BOOM! Bet you didn't expect a chapter so soon did ya? Well, I was in such a RWBY mood with volume 7 going really nicely! I'm just having so much fun writing these chapters that I don't know if I may be able to stop even after this chapter!

Well, there is Christmas so maybe I have to rest a bit for family and all that.

Either Way, I'm feeling pretty great. The Emerald Forest is honestly the interesting part of Volume 1 for me, I try my best to make sure that I didn't take too long with each scene or the parts where it took 4 minutes in the actual show.

Anyway, another chapter for you! Enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own RWBY or any of Roosterteeth's products, only the OCs I have created and the ideas I want to implement. Please support the official release! :)

EDIT: I just did a few additions to the scenes, enjoy!


Chapter 4: Emerald Initiation: Quarrel and Query


The wind hit hard as Sable's own velocity kept increasing as he began to go downwards to the acres of trees. The miles and miles of greenery spanned the entirety of what he could see, and the thrill he felt at being in the air was indescribable.

Nothing compared to the idea of finally letting loose and being able to let his sword do the talking.

With no time for distractions, he quickly maneuvered his entire body to aim for a line of branches that would break his fall, enveloping his entire body with an aspiring Huntsman's most dependable resource: his Aura.

Diving straight into the treetops, Sable used his blade and forward momentum to expertly slash his way through the branches and shrubbery that slowed his descent. He cleaved through a veritable sea of leaves and wood before finally approaching landfall, preparing his Aura accordingly to withstand the landing. He rolled out onto the ground and ended up in a tumble that soon turned into a forward skid on his boots. His dynamic entry into the initiation would start to come to an end once Sable thrust Skol into the ground, kicking up a geyser of grass and dirt before slowing down his momentum considerably.

After coming to a surprisingly tranquil stop, Sable smirked and stood up straight. He took notice of his surroundings, figuring that he landed a good ways away from the cliff. Taking a moment to hop on the soil below him, he took a few moments to stretch, bending one knee and extending the other. He rotated his shoulders, stretching for a bit and nodded once he was done.

'Alright…' Sable put a foot forward and sprinted off without a word as fast as he could through the forest. '...what do I do about that partner nonsense?'

Sable stewed over the words Ozpin shared back at the cliff. He never really expected something like that to be a part of Beacon or any Huntsman academy in general. Training alone with the old man in the woods with the goal of becoming a formidable individual doesn't really benefit much from thoughts about partnership or any sort of cooperation with others.

'Did the old man know about this? If he did then why the hell didn't he tell me!?' That question rang in his mind, and it puzzled him why he didn't say anything beforehand… he recalled the words the old man had shared when he left for Beacon yesterday.


'Aye, you're a strong young lad. I couldn't be more proud, but you're just a lost boy who has no direction. What will you do once you become a Huntsman?'


Back then, those words seemed to be just some joke that the old man forgot to let him in on. Even now, Sable couldn't figure out what he was trying to tell him.

"Ozpin's speech, maybe?" He surmised internally. Any way he looked at it didn't make much sense, so as far as Sable was concerned; he was more than happy to go solo as a Huntsman.

Now all of a sudden he's expected to partner up? With a stranger no less! Sable shook his head, it didn't do anyone any good dwelling on things they can't control. He would just have to deal with it and adapt to the situation.

'But with who? That's the most important question…' Sable wasn't sure where to begin. He didn't know many people all that well, and he'd rather not have a partner if he was being honest.

Sable started pondering over his potential options.

'Maybe Ruby? She's got talent that's for sure, dealing with Grimm would be a cinch with her around.' Sable wondered for a moment, before frowning in thought. 'Though she's probably as lost as I am when it comes to working with a team, and she's reckless for someone who doesn't have much experience.'

'There is Jaune...no, nevermind, out of the question.' Sable quickly dismissed the idea, he still hasn't forgiven him for that accident.

Besides, he could already tell. The guy's a wimp.

'O-okay, nevermind that. Frey's a good option, he seems smart enough, dependable, and no slouch in combat from what I can see…' Sable smirked having found a good option, then his lips went flat when he realized one detail. '...but how would I deal with his constant explanations and rambling habit? Sounds annoying and tedious…' Sable mulled over his options and didn't really know who to pick.

On one hand, thre–two of them could hold themselves in a fight and most likely not get in his way. On the other hand; Ruby might make a stupid decision that puts her in harm, or Frey might attack out of turn and mess with Sable's flow and attack strategy.

If we're talking about getting along, Ruby and Frey were both close to actually being people he could handle. Though he really didn't know if they would be able to handle him and all of his...expressiveness. He isn't proud of it, but it's much easier to distance oneself than to get chummy with strangers.

Besides, once he becomes a Huntsman he probably won't see them again right?

His options were limited for sure, and he kept racking his brain to see who would make for a good partner. He was distracted enough to not notice a rather loud sound originating from high above in the treetops. It was a continuous crash that sounded similar to his earlier descent into the forest, but it was somewhat less focused and more...chaotic. Eventually, the chaotic crashing stopped altogether before a high-pitched yelp would break him out of his trance as some sort of heavy humanoid object would fly into him landing on Sable's back with a thud. He was thrown off his footing, the force of the impact causing him to tumble forward, rolling face-first into a tree trunk. He slumped over defeated into a nearby bush thereafter. If the bush Sable found himself in was a bit dryer the anger he felt at that moment would have been enough to set it ablaze.

"SON OF A MOTHER…" Sable cursed out as he stormed out the bushes and into the dust cloud that sat over the spot where he was rudely hit in the back. A small crater was formed where the unknown object landed, and with all the dust, it was hard for Sable to get a good look.

"Damn it, what the hell were you doing!?" Sable held his balled-up fist up in anger and took off his sunglasses briefly for a better look. "You know how much a tree to the face hurts!? About as much as my boot when it's stuck up your a-!"

Sable was confused, and he didn't believe what he was seeing right now. It was unthinkable, he really didn't expect him to come by! He already annoyed him a couple of times, and this time was no different…

The burgundy eyes blinked back at him, and the face they belonged to flash that dumb, stupid, obnoxious, smile.

Sable narrowed his eyes and his face contorted into a frustrated expression, gritting his teeth. 'Nononononononono…you're joking.'

Lilac cheerfully sprang up and landed, as he dusted off his cape and peaked hat, flicking his horsetail eagerly and giddy.

'Of all the people...of all the people I had to make eye contact with…'

Then putting his hands on his hips, he gave a salute to the now frustrated albino Faunus."Why hello there, my partner!"

Sable, unable to contain his frustrations and anger, finally let out a furious shout and threw his hands up. "WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU!?"

Lilac tilted his head innocently, feigning ignorance with a mischievous smile. "I don't know. Maybe today's your lucky day, and I couldn't agree more!"

'So this is actually happening...fuck.'

Sable clenched his fists, before inhaling sharply and resuming his previous path, refusing to humor him further. Better than having a pointless argument with Lilac over something he can't control. Plus, with all the Grimm in the forest, it wouldn't be a good idea anyway.

Besides, he already told himself he wasn't gonna lose his shit, despite almost doing so earlier

"H-hey, where are you going? Don't you have anything to say?" Lilac asked, clearly expecting much more of a reaction from Sable.

'It's alright…there's nothing I can do about it. Ozpin said whoever we make eye contact with is our partner… no use complaining' Sable took a couple of deep breaths and decided to just keep walking until he was ready. 'Yeah...just keep walking.'

He could have lost his shit and blown up in anger, but that would just render him a hypocrite,


'Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser…'

The initiation exam started off very curiously. Who'd have believed they would be simply catapulted off the cliff and expected to formulate a planning strategy? A simpleton would think this, but not Frey.

Hooking his weapon up to a pine tree and slowly but gently going down was a genius idea if he dares say so. Frey would even be so bold to say that he already has full marks. After all, back in Atlas, he was known to be an exceptional prodigy in the art of combat, many thought he'd be great in the military.

This is why people didn't take it kindly when someone like Frey Sapphire decided to leave Atlas to become a Huntsman.

He prepared for this, but he did worry over the small trivial things…mainly with his appearance.

The wind hits hard at the speeds Frey was going before. Between his ruffled hair and his costly glasses, he worried over the mess both would be in had his landing been rougher. Perhaps a twig could get stuck in his tousled crest of a hair, or a dreaded branch may hook the pair of glasses with meticulous timing?

'Questions for later, I'll deal with that another time.' Frey put that worry in the corner of his mind and focused on making his way to the northern end of the forest by foot.

So far, Beacon didn't disappoint. From the presence, Ozpin had in the auditorium and the implications of this initiation, Frey found no disagreement or anything to complain about. It had all been professional, and insightful.

'Truth be told, I figured many would be more...rowdy due to my presence, but I guess I was wrong.' Frey believed that his classmates would be lining up to ask questions about Atlas, about his high-class attire, or even about his family name. They are an influential market provider, only second to the Schnee Dust Company by a wide margin, but none of them really look at him funny.

Frey felt no need to hide his family name, but he didn't draw any attention to being an Atlesian. That being said, he was surprised when Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the SDC, also participated in Beacon Academy. However, when she made every attempt to throw around her name to anybody, Frey couldn't resist shaking his head in disappointment.

'Such a shame, she doesn't realize that it means little here…' Frey shook his head, and with that thought, he brushed it off and started focusing on the path ahead of him. Well, what could be considered a path in an area as wide and bountiful as the Emerald Forest? He had to go north, acquire the relic of his choice and make it back alive and in one piece.

If he were to ever get a partner, he'd certainly hoped they would be able to handle themselves in a battle. This means that increasing his chances of survival was his first priority, but before he could ponder on who to choose he would have to make sure he lived to tell the tale.

A snap was heard on the right side of Frey, and he drew his halberd Villter Vegar pointing it in the direction of the noise. Steady hands, and eyes squared on the direction and source of the noise; Frey didn't let his guard down as he listened. Silence, followed by a sharp shake of the bushes, coupled with a dark, deep feral growl…

...and a black monster lunged at Frey; responding quickly and rolling out of the way before he could be mauled.

The beast reacted and clawed at Frey's head, barely missing a scratch but didn't get much in.

Frey countered quickly with stabs, before parrying the monster's claws and knocking it up into the air, finishing it off with one last downward strike from the axe of the spear.

Frey took a moment to catch his breath from the sudden attack, and his eyes widened when he realized what he had just managed to avoid.

The monster's rough amalgamated shape of a hound on its hindlegs, bone pauldrons serving as it's natural armor to an unnatural abomination. The snout rough, it's teeth razor-sharp, and eyes glowing a bloodthirsty red and yellow. Frey knew what this monster was. A Beowulf…and it wasn't alone.

Soon, all-round him the Atlesian prodigy heard the same feral growling as more Beowulf sprawled out the trees and bushes, circling their prey with hungry eyes.

'No, they aren't hungry…' Frey reminded himself. These monsters don't know the concept of hunger, only the feral drive to destroy and kill every living being in their sights. That's how these monsters work, these are what Huntsmen are trained to fight and protect humanity from...

...Grimm.

Frey straightened up and kept his guard up, darting his eyes to each Grimm that surrounded him.

The first Beowulf recklessly charged to Frey but missed it's swipe and was beheaded by an upward swipe from Frey.

The second followed soon after, smart enough to take the surprise attack, forcing Frey to block the lunge, skidding a foot back before hitting the switch on the side of the base and bringing out his weapon's rifle, shooting the Beowulf straight in the head with accuracy.

Three other Beowulf attempted to crowd the young scholar, but he managed to roll to the side away from them before they could get him. Not letting up, Frey took the initiative to take out two of them; one with a heavy upwards swing that launched the remains into the air and the other with a shot of his rifle leaving a gaping hole in the beast before it crumbled, while the third one tried to blindside him but failed as he merely sidestepped and let the Beowulf crash into two others.

Frey chuckled confidently. "It'll take much more than that to lay one finger on me…foul beast."

The Beowulf's roared their ungodly howl, and Frey prepared for one last attack. He had intended to lay the final strike and come out victorious, but before he could, he felt a shift in the air. He wasn't the only one to notice the whistle in the air either, as the Beowulf seemed puzzled, and confused as to the source of the noise.

Frey was just as bewildered, but then he noticed a glow from the bushes and blue shot of energy burst out of nowhere, aimed at the Beowulf's and only blasting one while the rest evaded it. Afterward, the Beowulf was turned into a crisp, leaving nothing but ashes.

'W-what!? No! My final hurrah!' Frey mentally exclaimed, disappointed that the kill was stolen from him… but by who?

"Yeah! Get dunked on!" A crude voice came from the bushes and out walked in an interesting fellow, to say the least.

Hazel-skinned and crew cut his hair with lines in his sideburns; he wears a cyan sleeveless shirt, a tied jacket at the waist, and camo-baggy-pants with cyan combat sneakers. His right and left arms, however, caught Frey's own interest and baffled eyes. They looked human, though something about the way they looked, with certain plating and...scars(?) that looked like they were painted rather than carved.

"W-wait a minute, w-what do you think you're doing?" Frey stammered, stopping his gawking and cleared his throat, feigning that his pride got in the way.

"Yo, it's alright. No need to get so anxious!" The ever grinning hazel-skinned man assured Frey with a strong pat on the back. "You mad that I stole your kill? What a riot!" He snickered loudly, with strong confidence in his voice.

Frey seemed taken aback with this man's attitude and forwardness, but he didn't get a chance to talk since the two Beowulfs who were left resurfaced again from the smoke and postured with a threatening roar.

"Alright specs, you had your fun. Now let me have mine!" He took a step in front of Frey and took a grounded stance, front foot forward and his arms in a fisted guard upfront.

"W-wait, you're not really going to fight Grimm unarmed are you!?" Frey asked incredulously, it didn't make any sense.

"You bet I am!" The hazel-skinned man pumped his fists in the air, his energetic vibes rubbing off on Frey's which he found himself smirking because of.

Immediately, the first Beowulf charged ahead with his bare fangs. The hazel-skinned leaned back to avoid the bite and lifted his right knee to strike the beasts lower jaw, disorienting it. He immediately ax kicked the Beowulf and followed with a sidekick to the abdomen, leaving it down and dazed.

The two Bewoulfs looked at their fallen brethren before looking to the hazel-skinned man, who gestured for them to give their shot, taunting them with a shit-eating grin.

The two Beowulfs followed to lunge, though they were both met with his hands gripping the top of their skulls and smashed their heads together. Finally, he swung his legs in many arcs, with each kick hitting each Beowulf consecutively until one was knocked up and into the ground on his back while the other one was finished with a brutal axe kick straight to the ground; crushing its skull.

Both monsters were left to dust, and Frey couldn't believe what he was seeing...this mad lad is winning without a weapon!

The one Beowulf that was left dazed, stood on its own hind legs but still struggling to get his footing, while the hazel-skinned man walked right up to the beast nonchalantly. Instantly, the man throws a flurry of punches and jabs that all land their mark to Beowulf's abdomen leaving a small bunch of holes riddled into it.

The beast, near death, growled weakly as it still stands to wait for its defeat. The young man holds his right hand with fingers pointing dead center to the beast's chest, and he yells out one last declaration.

"You're done, yo!" He closes and thrusts his fist into the center, the pressure, and force launching the Beowulf into the tree, crashing and falling to dust. After that last elimination, the young man pumped his fists, and jumped in the air and cheered.

"Hell yeah! Get dunked on, boy!" He shouted, then turned to Frey with a friendly grin on his face.

"I suppose that's that," Frey agreed, offering a handshake with a smile. "I'm Frey Sapphire, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for giving me a hand earlier."

"Ah, it's nothin'! Just happy to help a classmate!" The Hazel-skinned man took the handshake with his right prosthetic arm, and the two of them started walking down the path side-by-side. "Da name's Ragnar! Ragnar Periwinkle!"

Frey looked at Ragnar curiously at the mention of his last name. "W-wait, Periwinkle? That's your last name?"

"Y-yeah, what of it?"

Frey hesitated to ask, but his curiosity dictated him to do so."Forgive me if this sounds rude but...um, is that really your last name?"

Ragnar's energetic expression widened to flustered embarrassment, as he waved his hands in front to dismiss it. "Geez, I knew you were gonna ask. Yes, that is my real name! The name sounds girly I get it, but I am far from it!"

'Oh, I do not doubt that…' Frey mentally noted, not wanting to pry any further into the matter. Ragnar didn't seem to be too offended, in fact, he seemed much more energetic and chipper to have someone to talk to.

Frey found his company refreshing, and his mind wandered to the first people he talked to when he arrived at Beacon: Sable and Lilac.

Sable had the appearance of crude, and abrasive individuals. His closed-off body language indicated that he didn't seem too comfortable meeting or being forced to meet new people. Though he seemed to be a good person, after all, he stood up for the Faunus who was being picked on from earlier, but Frey stepped in earlier because he didn't want a fight to break out and decided to diffuse the situation himself.

Lilac was...eccentric. While his horse-tail gave away that he was a Faunus, he didn't seem to have the typical attitude he'd expect from a Faunus among humans. Those thoughts were dashed when his ecstatic and hyper demeanor took over the conversation, easing the tension in the air before and allowed for Sable to join in with no difficulty.

A smile crept up Frey's features as he reminisced, and adjusted his glasses with a look of determination in his eyes. 'I'll keep my eye on those two, they seem interesting.'

Having found a new partner for the trials ahead, he and Ragnar focused ahead to find the temple and pass the exam.

'Though I do wonder…' Frey's eyes glanced down to Ragnar's arms and came to a question he would most likely wait and ask until after.


"The last pair has been formed, sir." Glynda's voice was heard by Ozpin, who has been listening and focusing intently on his own tablet.

"Truly a surprise, Frey's managed to get along with a rowdy one. I worry that enthusiasm might not last." Glynda sighed and shook her head, already predicting the trouble those two could get in.

Ozpin tapped his screen, and with that brought up two video feeds showing two different pairs: Ruby Rose and Weiss; Sable Fenrisulven and Lilac Sleipnir. Ozpin contemplated these choices of partners, odd and yet promising to see develop in the future.

"Although, those two will fare well compared to the delinquent Mr. Sleipnir has paired with." Glynda frowned as she examined the Faunus duo, with Lilac following behind and Sable trudging through the forest. His expression indicated that he didn't take this exam seriously, or more accurately, he didn't take teamwork as a key element to success seriously.

"Yes, I can see that Mr. Fenrisulven is less than...agreeable," Ozpin said as he turned to face Glynda with his neutral expression. "However, I'm sure he'll make a turnaround eventually."

"Well, for his sake I hope he pulls himself out of that mindset." Glynda reluctantly agreed though the frown remained on her face as she continued to examine each pair until falling on Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc. "Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos."

"I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat." Glynda narrowed her eyes, and she wasn't wrong. The boy came to Beacon Academy and yet didn't show anything that his transcript said he could. Either he's just an unlucky boy, or the transcripts were...fabricated. Regardless, it was too late to deal with that. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"Indeed," Ozpin replied succinctly, sipping from his coffee mug. "At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes."

"Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?" Glynda asked, but she raised an eyebrow when she was met with silence from the headmaster. "Professor Ozpin?"

Ozpin was too focused, unfortunately. With contemplating interests he watched as Sable and Lilac made their way through the forest together, the albino Faunus didn't leave his partner behind; even if it seemed like he hated the company.

The horse Faunus, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself, his horsetail flicking eagerly with expectation. Though he wanted to see what this young boy who'd been 'homeschooled' could really do when under attack.

'I wonder just how well you trained him…' Ozpin concentrated his gaze on Sable in particular. "Tyr Auburn."


The time passed since Lilac caught up with Sable, both Faunus's easily making their way to the northern end of the forest. The greenery seemed to be thicker than where they met, but it looked like they were making progress towards their destination. But they both knew their destination wasn't anywhere close, but so far they were lucky.

Not once did they get ambushed by any Grimm, not even once did they come across Grimm.

Gunshots could be heard off in the distance, Lilac and Sable reared their heads to the direction of the noise. Surprising nobody, this got Sable all in a huff just because he couldn't have his own fun.

Honestly, Lilac figured why. The big bad wolf looked so excited when he talked with Ruby about using their weapons, so it wasn't hard to put two-and-two together. The guy must be bored out of his mind, and on top of having a partner, he just walked away stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Now that's just rude.

"I personally don't mind the calm walk!" Lilac silently giggled to himself, not giving Sable any mind and just following his new partner behind. Once again, however, he's just ignoring him all over again.

Lilac pouted childishly, crossing his arms indignantly. He thought Sable'd be happy to see his old fellow again, but instead, he's just walking away like a sourpuss! That's no fun at all, and honestly, he didn't understand why Sable wouldn't even talk.

All this time, he's been trying to get someone like him to crack at a joke or even open up a bit; but so far he's got zilch. Lilac just wanted to make this guy loosen up a bit, even if he has to keep hitting him with joke after joke!

'Alright...here's the old trick!'

A loud yawn escaped from Lilac's mouth, and he hoped that would garner attention from his partner, but Sable merely ignored it looking ahead and still walking.

"I'm bored…" Lilac muttered out loud, eyeing Sable for any reaction. No response.

"I'm soooo bored…" Lilac said louder, drawing out each syllable to get Sable's reaction, still no response aside from faster and heavy footsteps.

Lilac grinned mischievously, and went with one last big yawn that Sable can't ignore! "Good GOSH I'm sooooo–"

"ALRIGHT I GET IT! YOU'RE BORED!" Sable pulled an about-face and shouted directly in Lilac's face, who merely stood there grinning ear-to-ear. He had succeeded, and now to seize the chance.

"Hey, why do you have to be so mean! You're yelling almost hurt an eardrum!" Lilac feigned annoyance, and also faked his 'mad' face.

"What I wanna know is why the heck you had to crash into me of all people! I didn't ask for this, and neither did I ask for your complaining! Now just shut up and keep walking!"

"Geez, I knew you were a hot-head but if this is how you treat your partner then I have nothing to say to you!" Lilac faked offense, turned his head from Sable with a pout on his face.

"What–you were the one who kept complaining about being bored!" Sable defended, annoyed by Lilac's antics.

'Hehehe! This is too good!' Lilac gushed on the inside, his jokes and trickery having its effect on his partner.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be if you bothered talking to me." Lilac sarcastically said with a snide grin, though he gave an innocent look at Sable with a mischievous grin. "Besides, it's not you can just get rid of me anymore. We're partners, right? " This caused Sable to grit his teeth in, annoyance before he breathed deeply; signaling to Lilac that he conceded.

"Whatever," Sable growled and rubbed the back of his head. "We need to get a move on. We're still not even close to the ruins, let's just get there and head straight back. If we see any Grimm, stay back and let me handle it. You got that?"

Lilac giggled mischievously at Sable's response and nodded in agreement. They continued walking as if the argument never even happened, but Lilac was thinking of some things.

Lilac's a prankster, there's no denying that. From the first thing he could walk as a baby he always had a penchant for jokes, trickery, pranking, and even party tricks on one occasion!

The one thing he knows, however, is that he can sniff out a liar.

Lilac doesn't really know how he knows who's a liar and who's not, it's similar to a sort of tingle up his spine that lets him know who's the real liar and who's telling the truth. Call it intuition, but whenever you have secrets to hide or aren't quite giving the whole story. Lilac will know you are, though he won't know what exactly you're lying about all the time.

Sable seemed more irritable than usual, snapping at Lilac so quickly after only minutes of making eye contact. Lilac would have poked at him further, but that thought was brushed aside when he noticed two figures out the corner of his eye.

Seemed Sable saw it too because they both crouched down without a word. Lilac couldn't quite make out what it was, and neither could Sable as they squint their eyes to get a better look who was in the distance covered by oak trees and greenery obstructing their vision.

"So, partner...what do you think we should do?" Lilac asked first, causing Sable to flash a toothy grin.

"You put your butt here, I'm gonna jump them," Sable said already drawing Skol, unable to keep his excitement for action going.

'Oh great! Now he's trigger happy!'

Lilac chuckled nervously, trying to keep a positive outlook. "A-all yours, chum! Go get 'em! I'll cover you!" With that statement Lilac drew forth his darling weapons from his two waist-mounted holsters, twin bowie knives named Surtr and Njord.

Simple weapons sure, but they were Lilac's bread and butter. These babies were well maintained every single night, sharpened with a knife file, and the hilts were never messy and always polished. These knives were practically twins, sporting a purple and black stripes pattern on its hilt, while the other had white stripes instead of black.

If you looked closely, on Surtr there was a vivid crimson coloration along the knife's edge, while on Njord there was a cyan green shine to the blade. It was Dust, the exact same resource that makes the world of Remnant go round, is also a great addition to weaponry and combat use

Sable charged head-first, with Lilac a bit behind as he ran quickly to catch up to Sable, though he could go faster if he actually tried. Lilac's view came clearer and realized that the two figures were human, and students apparently. In fact, he recognized them both.

"That's Jauney boy and the red-head Pyrrha Nikos!" Lilac flashed an excited smile, finally some new people he didn't expect to meet on this trip to the forest! He opened his mouth to tell Sable but the albino Faunus lunged before he could tell him.

Lilac stuck in his heels before he attacked bringing himself to skidding stop but Sable, already in mid-air, was unable to halt his attack. By the time he realized his error he was already tumbling head-first into the helpless young blonde's midsection.

Pyrrha was caught off guard with this sudden 'ambush' but despite her shock retained enough composure to draw her weapon. Though she quickly put it down when she saw Lilac standing in front of her, absolutely giddy and ecstatic as all hell.

Lilac giggled with excitement, his horsetail flicking with a mix of nervousness and excitement over meeting a national champion, and introduced himself quickly with a handshake to Pyrrha.

"H-hi, h-hello! I'm Lilac Sleipnir, sorry about my friend over there–" Lilac pointed to Sable, who was knocked out cold, on the ground sprawled over Jaune... who was also knocked out cold. "He was just itching for a fight with a Grimm and we didn't know it was you and Jauney over here so I'm really sorry 'bout that–"

"I-its okay! It is okay, don't worry about it." Pyrrha held up her hands to assure the horse Faunus and gave him a comforting smile. She turned to check on Jaune and noticed that both Jaune and the albino Faunus just woke from their knockout in a daze and moved to Jaune with concern. "Jaune, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, just peachy right over here." Jaune groaned out, managing to stand but looking like he got hit by a truck as he put an arm over Pyrrha's shoulder. "Any harder, and I would have been dead for sure…"

"With how wimpy ya' looked… I thought you would have." Sable replied, looking a little less worse for wear than Jaune but still recovering from that blunder of an attack. "Hey, remember me?"

Jaune seemed to flinch a little bit, though not out of fear. "O-oh yeah, it's you. S-Sable right?"

"Who else do you think I am, you wimp? I'm the one who's going to become a Huntsman, same as you and invincible girl here…speaking of which," Sable turned his eyes to Pyrrha, who put on a smile but Lilac could tell that she was just being polite as she usually does. "Pyrrha Nikos, Mistralian champion and renowned for your skills in combat right?"

"Yes, that's what they say," Pyrrha replied courteously and offered a handshake that Sable took with a strong grip. "It's nice to meet you, Sable, is that right?"

"And don't you forget it." Sable finished with a grin, Lilac could tell how competitive Sable was and where this was going. You know, 'I challenge you to a duel' and all that jazz, but Lilac was just happy that Sable initiated a conversation even though he ended it just as quickly. He decided to step in and clear the air a bit.

"Don't worry if he's a little 'ruff' around the edges, the guy's just really conscious about his image ya know?" Lilac joked, earning a face-palm and deep groan from Sable that might as well as ooze his displeasure. While he'd get a courteous laugh from Pyrrha, and a louder-than-intended snicker from Jaune.

"Will be sure to keep that in mind. Now, since the four of us managed to cross paths with each other by accident–"

"You sure that was an accident?" Jaune piped up, pointing a finger at Sable.

"Shut up," Sable growled, prompting Jaune to recoil a bit.

Pyrrha coughed, getting Sable and Jaune's attention for interrupting. "I was thinking maybe you'd want to... team up until we reach the ruins?"

"What!?" Jaune and Sable exclaimed at the same time, clearly they didn't agree with that idea.

Lilac grinned, he couldn't help it with Sable and Jaune's reacting in unison. Deciding to agree with Pyrrha's idea, he went along with it and did his usual gimmick.

Just one last time.

"Let's see what you say next, friend!"

"Well, I think that's a wonderful idea!" Lilac exclaimed, throwing his arms up for emphasis. His visible jubilation would become something less innocent as he began to pace back and forth wringing his hands together mischievously. "Some bonding time, the four of us get our relics, plus they say teamwork makes the dream work, right partner!"

"Wait, I think that's stretching that a little bit! We're not going to be a team just yet!" Sable groaned.

"Oh, geez…" Jaune moaned.

"I'm glad you think so! If all things go well, we might get on the same team together." Pyrrha agreed wholeheartedly, her tone much chipper than earlier.

"Like hell, I will! Are you two even listening to me?" Sable growled, louder.

"U-uh Pyrrha…" Jaune whined, louder.

Lilac grinned even wider, and finally decided to nail it in the head…

"Imagine that! Teammates, for four-long years in Beacon! Best. Friends. Forever!" Lilac drew out that sentence as long as he could before he burst out in laughter, while Pyrrha chuckled sweetly, blissfully ignorant of Sable's and Jaune's own misery.

"OUM-FUCKING-DAMMIT!" Sable fell to his knees, his hands on the ground in defeat!

"Why does this happen to me..." Jaune fainted to his back, his face blanched with horror at the thought of Sable being his new teammate.


Right now, the two students nearly made their way to the ruins from what Frey could deduce. The greenery was getting more sparse, and the path more direct and trodden, they figured that other student's must-have arrived first. Frey and Ragnar seemed to have hit it off, though Ragnar kept hitting Frey with every question he could think of and Frey patiently answered each question.

"So, Atlesian eh? That's fancy." Ragnar began nonchalantly, with his arms behind his head.

"We're known to be such they say." Frey nodded and gave a kind smile.

"Funny, I lived in Mantle and I've heard the big-shots in Atlas are pish-posh and all that crap. Instead, you look dorkier than I thought you would."

Frey adjusted his glasses and put one hand on his hip, explaining to Ragnar with a lecturing tone. "Well, don't let appearances fool you. What if I thought you were just another ruffian?"

"Damn, touché my dorky friend," Ragnar smirked in agreement, though he was lax and nonchalant about the conversation with Frey chuckling nervously.

'He's certainly...forward.' Frey chuckled at his urban-speaking partner, though he truly needed to do something about his profanity...

Frey certainly didn't expect his partner to be so...talkative, but he didn't mind the questions; even if they were about his kingdom of birth and tended to be somewhat...ignorant. Not of his own fault, however. Ragnar has said it was all curiosity before and Frey understood enough to oblige.

"I hope you don't mind all these questions dude, just never meant an Atlesian before." Ragnar politely said, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous chuckle.

"Not a problem, in fact, I'm glad you asked." Frey chuckled before his face turned to a sad frown. "Better than to gawk at and judge people, which I wish most of my colleagues back in Atlas would understand."

"Oh yeah, some Atlesian's don't really like Faunus' much do they?" Ragnar clicked his teeth in annoyance at the notion. "You ask me? I say they need to get over it, Faunus's are people just as much as we are."

"Indeed, though the White Fang certainly doesn't make alleviating tensions any easier, I tell you, Ragnar, we humans can be just as cruel as they can be." Frey pointedly replied, prompting a hard nod from Ragnar who agreed.

"Preach." Ragnar agreed, though his eyes widened and his grin larger when he looked ahead. "Ha, Aw Hell yeah! We made it, look over there!"

Frey looked to where Ragnar was pointing, and a determined smile formed. They finally made it to the ruins, and they still had pieces they could choose.

"Oh hey! Looks like we got company!" A voice called out in interest and surprise, belonging to a blond-haired lady, with lilac-colored eyes.

"Well, of course. Still, impressive." The second voice was more composed and mature. This one belonged to a raven-haired lady with a striking bow that she wore on her head. She wore a black buttoned vest with coattails and a single silver button on the front. Underneath this is a white, sleeveless, high necked, crop undershirt and white shorts with a zipper on the front of each leg.

The two seemed like they arrived fairly recently, and the blond held a...chess piece of a Knight in her hand?

'Questions for after introductions.' Frey decided and turned to the two ladies. Though Ragnar went up and walked to the blonde one first, Frey decided to introduce himself after Ragnar.

"Well, hello! I guess we got beat huh? Bummer." Ragnar said, disappointed that he and Frey weren't the first to make it to the ruins. "Guess that plans out the window, but hey! I get to meet a nice lady like you!"

"Well, I am trying to be a student here so that shouldn't be a surprise!" Yang replied though she chuckled at Ragnar's straight forward attempt at a compliment… she guessed. She offered a handshake to him. "But I'm getting ahead of myself, the name's Yang!"

"I'm Blake, nice to meet you." Blake introduced herself, with a small indistinguishable smile on her face.

"Ragnar's the name, and beats are my game!" Ragnar energetically claimed, went to shake Yang's hand and with a pop, one of his arms...was pulled out!?

Save for Ragnar who obviously knows what they are, Yang, Blake, and Frey were caught off guard and were absolutely shocked!

Yang looked down at the robotic prosthetic she held in her hand and immediately yelped in surprise before blindly tossing the detached arm only to be deftly caught by Ragnar's other prosthetic arm. "W-w-w-wha-what was that!?"

"Oh, my bad, girl. Sometimes it does that." Ragnar nonchalantly explained, readjusting his prosthetic with one last firm push and it was back in place. "There! Problem solved!" Ragnar grinned as if this was the most normal thing in the world to have.

Frey was already baffled beyond words, but his eyes widened even more once he figured out what this was. The young man has prosthetics for arms, and evidently, they also functioned as his weapons.

'Technology like that isn't something you just buy in Mantle! How did he get two of those?'

Ragnar took notice of Frey, Yang and Blake's pale faces, and sighed as he held his hands to calm them down. "Look, I know this must be weird and I'm sure you must have lots of questions but maybe they can wait until after we finish this exam?"

"Huh? O-oh yes! Yes, exactly!" Frey stuttered to salvage the situation, same with Yang and Blake who were still a little surprised to see development like this.

"R-right! Sorry bout' that." Yang recovered from her stupor and apologized equally as quickly.

"Yo lady, it's cool. I get that kind of reaction all the time." Ragnar reassured, his grin still wide and his arms folded. "By now, It's actually pretty funny."

With that shocking accident out of the way, Frey walked up to one of the pedestals where the relics were placed, chess pieces as they were. There was a gold Knight, two black Rooks, two white King's, arranged in a circular alignment surrounding some sort of strange stone carving.

'So, we can just choose one of our choices?'

"Yo, Frey! Whatcha' gonna pick?" Ragnar walked up to Frey with a dumb grin on his face, akin to model collector deciding what new figurine to get. "I say pick the king, 'cause he's always on top!"

"Hmmm, I don't think it really matters what we pick right now." Frey stroked his chin in thought, deciding whether to pick the Rook piece or the King piece specifically. After a moment of thinking; Frey decided and chose the white King, much to Ragnar's satisfaction and delight. "I suppose we could both be at the top for now."

"Well, that was easy! Not too hard at all!" Ragnar exclaimed with a smile.

"Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find." Blake shared a smile with the group of four, and Frey couldn't help but agree more.

'She's right about that...it shouldn't be long before he arrives with his partner.' Frey wondered, thinking about Sable's challenge to a race from before. 'I wonder where he is right now?'


Now, Sable, Lilac, Pyrrha, and Jaune were in an ominous cave that hey had found while they, unfortunately, choose to "team-up" as that stupid little midget phrased it. The cave was dark, damp and cold, and their footfalls squelched loudly with every step they took on the wet floor. Without a doubt, their arrival and continued exploration could be heard by anything and everything living in the cave with functioning ears. Sable had come to the conclusion that it was definitely a great place to die horribly as a team.

It certainly didn't help that Jaune decided to play the hero and took the single torch they had and moved to the front of the group like he was the leader or something. Sable was beside himself in disbelief as the guy leading them forward was the same wimp who begged not to get punched in the face yesterday!

Even worse than that, they didn't know where the cave leads to, but something told Sable that they were completely lost. If they were lost that meant they didn't know where the relics were, which meant that they were wasting time!

"Ugh, this blows." Sable groaned out, puddles in the ground indicative of poor footing. The tunnel itself was modestly wide but it quickly became cramped with the four of them huddling together. The experience somehow became more uncomfortable than it already was.

"I know I said teaming up was a great idea, but I think we might have taken a wrong turn." Lilac nervously chuckled, trying to ease the tension and anticipation in the air.

"I have to agree, Jaune, I'm not sure this is it." Pyrrha reluctantly agreed, unsure of their whereabouts and she was realizing that they were lost.

Jaune sighed indignantly. "Guys, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?"

"You did not make the torch. Lilac made it then you just took it and made yourself the leader." Sable pointed out, his irritation coming through as clear as a bell. "I don't think you could go for more than 5 feet with the torch let alone without it before tripping over."

"Okay, when are you going to quit giving me a hard time?" Jaune asked exasperated with Sable's tone and attitude.

Of course, he wasn't wrong because shortly after 2 steps Jaune somehow tripped and dropped the torch into a puddle of water!

'Great, now it's damp, cold, AND pitch-black!'

"W-wait. Do you...feel that?" Pyrrha hesitates in asking.

"Soul-crushing regret?" Jaune said.

"Headache-inducing stupidity?' Sable retorted.

"Wide-smiling rainbows?" Lilac chirped in glee, raising eyebrows from both Sable and Jaune.

"No, it's... warm." Pyrrha wasn't wrong, the group saw a faint orange glow in front of them. Sable didn't quite understand if this was the relic but the group walked closer to it as if drawn to it. Soon it revealed itself to be a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features

"That's the relic!" Jaune exclaimed, slowly reaching out to grab the gold point before it moved away from his swipe. "Hey! Bad...relic!" Jaune tries to grasp it, jumps forward and hangs onto it as the object raises him up off his feet.

"Oooh! I want in on this ride!" Lilac chimed in excited, as he also jumped forward and grabbed the golden point with much more vigor than any of them…but something felt wrong.

Sable stepped back, realizing something was off as he called out, "Lilac, I think you may want to let go of that right now!"

"Aw come on! But it's so much fun!" Lilac whined his displeasure, but Pyrrha looked just as worried as Sable and noticed something was terribly wrong.

"Jaune…?" Worry clearly audible in her voice, and the unassuming catch known as Jaune Arc was lowered so as to dangle before luminescent red lines…and a set of eight similarly glowing ghostly yellow eyes.

'Oh...' Sable stepped back again, the full face of the beast they just woke up in plain view...and was actually getting both nervous and excited.

'...Shit!'


Except, I'm going to take a week's break from doing another chapter so that I can plan out the next chapter right and not lose track of what I have done.

Anyway, now you finally meet the fourth member: Ragnar Periwinkle...yes that's his full name and it's a secret as to why for now. Now I imagined him to be the sort of urban street-punk with a heart of gold. I hope you liked the character for what little I have shown here.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as I have enjoyed writing it! I feel pretty good right now, but don't expect these updates to be frequent. I just had a sudden drive to write the next chapter and I couldn't help myself. Who knows how long it will last, but I can assure you that the next chapter will be the end of the Emerald Forest arc and be a huge fight scene for Team SLFR!

Anyway, this has been the Maelstrom, and I hope to see you on the horizon!