Previously on: Team ENGL:

"Heads up!"

Yang paled as she saw her sister Ruby falling from the sky. "Ruby?!"

Erza turned at Yang's voice, and followed her gaze up. "What the..."

Weiss and Ruby

"Ruby! I told you this was a terrible idea!"

Ruby glared back at her companion, defiance in her silver eyes. "We're fine!" She yelled back. "Stop worrying!"

Weiss rolled her eyes, seething. "Oh, I am SO far beyond worrying!"

"...in a good way?"

"NO!" The heiress shouted at Ruby, somehow still shocked by the girl's idiocy. "In a bad way! In a very bad way!"

Ruby tried adjusting her grip on the Grimm, but with no avail. "Well, why don't we just jump?"

Weiss' eyes bulged. "What are you? Insane?!"

Despite her teammates protest, Ruby released her grip and plummeted to the ground.

"Oh, you insufferable, little red-"

Yang and the group could only stare as Ruby fell from the sky. Suddenly, just before she could hit the ground, Jaune slammed right into the caped girl. Both of them crashed into the nearby forest, while everyone else grimaced at their landing.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake looked at Yang and Erza, eyebrows raised.

"I-" Yang started, but a sudden roar erupted from the trees. An Ursa emerged out of the woods, swiping at the air. Before anyone could take action, a cry of "Yee-haw!" was heard from behind the Grimm. A shock of electricity flashed and the Ursa collapsed, dead. Nora and Ren stepped over its corpse, Nora muttering, "Aw, broken."

Ren leaned against the body, catching his breath. "Nora," he panted. "Please, don't ever do that again."

When the boy looked up at his partner, he discovered she was already gone. He looked around frantically, finally spotting her at the ruins. The ginger girl was eyeing a Queen chess piece. She picked it up, singing, "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!"

"NORA!"

The girl froze, smiling sheepishly. "Coming, Ren!"

Natsu stared after the girl, eyes wide. "Did she just ride in on an Ursa?.." Lucy was suddenly aware of thundering footsteps coming from the woods.

A loud crash caught the group's attention. Pyrrha was dashing out of the forest, a Death Stalker at her heels. The armor-clad girl looked around frantically, calling, "Jaune!"

A faint, "Pyrrha!" was heard back, but the warrior was too caught up in her pursuit to notice.

Ruby appeared next to Yang and Erza, wrapping them in an embrace. "Ruby!" Yang cried, hugging her sister back. Erza hugged the two of them, her brown eyes almost concerned. "Why were you falling from the sky, Ruby?" She asked her dark-headed sibling.

But Ruby was looking up to the sky. "Um, guys," she said, tapping Yang's arm and pointing up.

Above them all was Weiss, still clinging onto the Nevermore. "How could you leave me?" The girl in peril cried.

"I said jump," Ruby reminded her.

Gray was observing the whole thing going down, glad to be watching everyone fight. Now he could better analyze their fighting styles and weapons and give a good report to Torchwhick.

"She's gonna fall," Blake predicted, eyes fixed on Weiss.

"She'll be fine." Though Ruby's feelings betrayed her words.

"She's falling," sighed Ren.

Elsewhere, finally coming down from his dangling state, Jaune spotted Weiss descending from above. Seeing a chance he was willing to take, Jaune leaped from the tree and caught Weiss in his arms. "Just dropping in?" The boy charmed, Weiss only giving him a stare in response.

They both seemed to realize they were still falling, so they clung onto each other as they crashed to the ground. Jaune landed face-first while Weiss landed on top of him.

"My hero."

"My back…"

The Death Stalker chasing Pyrrha finally caught up to her and hurled her into the air. She landed hard and skidded to the feet of the rest of the group. "Great," Yang exclaimed. "The gang's all here. Now we can die together!" Gray couldn't help but chuckle at the blonde's dark humor.

Ruby faced her sister with great confidence. "Not if I can help it!" She declared, dashing off with her Crescent Rose in hand. Erza reached out for her impudent sister. "Ruby, wait!"

Her words were too late; the girl was already aiming for the Death Stalker that was chasing Pyrrha. She hollered a war cry it, ready to strike. As soon as she reached it and swung her weapon at it, it merely brushed her aside. The caped girl straightened, her movements labored, saying, "D-Don't worry! Totally fine."

"Oh, dear," Lucy murmured, reaching for her whip and keys.

Ruby turned around and faced the giant monster, fear in her grey eyes. She shot at it's head before booking it back to where she started. Yang's purple eyes grew wide as the Nevermore that her sister had flown in upon flew dangerously close. Erza and Yang dashed off for their sister, shouting, "Ruby!"

The monster let out an ear-piercing screech and reared in the air, using its feathers as arrows and pinning down Ruby by her cape. Erza and Yang slid past some of the dart-like feathers. "Ruby!" Yang cried. "Get out of there!"

Ruby looked helplessly back at her sisters. "I'm trying!" She tugged at her cape, though it refused to tear from the feather it was struck down by.

Erza drew her sword, eyes wide with distress. "Ruby!" The Death Stalker was raising its stinger, ready to strike and kill Ruby.

Suddenly, a flash of white flew past the armor-clad woman. Weiss had drawn her rapier and froze the Grimm's stinger. "You are so childish," the ice-themed girl criticized Ruby.

"Weiss..?"

"And dim-witted and hyperactive," Weiss continued. "And don't even get me started on your fighting style."

Her demeanor changed a bit as she still went on. "And I suppose, I can be a bit… difficult, but if we're going to do this…" She looked beyond Ruby and at the others. "We're going to have to do this together."

Ruby opened her mouth to talk, but Weiss cut her off. "So if you quit trying to show off, I'll be.. Nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off," Ruby pressed. "I just want to show you that I can do this."

"You're fine," Weiss assured.

Ruby released a sigh of relief as the heiress walked off. "Normal knees…"

The girl looked behind the block of ice that Weiss had formed and was shocked to see the beast still struggling. Yang and Erza rushed up to their sister, relief brimming in their eyes.

"We're so happy you're ok," Yang cried, embracing her sister. Erza rested her hand on Ruby's back reassuringly, but her face was stern. "Don't you ever do that again," she scolded, staring directly at Ruby. She shied away from her scary sister, smiling sheepishly. "No promises."

Everyone had regrouped when the Nevermore came soaring back. Natsu pointed up at it, saying, "Guys, that thing is circling back." Jaune followed him up with, "What should we do?"

Weiss stepped forward. "Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us."

"She's right," Lucy affirmed. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs." The rest nodded in agreement. "There's no point in fighting these things."

"Run and live. That is an idea I can get behind." Jaune nodded to Lucy, who chuckled at him.

Whoever hadn't already chosen a relic grabbed one. The Death Stalker was beginning to crack the ice it was trapped in, alerting the group it was time to head out. "It's time to go," Ren ordered. Ruby nodded, and they all dashed off in the direction of the cliffs.

As they ran, the Nevermore above began following them. Ahead of them was a number of large, old buildings, with a tower standing in the middle of it all. They all fell back, knowing that they would have to fight to make it out alive. The Nevermore perched on top of the tower, letting out a cry so loud it could shatter glass. "Well that's great," Natsu muttered, his eyes glinting with annoyance.

While their attention was fixed on the Nevermore, the Death Stalker had already broken free from the ice and was now charging from the forest. "Aw man," Jaune groaned.

"Run!" Gray cried, and so they all did.

The Nevermore let out another cry, sensing their presence. "Nora!" Ren cried. "Distract it!"

Giving a nod, Nora leaped out in plain site, dodging the beast's feathers. She drew her Magnhild and shot at it, making it leave its place on the tower. As she fired at it, the Death Stalker leaped at her, but Ren and Blake kept it off.

Jaune and Pyrrha were running for the tower, but as the warrior realized the Death Stalker was on their tail, she called for Jaune to keep going. She turned and began firing at it with her Miló and Akoúo. Ren joined her and shot at it with his Stormflower pistols.

Lucy reached for her keys and drew out her Sagittarius key. "Open! Gate of the Archer. Sagittarius!"

"Moshimosh!" A starry man sporting a horse costume appeared into the air. "Sagittarius! That monster needs to be taken down." The man nodded, took his bow and arrow, and aimed for the monster. Meanwhile, Lucy used her whip to keep the beast back a bit by lashing out at it repeatedly. The others stared in awe at the blonde's abilities; they had never seen anything like it.

Erza had gone ahead with Jaune and the others. She was mainly watching over Ruby but was ready to assist anyone in need. Before anyone react, the Nevermore came around and crashed into the bridge they were running upon. It separated the group and knocked Erza back, leaving her along with Lucy, Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha to deal with the Death Stalker. She clenched her teeth, facing the monster with fire in her eyes. She changed her basic armor to her Flight Armor to increase her speed. She took her two thorn-like rapiers and dashed at the beast, slicing at it's body at immense speeds. She stabbed at its eyes, knowing that if she could blind it, it'd be easier to take down. The Grimm swung angrily after her, unable to catch her at the speeds she was moving at. She used its head as a boost before leaping into the air and then dashing for her target and slicing it from every direction. The creature let out a roar and knocked Erza into a nearby wall. She slid to the ground, groaning, then looked up to see Lucy standing in front of her. Lucy held out her hand and helped the redhead up. "Let's go win this," Lucy said with a flash of a smile. Erza grinned back and nodded, then they rushed back to help the others.

Jaune and Natsu ran to the edge of the broken bridge, watching as their comrades fought against the Death Stalker. "Man, we gotta get over there," Natsu growled, frustrated. Jaune nodded in agreement, saying, "They need help!" Nora rushed over to them, determination in her eyes. "Let's do this!"

"Yeah, but, I can't make that jump," Jaune grimaced. Nora just flashed him a smile that sort of scared the two men. She knocked them both back, then leaped up and smashed the bridge where they stood. This caused Jaune and Natsu to be catapulted to the other side while she boosted herself over using her Magnhild. She used this boost to slam her hammer-like weapon into the Death Stalker's skull. She was thrust back which caused her to accidentally knock Blake over the edge. The Faunus slung her Gambol Shroud and the blade dug into the nearby stone building. She flew through the air while hanging from her weapon, suddenly cloning herself and boosting off of that to catapult herself towards the Grimm. She lashed at it with her blade and jumped onto it, attacking it at quick speeds. As she flew over where Yang, Ruby and Weiss stood, she dropped down and landing on a large rock. Another man with dark hair stood nearby, almost placidly, watching the scene unfold. Blake ignored him and looked at Yang. "It's tougher than it looks," she reported. Yang readied her Ember Celicas, a determined look in her eyes. "Then let's hit it with everything we've got."

The four girls all readied their weapons, ready to take on the enemy. They all began firing at the beast, their new main focus. Suddenly, the bird Grimm burst through the tower and caused it to collapse. Luckily, the girls were able to use the debris and their weapons to propel themselves back up. Weiss and Ruby landed on a stable area, looking frustrated. "None of this is working," Weiss grumbled, watching the fight. Ruby looked around, assessing the situation, they told Weiss that she had a plan.

As the Nevermore hit the tower, Gray was knocked into the air. Thinking fast, he cried, "Ice Make: Grappling Hook!" He was grappled onto the steady part of the bridge along with the Death Stalker and the people fighting it. He saw that even with all of them, they were still struggling to take it down. Smirking, he shouted, "Ice Make: Lance!" Shards of ice sped for the beast and struck it, making it cry out once more. Suddenly, the stinger that had been "holding the bridge in place" came loose and the slab of stone began to slide. "We've got to move!" Cried a boy with blonde hair and they all rushed forwards. One of its great claws lashed out for a girl with Roman-style armor, but she blocked it with her shield and stabbed it with her spear. It lunged for her again but the blonde boy blocked it with his own shield. Gray ducked its swiping arms, muttering, "Ice Make: Sword," forming an icy sword in his palm. He struck at it, which grabbed its attention. It fixed its beady eyes on him and roared, ready to attack. Suddenly, a girl with ginger hair shot a huge bomb-like explosive at the monster, knocking them both back. "Shit," he mumbled, standing back up. The warrior-girl fired her lance at the beast's eye and it stuck there. A man with long black hair was slung off of its tail and onto the ground, but also let the redhead slice off it's stinger. It's most precious weapon was used against itself as it stuck into its head.

A blonde and another redhead rushed up to Gray and asked if he was alright. He nodded in reply, looking over at Natsu, who was standing next to the blonde boy. As he stood there, he began thinking of something. If he could finish off the Grimm, maybe he could earn more trust from both Torchwhick and the school. He gestured for the two girls and Natsu to follow him. "Listen up," he muttered to them. "We're going to finish it." Erza perked up, already thinking of a plan. "Okay. I need you, Lucy, to use your whip to hold onto it and keep it still. Natsu, use your flame to distract it and keep others away. I'll try slicing its legs off to make it really not be able to move. Gray, you'll have the killing blow. Use something that will smash its stinger into its head."

The other three nodded and went off to do what they were told. Natsu used his "Fire Dragon's Roar" to scald the beast and keep other away from their fight. Lucy tangled it in her whip and held it fast, summoning Taurus to help her hold onto the rope. Erza sliced at its legs, one by one. Gray ran boosted himself with "Ice Make: Lance" aimed to the ground and then used "Ice Make: Fishnet" to freeze his opponent. After this, for the finishing blow, he enabled "Ice Make: Hammer", smashing the stinger into the monster's skull. The force of the blow caused them all to fly into the air and land onto the nearby platform, exhausted and out of breath.

Yang continued to fire her Ember Celicas at the Nevermore, but it seemed to be immune to her bullets. She froze when it flew at her, mouth open, but then jumped into its mouth and fired repeatedly into its throat. She did a backflip off of it and landed onto the ground, watching as it crashed into the cliff.

Weiss flew past Yang and froze the Grimm's tail feathers, freezing it to the surface it had been resting on. She also did a backflip away from it, then formed a glyph below it.

Blake fired the blade half of her Gambol Shroud to Yang, who stuck the blade into the wall beside her. Ruby used this as a slingshot while Weiss formed on large glyph behind Ruby. "Of course you would come up with this idea," she scoffed. Ruby ignored her comment, instead replying with, "Do you think you could make the shot?"

"Hmph! Can I?"

Ruby suddenly looked worried. "Can you?!"

"Of course I can!" Weiss shot back.

Ruby readied her Crescent Rose, narrowing her eyes. Weiss used her glyphs to sling Ruby into the air and at the Nevermore, who was still stuck in the heiress' ice. Ruby used her rifle feature to propel herself further into the air and hooked the enemy's neck with her scythe. Weiss formed a trail of glyphs up the cliff's side which allowed Ruby to drag the Grimm by its neck and gain speed at the same time. As she reached the very top, she sliced off it's head and landed on top of the cliff. The Nevermore's body fell to the pits below while the rest of the group watched in awe.

Ruby looked down upon everything below her, cape fluttering behind her and rose petals swirling around her. Her sisters stared proudly back at her, Yang turning to Weiss and saying, "Well. That was a thing."

Back at Beacon Academy

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark."

Applause echoed throughout the ceremony hall as Professor Ozpin named the four men. The "initiation" had finally been over and they were all soon whisked back to Beacon to form their teams. Well, more like have their teams formed for them.

"The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, lead by Cardin Winchester."

More applause sounded as the new team exited the stage, with their new leader, Cardin, leading them off.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you work together as Team JNPR."

Nora giggled and hugged Ren with glee.

"Lead by, Jaune Arc."

The blonde boy looked shocked. "L-Lead by?" Ozpin nodded to him. "Congratulations, young man."

Pyrrha smiled at Jaune, then gave him a "friendly punch" that knocked him over. She looked surprised but laughed at him along with the crowd.

"Erza Scarlet. Gray Fullbuster. Lucy Heartfilia. Natsu Dragneel."

The four walked onto the stage, Natsu grinning ear-to-ear. Erza smiled at Yang and Ruby, who were still waiting their turn. Gray looked solemn as ever and Lucy waved happily at Pyrrha.

"The four of you retrieved the white king pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team ENGL. Lead by, Erza Scarlet."

The redhead looked surprised but pleased. Lucy hugged her and Natsu gave her a thumbs up.

Ozpin nodded at the group as they left the stage, feeling a wave of relief as they did.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY."

Ruby smiled.

"Lead by, Ruby Rose."

Weiss gaped and looked at the small girl beside her. Yang rushed over and squealed, "I'm so proud of you!"

Ozpin smirked at the four, saying, "Looks like this will be an… interesting year."

I am sooo sorry for the long hiatus! Life has been crazy lately and i haven't had time to write.

i'm super happy that i was able to finish this chapter, though! it was fun writing it and rewatching some rwby to make sure i'm doing this right lmao

thank you so much for your patience and support! i promise most of my stories will be updated very soon as well!

always,

fairlystange