A/N: If anyone doesn't know the rules to chess, just look them up or message me- I'm a chess nerd. Also, am I reading into it too much? Maybe. Who cares? It makes me happy, and I'm going to enjoy nerding out symbolically.

Let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy this chapter :D

Laws of Attraction

The crowd roared loudly, applause thundering through the amphitheatre. It was mind-boggling, seeing the seats filled to the brim along the edges of the room, the floor flooded with bodies. Students, professors, and other staff members watched eagerly as the initiation ceremony came to a close, anxious to see what the incoming students had to offer. It was such a drastic difference from the opening ceremony they had experienced just the day before.

Professor Ozpin stood upon the center of the stage, the large projector screen behind him lit up with the faces of the freshman who had passed the initiation. Pyrrha stood anxiously in file with the other students stage right, biting her lip as Professor Goodwitch split the students into groups of four as they approached the edge of the stage.

This is it. These are our teams. Her palms were sweaty, and suddenly she was extremely thankful she was wearing her gloves to hide her nervousness.

She could hear Jaune nervously mumble beside her, "Oh, please don't make me go up there…"

Putting on a brave face, she turned and smiled at him. "C'mon, Jaune. We faced all those Grimm! We can go up there for two minutes."

"Yeah," he muttered, "but that's like… two whole minutes of people seeing how dirty my armour is."

She had to bite back a laugh, raising an eyebrow at his disheveled state. Absentmindedly, she picked a leaf out of his blond hair, eliciting a pout from him. "Well, at least the stage lights will hide some of the stains?"

"Oh, Pyrrha, you're not helping," he moaned, shuffling forward with her as the line progressed upwards. They were almost at the very front of the line, Professor Goodwitch standing just a few feet away. In her hands was her Scroll, displaying student ID pictures in groupings in order to find everyone.

"Miss Nikos!" she called smartly, gesturing with her riding crop at the space in front of her. "Bring Mr. Arc with you, he looks like he's about to faint."

"Yes ma'am!" Pyrrha replied, flushing at the sudden call. "Okay Jaune, let's go."

"But I don't want to…" he whined, but he allowed himself to be pulled towards Professor Goodwitch obediently.

"Where are the other two?" the woman muttered quietly, scanning the crowd of nervous freshman with squinted eyes. At last, she found who she was looked for. "Ah, Miss Valkyrie! Get over here!"

"Ooh, yes ma'am!" came the bubbly voice. "C'mon, Ren, wake up!"

And suddenly, Nora and Ren were standing next to Pyrrha, warm smiles on their faces. "We meet again," Ren said quietly.

Before Pyrrha could reply, her attention was caught by the group of four who was currently being called to the front before them. Professor Goodwitch gestured towards their placement, saying, "Do what they're doing when you're called. Stand at ease in line, don't act out. Understood?"

Nora gave a silly salute and giggled, drawing out a weary sigh from the instructor before she moved along to find the next group of people.

Looking at the other two, realization struck Pyrrha. Wait… are we a team?

Professor Ozpin called into the large microphone, "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." The large screen pulled up the four profiles of the boys as they walked awkwardly to stand in front of the headmaster, hands clasped behind their backs. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, let by… Cardin Winchester!"

The tallest boy smirked, and Pyrrha shifted in discomfort. These were the boys she had seen during the opening ceremony being rude to everyone, and as she saw the defiance in the tallest's (presumably Cardin's) eyes, she had a sinking feeling that the rude streak she had witnessed wouldn't be ending anytime soon.

But then, they were gone, the crowd's applause had died down, and Professor Goodwitch gently tapped her crop upon the first step onto the stage, murmuring, "Go."

Hesitantly, Jaune and Pyrrha, followed by Ren and Nora, wandered out onto the stage. Just as all the previous teams had, they formed a line in front of Professor Ozpin, trying to ignore the giant portraits of themselves being flashed upon the screen in a flurry of animation.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie." He paused, running his eyes over the four of them. Pyrrha kept her face composed, but she could hear Nora shifting around in anticipation, and Jaune gulping nervously on her right. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR."

So they must've picked up the other white rook before we arrived, Pyrrha thought to herself. Amidst the commotion, no one had shared with each other what piece each pair had chosen, so it was surprising to see that they had all decided upon the same one.

Nora giggled brightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the orange-haired girl turn and give Ren an enthusiastic hug. It brought out another wave of applause from the proud audience.

Professor Ozpin raised a brow, but continued, "Led by… Jaune Arc!"

"Huh? L-led by…?" Jaune stuttered, looking around anxiously.

Leaning forward, the headmaster murmured, "Congratulations, young man."

Pyrrha felt a smile grow on her face. Although she wasn't expecting it, having Jaune be the leader of their team wasn't a bad thing, not at all- he was kind, approachable, and although he wasn't the strongest, it was clear he could keep a level head in battle. He also had no animosity towards her, which is something she was very grateful for. Looking around, she realized that Ren had his speed, and Nora had some insane stamina and power- combined with Pyrrha's well-rounded skillset, they could definitely become a formidable team.

Plus, they're all so genuine. That thought shone in her mind, and a wide smile took over. Mischievously, she punched Jaune's shoulder, much like he had done back on the Cliffs. However, he clearly was not expecting any force whatsoever, as the boy lost his balance and fell over, landing awkwardly upon his bottom. Immediately, the audience burst into laughter, with an expression of shock still sitting upon Jaune's face.

Pyrrha froze in shock as well, but he quickly flashed a rueful smile her way despite the blush spreading to the tips of his ears, so she let it go, grinning back. Helping him up, she felt an arm link with hers. "C'mon, slowpokes, we gotta go!" Nora said, smile reaching from ear to ear.

The redhead began blushing as well under the scrutiny of the audience and with the contact, so she helped Jaune straighten up and walked off the other end of the stage as Professor Ozpin began to call out the next team.

Upon the other side, everyone was whispering in their new teams. Team CRDL guffawed loudly in the corner, but the rest of the teams seemed subdued, nervous, and awkward. However, with the friendly arm linked with hers, and Jaune standing close on her other side, she felt comfortable… safe.

They turned to look up at the stage, where Ruby had just been named the leader of her team, consisting of Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Yang jumped up and ran to give Ruby a big hug, drawing more laughter from the audience.

"Me 'n Ruby are the team leaders, huh," Jaune whispered, looking at his open hands. "Leaders."

Pyrrha smiled, shaking her head. She bumped her shoulder into his (albeit with much, much less force than earlier) to draw his attention. "I told you you'd make a great team leader."

The flush on his cheeks deepened. "Yeah." He turned his eyes back up to the stage. "Yeah."

Nora finally let go of her arm in order to hug Ren once more, so Pyrrha simply crossed her arms, shifted her weight to one leg, and watched the rest of her peers get sorted into teams. A few of the final teams were awkward- no one had drawn the matching pairs. But, somehow, the rest of sorting passed without incident.

Yet, something continued to bug Pyrrha- there had been only enough relics for all the student pairs. Why were there any left over?

"As we all can see, not all of the pieces were taken," Professor Ozpin said at last. "Seven of the pieces were left behind- meaning that fourteen students did not make it to the end of initiation."

A few gasps erupted from the crowd at his sudden shift in tone, his voice dark and foreboding. "We warned them of the dangers of a Huntsman Academy. Although the testing for our school is rigorous, sometimes, true battle is enough to overwhelm students. And in these cases, we cannot allow them to stay here." Murmurs began to break over the crowd.

The headmaster held up one hand to lull the audience. "Do not fear- no life was lost today, however close some may have been. Every student who entered the Academy is safe, although their spots here are not as secure. They shall return to their combat schools, free to pursue life where it should take them- and if they should like to retry for our Academy in coming years, Beacon will always welcome those who are able to defend our future peace. Let us give a round of applause for those who gave their best efforts today, and wish them luck in the future."

A solemn clap spread over the room, as people stood to cheer on the efforts of the fourteen students who hadn't made it past the initiation.

"We actually did it," Jaune breathed out as the applause died down. The audience began to file out of the amphitheatre, leaving only the newly appointed teams behind. "We made it through."

"Heck yeah we did!" Nora cried, pumping a fist in the air. "We're gonna be so awesome."

Pyrrha laughed at their enthusiasm, but something was still bothering her. Unfortunately, before she could add to the conversation, Professor Goodwitch's voice floated through the microphone. "Students, may I have your attention, please."

Now that majority of the guests had left, the teams all crawled away from the wings and stood in front of the stage. The prim Huntress looked down upon the students with an expression of boredom, with Professor Ozpin nowhere to be seen. "All of your belongings have been sent to your rooms," she stated. "From tonight onwards, you shall live with your teams. Nameplates are on the doors, and you have already been sent the keycodes to unlock them with your Scrolls. The uniforms you were sized for during intake have also been placed in your living areas. It is up to you to maintain your bedrooms, but be warned- quarterly inspections will occur. We do not tolerate filth here."

The students replied with a chorus of agreement. Raising a brow, she continued dryly, "I'd advise you spend the rest of tonight splitting up your living areas. Four years will be a long, long time if you do not learn to work together, both on, and off the battlefield." With that, she shut her Scroll and stalked offstage.

"Oh, I told you it would be an eternal slumber party!" Nora squealed. "Oh, this is awesome! Let's go, let's go!"

Ren nodded amusedly, waving to Pyrrha and Jaune. "We should try and unpack," he explained softly, pulling out his own Scroll. "According to the schedule they sent us, we have classes tomorrow."

"Gross, I'm all sore," Jaune groaned, but obediently, the four students began to follow their peers out of the amphitheatre and towards the dorms. Out of the corner of her eye, Pyrrha spotted a familiar cane and coffee mug duo standing off to the side of the large room.

"I'll be there in a second, everyone!" she said quickly.

Jaune turned in surprise, reaching out a hand. "Wha- wait, Pyrrha!"

But she ignored him, jogging over to where Professor Ozpin stood in the shadows of the amphitheatre. The man's face was cold, his eyes hidden behind the glasses he wore, still tinted despite the darkness of night outside the amphitheatre doors. "Miss Nikos," he said dryly, as if he wasn't surprised. "I've heard much about you."

Awkwardly, Pyrrha suddenly realized what she had done. Her legs had carried her over to the headmaster's spying form before she could even think about what she really wanted to say- and now that she was here, her mouth was dry, her tongue thick.

He watched her in silence, occasionally drinking from his mug. When at last she didn't speak, he commented, "You performed admirably today. It seems that your reputation did not overstate your abilities."

"O-oh," she stammered, bowing lightly. "Thank you very much, sir." Her mind raced, trying to figure out how exactly to put into words what she was feeling. "I didn't do it alone."

"Yes, well," he said, "that much was clear. It makes me curious what you could accomplish alone, Miss Nikos."

She stiffened at that comment. "What do you mean, sir? Isn't this academy, the teams system, all about working with other Huntsmen and Huntresses?"

He smiled, but she could tell that it wasn't reaching his eyes. "You're absolutely right, Miss Nikos. Forgive my rambling- I'm a bit preoccupied." When she didn't respond, he added, "As are you, it seems."

"Yes, well, sir," she started, holding her bracer with her hand, "I wanted to ask you something."

"And that is?" The man shifted, watching her with impassive eyes.

She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. "Well… why were those the relics?"

"Hm?"

Pyrrha sighed. There was no beating around the bush- the others were waiting for her, so she might as well just come out and say it. "Why were we assigned teams based on chess pieces?"

Professor Ozpin raised a brow, but a small, wry smile pulled at his lips. "Well, Miss Nikos, I certainly was not expecting this to be your concern."

"But it's odd!" she insisted. "There are so many things we could've used, like…" But her brain failed to supply her with any other tangible symbol.

He chuckled quietly. "You're certainly right. Chess pieces could've been replaced by anything. However, the numbers of freshman participating in initiation and the types of chess pieces fit, so I thought it might be appropriate." He paused, watching her carefully. "Is… anything wrong with that?"

She squirmed lightly under his gaze. There's something not right about this, she thought worriedly. "Well, not inherently…"

Taking a sip of his coffee, Ozpin took a few steps forward to face the stage, looking up at the large screen above their heads. It still shone, displaying the faces of all the successful teams which had formed during the afternoon. "Being able to play chess well can be an invaluable skill to an aspiring strategist," he said. "Each piece has its own role to play, and any loss can be noticed gravely. Do you play, Miss Nikos?"

She nodded slowly. "I used to, sir."

He smiled. "Then, you know that each piece has its own attributes, its own skills. Much like teams, each type of piece is able to work together, supporting others in their own unique ways. I was curious to see to which pieces all of you would draw."

"A white rook…" Pyrrha murmured, thinking back to her team's designation.

"White, merely representing one side of the battle," Professor Ozpin jumped in. "And a rook, one of the most powerful pieces. Able to play a support role for weaker pawns, or cover wide areas due to its range and directionality." He spun around, looking straight at her. "A piece that gains the most strength during the endgame."

She shuddered under his clouded, yet somehow direct gaze. She was familiar with the rules, and what rooks were capable of.

"Go to your team, Miss Nikos," the headmaster murmured at last. He turned on his heel and began walking away from her. "You've earned a rest before classes begin tomorrow. I look forward to seeing what you can do."

"Thank you, sir," she called, turning to stagger out of the entrance the rest of her team had taken.

Outside, the sky was lit up by the twinkle of stars, and the everlasting light of the crumbling moon. "Pyrrha, what took you so long?" Jaune asked concernedly as she jogged up to meet them.

"Oh, nothing," she giggled awkwardly, brushing off his worry the best she could. "I was just asking about… one of my old mentors from Sanctum! Yup, that's it."

Jaune pouted like a child, still clearly suspicious, but he didn't pry further. "C'mon, let's go unpack a bit."

She smiled, grateful for his tactful retreat. As they wandered back behind the ever-enthusiastic steps of Nora, followed by the more subdued Ren, she had some time to think about what had just taken place.

Pyrrha knew how to play chess, although she hadn't touched it for a long, long time. She knew what rooks were capable of, what their special moves were.

So who will we be castling? Who will we need to protect?

Who would be their king?

She didn't know.