Author's Notes: I just wanna say this real quick... HOLY SHIT THIS RECEPTION IS FANTASTIC! I mean, I was worried this story wouldn't receive much attention, but damn! I gotta thank you guys, especially with all of the crap I have been receiving lately in real-life. I can't really publish and work on chapters as I have in the past, hell some stories I can't stand to look at anymore, as they were stories me and my dear friend, Joshua, have been storming on. He died not too long ago, and addition to that, school life, despite me being on summer break, has been hell on me.
Not only that, but I've been working on looking out for a dear friend of mine. He's Joshua's younger brother, and despite the fact that he is in middle school, he is a very smart and bright kid. He already has his own fanfiction account here! If you are interested, his username is Otaku-Nation666, and has published two stories so far; RWBY: Within Enlightened Hearts, which is a story we have been working on together, and Tokyo Ghoul: Wishes of an Eyepatch. I highly recommend you check them out!
Speaking of RWBY, in regards to my story, Colorless Memories, I have posted a new poll. As the populace has determined that Lyxus will be a male joining Team RWBY, it is now time for the pairings. Please take a look if you are interested in it.
That is enough of me. Please enjoy the chapter!
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life." -Revelation 21:6
RWBY: Black Rebellion
"...n? Reeeeeeen~! Wake up, Ren! It's moooooooorning~!"
Lie Ren was anything but a morning person. He turned over in his sleeping back, trying his best to tune out the rousing words. The source of said words huffed in frustration. The individual then jumped up and landed on the sleeping teen. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's morning Ren!" She hopped up and down on his chest as she straddled him.
He groaned in discomfort, opening of his eyes to see an ever-familiar face. It was hard not to recognize her green eyes and orange hair, as well as that damned grin that he was convinced was permanently glued to her face. "...Nora," he said politely. "Please. Get off."
"Okay!" The hyper ginger grinned as she hopped off him. The victim of her behavior rose from his sleep, rubbing his eyes. He was a young male around the same age as the girl, with long black hair with a pink streak on the side. He blinked away the drowsiness in his eyes, revealing pink irises. '...it's way too early in the morning for this.' he thought tiredly. "C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Nora tried to pull him out of bed. "We gotta go! They're serving PANCAKES!" Of course she would be thinking about stuff like that. For as long as he could possibly remember, Nora was a hyperactive ball of energy that you couldn't turn off, no matter how hard you tried. To put it bluntly, she was a staggering piece of work that was like a typhoon. As soon as it passes by, you can see the damages and how horrible they are. He wondered how he was able to put up with her, but he chalked it up to them being friends since childhood. They've always been close, hence why they were now at Beacon Academy.
That, and lord knows what would happen if he left Nora alone.
ESPECIALLY if she had chosen to consume any form of caffeine or copious amounts of sugar.
"So, boys and girls," Yang grinned as she slipped on a pair of familiar yellow gauntlets. "You ready to raise some hell?"
Rouge shook his head, amused while Ruby smiled. "Yep. After all, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking~" She said giddily as she whipped out Crescent Rose. "How about you, bro?" she asked, turning to Rouge. "You going to introduce the world to Wilted Requiem?"
"Believe me...I had full intention of doing so." He replied simply, taking said item from his assigned locker, which was right next to Ruby's.
"Sounds like you two are ready and roaring to go." their sister nodded in approval. "So, how do you think teams are going to go?"
"Well, they're probably going to be decided during Initiation." Rouge answered. "The teachers have been rather tight-lipped about it, and the second-year students have been instructed not to say anything, so the only real, actual question is who are partners will be." A snort escaped him. "I'm fine with anyone else, so long as they aren't a certain heiress and Winchester."
The girls nodded in understanding, as neither of the people mentioned were on their brother's good side. Ruby then grinned in elation.
"That's perfect! Then we can be on the same team, bro!"
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Ruby?" she asked. "C'mon, we've been over this. You need to start opening up, meet new people!"
"I agree." Rouge nodded. "You can't be around us for the rest of your life."
Ruby groaned. "Oh, come on you guys!"
"You have to remember, Ruby." Rouge said in an admonished tone. "We're not the only ones going through Initiation. If you want to grow up, you're going to have to meet new people and learn to work together."
At this, his twin groaned. "Ugh, you sound like dad!" she complained. "Okay, first of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up." She folded her arms, and nodded strongly. "I drink milk."
"...and yet you're still flat."
Both girls froze and looked at their brother. He did not just go there. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You...PERVERT!" Ruby screamed at him, covering her chest with her arms. "I'M STILL GROWING!"
What?" he shrugged, honestly seeing no problem with stating such an obvious fact. "Face facts, big sister. Eleven years, and your chest has only gotten a few centimeters bigger. In other words, you. Are. Flat."
"S-SHUT UP!" the red reaper, her face as red as her hood. "AND THAT'S ANCIENT HISTORY!"
"Eleven years hardly counts as ancient history."
"W-well, um..." Yang stammered, having been thrown for a loop with Rouge's comment. She was usually the one making such innuendos, not the other way around. Still, he had a point. "S-so, who do you think we'll be partnered up with?"
Ruby frowned. "I'll just be on yours or Rouge's team or something..." she muttered before sending a glare to her brother. She was quite sore about his comment earlier. What kind of brother brings up his sister's measurements?! Seriously! She expected that sort of thing from Yang, not him! '
"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team." the brawler suggested. "You know, like Vomit boy!"
"His name is Jaune, by the way." Rouge informed her. "And I'll have to agree with Yang on this one."
At this, Ruby frowned heavily as she waltzed up to the two, pointing an accusing finger at them. "My dearest siblings," she said with a glare, hands on her hips. Rouge smiled thinly. It was rather cute how tough she was looking. "Are you implying that you don't wish to be on the same team as me?"
"That all depends." her twin said with a smirk. "Are you going to shoot us with Crescent Rose if we say yes?"
"...that is up for debate." Ruby deadpanned.
"W-what?" Yang chuckled nervously. In truth, she was hoping that Ruby would be able to fit in with other people on another team, though she was still perfectly fine with the idea of her sister joining her team, but she still wished for her to connect with others. After all, they wouldn't be together forever. "No! Of course I do, it's just... I dunno, maybe it would help you break out of your shell."
"What the?!" Ruby gawked. "I don't need to break out of my shell, that's absolutely-!"
"Ridiculous!" The three blinked, their conversation halting as Jaune strolled past them, a piece of paper in his hand. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday!" A tired, worn chuckle escaped him. "I would've remembered if I had to count that high!" he groaned. "Ugh, why does this have to happen to me today?!"
He was unaware that he strolled past the red-haired girl from the auditorium, as well as Weiss, the two currently engaged in conversation. "So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to who's team you'd like to be on?" she asked curiously. The girl standing beside her was none other than Pyrrha Nikos, the undisputed, undefeated Champion of Mistral, three years running. It had come as quite a shocker when the heiress had learned that she would be attending Beacon, but it only came to show just how prestigous Beacon was. It was perhaps on par with Atlas Academy, if what her sister told her was to be believed, in spite of the military standing. "I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual, such as yourself."
Rouge overheard this, and raised an eyebrow. 'Pyrrha?' he questioned, immediately recognizing the name. 'Pyrrha Nikos? The undefeated Minstral Champion? She's actually attending Beacon?' A smile formed. 'Well, this certainly became a lot more interesting.'
"Hmm..." Pyrrha cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips, deep in thought. "I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may." Inwardly though...she was lamenting. She came to Beacon in order to get away from her reputation. For the past few years, people only got to know her as Pyrrha Nikos, the Champion. Not Pyrrha Nikos, the person. Her parents were there for her, of course, but she really wished she to make actual friends.
Weiss was unaware of this fact, as she smiled. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." she offered. Inside of her mind, a chibi version of her was grinning like mad as thunder boomed around her, hands clenched around her fists as she giggled madly at her own dastardly thoughts. 'This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class, combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now: We'll be popular, we'll be celebrities, we'll get perfect grades! Nothing could come between us!'
Sadly, however, life threw her a curveball as Jaune noticed Weiss, and smiled. He remembered what she had said back during the assembly. He always knew these rougish looks from his dad would get him the girl! And a pretty cute one at that! Although, he did have to admit, the red-haired girl called Pyrrha was also cute herself. She had this sort of Amazon look going for her, and those eyes seemed so alluring... Oh yeah, it was official. He was going to LOVE Beacon if cute girls like them were going to be here! "You know what else is great?" he said as he walked up to them. "Me, Jaune Arc." He grinned. "Nice to meet you."
Rouge rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to face-palm. 'Oi vay...'
The heiress groaned. "You again?"
"It's nice to meet you too, Jaune." Pyrrha gave a friendly wave. Maybe this will be a start in making friends.
Jaune grinned back. "Hello." he said politely before turning back to Weiss. "So, Weiss. I couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."
Yang stifled a laugh while Ruby managed to hide her snickers. Rouge, however, was getting close to slapping his own forehead. Really, how dense could this idiot be?! She was clearly being sarcastic when she was talking with Ruby about him! Obviously, however, Jaune proved to be quite idiotic, evident by his attempts to woo the Schnee Heiress. He had a feeling that this was going to be painful to watch.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding." Weiss grumbled, clearly annoyed with him. She had no interest in such a plain, idiotic, and moreover, inept fool like him. How in the hell did he even get the idea of her being attracted to him?! Did he not realize that she was being sarcastic?!
"Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed. So, been hearin' rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me could make a good one."
"Actually," Pyrrha spoke up. "If memory serves me correctly, the teams are made up four students."
"Really? That's cool! Maybe we can all be on the same team." Jaune smiled.
Weiss felt her eyebrow twitch. Was he SERIOUSLY thinking that Pyrrha Nikos would consider joining someone like him?! "Jaune, is it?" she asked, earning a nod. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"Um..." he tilted his head. "A cute redhead?"
Pyrrha blushed at that, though she was slightly confused. Did he not know who she was? No, that couldn't be it. So far, everyone she's met has recognized her almost immediately, usually after she introduced herself to them. But, from what she seen so far... He really had no idea. While she was curious as to how he didn't know who she was, she wasn't about to dwell on it. In fact, she felt pretty happy that there was someone who was not aware of her reputation.
"Her name is Pyrrha Nikos," Weiss introduced the red-head properly as said girl waved at him with a smile. "She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum Academy."
Jaune shrugged. "Never heard of it." Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly. Sanctum was easily one of the most famous training academies, located in Mistral, similar to Haven. Now she was honestly starting to think that he REALLY had no idea who she was.
"She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament 4 years in a row!" Weiss growled. "That is a new record!"
"The what?" Okay, he didn't even know what the yearly famous regional tournament, which brought warriors, both self-taught and Huntsmen, to Mistral to see who the better warrior was? Her eyes widened further as she felt her heart began to quicken.
Weiss yelled loudly, flailing her arms wildly in frustration. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmellow Flakes box!"
"Haa!" Jaune gasped in amazement. He then pointed at Pyrrha. "That's you?! That's amazing! They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters."
Okay, at least he knows THAT! "Yeah...it was pretty cool. Sadly the cereal isn't very good for you..."
Still, though, it was now official. She was interested in the blonde called Jaune Arc. "So, after hearing all of this, do you think you're in any position to ask her to be on your team?" Weiss asked, almost condescendingly so.
Jaune sighed in depression, hanging his head low. "I... guess not."
"For what it's worth, Jaune," Pyrrha offered him a smile as she put an assuring hand on his shoulder. "I think you would make a great leader."
"Y-you think so?"
"Ugh," the heiress rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him, Pyrrha. This sort of behavior should not be encouraged."
The blonde grinned back at her, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, sounds to me like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune." he said, almost proudly so. "Spots are filling up quick!"
Rouge lost his patience, and face-palmed. "Oh, for the love of Remnant...!"
"Now I'm not supposed to do this but maybe I can pull some strings, find a place for you? What do you say?" Jaune asked Weiss as he leaned closer.
"Alright, that's a bit too close." Then she looked over pleadingly at the red head. "Pyrrha, a little help please?"
"Sure." The girl nodded. Jaune turned around to her direction...only to get the sight of a javelin being hurled toward him. The projectile caught him by the shirt and pinned him to a wall of lockers. "I'm sorry."
s Jaune began to pry himself out of the lockers, and remove the javelin from his clothing, the PA system cackled online. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation?" the voice of Glynda Goodwitch asked of them. "Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."
With that, Weiss walked past Jaune, not giving him so much as a second glance, causing his heart to further drown itself in sorrow while Pyrrha looked a bit sheepish in her actions as she pulled her weapon out from the wall, thus allowing him to slump down to the floor. "It was nice meeting you." she told him before quickly rejoining Weiss.
Jaune sighed. "Likewise..." he mumbled before he saw Ruby offering him a hand up.
"Having some trouble there, lady-killer?" Yang joked, having been vastly amused by his futile attempts to steal Weiss' heart, only to fail miserably. She had to admit, it was like watching a puppy trying to get the attention of a seriously grouchy old woman to no avail.
"I just don't understand." Jaune shook his head in confusion as he took Ruby's hand, standing back up to his feet. "My dad said that all women look for is confidence." He hung his head low in depression. "Where did I go wrong?"
Rouge sighed, shaking his head. "Jaune," he said, looking the blonde knight dead in the eye. "You DO realize that Weiss was being sarcastic the other day about her comments, right?"
One could practically hear the sound of his heart shattering.
"She was?!" Jaune's head snapped up, then fell back down in depression. "Aww man..."
"Well, look on the bright side..." Yang offered.
"What bright side?"
"It seemed like Pyrrha was interested in you."
The boy seemed a little bit hopeful, but still had a sad look on his face. "...do you really think so?"
"Well, she wouldn't have been smiling at you, or given you that compliment about being a leader if she wasn't interested in you." Ruby said, trying to cheer her friend up. "Anyways, let's go! We're going to find out about our team arrangements!"
"Yeah!" Yang fist pumped.
"You are all way to optimistic...but not unrealistic..." Rouge admitted. He was interested on how teams were going to be arranged, however. With that in mind, the four left the locker rooms, heading to their destination.
"...for years you have trained to become warriors." Ozpin began, once he observed the crowd to see if everyone was present. They were all lined up, single file, placed into a row. Rouge was among the first to notice that they were all placed on small platforms. He shrugged it off, thinking that it would perhaps have something to do with how they would be conducting the Initiation, and remained silent. "And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
"Now," Glynda took over the explanation, her Scroll held in her hand. "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." She pushed up her glasses, creating a glare. "Each of you will be given teammates... TODAY."
Ruby's face dropped. "W-what?" she mumbled, no suddenly scared. They were going to get teammates today?! B-but it was the first day! Why so suddenly?! Ooooh, she wasn't ready for this!
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin stated. "So it is within your best interest to be paired with someone whom you work well with." Ruby whined further as she cast a glance at Rouge, who looked eager to begin, and her older sister, who was cracking her knuckles, a wry grin on her face, definitely anticipating action. Okay, she had given some thought to joining another team, provided they seemed nice... but after hearing that? It was official, she was DEFINITELY going to be on the same team as either Rouge or Yang. They were the only ones she knew here (besides Jaune) and was aware of their fighting capabilities, whereas everyone else was a complete unknown.
"That said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
Ruby felt like her entire world just shattered. Coincidentally, Rouge heard the sound of glass breaking. "WHAAAAT?!" The first person...they make eye contact with?! That was so random! How could they even know they will work well together?! They could be completely incompatible for all they know. These thoughts ran through the twins' heads. Ruby was horrified by the very notion while Rouge was greatly intrigued.
An orange-haired girl grinned widely as she shook the shoulders of the boy next to her. "See?" she cheered. "I told you!"
"After you've partnered up, make your way up to the northern end of the forest." he instructed them. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die." Rouge smirked. That should have been a given, but it worked in his favor just fine. He had no intention showing any mercy to anything or anyone that stood in his path."
Jaune laughed nervously at this, and gulped down a nervous lump in his throat. "...I am so screwed." he whimpered to himself. Ruby nodded strong in agreement, but her despair was in regards to the partnership system that was just revealed to her.
"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your Initiation." Ozpin said as he looked to Glynda. "But our instructors will not intervene." He then turned back to the Initiates. "You will then find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one relic, and then return to the Cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately." He took a drink of his coffee before continuing. "Are there any questions?"
Jaune raised his hand. "Yeah, um, sir-"
"Good! Now, take your positions."
Ozpin outright ignored Jaune, and allowed the students to take their stances. Ruby slipped herself into a running stance, while Yang rubbed her wrists, ready to begin as she slipped on a pair of aviators. Rouge took out Wilted Requiem, and fell into a stance similar to Ruby's. Jaune still held up his hand. "Uh, sir? I've got a question." He failed to notice Weiss being launched into the air, her form turning into a white streak across the blue backdrop above them. It was now that the male Rose twin understood why they had been placed on these stones. "So, this landing strategy thing, uh, w-what is it? Are you...are you like, dropping us off?" He asked hopefully.
"No. You will be falling." Ozpin answered bluntly.
A teen with a blonde mohawk was launched next.
"Oh...I see...So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" Jaune was getting more antsy by the second.
"Woohoo!" Nora was launched next.
"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."
"Uh...huh..." Jaune was still uncertain. Meanwhile, Yang looked over to her siblings and winked before slipping on a pair of aviators. Ruby gave a determined grin as she was launched next. Rouge narrowed his eyes and smirked before he too was launched. Now it was only Jaune left with Ozpin and Glynda.
"So, uh...what exactly is a landing strataGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY...?!" The blonde could barely finish his question before he was launched and sent tumbling into the air, heels over head.
Ozpin turned to face the airborne initiates...and took a sip of coffee from his mug. "...this will certainly be an interesting Initiation." Glynda commented, looking at her Scroll. "However, you forgot to mention something, Headmaster."
"Oh?"
"...we have an odd-number of Students." she said. "Among the pairs, there will be a three-man team."
Ozpin smiled mysteriously as he shrugged. "I thought it would be best to make things interesting." he said before turning to his side, staring at the shadows behind him. "Wouldn't you agree, old friend?"
"...okay, be honest with me here, Oz." a familiar voice said as they stepped out from the shadows. It was a middle-aged man with graying black, spiky hair, red eyes, a slight stubble along his jawline, and wore a red, tattered cloak, and a gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. He also had a ring on his right index finger, two other rings on his right fourth finger, and a necklace with a crooked cross-shaped pendant. His bangs were down, and a wry smile was on his face. "How long have you known?"
"Since they arrived." the Headmaster of Beacon said. "So, how goes your investigations? Fruitful, I hope?"
"More or less..." The man rubbed the back of his head. "I have a few leads, but as soon as I get close enough to them, they just disappear. It's gotten pretty annoying..."
Ozpin hummed thoughtfully. "I see..." he said. "I figured as much. Still, I doubt you just came here to give me a report in person."
The man chuckled. "Am I that obvious?" he asked.
Glynda rolled her eyes. "Qrow, you are as obvious your smell." she said bluntly with a glare. "Also, do keep in mind that you are on school grounds. If I see you take out that flask, I WILL use force."
"Alright, alright!" Qrow held his hands out in defense. "No need to get all testy, Glynda. Besides...I actually want to be sober for this."
"Really now? It's that serious?"
Qrow nodded. "I assume," Ozpin said slowly. "This is in regards to your nephew and nieces?"
"Well, more Rouge than anything, but I wanted to see how the firecracker and Ruby are doing too."
Glynda frowned. "...Why Rouge in particular?"
"It's...complicated..." Qrow admitted. "To be honest...I'm worried about him."
"How do you mean?" the blonde professor asked curiously. "I've read his records. He's an outstanding student. He's always at the top of his classes, despite his low attendance record, and his skills are on par with Ruby. He could have easily skipped ahead by one year, maybe two if he truly pushed himself."
"That isn't why I'm worried." the drunkard said, his eyes narrowed. "Ever since Summer died... he's started to go down the same path my sister did." His eyes narrowed, turning red for a brief moment. "And THAT scares me." This caused Glynda to freeze and Ozpin to turn his head toward him. The same path as Raven...? The last they heard from her was...
"...Qrow," Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "Does this have anything to do with the Black Fang?"
"It's only a gut feeling more than anything, really." The man admitted.
"A gut feeling, you say?" Glynda inquired. "Well, that is certainly a cause for concern." Despite the obvious jest, she narrowed her eyes. "Ending up like Raven, huh... That is something I don't wish to see from a child." Her eyes softened. "Especially Summer's."
"I know. That's why I'm concerned." Qrow agreed with her. The eyes he saw on his nephew...should NEVER be seen on a child.
And he'd be damned if he would ever let that boy walk that path.
Similar to Yang's approach, boosting her flight through the use of her Ember Celica, Rouge used the recoil of Wilted Requiem to bounce him through the air. Additionally, he used the effects of his Gravity Dust rounds, which further added to the boosts. He was soaring through the air for close to a minute before he stopped, using his scythe to catch himself unto a branch and slow down his descendent, jumping off branch by branch before touching the ground. He scanned the area for any immediate threats, straining his ears as he listened for the sounds of Grimm, or anyone close to him.
When it became clear that there wasn't anything around, Rouge made his way deep into the forest.
As he trekked through the woods, he fell back into his thoughts, weighing options and assessing situations. 'Let's see...based on how far I've landed, I should be close to the temple. That being said, there is also a good chance others have made it to the same distance as I have...'
As he considered possible candidates for partners, his mind raced to the people he has become acquainted with since his stay. As Ozpin had suggested, it was within their best interest to ally himself with someone he worked well with. The best idea would be either Yang or Ruby, but he also considered Blake. She appeared to be quite and docile, but he held a strange feeling that she might be quite dangerous in her own right. He also, much to his own disgust, considered Weiss, as much as he would loath such a partnership, but he wouldn't allow his own feelings to get in the way of combat. After all, communication was crucial to partnerships, and while he did not like her, he can at least tolerate her to some extent. There was also Jaune, but he somehow doubted that the boy knew any real combat experience. To him, it seemed like he wasn't even remotely ready for combat.
'If I narrow down my options, Ruby and Yang are the best choices.' he decided. 'Although, another could be Blake or Schnee...' He paused. 'Provided we don't try to kill each other.'
But before he could divulge in his thoughts further, the snapping of a twig caught his attention. Following the noise was a series of low, reverberating growls. From what he remembered, Rouge determined the foe to be Beowolves, approximately fifteen of them given the sounds all around him. He set a hand on Wilted Requiem, allowing the scythe to unfold.
His eyes narrowed. "...come on."
In the next second, black beasts leaped out, red orbs glaring at mismatched eyes.
Inititation, part I...END
"If a king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" -?
