Ruby Rose was torn between considering today incredibly awkward, awesome, and well...she wasn't entirely sure what was about to happen earlier. She and Yang had seen Jaune talking with the airship captain. The Reaper had been worried that the awkward meeting would have been pointless and wasn't running in a panic, but walking briskly, towards their acquaintance. Yang had immediately started teasing her about being so eager to 'save' Jaune again.
Things then got...complicated. It seems that Jaune had made other friends on the airship. Friends who happened to all be other girls. Ruby knew she was a tiny bit naïve. Yang used that fact to mess with her endlessly. Granted, most of that time was also an attempt to get Ruby to come with Yang to some of the more tame places she hung out with. Or to get Ruby to commiserate with her circle-of-not-quite-friends at Signal. So, despite her naivety, Ruby was very aware of the knot growing in her stomach.
It wasn't worry or nerves. It was the same feeling she got right before a competition where she got to show off her lovely baby, Crescent Rose.
After a...confrontation...with a dolly full of luggage and the resulting sneeze and Dust induced explosion, Ruby was now considering letting Crescent Rose take the lead in the current conversation.
'What the heck is going on?' Ruby mentally wailed. She had only just met these people...and Jaune.
"I don't even know any of you! Other than Yang," Ruby shouted. The sudden outburst made the socially awkward teen realize just how socially awkward she really was. As she glanced between the assembled Beacon Students, she pressed her index fingers together worryingly.
Evidently, it was a tic she shared with her mother.
"Why weren't you watching where you were going?" The girl who's every detail screamed ice questioned.
"Well, I," Ruby started.
Yang felt a twitch above her eye. The elder daughter of Taiyang was pretty sure there would be flecks of red coloring her eyes too. "Hey, back off my sister!"
"It appeared to be an accident to me," Pyrrha Nikos stepped forward. "It also appears we are all...concerned about one Jaune Arc."
The mention of Jaune caused everyone to drop their arguments or come to a complete halt. Ten eyes slowly rotated towards Jaune's perch on the ship's gangplank.
"Atian! He's over here!" Jaune vaguely recognized Dalm calling out to his twin as he found himself in quite the situation. He wasn't sure why all five of his new...very pretty...female friends suddenly turned their attention in his direction.
"Jaune! Glad to see you made to Beacon!" Dalm shouted. The Canine Faunus reached Jaune with a grin and an extended fist. Jaune did the proper bro-thing and pounded it.
"Wouldn't have made it without you or your brother!" Jaune praised his new friends.
Atian came to a near skidding halt. His black and white tail swished behind him. "Dude, you realize you've got some...attention down there?"
Jaune sighed. "So I've been told. Seriously, I just met them like I met you guys."
"Ha! Dude, you've made an impression on the ladies!" Atian continued.
"This looks like the character select screen of DOR," Dalm observed casually.
"The what now?" Jaune fished for clarification with the eloquence of a million playwrights.
Dalm and Atian gave the Chef-and-Huntsman in training a look that nearly rivaled Weiss's world champion level flat glare. "DOR...the MOBA...most popular video game on the planet? Sixteen million people every week..."
"Uh, sure." Jaune looked from the Faunus Twins to the collection of girls and back. "What's a MOBA?"
Dalm and Atain shook their heads. A shout from Yang ended any further video game discussion. It also saved Jaune from his ignorance. That being said, Jaune wouldn't exactly consider himself saved from anything at the moment.
"Genetlemen," the word that escaped Jaune's mouth was drawn out and nearly forlorn. "I was glad to have met you. If there is anything left of me to bury, please make sure it gets to my dad for the funeral."
"Jaune?" The Twins asked as their new human friend saluted resolutely. A second indignant retort filled the air. The situation with the girls was growing tense.
"He is a brave son of a bitch," Atian grumbled.
Jaune did not hear a word of the twin's exchange. He was more focused on preventing the situation with his girl friends from devolving into a brawl that could possibly end their careers at Beacon. If Jaune was honest, he would admit he had no idea what the standards the school even had. There had been...strings...pulled to help get him into Beacon.
"Ladies!" Jaune called out in a tone that he hoped wasn't a shout of panic. "I'd like to thank you all for your help in keeping me from being abducted by the very...unique Captain Kale Colcannon."
The power keg was plugged for a moment. Jaune put on his best smile. He was sure that it was far more roguish and appealing now that he wasn't desperately clinging to his savior; Waste Bucket.
"Hey Fugitive," Yang greeted casually.
"Hello, again!" Pyrrha was far less subtle in her excitement at Jaune's arrival.
"Ladies," Jaune repeated his greeting with a polite and semi-humorous half-bow.
A blush that was slowly approaching the color of her cape dusted Ruby's cheeks. "Hey...Jaune. I'm glad you weren't kidnapped. That, well, I definitely would have been not cool."
"Very not cool," Jaune agreed. "Opposite of all of you and Crescent Rose."
Jaune had just added that as an afterthought, but Ruby looked about ready to 'glomp' him. The very amused look from Yang and the challenging look from Weiss forced Ruby to hold her ground. The sole male active in the confrontation continued with a smile.
"I know a small explosion like that didn't even phase any of you extremely talented huntresses, but no one's stuff was singed was it?"
"My books are fine." Blake's voice made it clear that there would have been hell to pay if her books had been damaged.
"There was not any...significant damage. Still, Dust has the potential to be very dangerous if not treated with respect!" Weiss added.
As Jaune lifted his hands to placate the heiress, a certain familiar and slightly unwelcome sensation fell over the Arc Huntsman-in-training. The situation reminded Jaune of when there was only a single piece of his dad's Chocolate Apocalypse Cake left. That situation would normally be cause for Jaune to beat a hasty retreat due to the brewing war between his sisters. Jaune suddenly knew how the Chocolate Apocalypse Cake felt. He was undoubtedly the piece of cake in this situation.
'At least they are looking at me like I'm delicious cake and not what I left in that one bathroom floor back on the airship...' Jaune mentally congratulated himself.
"Shouldn't we...head to our dorms, Jaune?" Ruby's question was practically drowning in puppy-like eagerness.
"Actually," Pyrrha responded with a level of politeness that bordered on horrifying. "We have a welcoming ceremony in the main auditorium."
"Hate to burst your bubble, sis, but we won't get dorms until teams are assigned," Yang added.
Jaune coughed. "Does anyone actually know where we are supposed to go?"
Weiss and Pyrrha exchanged pleased looks. "Follow us," Weiss announced.
"Take the lead, ladies!" Jaune announced. The Schnee Heiress took the lead and began lecturing everyone on her family's contributions to Beacon. Pyrrha quickly fell in beside Jaune with a gentle smile on her lips. There was an unusual gust of wind that heralded a flurry of rose petals.
'A Semblance?' Jaune thought before noticing that Ruby had somehow materialized on his left. She was nodding in time with a tune she was humming.
"Soo~," Ruby drew out the word dramatically. "I'm a weapons geek. What do your weapons do?"
Jaune nodded politely at Pyrrha, unaware that giving her the go-ahead was the exact opposite of what Ruby was aiming for. The Invincible Girl had an inkling of Ruby's intent, but honestly respected the younger teen's skills if they allowed Ruby to enter Beacon so early. Pyrrha smiled at the other girl. "My shield is known as Akoúo̱. It is simply a Hoplon Shield. Miló is a Transformation-type weapon with a Javelin form, a Xiphos or short-sword form, and finally a battle rifle form."
The younger Huntress made pleased sounds as she observed the weapon. Her main objective may have been 'deflected', but she got to see a new weapon. Ruby mostly thought that meeting new weapons was like meeting people, but better. Pyrrha's weapons were championship winners. Ruby's trained eye noticed that the weapons were exceptionally well cared for. The younger girl could tell that her older 'rival' was a perfectionist. It would make this little back and forth more difficult, but fun.
"You use a Dust-based cleaning oil...Class 2?" Ruby hummed the question as she peered at the Rifle Form's chamber.
"I am surprised you could tell with just a look," the Hoplite praised her younger rival. Pyrrha had no intention of losing and flashed a deceptively friendly smile at Ruby.
Ruby rebounded nicely and countered with a sickly sweet smile. Quickly, it lost it's exaggerated nature. "Class 2 is designed for standard round. The residue at the end of your barrel shows that you use Dust Rounds. You'll want Class 3."
Jaune was oblivious to the secret competition between the two girls. He only picked up that Pyrrha and Ruby seemed to be getting along.
"What about you, Jaune?" Ruby asked.
"Ah, I've just got an heirloom from my family. Crocea Mors. It stabs, slices, and has a shield that bashes and blocks. Oh! The shield collapses into a sheath." Jaune held up his heirloom. "Doesn't have a gun though."
"It's fine! A lot of people don't have a lot of respect for the classics." Ruby nodded emphatically.
"Heirloom weapons are to be respected, it is true," Pyrrha agreed. "I could help you refine your sword and shield technique if you would like."
"Sure, that'd be great," Jaune readily agreed. As the group reached the auditorium, Ruby shot Pyrrha a look that was the most reluctant concession ever. Jaune once again felt like the piece of cake as each of the girls stood very, very close to Jaune. Ozpin's speech never registered as the Arc's mind could only focus on keeping his hands absolutely still. He was pretty sure that if he moved there would be some kind of contact. Contact that would likely end with him murdered by several pissed off, talented, and very beautiful women.
'Eh, there are probably worse ways to go,' Jaune thought.
A few hours later, Jaune had discovered a borderline worse way to go. His female acquaintances had encircled him with a quickness, efficiency, and ruthlessness that would have made a pack of Beowolves proud. Jaune was well aware that he was also balancing precariously over said pack of Beowolves. If he even gave the impression he favored one of the girls over the others...it would be a blood bath.
'At least we all put up our weapons,' Jaune thought as he cautiously glanced around. He nearly gulped as he focused on finishing on finishing the E-mail to his mom and sisters. Jaune wasn't completely ignorant when it came to women. The E-mail he was sending dropped a few hints. One didn't grow up in a house outnumbered eight-to-one by women and girls and not pick up a few things. The young man was absolutely certain Weiss, Pyrhha, and maybe Blake had chosen the more daring of their Pjs. Yang...well if Jaune had to guess at least...only had daring clothes.
'Remember this Jaune...details. Be aware of details everywhere you go. Details in the field will keep you and yours alive. Grimm don't allow do-overs. They don't drop hints. Details in the kitchen and in life can keep you from ruining a meal...or other opportunities...' The words were Jaune's dad. The Knight grinned as he listened to his dad's exacting tone and saw the infamous index finger point.
Jaune's ingrained attention to detail made the messages the girls were sending pretty damn obvious. Ruby was laying on her belly writing a letter. Jaune had caught her looking up at him before writing with a great deal of enthusiasm. Pyrrha was currently brushing her extremely long hair with a contented smile on her face. Most observers would think the four time champion was simply enjoying brushing her hair. Jaune had been around girls most of his life. Pyrrha had brushed the same bit of hair four times. Meanwhile, Blake's posture made it clear her book wasn't the only thing she was reading. She was reading the situation. Every once and a while, she would make eye-contact with Jaune.
'Oh god. I thought it was bad enough when Yang showed up somehow wearing less than normal...'
The elder sister was wearing practically microscopic dark-colored shorts and a tiny yellow top along with a smirk. It was Jaune's opinion that if it was up to Yang...the only thing she'd be wearing would be the smirk.
"Hey, Blake!" Ruby called out and received a bit of acknowledgment from the dark-haired girl. "What are you reading?"
"You like books?" No one missed the curiosity in question.
"I love books. Yang used to read me fairy tales every night before bed." Ruby rolled over. "Stories about heroes like that are why I decided to be a Huntress. I wanted to be someone who protects others. Becoming a huntress was the best way to do that."
'That...and to connect with my mother who I struggle to remember..' Ruby silently admitted.
"The real world isn't like the fairy tales. Happy endings don't just happen," Blake pointed out. "You have a surprisingly noble desire."
"Thanks, but aren't happy endings why we are here? To give the world a chance at having one?"
Blake smiled at the answer. "I guess you're right."
"Um, Blake, I have two questions and I'll be done," Ruby suddenly became a bit shy.
Blake flashed an amused glance towards Jaune. Returning her attention to Ruby, Blake nodded once.
"What are you reading?"
"It's a story about a man with two souls," Blake answered and was shocked by Ruby's sudden appearance well within her personal space bubble.
"Lehm Selee published it! How did I miss that? Yaaaaaang! Why didn't you tell me?!" Ruby pouted childishly.
Everyone chuckled at Ruby's outburst. The youngest potential Huntress calmed herself with a huff. "Your Pjs look really comfy...can I feel the fabric?"
"Uh...sure?" Blake answered uneasily. Ruby squealed happily and ran a finger over Blake's collar bone. Both girls purred at the contact. Jaune hastily adjusted his seating position and thanked his dad f it would for getting rid of that onesie. It had been ridiculously comfy. It would have also made stealth impossible in this situation.
Pyrrha crossed in front of Jaune and approached Blake. "May I?" Blake once again nodded. Pyrrha hummed approvingly after copping a feel.
'Oh god. This is how I die. I explode and have all these girls curse my name eternally as a complete pervert...'
"Uh...Bathroom!" Jaune announced to no one and everyone and dashed from the communal sleeping area.
"That was rather sudden," Weiss commented idly.
Yang, for her part, had double over laughing. Pyrrha was looking to Ruby and Blake for an explanation as to why the blonde needed Pyrrha to act as a humor crutch.
"She's Yang...you'll get used to it..." Ruby explained with a roll of her silver eyes.
Jaune was now firmly convinced that the Universe was trying to kill him in the most sickly funny ways possible. First, the universe had tried to have him kidnapped by very odd air sailors. Next, the universe had put him squarely in the sights of several women who's gorgeousness Jaune was truly unprepared to experience. Last night, the universe had tried the 'overload Jaune via his gorgeous friends' trick again.
Because evidently, that gag was good enough to use twice.
Now, Headmaster Ozpin had launched Jaune into the air via a super-powered catapult. The middle aged coffee addict had simply told them to work out their own 'Landing Strategy'. Worse, the jerk had been smiling behind his mug. Jaune was currently screaming as he flew through the air. Yang might have also been screaming, but the aviator glasses gave lie to the idea she was screaming in the same manner as Jaune. The Arc Knight was screaming in terror, and lamenting leaving Waste Bucket back in the locker. Yang's screams sounded more like 'Woooooooo' as opposed to Jaune's 'FUUUUUUUUUU!'
'Note to self...Crocea Mors is not an effective air brake,' Jaune thought glumly as he rapidly approached the forest's canopy. He quickly positioned his shield in front of him. The impact of the branches against the ancient shield was jarring. Luckily, one of the few skills Jaune's father had the chance to teach him was reinforcing his armor and shield. 'Dad's lessons never dealt with attacking. He always focused on making sure I could defend myself...and others.'
The thoughts of his dad filled him with confidence. He managed to use a larger branch as a springboard. The final few dozen feet of his less-than-graceful 'landing strategy' were far more controlled than his inept air-brake attempt. Jaune desperately hoped that one of the girls was around to see his pretty badass shoulder roll followed closely by springing to his feet into a combat stance.
Alas, the Universe refused to let him have a cool moment.
It did, however, decide that it was time to try to kill him again. A single snarling Beowolf charged out of the underbrush. Jaune fell back on the training he had received from his dad, the books he had read, and sheer instinct.
Deflect with shield. Don't let the impact knock you off balance. He who keeps his feet wins. Slash at the squishy bits. Don't aim for the exoskeleton...
The monotony of recalling the lessons helped control the sheer avalanche of fear and adrenaline cascading from the young Huntsman. Jaune frowned as the wounded Beowolf made yet another charge. He was doing pretty good. The Beowolf's aggression was working against it, but Jaune still couldn't land a killing blow.
"I'm going to regret this..." Jaune moaned as he transformed his shield into the sheath form. The surging drumbeat of Jaune's heart was competing with the howl of the Beowolf for the loudest sound Jaune had ever heard.
The next moment was burned into Jaune's memory forever. Jaune had not thrust at the Grimm with the sword component of Crocea Mors. He had thrust with the sheath and extended it into the shield form. Crocea Mors extended with shocking force and split the Beowolf's head in twain.
Vertically.
"That was stupid..." Jaune breathed out in relief as his enemy began to burn away.
"Jaune?" The concerned question helped bring Jaune back to earth. "Are you hurt?"
'Eye contact determines teams. So, when I turn around, barring some hilariously improbable event, I'll be on her team...'
"I'm good," Jaune confessed. "Welcome to Team Jaune, Pyrrha."
Ruby Rose enjoyed her Semblance. There was an undeniable rush when she called upon her power. It also had the bonus of being completely hers. Ruby had decided that she needed a better view of the surrounding area. The sudden baleful cawing of a Nevermore gave her a great idea! The boost from her Semblance had actually put her above the flying Grimm!
'Now if I can land on that beast, I'll have a birds-eye-view of the forest...' Ruby thought with a satisfied grin adorning her face. The grin quickly fell. It actually fell much, much faster than Ruby currently was. 'I knew Yang would eventually corrupt me into the nightmare of puns!'
Ruby's spirits were lifted, again, as she landed successfully on the back on the Nevermore. "Okay, here's the plan, buddy! We're going to look for some of our friends so I can partner up and kill you in an awesome tag-team moment!"
The Nevermore hissed and spun in an attempt to shake Ruby. Unfortunately for the Grimm, Ruby had pretty much garroted the monster with the blade of Crescent Rose.
"That's a great idea! Let's find Jaune, Yang, or some of our other friends!" Ruby also remembered that she blabbered when she was nervous or absolutely terrified. Looking down on the Emerald Forest, she felt a pang of disappointment. Jaune was talking to the redheaded girl, Pyrrha. 'Oh well, that'll be one of the nicest partnerships ever. They'd probably apologize to the Grimm they kill...'
There wasn't any Yang sightings at the moment. If Ruby had to guess, she was punching some Grimm into a paste. Ruby Rose was slightly disappointed that the forest was so thick. It would have been cool to see her dear sister going all out. Ruby had missed the 'event' that had gotten the pugilist barred from that one club.
The lack of Yang was disappointing, but Ruby was really looking forward to finding a partner. Luck, it seemed had decided that Ruby was going to get a partner...right now! The Reaper extended her dearly loved baby, Crescent Rose, and slammed the vicious blade into the spine of the Grimm. She had never heard of anyone pulling a stunt like this.
'Wouldn't surprise me if Dad or Uncle Qrow did it though...'
Ruby and Crescent Rose had turned the Nevermore into a guided missile. The snarling mass of Beowolves had no idea what was coming! She was really hoping a whole lot of her classmates would appreciate the entrance!
Lie Ren had successfully finished his 'landing strategy'. The perceptive young man recognized Headmaster Ozpin's maneuver for what it actually entailed. First, launching the students into the air was testing their reactions to sudden, unexpected situations. Second, Ren was pretty sure Ozpin just thought it was hilarious.
The rather calm young man simply jumped directly into the air as the King Taijito exploded from the forest like an incredibly angry slinky. StormFlower practically materialized in his hands. Pumping Aura into his lower legs, Ren jumped over the Black Head's strike. Ren called upon a state of Zen-like stillness. The otherworldly calm provided Ren with the perfect opportunity to put a perfectly grouped burst of bullets into the snake Grimm's eyes. The monochrome monstrosity writhed in pain. As the Black Head blindly flailed about, the second head came around to strike.
A pink comet was going to have no part of that.
King Taijito were horrifically allergic to gigantic warhammers swung at immense speeds. The pink comet of wrath passed too quickly for Ren to make eye-contact. He caught glimpse of the exit vector as the young man dodged the viscera of the former Grimm. The woods were filled with a sudden almost shrill cry. Ren could only smile as Nora appeared. She was hanging upside down from a tree branch. As was her tradition, she reached out and poked Ren's nose with a happy "Boop!"
It was great when things worked out. "Hello, Nora."
"Hello, Renny. When we get out of here can we have pancakes?"
'Head up, shoulders back. Right foot forward...not that forward!' Weiss recalled her lessons. "Timing," she verbally declared before lunging forward with Myrtenaster. The Heiress was beginning to believe these Beowolves were older, or at least unusually cautious.
Never let it be said that a Schnee wouldn't take advantage of good fortune!
Myrtenaster released the Fire Dust cartridge and immolated her target. Weiss smirked with an almost intoxicating sense of satisfaction. This was no battle against the Giant Armor her father had set against her. As she pulled her left foot around in what resembled a dance step, the other Beowolves threw themselves at the now vulnerable target.
'That...that Beowolf was bait! How is that possible?' Weiss's mind raced in panic. The fear radiating off the Schnee maiden was driving the Grimm into a frenzy. Odds were that the frenzy was calling to every nearby Grimm.
"INCOMING!" A voice cried out from above. The cry threw the Beowolf pack off kilter. Weiss took advantage to the distraction to dodge. Her Semblance flared as a Glyph appeared slightly beneath the young woman's feet. Momentum and the platform allowed Weiss to escape the crash landing of a profusely smoking Nevermore. The impact crushed three of the smaller Grimm and the claws eviscerated the remainder. A petite red and black figure somersaulted off the smoking remains of the hideous monstrosity.
Weiss gawked as Ruby Rose landed with a flourish of her enormous and fearsome scythe. How was this the socially awkward dolt from the airship?
"Admit it," Ruby grinned as she leaned forward. "You're thinking 'How is Ruby Rose this cool?' and 'How quickly can I be her friend?' The answers are 'I drink milk,' and 'Right now!"
Weiss leveled a wintry glare at the younger girl. The gambit was the most insane risk anyone in the history of Remnant had ever taken! Second...she really didn't want to admit that Ruby's entrance was, in fact, incredibly awesome.
The Heiress had a reputation to uphold.
"Since we made eye-contact and are stuck with each other...I fully expect you to warn me before you do something so crazy again, you dolt!"
"Yeah, we're besties now," Ruby boasted. Weiss huffed and stormed off. The prodigy simply grinned as she trotted in the Schnee's wake.
Yang Xiao Long was a woman of simple tastes. She loved her father, uncle, and sister. She enjoyed Strawberry Sunrises with no ice and a fancy mini-umbrella. She loved caring for her hair, which was the world's greatest. Anyone who disagreed or harmed her prized feature would quickly be 'volunteered' to participate in Yang's true favorite activity.
Repeatedly punching things very hard.
Her current crop of gracious volunteers were a pair of Ursa. Miss Xiao Long was having a grand old time. These Ursa were slow and very clumsy in their attacks. Yang was almost laughing. If she had to guess, the positive emotions were throwing the Creatures of Grimm off their game.
'Good to see this is actually a strategy!' Yang triumphantly thought. She had noticed this during a few of the training hunts on Patch. Over the years, the pugilist had tested this theory. There was definitely a pattern.
Right now, Yang was following just one pattern. Leap in, pummel one of the monsters, leap back. Simple and direct were the two traits she enjoyed in her fights.
A throaty chuckle rumbled forth. "Here I thought big boys like you would actually be a challenge. You all couldn't..."
The Grimm pair exchanged a look that, were it borne by humans, would clearly be translated into 'Oh crap'.
Yang watched in horror as a solitary strand of hair fall away. Her hair was a crucial part of her identity. She considered it a manifestation of her pride and of her one tangible connection to her mother. Yang viewed an attack on her hair as an attack on her very soul.
"YOU MONSTERS!" What followed was an outpouring of rage that sent the youngest Grimm fleeing from the flaming apocalypse that was an enraged Yang Xiao Long. The Ursa were not so fortunate. Yang was quickly upon them in a tidal wave of punches, shotgun blasts and utterly foul profanity.
Her first target was already starting to evaporate when she spun around. Yang's eyes were no longer lilac, but a fiery red.
They were the eyes of her mother and possibly the most feared gaze in all of Vale. Her anger receded as the familiar wet sound of a blade piercing corrupted flesh filled her ears. Yang looked up as the red fled her eyes.
"I could have taken, it," the brawler boasted to her new partner.
Blake Belladonna simply smirked and retrieved her weapon with a satisfied pull on its chain.
"I had everything under control," Yang assured her new partner.
The dark-haired beauty continued to smirk. "Couldn't let you have all the fun."
'Oh, this will definitely be fun," Miss Xiao Long thought. She could appreciate snark. She could also hope her sister and other friends were okay.
"Not okay! Not Okay!" Ruby shouted as she joined Weiss in a fighting retreat from a horde of Beowolves.
"Why are there so many?!" Weiss yelled in annoyance.
Ruby front-flipped over the swipe of a very angry Beowolf. "I don't know...try thinking happy thoughts!"
Weiss struck down down one of the Grimm with a precise thrust through its eye. "I will be happy to be out of this forest! I will be happy to sleep in a proper bed! I will be happy when Jaune Arc makes me that tart!"
"Wait, Jaune promised you food?" Ruby asked as Crescent Rose transformed into its rifle-form. "And it's a dessert? What kind?"
The Schnee Heiress sighed at Ruby's enthusiasm for sweets even when nearly overrun by Grimm. "Once we get out of this, I might tell you."
"That's convenient...I've been working on an idea. You're weapon can use Dust right?" The Reaper asked again.
"Yes," Weiss confirmed uneasily.
Ruby grunted as she carved up a few Beowolves that had been particularly bold. "Great! When we reach the next treeline, I'll cut down a bunch with Crescent Rose and my Semblance. I'll need you to set them all on fire!"
"You want to burn down the forest?" The noblewoman cried out.
"I want to make it to the temple so we can get out of this forest!" Ruby counter.
Weiss really couldn't argue with that point. She wanted to get out of the forest as well. A quick nod was all the confirmation the Schnee could afford to give as another Beowolf attacked. Weiss was pleased that she eliminated the monster cleanly and efficiently. The treeline was reached quickly. The remaining Grimm waited cautiously for more of their foul brethren to launch another attack.
Ruby smirked and 'allowed her beloved baby' to go to work. Weiss was actually impressed by the younger girl's weapon. The final tree fell to the ground with a sound like thunder. Ruby and Weiss actually felt the tree crash. A reassuring click let Weiss know her Dust cartridge was chambered properly. Ruby cheered as the red wave of Dust ignited the trees. Beowolves howled in frustration and anger as they fled from the flames.
"So," Ruby drawled. "What's Jaune cooking for you?"
Pyrrha watched as Jaune calmly peered into the very large, very dark cave. The huntsman-in-training/chef leaned back and turned his attention to the hieroglyphics and their incredibly obvious dire warning of horrible danger and almost certain bloody death at the hands of a Death Stalker.
"All in favor of avoiding the Scary Cave Full of Nope, say 'Aye'!" Jaune declared.
"Aye," Pyrrha readily agreed. "I am...concerned about the possibility of such a dangerous Grimm remaining close to Beacon."
Jaune nodded. "Me too, but the two of us would be hard pressed to kill a Grimm that old. Between the two of us could probably eliminate every Beowolf and Boarbatusk in this forest. Blow them...away..."
The Mistral Champion crossed her arms beneath her breasts and waited for Jaune to finish his idea. Unfortunately, her action drew attention to her non-combat assets and Jaune lost track of his thoughts for a bit. "You were saying, Jaune?"
"Blow them away. That," Jaune explained as he pointed to an odd colored crystal. "is unrefined Dust."
Pyrrha smiled approvingly at Jaune, for multiple reasons, and nodded. "I can strike that with my Rifle-form."
"Do the honors," Jaune responded with a smile. True to her word, the Dust crystal exploded in a glorious pyrotechnic display. The cave entrance collapsed spectacularly. "Let's just hope there isn't another exit somewhere."
"We can let Professor Ozpin know after we get back to the Cliffs with our relic." Jaune motioned in the probable direction of the temple. The Invincible Girl was placated by Jaune's idea and followed his lead.
Blake Belladona and Yang Xiao Long had been through the wringer during their short lives. The two rather exceptionally beautiful women had experience in some rather shadowy pursuits for very different reasons. This situation was completely out of their comfort zone.
"Awwwww! I broke it! Renny, can we get another one?" A hyperactive redhead slid off the evaporating corpse of a rather large Ursa.
"Nora...never do that again..." Her obvious and exhausted partner stumbled forward.
"But it was fun!" The aforementioned Nora countered in a sing-song tone.
Renny, at least according to Nora, shot his partner a flat look. The stern annoyance was undershot by a quiet smirk. "Let's grab a relic."
Nora dashed forward and grabbed a golden rook. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"
"She's..." Yang carefully searched for the correct word.
"Way too energetic..." Blake concluded. "What relic are we grabbing?"
"Oh! The cute pony! Definitely!" Yang exuberantly announced as she scooped up the Knight piece.
"Yang~!" Ruby called out as she dashed forward with her Semblance. "We're all still alive!"
"Ruby!" Yang replied full of relief. Weiss finally reached the reunion. The heiress greeted each of the other girls with a polite nod. She was simply too exhausted to speak. Ruby smiled at Weiss, providing the Schnee with permission to grab one of the relics.
'I've always wanted a pony,' Weiss thought to herself as she grabbed a golden night.
"I really feel like today has gone well considering everything!" Yang declared.
Blake nodded and smiled in agreement. Nora, however, was nowhere near as reserved. "Today has been soooooooooooooo great! I'm partners with Ren! We've not dead! We've all killed monsters and best of all! No one has said the forbidden words that Nora will have to end you for saying!"
"Let me guess...'it can't get any worse?" Ruby innocently guessed. Ren barely managed to grab a now panicked Nora before Magnhild finished transforming into its Grenade Launcher form.
"I didn't even know those existed!"
The assembled Beacon students wheeled around in a shock at the very loud yell from one Jaune Arc. He was running alongside Pyrrha from a veritable tide of insectoid Grimm. The exoskeleton of the Grimm possessed very pronounced ridges along the monstrosities' 'mask', thorax and abdomen. Worse, the spines protruding were capable of being launched like the feathers of a Nevermore.
"Jaune!" Ruby cried out. Crescent Rose immediately shifted to Rifle-mode.
"Everyone! Bridge! Now!" Jaune yelled breathlessly. Pyrrha had the presence of mind to grab a Relic as she rushed by. Jaune jumped in front of his partner to deflect a Grimm's fired spine. A burst of sub machine gun fire dropped a few more of the encroaching Grimm.
"Aren't Talaridris supposed to be the only extinct Grimm?!" Weiss yelled as she molded an Ice Glyph to slow the onrushing horde.
Yang roared wildly as she fired Ember and Ceclia madly into the Talaridris. "They're freaking Grimm! We don't even know how more Grimm are made!"
Pyrrha allowed herself to fall back as she stabbed the full spear form of her weapon into the ant-like Grimm's head.
"Worry about that later! Uh, you with the grenade launcher! Sorry I don't know your name, but can you bring the bridge down once we're across?" Jaune called out.
The energetic girl fired a pair of grenades into the ant tide. Each explosion was celebrated with a manic laugh. "Names Nora~! And I can bring the bridge down, but I'll need my hammer form of Magnhild to do it."
"No dumb risks!" Jaune ordered.
Ruby suddenly grabbed Jaune and pulled him to the ground. "This just isn't fair!"
The Knight looked up and groaned. "You're right. This officially sucks. Since when could they fly?"
Fortunately, the group made it across the bridge without too much other problems. Yang was extremely pleased with her performance after she grabbed a flying Talaridris and used it to take out another ant that was about to attack Ren.
"Now, Nora!" Jaune shouted. Ruby was directing Blake and Ren to target the flying Grimm. Yang, Weiss, and Pyrrha were shielding Nora's demolition of the bridge.
"I am the destroyer of wooooooooorlds!" Nora cried out as the bridge began to collapse. It formed a perfect block to keep the leaping Taladris from reaching the eight huntsman. Nora used her Aura to launch herself form the now vertically aligned bridge segment. Jaune wasn't sure what the high pitched sound she was making was meant to be. Obviously, the green-clad guy evidently called Ren knew instantly. Ren quickly positioned himself to catch Nora. The Valkyrie laughed and poked Ren in the nose with a relieved, "Boop."
After a few more running battles with the flying Talaridris, the Beacon students reached the safety of the cliffs. They all collapsed in relief and exhaustion.
'I've never been so happy to be blinded by the sun,' Jaune thought with a laugh of pure, unadulterated, giddy relief.
"Everyone up for a 'Holy shit, we're alive!' party once we get dorms, make some kind of positive sound or signal," The chef volunteered to the group. An assorted menagerie of words of agreement, enthusiasms or even a simple happy sounding groan answered Jaune's suggestion.
"I think I want a nap first though," Ruby confessed shyly.
Blake hummed. "A nap sounds fine by me."
A snore that would terrify a Goliath rang out. Nora had preempted Ruby's suggestion. Or maybe she was just able to fall asleep that fast. Jaune wasn't going to worry too much about it. His new friends were safe. He was safe. They were all going to be Huntsmen and Huntresses together.
This was everything he had ever hoped for.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the introduction to this insanity. And yes, Talaridris are an actual ant species. Google them and tell me you can't see them as Grimm. Please leave a review! I welcome your constructive feedback.
Also, if you haven't done so already and are in the mood for some quality Arkos, check out smstaton's excellent "4 Years of Beacon"