Been a while, and don't worry, we're here. Also, to the Guest commenting, I told Anubis about Grendal, and I think he was just happy that someone else got it. Any question about his dear Beo, direct towards him, and I'll ask about it.

Anyway, this is pseudo part III of initiation, but it's more of an aftermath. 10000 words.

Chapter by Soul of Horus, Will_of_Anubis, and Deviss617

...

Once that fiasco was done and over with, the group of twelve all met on the same side and started their walk through the forest. Each one checked on Ray at various points and at various frequencies. The crimsonette, the brawler, the sharpshooter, the slick one, and the casual businesswoman were amongst the highest. The cat ninja and the Ice Queen the least. Somewhere in the middle was the pancake-obsessed ginger, the stoic male, the champion, and Vomit Boy. At least, that's what Ray mentally named them as he still was not in peak condition and probably will not be in the coming hours.

"So, what can we talk about?" Jaune asked as he pushed a tree branch out of the way for Weiss, who rolled her eyes and passed by without a word. Jaune looked down at this and Ruby secretly psyched herself up.

"How we survived for one," Nick retorted dryly. Also, what the fuck did we just witness?

"We got a long road with four years of this," Tera added matter-of-factly.

The crimsonette chimed in cheerfully, "It will be a fun four years though, surrounded by friends, other professors, and students."

Yang groaned, "Don't remind me about professors, Rubes. We still have coursework and other activities to add on. Being a Huntsman or Huntress is more than fieldwork." That was too… good for Yang.

'Who are you, and what have you done with Yang?' Ray signed in jest.

"Well, after seeing that, it puts it into perspective how much we don't know about Remnant," Yang replied with a serious undertone.

Grace looked bemused, "Was totally expecting-"

"Nevermore about that, I just want us to make it back to Beacon safe and sound."

"-there it is," the slate-haired girl said, as multiple groans sounded off. Not everyone likes Yang's puns. What's interesting is the fact that Blake was hiding a minuscule smile.

"That means Ren can make me pancakes!" Nora proclaimed whilst Ren sighed in mock exasperation.

"If I make them, I make them for all of us," Ren said stoically whilst everyone made sounds of agreement, not to mention a few of the group's stomachs rumbled… again.

Weiss, not knowing the hell she was about to unleash, said, "What's a pancake?"

Everyone present could feel the—not exactly murderous, but out of context it could be taken as such—glare from Nora projecting onto Weiss. "You don't know what a pancake is‽"

"Weiss, Nora will remember this, so it would be in your best interest if you appease her on this when we return to Beacon," Ren said before either girl could respond. Thankfully, no argument broke out.

After watching them bicker back and forth, all in good nature, Yang turned around to look directly at Ray, "However, you're hiding something."

Ray didn't confirm nor deny that, as he gave her a confused look. Him cradling his left side wasn't an indicator? The fact his head still felt like it would melt from the inside out also wasn't an indicator? The fact that he was basically being carried by Nick at this point?

As for Blake and Weiss, they were… uncomfortable, to say the least. Even if Weiss wasn't arguing, she and Blake share one thing in common: They both have a sister as partners. Both equally annoying, but endearing at the same time. Then there are the four that are closely associated with the sisters. Weiss already knows Tera, but to see her fraternizing with a Faunus makes her question… well, everything relating to them. Blake was shooting concealed glances at the Cobra, wondering if his story was completely true.

Sure, some of it seems plausible, but to have been there that day… the raven-haired girl will have to look into it. She noticed one of his scales on his left arm was cracked, and the skin underneath it was scarred, so there was a story there. However, that was for another time.

"We're not going to acknowledge what we witnessed?" Jaune asked, confused. Nick was thankful that someone other than him was asking the real questions.

"I honestly am perfectly fine with not acknowledging it," Tera grimaced. The sheer ferocity that the Grimm was emitting when devouring that Nevermore's heart. Grotesque, sure, but something that she would rather not repeat again.

After that, the walk back to the landing zone was filled with idle chatter and the occasional Grimm. Tera and Ray looked at their relics with relief, knowing they both survived the fight. Grace and Nick shared a quick hug, and Tera exchanged hugs with the two of them. Ray offered a high five since he wasn't in the greatest of conditions. Even though the pain, he was still smiling, but it was the adrenaline leaving his body that made him feel all sorts of pain. Something told him that this would not be the first time that they would feel this. Ray passed Grace the relic to hold onto since she was in better condition.

Even so, one thought ran through the quartet's heads as a dropship landed on the ground. The pilot assisted all of them in and didn't make any side comments, and to his knowledge, this was not the worst condition he has seen teams in. Some were barely hanging on, yet that specific team turned out to be one of the top teams to ever graduate from Beacon.

Still, that thought remained.

They made it. They actually fucking made it, they survived, but it was short-lived as they remembered that this was only the first group of three. No one wanted to know how many died in this group. For all they know, only the twelve of them survived, maybe others did too, but that's a stretch. The injured, though, was a list of people that everyone wanted to see. Ray definitely got onto that list after that Taijitu almost suffocated him. He was focusing on breathing rather than conversation or lists or even coherent thought. He felt like a party popper before it burst.

Something cracked when the Taijitu squeezed him, and Ray was cradling his left side more, as his left arm was pinned at that time. His loss of awareness cost him, he knew that, but it was fast. King Taijitus are smarter than others of its class, and the sheer tenacity that Nick and Grace showed when making a plan made it easier. Then Tera came in, disorienting the Grimm long enough for Ray to get a clean kill shot, even if it was at the cost of some of his aura reserves. Given a day's rest, he'll be fine. Still, he wanted to purge the thoughts of accepting death. There was more to him and he wouldn't fall to something so easy.

They were already working as a team, even before this, and the forest proved that. Ray looked up to see Grace staring at him with a look on her face, one of thought. Ray guessed that she was thinking about that Grimm they both encountered and how it tore out the heart of the Grimm that Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang killed. Which didn't make sense, because when Grimm are killed, they are supposed to disappear after a set time. So why didn't it when that one Beowolf leaped onto the corpse?

Another question for another day as they all boarded the airship that flew them back up to Beacon. Ray couldn't sit down without assistance and with a slightly pleading look to Nick, he helped him settle gently onto the cot that was used for injured passengers. Now, the silver-eyed boy prayed that this wasn't going to be a bumpy ride.

Ray heard some idle chatter, "Nora, relax. We will arrive at Beacon soon."

"You're going to make me pancakes, right Ren, and for the Ice Queen over there?" Nora asked with too much enthusiasm after a fight for her life. There were a few chuckles that sounded off across the airship, even an offended 'Hey!' from said Ice Queen.

"Tomorrow, Nora. Right now, we have other priorities, let's settle into Beacon before anything else." Ren responded. Jaune and his partner Pyrrha freaking Nikos were resting next to each other on the floor. They didn't need to exchange words. Nick seemed to be near Blake but neither initiated a conversation choosing the silence over anything else.

Tera and Weiss seemed to be having a civil conversation and they were leaning on each other, most likely due to exhaustion. This initiation was taxing on all of them. The pilot made his final checks before heading back up to the cockpit and disengaging the auto-pilot.

From his view on the bed, two people stuck to his side, and of course, they were curious, "So what happened?" Yang asked, her lilac eyes surveying his body for any other injuries. Ruby was holding both of her hands tightly, eyes surveying the other potential areas for hidden injuries that Ray would hide out of pride.

'{Taijitu constriction.}' Short answers were his go-to as it took much more rational thought to sign. Breathing continued to be a challenge and he was fighting the urge to sleep.

Both Ruby and Yang were concerned, looking to his ribs, "May I?" Yang's voice was soft, much like when they were younger and Ray hurt himself from tripping over some random tree root back in Patch. Always defensive of her younger siblings.

He squeezed her hand and let it go as she prodded over his chest. His vest was hung over the side of the cot, and Ray finally realized that it was off him. Did he hit his head? He doesn't feel like he has a concussion. In the midst of the action, his injuries were the least of concern. His aura was still recovering, but any energy he got went to healing.

Yang's fingers slowly slid up the right side of his ribs, checking each rib, nothing happened, Ray didn't feel pain, he only felt her fingers. His eyes closed and Ruby gently spoke to keep him awake. "Don't fall asleep on us yet."

Yang's hand switched sides and while no other part of her showed it, her hand trembled. '{It is okay, you will know when you hit it.}'

"I just don't want to hurt you," Yang said softly. Ray waved off her concern and let her continue. His lower ribs were fine, but once she reached to the ones just below his heart, his eyes widened, and he grit his teeth as a natural reaction. Yang's hand shot away like he burned her. A small huff escaped once the pain subsided. "Well, I don't think it's broken, but you are going to have to get it checked out." He nodded as he reached out with his free hand to grab Yang's hand and squeezed out a thank you.

"How's my partner?" Grace's voice brought the siblings out of their tender moment. Ruby was silent because all she wanted to do was cuddle, but she was a little sweaty, grimy, and all-around disgusting. Not to mention that Ray was too and he was hurt on the one side she loves to cuddle into. It shouldn't really matter, either way, he's also in the same boat with dirt smeared on his cheek, some torn clothes and she noticed the blood on his hands. Ruby assumed that it was his, but did that mean he had another injury that he didn't tell her about?

Instead of worrying about it, Ruby answered, "Potential bruised or cracked rib, but otherwise, he's good. Are there any other injuries that we should know about?"

"Out of the twelve of us, Ray has it the worst, Blake being the closest behind him." Something flashed in Yang's eyes as they shot back to the group. Ray did not fail to notice this and smirked slightly despite the oncoming grimace. Grace looked at him, "Take it easy when we get back, am I understood, Ray?"

He nodded his thanks before acknowledging Grace's order. He noticed how she took charge and how she commanded them and they followed. They didn't know who was going to be the leader, but if Ray was a betting man… he'll bet his Lien on Grace. The slate-haired girl led the two sisters away so he could rest.

It felt like it was a few hours, but it was actually a few minutes. The airship PA system announced that they were arriving at Beacon and everyone slowly got themselves up, and the pilot made sure they were all okay to stand, even calling the medical staff on standby. That shook Ray out of his slumber, the aches making themselves known in his muscles. Everyone else all rubbed out the tightness in their muscles. Everyone wondered if they were the only ship that survived this group's initiation.

However, they were pleasantly surprised to see from the window that there was a second ship that arrived as well. Nick went over to Ray, offering his assistance. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" Nick rhetorically asked as he helped Ray up. He grimaced at the jolting of his side, but there was no easy way around it. On the bright side, he could breathe much easier now, his recovering aura targeting his ribs. His steps were wobbly, but he managed to get himself off the airship and cover his eyes as the bright light of day whacked him over the head. What time was it anyway? It couldn't have been any later than 10 AM.

"Come on, let's report in, you still have our relic?" Nick asked Tera.

"Yes, Nick, I still have it," she opened her case and displayed the relic.

Grace and Ray shared a look before the slate-haired girl pulled out theirs, "Good thing you handed this to me before we left the area. It would be pretty awkward if we didn't have one." Ray nodded in agreement before gesturing to her to go first. Even when injured, he was still a gentleman.

The two airships landed next to each other on the pads, and all twelve exited calmly, and with a hidden tension off all of their shoulders. The second airship opened up and out came Cardin Winchester with three others and then about three more groups of students followed behind them. So that relieved the three groups coming off the first ship, but that also sent a spike down their spines, only twenty-eight people survived in the first group of three.

As they were exiting the airship, Ruby and Weiss produced their relic, along with Blake and Yang. Jaune and Ren pulled out their respective relics before they all walked towards the amphitheater. Outside the door was Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. "Is this all of Group One?" There was a second-year team standing next to them, watching. Ray noticed that it was the same team he phased through with Ruby yesterday. Ray refocused his eyes on Grace who latched an arm to him, having swapped places with Nick. The Cobra did the same to Tera. Professor Ozpin's gaze looked at the four of them and then smirked. No one else caught it though as he took a sip of his mug. Nick, after flicking out his tongue, realized it was hot chocolate. Strange, he took him for a coffee drinker.

There was a nod from the group, not knowing if there was anyone else. A somber yet chilling howl seemed to float on the wind, almost as if it knew that only seven groups had made it back alive. The other students at this point were now certainly terrified that out of one hundred-odd students—none of them even counted how many were in Group One—only around a third came back. That certainly gave them something to look forward to. "Produce your relics, and stand alongside your partner," Professor Goodwitch ordered. Yang threw an arm over Blake's shoulder, who was surprised and almost flinched away, which prompted Yang to pull away out of embarrassment. However, Blake pulled it back and let it stay, making a smile reappear on the brawler's face. The shorter of the two was holding out the white knight piece. Ruby and Weiss stood next to each other, making the crimsonette smile widely whilst holding out the matching piece to Blake's. Weiss huffed and looked away. The rest soon fell in line. Tera and Grace held out their matching pieces, as did everyone else, and received nods from Professor Goodwitch.

A side comment from the team standing aside brought the attention to them, "See, I was close. Seven teams worth of people returned; that's way more than our group last year."

Those words were not exactly encouraging to those who have not gone through initiation. If they were meant to or not, Professor Ozpin did not acknowledge them as he turned and walked towards the amphitheater. "Team PLTN, proceed with the previous task I've assigned you. Meet back at the east side of the grounds in an hour, understood?"

"Understood Headmaster," the leader turned to his team, "Alright, let's get to work. Two teams of two, red flares are to be used only if it's too messy for us to handle. We have about an hour before the next group of students launch, so let's not waste any more time."

Group One watched them go without so much as a glance back.


That prompted the twenty-eight survivors of Group One to follow Professor Ozpin inside and made the rest of the students stand on the floor below the stage. None of them were expecting anything and Ozpin continued to announce the teams for Group One, "...retrieved the black pawn pieces. The four of you will be known as team VRML (Vermilion), led by...Vest Li." Applause rang out for those now assigned.

Professor Ozpin continued, "Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces, and from this day forth the four of you will work together as team CRDL (Cardinal), led by Cardin Winchester."

A few rounds of applause came around, as the rest of the potential first-year students were… not exactly happy, but impressed that they survived. That still meant they had to go through it as well.

"What do you think our team name will be?" Tera whispered to Grace. The slate-haired girl shrugged.

"As long as we are on the same team, that's all that matters," she replied easily, the name was not as important right now. That didn't mean she thought of names already, none of them fit.

Professor Ozpin's voice brought their attention to center stage, "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as team JNPR (Juniper), led by…" he paused for effect as Nora giggled and hugged Ren, "Jaune Arc."

"What? Me?" the blond was certainly surprised at this revelation, as were most of the student body.

"Congratulations, young man," Professor Ozpin commented, with a look that said something more. Ray was not really paying attention but noticed that people were laughing at Jaune, and Ray felt upset, but a few new names brought his attention back to the stage. "Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces, and from this day forward you will be known as team RWBY (Ruby), led by… Ruby Rose." Ray smiled wide as his baby sister was named team leader.

Yang expressed her affection as she yelled out, "I'm so proud of you!" Ruby did not groan about the hug. Weiss looked furious, but thankfully, did not have an outburst. Tera would have to confront her about that eventually. The Mistralian could already see the animosity stirring and the steam blowing out of her ears.

Professor Goodwitch ushered the last four remaining of Group One to the stage as Professor Ozpin said, "And finally, Grace Briggs, Nick O'Brien, Ray O'Connor, and Tera Rowe." Some people recognized Tera's last name, but thankfully, did not comment on it. However, there were going to be some rumors and whispers after today. "The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team GRNT (Granite)." Somewhere off in the distance, there was a ding, barely audible to Nick's ears, and Blake heard it too, but shrugged it off. "You will be led by…" Professor Ozpin looked at Ray for a fleeting moment before he announced, "Grace Briggs." Professor Ozpin did not fail to notice Ray's slumped shoulders of relief before he smiled wide, turned, and picked up Grace, who squealed in shock and surprise at the sudden height increase.

"Put me down, Ray!" Grace giggled. "You're still injured," she added. Ray didn't care, it was worth it. Tera and Nick shared a hug before the four of them shared a group hug on stage, each one gentle with Ray. They made it, they were a team, and another step of their goal was achieved.

"Group Two, prepare for your initiation in an hour and a half at noon sharp. Do not be late," the Headmaster said before starting to walk off the stage. "As for Group One, you are free to relax until Group Two returns. Congratulations." The Headmaster left the stage and the newly formed teams RWBY and JNPR joined GRNT on the stage. The only ones not in it were Blake and Weiss. The two were not at that level yet.

"We made it!" Grace shouted with tears starting to form. There was a large hug that was shared between all of them. Ruby, Yang, and Ray ended up next to each other. Ray tapped on the crimsonette's shoulder '{Are you happy?}'

She tapped back, '{I am.}' Nick smiled as he introduced himself to JNPR formally now, and asked if they wanted to chat later over dinner. Grace readily agreed, overhearing him, knowing that they would have time to sit down and have an actual conversation while not fighting for their lives.

Tera slipped away from the hug and walked over to Blake and Weiss, "How are you two feeling?"

The Heiress huffed, "We survived, that is all I can ask for."

"For once, we're in agreement," Blake said. She stretched her arms above her head, "I am all for relaxing though. After those Grimm, I definitely need a nap." There was an unspoken vibe between the three of them. After we watched what was basically Grimm cannibalism, we certainly need rest.

Nick shouted, "I second that!" As did everyone else. Professor Goodwitch was also considerate enough to assign the three teams rooms, thankfully staying behind to help the rest of them come off their adrenaline highs and various shakes.

"Please treat your rooms with respect, and clean them often. The mess will always catch up with you," she said with a stern tone. The three leaders readily agreed as they each opened up where they would reside for the next four years. As a final note, "Mr. O'Connor, report to the infirmary so we can get documentation of your wounds or any other injuries you may have sustained out there."

Ray grimaced but did not refute her. Instead, he gave her a two-finger salute before slipping by to head to the infirmary, wincing at every other step. Ruby and Yang quickly followed after him.

"As for the rest of you, welcome to Beacon Academy. Mr. O'Brien?" Goodwitch asked.

"Yesss?"

"That maneuver you accomplished with Mr. O'Connor was quite impressive, and Professor Ozpin won't say it, but that's the first time in a long time I've ever seen him caught off-guard like that," she said tonelessly, but the words were much lighter in meaning.

Nick shrugged, "Didn't think it would work, to be honessst. The good thing isss we ssstill have sssurprisesss in ssstore."


The four second-year students stood on the Airship, descending into the Emerald Forest. Today was the day most upperclassmen dread, having to find the unidentifiable has-been first years. The Fox Faunus turned to her leader, "Pearce?" The blonde-haired boy looked away from the datapad he was holding while stepping off the transport and turned to Nella. "What do we do if we find survivors out there?"

Pearce had a thoughtful look on his face, but his answer was not as such, "For the ones that can still fight do not interfere. If they are severely injured but still can be saved I'd say save them if it's possible. If not-"

"Put them out of their misery Nella," her brother, Tavis, chimed in as he stretched. Nella twitched at the thought of having to put a fellow student down. This never sat right with her, and it probably never will.

"Let's go," a soft voice said as all three of them looked down at their smallest member.

Pearce regained control of the situation, "Lavender is right. Let's get going, Nella, you and Lavender head north while Tavis and I will head south." Nella and Tavis nodded. The two pairs separated off to their respective zones. They had to work quickly, as it would be quite a shock to land and see a dead student to ones' left or right.

"Oh jeez, I can smell one," Nella said as she took another sniff as the two girls entered a clearing, "The person should be right he-oh my gosh." Nella recoiled a bit at the scene before them, her ears pinned back and tail stiff. A pair of students or what remained of two students. Both were missing their bottom halves, one was missing her arm and the other one was missing his head. The girl's eyes were open wide showing an expression of shock and fear. As her hand was reaching out for the other male. Partners, maybe lovers. Dried blood stained the ground around them and stained their clothes and the girl's outstretched hand. Intestines had been pulled out and spread all over the place. Nella looked at the mess and shuddered. Lavender who already prepped and fired the red flare looked at the bodies then at Nella.

"We should go," Lavender said as she walked off into the forest. Nella numbly followed, attempting to get the image out of her head.

Both boys had made a fair distance without seeing anybody. Pearce looked at his teammate and then at his datapad, which contained the approximate locations of the flares fired. "I swear there was one here."

"That's because there is one right here," Tavis pointed as Pearce looked down, seeing the dead student with several slash marks and mangled left leg. His eyes had been closed indicating someone must have been with him at the time of his death. Both Tavis and Pearce looked at each other, seemingly unphased by what had happened to the student. Tavis knelt down and picked up the kid and turned to Pearce who was saying a few words of respect for the fallen student.

"Looks like someone already laid him to rest," Pearce mentioned as he looked at the body. They made their way to a sizable open clearing and fired off a white flare indicating that a body was ready for pick-up. Tavis set the body down in an easy to see place. Tavis turned to Pearce who nodded as they continued on with their task.

Nella and Lavender continued moving through the forest. They had come across about seventeen fallen students. They had just gotten the fallen student before Nella froze as her tail and ears stiffened and caught a whiff of someone she turned sharply to the left, "Lavender, this way, follow me!" Nella said frantically as she bolted off. Lavender was slightly startled as Nella ran past her, but followed her. Nella picked up what could only be described as painful cries for help. Nella made it to an opening and at the sight, she dropped to her knees as she covered her mouth immobilized in sheer shock as she watched an Ursa Major ripping into a student's legs as the girl desperately stabbed the Ursa repeatedly in the head with a broken blade while crying out of desperation.

"Come on please j-just go down! I can't die here. I made my brother a promise to become a huntress. To save people." The girl cried out obviously in pain. The Ursa seemingly annoyed that its prey was not dead yet, tightened its grip around the girl's lower torso causing her to drop her blade and let loose another scream as blood trickled from her and the Ursa Major's mouth. The life was being slowly crushed out of her as she and Nella made eye contact. Her eyes pleaded for Nella to help her. Nella felt a gust of wind blow past her, ears twitching at the sensation. Lavender quickly planted her hands on both the upper and lower jaws, and out of sheer strength, pried them open allowing the girl to be let free. Lavender quickly flowed by kneeing in the jaw then following up with a devastating blow to the head killing the Ursa immediately. Lavender stepped back and dusted herself off then turned to the girl who at this was well-past saving. Nella stumbled to her feet and slowly walked over to the girl and Lavender looked at Nella then at the girl.

"She's past saving, we should put her down so she doesn't suffer," Lavender said as she pulled out a simple sword. Nella looked at her with an unsettled look on her face.

"Lavender wait, maybe we can-" Nella tried to protest but froze again as Lavender stabbed the girl, killing her instantly. Lavender slowly withdrew her blade and cleaned off the blade and sheathed it then loaded another flare.

"T-That was the last one right?" Nella stuttered as she was still quite shaken up from these past events. Lavender simply nodded. she then sat down next to the body. Both girls waited for a bit before the airship arrived. Nella looked at Lavender.

"Did you have to stab her?" Nella asked. she was questioning if killing the student was the right thing to do. Lavender opened her eyes and looked at her and nodded.

"Yeah. I did." She said in her soft tone but with Nella's hearing, she could hear a hint of coldness in her voice indicating she stood solid in her decision.

A gust of wind caught their attention as the airship landed nearby Pearce and Tavis stepped off to meet them. Tavis walked up and picked the girl as Pearce looked at Lavender then at Nella who was at the point had this scared look on her face as she looked at her bloodied hands she was trembling and it was very noticeable.

"Nella? You alright?" Pearce asked as he put his hand on her shoulder Nella twitched slightly as Pearce touched her shoulder.

"Y-Yeah I t-think. Y-Yeah I'm alright. I-I'm just... I'm just a little shaken up right now-" Nella took a deep breath and let out a sigh, "-seeing all those bright eyes of the first-year students and knowing that most of them are going to take their final breath here it's heartbreaking." Nella looked at Lavender who had already gotten on the airship. "I hope I never have to watch another student be put down again." Nella whimpered as Pearce helped guide Nella back to the airship.

"It's hard I know especially with how you are always wanting the best for others. But sometimes we can't do anything. He said as he sat Nella down next to Tavis who without any hesitation wrapped his arm around his sister pulling her close and started to comfort her. Pearce turned his attention to his sister

"You put that girl down didn't you?" Pearce asked as Lavender turned her head and nodded, her gaze slowly shifted to the student then back to Pearce. "Are you ok Lavender?" Lavender nodded again.

"I'm fine. I did what I had to do," she said quietly. Pearce looked at her then motioned to her sit down next to him as the airship headed back to the academy.

"Team, that should be it for today. Other teams will handle the other waves of students. We will stay on the airship to retrieve the bodies from now on unless something drastic happens." The trio let out various noises of agreement. The day has only just begun, and there was so much death that has yet to happen.


Beowulf had seen the purple-haired girl kill that first year from his spot in the tree line, some would say it wasn't right to kill that girl. He did not agree, because when you've seen what Grimm are truly capable of, mercy-killing that girl in his eyes was a kindness. Ursas were monstrous murder machines, eating people who were still alive, children hell even other Grimm.

'That was what was left of group one. What should we do now?' Beo knew he had a number of things he could do. He could find a spot in the forest where no other Grimm could find him and nap for the hour he had in between group one and two. He could hunt some other Grimm or could try and track down that male who smelled of magic and insanity.

'He definitely felt a bit familiar in a way.' Wulf sounded so confused and unsure of himself, something not new as of late. Wulf felt the rage of the Grimm, all angered by his presence, almost as if they knew he was an invader.

'Well, I can feel their anger too.' Wanting to up the challenge, Beo pokes his other half, 'Want to really piss 'em off?'

Amusement trickles from Wulf, 'They seem pretty pissed off… How do you recommend we really infuriate them?' As far as Wulf was concerned their ability to fight and survive through wolf packs, Grinder pairs, and every other kind of Grimm group was aggravating enough. So he was curious what his other half came up with.

'What do you think is the meanest and biggest Grimm is in this forest?' The memories they stole from the Nevermore might point them in the right direction, but Wulf was the one who did the memory diving hence why he asked.

Wulf took a moment to dive into the recently "obtained" memories and laugh at the humor that the World seemed to have.

'You gonna tell me what is so funny?' Asked Beo, wondering if Wulf was laughing at him or something else.

After his laughter had subsided Wulf replied, 'If anything it should not be this fucking funny, The biggest thing in this forest is another Nevermore.' Another burst of laughter escaped the Grimm, unable to not find it humorous.

'You're right, it definitely should not be that funny… where is it?' Beo was holding back his own snickers while trying to get a heading out of his other side.

'Not really sure, but why don't you let me find it? This is an opportunity for me to run about in the open.' Wulf was right, up until they fed on the Nevermore's heart they had kept the Grimm form under wraps. Beo figured it wouldn't be a bad idea and it gave him time to figure out what bothered him about that silver-eyed teen, 'Yeah, sure have at it, I got some stuff to think about anyway.' With a roar the massive Grimm that is Beowulf tears into the forest hunting down an oversized black chicken.


Ray was in and out when it came to his checkup. The nurses just inspected his ribs, wrapped them with soothing aloe, put a brace around his ribs, and told him to not get involved in any combat if he could help it, and to not do any extraneous activities. Ray flushed but did not make any comment. Ruby and Yang doted on him because he was their only brother and they need to make sure he's alright. Yang was being Yang, as she always worried about the littlest things when it came to his and Ruby's happiness. Ruby cuddled up to his non-injured side and was careful with her hands.

As for the aforementioned crimsonette, something told Ray it was more than just her sisterly instincts looking out for him, and the answer was nowhere in sight, as ironic as it sounds. Anyway, they all headed back to their respective dorm rooms and once the door was opened for Ruby and Yang, Weiss looked ready to commit murder and Ray stepped back and let the two sisters be pulled into the room.

At that exact moment, the same happened to Ray, except it was the girls who pulled him in. "Well, about time, we were waiting for you since we wanted to decide who gets what bed!" Grace cheered as she took her hair out of her braid. Tera watched as her friend, team leader, basically adopted sister go from serious to casual in a split second. Did the room just get hotter?

Tera quickly recovered from her funk before looking at Ray, "So, pick wisely, because there will be no take-backs."

'Have we even decided to move the room around?' he asked because as it stood now, it was basic. There were two beds on each side of the room, and the desks were all pushed into the middle of the room, all facing one another. The room almost looked like some suite, but the red-greyish carpet said otherwise. There was a door off to the side, and it presumably led to a bathroom or something of the sort, but all in all, this room could definitely work for them.

"To be honest, no. We wanted to wait for you," Tera shrugged, having thrown herself onto a bed at random and let out a relief filled moan. "Holy Dust, Zhè chuáng zhēn shūfú (This bed is so comfortable.)"

'I appreciate you waiting then,' Ray surmised with a grin. 'Boys on one side, girls on the other?' It was fair, and while they did live in the same house for four years, they were not that comfortable with one another.

"I vote yay," Nick chimed in. "I'm not picky, however."

Grace had already collapsed on the bed right next to Tera and was sleeping soundly. At that moment, the two boys shrugged before gently fixing the girls so they were lying down properly before retreating to their side of the room. Their luggage, which was completely forgotten about at this point, was outside their door, which was preceded by a knock and a confused Cobra Faunus.

Turns out, Professor Goodwitch had them sent up to them and one of Beacon's lesser-known staff had retrieved them for the teams.

Ray brought all of them inside and set them on the floor beside the desks before lying on his chosen bed, which was closer to the door. Nick claimed the one to his left. The silver-eyed boy winced as he laid down and took a deep breath before allowing his eyes to close. Nick took one last look around the room before smiling softly to himself. We made it, and we're on the same team together. What could be better than this?


As much as they wanted to, their rest couldn't last forever. A harsh knock on the door brought Grace awake first. She opened her eyes and flared her Semblance to use Truesight. Someone was outside the door, and from the outline, it was someone with a burning heart. "Ughh," Grace groaned. She forced her sore muscles to work overtime as she got up from her bed and looked to her team. My team, Grace thought, which brightened her a little. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Tera curled up on the bed, not in the position she fell onto the bed in. One look across the room revealed that the boys were just as tired. Nick was on his stomach while Ray was on his back, hand on his ribs.

Another knock brought Grace out of her trance, "Relax, I'm coming," she grumbled through a yawn. Upon opening the door, Grace was faced with Yang, with concern written on the brawler's face. "What is it?"

"Is everyone up?" Yang asked quietly, just in case that no one else in GRNT was up. Grace shook her head whilst rubbing her eye. "I came to tell you the news of Group Two. They…" Yang paused, "None of them survived."

That sobered Grace right up and thankfully her mind wasn't processing this and saved her from screaming. "That can't be right. Someone had to have survived, t-that's just not true."

"Unfortunately, it's true. This was only sent to leaders, but thankfully, I swiped Ruby's scroll before she read it. Even better, she was napping, so it made it easy," Yang explained, looking over her shoulder now. Yang's eyes fell on Ray, who was still sleeping soundly.

Grace didn't have to be a master detective to see who she was looking towards, " I'll keep an eye on my partner if you keep an eye on yours, deal?"

"Deal," Yang agreed easily. "Dust, this is going to be so hard, even after everything. I can't just turn off my older sister instincts."

Grace let out a small chuckle, "I don't blame you, but these students, how many of them were in Group Two?"

Yang winced, "Less than ours, but not by much, maybe around twelve to sixteen less?"

The slate-haired girl covered her mouth in renewed horror, "So over one hundred students died? How? Were the Grimm agitated or was it something else?"

Yang shrugged, "I have no idea, but I don't think I'm going to sleep well knowing this. I mean, our class size is a definite twenty-eight students. I would like to have at least sixty to seventy live through this."

"My parents—well, my dad—never mentioned how his initiation went at Shade, but he mentioned about getting dropped in the desert. Even still, most of his class survived," Grace said.

"But this isn't Vacuo," Yang retorted, now leaning on the doorframe. Grace took to the opposite side, mirroring her stance. "But still, one hundred some odd students and all of them go down. I just don't like it. We should be out there helping them-"

"You know as well as I that we made it through initiation, and they knew the risks. While I am distraught about the loss of lives, I am more worried about the teams who have to go out there to scavenge the bodies and somewhat clean the area. If I was in the third group, I'd be scared to the core, going into an area and seeing the blood of my potential classmates," Grace calmly replied.

Yang clenched her fists, and her eyes turned slightly red, but she was not mad at Grace. Her logic was sound and perfectly true. Professor Ozpin would never let them go back into the Emerald Forest. While a noble goal, it does not seem necessary to throw out their lives when they just barely survived. "I know… I'd just figure I'd let you know so you don't scream out in shock when you found out."

"How did Weiss and Blake take it? JNPR?" Grace asked. Yang bit her lip and broke eye contact. "They don't know either," Grace's charcoal eyes hardened, knowing her words were not a question, but a statement. "How long have you known?"

"About fifteen minutes, and I needed someone level-headed to talk to. I'm pretty sure the Ice Queen would write them off as not good enough and Blake… I don't know," Yang sighed before uprighting her posture and standing just a few inches over Grace.

"Well, are you going to tell them, or am I going to?" the slate-haired girl inquired. A rustle of the bed had her eyes elsewhere as Tera started squirming.

"Mmm, why uscho loud?" Tera grumbled. Grace went to the Mistralian's side and pushed some of her hair out of her face, which Grace did not notice Tera's body shiver from the touch. Tera's amber-orange eyes cracked open, "Hey, what time is it?"

"Around two PM," Yang supplied from the door, but her eyes were looking at Ray.

"Go on, since you seem so impatient about it," Grace rolled her eyes playfully, and Yang immediately went to Ray's bed.

Tera stretched, feeling her back pop, and let out a small laugh from the relief that flooded her system. "So, what's the plan now? Has Ozpin called us to the amphitheater again?"

"Not yet, but I don't think it will be much longer," Grace said, which gained a sharp look from Yang. Grace sent one back, letting her know that she will take care of it soon.

"You know, this is the most peaceful I've ever seen him sleep," Yang said softly, her hand just ghosting his forehead.

"Was he that bad as a kid?" Tera said, sitting up and stretching some more, pushing her chest together. Grace quickly checked her out before turning away with a small blush. Now wasn't the time for ogling.

"No, just after he turned nine, there was…" Yang trailed off as everyone's scrolls went off. Yang quickly checked it and turned to Grace and Tera.

All students please report to the Amphitheater for an update on initiation.

Their eyes shred the same feeling, dread, but more so on Tera's end as this is the first time she's hearing it.

"Ray, you gotta get up," Yang cooed to his sleeping form. A furrow in his brows was the only indication of his consciousness. Then, his eyes cracked open like shutters, opening, and then closing at the harshness of the light.

'{What is going on?}' he tapped rapidly into the bed.

"Amphitheater, we have an update on Group Two. Nick-"

"I heard you. None of you are exactly the epitome of quiet," Nick jested with a quick chuckle, getting up and stretching. He went over to his bag and pulled out breath mints before offering one to everyone.

"Right, forgot about the Faunus hearing," Yang awkwardly shrugged, accepting a mint. "Come on, we better get going, no matter how exhausted we are. Something tells me that this will not be the first time."


The amphitheater was a culmination of murmurs, conspiracy theories, and general unease. By now, everyone has gotten the announcement that Group Two has perished. However, some held out hope that the announcement was fake. Thankfully, Ruby remained ignorant to it, even though she questioned why everyone was whispering.

No one was able to give her an answer as Professor Ozpin took the center stage. "As you have most likely heard, all of Group Two has died. Not a single soul survived. This pains me to report, to even think about. For now, we are looking into what caused the uproar in Grimm. Our staff is currently dispatching the Grimm, alongside the senior teams. Group Three will be participating in their initiation after the threat level decreases. If you have any information on any of the students that have passed, please come forward and help. That is all. Group One, return to your rooms. Group Three, stand by."

After Ozpin's announcement, GRNT stood by JNPR. Tera was the first to speak, "So, I'll be the one to say it: I would not want to be Group Three right about now." Her voice was low so no one else outside of them could hear.

"However, I would have wanted to help, but even I know that we would be denied to since A) we've already completed our initiation and B) It is too dangerous for us to be out there," Grace said, reasons of which were valid.

"Still, it's horrible that all of them didn't make it," Pyrrha said off to the side.

"As dark as it sounds, there is nothing we can do for them now," Ren said plainly. Ray found himself agreeing with Ren. It hurts worse than anything, having witnessed the life leave a student's eyes, but it also made that much harder to not leap back off Beacon to go help.

"Anyone still tired?" Jaune asked.

'I am pretty sure I am still considered injured. Breathing still kind of hurts. That Taijitu had an iron grip,' Ray signed, before grabbing his side again, broadcasting his point. 'I might just retire to our room tonight. Only bug me if it is something important.'

"Need help going upstairs?" Ruby meekly asked, with the rest of RWBY behind her.

'Come on Ruby-Roo, I am not going far,' he signed to his sister before walking out of the amphitheater, with her on his uninjured side.

Nora had a look on her face, "If those two weren't siblings, do you think they'd be dating?"

Yang's now crimson eyes snapped to Nora, the remainder of GRNT winced at the sheer ferocity of the glare, "He'd have to get past me first."

Nora countered with confidence, "But if you knew him as is now, would you let him date her?"

Yang did not have a response to that.

Pyrrha hummed, "She makes a good point, those two would be pretty adorable together."

"Do we really need to hear this?" Tera muttered off to the side.

Nick snickered, "As long as we don't start hearing about their adventures in-"

"Finish that sentence and I will deck you," Yang threatened.

"I was going to say in the field, fighting Grimm," Nick finished with a shit-eating grin.

Yang's eyes narrowed but relented. Weiss said, "I don't know about you all, but I will be going back to our room to unpack."

"Yeah, you and your fifteen pieces of luggage," Tera quipped.

"They were all important!" Weiss snapped back without any malice. Tera laughed saying that Weiss hasn't changed much from the one time they met.

The group snickered as the banter went around. Soon enough, they all found themselves back to their respective rooms, except for two. Once GRNT entered their room, they saw Ruby snuggled up to Ray who was actually awake. "So, what happened?"

'I was out for a bit, but I remember why I should never nap next to her… she moves too much,' Ray signed.

His three teammates laughed in mostly concealed silence before Nick took pity on him, "You want me to take her back to her teammates?"

'Please.'

Nick gently scooped up Ruby and she stirred a little, but not enough to wake up, "Grace, the door?" She nodded before opening their door and then knocking on RWBY's door next to them. They actually got a nice place, albeit on the third floor.

Yang answered the door, before looking at Ruby in Nick's arms, "Let me guess, moving too much?" Nick nodded before Yang swiped her sister from his arms. "Thanks, I'll be hogging Ruby's scroll until Group Three's update comes in. They are set to launch in fifteen minutes."

"We might show up if we want to watch and observe, but we might not be one hundred percent up for it," Grace said but the implication was clear.

"Fair enough," Yang said, about to shut the door, but another voice piped up.

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to Blake, who looked very embarrassed right about now. Her right hand went to her left elbow and held it close to her body. "Could I speak with you, Nick? Alone?"

There was a time and a place for teasing, and normally, Nick would have made a joke about it. However, this was not one of those times.

"Sure," Nick said simply.

Tera almost shouted, but thankfully kept her voice low before hissing out, "You normally make a joke about that."

Nick's eyes hardened, "Time and place, Tera. This has to do with my past, isn't that right?" Blake nodded. "Then let's go." The two of them walked away, leaving RWY and GRT behind.

Grace gently added, "You're going to apologize to him later."

Tera groaned, "Wǒzhīdào, that was insensitive of me. Seems like my streak goes back to zero."

"Streak?" Weiss asked from the background, being the curious Atleasian she was. Tera flushed in embarrassment and that made Weiss raise a singular ivory eyebrow.

Grace elected to cover for her teammate, "How many days she goes without making an offensive or rude comment. To be fair, the last one she made was over two years ago and that was because of Cardin. However, Tera, you know Nick doesn't just share that with anyone."

Tera only nodded, "Wǒzhīdào," she repeated.

Weiss was still curious, "What do you mean by that?"

"No offense, Ice Queen, but that's a GRNT thing, and by extension a Ruby and myself thing," Yang cut in.

Weiss huffed, "I'm only curious."

Tera eased the unspoken concern, "He's not going to bad mouth you, but I am surprised you are interested in knowing."

Weiss caught on and narrowed her eyes, "I'm not my family."

Tera shot her the same look, "Oh, I know that and Nick knows that. This is between him and Blake now."


"Do me a favor and get to the point, please," Nick said after Blake led them to the gardens, not by the courtyard, but by the dorms.

"Why-How did-" Blake started, eyes frantically searching Nick's.

"It was a miracle that I even lived that day. I honestly think that my parents were out to kill me, as some sort of sacrifice, when the day was over. So when they got killed, I spared no tears for them. My parents were the scum of Remnant, and I haven't gone to visit them since," Nick replied coolly. He didn't raise his voice, his tone sounded dead, like his parents.

"How can-"

"How can I say that, Blake? They abused me for three years," Nick stated. He held up a cracked scale on his arm, the scar tissue underneath uneven, "You think this was because my parents loved me? Fuck no, they loathed my very existence. They peeled my scale off my arm with me wide awake. You'd think I'd have some issues with people touching me, and I do, but I only let those I can trust. Ray would rather take my pain. Tera will beat a bitch if it came down to it, and Grace wouldn't even talk to them. Honestly, she's the most sensible one of us."

Blake starred in abstract horror, "I… hate to ask, but do you remember what was said that day?"

Nick shook his head, "No I don't. I barely remember what I even said after my parents died. I don't particularly care."

"So, how did you survive?" Blake asked, having finally broken eye contact.

"Ray," Nick said, like it answered all of the world's problems, "That and Ms. Wynn, the local Vale librarian." The cobra bumped his shoulder lightly against the Cat Faunus, "You might be surprised at how nice humans are. Just do yourself a favor, Blake." He paused as she looked at him again. "Don't let them find out on the fly, it won't do you any good, but I'd understand if you didn't. I mean, you have a Schnee as a teammate."

"Well, according to Tera… she's not so bad," the Cat Faunus said, holding one elbow with her other hand.

"Then do yourself that favor and let her prove that she is different. Now come on, wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea of me staying out here with you so long," Nick's teasing grin came back.

"In your dreams," Blake hesitantly teased back.


A notification went off grabbing the attention of PLTN's leader. He stopped what he was doing and pulled out his scroll. Needless to say, the message hit him as he winced slightly.

Team PLTN, meet outside the amphitheater as quickly as possible; it appears that we will need to recover bodies again. Prepare your gear.

Pearce sent the text out to his team and stood up. He grabbed his medical backpack then grabbed his rifle, loaded it then swung it over his shoulder, and promptly made his way to the amphitheater.

Nella and Tavis had decided to take a walk around the school, mainly Nella did the images of had transpired earlier were still fresh in her mind so she had decided that walk might do her some good. Tavis had decided to follow simply because he knew his sister might need the company. Both of them said nothing as they walked the company of one another was enough for both siblings. Tavis stopped as he felt his scroll go off then Nella's scroll went off shortly after.

"Well, it looks like we are back on body duty again," Tavis commented, making Nella tense up again.

"What, again? I was hoping to be done with that," Nella sighed.

"I know but Pearce just told us that we will have to so let's make our way back to the amphitheater. Alright?" Tavis said as he softly patted his younger sister on the back as they made their way to the amphitheater.

Lavender, who was already inside the amphitheater, felt her scroll go off after checking the message. She looked down at the main floor. Lavender had immediately moved to the amphitheater to see if she could catch the last of the new teams being put together. But when she got there it was empty so she went inside and went up to the balcony and had sat down.

"Enjoying the quiet Ms. Forge?" A voice called out to her.

Lavender opened her eyes to see Ozpin standing on the stage below her. Lavender simply nodded in response. Ozpin smiled and nodded back as he made his way up to Lavender.

"So Ms. Forge, what do you think of this year's new students so far?" Ozpin asked as he took a sip from his mug.

"They survived so I guess that's a start for them," Lavender responded coldly as she shrugged.

"Well, I will tell you there are two teams that might pique your interest." The comment grabbed Lavender's attention as she looked up at Ozpin with a puzzled look. "RWBY and GRNT. You should talk to them later."

Lavender looked back down at the amphitheater as some students had started to arrive. "I'll ask them if I get the chance I guess."

"Two individuals out of those teams will certainly catch your eye," Ozpin said, and there was some sort of double meaning there, wasn't there?

Ozpin nodded as he left her shortly after she got a notification on her scroll from Pearce asking to meet them down on the ground floor. So she made her way down to her team. Team PLTN had taken a position right in front of the stage. Once Lavender arrived she looked at Pearce, then at Tavis, and then finally Nella. Judging by the sad look on Nella's face, Lavender looked at Pearce. "No one made it back didn't they?" Lavender said. Pearce was slightly surprised that she knew this but nodded in acknowledgment. The entire Team turned to face all the other teams that were now starting to slowly trickle into the amphitheater. Some looked more worried than others, but there seemed to be a lot of general unrest.

Which soon proved to be the case, "Looks like a lot of them know already or at least think they know what's going on." Pearce used his semblance to read the entire room. He could feel the uneasy feeling most of the first group and the third group had. The leader's focus went to two groups, who stood mostly by each other. One looked much more confused than the rest, and to Pearce, he already knew who this was. The prodigy.

Ozpin certainly has some plans regarding Team RWBY. Then, Pearce noticed the other team of interest, GRNT. Two silver-eyed children in the same year, different teams. The odds of that were slim to none. Scratch that, that should be impossible. Silver eyed warriors have not been seen in years, not since… the pieces clicked for PLTN's leader. "Dust, she's hers… well, I'll be damned."

"What was that, Pearce?" Nella asked, looking over with her ears perked.

Pearce waved it off, "Nothing important, just musing." Oh, he certainly was musing. He will definitely be keeping tabs on their progress because this should be an interesting year.

...

Mistralian (Chinese) Translations

Wǒ zhīdào = I know

With that, initiation is basically over. Hope you enjoyed, as this was the first chapter (I believe) that all three of us worked on. More plans for the future. Also, a fourth wall break was placed in here, if you found it, congrats, you watch a YT channel that lives off satire.