Chapter 1: Fun New Friend or Crazy Old Hermit? Part 1

Believe it or not, a bus is flying in the air. It's flying over the woods and filled with teenagers socializing to pass the time.

It goes on like this for a while. Until a woman with blonde hair tied into a neat bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face, her green eyes are behind a pair of oval glasses. She wore a shoulder cape. Black on the outside and purple on the inside wrapped around her neck.

When she stood in front of the bus, she gave an overall atmosphere of authority that everyone could feel, threatening to bring down horrible consequences on anyone attempting to break the rules.

"Students, today we're heading to the Emerald Forest to work on your ability to track down specific targets." She explained. "And to help us with this exercise. We have local huntsman Woodrow Manning to guide us through the woods."

With that introduction, a large, bearded man stands up from his seat as the woman returns to her seat.

"Thanks, Glynda," He said to the now-named teacher, then turned towards the students. "Now, I'm not going to keep yah kids hold up with some lecture. Cause that's what the woods job is."

After hearing that thing at the end, some students chuckle a bit. But they stopped when Goodwitch glared at them.

"To be brief, you and your team's gonna get a list of items and little critters to locate and give a check to let us know ya found it, then when you got everything found, just come back to Goodwitch and me at the ranger station."

At that moment, the bus began to descend. "Speaking of stations, I think we're here."

-x-

Everybody disembarks the bus and walks to the ranger station. There they receive their list of stuff to find. They line up at the front to head off.

"As always, the Grimm in these woods probably won't make this hunt easy. But that's not why you're here, so try to avoid them if you can." Manning states to the young huntsmen-in-training.

"Stay close to your teams, don't wander off, and please try to be back before the sun sets," Goodwitch added.

They were all about to start the exercise when Manning suddenly shouted. "HOLD ON A SEC!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Manning, who looked like he had left something important at home.

"Mr. Manning?" Glynda asked, confused by his sudden outburst.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell ya kids and your teachers this before they set up this exercise." He explained.

Glynda and the student looked at Manning, concerned and a bit afraid about what he was about to say.

"There have been some reports of some hermit living in the woods. Some folks call them 'The Emerald Hermit,' but we only have rumors and a few sightings, so nothing official. If it is true, and you do bump into them. Then don't confront them. Report to us at the station, and we'll take care of the rest." He warned. "Besides that, you can head off."

The students start murmuring about this new info amongst their friends. They then walk into the woods instead of running in. (Unlike them a little while earlier.) When the students were all gone, Glynda walked back to the station with Manning and looked ready to give him a piece of her mind.

-x-

"Alright, Team! Let the scavenger hunt begin!" A young silver-eyed girl with black, neck-length hair that's red gradually at the tips and a red hooded cloak shouted excitedly.

"You got that right, Ruby. We're going to crush this hunt!" A lilac-eyed girl with long blonde hair going down her back with a cowlick on top vowed as she raised her fist in the air with the same fiery passion that filled her eyes.

"Can you two please try not to get carried away? Professor Goodwitch wants us to stay together and return before sunset." A pale-skinned, blue eyed-girl with a vertical crooked scar going down her left eye. Her long white hair that's tied up in an off-centered bun tail on the right side of her head that's pinned with an icicle-shaped tiara hair clip reminded her teammates.

"Weiss does have a point, and let's not forget about this Emerald Hermit. Mr. Manning was talking about." A fourth girl with amber eyes and long wavy black hair topped with a matching black bow on top, added, agreeing with Weiss.

"Yah yah, Blake, we know." The blonde assured her teammate.

"And don't think you're going to hunt down this, hermit, down yourself, Yang," Weiss added, specifically towards the blonde girl.

Yang, upon hearing Weiss looked shocked and appalled that her teammate would accuse her like that. "W-What? How could you think that I would do something so-so reckless?" She asked.

"Hmmm," Weiss hummed while crossing her arms and looking up at the sky. "Well, if you are not aware, you were said to be involved in several destructive fights before going to Beacon, and you were involved in the trashing of a club in downtown Vale, according to Ruby."

"Hey, I can explain that-," Yang argued before being cut off.

"You almost burned down half the forest during the Initiation fighting those two Ursas." Blake reluctantly added while hiding behind Weiss to avoid Yang's wrath.

Yang looked at her partner with betrayal on her face when she sided against her. "You to Blake! You know that was an accident."

"Besides, they deserved it." She muttered under her breath.

As the three older girls discussed Yang's brashness, Ruby, their team leader, pouted and started to walk around. She tried to take in the scenery to drown out the 'discussion'. When that failed, Ruby pulled out the paper with the list on it. She reads the list, taking notes of the items. One item, in particular, caught her by surprise.

"A tail feather from a Blue-tailed Sparrow." She read to herself and sighed. "Where are we gonna find that?"

And almost like magic, she sees a small bird resembling said sparrow fly overhead.

Ruby gasped at the bird and tried to call her team. "Hey guys, look!'

But they listen.

"Look, guys, I don't think you know that there's a principle to the whole thing," Yang tells her team.

"I don't see how." Weiss countered.

Blake, on the other hand, was trying to stay neutral.

Upon seeing that, Ruby lets out a small raspberry at that sight. She turned back and saw the sparrow was getting far away.

Knowing this was probably the only chance they got to retrieve that feather. Ruby rushed after the sparrow in a cloud of red rose petals.

"There's only one rule when it comes to Muah. NOBODY and, I mean NOBODY MESSES WITH MY HAIR!" Yang growled, grinding her teeth at that last part.

"You did all that because of one little strand of hair?! You do realize that's not normal?" Weiss deadpans.

"It's normal for me. Just ask Ruby, we sisters. It's a real rule." Yang argued.

"Alright, I will ask her myself. And we'll see what she thinks." Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Uh, guys."

Yang and Weiss turned to Blake. "Where is Ruby?"

The three looked in every direction, but there was no sign of their red hooded leader.

"Here we go again." Weiss sighed.

-x-

Meanwhile, Ruby was busy tracking down that sparrow for the hunt. She examines a rock that's got some moss on it. Ruby sniffs it and assesses it, but the sparrow flies overhead. So she didn't continue looking at the moss rock and gave chase.

"Wait! Come back, Mr. Sparrow! I only need a fea-aaAAAAHHH!" She screamed cut mid-sentence when she suddenly got flung upside down. She then falls back down, only to be stopped mid-air, and is now hanging upside down. Ruby looks up to see a rope trap wrapped around her leg. She reaches for something behind her back but realizes it's not there. She looked down and saw what she was looking for, a big red rectangular metal brick with a trigger and handle.

"Hmm." She groaned in annoyance about her situation.

The bushes behind Ruby begin rustling, her heart racing as anything could come out from this bush. But it turned out to be not what she expected, because from the bushes out steps is a tanned girl, who looked around her age with big curly brown hair, disheveled, with leaves and a stick in it. She is panting and holding a pointed stick to Ruby's head.

"Caught ya! Thought you got the best of ol' Anne, eh?" This new girl bragged, then realized that it was another girl. "Oh, crap, are you- Uhh, you some kind of cosplaying larper?"

As Anne tried to reach her foot, It didn't take Ruby very long to put the pieces together.

"Deep in the middle of Emerald Forest! All by themself! Using a pointed stick! Dirty!" These thoughts filled Ruby's head until her conclusion exploded from her mouth.

'You're the Emerald Hermit!" Ruby blurted out.

"Who?" Anne asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, Miss Emerald Hermit, I wasn't following you. I was only following a little birdie to get a feather," Ruby explained.

"Wha-?" Anne ignored the second part but took in the first part. "Hey, I am not a hermit." She said, defending herself.

"Then why are you in the middle of the woods?" Ruby asked Anne with a raised eyebrow that unfortunately made her look ridiculous because she was upside down.

"What would you do if you suddenly woke up in the middle of a forest filled with giant monsters?" She asked the red-hooded girl.

Ruby looked away when she was asked, "You do have a point."

Then out of the blue, an ear-piercing roar shattered the quiet serenity of the woods.

"It's coming back!" Anne shouts with a look of panic on her face.

Ruby looked at Anne with confusion and fear. "What coming back?"

But Anne just groaned and ran off.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Ruby asked frantically.

The roaring goes off again, this time louder, and some trees get thrown down with extreme force. Ruby was in full panic mode, flailing around, trying to reach the red brick she dropped. The roars were getting louder as its source was fastly approaching. Ruby, now hyperventilating, continued to try and get the brick. She barely grazed the handle with her finger.

It seemed all over for the young huntress-in-training. When the rope suddenly breaks, Ruby falls back down and finally retrieves her brick. She looked back and saw that Anne had come back and cut her free. She grabs her hand and starts running.

"Ok, this is happening."

Anne drags Ruby under a log. The creature was a massive black and white mantis with big red eyes and face markings. When the mantis was finally out of sight, the two let out sighs of relief and slid down the log.

"Y-You… you saved me! I was almost Wa-Lang food. Thank you, Emerald Hermit."

"Call me a hermit again, and maybe I will make you mantis food." Anne jokingly threatened.

After a moment of silence, Ruby chuckled. "Haha, sorry about that, So what do you call yourself?" She asked.

"My name's Anne. Anne Boonchuy." She introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose!" Ruby said, holding her hand out for a handshake.

"Uhh… Alright..."

Anne shakes Ruby's hand. Anne's stomach then starts grumbling.

"Okay, Ruby, you got anything to eat? She asked Ruby.

Ruby hesitated to answer Anne, She did have some food on her person, but it was for emergencies only, but Anne did save her. So, it was the least she could do. Plus, Yang kept telling her that she was old enough to make her own friends, not through her.

"Yes, I-" Ruby said with a smile of reassurance. She reached into her pocket and instantly vanished. -do?"

"Everything good?" Anne asked.

"Uhh. We need to go that way for some food." Ruby gets up and runs off. "It should be this way!" She jesters to the clearing.

Anne steps out and looks at her with some suspicion. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"What? Have I given any reason not to trust me?" She asked in an innocent tone.

"Yeah, I guess not." Anne reluctantly agreed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ruby asked, grabbing Anne's arm, taking her by surprise. "Let's go!" She excitedly shouted and ran off with Anne in tow.

Anne screams from being dragged by this surprisingly speedy girl.

Anne had many things going through her head now. But with Ruby, it's going to be more trouble.

TBC…


Author's note: Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is allowed. Trolling is not.

Next Chapter: Fun New Friend or Crazy Old Hermit? Part 2

If anyone asks, this takes place in between "Painting The Town.." and "Extracurricular" in Vol. 2

And things in RWBY from characters and events will be very different in future chapters.

P.S. if you're reading this after 6/25/2022, I updated this chapter.

So, until next time. AutoHunter Rolling out of the hunt.