Exam week and track activities hindered the development.

Pardon our grammar.


Chapter 6:

There's no doubt about it.

Ozpin loves to fling his students into the air and watch them flail about. It was shown clearly on his face when Jaune was launched out of the cliffs. That face. That smug, mug sipping face. It annoyed Jaune to no end for some reason. Maybe it's because the man even didn't answer his questions, only the ones that are related to 'falling'. The rest and most important ones were outright ignored!

Oh well, at least Jaune knows what to do in this scenario.

Jaune wondered if Beacon is the only academy doing this sort of crazy initiation. Then again… He doesn't really know much outside of aura, Dust, and Grimm. Also magic, but that doesn't really count.

The ground was coming up very close, causing Jaune to snap out of his daze and strung his guitar, sending out a gust of concentrated wind that slowed his descend. He slowly landed on the ground and glanced around.

He can hear the distant sound of his peers' soul, singing throughout the entire forest, along with the empty howling of the Grimm.

Speaking of Grimm, they were an odd bunch to Jaune. They may be soulless like the grass he is standing on, but they still emit a tune that's a chaotic assortment of indescribable sound which screams destruction. The older and more intelligent Grimm has a more structured sound they emit, but the underlying tone is just the same as any other. To kill and destroy.

So interesting… But now is not the time to be marveling the magical properties of the world. He needs to find the relic and a partner if he wishes to pass the initiation.

"They can find me I guess." Jaune pulled out his ocarina and started to play a soft tune that Alto taught him, Lost Woods – Ocarina of Time.

/-/

Was… Someone playing music in the forest? Pyrrha cleaned her ears and frowned, following the music that was drowning Emerald Forest in its mystic tune. Who in the world is playing music in the middle of a Grimm infested forest?

Wait.

There was one person that was oddly equipped at the initiation. A blond boy with his musical instruments. Sure enough, she found him playing on his ocarina walking through the forest like it was a walk in the park. As she stepped into the clearing, unsure of how to approach him, the music slowly died, and he turned around to greet her.

"Hey, found a partner yet?" He asked her with a confident smile.

Pyrrha shook her head, "I think I just found one."

"What a coincidence."

/-/

Blake cannot believe she's partnered with Weiss Schnee. The heiress of the infamous Schnee Dust Company that exploits faunus workers and participate in questionable business practices.

She was as haughty as Blake made her out to be. Maybe not as bad as she thought, but regardless, Weiss's snobby attitude shows every now and then. It was a rough start, especially when they were fighting off hordes of Grimm while arguing with each other, but eventually, they came to an agreement to temporarily put their differences aside and work together.

Even with their agreement in play, that didn't stop them from taking jabs at each other every so often.

"It's this way, Weiss."

"And what makes you think that?"

"I have experience in hunting and tracking in the forest since I was young. I have a better understanding of navigation." Blake flatly answered, "What about you?"

Weiss grumbled something under her breath before letting the raven-haired girl take control of the situation. She has to grudgingly admit that her partner, irritating she may be, is capable and competent. At least she wasn't partnered up with that annoying red-hooded little girl.

The heiress brushed a tree branch aside, only to have it whip at her leg. "Ow! Ugh."

"You alright?"

"Yes, it's just these tree branches are impeding our progress."

"You're the one wearing a skirt."

"It's a combat skirt," Weiss replied haughtily. Maybe she should had partnered with the red hooded girl. Anyone who wore a combat skirt like hers shouldn't be all that bad.

/-/

It felt like she wasn't taking part in the initiation in a Grimm infested forest. Instead, it almost felt like she was on a date of sorts; strolling through the forest with her partner as he played his music, dispatching a few unfortunate Grimm that got in their path.

Okay. Maybe the last part was a bit odd, but they are hunters-in-training so that's to be expected.

Regardless, they took this time to get to know one another. To her surprise, Jaune doesn't actually know who Pyrrha Nikos, the four timed champions of Mistral's Regional Tournament is. What he does know is that she's deeply peeved by it.

As for Jaune, she found out that he was in a similar position to hers. Nobody likes to be around him due to his semblance that's perceived to be some sort of a mind-reading semblance. According to him, he can hear the souls of others. Each one has a unique song or sound that he can make out and in turn, he can 'hear' their past that 'shaped' their souls to be.

For a demonstration, Jaune happily started to play something for her to show off and kill time. New Kid in Town – Eagles.

"There's talk on the street; it sounds so familiar.

Great expectations, everybody's watching you.

People you meet, they all seem to know you."

Pyrrha nodded, the lyrics were spot on with what she has been through. Especially the expectations and reputation.

"Even your old friends treat you like you're something new.

Jauney come lately, the new kid in town.

Everybody loves you, so don't let them down."

Before he could continue his next verse, a strange sight occurred in front of them. A girl with orange-hair was riding on the back of an Ursa, setting several explosives off around her as she whooped with joy.

"Yeeeeehaw!" She hollered at the top of her lungs. She was followed by a boy with black hair and a pink streak on the left who was struggling to keep pace with her. That must have been her partner.

"What did I just witness?" Jaune asked his partner.

She also shared his baffled look, "I'm not sure…"

The ground started to rumble beneath them. A giant Grimm was heading their way and it was old and intelligent. Without a word, they shuffled back before breaking into a run as a Deathstalker burst out through the trees chasing after Ruby and Yang.

"Run! Ruuuun!" Yang redundantly shouted at them, "Wait! Don't leave me behind sis!"

Jaune and Pyrrha quickly joined the sisters in their escape from the Deathstalker, wondering how things escalated this quickly.

"I'll finish the song later." Was all he said.


Pardon our grammar.


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