That has nothing to do with it..." A slightly red Pyrrah mumbled back. It wasn't her fault she was so good; well, yes. Yes it was her fault, but that's not the point! She could be normal!
CAAAAWWW!
"Pick up your skivvies ladies! It's coming around again!"
"Here it comes! Get ready-"
"Hiiiiiiiiii! BOOP!"
BOOM.
SCRAAAAAAW! The Nevermore broke off from its intended divebomb, the pink explosion having clouded the beasts vision. When the four Huntresses-in-training turned around the sight that greeted them was a Nora grinning like a loon, holding a smoking Magnhild in her arms.
"That big birdie should have looked where it was going. It ran right into my baby! Anyway, Jaune wants to switch me and Ren with Yang and Pyrrah." Yang and Pyrrah shared a glance and shrugged.
"Fine with me."
"Myself as well."
"Great! Because him and Blake are taking on the Deathstalker by themselves right now." Nora informed. The group stared at the bubbly ginger before whipping their heads in the direction of the fighting. Sure enough, Jaune and Blake were holding the large Grimm back. For now.
"Uh... Pyrrah... lets go?" Yang half asked, half proclaimed.
"Uh, sure." As the two partners ran to assist the other two partners, the four left behind all looked back to the sky when they heard the Nevermore come back.
"So. What's the plan?" Ren asked.
"Honestly?" Weiss began, "I have no clue."
"Shoot it till it dies?" Nora suggested.
The other three considered it for a moment before shrugging. Then all hell broke loose as the sounds of multiple weapons discharged at the avian Grimm. Meanwhile, back at the woods; Jaune and Blake were flowing around each other. Moving in sync as they kept the deadly pincers away from their respective partner. When a pincer went for Jaune, Blake met it with a strike from Shroud. When it tried to retaliate against the brunette, Jaune met the attack with his shield. The last attack knocked the two back, giving the duo a much needed respite.
Blake took this time to insert a fresh magazine into Gambol. "We're not getting anywhere with this thing. Any suggestions?"
Jaune rolled his arms to work out any soreness he attained from the fight. "Keep it occupied until the rest show up, I can handle the pincers if you can distract it."
She nodded. "Got it."
"Ready?"
"Yep, lets do it."
BANG! (Insert whistle sound effect here) - BOOM!
"Hey blondie, miss me?"
Jaune smiled at his fellow blonde. "Like a toothache, thanks for showing up."
"Hello again." Pyrrah waved from off to the side.
"Hey Pyrrah, little help?"
The Champion's eyes turned from soft emerald to hardened stone in a blink. "Of course. Shall we?"
Four sets of eyes trained onto the scorpion, and for once in it's life. It felt fear.
Team Cardinal had stepped off the stage when the Headmaster dismissed them. Jaune and the rest were still in the crowd, waiting for the final verdict as to who's team they would be assigned too. Nora was talking with Ren about something, pancakes he thought. Weiss and Ruby about teams and who they thought would work better. Jaune had no idea who Blake and him were going to be paired with. Blake must have sensed his inner turmoil.
"What's wrong?" She whispered.
"Nothing," He whispered back. "Just a little nervous about who we're going to be teamed with."
"Yeah, me too a little."
Jaune looked at her sceptically. "Why? Bad history with someone?"
She noticed his look and shook her head. "No, just. Not a big fan of the Heiress over there."
Jaune stole a glance at Weiss who was currently in a slightly heated debate with Ruby about the advantages of different types of Dust for Crescent Rose. "Well, she seems nice enough. A little frigid sure, but other than that."
Blake shook her head again. "Never mind. Hey, the Headmaster is calling up the next team."
He took the change in discussion for what it was. He was going to have find out more about it later. Blake was going to be his partner for the next four years, Jaune needed to find out what made her tick.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyerie. You have gathered the white rook pieces, and will now be known as team 'RSRN' or Resin. Led by Ruby Rose, Congratulations."
Ruby looked nervous as all hell while Weiss looked flabergasted. Nora ran over to Ruby and picked her up in a hug cheering excitedly, Ren just placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a smile and a nod. Weiss gave a very bitter smile. Jaune was a little concerned about his friend. But they would have to solve that themselves.
"Jaune Arc, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Pyrrah Nikos. You gathered the white knight pieces, henceforth you will be known as team 'ALBN' or Auburn. Led by Jaune Arc. Congratulations."
Yang threw a fist into the air and whooped loudly. "Woo! Team ALBN are gonna rule this school!"
Blake and Pyrrah were smiling at her antics as they walked off the stage, not noticing Jaune hanging back a little ways.
'Alright Jaune, this is it. Time to prove that I can be a Huntsman, a leader. Time to prove that I can keep my oath.'
Yang had slung an arm around Pyrrah's shoulder. "Beacon here we come!"
That's it, I'm done for a month. Here is the last gosh damn chapter of freaking initiation! Screw the episode! Now I know why so many authors hate that part. It sucks! More character dev and teams are formed. What you think? As always favorite and follow, comment if you want.
I want to point this out right quick,{ Soft like velvet, kind as an Angel } will be the 'in-between' story. So after this will be one of its chapters. So next time will be the Jaune x Velvet fluff piece.
Also I'll try to keep them long like this, but it will take a little longer.
See ya'll later, Rookie out.
