"Hey!" Yang shouted, landing a few feet to the side before moseying over. She looked down at Jaune and her eyes widened, her mouth forming an O. "Oh shit. Did he get sat on by an Ursa or something?" Not waiting for an answer, because there were more pressing things at the moment, "Ruby said something about you giving her a tug Pyrrha?"
"A tug?" Pyrrha repeated, her brow raised. "Oh, like that. But why?"
"And she told me it wasn't a double entendre." Yang sniffed. "Something about pulling or whatever? She wants to bring the Nevermore down."
Pyrrha glanced to the central tower back to the group. "Is she still up on the... Ch- Nevermore?"
"Yep." Yang answered, popping the 'P' sound, pointing up with one hand.
"We can take the tower out, maybe." Pyrrha breathed, looking through the crowd of Grimm that was blocking the path from the steps to the tower. "If she can hit harder coming down than going up, she might be able to do some serious damage, and I can help."
After a short plan was cobbled together Pyrrha and Blake dashed through the throng of Grimm. As they weaved through the monsters Weiss created a wall of Ice to keep them from approaching any closer. The air was thick with the sound of gnashing teeth, but between Pyrrha's shield and Blake's semblance they were able to make a good pace until they got to one of the decorative pillars. Hopping up and out of the reach of the Grimm they were able to get a clearer view of the state of things.
Weiss and the rest were collecting Jaune and retreating higher to the roof of the temple, meanwhile Ruby was still visibly wrestling with the Nevermore, which was sagging as it flew, the wing that had been broken before now bending at an awkward angle.
When Pyrrha got close to the central tower she flexed her hand, reaching up to where she knew Ruby's axe must be. Its composition wasn't normally magnetic, so it wasn't like her kinesis would be very strong, but it just needed to do enough. As her grip tightened she could feel movement, Ruby fiddling with her axe for a moment before the resistance faded.
The Nevermore let out a great squawk as it sagged down a few feet, its wings struggling as it tried to shift, but pinned in place by the axe lodged in its back. While it writhed, a shock of red bolted into the sky, rising instantly to a height of a couple hundred feet.
Pyrrha watched, her brow creased as the cloud of red petals thickened for a second, swirling and writhing against a blue sky.
Then, in a flash of white, several things happened at once. Pyrrha's magnetism felt a sudden increase in load, and Ruby fell with the force of a train. Pyrrha watched, stunned, as the Nevermore's back cratered and it was plucked from the sky like one would bat a fly out of the air. As it crashed past her, Pyrrha could make out Ruby's crouched form against the back of the corvid. Ruby's lips were curled into a full grin, her grip on the axe loose as a storm of red raged around her. Before she, and the Grimm, collided with the tower she winked at Pyrrha and Blake, the last they saw of her before all hell broke loose.
Ruby was traveling fast when she hit the Nevermore. So fast, in fact, that it wasn't unlike the Nevermore had been crashed into by a semi truck going highway speeds. As such, when the Nevermore then crashed into the tower there was still a significant amount of force behind it. Enough, in fact, that Pyrrha and Blake could feel the structure beneath them lurch from the strike. They backed up, retreating towards the cliff while they watched the dust settle.
Before they got very far, however, the dust got whipped off the bridge by a great gust of wind. Blake turned to see flower petals drift by on the breath of the gale. Walking away from the rubble at the tower was Ruby, who was clapping her hands together and shouting something along the lines of 'Go Team!' over the sounds of disgruntled Grimm. A nearby Beowolf swung at her, and for the affront lost its arm with a flash of her labrys.
From there the collective students got to watch, and at times flinch, as Ruby methodically carved a path to the cliff.
Grimm after Grimm was cleaved, bludgeoned, or otherwise maimed as she lazily wandered. One would strike low only to have a boot crush its paw into the ground before getting torn off, another would leap at her only to get shorn in two, yet another would get rushed down in a blink of the eye and kicked off the side.
The steadily growing cloud of black smoke around Ruby attracted further Grimm, who ceased their attempts to climb the ice wall. Even as they began to circle her Ruby maintained her amused expression, her silver eyes glinting with excitement as she faced down her foes.
"She looks like she's having fun." Pyrrha said, feeling a bit awkward to just be watching as Ruby played with her food. She could see Blake's jaw tighten as she glared, brows furrowed. "I don't think she needs our help."
"I think you might be right." Blake breathed, leaping from her pillar to one on the other side of Pyrrha as a Grimm was thrown into the space where she was standing before. "I don't think she's paying any attention to her surroundings."
"Maybe not." Pyrrha agreed as they saw another Grimm get hurled in another random direction, this time with Ruby's axe in it. "Something tells me she doesn't fight with friends very often."
Blake's ears twitched, and she turned left to see Weiss launching herself over the crowd of Grimm into the middle of the fray.
Weiss had seen the Nevermore fall from the sky with a hard expression on her face. She gripped Myrtlenaster as she stood, approaching the edge, watching Ruby's form closely.
Weiss knew that Ruby Rose was some vagabond, raised in the woods or somesuch based on what the others had been chattering about before. No training, no class, some Vale nobody who had somehow convinced the people at Beacon that her rude ass was worthy of being there.
And here she was, waltzing through Grimm with the same strut and confidence that Winter wore like a glove. Where Winter was calm and collected Ruby was manic and energized... And yet, Weiss couldn't help but compare them.
A glyph expanded under the heiress' feet, and with one great leap she soared from her position beside Jaune to the horde. She landed feet-first on the shoulders of one Grimm, crouched low, and before it could react launched herself forward once more. With two more jumps off of the backs of surprised beasts she found herself flipping over a swing of Ruby's axe as it sliced through a creep like paper.
"Oh, hello princess." Ruby said with a grin as she nodded to Weiss. "How nice of you to join me on this marvelous day."
The Schnee huffed at the comment, raising her rapier and facing the ring of Grimm. "I wasn't going to leave you here to die on your own."
Ruby guffawed at the icy tone, her axe disappearing into a few petals as she held her hands in a fighting stance, shifting her feet. "No need to be embarrassed Weiss, sometimes it's nice to let loose a bit."
"So immature." Weiss sighed as she used her thumb to flick the receiver on Myrtlenaster to flame dust. Drawing the energy out and to her hand she infused her blade with a red glow, then swung it in a wide arc. From the tip of her blade erupted a fountain of fire, curling in a grand arc as she pirouetted, forcing Ruby to leap over the gout of flame. Without pausing Weiss flicked dust types again and drove her rapier into the ground, a flow of ice expanding from the tip rapidly until it reached the nearest in the ring of Grimm. With the sound of glass twisting and shattering, great spikes rose up from the ground and pierced the nearest beasts, killing them instantly.
"Some people have more than brawn on their side." Sniffed Weiss as she withdrew her sword and turned her nose up at Ruby, who chuckled in response. She was standing on one of the prongs of ice, one foot on the slippery surface, the other on the head of one of the impaled Grimm. "Knucklehead."
"Well, I'm glad you think I'm such a strong fighter then." Ruby said with a smile, her gaze shifting to Yang then Blake as a smile curled her lips. "But I'd say you're as bad of a team player as I am."
Weiss' brows furrowed as the remaining Beowolves crawled over their impaled brethren, intent on continuing their suicidal drive towards the students. The Heiress raised her rapier to engage the new threats, but was forced to cover her eyes when Yang launched herself into the fray, landing with a crash as her gauntlets fired a shell directly into the stone below. Suddenly a haze of ice filled the air, chilling it significantly as the ring of frost shattered and rose up into the air. Blake landed swiftly after, Gambol Shroud flashing through the air as it diced the chunks of ice into more manageable shards. Finally, a great crash of wind in a downdraft slammed into the bridge, and as the torrent of air slipped outwards in all directions it carried great shards of ice with it.
With the sounds of meat being cleaved by dozens of blades the threat was instantaneously nulled. When the mist settled and the air cleared the quartet was standing in the center of a blackened haze that threatened to choke out the light of the sun, so dense was the stack of corpses around them.
Weiss glanced sidelong at Ruby as the smoke cleared, willing the older woman to look impressed or humbled. Instead it seemed that the brunette only had eyes for Pyrrha, her boastful smirk the only thing she offered as she hooked her axe on her shoulder. Bitterness rose in Weiss' throat at the sight.
When the octet returned to Beacon they missed the team ceremony by a hair. They were allowed to accompany Jaune to the medical ward where his consciousness was restored in short order. Pyrrha was happy that her new partner was dealing with only a bruised rib, but her lips were still drawn down when she entered the waiting room where the rest of students were.
"He'll be fiiiiine." Nora drawled from her seat near Ren, her face all smiles. "I remember when Ren and I were kids and I broke both my arms trying to walk down some stairs on my hands! I couldn't hold a spoon for the life of me, I had to make Ren feed me." The redhead dramatically leaned into Ren's shoulder before springing up onto her feet. "But I'm stronger now! Nothing could possibly break my new and improved bones!"
"He hasn't broken anything, but he is going to be feeling a little shitty for a while." Ruby hummed. "You missed Glynda, by the way. We've been given our teams."
"Oh?"
"Myself and Weiss along with Yang and Blake make team RWBY." Ruby began, and Pyrrha couldn't help but nod in agreement given their coordination on the bridge. "Yourself and Jaune, as well as Ren and Nora make the other team."
"Do we get a name?" Pyrrha's arms crossed as she glanced back down the hallway.
"P-N-R-J." Ren answered. "Panta Rhei. Very philosophical."
"And not very colorful." Yang smirked. "But it does mean that you're the team leader Pyrrha. Congrats!"
The revelation made Pyrrha grimace, but she nodded. "What's next then?"
"We're probably going to get thrown out sooner than later." Blake mused. "The clinic on campus isn't designed to have so many visitors for one patient, and if we wait too long we're going to miss dinner."
"Jaune will probably get his food delivered here." Ruby guessed, standing and brushing off her pants as she did so. "We should get going."
Pyrrha didn't like the thought of leaving Jaune but agreed regardless. She happened to glance beside Ruby to Weiss and noticed that the young Heiress' face was drawn into a scowl, eyes downcast as if burning a mote of dust to ash with her eyes.
The next day was dedicated to team-building exercises and basic classes. The simple histories of the land and the conflict with the Grimm, that sort of thing. Nothing that Pyrrha hadn't seen before when studying in Argus. Jaune had joined them during the day, and though he looked a bit worse for wear he still asked a plethora of questions Pyrrha was more than happy to answer. That said when there was a free period in the early afternoon she took her leave, striking out towards the training halls to clear her head for a bit. The last couple days had been a bit too exciting, and between the bubbly and upbeat attitudes of her teammates and her own she was hoping for a bit of peace.
When she entered the grand building that held the individual training rings she heard it was occupied. Listening closely she wandered towards the back of the building. As the noises got louder she felt, rather than heard, an out-of-place breeze flowing through each of the hallways. Eventually she happened on the furthest room in the building, and caught sight of team RWBY engaged in a little training exercise.
Ruby and Blake were in the ring sparring, though it might be better to say that Ruby was rooted in the ring. Blake would whip Gambol shroud at the older girl at incredible speeds, whipping through the air, curving in vicious zig-zags, before finally slashing at Ruby. Each attack failed to miss its mark, Ruby always side-stepping the attack or blocking it with her axe before motioning for Blake to try again. It appeared that they were going over some drills, Blake not really trying to change her positioning to attack in melee range. The brunette always stayed at about ten paces, outside of Ruby's swing if she were to swipe at her with an axe, but within the area where she had the finest control over Shroud.
The girls had all changed from their school uniforms to more sporty attire. Each wore loose-fitting t-shirts and shorts, gymwear more or less, easy to clean if they got a little bloody or grubby. Each of the girls had their hair tied back, which was a bit different, even Ruby whose slightly shaggy hair barely fit in the hair tie that pulled it back from her eyes. Ruby must have insisted on the change in apparel.
Pyrrha couldn't help but admire the dogged determination Blake had despite the fact it must be frustrating to have so many near misses. One particularly well placed lash of her blade would have struck Ruby from behind, but it missed when the woman disintegrated into a flash of petals and reconstituted the moment the danger passed. Through the haze of flowers she could see Yang waving to her excitedly from her position on a bench in the opposite end of the room. Weiss was seated a far ways away from her, watching the practice below with a grimace.
"Good!" Ruby commended with a smile. "You're getting better!"
Blake grunted at the compliment, standing straight and rolling her shoulders. Pyrrha could see the sweat clinging to the girl's skin even from where she was standing. Ruby by contrast looked refreshed, though she hadn't really moved all that much herself. It still seemed a bit off, but maybe the girl just fed off of excitement and activity. Pyrrha probably could have handled the gauntlet of attacks just as easily as Ruby if she used her semblance, but she probably wouldn't look quite so… relaxed. It was suspicious.
When Blake walked away Ruby turned to glance to her left, up towards the the bleachers where Weiss and Yang were seated. Yang looked a little bruised but was beaming at her sister, while Weiss' arms were crossed as she sneered down at Ruby. Pyrrha couldn't see the woman's face, but something about the set of her shoulders made her think that Ruby wasn't exactly excited either.
"Well?" Ruby asked airily.
"I don't need help from you." Weiss replied, icily.
"Training exercises are meant to make all of us better." Ruby sighed. "Consider this me asking you for help because I've never met someone who fights with runes before." A pause. "A Schnee wouldn't leave their partner hanging, would they?"
"They're called glyphs." Was all Weiss said as a reply after a moment of silence, clearly deciding that now would be the best time to be stubborn. "You're a maniac on the battlefield, there's no way someone with such a ridiculous style could possibly be anything other than a hazard on the battlefield."
"Spastic is a pretty weird way of saying 'very cool, very practical'." Ruby sang at Weiss, who rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well fuck you too." Ruby grumbled under her breath, shaking her head at Weiss before turning and glancing right up at Pyrrha. The redhead could barely make out the moment Ruby took to school her expression into something more jovial. Clearly the partnering of the two wasn't particularly happy. Ruby was unwilling to do anything to placate Weiss, and Weiss was a bitch. "How about you Pyrrha?"
"Me?" Pyrrha asked, surprised. It would be fun…
"I'm sure Pyrrha has something better to do with her time Ruby." Weiss' tone was acerbic, a warning, but Ruby ignored it, a grin playing on her lips.
"Well, do you?" Ruby asked, ignoring the princess.
"As a matter of fact, I don't." Pyrrha answered with a smile, though she shook her head. "Not that I have my weapons with me. I was just planning on getting some exercise in."
Yang could be heard groaning in disappointment before Ruby grinned, lifting her arm to flex some muscle. "I could always go for a wrestle."
"I love training, but I can't help but think that I won't be wrestling any Ursa any time soon." Pyrrha laughed, waving off the invitation. "Thanks for the offer though."
"Ah, woe is me." Ruby sighed dramatically, raising a thumb to her cheek as if she were wiping a tear away. "Is there nobody willing to share this ring with me?" She dramatically crowed, falling on one knee and clasping her hands together in emphatic prayer, her head turned upward. She probably would have gotten more dramatic by the moment if the yellow blur that was Yang hadn't crashed into her. The pair laughed loudly as Pyrrha walked away, shaking her head in disbelief at the excited chaos.
AN: And so begins the 'Weiss Jealousy Arc'.