Chapter 3: Fresh Start
When the sun's rays shone through the ballroom windows, Ruby was profoundly grateful that she managed to scrounge up some sleep. She took a hot shower and brushed her teeth again, putting on her combat uniform really quickly. For breakfast, Ruby ate some delicious pancakes and drank some warm milk before making her way to the locker rooms.
While her eyes felt heavy, at least she wasn't about to collapse. The second she felt Crescent Rose's familiar weight and smooth texture in her hands, it was almost as if that conversation she had with Blake was just a bad memory.
She checked Crescent Rose for any faults that might have accrued overnight. Fortunately, it was still in tip-top shape, locked and loaded for action. Thinking about all the work she put in to make Crescent Rose and how it had done so much for her made Ruby almost giddy with delight. It was the ideal partner for her, so efficient and slick and cool that she couldn't imagine having any other weapon.
Sometimes, she thought about what would happen if it could talk or if it was possessed by a spirit. Would it be proud to work alongside her? Would it hate her for making her kill someone when she could have done something else?
It was a weapon that she loved, but it was only a weapon, not a human or a Faunus. That meant it wouldn't judge her or break apart at the seams because it suffered when she suffered.
Crescent Rose was an extension of herself, but it didn't reflect her state of mind. That meant she wouldn't be afraid to use it, because there was no reason to blame the weapon for its wielder's choices.
"Ready to rumble, Ruby?" Yang asked, standing behind her.
Ruby holstered Crescent Rose, shut her locker and took in a deep breath. She faced her sister.
"I'm ready. Are you ready?"
Yang thrust out her arms, showing off Ember Celica, her bright yellow shotgun gauntlets. "I was born ready."
Ruby snorted. "Do you even know what we'll have to do?"
Yang shrugged. "Not really. I heard that we'll be placed in teams of four, though, so even if we pair up, we'll still have to ask two other people to join our team."
"Really?"
"Really. Just think of it as making two new friends."
She pouted. "Fat chance of that happening."
Yang put her hands on her hips. "Ruby. Those rumours won't last forever, and if you don't start now, you'll get used to having no friends, and you're gonna feel bad when everyone's having fun without you."
Her pout twisted into a frown. "I don't care. I'm done making friends."
Yang tilted her head, glancing at her rather quizzically. "Did something happen?"
Ruby sighed. Nobody was listening in: a really energetic girl was chatting the day away with her reserved friend, and Weiss was making her pitch to this red-haired girl.
So she took this chance to tell Yang about her little chat with Blake. When she was done, Yang was clenching and unclenching her fists, a deep frown creasing her face.
"Who does she think she is? You think you know the real world? Big whoop: you don't have the right to talk down to other people!" Yang slammed her fist against her palm. "Just wait until I get my hands on her!"
Her sister's eyes were going red, and when that happened, no one was safe.
"It's fine, Yang. Let's just forget about her."
Yang blinked, before exhaling roughly. Her eyes were lilac, again. "Fine. She's not worth it. You still shouldn't give up just because of one setback. Not everyone's out to get you."
"I know," Ruby said, frustration seeping into her voice. Yang was right: Ruby knew at least four people in Beacon who didn't want to ruin her day, and she didn't want to be a loner. When she had to be on top of her game, she had to focus on the things she could do best.
"If you know, then let's find those teammates. Jaune seems nice, so maybe he can join us."
She rolled the option in her head. "Maybe. But who else? It's not like Weiss is an option."
"What was that?"
Ruby nearly jumped out of her boots. Weiss hadn't just heard her, she was stomping her way, promising a world of pain just from the menace in her blue-eyed glare.
"Weren't you talking to someone else, Weiss?" Yang asked, stepping in between them.
Weiss frowned. "I was, and if you must know, Pyrrha Nikos agreed to be my partner."
Ruby glanced at the red-haired girl, and when she made eye contact with her, she smiled, hesitant for some reason. A dusty bell started to ring in her mind.
"Isn't she that girl from the cereal?" Yang asked, which was exactly what Ruby wanted to say.
"Pumpkin Pete's, to be exact," Weiss said. "Not only did Pyrrha graduate at the top of her class, she won Mistral's Regional Tournament four times in a row!"
"Wow," Ruby said.
"Exactly. Anyone would be lucky to have her on her team. However, that's not the issue here." Weiss thrust her finger in Ruby's direction. "Where do you get off on saying that you don't want to be partners with me?"
Yang scowled. "Hey, play nice!"
"I'll play nice once I get my answers!"
Ruby kept the panic screaming in her brain from showing on her face. "You have to get along with your partner, right? Well, I wasn't sure if I could get along with you."
Weiss glared at her, but Ruby stood her ground. Just when Ruby was about to break, Weiss blinked and pulled back her finger.
"I suppose I didn't do a good enough job of winning you over. After all, we didn't finish our conversation yesterday."
"Neither did we," Jaune said, smiling at Weiss.
Weiss scowled. "Can't you see that we're in the middle of something?"
Her fierce tongue didn't faze Jaune at all. "I do, so I'll wait for you to finish."
"I'd advise you to..." Weiss' look of righteous indignation slid off her face. "Do just that."
Jaune pulled out a piece of paper and walked away. It actually seemed like he was acting on their advice. But he was brushing off four-time champion Pyrrha Nikos just to keep an eye on Weiss. Talk about dedication.
Weiss coughed into her fist. "Right, back to more important matters. There are many rumours surrounding Torchwick's killer and the scythe that ended him. If you wielded that scythe, then that means you might be a capable fighter."
That... wasn't what she was expecting. Ruby looked at Yang, who was similarly shocked. Unlike her, Yang was able to hide it through a smile.
"Ruby isn't just capable, princess, she's a champion in the making," Yang said. "So maybe you and Pyrrha can team up with us."
Weiss smirked. "Maybe I will. It'll give me plenty of time to find out what happened."
Ruby frowned. "Does this story really mean that much to you?"
Weiss pursed her lips. "It didn't at first, but now I want to know who did it and why. Scum like Torchwick is better off dead, if you ask me, so if you're afraid I'll think less of his killer, then you're mistaken."
Ruby sucked in a short breath. Knowing that was comforting in its own way, to the point that she honestly considered telling Weiss the truth. However, she wasn't sure if doing that would get her to back off, or if it could backfire in some way. She wasn't sure if telling her to back off would stop her, either.
"I'm glad to hear that," Ruby said, not ready to commit to anything just yet.
"You should be. I have no reason to lie to you, Ruby."
"Great," Yang said. "As long as you don't try to force Ruby to talk, then we won't have a problem."
Weiss rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that."
Then she stalked off.
"Do you think she'll ever give up?" Ruby asked.
"I doubt it," Yang said. "It's your choice if you want to tell Weiss the truth. She can't hurt you unless you let her."
Ruby nodded. Weiss couldn't hurt her, and there was a decent chance that nothing would come of it if she knew. Unless, of course, this princess fuelled the rumour mill with a dose of truth.
Jaune had taken the chance to catch up with her, leaving Pyrrha alone. She glanced at Yang's gauntlets and Ruby's scythe. Something flashed in her green eyes, but she walked away before Ruby could panic over it. Did it even mean anything?
"So, Weiss, how are you doing today?" Jaune asked.
Weiss crossed her arms. "Didn't I tell you that I wasn't interested in a date?"
"I know, I know, but I pushed too hard when I just met you, and I didn't see that I was making you uncomfortable. Can you give me another chance?"
There was a pause in the conversation, just long enough for Jaune's smile to crack.
"Go on."
Jaune's smile grew even larger. "My dad always says to be confident, but not everyone might appreciate an all-out attack from the outset. What do you think?"
"Well, you have to know what you want and be ready to take it. There is a time and place for everything, however. Asking me out on a date when I wanted to sleep was not the right time or the right place."
"Right, I get why you'd think that way, and now that you mention it, I did come out of nowhere."
"You did."
Jaune laughed. "That wasn't fair of me and it certainly wasn't fair to you. Maybe after this initiation, we'll be put on a team, and I'd hate it if we couldn't get along."
Weiss' lip quivered. It looked like she was actually considering it.
"What school did you come from?"
Jaune flinched, peeling back the brave face he'd put on. "I... did some personal training."
"Who trained you?"
"He's a reclusive guy. You wouldn't have heard of him."
Next to Ruby, Yang shook her head. Why didn't he just say he was trained by his dad?
"Well, what I like to see are results. Whether we end up on the same team or not, you'll have to prove you can keep up. Until then, I won't entertain a single one of your requests. Is that clear?"
Jaune nodded, head hanging like a whining dog. "Yes, Weiss."
Weiss smiled. "I'm glad we understand each other, Jaune."
She spun on the spot and walked away. Jaune clenched a fist, pumped it.
"At least he didn't bomb out," Yang said.
"You're telling me," Ruby said.
Jaune's attempts at wooing Weiss had actually given Ruby a piece of information that could help her turn the tables. Next time Weiss tried to ask about the Dust robbery gone wrong, Ruby would be ready.
Right now, she had an initiation waiting for her, and she'd fight through anything that came her way.
Ruby flew through the air, diving headfirst into the Emerald Forest. The air rushed around her ears, blocking out her thoughts, her fears, everything that wouldn't help her stick the landing.
Crescent Rose was in her hands, and Ruby pulled the trigger, using the recoil to temper her momentum. That gave her time to transform and anchor her scythe around a large tree branch, spinning around in a complete circle before blasting off again.
Landing on the ground after that was child's play.
Her partner would be whoever she first made eye contact with, so as long as she paid attention, Yang would definitely become her partner. After that, they'd collect their relic at an abandoned temple and make their way out of the forest.
The problem was that she couldn't find Yang. Ruby hustled through thick trees and dense foliage trying to locate her sister, but she couldn't see her blonde hair or hear the blast of her gauntlets.
Did someone else find her first? What if she came across another student? Besides Yang, she couldn't think of a partner she could easily work with. Jaune was nice, but she wasn't sure if he was a good fighter. Pyrrha Nikos could fight well if she was a former champion, but she didn't know anything else about her.
The less said about Weiss, the better, and she'd be fine with pretending Blake didn't exist. She didn't know anyone else in her year, so there was no way of knowing if they could work well together, or if they'd hate her for what she did to Torchwick.
She didn't understand why Professor Ozpin left such an important part of their school lives to what was basically random chance. Even if they knew what the initiation actually was, agreeing to be partners with someone didn't guarantee that they'd end up being partners.
It was so frustrating.
Ruby was wide-eyed and frantic by the time she reached a clearing surrounded by tall trees, hoping that she could find her way to the relic. Getting to Yang was becoming more and more of a lost cause the longer she searched, so if she couldn't find her sister, she'd get this test over and done with.
Her ears twitched, as grass and stray twigs crunched and snapped. Harsh, guttural growls grew louder with every footstep. It wasn't someone, it was something: a creature with fur darker than tar, bone-white spikes jutting out of four limbs and its spine.
The creature crawled towards Ruby, red eyes glowering behind a white mask. Rows of long, sharp teeth gnashed against each other. A Beowolf had found her, and it hadn't come alone.
Six Beowolves were on the prowl, preying on the feelings she battled with since arriving at Beacon, but she wouldn't let them feast. Crescent Rose was in her hand once more, shifting into a scythe that would shear through these creatures of Grimm.
The first Beowolf sprinted on all four legs, claw outstretched to rip out her throat. Ruby sliced through its claw, spun around and stabbed into its mask with the tip of Crescent Rose's blade.
It didn't bleed out from the stump of its limb, and she didn't see shock flit through its red eyes. Smoke floated from the wounds Ruby inflicted on it, and the moment she pulled out Crescent Rose, it collapsed, nothing more than ash floating in the wind.
If the other Beowolves felt any grief or sorrow over the loss of their fellow creature, they didn't show it. More likely, they didn't care, because they weren't people who lived and loved and experienced an explosion of emotion throughout their lives.
The creatures of Grimm were nothing more than soulless monsters, a blight on this planet Ruby called home. She didn't feel a sliver of guilt or remorse over killing them. They'd kill her without mercy.
Ruby activated her semblance, moving at monstrous speeds. A storm of red rose petals fluttered along her path, and when she emerged, the Beowolf was down, limbs mowed off. Four were left, and they quickly surrounded her, blocking her escape. She wasn't going to run away, though. They were in her way, and that meant they had to go.
Two Beowolves charged at her in a pincer attack, but Ruby was more than ready. She fired two rounds from her rifle, blasting the oncoming Beowolf in its mask and its front leg, tearing through its hide. Then, she planted her scythe around the nearest Beowolf's neck in front of her and spun, landing on its back.
She pulled Crescent Rose, firing another bullet to divide the creature into two pieces. She jumped off, aiming at the third Beowolf, and pierced through its flank, using the recoil to somersault into a landing. Now she had some breathing room.
The Beowolf with the wounded leg stumbled. Ruby sheared through it before it could recover, and when the last Beowolf jumped at her, she whirled around, spinning Crescent Rose and beheading the creature in a single slash.
A creature roared, and it wasn't any of the six Beowolves. Ruby saw it bounding towards her. It was an Ursa: bigger and burlier than a Beowolf, capable of walking upright.
It was still going down. Ruby set Crescent Rose's scythe blade on the forest floor and fired round after round into the creature's hide, softening it up. The Ursa was relentless, ignoring the pain she was dishing out even as Ruby tore holes in its flesh.
She prepared to slash through its torso, but something pierced the back of its head. Ruby pivoted, slicing through its mask as the Ursa fell to its death.
When the smoke from the Ursa's corpse cleared, Ruby saw golden eyes belonging to a girl with long black hair. Said girl retracted her blade with a black rope attached to it, transforming the blade into a katana.
She still had a bow on her head, but she was dressed in a white crop-top with matching shorts, black stockings and black boots. A black vest covered most of her stomach.
"Ruby?"
Ruby frowned. Of all the luck in the world.
"Blake."
Blake sighed. "Let's get going. The sooner we find those relics, the better."
"And then what?" Ruby asked.
What Blake said was true, but it wasn't the part that made her worry.
"We can figure that out later."
A forest infested with soulless creatures was no place to whine about her partner. If she went to Ozpin and complained, would that be enough to get a new partner? Would there be anyone left to swap with?
Probably not. This wasn't the worst-case scenario Ruby envisioned, but it was certainly up there.
Ruby grit her teeth. She vowed to fight through anything that came her way. The worst thing Blake could do was be condescending. If Blake tried anything, Ruby would put her foot down.
"What are we waiting for?"
Blake sheathed her katana, turned her back to her and walked ahead. This would've been a great opportunity to bolt in the other direction. Instead, Ruby holstered Crescent Rose and followed her new partner into the wilderness.
Their trek through the forest was done quietly, and it wasn't because they wanted the Grimm to hear them. If anyone was going to start a conversation, it probably wouldn't be Blake. She wasn't sure what they could possibly talk about. If she was with Yang, making conversation would be super smooth and almost as easy as breathing.
But Ruby was with some random girl, not Yang. At least she could use the silence to come to terms with that. Blake navigated through the forest with a keen eye, dashing through the thick underbrush and swerving around trees without breaking her stride. Ruby watched what Blake couldn't.
If Blake noticed, she didn't object.
Eventually, long and densely packed trees gave way to an open clearing. It took Ruby longer than she'd ever admit to notice how Blake had rolled to a stop. That wasn't her fault: she'd fallen into a rhythm, focusing on the sound of her breathing and her fleet-footed steps, not wanting to break a fallen branch or trip over a gnarled root.
"This must be it," Blake said, as if she hadn't noticed how Ruby had gone ahead.
'It' had to mean the concrete structure at the bottom of the hill. Part of the circular roof had fallen into the grass, joining scattered pieces of obsidian brick. The majority of the structure was still intact, and several pedestals set in a large circle were within that structure. Gold and black chess pieces were on them.
"Those must be the relics," Ruby said. She glanced at Blake, before jogging down the hill. Her guess was proven right, as four of the chess pieces had already been taken.
"Want to pick one?"
Blake was right behind her, staring at one of the chess pieces, or rather, the relics. Ruby nearly jumped out of her boots, even though there was nothing to worry about.
"Don't you want to pick one?"
"It's your decision."
It didn't look like Blake was itching to grab one of the relics. Maybe she was just being nice? That would've been great, except Blake might have been humouring her, giving the little girl a chance to make a decision that didn't really mean all that much.
No. That wasn't fair. Whatever Blake's reasoning was, Ruby wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she grabbed the gold horse.
"A knight, huh?" A slight smile curved Blake's lips. "Not a bad choice."
A knight was agile and graceful, skipping around the chessboard and claiming pieces from unexpected angles. They were often heroes as well, though heroes came in all shapes and sizes.
"Ready to go?"
Ruby looked at the gold knight once more, before giving Blake a nod. "Ready."
Blake walked out of the abandoned temple. She wasn't waiting for Ruby to catch up, but she didn't seem to mind that Ruby was watching her back. Did she really trust her already, or was something else motivating her? Maybe she didn't feel threatened.
Second-guessing herself wouldn't get Ruby anywhere. Making it back with the relic would, so Ruby followed her new partner. When she crested the hill, Ruby gave the temple one last look. Just before she turned, she saw a mane of blonde hair emerging from the forest behind it.
"Yang?" Ruby said.
"Who's Yang?" Blake asked.
Ruby grinned. "My sister."
She ran down the hill, and caught up to Yang just as she reached the temple.
"Ruby!"
"Yang!"
Ruby threw her arms around her sister, and Yang caught her with ease. They hugged each other tightly.
"Already got your relic?"
Silver eyes made eye contact with lilac ones.
"Yep!"
Yang glanced at the gold knight Ruby was holding, smiling.
"That's one cute pony you're holding."
She held the relic out, looking at it in a new light.
"It sure is."
Yang reached the other gold knight piece and picked it up. "Now I've got one of my own."
Already, Ruby felt her spirits starting to soar, now that she was with Yang. But she had to know.
"Did you find a partner, Yang?"
"I did." Yang looked in the direction of the forest she just came out of. "She'll be coming right about... now."
Ruby wanted to pout, but even if Yang was on her own, Blake would still be her partner. Hopefully, they ended up on the same team.
"Yang!"
A flinch made Ruby's spine tingle. Oh no. It couldn't be, but when Weiss Schnee entered the temple, fierce scowl twisting her face, Ruby's grip on her relic tightened.
"Did you really think you could sneak away and leave me behind?" she said, putting her hands on her hips.
Yang smiled a disarming smile. "I knew you could catch up."
"What makes you think you can run off on me? We're supposed to be partners!"
Ruby looked at her sister, who shrugged as if she'd say 'what can I do?' if Weiss couldn't hear her.
"I'd never forget," Yang said. "You wouldn't let me."
Weiss scoffed. She made eye contact with Ruby, and a sheepish smile appeared on Ruby's face. She was real glad she dodged that bullet.
"Ruby. Good to see you."
"You... too?"
She nodded, letting her hands cascade to her sides. "Found yourself a partner, I see."
Ruby followed Weiss' stare, finding Blake standing right behind her.
"You're Weiss Schnee," Blake said.
Weiss puffed out her chest. "I see my reputation precedes me."
Blake frowned. "Considering your family's history, I wouldn't call that a good thing."
"Excuse me?"
Her frown deepened. "I could go on, in excruciating detail."
Yang took a step forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Come on, this isn't the place to fight. We don't even know the name of Ruby's new partner!"
Blake shook her head. "My name's Blake."
"That's right. I'm Yang." Ruby saw the realization dawn on Yang's face, like a looming omen. "So, you're Blake, huh."
"Yes."
Yang scowled. "We have a lot to talk about."
An ear-splitting scream reverberated across the clearing, before Yang could make good on her threat.
"Did you hear that?" Ruby asked.
"Only the deaf would've missed that," Weiss said, resting her hand on her rapier's hilt. A few seconds later, Jaune was sailing through the air towards them. Blake rushed forward, transforming her weapon into a sickle and tossing it with a long ribbon, wrapping the ribbon around Jaune.
With a harsh tug, Blake yanked Jaune downwards, but instead of hitting the grass, Yang caught him in her arms.
"You all right, tough guy?" Yang asked.
"Yeah..." Jaune looked up, then clambered to a standing position, gaping like a fish. "There's a big scorpion, and it's coming here! Now!"
"Seriously?" Weiss said.
A giant scorpion, decked in white armour plating around its body and a golden stinger, was chasing after red-haired Pyrrha Nikos. It was a Deathstalker, and it was gaining on Pyrrha.
Ruby hid her relic in one of her pouches, then rushed in front of Yang and Jaune, shifting Crescent Rose into its sniper rifle form and firing at the Deathstalker, distracting it so that Pyrrha could get to safety.
"Thank you!" Pyrrha said as she crossed past Ruby.
"You're welcome!" Ruby said in return, continuing to fire until she was forced to reload.
Pyrrha skidded to a stop next to Jaune, not a hair out of place. "Are you okay, Jaune?"
Jaune looked down at the rope wrapped around his waist. "Uh, a little help?"
"Step back," Blake said. Yang did, as did Ruby and Pyrrha. In one fluid motion, Blake retracted her ribbon, catching her sickle once it reached her hand.
"Thanks!" Jaune said. Blake gave him a firm nod, before running towards the Deathstalker.
"Show off," Yang said.
Ruby looked at her sister, shock written on her face. "Really, Yang?"
She smirked, but it lacked its regular bite. "Takes one to know one. Anyway, we've got a scorpion to drop."
Said scorpion hadn't stopped charging towards them. Someone was screaming up in the air, and it was a girl with bright orange hair, grinning from ear to ear as she dived down, her partner close behind. Unlike her, he wasn't making a sound, face frozen in a rictus of fear and determination.
Under normal circumstances, taking a trip on a Nevermore would've been the right mix of crazy and really, really cool, except for the fact that the massive bird Grimm hadn't left. It was circling around them, its horrid roar promising pain to anyone it caught in its razor-sharp talons.
Not only that, the orange-haired girl wasn't diving towards the temple, but the Deathstalker, bringing down a giant hammer to crush it. The Deathstalker sprung back, and the moment the hammer cracked the earth, it jabbed its golden stinger at her head.
"Nora!" the girl's partner screamed.
Nora rolled out of the way, but she wasn't out of the woods yet.
Yang growled underneath her breath, then stepped ahead of Ruby and fired two shots from her gauntlets as Nora's partner blasted the Deathstalker's hide with twin green pistols. Their combined fire managed to distract the Grimm, giving Nora enough time to get back on her feet as her partner landed at her side.
"We made it, Ren!" Nora said.
Ren frowned. "Barely."
However, Nora and Ren were still in harm's way: the Deathstalker was rearing for another attack.
"We have to distract the Grimm," Blake said. This time, Ruby wasn't shocked to see her arrive. She'd probably have to get used to this.
"What's your master plan?" Yang said with barely disguised disdain.
Ruby grimaced. "I'll draw its attention with gunfire. Yang, you get in close and get Nora and Ren out safely."
Yang rolled her head, then gave Ruby a firm nod. "You got it."
"I can help you distract the Grimm," Blake said.
To demonstrate, she flipped her sickle, revealing that the back-end was actually a pistol.
Ruby nodded. "Great."
"You won't be going in there alone, Yang," Weiss said, reaching their position, rapier in hand. All four of them were standing together.
"I'm counting on you," Yang said.
Blake stared at Ruby. "Whenever you're ready."
Ruby took one glance at the battlefield ahead. "Let's do this."
Yang ran ahead, catching the Deathstalker's attention with Ember Celica. Ren tapped Nora's shoulder, angling his head in their direction. She nodded, and both of them immediately made a break for it, passing Yang a few seconds later.
The Deathstalker scuttled forward, not willing to let its prey go, and Yang met the Grimm in a clash of pincer and gauntlet, buckling from the force of the strike. She sprung back from the dangerously quick stinger as Ruby dashed ahead, firing bullets from Crescent Rose as Blake added to the storm with lancing purple blasts.
Together, their fire was only enough to inconvenience the giant scorpion, but they didn't want to defeat it, just distract it. Yang jumped back, firing shotgun shells at the Deathstalker, giving Weiss the chance to fly in, jousting with her rapier.
With a powerful swing, white glowing symbols appeared in a line between her and the Grimm. Then, Weiss stabbed the grass with her rapier. Ice sprouted, rising faster and faster as it met each symbol until it encased the Deathstalker in its freezing grip.
Weiss turned, a proud smirk on her face. Then the ice began to crack, making Weiss' blue eyes bug out. Fortunately, Nora and Ren were out of the way, having passed Ruby with a grin and a respectful nod.
"Time to go!" Ruby said.
The four of them bolted towards the temple, and when they reached it, Weiss recoiled at the sight of Jaune and Pyrrha running together.
"I can't believe Pyrrha's partners with him!" Weiss said.
"Whine about that later!" Yang said.
The Deathstalker had broken free of the ice, gaining on them as the Nevermore loomed above, swiftly approaching their group with swift, steady beats of its massive wings.
Leaving the temple behind, Pyrrha caught up with them, Jaune in tow with a gold rook in his hand. Nora had taken a brief stop at the temple along with Ren, and she was clutching an identical gold rook. Eventually, their rush to get away from the Grimm led the eight of them to a series of abandoned ruins, nothing but fog below the stone bridge.
"What do we do now?" Jaune asked.
Running away had led them all to an effective dead end, and with the Grimm not willing to give up, there were two options left for Ruby and the others to take: either someone distracted the Grimm so that everyone else could escape to safety with the hope that they could find their own way out, or they fought as one team in order to defeat the threat standing in front of them.
The first option wouldn't work for long. Luckily, the second option was the only choice Ruby wanted to make.
Ruby's silver eyes glinted. "We fight."
Fight, they did. Ruby and her fellow students combined their various talents and weapons and showed no fear, destroying the Deathstalker and the stone bridge beneath it. Nailing the Nevermore down was tougher, but they managed to catch it against a cliff. With Weiss' glyphs boosting her speed and Blake's weapon propelling Ruby's jump, Ruby was able to dash to the summit of that cliff and behead the Nevermore.
Defeating the Grimm wasn't part of their mission, but it had helped them bring their relics to Professor Ozpin. Not only that, it had made one thing quite clear. Ruby could take a stand and defend other people without screwing things up. She had allies to pick up her slack, allies she could work with.
Now, Ruby stood alongside her new team inside Beacon Academy's amphitheatre, where they were being presented in front of a large audience. Jaune had been assigned leader of Team JNPR, chosen by Professor Ozpin to work with Pyrrha, the energetic Nora Valkyrie and the reserved Lie Ren.
Pyrrha looked very pleased with Jaune's new position. Ruby hoped Jaune could pull it off. Once they'd stepped aside, it was their turn to stand before Beacon's headmaster.
"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, and Ruby Rose, as you four retrieved the gold knight pieces, you shall be known as Team RWBY, to be led by none other than Ruby Rose!"
Ruby's mouth fell open as applause rang across the hall. She was going to lead a team? Her?
"I'm sure you'll do quite well, Ms. Rose," Ozpin said, a warm smile on his face. "Congratulations."
Yang slung her arm around Ruby's shoulders before Ruby could say anything. "You're gonna be an awesome leader, Ruby!"
Ruby looked at Yang's proud grin, and felt super warm. "Thanks, Yang."
She saw Weiss gasp, but it was quickly hidden, replaced by a calculating stare. Blake gave Ruby a small smile. At least she had her new partner's support. Probably.
They were led into a whirlwind of schedules and orientation, and while they learned where their classes would be and all that, it was kind of overwhelming. Once things wound down, Ruby wandered into the courtyard around Beacon's entrance, just trying to process everything that happened on her own.
Being a leader wasn't something she ever thought she'd have to be, but this was going to be part of her journey to becoming a great huntress. Now, she had to walk that path with a partner who was honestly kind of mystifying.
"Hello, Ruby," Blake said.
And she was with her, in the courtyard. Blake came to a stop about a foot away from Ruby, hands at her sides.
"Congratulations on being chosen as our leader."
Ruby's mouth wobbled, a smile threatening to appear. She didn't let it. "Thank you."
"I'm sure you'll do well."
Blake bounced from foot to foot. Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. This was getting awkward. What could she possibly say? She opened her mouth, willing to go with the first thing that came to mind, but Blake beat her to the punch.
"I owe you an apology. I was completely in the wrong for looking down on you just because you wanted to be like a storybook hero."
Ruby blinked once, eyes wide. Then she smiled. "Apology accepted, Blake. I'm sorry for shouting at you."
"I deserved it. I didn't know what you were coping with, but I assumed I did, and that wasn't remotely justified or fair."
"It hasn't been easy. Um..."
"You don't have to talk if you're feeling uncomfortable."
A sigh passed through Ruby's lips, and the tension in her body began to fade away. "Thanks."
Blake nodded, and extended her hand. "I'm looking forward to being your partner, Ruby."
She looked at her hand, saw the hint of concern threaten to overwhelm her golden eyes. There wasn't a good reason to reject her, so Ruby clasped Blake's hand in hers. It was pretty firm, calloused. But warm.
"I think we'll make a good team," Blake said.
They exchanged a smile.
Blake was still a mystery to her, but she really appreciated her apology, and now, Ruby was actually looking forward to spending time with her. They could find things to talk about, she could learn more about her weapon, and hopefully, she'd be able to make another friend.
Ruby left the courtyard.
Blake planned on joining her, but she heard heavy footsteps rapidly approaching. They belonged to Yang, who prowled into her guard, fists clenched.
"Hello, Yang."
"Blake."
Blake faced Yang fully, making eye contact with Ruby's older sister. She was met with a fierce glare, but she didn't flinch or shy away.
"I saw you shaking hands with Ruby," Yang said. "I hope you apologized."
"I did."
Yang tilted her head, looking like she was sizing Blake up. A long moment passed, before she dropped her shoulders, loosening her fists.
"Good. Ruby's been through a lot. She doesn't need you talking down to her."
Blake pursed her lips. "I won't. Ruby can definitely handle herself."
"Oh, I know. But now that you're her partner, you will watch out for her."
There was an underlying threat lacing Yang's words, but Blake chose to ignore it.
"You have nothing to worry about."
Yang gave her a blazing smile. "Glad to hear it, Blake. Don't let me down."
She didn't need Yang to motivate her. For Ruby's sake, and her own, Blake would do her best to help her new partner. That way, she could make good on her fresh start at Beacon Academy and put her past where it belonged.
Buried six feet deep.