A/N: Thanks for following along. PMs and reviews are always appreciated! Let me know how you're enjoying it thus far!
Laws of Attraction
The trees came upon her in an instant, but Pyrrha was ready. With deft fingers, she undid the clasps on Miló and Akoúo̱, her Semblance drawing them into her hands in one fluid motion. She positioned Akoúo̱ in front of her face, holding her blade behind her as the first few trunks hit.
They can break my fall, she thought sharply, eyeing a sturdy branch a few trees down the line of her trajectory. This'll have to do.
Without hesitation, she focused her Semblance upon Akoúo̱, willing the golden shield to retain its shape as her body crashed through tree trunks. Her eyes barely flinched as shrapnel flew around her, the descent leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Thankfully, she slowed down enough to roll to a stop upon the branch she had previously been eyeing from the air. The few trees she had demolished snapped, lumbering down like toppled giants behind her, but she paid them no mind as she shifted Miló into its rifle form, instead focusing her attention upon the vast canopy of the Emerald Forest below her. Where were the other students?
She could hear a few people yelping in pain, others in elation; but it seemed like the majority of people were indeed able to figure out their own landing strategy. She breathed out a sigh of relief. It would've troubled her if anyone was injured upon their first day.
And then, she perked up, hearing a faint scream steadily growing closer. That's concerning.
Peering through the rifle's sight expectantly, she saw a familiar blond spiraling head over heels across the sky. Even from this far away, she could make out the expression of pure terror on his face.
He has no plan, does he?
She chuckled internally, but her face was just as stoic as before. This was battle, after all. Spinning her rifle by the trigger, she shifted it into a javelin, the mechanical whirring of tiny motors settling her nerves as the point extended. She held up a thumb, marking her target's proposed flight path in the distance.
Finger still hooked on the trigger upon the javelin, she breathed out, in, out- 1, 2-
And snapped the trigger as she leaned her whole body into the throw, allowing the bullet which emerged from the back of the weapon to propel it the extra few hundred yards her throw would've missed. She kept her body low and inline, until she could finally stand straight after it disappeared behind the boy's body into the canopy.
After a moment, she heard the sharp thud of metal embedding into wood resonate through the trees, startling a few birds which took off.
"Thank you!" Jaune's voice sounded defeated as he cried out to her.
Pyrrha bit her lip, waving instinctively back, although it was too far to see him. Her battle mask broke unconsciously, a smile pulling her lips. "I'm sorry!" she called. Although she felt a bit guilty about pinning him to another wall with Miló for the second time in less than an hour, it soothed her heart to know that he was at least safe, just like the rest of the students were.
Her relief, however, quickly turned to dread. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die," Professor Ozpin had said earlier. If she had interpreted his words correctly, then that could only mean one thing.
Creatures of Grimm were waiting for them.
While Pyrrha wouldn't normally be concerned about a few Grimm, her sword was no longer by her side. And, to make matters more perilous, Jaune was likely stuck to a tree somewhere. That would make anyone uneasy, and uneasiness would draw the creatures to him. He was a meal, free for the picking. They would both suffer if she didn't find him, and fast.
Looking up at the sky, she squinted, looking at the sun just past its midday peak. Based on its position, Jaune's landing site was northbound of where she was standing. Perfect. The temple is that way, anyways.
She lithely began to jump down to the forest floor. While yes, Grimm were more likely to be lurking on the ground, her ability to run through the canopy was far weaker than manoeuvring through trunks on the ground- so, she landed upon a patch of moss, hearing the snap of twigs under her heel, and set forward at a brisk, but familiar pace.
Her senses were heightened due to the adrenaline from the fall. Off in the distance, she could hear excited yelps from other students. Presumably, they were meeting their partners for the first time- some of them were clearly friends from the past, as some of the calls were much more exuberant than others.
She sighed, momentarily letting the anxiety wash over her again. What if everyone nice is taken? she pondered, pushing onward through the brush. What if there's just no one left?
Find Jaune, the more reasonable part of her mind insisted. At the very least, he'll have Miló with him.
The image of the young man sprang unbidden into her mind. Looking back, he had already been wearing his armor when they had met. However, unlike hers, it was clear that his had been old, worn, and more than a little ill-fitting for his broader, toned frame. Hand-me-downs, perhaps? she guessed. Either way, I'm not sure he truly understands how to utilize it.
There had been a clumsiness to his movements whenever she had seen him over the past two days. His reflexes had seemed fairly slow, as well, in the locker room. If they were indeed to become partners, then she had the sneaking suspicion that she would be doing the majority of the heavy lifting.
However, as she walked, she couldn't help but let her mind wander a bit on that idea. Is that so bad, though? He made me laugh, and seems innocent enough. The image she had conjured up of the younger Jaune popped into her head once more, easing her nerves somewhat. There are definitely worse people.
A malicious little voice inside murmured, But what if those worse people have found him? What if he ends up with those boys from the opening ceremony? They'd eat him!
What if he ends up with… Weiss?
Almost instinctively, her whole body bristled at that idea, her footsteps quickening just a little. "Not on my watch," she muttered, thinking back on the girl's hostility towards Jaune. "Not if I can help it." She couldn't put her finger on it, but the very idea made her highly uncomfortable.
No, I need to find him. He… She softened.
He treated Pyrrha like any regular old classmate. And that- that was all she had ever wanted. She was not about to let it go, not this soon.
Thankfully, it didn't take long before his voice began breaking through the trees. "Wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?!"
Stepping into the target clearing at last, Pyrrha saw the trailing red of someone's cape, along with the shimmering white dress of Weiss, stomping away through the undergrowth on the other side of the clearing. A sigh of relief, and her shoulders sagged, the tension leaving her somewhat. I made it. She has her own partner, it seems.
Pyrrha fought down a laugh as she saw Jaune hanging helplessly two metres off the ground, Miló holding him in place by his hood. She crossed her arms, watching his expression flit from frustrated, to terrified, to heartbroken, and all the way back in only a few moments. It was so unusual for her to see- normally on missions or in competitions, the contestants were always serious, nothing but determination and sinister willpower upon their faces. Jaune, on the other hand, was just so animated.
It made her want to be more alive, too.
With a smirk, she called gently, "Jaune?"
The blond looked down at her waiting figure in shock, clearly having missed her entrance earlier.
Her smile widened wryly. "Do you… have any spots left on your team?"
Jaune pouted, crossing his arms and looking away. "Very funny," he huffed, but it was only for a moment. Finally, he looked back down at her, a warm smile on his lips. She couldn't help but smile back.
"I'm assuming you'd like some help," she called mildly.
He rolled his eyes, exaggerating the movement for comedy. "Oh, that would be lovely, thanks," he said, sarcastic, but his words had no bite to them.
She nimbly hopped up the branches of the tree to stand at the same level as Jaune. "Brace yourself for landing," she warned.
"Um, what's that supposed to-"
And she jumped, grabbing the grip of her javelin and using her momentum to dislodge the weapon from the trunk. Instantly, she pulled the trigger and compressed it, putting it back beside Akoúo̱ with her polarity until it clicked into place. And with an elegant landing, she was back on the forest floor, not a hair out of place.
A resounding crash behind her made her jump. She spun around, only to find an extremely frazzled Jaune rubbing his head sorely. A giggle finally escaped as she reached out a friendly hand. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked gently.
Suddenly, her mind was back in Mistral in the Regional Tournament, and before her eyes, Jaune was replaced by her last few opponents. Her body froze, a chill sweeping over her from head to toe as the coldness of their gazes penetrated her core.
"Wow, the Pyrrha Nikos is strong and kind. You're pretty incredible, huh?" But the words had been so, so empty. So defeated. This is just like back then; did I just show off? I didn't mean to at all, but what if he saw it that way? What if he's angry? Oh gods, what do I do, what-
But then, a large, warm hand took hers, startling her out of her thoughts. With wide eyes, she looked down at a sheepish Jaune, who smiled back at her with just as much joy in his eyes. "I'm good. Thanks, Pyrrha," he said simply.
Wordlessly, she pulled him to his feet, brushing off some of the dirt on his shoulders and pauldron.
He stretched, unaware of her inner turmoil. "Well, I guess this is happening, huh?" He squared up to her, looking straight into her eyes. "I guess we should properly introduce ourselves then."
She furrowed her brow, still waiting for the inevitable scorn she was so used to receiving.
Instead, Jaune held out his hand once more. "I'm Jaune Arc. And you?"
Hesitantly, she clasped it. "I'm… Pyrrha Nikos."
A broad, beaming smile broke out on his face, eyes crinkled with excitement. He squeezed her hand, eagerness oozing from every pore. "It's great to meet you, partner."
And with those words, all the anxiety she had felt about teams melted away. Squeezing back, she smiled wide, happiness lighting her eyes as well. Everything would be okay. "It's great to meet you too… partner."