A black bird is flying slowly and magnificently, right up to the moment it gives a final shriek and Ruby crashes through it in a burst of feathers as she plummets downward.
Ruby: Birdie, no!
Ruby fires off a few rounds from Crescent Rose to slow her down, then turns the weapon into its scythe form to catch the branch of a tree in her blade and fall downward at a slower pace. Weiss, armed with Myrtenaster, summons a white snowflake circle under her and leaps off of it to the forest below. Ren descends (with Nora Valkyrie briefly being seen next to him at a faster speed) and spins in the air, eventually using StormFlower's blades to spiral around the trunk of a large tree and hit the ground, brushing off his clothes before looking up to see...
Yang: Woo-hoo! Yeah! Alley-oop!
Yang, soaring right over the treetops, is using her gauntlets and its fiery force to push her through the air further and further north, spinning and laughing with each blast, even when she crashes through the leaves of a tree and leaps off two trunks to tumble to the ground.
Yang: Nailed it! (runs off)
Pyrrha, her weapon in sword form and armed with a shield, crashes through several trees and rolls on a branch, immediately shifting her blade into a rifle and looking through the scope at Jaune as he continues to scream and fall helplessly. Pyrrha coolly transforms her weapon again to its spear form, takes a moment to evaluate her throw, and rockets the javelin deep into the forest until a "THUNK!" is heard.
Jaune: (in the distance) Thank you!
Pyrrha: (waving) I'm sorry!
Bruce keeps his body straight as he gets close to the tops of the trees. He then opens his cape and begins to glide down to safety and kneeling in a crouch before looking around. Seeing the coast is clear, he then moves towards north with a streak of red behind him.
In the middle of the forest, Ruby lands in a crouch, then darts off with a single mantra in her mind.
Ruby: 'Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find... (shouting) Yang! Yaaaang!) Oh, this is bad, this is really bad... What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first? Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice. He's funny! ...I don't think he's very good in a fight, though. Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm... Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her... Ugh! Maybe Bruce? He is also nice, strong, cute (She begins to think about the cliff with a blush, but starts to shakes her head of daydreams) Okay... Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, Bruce, aaaand...
Ruby skids to a halt in front of Weiss as she is turning to face her. She stops just in time for their eyes to meet and a pregnant pause follows. This ends when Weiss turns on her heel and walks the other way.
Ruby: (following her slightly) Wait! Where are you going?! (stops and kicks the ground dejectedly) We're supposed to be teammates...
Weiss is seen struggling through the forest, giving an occasional grunt or "Ow!" as she pushes plants out of her way. She brushes herself off and sighs in relief when she hears a voice above her.
Jaune: (apparently struggling to free himself) Come on, come on! Stupid...!
Weiss sees Jaune hanging a few feet in the air by the spear embedded in his hood and the tree behind him. As he gives up trying to pull it out, he looks down and sees Weiss, giving an embarrassed wave. Weiss simply heads back in the direction she came from and Jaune groans in dejection.
Weiss: (as she passes Ruby and pulls on her hood) By no means does this make us friends.
Ruby: (overjoyed as she's dragged away into the bushes) You came back!
Jaune: (seeing the scene and waving his arms) Wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?! Pyrrha (below): "Jaune?" (he looks down at his savior) "Do you... have any spots left on your team?"
Jaune: (crossing his arms) Very funny... (he eventually looks down at her and gives a smile, which she returns)
The scene changes to Weiss trudging through the forest, with Ruby back a ways behind her.
Ruby: What's the hurry?
Weiss: I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow! I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your— (a smiling Ruby suddenly appears next to her) What the...?
Ruby: I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!
Weiss: (looking back, slightly amazed) When did...?
Ruby: Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters! (gets an arm around a skeptical Weiss' shoulders) You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss, and after it's all over, you're going to be like, "Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool... (somewhat mousily) and I wanna be her friend!"
Ruby disappears in a shower of rose petals, which Weiss waves away from her face just as she hears crackling and rustling in the bushes around her.
Weiss: (calling out to Ruby) You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time! (silence, save more noises)
Ruby? (the forest darkens, forcing Weiss to lean in to try and find her new partner as a pair of red eyes are seen glaring behind her) Ruby...?
The camera revolves around Weiss, as multiple pairs of red eyes stare at her from the bushes and a deep growl is heard. She turns around until she spots a large, jagged Beowolf emerging from a bush and approaching her.
Weiss: Ruby!
Within the Emerald Forest Yang Xiao Long is walking and looking around searching for….well, anything.
Yang: (calling out) Helloooooooo? Is anyone out there? Helloooo?" (stops and raises her arms) I'm getting bored here! (hears a rustling in the bushes behind her and turns) Is someone there? (the rustling continues as Yang comes over and peaks inside) Ruby, is that you?
A low, inhuman growl is heard, and Yang's head rises up as she stares at the creature.
Yang: Nope!
She quickly rolls to the side as an Ursa charges out of the green. Once standing, she activates her Ember Celica, staring at the monster before another Ursa runs out behind her. She leaps over it, and its companion runs at her again, only to get knocked back by a fiery punch. The other Ursa and Yang charge at each other, and Yang manages to get under it and deliver several punches and a kick to send the creature back.
Yang: You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you? (the Ursai merely growl at her) You could just say "no".
One of the Ursai stands on its legs and swipes at her twice, Yang barely dodging the attacks.
Yang: (laughing) Geeeez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba...
A single strand of her golden hair falls in front of her face and lands on the forest floor.
Yang: You... (closes her violet eyes, then opens them to reveal red, making the Ursai look at each other confusedly before Yang screams) You monsters!
An inferno surrounds Yang for a moment, and she rockets forward, unleashing a devastating combo of flaming hits and blows on the offending Ursa, making it fly through several burning trees. The other monster runs over, but stops short at Yang's gaze while a tree falls to the ground behind her.
Yang: What! You want some, too?!
The Ursa rears up and prepares to strike... right when a whirling noise is heard and the monster makes a befuddled noise, falling down a second later to reveal Blake Belladonna with her Gambol Shroud in the beast's back.
Yang pants in exhaustion while Blake recalls the weapon back to her hand, sheathing it on her back and smiling to the side (or the audience, if she broke the fourth wall). Yang, now purple-eyed again, speaks to her new partner over the smoking remains of the monster.
Yang: I could've taken him.
Weiss: 'Remember your training, Weiss. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward — not that forward! — slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and... (brings her rapier up, the revolver spinning) Now!'
Weiss dashes forward with her loaded weapon at the Beowolf in front of her, just when Ruby suddenly appears between the two in a blur of rose petals and a swipe of her Crescent Rose scythe, landing a hit on the monster.
Ruby: Gotcha!
Weiss widens her eyes and screams as she quickly has to stop, swinging the sword in a random direction and creating a line of fire that sets a nearby tree ablaze, followed quickly by the rest of the forest around the clearing.
Ruby, distracted by Weiss' mess-up, is barely defended when the same Beowolf scratches at her weapon, knocking the younger girl into the heiress.
Ruby: Hey, watch it!
Weiss: Excuse me! You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!
Ruby: You'll have to try a lot harder than that...
The duo wield their arms as the pack of Beowolves whine and growl around them. Ruby reloads her scythe just as a flaming tree falls near them.
Weiss: (grabbing Ruby's arm) We have to go!
She leads Ruby out of the blaze as it engulfs the grass and sets the Grimm to running back the way they came or suffering in the fire.
Ruby and Weiss stop a safe ways from the smoke and flames. Weiss learns over and pants as Ruby looks behind her.
Ruby: What was that?! That should've been easy!
Weiss: Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!
Ruby: (scoffs) What's that supposed to mean?
Weiss: I'm just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!
Ruby: Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!
Weiss: Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo!
Weiss begins to walk off on her partner yet again. Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolds Crescent Rose, slices a tree down to the stump, refolds it back, and follows her partner as the tree crashes behind her. Neither notice the large dark feather floating onto the fallen trunk behind them.
Meanwhile across the Forest, Pyrrha Nikos, armed with Miló and Akoúo̱, and Jaune Arc are making their way through the bushes. Jaune hears a noise far away and turns his head.
Jaune: Did you hear that?
Pyrrha: Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy.
They keep moving forward, Jaune still staring in the sound's direction as Pyrrha raises a branch to pass by and accidentally releases it right at Jaune's face, flooring him instantly.
Pyrrha: (looking back behind her) Jaune! I'm sorry!
Jaune: (laughs, lowering his hand from her cheek to reveal a gash from the wooden recoil) It's okay. Just a scratch! (gets back up when Pyrrha approaches him)
Pyrrha: Why didn't you activate your Aura?
Jaune: Huh?
Pyrrha: Your Aura.
Jaune: Gesundheit.
Pyrrha: Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?
Jaune: (waves the question off, avoiding eye contact) Psch! Of course I do! Do you know what Aura is?
Pyrrha smiles at him and gets ready to explain as the scene changes to Bruce trekking through the forest's tall grass.
Pyrrha (off-screen): Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?
Jaune (off-screen): Uh... yeah.
Bruce stops and narrows his eyes, looking around him while a huge black Grimm serpent rises up from the grass behind him and quickly surrounds him with its large, hissing body. Bruce crouches low and activates his gauntlets. From them come two red, silver and orange blades, the orange part gives of a fiery aura. (Imagine a smaller version of the blades that Optimus Prime has in the movies) preparing to fight.
Pyrrha: (back on screen, walking around Jaune) With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals.
Jaune: What about monsters?
Pyrrha: No. (switching back to Bruce as he leaps out of the way, the snake's mouth hitting the ground and instantly coming up again to hit a jumping Bruce back with its snout) The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. (Bruce lands in a crouch when the serpent encircles him again, and jumps up and lands on the Grimm's head, stabbing it repeatedly) They are the darkness, and we are the light.
Jaune (off-screen): (as Bruce kicks the snake's snout and slashes at its head) Right, that's why we fight them!
Pyrrha (off-screen): It's not about why; it's about knowing. (the snake flows around Bruce and tries to bite him again, but he flips over it and drives his weapons into its head, pausing a moment without sensing serpent's white head behind him) Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both.
Bruce turns and looks up at the white head as it launches itself at him, dodging it and landing just in time to see the head slither towards him. As it gets closer, he runs at it and leaps onto the black head, sliding over its body and slashing the other head.
Pyrrha (off-screen): By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting. (Bruce is unprepared for the white half to hit him with its head, knocking him off as , and leaving him to merely raise his arms to the mouth of the black head)
Jaune: (opens his eyes with the revelation) It's like a force field!
Pyrrha: Yes, if you want to look at it that way.
Bruce is now holding the front fangs of the colossal snake in his hands, glowing a faint, pulsating black as he grips the teeth and yanks them from the monster's mouth, causing it to flail away. It attempts to bite him again, but Bruce spins to the side and stabs a fang into its eye, rotating his arm to deliver a final blow that drives the makeshift weapon into its skull, which ripples, expands, and blows apart in a dark mess as its headless body falls over its fellow creature. Wasting no time, Bruce reactivates his swords and runs right at the white head.
Pyrrha: (walking up to Jaune and touching the side of his head) Now, close your eyes and concentrate.
Jaune: (complying) Uhh... Okay.
Pyrrha smiles and closes her own eyes, opening them as her skin glows and her irises shrink before shutting them again. The two stand there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.
Pyrrha: (mentally speaking) For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. (placing a hand on his chest) I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee. (Pyrrha stops glowing red and hunches over in tiredness)
Jaune: (still glowing, concerned) Pyrrha?
Pyrrha: (getting back up) It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own. (grins as she watches the scratch close up and vanish) You have a lot of it.
Jaune: (smiling and looking at his hands as the glow stops) Wow...
At the same time, Bruce stands atop of the body of his enemy, sliding the weapons into his gauntlets and brushing them off before starting to walk toward the temple.
Professor Ozpin is watching the students on his Scroll at the Beacon Cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest when Glynda Goodwitch walks up behind him, holding her own tablet.
Glynda: The last pair has been formed, sir. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along. Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos. Also, I want to inform you that Bruce Wayne still doesn't have a partner. (the video changes from Pyrrha and Jaune Arc's trek through the woods, to Bruce, moving cautiosly.)
Ozpin: Mmmm...
Glynda: I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat, She would be better off with him (deactivates the tablet, walking back a little) I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes. (turning back to Ozpin) "Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year? (silence) "Professor Ozpin?"
Ozpin doesn't answer, watching his tablet with a contemplating interest as it shows the footage of Ruby Rose sitting in the grass and picking stray leaves while her "partner" Weiss Schnee walks in random directions.
Weiss: (walking right) It's definitely this way. (stops and starts walking left) I mean... this way! It's definitely this way. (stops in front of Ruby) Alright, it's official: We passed it.
Ruby: (stands up, slightly annoyed) Weiss, why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?
Weiss: Because I know exactly where we're going! We're going... to... the forest temple!
Ruby: (sighs, frustrated)
Weiss: Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!
Ruby: Well, at least I'm not pretending like I know everything.
Weiss: "What is that supposed to mean?"
Ruby: It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!
Weiss: (sighs to herself, spinning around and walking in another direction) Just keep moving!
Ruby: (in a faux imitation of Weiss' voice) Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaaah! Watch where you're going! (in her normal voice) Why are you so bossy?
Weiss: (turning back around to face Ruby) I'm not bossy! Don't say things like that!
Ruby: Stop treating me like a kid!
Weiss: Stop acting like a kid!
Ruby: Well, stop acting like you're perfect!
Weiss: I'm. Not. Perfect! Not yet... But I'm still leagues better than you. (continues to walk away)
Ruby: (to herself, dejectedly) You don't even know me...
From the forest, Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna step out into a clearing that reveals the circular stone temple, broken and decrepit but for the platforms around its inside, holding several black and gold objects.
Yang: Think this is it?
In response, Blake gives Yang an incredulous look and heads down the hill, her partner following. They walk across the floor and observe the items on each pedestal, now shown to be familiar shapes.
Blake: (looking at a black king, confused) Chess pieces?
Yang: Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here.
Bruce: Ohhh, you don't say.
Both look up at one of the pillars to see Bruce standing, his red cape flapping behind him.
Yang: (As he jumps down) Ahhhh, good to see a friendly face, and a handsome one at that. (She winks at him, causing him to blush and look away. This causes Blake to laugh)
Blake: Well, I guess we should pick one.
Jaune and Pyrrha are standing at the mouth of a dark cave, where drawings are seen to the side involving armed men against giant beasts.
Jaune: Think this is it?
The scene cuts to their walk inside the cave, Jaune holding a short, burning torch to light their way.
Pyrrha: I'm not sure this is it.
Jaune: (sighs) Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?
Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, Jaune trips on the ground, and the torch flies into a small puddle, extinguishing the flame so the two are cast in darkness with only their eyes visible.
Pyrrha: (as Jaune gets up and grumbles) Do you... feel that?
Jaune: Soul-crushing regret?
Pyrrha: No, it's... warm.
Back at the temple, Yang approaches one of the relics.
Yang: Hmmmm... (studies the golden knight, then picks it up and shows it to Blake) How about a cute little pony?
Bruce: That's a knight.
Yang: How about you shut up?!
Blake: (smirking) Sure. (they walk towards each other to the center of the temple floor)
Yang: That wasn't too hard!
Blake: Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find.
Bruce: Yeah, for us. (they share a smile)
Jaune and Pyrrha continue onward through the cave until they see a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features.
Jaune: That's the relic! (he slowly reaches out to grab it, but it moves away from his swipe) Hey! Bad... relic! (he tries to get it again, then jumps forward and hangs onto it as the object raises him above the ground) Gotcha!
Pyrrha: (worried) Jaune...?
Jaune's catch lowers itself so he is dangling right in front of the now-glowing red lines and eyes of a Death Stalker.
Jaune's scream is heard all the way from the temple, where Yang turns towards the direction of its source.
Yang: Some girl is in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?
Bruce: Was-that Jaune?
Blake doesn't answer, staring at something in the sky.
At the cave entrance, Pyrrha rushes out right before the monster crashes through the hole, roaring and waving its grass-encrusted claws as Jaune hangs from the stinger, calling from help and continuing to scream.
Jaune: (sobbing) Help! Whoa-ah-ah-ah-ah! Why?! Pyrrha! He-e-e-elp! Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not! (continues to cry and get shaken around) Do something!
Pyrrha: (wielding Miló in front of the creature) Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let- (The Grimm hurls its tail back and launches a still-screaming Jaune across the forest as she watches in dismay) ... go. (she turns back to the scorpion as it continues to snap its claws at her, and she smiles embarrassingly before turning and rushing away in a burst of green leaves)
Blake is still staring at something above them, drawing Bruces attention as well, but Yang is focused on the forest.
Yang: Blake, did you hear that? (turns to her partner) What should we do?
Bruce: I think we have a bigger problem.
A faint-but-growing-louder scream of "Heads uuuuuuuup!" is heard when Ruby falls from the sky Towards the trio.