Chapter 4: The Emerald Forest
In the Emerald Forest down into the misty underbrush, Yang Xiao Long is walking and looking around.
Yang: (calling out) Helloooooooo? (not seeing a shadow quickly pass by) 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!
Yang quickly rolls to the side as an Ursa charges out of the green. She gets up and 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...
Before she can complete her insult, 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 monster!
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.
The scene suddenly changes to Weiss Schnee's predicament, deflecting the swipe from a Beowolf with her Myrtenaster and getting pushed back into the middle of the beastly circle. She holds out her sword as she goes through her dueling motions and practices.
Weiss: (in her head) 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 leans 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.
Cinnabar Rose hopping treetop to treetop, and making few minute stops on the larger branches to save some of his Aura from being completely drained and taking recharging breaks. Cinnabar knows he can't just keep flying around the whole forest, so he decided to just do simple high jumps from branch to branch. He also knew that he was too high and far away to make eye-to-eye contact with anyone, so he can just scout around, from the high trees and look down to see if anyone was still looking for a partner. As he went from branch to branch around the Emerald Forest.
Cinnabar: (sigh) At this rate, Ruby and Yang would have already found someone by now. (sighing again with discouragement)
Leandra: (calling out) Helloooooooo?
Cinnabar: Hm?
Cinnabar looked down curiously from the brushes, seeing Leandra Nemesia wondering around below.
Leandra: Bloo!? Rook!? Anyone here!?
Hearing a rustling in the brushes behind her. She turns and draws out Vigorous in kusarigama form, and tosses high towards the branch where Cinnabar is standing. She than started pulling hard by the chain and weight, breaking the branch clear off.
Cinnabar: Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!
But it was too late, as Cinnabar started tumbling down from branch to branch of the tall tree, moaning and screeching along the way until hitting hard onto the dusty ground and roots of the tree. Cinnabar was gasping hard from the impact. Leandra was in shock for what she'd just done, and hurried towards him.
Leandra: Oh my god! Are you alright! I'm so sorry!
Cinnabar: I think... (groaning) I'll manage, thank god for auras.
Leandra soon helped Cinnabar get back up to his feet.
Leandra: What we're you doing up there, anyway? (looking back up, realizing how high he really was) How... did you get up there?
Cinnabar: Oh, well, basically my semblance gives a buff depending on the kind of Dust I use and/or wear.
Leandra: Uh huh. (sounding slightly impressed)
They've start to realize the time of their eyes meeting and a pregnant pause follows with the realization of them being partners now, sharing an awkward but sweet smile to each other.
Cinnabar: So um... Your friends, Bloo and Rook, think they'll be together?
Leandra: Well... Considering that I'm now with you now, hopefully they'll have to be together now.
As Cinnabar and Leandra went their way, deeper and further into the woods, only a few moments passed, as loud stomping from a hairy, bipedal, boney spiked, mammalian Grimm, a Berserker comes marching in. Smelling the air, and snatches the branch where Cinnabar once stood with only it's jaws and started to tearing it apart. It than catches the scent and started to follow it.
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 his 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 Lie Ren's trek 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.
Ren 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. Ren adopts a fighting stance as the snake coils together in front of him and attacks with its long fangs.
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 Ren as he leaps out of the way, the snake's mouth hitting the ground and instantly coming up again to hit a jumping Ren back with its snout) The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. (Ren lands in a crouch when the serpent encircles him again, and he unleashes his StormFlower before jumping up and firing at the creature) They are the darkness, and we are the light.
Jaune (off-screen): (as Ren 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 Ren and tries to bite him again, but he flips over it and drives his weapons into its head, pausing a moment without sensing the serpent's white head behind him) Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both.
Ren 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 blasting 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. (Ren is unprepared for the white half to hit him with its head, knocking him off as he drops his weapons, and leaving him to merely raise his arms and distantly cry "No!" 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.
Ren is now holding the front fangs of the colossal snake in his hands, glowing a faint, pulsating pink 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 Ren 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, Ren 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, Ren stands atop of the body of his enemy, sliding the weapons into his sleeves and brushing them off before a strange, animal-like noise is heard above him twice. He looks up and meets the upside-down eyes of Nora Valkyrie.
Ren: (chuckles) I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like.
In response, Nora gives her friend a "Boop!" on the nose, causing him to smile. Suddenly, more branches breaking as both Bloo Grijalee and Rukmini Tara fell onto of each other, a distance away from Ren and Nora, who heard the whole commotion.
Rukmini: You had to latch onto me, didn't you?
Bloo: I got scared, alright?
Professor Ozpin was watching the students on his Scroll at the Beacon Cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest when Glynda Goodwitch walks up behind him, holding her own tablet.
Glynda: I wonder what kinds of teams we'll get this year? Always interesting.
Shion: And what kinds of leaders will appear, right?
Glynda and Opzin quickly turned to see Shion Zaiden, a Nightmare Hunter was standing next to them, much to their surprise.
Ozpin: Welcome, I was under the impression that you were out hunting game, Shion Zaiden.
Shion: And that hunt has brought me here, Professor.
Opzin: Is that so?
Shion: Yes, this test may become dangerous.
Ozpin: Well, there's no such thing as a safe initiation test, this there?
Shion: How very Ozpin of you, future huntsmen should be able to overcome anything.
Ozpin: Well of course, with help, I do hope that your hunt end in success, Shion.
Shion: Hm, you really never change, until next time professors.
Shion went their way into the Emerald Forest, seeking for their hunt. Glynda just than received an update on her scroll
Glynda: The last pair has been formed, sir. (taps the screen to show Ren and Nora) 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. (the video changes to Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc's trek through the woods)
Ozpin: Mmmm... (watching his tablet)
Glynda: I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat. (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...
As Cinnabar and Leandra was heading close towards an opening out of the forest. Leandra suddenly stops and narrows her eyes, looking around.
Leandra: (worried) You feel that?
Cinnabar: (nervous) Maybe?
They've drawn out their weapons, as their surroundings has suddenly became silent. Cinnabar started to feel nervous, feeling like something was circling around him. A large shadow suddenly engulfed Cinnabar and Leandra for a moment. They've quickly turned to see the Berserker lunge at them both. Cinnabar and Leandra luckily dodge the attack, striking it's claws hard into the grounds, as they've both leaped further to the opening field.
Cinnabar: I've never seen an Ursa like that before!
The Berserker's paw was stuck the ground for a few moments before managing to get loose again.
Leandra: It's not a Ursa, it's a Berserker! Fiercer than even an Ursa Major!
The Berserker roars at them, when suddenly another large shadow sweeps over the field. Shrouding over Leandra and Cinnabar with shade and shock. Cinnabar quickly looked upward, realized it was the shadow of something flying higher above him... That belongs to a gigantic Nevermore!
Leandra: Look out!
The Nevermore let out a loud screech as it flies downwards straight at Cinnabar, who attempts to dodge it's charge. He rolled over to narrowly avoid the talons. The Nevermore then return to flight flying high, using the downward momentum it gained during the attack.
Cinnabar: Go!
Cinnabar and Leandra had no choice but run and find anyone that could help them, as they've both couldn't be able to handle a Berserker and Giant Nevermore at once. The Nevermore turned to see Cinnabar and Leandra, running with the Berserker. The Nevermore easily swoop down for an attack with it's sharp talons. Soon enough Cinnabar and Leandra was now suddenly being both held captive in the talons!
Leandra: AAAH! Let us go Birdzilla! (struggling to break free)
Cinnabar tried to hit the Nevermore's talons with Ddraig Wen, but it was proven too strong as Ddraig Wen was bounced off of Cin's hands.
Cinnabar: Noo! (reaching out for his mother's sword...)
...Only to see it falling down into the forest, as the Nevermore let out another loud screech!
Ruby heard the sound of the screech from a far distance, distracting her from listening to Weiss's bickering. Ruby followed her uphill to soon an open field of the forest.
Weiss: I'm positive is this way this time! It's this way. (turns to Ruby) Do you mind hurrying, little miss riding hood?
Ruby: (turning back to Weiss) My name is Ruby!
Weiss: All you can do...(quietly complaining)...is follow me...(spoke louder)...I know where to go.
Ruby: you have no sense of direction, Weiss, we're nowhere near it.
Weiss: don't be ridiculous.
Ruby: I'm not much of a follower (puffing her cheeks red)
Weiss: I'm not so sure about that. Mind telling me why a girl like you would attend the academy?
Ruby: To be a huntress, of course! Like the ones in the stories!
Weiss: Stories? (scoffed in disbelief) Unbelievable...
Weiss: I came here to learn. To be stronger. I strive for perfection. Unlike you, I'm not here fun and games. If all you want is to be a part of the stories...(looked at Ruby with a stern look)...Give up and go home. Your mother's waiting to read one to you.
Those words hurt Ruby's heart hard.
Ruby: (finally having enough) You don't know anything.
Weiss: You're a little girl fascinated by fairy tales, am I wrong?
Ruby: (Being stern) You think you know everything huh?
Weiss looked at Ruby.
Ruby: I...(Almost in brink of tears)...lost someone important to me. That's when I realized reality doesn't always end happily like the stories... no one's going to show up in the nick of time. no one's going to save you. so instead of being sad... waiting for help to arrive.. I decided I would be the hero, and I will. I'll turn tragedies to happy ending. That's why I'm here. (Standing her grounds proudly)
After Ruby finished her speech, Weiss looked up at something, and suddenly rushing towards Ruby.
Weiss: Get Down! (she pounces at Ruby at the ground a few feet away...)
...Just in time before a sword-shape object slashes downwards at the ground, almost hitting Ruby.
Weiss: What was that?! (Confused, laying on the ground with Ruby)
Ruby pulled herself off the ground to see what was now stuck in the ground. As soon as Ruby seen it, she immediately recognized it as Ddraig Wen and walks towards it. Weiss pulls out Ddraig Wen from the ground, now half dirty.
Ruby: Weiss...I know this sword. It belongs to-
The horrid screech cuts Ruby's words short, alarming Ruby and Weiss, who quickly stood back up as they suddenly see a huge wave of shadow coming towards them both. They looked up quickly and caught sight of Cinnabar and Leandra, trapped in the talons. Both with shock at the sound of their screams.
Cinnabar looked down as he suddenly saw the girl he was looking for, finally Silver eye-to-Silver eye contact, both eyes widen with great shock.
Cinnabar: Ruubbyyy... (His cry for her name lowered, as the Nevermore was flying away)
Ruby: CIN?! (Shocked)
Weiss: Cinnabar?! (Also Shocked)
But suddenly the Nevermore spotted the two young huntress in training, and started preparing to attack them both with it's sharp beak.
Weiss: (Thinking) It's too dangerous for just the two of us, batting a Grimm wasn't our mission, we should retreat...
Ruby: Cin's in trouble! (Started running toward the Nevermore) I gotta help him!
Weiss: Ruby! No!
Ruby: He's my brother!
The Nevermore started flying downwards towards Ruby. Weiss hesitated with shock, and looked at Ddraig Wen. Cinnabar and Leandra couldn't help do felt helpless as all they could do just watch Ruby trying to rescue them both. Ruby quickly pulls out Crescent Rose in gun form, and started firing her explosive rounds at the Nevermore, from beak toward it's underbelly and while managing to avoid harming Cinnabar and Leandra. The Nevermore flew close enough for Ruby to try grab hold of the Grimm's feathery body.
Ruby: Gotcha! (succeeding hold)
Ruby: Weiss! (Reaching out for her hand) Take My Hand!
Weiss: Huh?! (Confused but did quickly grab hold of Ruby's hand)
Now Ruby and Weiss we're both holding onto the Nevermore, as it started flying back toward the sky.
Ruby: It'll be faster flying, while we help Cin... (With a surprisingly happy grin)
Weiss: (screaming with fright) AAAAAAA! Are you trying to take me down with you?!
The Nevermore was flying higher and higher with Cinnabar and Leandra still in it's talons, while Ruby and Weiss we're just barely holding on it's black feathers.
Weiss: I was a fool to follow yooouuu...
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.
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?
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. (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 in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?
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- (before she can finish, 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 embarrassedly before turning and rushing away in a burst of green leaves)
Blake is still staring at something above them, but Yang is focused on the forest.
Yang: Blake, did you hear that? (turns to her partner) What should we do?
Finally, the faint-but-growing-louder scream of "Heads uuuuuuuup!" is heard when Ruby and Cinnabar are holding onto each other falling from the sky and presumably crash lands to the ground.
End of Chapter 4
Author Notes
RWBY, its owned by Rooster Teeth.
Major thanks to the Transcripts written on RWBY Wiki
Liked the second review I've got, so thank you for that. I've have been writing in script format, and had no trouble so far, and I rather like writing like this, just find it easier. Took a while but ultimately decided for Leandra to be Cinnabar's partner of CNBR. Might reworking some of the shipping names for my team, but would love to hear some ideas for some. I 'am surprised to get some harsher reviews now than before, but I guess I would happen sooner or later.