Coeur Al'Aran was the beta for the original Auburn and helped me immensely during a period when we were both just getting started. Cover Art drawn by confections101 and a link to it is on my profile page. Jefardi is the one who finally kicked my butt into gear to do something about this story I had almost given up on.
Auburn
Overtime
Blake crept silently ahead of the rest of the group. Forever Fall was teeming with Grimm and it was getting harder and harder for them to traverse any ground without getting caught by a group of them. Their second day had been going for quite some time now and if she had to guess would say they had three hours until they needed to be to this airship that was supposed to take them home.
It was a feasible goal. That is if they could manage to quit fighting Grimm every thirty seconds. Fortunately, she couldn't make out any in the red forest ahead of them. She turned around and waved the group forward. Weiss, Ruby, and Jaune all appeared from around trees they had been using as cover and jogged to her. Weiss and Ruby continued past but Jaune paused by her side and gave a silent thumbs-up with a goofy smile. Blake responded with a subtle smile.
"Does it seem strangely quiet to anyone else?" It was Ruby that broke the silence that had claimed their group. They had been going by the unspoken rule of not saying anything for fear of alerting Grimm to their location but she had a point. It was really quiet. Rather... it was downright silent. There wasn't a single breathing thing moving around them at all. Not birds in the sky, nor squirrels and other rodents bustling along the ground. She couldn't even hear the hum of insects that were an almost annoyingly constant presence.
"This isn't natural." Weiss seemed to agree with what Blake was thinking. The most disturbing part of all was that there weren't any Grimm. If there was something that even scared them away from the area... well, then they were in more than just a little bit of trouble.
"So this is like the calm before the storm?" Leave it to Jaune to put it with as little delicacy as possible.
"Whatever it is, I don't like it one bit. We should make haste." Weiss skipped ahead before she broke into a light jog. Blake hated to admit it but for once she was in agreement with the Heiress.
"Come on, Jaune. We're getting out of here." She grabbed his wrist and took off running after her. A trail of rose petals told her that Ruby had dashed forward as well.
"What do you think it could be?" Jaune gasped for breath as she dragged him at a pace that was just almost too quick for him.
"I don't know and I don't want to know. We just need to get out of this forest-" Her breath hitched as the trees broke away all at once and she was forced to skid to a stop before she ran smack into Weiss and Ruby. Together, the four of them stared in utter silence at the massive scenery that had opened up before them.
The lowering sun illuminated the landscape beautifully. Behind them was the edge of the forest which cut into the dense, red treeline they had just broken free from. Immediately ahead of them was a massive slope that slanted at a dangerous angle, leading them directly into the twisting wilderness hundreds of feet beneath them. Rolling rivers were visible for miles, only occasionally obstructed by pockets of orange and yellow trees. Where there weren't trees was lush, rich grass that looked so red it was almost as if it had been painted on by the deaths of hundreds of lives. However, none of this compared to the predominant feature of the landscape before them which were the dozens of twisting spires and flat mesas. Some of them appeared to extend several miles into the sky, as if attempting to stab at it. Two growing mountains to either side appeared to trap the peninsula in a gigantic fissure. Just beyond it all... was the endless blue sea.
"This is…" There were too many words Blake could use to describe it. This was land untouched by man, too far beyond their reach. It was beautiful and yet it was horrifying to look at. If she had to go with a description for it though, there was only one thing that properly came to mind. "...unlike anything I've ever seen."
Weiss snapped free from her stupor first and pulled out her scroll and began scanning her map. "The abandoned airbase is ahead of us. If I had to guess, I would say it's on one of those big mesa. It's the perfect spot for them to attempt to establish a route out here."
"If it's so perfect, why is it abandoned?" Jaune brought up an excellent question. So much land was visible in front of them and yet Blake didn't spy a single Grimm. How could that be? This far from civilization should be teeming with them. Why then did they have to abandon this airbase? Why didn't they attempt to cultivate this area? It didn't make sense.
"We can always ask them when we get there. We really need to keep moving. I do not want to have to run back through that forest because we missed our flight." It was once again Weiss that egged the group forward and began to slide down the slope that took them to the rolling landscape beneath them.
"This is something we would have never gotten to see if we hadn't decided to become Huntresses." Ruby took one last longing glance before she followed loyally after her partner.
"We're almost done. We can finally put this whole initiation behind us." Jaune grinned widely as he too started his way down.
"Jaune, you need to listen to me." Blake took pace right by his side. "There is something very dangerous down there. No matter what happens, we need to stick together. Do you understand me?"
"Of course." Jaune nodded at her and continued to grin. He didn't look nearly as frightened about this as Blake felt he should be. "We've overcome so much already together. There isn't anything that the four of us can't beat together. I'm certain of it." For once, it was Jaune who was sprouting off lines of confidence. Not his fake bravado either; It was real, genuine confidence. Confidence in his teammate's and his own ability to handle whatever it was that came at them. Blake had to admit, it really suited him. His father might have been onto something when he told him that all a guy needed was confidence.
It took them nearly ten minutes just to reach the bottom of their first hill. Down here, the spires seemed much more imposing. It was impossible to see the tips of some of them as the clouds passed through them. The sound of the crashing rivers and roaring waterfalls were the only noise audible to them and the air... was sickeningly sweet. Just what in the world was this paradise they had entered?
The blood-red grass was soft beneath their feet and felt comfortable even on their sore legs as they continued their trek. It was almost unbelievable that this place could be dangerous. They continued forward, every step causing them to forget their previous fear little by little.
They arrived next to their first spire and Blake was immediately impressed by its thickness. It was easily a hundred times as dense as any tree. The twisting rock it was made of was covered in moss and roots, giving it an incredibly ancient feeling. More than that, it felt... sacred. Almost as if it was something not to be disturbed or touched by mankind.
"I'm tired…" Ruby groaned as they passed it and continued forward. There were several more in the distance, some of their bases impossible to see thanks to the numerous hills.
"What are you, a child?" Weiss chided as she glared at her. "We've got about an hour until sunset and we're still a ways off from the mesa I think we need to be to."
"She is only fifteen and this is a lot of up and down walking, Snow Angel. Cut her some slack." Jaune immediately stepped to Ruby's defense.
"You pick up her slack then! I'm trying to keep us from failing!" Weiss spun on her heel and stormed ahead. "And stop calling me that!"
"I'm sorry." Ruby continued on, but clearly downtrodden.
"Hey, don't worry about it. She's just cranky from not getting her proper beauty sleep." Jaune jostled the younger girl's hair, getting a giggle. He then crouched down in front of her, earning a perplexed tilt of the head. "Hop on. I'll carry you for awhile." With a deep blush, Ruby obliged and got on his back. He wrapped his arms around her legs and began piggybacking her.
"Thanks." Blake's bow twitched as she heard Ruby quietly whisper into Jaune's ear.
It was only a few minutes before they ran into a problem. One of the rivers that they had seen cut across their path and it was running far too rapidly for them to simply cross without being swept away. To their left it went off a cliff and formed a waterfall. To their right was one of the pockets of trees they had seen earlier. It was a miniature forest in its own right now that they could see it up close.
"This is nothing." Weiss walked up to the edge of the river without fear and unhooked Myrtenaster from her belt. The dial at the end spun until was locked on the light blue and she stabbed at the river. In only an instant, a huge hunk of it froze to solid ice and formed a path for them to cross. They wasted no time doing so for fear of the river ripping their makeshift bridge apart.
The sky was beginning to dye with oranges and purples as the sun set lower and lower to the horizon. Their pace naturally quickened as the urgency of time became blatantly more apparent to all of them.
"Do you think there's an elevator to the top?" Jaune asked the question that Blake could only hope the answer was a yes. The mesa they were searching for was now distinctly in their sights but to their dismay, stretched impossibly high.
"My glyphs can get us up there easily enough. I won't fail just because there isn't something convenient like an elevator." Weiss and everyone's eyes were glued to the side of the structure ahead of them. It was their one and only goal right now. They were so caught up in it that they failed to notice the danger that was approaching them until it was almost too late.
It was Blake who felt it first. "Is the ground... shaking?" She wasn't sure if it was a trick of her tired legs which were shaking simply from the exertion she had put them through or if there was actually some external factor causing the ground to quake.
The others took pause and seemed to consider her question for a moment. Jaune was the first to respond. "The ground is definitely shaking. It's getting stronger too." Ruby was beginning to jitter around in his hold.
"It's not an earthquake, is it?" Weiss looked the most concerned of them as she kept shifting her gaze from the ground to the mesa.
"Actually... I think it's that." Ruby pointed to their left, away from the setting sun, and they all followed with their eyes.
"That's no earthquake." Blake's breath hitched at the behemoth Grimm that was charging them. It was still too far off to make out all the details, but from what she could tell it was not something they wanted to mess with.
"Should we run?" Jaune was already taking a few uneasy steps backwards. "We don't have much time before the sun sets."
"We should definitely run. Like now." Weiss' voice trembled but she didn't move.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Jaune didn't waste another second; He sprinted faster than Blake had ever seen him go before and that was with Ruby on his back too. She and Weiss were immediately on his tail.
"How did it even find us?" Ruby screamed, able to keep looking at it. The others didn't dare turn around. "We would've seen something that big way before it saw us, wouldn't we?"
"Who knows? It's a Grimm! They have all kinds of unusual abilities, most of them good for hunting humans!" Blake's legs were on fire. They had been sore before but now she was putting every fibre of her being into using them to propel herself forward. Her lungs greedily sucked for air but they couldn't possibly get enough. The trembling was getting so bad now it was almost impossible for them to run straight. They still easily had three hundred yards until they made it to the Mesa but there was another forest pocket just twenty to their right.
"Guys! It's on us! Like right this second!" Ruby's eyes hadn't left it and she was reaching for her weapon.
"Ruby! Distract it for a second!" Weiss unhooked her rapier. Blake took this as a good sign to unsheath Gambol Shroud. Jaune's sword came out and his shield popped open. They were ready.
"I'm on it!" Ruby's weapon transformed into a scythe and she flipped backwards and off Jaune. She fired off a round and it propelled her right towards the Grimm. As she did, all three of them spun around to face whatever it was.
Blake did not like their odds.
It had three different heads on its body. The one at the front was that of a lion. A big, black lion with the most evil red eyes she had ever seen. Its wild mane was dyed so black it looked like a deep abyss. The second head rode on its back and was that of a goat. The horns looped around and were made of dark gray Grimm armor. Its front legs were lion paws while it's back were goat hooves. The final head was on its tail and was a snake that made the King Taijitu look small by comparison. The whole thing was big. Just one of it's feet was as tall as they were and the rest of it scaled hopelessly over their heads.
This didn't stop Ruby from swinging right at its big face. Well, the first face she could. "Take this!" She cried as her scythe descended. It turned its head just slightly and she struck the lion's mane only to have her blow completely deflected. Blake could only sympathize as the younger girls eyes widened in shock and she flipped backwards and away.
"What the Hell is that thing?" Jaune's knees were shaking as he stared up at the monstrosity before them.
"It's a Chimera-class Grimm." Weiss stabbed her sword into the ground and a path of ice spikes trailed towards the Chimera. It gave a mighty roar and swung it's paw. The ice shattered before it even made it to it.
"What does that mean?"
"It means we're in trouble." Blake answered Jaune's question before charging forward to land a strike of her own. They had to keep it confused by constantly charging at it independently. All three heads seemed to still be analyzing them. So they only had a small window before it began attacking in earnest.
That small window appeared to be up as the lion head roared, the goat bleated, and the snake hissed. Blake skid to a halt but she was right in front of it. The lion's mane began shaking violently. It was a horrifying sight. Like thousands of snakes were wiggling about. Then it came to life and began stretching out. Four spears made of the hair extended all at once; One for each of them.
Blake left behind a clone and dodged with just a second to spar. She turned to see Jaune had shielded himself while Weiss and Ruby were both protected by the former's glyph. "Blake! Behind you!" She turned to see the snake head lunge.
"Damn!" She dropped to the ground and it skirted over her head. Then pulled back and poised itself to strike again. Meanwhile, she heard the goat inhale. She could only spare a brief glance before she had to dodge again. It spit a horrible green liquid from its mouth that flew right at Jaune.
He raised his shield to deflect it. "Dodge, you dunce!" Weiss and Ruby were holding off all four of the tendril-like spears that were made of the lion's mane.
Jaune froze up for just a second. Then he rolled, the green spit hitting the ground and immediately melting a hole. "Thanks, Snow Angel! I knew you cared!" He yelled before another acid-loogie flew at him. Weiss didn't have the time to respond as more pieces of the mane broke off and were beginning to overwhelm her and Ruby.
This was falling apart for them very quickly. They had been divided up by the heads and if they didn't do something they were going to be picked off one by one. The problem was that communicating with one another was almost impossible. She was putting all her effort into just surviving at the moment and the others were doing the same. If they tried looking out for each other it would only get themselves killed. She had to take control of her own fight if she was going to help someone else.
She dodged the snake once again and sliced at it with Gambol Shroud. Predictably it had no effect. She was going to need to get momentum to do any real damage but that thing was swinging around so quickly and fluidly that she couldn't even get a clean hit in, let alone a powerful one.
The snake pulled its head back and loomed over at her. This posed another problem. A normal snake was restricted to the ground. This one dangled in the air, giving it a whole different range of ways to come at her. It let out a low, long hiss and once again made a jab for her. She left a clone and dodged to the right. It struck the ground, sending hunks of dirt and grass flying in every direction. She landed right next to it, this time determined to stab its piercing red eye.
"Blake!" Before she had the chance, Jaune tackled her out of the way. She looked to see the snake head pull back up and a wad of acid strike the ground she had just been standing on. Jaune had just saved her life.
"Thanks." They both scrambled to their feet and Jaune nodded in response. They stood side-by-side, watching now for both the snake and goat heads.
"Weiss and Ruby are gonna make a break for it here in a second. When they get here, we're gonna go for the snake head first. Then the goat. We'll end it with the lion. It's the only strategy we got." He quickly filled her in on the plan the others had somehow formed while she was busy with her end. Not a second later they had to split from one another just in time to dodge the snake. She left a clone that was then hit by a wad of acid.
"Jaune! Blake! Hang on!" Ruby and Weiss were coming in at high speeds and Blake knew it was time to put a plan in action if they had one.
"Weiss! Freeze it down!" Jaune called and the Heiress reacted. She stabbed the ground and a trail of ice travelled up to the low-hanging head. The snake was frozen to the ground just below it's head, keeping it low to the earth. "Ruby! I'll give you a boost! Get above it! Blake get below! Do to it what you did to the Nevermore!"
"Right!"
"You got it!"
Ruby vanished in a blur of roses and appeared above Jaune. He was already crouched with the shield above his head. She fired her gun and was launched into the air. She arched herself above the snake just as Blake got beneath it. Weiss waved her rapier and two more glyphs appeared; One above Ruby and one below Blake. "Use them as a boost!" She commanded. More of the tendrils from the lions mane were about to strike her in the back. Jaune rose to his feet and intercepted them, allowing her to focus.
"Do it!" He shouted.
Ruby gave a yell and kicked off her glyph. Blake did the same. Their blades dug into its neck at the same time and just like they had done once before, they popped its head clear off.
The other two heads of the Chimera gave very different cries. The tail broke free from the ice and begun swinging around wildly. The mane retracted back to the lion's face and it began stamping the ground with its paws while bucking with its hooves. The ground shook horribly as it threw its tantrum and they all nearly toppled over.
"We need to get the goat now, right?" Blake wanted nothing more than to take a breather but time was running out very, very quickly. They had maybe fifteen minutes before the sun set and that was being generous. That was fifteen minutes to cut off two more heads, run three hundred yards to the mesa, scale it to the top, and board a ship.
Yeah, not good.
"What's the strategy for that?" Ruby turned to her partner and Jaune anxiously mimicked that look.
"We need to get up there, first. The base of its head is huge and those horns pose a major problem but not nearly as much as that disgusting spit, so we'll have to pincer it from the sides. Arc and Belladonna should take one end while we take the other. As long as we can destroy its brain it should be easier than cutting its head off. Besides, it'll be more of a hindrance still attached to the body."
"Then let's go." Ruby cocked her scythe and an empty shell tumbled out.
"Wait, something's wrong!" Blake put an arm in front of the younger girl and they all took notice of the Chimera. It was still thrashing but the tail had quit flailing around like a broken cord and now shot backwards, ramrod straight. It started pulsing. At first it was slow. The time between each pulse got quicker until it was happening multiple times a second. A sick gushing sound reached their ears and the severed part of the tail began growing... until the head of the snake returned as if it hadn't been cut at all.
"Now that's just cheating…" Jaune's arms fell helplessly to his sides. Blake couldn't help but agree with him.
"Is it immortal?" Ruby wondered aloud.
"It can't be." Weiss shook her head. "It likely either has a central heart or all three heads operate independently. If the latter is the case we would have to cut them all off simultaneously to kill it."
"That's about as possible as locating the heart, assuming it only has one of those." Blake didn't want to admit it, but there was just no way they were going to kill this thing. They were foolish to think they could have ever taken it on at all.
"I agree. We need to run." Weiss sheathed her sword as the Chimera still appeared to be reorienting itself.
"Run where? It's faster than us simply because of its size." Jaune looked back towards the mesa but even Blake knew they would never make it.
"There's a forest behind us. Maybe we can lose it there?" They all looked at one another and nodded at Ruby's suggestion. It was much closer to them and if they had any chance at all of getting away it was going to be in there.
"Run and live. Finally you people speak my language." Jaune's shield retracted and he slid his sword away. A moment later and he was was on the run again. The rest joined him but it was only after a dozen feet that they heard - or rather felt - the Chimera give chase.
"Don't turn around!" Weiss screamed as she appeared to skate across the earth. "Just run right into the the trees! Once you've gotten in, if it's not after you try to head north and make a break for the airbase!"
Blake didn't want to be the pessimistic one. Their plan was sound enough and really was the only viable thing at all at this point. There was just one major problem. It had found them from leagues away for seemingly no reason. This thing was an excellent hunter. There wasn't getting away without someone drawing it off. That meant someone would have to be left behind. It was the unfortunate reality of the situation.
They were ten yards to the forest and she could feel its breath on her back now.
Each step it took on its stampede threw her a little into the air.
It was seconds away from mauling them.
Fifteen feet to the forest.
Its legs were visible to her left and right without even having to turn her head. If she looked up, the lion's head would without a doubt be directly above her.
A final burst of speed and they crashed into the trees. The sound of them being uprooted and an angry roar told them that it wasn't about to give up just because they broke line of sight.
A whole tree trunk flew over her head and landed in front of her. Orange and yellow leaves were scattered in every direction. She paid it no mind and jumped clear over it. A bleat from the goat head told her that she was putting some distance on it but she also realized that her teammates' footsteps were scattered a distance away. They had been forced to separate in order to make it around the dense foliage and with a glance around she didn't immediately see any of them.
"North!" Weiss yelled a little to her right. The Chimera heard it too. Blake took off running in the sound of the voice but to her distress it sounded like the Chimera was running that way too. It was lumbering towards where her voice had just come from.
"Over here you stupid Grimm!" That voice the other way caused her heart to drop.
Jaune.
The Chimera paused and changed directions. She could see its huge black mass moving even through the trees. "That's right! Follow me!" His voice was getting farther away as he ran in the opposite direction they should be heading.
The crack of a branch behind her caused her to spin around and see Ruby tumble by.
"Jaune's calling it off for us to get away." Blake informed.
"We need to go help him." Ruby didn't hesitate to say back. The Chimera was getting farther away, but it was still easily visible due to its size.
"No, let him." Weiss appeared from a nearby tree.
"What?!" Blake heard Ruby's voice overlap with her own.
"Keep it down, don't let that dunce's sacrifice be for nothing." Blake instinctively reached for Gambol Shroud and took a threatening step forward.
"How dare you call him that after you're ready to just allow him to throw away his life for us!" She reached forward to grab Weiss by the neck but Ruby's timid hands snatched her wrist first.
"Please, don't fight! We need to go save Jaune!" She looked with pleading eyes at Weiss.
She only rolled her eyes at them and Blake clenched her fist. It was all she could do not to break her hand free from Ruby's grip so she could punch the snotty Heiress. "Look, we won't get away at all if someone doesn't stay behind. I'm just being practical. We'll get to the airbase and inform them of what happened and they'll fly down and pick him up. They can't expect to leave him to the claws of that thing. We're not even students yet. We weren't trained for this."
Ruby faltered. "S-She might have a point."
"He won't last until we get back! One person can't possibly outrun that Grimm on their own! The amount of cover doesn't matter." Blake seethed and yanked her wrist free from Ruby's grasp. "I'm going after him."
"Do what you want. I'm getting to the airbase. Ruby, come on." Weiss turned and walked away but Ruby didn't move. She looked nervously at Blake and then back to Weiss.
"I-I'll stay too. I can't abandon Jaune. He was my first new friend." She began to pull out her weapon again but Blake placed a hand on her arm.
"Go with Weiss. I'll make sure to keep Jaune alive. I need someone I can trust to make sure that that airship comes for us. Commandeer it if you have to. We're counting on you." Ruby hesitated for a moment before she nodded vigorously. She then dashed forward and embraced Blake in a hug. She blinked in surprise before gently returning it for a second. "Hurry and go." She whispered into her ear.
Ruby pulled away and fought back tears. "You both better be alive when I come back. I will without a doubt come back. Keep that stupid jerk alive."
"I will."
Ruby smiled through the tears that were now falling. In a flurry of petals she was gone and after Weiss.
Blake looked up to the sky. The last rays of orange were settling in and the sky was almost completely purple. They were about out of time. Ruby and Weiss would barely make it if they were lucky. Jaune and her, well... they were screwed.
She smiled bitterly.
So this was it, huh? She turned and ran after her one and only friend. At least if this was the end she would be facing it with him.
Jaune would admit, he had better ideas. Then again, since he got ahold of those fake transcripts it seemed his life was a series of just bad ideas. This one probably took the cake. Luring off that Grimm was without a doubt going to get him killed in short order.
He ducked behind a tree and peeked around. He had been able to outmaneuver it long enough for the sun to have gone down but now the pitch black Grimm was hard to see with it blending into the night sky. It was not hard to hear, however. Every lumbering step it took and the ground shook. Its massive body knocked trees over just by bumping into them. It then roared in frustrated anger.
He took a couple cautious steps backwards, very careful not to make much noise. The Chimera had incredibly good hearing and if even one head caught the tiniest sound it would be on him in seconds. Then he would be back to square one and forced to make another mad scramble. The sound of something slithering through the brush made him lock up in fear.
The snake portion of the Chimera was gliding through the trees, peeking here and there for him and sniffing the air, hoping to catch his scent. If he didn't move soon it was going to pick up his trail, but he had to fight every urge to bolt. Running recklessly was going to get him caught just as quickly.
Slowly but surely he creeped backwards and away from the Chimera. Maybe he was going to make it? But where would he go if he got away? The sun had set which meant the airship would have already departed. He was stranded out here on his own. Even if he survived this encounter it was only a matter of time before something else killed him. He had all of Forever Fall to hike through before he got to Vale and the city was quite further away than Beacon was. It would take him at least three days of just walking. He would be too exhausted to fight off a lone Beowulf, let alone whatever else came for him. Maybe it would just be better to get it over with? That Chimera looked like it could swallow him in one bite. Surely that would be a quick, painless death.
No, no, no. He had survived way too much crap to just give up now. If and when he died, he was going to die swinging the whole way. That was the least he could do for the ones he let get away. He really missed them right about now. Beautiful, beautiful Weiss. She may have a sharp personality but she was exceptionally skilled. The way she had just taken command of the group had put him at ease and she was just so much fun to tease. Sweet, quirky Ruby. She was his first new friend at Beacon and already felt like a little sister to him.
Blake…
It almost made him cry to think he would never see her again. They had been through so much in just the two days they had spent together. Was it really only two days? It felt like he had known her for months. The constant threat of death probably had something to do with that.
A twig snapped beneath his foot and the snake jerked its head towards him. Then came the thundering steppes of the main body as the rest gave chase.
"Just give me a break already." He sighed and turned to run. He only took a step before running smack into someone else.
"Blake?!" He blinked twice to confirm it was her. When she didn't vanish he knew she was real.
"Come on!" She grabbed his wrist and yanked him with her as she ran.
"What are you doing here? I stayed behind so you guys could get out of here!" Despite what he said he couldn't help but feel a little happy that she came back for him.
"I'm gonna kick your ass for deciding that on your own later! First we need to survive!" Blake sounded really, really angry. He had to admit, he would be pissed if she had done the same so he couldn't really fault her. He was quite afraid of that ass-kicking she promised though.
Wait, she just said after they survived just now. "Do you have a plan to get us outta this?"
"Ruby's going to turn that ship back around for us. She's coming back for us so we just have to hold out." That was reassuring to know. There was a slim chance he was still going to make it out after all. Like Blake said: They just had to hold out. Which was going to be unfortunately tricky.
He heard the goat spit again and turned around to see a glob of acid flying directly at them. "Blake, down!" He wrapped his free arm around her waist and dove both of them to the right. They hit the ground just as the acid struck a tree they had been running towards. With a burning hiss, it ate through the trunk and the tree collapsed into the forest. It didn't end there. The acid set the trunk ablaze and fire spread almost immediately as a crashing step from the Chimera sent the flames scattering in all directions. "Great, now we gotta outrun a Grimm and a wildfire."
He scrambled to his feet, pulling Blake up with him as he did. The fire was jumping from tree to tree, being spread by all the wind the Chimera made when it moved as it thrashed around looking for them. Its red eyes squinted against the suddenly bright flames and obscure smoke. At the very least it was providing them some cover.
"We gotta keep moving, Jaune." Blake tugged at his wrist and he nodded. They turned to run and a flaming branch collapsed in front of them, barring their path. "This feels familiar." She smirked with facetious mirth.
"Running for our lives while the world around us is attempting to collapse on our heads?" He just really hoped he didn't get hit in the head again. That rock had hurt but if something knocked him out and set him on fire then he would be done for.
"This way." She turned to their right and took off, pulling him along again. The Chimera roared and stomped after them, knocking over trees and sending flaming debris launching into other parts of the forest, only spreading the fire further. It had only started a second ago but thanks to the Grimm's efforts it seemed the whole area around them was ablaze. No matter where they went, burning branches surrounded them.
They both coughed and stumbled forward. The smoke was becoming thicker and the whole area was alight with an orange glow. Jaune's lungs desperately sought fresh air and he was overwhelming hit by fatigue as it failed to collect any. Seriously, how was his body even still functioning?
"We need to get out of this forest!" Blake doubled over and coughed hoarsely. "We'll suffocate from all this smoke."
"We don't even know what way out is." He attempted to squint into the distance but his eyes watered as the smoke obscured his vision. A foot of the Chimera crashed down right next to them, causing them to jump and sprint away. Trees were torn apart as more tendrils made from the lions mane skewered the area they had been occupying.
"It can't be far!" She switched her grip from his wrist and just wrapped an arm around his and leaned heavily against his body. She was gasping horribly for breath and he could only imagine he was too.
If they didn't find it in the next minute, they were screwed. Not that leaving the forest was going to be much better. For all the trouble it was giving them it was making things just that much harder for the Chimera too. Once they ran out into the open, they were going to have no choice but to engage it again and that hardly seemed like a good idea for two soot-covered, air-deprived teens.
"I think I see the exit!" Blake shook him and nodded to their right. "If anything, maybe we can escape this smoke." He nodded and they took off again. Their pace was a slow jog at best now. It was a miracle the Chimera didn't catch up to them but he could only imagine how smokey it was above the trees. That thing probably couldn't see at all. And this wildfire was loud. Any noise they made was likely completely drowned out.
In another couple seconds, Jaune saw what Blake was talking about. It definitely looked like an out to him. With a small, hope-filled burst of speed they broke out of the burning forest... and nearly tumbled off a ledge.
"What the hell is this?" What kind of luck did they have? It wasn't an outright cliff they had stumbled into but rather, some kind of rocky slope that bent away and went off to God-knew-where. It looked kind of like a giant dirt slide to him but there was no way for them to safely traverse down it. Then again, safety might have to be damned. With a burning forest and a Chimera being what was behind them, this was without a doubt the easy choice. He pulled out his sword and allowed his sheath to expand into a shield.
"What're you doing?" Blake turned to him and back to the slope in front of them. She also glanced behind them. The Chimera was running at them again. He could hear it.
"Ever been sledding?" He asked and pulled her as close to him as he could. With a thud, he dropped the shield face down at his feet.
"What?" He didn't respond. Instead he kicked his shield onto the slope and jumped after it. He landed on it on his butt with Blake on his lap. The moment they hit it and the shield accelerated. The Chimera broke free from the trees not too much later, sending some of them flying down after them. "Jaune! This is crazy!"
"I know!" He agreed and leaned left, barely avoiding one of the flaming trees that landed directly in front of them. Then he had to shift right to dodge another one. They were moving so quickly now everything was a blur. And now the bend was coming up. Flaming logs rolled after them from behind. Where the bend led, Jaune had no idea but it had to be better than getting smashed by burning logs.
"Can you turn this thing?" We're going to crash if you don't!" Blake was yelling directly in his ear, not that she had much choice. " And it's still chasing us!" After she said this, he could hear the thundering steps of the Chimera as it ran down the slope after them.
"Can't you give me some good news for once!" He held his sword so the blade was pointing to the ground. When they came to the bend he dug it into the ground and nearly felt his arm get ripped from his socket. Still, he held tight and spun them at a ninety degree angle. They made the turn and he pulled his sword out. They continued down the slope for a few seconds before a giant crashing sound told him the Chimera hadn't been so lucky and had run smack into the wall in front of it.
"I think it just caused an avalanche. There's boulders rolling after us now." She was still staring behind them, but sounded much more calm now.
"Seriously, would it kill you to give me good news?"
The wind was blowing so hard into his eyes it was obscuring his vision. He couldn't tell if they were heading for another bend or if there were any obstacles in his path. Truthfully, they were careening at speeds far too high for him to make proper adjustments anymore anyways. To top it off, they couldn't afford to slow down unless they wanted to get buried alive.
Yeah, this was going great. Hey, let's go sledding. It'll be fine. He hated the him from thirty seconds ago right now.
"It looks like there's a cliff in front of us. We're gonna go over it." Was Blake broken? She gave him that news as calming as if she was reporting the weather. "The moon is out, so at least you'll be able to watch as we plummet to the ground."
"I know you tried presenting that as good news but seriously, that just depressed me more." Just then he felt the ground beneath them vanish.
They had gone off the cliff and had entered freefall.
Again.
He was freaking spiraling through the air as he fell to his death again.
This was the third freaking time.
It didn't even frighten him like it did the first couple times.
Now it just made him mad that it seemed to keep happening.
He looked beneath them and grabbed his shield. Pale white sand that was illuminated by the broken moon's light was their destination. Just in front of them was the sea. It looked so peaceful and still. The moon reflected beautifully off its calm surface.
"I don't suppose your semblance is gonna be able to save us from going splat?" He turned to Blake and she nodded. "Good, good. Any time now would be awesome." They were starting to get really close to the surface and his stomach lurched at the idea of turning into a red blob on the ground.
Blake rolled her eyes but did as requested and made a clone that they were able to kick off of. They hit the ground running. He looked up and saw the avalanche had been just behind them. The wave of dirt and boulders crashed into the ground and the impact shook the earth so violently that they were thrown off their feet and face first into the sand. It continued for a solid thirty seconds before finally trickling to a stop, leaving a massive mountain of debris behind them. Yeah, he was really glad he had not been hit by that.
He then took in his surroundings. The moon illuminated everything quite nicely for him so he didn't need to rely on Blake's awesome night-vision anymore. To their right was the sea. To the left an unscalable cliff. Behind them was the now finished avalanche. The path ahead of them was clear.
A moonlit beach stroll sounded like a nice, stress-free way to end the evening to him.
"At least we lost the Chimera."
He spoke too soon.
It landed directly in front of them.
The snake hissed, the goat bleated, and the lion roared.
"Oh come on!" He had to re-evaluate their options.
In front of them was the Chimera.
To their right was the sea.
To their left an unscalable cliff.
Behind them was a mountain of debris.
They were screwed. That was it. They were done. Game over.
He broke into laughter and dropped to his knees. His sword and shield hung limply at his sides. The Chimera made no move to lunge at them. Instead, it seemed content to lie in wait and stalk them at its leisure. It knew they were done just as much as they did.
"I guess this is it, huh." Blake sat down next to him and gave a sad smile. "Any regrets?"
"Ha, too many to count." He shook his head and smiled back at her.
"Yeah, me too." Maybe it was because it was the end but they talked with no tension between them at all. It could also have been because they were just way too exhausted to care anymore. "I... just wanted to atone for all the awful things I'd done. This world is such a terrible place and I thought maybe there was some way I could make it better. But in the end, it seems like I only ever made it worse."
Jaune shrugged. "I don't know about any of that or what you did before this. But, well, if it makes you feel better, I think you made my life better. Even if it was only for two days. That's gotta count for something." She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. He would take that to mean his words had meant something then. "Man. If I had to say the thing I regretted the most…" He paused and thought about it.
There were just so many things. How could he possibly name one of them? What was it he thought when he was first falling yesterday? At the very beginning of all this. Oh yeah, it was that.
"...I really wanted to have my first kiss before I died. Guess that'll never happen."
Blake tilted her head and smiled coyly. "I can solve that for you."
"What do you mean?" Jaune blinked at her and his brain locked up in confusion. "How-" He was cut off as something warm pressed up against his lips.
His frozen brain kicked into overdrive and worked to process what was happening. Blake's words and then her proximity to him. Her eyes were closed and her face was up against his, which could only mean one thing.
She was... kissing him.
And damn did it feel awesome.
Her lips were so soft and warm. They tasted slightly of blood and sweat but even that didn't put a damper on it. Without even thinking about it, he leaned back into her, both lips capturing her lower one between his. A lone hand reached up and pressed against her cheek and she leaned into the touch. Then just like that, it ended.
He blinked in shock. The moment felt like an eternity and like it didn't even last a second all at once.
Blake blushed a shade of red he never thought capable, yellow eyes averting to look at the sand. "Don't get the wrong idea but seeing as we're going to die anyways I figured it wouldn't hurt to fulfill your last wish." She played with the sand, picking it up and letting grains fall between her fingers. "I had no real attachment to who I gave my first kiss to anyways so you were better than anyone. Besides, it wasn't half bad." She smiled, shyly, almost girlishly. It was the most beautiful expression he had ever seen her make.
"Satisfied?" That question finally forced him to get his mouth working.
"Not at all." She blinked. Then finally looked back at him, now taken aback. But he wasn't done yet.
"That was amazing!" He declared and hopped to his feet. "I had no idea a kiss was like that! If I get to experience that again by living then I'm going to do whatever the Hell it takes!" He glared at the Chimera and pointed his sword at it in a declaration of war. "You hear that you ugly monster? I'm going to live!" All three heads responded with their respective roars.
"I'm honestly not sure if I should feel flattered or dumbfounded right now. Was it really that great for you?"
He didn't answer and instead continued to glare at the Chimera until it made its move. It wasn't one he expected though. Instead of charging at them, it stood with its lion head leaned back and mouth wide open. The goat head leaned forward and opened its mouth too. Then the snake hung over both of them and did the same. At first it looked like nothing was happening but then... he could see a black orb forming at the spot where their mouths hung open. It began growing in size and soon was bigger than even the Chimera itself
"That... doesn't look good." Blake had yet to rise from her sitting position. "I'd hate to bring you down but I'm sensing a ton of dark energy coming from that thing. It'll likely wipe out whatever it touches."
"I don't care. I'm gonna make it outta this. We're both gonna make it outta this." He took a step forward and positioned himself in front of her. He then raised his shield up.
"Jaune…" She clearly didn't share his sentiment. She had given up. That was fine. He would show her that they could both survive. He just needed to be confident enough for both of them.
The orb quit growing and then began compacting as if it were squeezing in on itself. It got small enough to fit in its mouth... which might have been the point cause the lion ate it. All three mouths closed tight and the Chimera bloated unnaturally as the energy swelled inside it.
"Now I see." Blake whispered just as the lion opened its mouth. A bright orange beam fired directly at them. It was huge, taking up more space than either of them were capable of moving so there was no dodging to the side of it. He could only watch as the sand beneath it disintegrated at the touch and to top it off, it was fast. It was going to be on them in a second.
He locked his mouth in grim determination and bent down so one knee was on the beach and hid behind his shield. He checked behind him once more to make sure Blake was completely obstructed too. She could only stare at him with wide-eyed disbelief. He was really going to try to save them.
He turned back and the beam connected.
It struck his shield and he was pushed backwards against the sand and almost right into Blake.
Still, it held. He heard her gasp behind him as the beam of energy scattered around them on all sides. His hair singed and the outer layer of his sleeves and pants start to smoke.
His grip on his shield weakened and he slid another couple inches backwards. He grit his teeth and held on for dear life anyways. Then he felt a pressure on his back and Blake's hands wrapped overlapped with his own, helping him hold up the shield. "You can do this, Jaune! I'm sorry I gave up. Just hold on and we'll make it! I don't know what we'll do after this but if it's together with you then I'm sure it'll work itself out. I just have this feeling that it will."
He grinned and redoubled his efforts. After what felt like an eternity, the blast subsided and they were thrown into relative darkness. It wasn't that the moonlight was dim, but compared to the light show that had just enveloped them it seemed to be in comparison.
The sand in front of them was completely gouged away right up to where they stood. The gouge continued past on both sides and as he followed it backwards he saw that the mountain of rubble that had been left by the avalanche ceased to exist. The only thing thing that hadn't been effected was a small trail behind them that was about the width of his shield.
"What is that thing made of again?" Blake tapped it with her knuckle but pulled away quickly. It was scorching hot. A searing pain in Jaune's hands caused him to drop it and he realized that he had been so focused on keeping them alive that his hands were covered in burns and blisters from the heat that was radiating off the shield. It had burned right through his gloves, which were in tatters, some of the leather having fused with his skin. It hurt like a bitch now that he was aware of it and he had to fight back tears. "Jaune." Blake gently cuffed his hands and frowned in concern.
"I'm fine. We still gotta deal with that thing." He nodded to the Chimera which was staring silently at them. It likely couldn't believe that they were alive and was re-evaluating them as they spoke. Jaune attempted to pick up his sword but gasped in pain and dropped it before he even got it completely off the ground. He wasn't going to be able to fight like this.
"Don't worry about it, Jaune. I've got this." Blake got to her feet and took a couple steps forward.
"You can't fight it by yourself!" He hurriedly tried to grab his sword again but once again a stab of pain caused him to fail. He couldn't allow Blake to handle this on her own. She would die. Stupid hands. Work dammit.
"I didn't think you could stop that blast and you did. It's my turn now." Blake held Gambol Shroud in front of herself and prepared for combat.
The Chimera roared in response.
Then they heard something that sounded like a cannon go off. Off behind the Chimera was a girl who seemingly appeared out of thin air and was now flying directly at the giant Grimm. "Who the heck is that?" Blake only shook her head at Jaune's question. She appeared to be a student about their age and she was wielding what looked like a giant hammer.
The goat and snake turned to look at her but she was already upon them. "I hope you're hungry!" She yelled as she swung the hammer at the goat head. It smashed into the side of its face and a pink explosion bowled the whole Chimera over and onto its side. She flew backwards and landed nimbly on her feet.
"This girl is nuts!" He couldn't believe she had just charged in to take on the Chimera by herself.
"She's got backup." Blake noted a new boy clad in green as he jumped in and began engaging the snake before it was able to lunge at the girl. The main body was still struggling to get to its feet as several bullets rained down on it, followed by a red and gold javelin. They turned up to see that girl who was on the cereal box along with... Ruby's sister, Yang!
"Blake! Jaune!" A moment later and Ruby landed next to them before lunging at the still sitting knight. She tackled into and knocked him over, wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug and weeping into his chest armor. "I thought I was too late!" He could barely make out her words as she spoke into his body.
"We had almost given you guys up." Weiss landed with a soft thud. "I know it looks bad, but I really did mean to come back for you both. I'm... well, I'm glad to see we were wrong and you're both alive." She smiled at him, as warmly as she could anyways.
Blake inclined her head slightly but turned back to the Chimera. Jaune followed her gaze to see the other four still battling it. "We're not out of the woods yet. That thing isn't going down without a fight and both Jaune and I are about out of energy to lend much of a hand."
"Just leave it to Pyrrha and her team. They've got this." Weiss put a hand on her hip and nodded at them, the closest thing to respect Jaune had ever seen her give. Still, he didn't think a single team could possibly handle that thing on their own, no matter how many boxes of cereal your face had been on. Several seconds later and it became very evident that they weren't alone as the low hum of machine-gun fire echoed over the beach.
Yang and Pyrrha were wailing on the goat head, keeping it pinned to the earth while the other two whittled at the snake head. The lion had just been starting to rise and gain control of its limbs when a flying bullhead opened fire on it, quickly turning its face into a pin-cushion, spraying blood, bone, black hair, and brains all over the sandy shore.
"Who's in the bullhead?" Blake could only nod in appreciation and maybe a little disappointment as the creature that had given them so much hassle was gunned down by simple technology.
"My dad!" Ruby chirped, clearly proud of the fact. She had mentioned that he was a teacher at Signal so maybe it wasn't too much of a surprise that he was helping out at Beacon for the exam, since the school's were affiliated. Still, it wasn't a twist Jaune saw coming.
With the lion's head down, there was only a small window for the others to finish their respective targets. Pyrrha drilled her weapon right into the goat's eye while Yang wailed on the back of its head. It let out a dying bleat and seemed to stop all function. The eastern-boy knocked the snakehead onto the sand and with a powerful smash from the hammer, the girl blew it into hundreds of pieces.
Killing it once and for all.
He couldn't believe it. They had done it. And all of them had survived. Like Blake, he almost felt a little disappointed. That thing had been terrifying and impossible. Then this team came out of nowhere, backed up with a high-powered gatling gun and it went down just like that? Still, he really couldn't complain.
"Now that's what I'm talking about! Why didn't we run into that thing when we were heading to the airship?" Yang waved her arms animatedly as she talked to her partner, Pyrrha, the two of the walking over. Their other two teammates weren't far behind.
She only shrugged awkwardly in response before turning and smiling at Jaune and Blake. "I guess this means all the spots on Team Jaune have been filled?"
"Ha. I'd forgotten about that. Sorry to say, but yeah, they have. You seem to have found a pretty awesome team for yourself though." He indicated to Nora, who was talking quite enthusiastically to a silent Ren. When the other boy took notice of Jaune's gaze he nodded to him and gave a small smile.
"Thank you. Your team seems quite capable themselves." Pyrrha nodded to Weiss and Ruby who still stood behind him.
"Yeah, they're pretty awesome." Jaune couldn't help but chuckle before a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. Without the adrenaline from the battle still coursing and his body now telling him he was was fine, it appeared that it had enough.
"Looks like our ride is here." Whoever said that came out as only a ghost of a whisper and his vision began to blur. Was he losing consciousness? He really didn't have a way to answer that as he was dragged to the airship and forced onto it. The hum of the engine lulled him further into darkness and it took off into the sky. Hopefully back to Beacon.
His head hit Blake's shoulder and he let himself fade into oblivion.
Chapter End
AN: First chapter to break 10k words. Generally, I try not to make them this long, but for a climax I suppose it's fine.
The Chimera was based more or less off the one from Dragon's Dogma. And its big attack at the end was a direct ripoff of the Bijuu-dama from Naruto.
I was really torn on whether or not to include the kiss-scene since it is kind of on the fringe of Blake's character (if not outright OOC) but in the end decided screw it, they think they're dead anyways, why not? Besides, it hasn't really changed the dynamic between their current relationship as they both understand what it was.
Next time, the teams get their names and the true nature of this enhanced initiation comes to light.