Chapter Three: A Very Interesting Start.
Yang had traveled a lot in her life. Mistrial, Vacuo, Vytal, Mantel, Menagerie even Dragnaire had all been traveled by the rambunctious blonde from corner to corner. Every summer after she turned sixteen she spent it traveling the world looking and searching for the woman who abandoned her. Four years of searching had turned up fruitless but the brawler had yet to be deterred, in fact now it was starting to piss her off. But she could worry about that later, now, she had to get through a Grimm infested forest to find a temple that would have some relics. Just another average day when she thought about it really.
Firing again she propelled herself forward once again before smashing through a tree that had been in her path. The blonde laughed as she fired again, now this was how to travel. The wind whipping through her hair and forest whizzing below her gave her such a rush. She had only experienced this feeling when she was riding Bumblebee at break neck speeds. She loved this feeling of being free.
Deciding she should land Yang let herself drop to the ground landing lightly on her feet in a small jog. "Nailed it." Looking around she quickly realized that she was in fact lost. "Ah damn it. I knew I should have paid better to those stupid orienteering lessons Qrow kept making us do. Ruby had a much easier time than I did with it cause she's a wolf and all but I should have picked up something from those but man I can't recall a damn thing." Shrugging the blonde picked a random direction and started walking she usually just went where her feet took her anyways so why should this be any different.
"RUBY!" Yang called out searching for the wolf giving off a few whistles. "Oh Ruby! Here girl come here!" A wide grin split the her face as she continued to walk. If anyone else had just done what she had the wolf probably would have let them meet her sweetheart in all its glory but since it was her Ruby would just roll her eyes and give a small growl of annoyance. If Yang had heard someone else say the things she had towards her younger sister, well the last person that had tried that had gotten through physical therapy with out much trouble. "I'm probably to far for her to track me." Yang mused as she continued her stroll.
"Oh Ruby Roo!" Yang yelled out again. Beside her a bush shifted drawing her attention, "Ruby? That you?" She asked walking over and parting the leaves. A pair of large red eyes glared back at her through a white mask, "Nope." She jumped back nimbly avoiding the swipe of the Ursa's claws.
Three of the massive Grimm broke through the bush and into the clearing all glaring at the blonde. Two where the size of a midsize sedan while the third was just short of being the size of a Mach truck. Just shy of being a Major, Yang noted the spiny growths that were beginning to sprout from its back.
"What?" the blonde taunted the massive Grimm that were before her. "You want a piece of this?" A smaller one giving a roar before charging at her. With a small chuckle Yang dodged the beast's attack with a quick step. Years of boxing training that had become second nature to her taking over her moves as she continued to weave in and out of the attacks never once raising an arm in a block. It had been a while since Yang had worked on her just her foot work and seeing as how this Ursa proved very little of a threat she figured now was a good time to get a few warm up rounds in.
Getting lost in the moves Yang had forgotten to keep an eye on the remaining two Grimm. She only had a seconds warning as the largest Ursa's paw came hurtling towards her. Ducking and rolling quickly to the side the attack passed her and impacted on the jaw of the one she had been paying attention to. "For a big shit you're pretty quiet." Yang laughed as she eyed the massive creature. Again the Grimm to a swipe at her causing her to laugh, "Is that all you've…" A small strand of blonde hair drifted slowly down to the ground.
Yang's mind went blank as she watched the hair slowly drift to the ground. Flashes of screaming, tearing clothes and sneers filled her mind. Her scalp pricked as the hair made it to the ground. "Y-y-you damned monsters!" She screamed as her power over took her, flames licked at the ground scorching it. Flicking her wrist down she felt her gauntlets expand and click into place as she took her stance. "I'm going to fucking destroy you."
The first Ursa charged at the blonde its maw wide to rip her in half. Standing strong Yang swung her fist forward quicker than the beast could follow. Her knuckles connected with the white bone mask cracking it as if it was a mere eggshell, the force continuing on crushing the skull behind the mask killing the beast instantly. Shrugging the massive weight aside Yang sprang towards the next one giving it no time to react. A thunderous uppercut to its jaw sent the Ursa onto its hind legs. Yang felt the spine snap but continued through with her next attack, a ten hit combination into the Grimm's unprotected underside. Ribs broke impaling the lungs and heart, organs ruptured from the impacts of the blonde's fists.
Finally jumping back Yang let the Grimm fall to the ground already dissolving, a growl behind her caused her to swing about glaring at the last Ursa before her. "WHAT?" she yelled causing the heat around her to spike, "You think you can handle this?" She readied her fists to destroy the monster in front of her. "I'll beat your sorry ass into…" Her words cut short as the Ursa fell flat on the ground, a black weapon sticking out of spine near the base of its head, confusion caused the brawler to release her semblance. "Huh?" Yang cocked her head to the side as the blade retracted flipping into the hand of a girl with long black hair and a black bow. "Oh. I could have handled it."
The girl rolled her amber eyes as she walked around the dead Grimm, "I don't doubt that." She flicked the black blood from her blade before sheathing it on her back.
"So I guess this makes us partners." Yang grinned throwing her hands behind her head taking in the new girl. "Name's Yang, Yang Xiao Long."
"It would appear so." The girl nodded. "I'm Blake Belladonna. We should get moving, I'm sure that there are more Grimm around here. The temple is off in that direction." Blake nodded off in the direction the Ursa had come from. Yang glanced up at the bow resting on the top of the girl's head, the cloth moving in a stiff fashion despite its silky appearance almost as if it was concealing something.
"Awesome I've been wondering around since I landed," Yang grinned as she turned shrugging off whatever the girl was hiding. If she wanted to keep something from someone that was her thing to deal not the brawler's to pry into. As she did a gust of wind brought the blonde's scent to the girl behind her.
Lilac and gunpowder were the most prevalent smells from the in front of her but Blake could smell something else too, wolf. Blake stiffened slightly; if this girl was important to the wolf then she had to be careful.
Not taking notice to the slight change in the girl behind her Yang continued on, "So that was a neat trick with your weapon there, don't see to many chain scythe type weapons. A lot of people would be afraid the chain could be cut and they could loose it." She glanced over her shoulder to see the girl still trailing her, "Looked like a Glock nine model?"
"Forty five." Blake corrected her still keeping a bit of distance between them.
"Makes sense, a bit more kick for recoil." Yang nodded, "Oh look!" A smile broke across her face as she spotted a bush off to her left, "Blackberries, love these things. Patch is covered with them and wild strawberry as well." Smiling she pulled a handful off, "Want some?"
Blake looked at the berries in the out stretched hand hesitating, the blonde didn't seem like someone who would harm her but she had gotten fooled before. However she had popped a few of the berries in her mouth before offering her any and was currently munching away on more. "Sure." Blake sighed taking the offered berries.
"If Ruby were here she'd pick the bush clean in a heart beat." Yang laughed, continuing on, "She's got an epic sweet tooth and when it comes to wild berries she's nearly unstoppable."
Blake perked up at the name, obviously Yang knew the wolf now she just had to determine how. "Ruby?" She asked coming up beside her partner.
Yang's smile grew larger, "Yeah she's my baby sister." Blake blinked in confusion, was this girl half Faunus? No, she smelled to strongly of human.
"Your sister?" Blake pushed a bit further.
Yang nodded, "Yup. She's two years younger than us but got accepted to Beacon this year as well under special circumstances."
Blake nodded, she really wanted to ask if Yang knew her secret because of the wolf but didn't know how to ask tactfully without outing herself. "Seems pretty young for a Huntress."
"Yeah but she's been training for this since she was little," Yang paused as her grin grew cheeky. "Well littler. Our family has been Hunters for generations so we start pretty early in our training." She paused looking about, "We still going the right direction?"
Blake nodded, "Should be just beyond that tree line. Was orienteering not part of the training?"
Yang chuckled nervously, "It was, I just didn't really pay much attention to it. I'm more of a wing it type gal than anything else, Ruby on the other hand can find her way through a forest blind folded and backwards."
Breaking the tree line both girls found themselves in a large open field. The ruins of the temple stretched out over the field and towards a large cliff side. The stone structure must have been massive once easily covering the whole field in courtyards and towers. "Didn't know this was here." Yang whistled as they reached the relics, chess pieces of different color where in a semi circle of pedestals, only a few were missing.
"Probably a old stronghold of the Grimm Wars." Blake noted as she took in the architecture. "Vacuo has several like these in the deserts as well though not as intact."
Yang glanced over to girl as she studied the stones; her amber eyes were dancing over the chipped and faded mosaic. Yang had noticed her during yesterday's speech, the way she held her body still had a hidden tension in it as if she was ready to bolt at the slightest sigh of trouble. "So how about the pony?" She questioned making Blake come out of her daze.
Blake looked over at the white chess piece in the blonde's hand and shrugged, "Sure." A faint noise drifted into her sensitive ears. Trying not to alert her new partner she began to look around.
"Well we've got what we came for so let's… get…" Yang's voice trailed off making Blake look over at her, her gaze was fixed in the sky mouth slightly open in shock. Following her gaze Blake too was stunned by what she saw, a massive Nevermore circling overhead. That actually wasn't the surprising part. The surprising part was the two figures clutching to the back of the massive Grimm, one stark white the other a deep crimson red.
"I leave her alone for a few hours…" Yang shook her head muttering; of course the crazy wolf would do that. Blake went to question her when she saw the crimson figure begin to fall electing a heavy sigh from the blonde. "Points for style though."
If someone had told Weiss that in under thirty-six hours she would have undergone nearly getting blown off the face of Remnant from the very substance her own family was renown for, being launched into a Grimm infested forest with the instructions that the first person she met eyes with would be her partner for the next four years at Beacon and then somehow winding up on the back of a Giant Nevermore next to a giggling girl in a red cape she would have turned her blade upon that person until they begged for mercy, but yet here she was clutching the black feathers of the largest Grimm she had ever seen next to an insane girl who was laughing like she was having the best day of her life. "I am so going to kill you when we land!" She screamed over the air at the girl who continued to laugh.
"Come on Weiss this is awesome!" Ruby replied with a wide smile, her silver eyes shinning with happiness and excitement. "Hey! Look there's the temple! Let's go! Jump!" Weiss glanced to where the girl had pointed, below them was a rocky temple where two figures stood looking up at them.
"Ruby I swear if you let go I'm going to skin you!" Weiss cried to the empty space next to her. "Oh for fucks sake!" How had she wound up in this position? Oh that's right she had elected to do this to herself, she had gone against her father's wishes and joined the most renowned school in the world instead of following her sister to Atlas' military academy, and now it seemed as if the world was laughing at her.
Ruby continued to laugh as she plummeted towards the ground, she loved the feeling of the wind rush around her, the smell of the fresh air all around her was sweet and full of life. Closing her eyes she let the ground approach at break neck speeds, earlier if she hadn't been so focused on finding her sister quickly she would have done this instead of deploying her sweetheart. At the last possible second Ruby pulled her arms into herself causing her to spin and allowed her semblance to activate causing a whirlwind slowing her down to a mere crawl.
Flipping over the wolf landed lightly on her feet to light sarcastic clapping, "Good job." Yang's voice drifted over to her. Perking up Ruby ran over to her with a large grin.
"Yang!" she chirped happily crashing into large strong arms. "Found you."
Yang laughed as she spun the wolf about, "Yeah took you long enough, you're slipping. Hey meet my partner." Putting her sister down she faced her partner, "Blake meet Ruby, Ruby this is… Blake?" The black haired girl had frozen at the sight of the small redhead, her posture shifting uncomfortably, "Hey what's up?"
"N-n-nothing." Blake shook her head trying to shift back into a neutral position.
Ruby sighed, "It's me Yang." Getting a questioning look from the blonde Ruby sighed again before lowing her hood and letting her ears stand causing Yang's eyes to widen. "She knows I'm a wolf."
"Wait, what?" Yang shook her head in confusion, "You've been hiding your features since we got here. The only way she would know is if… she… was… Oh." Yang's gaze drifted to her partner who was now shifting even more looking ready to run. Well that explained why the silk ribbon moved so stiffly. "Cool."
Blake snapped her gaze up at the blonde, lilac eyes shone brightly and a happy smile graced her lips. "What?" She asked slightly confused.
Yang rolled her eyes walking up to the skittish Faunus before placing her hands lightly on her shoulders, "I said cool, like neat, awesome, sweet action." Blake continued to stare at her confused making her roll her eyes again, "Blake I don't care if you're a Faunus or human I judge people on their deeds and actions not by their features." Leaving a slightly stunned Blake she turned back to her sister who had returned her hood to her head ears tucked safely away, "So where's your partner?"
"Umm." Ruby chuckled looking up towards the Nevermore, "There?"
Yang looked up to see the stark white figure still clutching onto the black bird, "You left them up there?"
"I said jump." Ruby muttered weakly earning a glare from her sister, "Fine I'll go get her."
"She's going to fall." Blake noted finally finding her voice and walking up to the sisters she had noted that the white figure was slowly slipping down the body of the Grimm.
"Right Yang, need a boost." Ruby said backing up a few feet before taking a runners start stance. Cupping her Yang nodded sending Ruby into a blur of motion, boots only lightly touching her sisters hands before the blonde tossed her in the direction the Nevermore was traveling.
Not going to be enough, Ruby thought to herself as she started to reach the peak of her flight. The figure of Jaune crossed her path causing a smile to cross the wolf's face. Planting her feet on the unfortunate boy's back Ruby pushed herself off causing him to spiral into a treetop, "Sorry Jaune!" she called over her shoulder. Truly she was sorry but the boy had provided her with the height boosted she needed allowing her to reach the Nevermore just as Weiss' grip released.
The Heiress felt her grip loosen casting her backwards into air. Preparing a glyph to catch herself Weiss past the tail just as the Nevermore flicked it. The tail feathers of the Nevermore where the only feather that never detached from the Grimm its entire life, they grew and hardened with the beast over the decades.
Weiss felt her temple smash into the tip of the massive feather. Fortunately her Aura absorbed the majority of the blow but it still felt as if she had slammed her head into a gong causing her vision to go white and her concentration to slip. She could taste blood in her mouth as she tumbled end over end. If she couldn't right herself then her career as a Huntress was going to be very, very short.
A soft bump at her chest caused her to look down, Ruby smiled up at her as she grabbed her shoulders. Annoyance flared within the Heiress chest as she looked into the silver orbs. "YOU!" she screeched, "How dare you just leave me clinging to a giant Nevermore!" Ruby blinked in confusion.
"Is this really the time for this?" The crimson girl asked. Confusion flooded through Weiss before she remembered where she was, a few hundred feet in the air clinging to her partner just as gravity decided that it was time to take over.
As they fell Ruby felt Weiss wrap her arms around her waist, "Hold tight." She yelled over the roaring wind flipping them over. Getting two bodies to spin was only slightly more difficult than one but she managed it bring both to the ground safely, Weiss' heels hitting the ground just before her own boots. Ruby looked up at the white haired girl keeping a hand on her shoulder steadying the dizzy Heiress.
"Ruby." Yang shook her head as she walked up to the other two girls, "You shouldn't use that when you're descending with someone else, Crescent Rose would be much safer for both of you."
Ruby shrugged, "Couldn't really reach her with Weiss pining my arms to my side." Yang was right, technically it was only safe for Ruby herself to travel using her semblance people that weren't use to it would suffer from nausea for a few hours if she ran with them. "Yang meet my partner Weiss Schnee. Weiss this is Yang my sister."
"Nice to meet you." Weiss muttered automatically trying to stop the world from spinning not really focusing on the three girl's before her afraid that if she did she'd see her breakfast again.
Yang's eyes widened as she saw the girl in white, she knew the Schnee name for the same reason most people with a Faunus in their lives did. Ruby saw the heat start to build in the blonde's eyes. "Yeah we had a lot of fun getting here didn't we?" She chuckled giving her sister a look that said they'd talk about it later. Yang nodded slightly at the look, the pup had a lot of questions to answer.
Weiss continued to mutter under her breath ignoring the exchange until her head and stomach stopped spinning. Finally she was able to focus on the people around her, beside Ruby a massive blonde towered over her giving her a playful glare messy up her hair through a hood behind them a few feet stood the girl in black from the other day. Wonderful, Weiss thought internally, at least I know one person here who hates me. Before she could voice her irritation with the crimson girl a loud screeching from the other side of the open field made all four girls look.
Pyrrha broke through tree line a colossal Deathstalker hot on her heels. The battle maiden weaved in and out of the Grimm's large claws firing shots off whenever she got the chance. "We've got to help her." Ruby chimed sprinting away from the group.
"Ruby wait!" Yang called trying to give chase but she was much slower than her sister who had already gained a sizable lead on the blonde. Weiss watched in fascination as the crimson girl unfurled her weapon. The large scythe was much larger than the girl who welded it, but yet she showed no hesitation in holding the weapon like an expert. A massive boom from the top of the weapon capitulated her forward. Twisting her body Ruby hit the Grimm with a strong blow, her weapon bouncing harmlessly off its armor.
As soon as Ruby felt her weapon impact she knew she was in trouble. Normally Crescent Rose would have enough force and momentum to slice through Grimm armor like wet tissue paper; normally the Grimm wasn't close to being a century old though. Now that she was close enough she could see the thick layers that coated the beast and the age in its red eyes. Landing on her feet she quickly racked another round and fired propelling her backwards the bullet ricocheting away harmlessly off the armor.
Sprinting away Ruby hear the large screeching above her, the Nevermore was back. She had just enough time to look up and see the spear like feathers raining down on her. Rolling to the ground she dodged the majority of the attack only to feel a tug at her back causing her to stop short. Glancing over her should she felt her stomach bottom out, a large feather pinned her cape to the ground and the Deathstalker's tail racing towards her.
A high-pitched ringing pierced the air. "You are so childish." A sharp voice huffed, Ruby looked up at Weiss with wide eyes, "And impulsive. You rush into things without thinking them through or who will be pulled into them." Ruby deflated slightly at the words. "But you're also courageous and very skilled so if you can try and be a little less, excitable, I'll try to be more, pleasant."
Ruby smile widely at the Heiress, "Thanks Weiss, I really just want you to see me for me."
"You're fine." Weiss shook her head pulling her rapier from the pillar of ice incasing the Deathstalker's stinger. Together the two made their way quickly back to the rest of the group were two more people had joined them, a girl with short orange hair and a boy with jet black hair with a violet strip.
"Umm guys." Jaune piped up pointing towards the sky, "That Grimm's swinging back around."
"Well there's no point in us sticking around when our objective is right in front of us." Weiss pointed out.
Ruby nodded in agreement, "Weiss is right we don't have to fight them, let's just grab the relics and get out of here."
"Run and live, now that is a plan I can get behind." Jaune agreed quickly.
"I do not agree." Glynda bit as she and the headmaster watched the new teams filter out of the auditorium to their assigned dorms.
"I have no doubt about that." Ozpin replied lightly taking a sip of his coffee.
Glynda glared at the calm man, "How can you be so flippant about this?" She gestured to the last two teams as they left, the newly formed Team JNPR and Team RWBY. "It's a disaster waiting to happen. Mr. Arc should have never received that letter allowing him to be here. His transcripts are lacking so much information that they are hardly correct and I suspect that he has forged some of his references."
Ozpin shrugged, "I suspect you may be correct about that as well."
"Then why did you allow him entrance?" Glynda nearly boiled over in frustration.
A small smile played on the Headmaster's lips, this was why he kept Glynda around. Not only was she an amazing Huntress and teacher she was also never afraid to call him out on his schemes. "I feel it shows determination."
Glynda's lips moved silently as she tried to comprehend his words, "Determination?" She nearly screamed, "It's irresponsible is what it is, he'll lead his team to their deaths!"
Ozpin sighed, "Mr. Arc is not as fool hearted as you seem to make him. Given the right training and the right people to help him I believe he will be a forced to be reckoned with."
Glynda conceded his point knowing the Headmaster had his reasons but she still wanted to know one thing more, "Then explain Team RWBY." Her voice had leveled a bit.
"What do you mean by that?" Ozpin asked honestly with a hidden smirk.
"You know full well what I mean." Glynda seethed again, the Headmaster knowing exactly how to press her buttons. "The Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company on a team with two Faunus? It's a ticking time bomb."
"You maybe right." Ozpin agreed, even he wasn't sure how their future would play out but he had a guess and his guesses were usually right.
"Not to mention Ruby is a wolf." Glynda added a slight hint of fear in her voice.
Ozpin sighed again and finally turned to face his colleague, "Miss Rose is not in any danger of succumbing to her instinct, Summer would have made sure of that."
"Summer is gone Ozpin." Glynda replied sadly, "She was good but there is no way she could have seen to even that."
"She did." Ozpin smiled cryptically making the combat instructor wonder just how much he was not telling her. "But as far as it goes all of the teachers are to keep an eye on her. If any sign start to show that she is beginning to loosing control she is to be brought to me where I will deal with it."
Glynda nodded still unsure of the plans the Headmaster had in store, "Well if anything what you said is a major understatement." Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "It's going to be a very interesting year."
A/N: Still going close to what happened in the show, still sorry if it's moving to slow for anyone. Thanks to everyone who's taken an interest in this, keeps me motivated. Next week we see a bit more of what's going on in Weiss' mind as well as a few new ideas to the world of Remnant well my version of it.
With that: Many thanks again, drop in and say hi, and keep smiling.