This chapter comes a week and a day late; I moved, and I've been busy with a few different things that have put writing this on the backburner. My apologies. Originally this chapter was going to be a bit longer, but I've decided to split it into two just so I could get one out for you guys and keep you from waiting. My weekend sucks(apparently, it's a theme), but at least I can make yours a bit better.

This chapter is gonna feel a little short, and rushed, so I apologize for that. Let me know if it's too bad, and if it is, I'll edit it and repost it.

Enjoy
-Phoenyx

Comparing the finale of the relic hunting to the previous fight, it was laughably easy. The group had stopped to rest once they were in the safety of the temple, joined by Ruby, Weiss, and the inseparable pair that Jaune had met during the morning.

Their rest was short-lived, as the moment they had chosen their respective relics, a bullhead hovered into existence in the clearing and gathered them to safety.

Nora was content to chat Ren's ear off, while Yang and Ruby shared stories of their fights. Ruby seemed ecstatic at the story, her eyes wide while Yang embellished the tale with more acts of valor than Jaune remembered. Blake, however, seemed content to provide the truth of the situation.

In turn, Ruby told her story in the same manner, her voice excited and so quick that Jaune was sure that it wasn't even real words. "And then, Ren kicked the Nevermore out of the air!"

"He struck it with his Aura." Weiss corrected.

"It went flying!" Nora cheered.

"It barely flinched." Ren sighed.

"Then Weiss and Nora shared this look, like they knew exactly what to do!"

"Yeah!?" If there was any question to their sisterhood, Jaune was sure it was gone with Yang and her own childlike excitement. "Then what!?"

"We knew because we discussed the plan befo- oh, forget it!" Weiss interjected, sighed, then hung her head and slouched. Ruby continued past her. "Then Weiss summoned this big piece of ice to trap the Grimm, so I cut a spike off and Nora hammered it in! It was so cool! We were like, pchaaah, wuttaw, scchwing!"

Each sound effect was enunciated by its own physical action, her hands chopping and spinning through the air. Jaune was certain she was going to try to do a flip, but ended up disappointed when his hooded friend let out a happy sigh and fell back to sit down in her seat. "I love this school."

"Aw, my wittle sister is making friends!" Yang, baby-talking, gathered Ruby up in a chesty hug. "I'm so pwoud!"

"Yaaaaaaang!" Ruby, red faced, struggled and struck out to no avail. "Stop! You're embarrassing me! Let go of me you oversized pillow!"

"But you're so cute!" Yang chortle and shook her sister, looking slightly more murderous than before. "Even if you're flatter than a city street."

"Yaaaang!"

"Surrounded by children." Weiss placed her face into her palm. Blake shot the girl a glance, then met eyes with Jaune before flicking her eyes away with a thoughtful frown. Pyrrha, sitting at his side, leaned forwards to grab her attention with a low voice. "Blake, I want to say thanks for saving me."

"Hm? Oh, it was nothing."

"I froze." Pyrrha smiled, though it was far too wooden. "I would have died if not for you."

"Happens to the best of us... I don't need a thank you for doing what I thought was right." Her amber eyes didn't linger on Pyrrha's. When the champion made to speak, though, she held up a hand and sighed. "Look, You know what they say. One good turn deserves another. I am sure you will save my life at some point during our time here, and then we can call it even. That okay?"

"Of course." Though the disappointment wasn't evident in her tone, Jaune could see her slump a bit. Dismissal must not be something she was used to. Jaune nudged her with his elbow, trying to give a reassuring smile and keeping his voice low. The roar of the engine would cover it, while the talking would keep his stomach settled. Still, the sickness wasn't as bad as it used to be. Suppose he could thank his Aura for that. "I'm sure Blake appreciates the thanks anyway."

"I know. I'm just… unaccustomed to gratitude being unnecessary." The redhead smiled none the less, "How is your shoulder?"

"It smarts something fierce." He rolled it with a wince, "But I think the bleeding stopped, so your bandaging did help. Thank you, Pyrrha."

"You're welcome, Jaune." She practically beamed, hiding it by lifting the part of the cloth she tore. "I suppose the loss of my clothing was necessary, even if it is unfortunate."

"Yeah. I'm sure you can sew it back… after you wash the blood out."

"Perhaps." Pyrrha fell silent, twisting the torn cloth in her hand for several moments, before dropping it and sitting back up straight. Jaune pursed his lips for a moment before they quirked at one corner. "I don't know how you do it."

"Hm?" She twisted her head, a curiosity covering her face. "Do what?"

"Sitting up straight all the time, even when you're tired. The fame. My word, there must be a couple thousand stories and pictures of you all over the… what's it called, the RemNet?"

"Practice." Pyrrha answered after a long pause, expression neutral. Jaune raised his eyebrows and agreed with a commitment-less shrug. Yang interrupted them before he could try to continue conversation. "How you feeling, Vomit boy?"

"Like I got tackled by a cow." An honest answer punctuated by his sore muscles and aching bones. Yet, when he slumped back in his seat there was no denying that there was this buzzing call in his blood. He felt alive… and a slight bit motion sick, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. "I'm not dead, so I guess I'm okay?"

"So my boots are safe?" Her eyes narrowed, "They're brand new."

"They're safe…"

"Oh good. I wouldn't want to have to beat you." Yang grinned, "I'd make you buy me new ones too. New shoes are good for the sole."

"I'd offer before you threw the first punch." Jaune deadpanned, scratching at the back of his neck. "I missed last time…"

"Yeah, luckily your aim sucks. If not, I'd definitely have to put my foot down."

"Is that another pun?" Pyrrha's brow furrowed. Yang gave her a blank look, then shrugged a shoulder. "Not intentionally, I was meaning that I'd shove my foot up his ass if he ruined my new boots."

Pyrrha blinked twice, Jaune stared blankly.

"That was a pun…" Yang threw up her hands, then crossed her arms. "You guys are boring. Am I the only fun one here?"

"Nope." Blake chimed from the side. Her partner shot her a smile. The Amber eyed girl hinted one back. "Oh, no, Yang, I meant you're not fun."

"Doesn't mean much coming from you, Ms. Sunshine." Yang snorted, though her expression didn't sour. "Would you even know fun if it dropped you off a cliff?"

"I'd land on my feet if it did." Blake, killing the mood with a literal, fell silent, leaning her head back and entwining her fingers in her lap. Her eyes closed. Jaune supposed that was the end of that conversation entirely, his lips twitching at the corners. At least they all got along relatively well, better the bickering be friendly. He'd been around people who took offense too easily, and it most definitely wasn't ever pleasant after the first ten minutes. He liked them, and that's what mattered.

Blake had survived a few hours with her partner without incident. It was a match for the ages.

"This girl." Yang jerked a thumb at her partner with a playful scoff, eyes settling on Pyrrha. "Tell me you're not a spoil sport too, P-money."

"P… money? Just Pyrrha is fine..."

"Ugh." With enunciated drama, Yang clutched her head and leaned forwards to rest her elbows on her knees. "Not like this."

"I'm fun…" Jaune added from the side. Yang groaned louder and sunk her head lower, but Pyrrha gave him a nod and a smile. He had that going for him at least, which was nice. "It's hopeless." Yang whined, "I'm destined to be the only source of fun for four years."

"What about Ruby?" Jaune asked, glancing at the hooded girl who was now too absorbed in tinkering with her weapon to notice. "Ruby seems fun."

"Family doesn't count."

"Nora?" He shot a glance at where Nora was still talking the ear off of Ren. The boy had rested his head back, and most definitely did not look like he'd remained conscious for the conversation. This, of course, didn't seem to deter Nora. Yang followed his gaze, then shared a look with him.

Well, that was that answer.

The bullhead shuddered as it landed, something that shot a healthy dose of nervousness through his system. He still didn't quite feel like re-tasting his breakfast yet, however, so that was a plus. It didn't keep him from being the first onto solid ground, only to be met with the stern gaze of Professor Goodwitch. At least, that was the first thing he noticed, but it was diminished by the pleasant look on the Headmaster's face. "I see the last of our students have arrived. If you would all follow Glynda here, we may begin the ceremony for naming teams."

"After which you will be assigned rooms in the dormitory wing." The woman at his side added, beckoning them forward. "Which will have beds. Since it is fairly obvious that some of you require rest."

Jaune followed her pointed glance at Ruby, who froze mid stretch and yawn with eyes that reminded him of a startled animal. The girl went red and shrunk back down with a cough and an awkward giggle, mumbling something under her breath. He considered speaking, but chose instead to remain silent and resist a yawn of his own.

At the Professor's command, the group followed the adults down the paved pathway and into the wide halls of Beacon. There was silence in the procession, an air of tension and nervousness that Jaune was sure he could just about cut. It did not break until they'd turned in their relics and had been instructed to stand in chosen groups of four under bright spotlights.

Which had turned to excitement, as it meant that the teams had been chosen… then impatience when the group had realized that they were last in line.

Pyrrha, on his left, crossed her hands over her stomach with a pleased look on her face, her body rocking back and forth with far more patience that Jaune felt he could achieve. To his credit however, the girl on his right was practically buzzing with energy, like a bonfire out of control. "Why won't this hurry up!?" She ran a hand through her hair, evening out the locks. "I need a shower, and I need my beauty rest."

"Don't be so dramatic." Her partner rolled her eyes, her arms crossed and her foot tapping. Blake didn't seem like one to talk, however, Jaune was certain her body language practically screamed what Yang had been saying. "All in good time." Pyrrha stated, leveling a green gaze on the three of them. "The headmaster is nearly here."

"Good." Yang huffed and crossed her arms, before jumping as said Headmaster fell into step beside her. She smiled and waved at his raised eyebrow, slumping and sticking out her tongue when he turned to the team named before them and raised his voice. "Team Rowan. Initialed RWRN. Comprised of Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. Led by Ruby Rose."

"Huh?" Ruby gaped.

"What!?" Weiss practically screeched.

Yang one-eightied from rebellious teen to adoring fan-girl in the time it took for him to take a breath. She squealed and shook her fists in front of her shoulders excitedly. It did interesting things to her anatomy, to which Jaune averted his eyes to his partner… who wore quite a revealing outfit herself…

He blinked twice and felt a fact crash down on him that hadn't even crossed his mind in the midst of nearly dying - He was surrounded by supermodel worthy girls his age. All three of his teammates ranked higher in attractiveness than most if not all the girls from his home town. And as a hormonal teen, something he couldn't deny if he wanted to, he had to survive interacting with them.

Suddenly he felt very small, very warm, and very shy. None of which was helped by Ozpin's next statement. "Finally we have Juniperberry, initialed JPBY. Comprised of Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao-Long. Led by Jaune Arc."

"B-what? Huh?" He jumped and looked to Yang, who grinned at him. Blake raised her eyebrows and gave him a once over, while he caught a moment of surprise on Pyrrha's face before she too smiled and patted him on the shoulder hard enough that he felt it in his bones. "Congratulations," Said the redhead, smiling. "I'm sure you'll make a grand leader."

He blinked and stared at the headmaster with what was surely a dumbfounded look. Jaune glanced at Pyrrha then back, pointing at himself. "Me?"

"Congratulations, young man. If you and your team would stay after, I would like a moment of your time to discuss the events of initiation with your team."

"Sure…" He responded after a beat, earning him a dark look from Yang. She would have to survive being dirty and tired for a bit longer, as he was certain that the Headmaster wouldn't hold them back unless it was an important reasons. That, and he was certain that the life of Huntsmen often held such aspects. It didn't matter to him nearly as much as the near future - What did the headmaster want with them? The team shared a look; Curiosity.

Jaune supposed that he would just have to take the team, his team, and find out.

Alright. Lemme know what you think. A very obvious reference(or two!) in this chapter.
-Phoenyx

Advice for the Aspiring Author; Character Dynamics.

When you've got a cast of characters like the ones in RWBY, more on the quirky side with some complexities, it is imperative that you determine the dynamics of each of the relationships between them. Character Dynamics at their core are simply how the characters work with or against each other. No friendship is perfect, and not everybody gets along. So start by determining how each character interacts with the other. Yang is generally abrasively forwards, but tries to do it in a light way. I set up a dynamic with Blake here by making Blake much more subtle in her humor, but also very straightforwards in a different way - She shuts Yang down by being either literal, or making a dry comment. These type of characters, the loud and the quiet, either do two things; They click and connect, or they grind against each other. In popular media, you find this dynamic in leaps and bounds. Sasuke and Naruto are my example here for the opposite of Yang/Blake; They do not click, they grind and fight, argue and generally get on each other's nerves. They're still friends in a way, but their friendship is far from what you'd expect when you call someone a friend, right?

Rivalry. That's their dynamic.

Yang and Blake are friends, but they're not rivals. They don't crash and clash all the time, though there are several moments when they do find themselves at odds with one another. This is just a friendship. That's it.

Look to real life for your examples of dynamics. Some people click and mesh together well. Of my few good friends, I mesh with them despite glaring personality differences, and connect deeply with one because of similarities in everything. The issue with characters that connect deeply in a way that I connect with my friend is this; They're boring from the outside. These aren't the characters that finish each other's sentences("sandwiches!" "That's what I was gonna say!"), because those characters are quirky and have a completely different type of dynamic. The issue with them is that you have to tell the story of that connection from the inside out, which, in an action or adventure, detracts from the plot, and leaves something to be desired if the characters agree on every point, agree on every plan of action. Instead you want characters that clash in viewpoints, clash in the proper way to fight, clash in the proper way to handle a distressed civilian, so on so forth.

Pyrrha is a good slate here to watch. She's got many aspects about her that pop up depending on who she interacts with. Her team gets to see her a bit more unfiltered, but the other students who fangirl and fanboy over her fame? They get the spotlight Pyrrha. The teachers? They get the loyal student Pyrrha. In a way, she's a bit of a chameleon in the start of the series, doing more acting than living.

A few dynamics I'll name; Ruby and Jaune have a sibling dynamic. Weiss and Jaune have a... it's like a forced friendship. She deals with him because he's everyone's friend(remember, not every character gets along.) Jaune and Yang have a banter dynamic. Yang has this dynamic with most people, however. Jaune and Pyrrha are sort of forced into a partner dynamic by the school, and it works out. Blake and Pyrrha are acquaintances, but they get along. Nora and Blake clash, but Nora and Ren mesh.

See something interesting with that last one? Ren and Blake are similar in many ways, both are quiet, smart, and quick. But Blake is more of a loner than Ren is, as most of the time Ren is more of a 'go with the flow' kind of guy. Nora meshes well with Ren because she's one to take charge of her own action. Decisive and unstoppable, she breaks the landscape while the river that is Ren simply flows along through the cracks. Blake likes her silence and her books - we can see where the split comes here.

Put them in a disaster situation, as you've probably seen in hundreds of fics. How do the characters react? Ruby wants to save the civilians, Weiss wants to secure high ground, Blake wants to examine the opposition, Yang wants to crush the opposition. Jaune wants to bunker down and protect everyone first, Pyrrha wants to save as many of her friends as she can, Nora wants to crush the opposition, Ren wants everyone to survive. There's a clear set of issues in everyone's plan. Ruby and Weiss' plans clash with Yang and Nora's, while Yang and Nora's mesh together. Jaune and Ruby have similar goals with two separate ways to go about it, while Jaune's plan aligns well with Weiss' due to the high ground giving tactical advantage. Ren and Pyrrha's plans are the most flexible, as they can follow either of the leader's plans. This is obviously a bit of a broad set of circumstances, but the picture is clear.

Hope this helped a little bit. Feel free to shoot me questions.