AN: Glad to see most everyone liked the new team system I set up. As for the whole 'Weiss Partner' question I put forth last time the only real suggestions I saw were Ilia, Trifa, or an OC. I'd probably go Ilia over Trifa, and the OC would end up being a brown-nosing 'yes man' type character towards Weiss so let me know between those (or any new suggestions) and I'll show the result next chapter.

With the Power of an Avalanche

Chapter 6

-Ruby-

"Gotta get a partner! Gotta get a partner! Gotta get a partner!" Ruby was running through the forest, twisting and turning through the trees, silver eyes frantically flitting about.

Yang would be perfect as a partner. She was her sister, of course she would be. Yang was strong, so she could fight. She was confident, so she could handle the whole 'talking to people' thing. And she was her sister, so Ruby knew she wouldn't judge or be weirded out by her weapon rants.

Jaune and Whitley were both nice, but she was pretty sure they were planning to partner up with each other. Assuming they hadn't already managed to already.

There was also that other girl she'd met on her way to the cliffs, Pyrrha-

"Hi!" said fellow redhead smiled as she seemingly appeared in front of Ruby, the silver eyed scythe wielder having to dig in her heels to not crash into her now acquired partner.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby blinked in surprise at the Mistralian girl who seemed extremely relieved to have found her, "I…guess we're partners?"

"Yes, yes we are." Pyrrha nodded, Ruby now sure that the Mistralian Champion was relieved.

"You're avoiding someone, aren't you?" Ruby tilted her head as Pyrrha slumped defeated.

"That obvious?" Pyrrha sighed, "But yes. There were a few people I'd be…uncomfortable partnering up with." Ruby thought back to the locker rooms, who she saw her new partner talking with.

"You mean Weiss?" Ruby tilted her head as Pyrrha nodded reluctantly, "Yeah, she's kind of a butt." Ruby made a face as Pyrrha snickered at the description, "At least her brother's nice."

"Wait what?" Pyrrha gave her a baffled look as Ruby look confused.

"What do you mean what?" Ruby tilted her head before she thought back to what Pyrrha had said, that there was more than one person she was avoiding, "Why were you avoiding Whitley though? He and Jaune are so nice!"

"They…they are?" Pyrrha was decidedly looking more and more nervous and guilty.

"Yeah! Whitley even apologized on behalf of Weiss being a butt. She's apparently mean to him too." Ruby frowned angrily at the thought of someone being mean to one of her…admittedly few, friends.

"I…I had assumed he would be of a similar nature to Weiss." Pyrrha admitted as she and Ruby started heading towards the direction of the ruins she'd spotted as she flew from the cliff.

"Nope!" Ruby smiled happily, nearly bouncing in place as she saw Pyrrha take out her weapons.

"Are…are you alright?" Pyrrha noted her increased energy.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby blushed at being caught, "I'm just…your weapons are so cool! Weapons that can mechashift into three forms, especially forms that different, are so rare!" aaaaand now she was gushing.

"Well, I appreciate your enthusiasm." Pyrrha giggled, looking relieved for some weird reason, "I have to admit, it's a nice change to have people gushing over me weapons rather than me."

"You…you don't think it's weird?" Ruby kicked the dirt self-consciously.

"Ruby, gush away." Pyrrha laughed as Ruby took the invitation to do just that.

-Blake-

It took all her experience to keep her expression neutral as she and her new 'partner' Yang made their way through the Emerald Forest. The girl was far too talkative this early in the morning, let alone for what situation they were in. Especially given the thoughts that currently plagued her mind.

The Schnees. Not one but two of those racist pricks were here at Beacon. It honestly was starting to feel like the universe was mocking her and everything she'd gone through.

"Blaaaaaaakey!" the blonde brawler she'd been partnered with interrupted her train of thought, again, by whining and poking her in the cheek "Stop ignoring me!"

Blake couldn't hold back the frustrated sigh as Yang grinned cheekily and they exited the tree line. Up ahead she could see the ruins, a couple partner groups already there and selecting their pieces. Irritatingly, she could see the distinct shock of white hair that meant one of the Schnees.

"Huh, no sign of Rubes." Yang frowned, showing actual seriousness for a moment as she glanced down at the two teams by the ruins. As they walked closer Blake could clearly see that the only empty pedestals were the ones taken by the four applicants down there meaning whoever this 'Rubes' was they hadn't gotten here and left.

"Who?" Blake couldn't help her curiosity as they reached the bottom of the hill, the four people by the ruins spotting them as well.

"My little sister." Yang admitted, eyes showing a nervousness that had been hidden before. Had the blonde's insufferable pestering just been an outlet for nerves? "She got accepted here two years early and…well she's my little sister, I worry about her." That made sense at least.

"HI!" any further conversation with Yang was cut off by an orangette popping up in front of them, having apparently run over from the others by the ruins, "I'M NORA!"

"…Hi." Blake deadpanned at the girl who was already making Blake appreciate her own partner more.

"Sup Yang." The blond boy next to the Schnee waved, the albino prick nodding silently to the brawler.

"Hey baby bro." Yang smirked at the blond, surprising Blake as Yang had only mentioned a little sibling, not a twin.

"Hey dye job." Jaune smirked back as Blake saw Yang's eye twitch, the Schnee just sighing in exasperation.

"Jaune, you know she's not going to stop till she 'wins' right? I've only known her a day and I can tell that much." The only Schnee son deadpans at the now named blond.

"She's not going to stop period Whitley." Jaune snorted, "I've grown up with enough big sisters to know when one will refuse to give up." Oh?

"You'd know more than me I suppose." The Schnee shrugged, dropping the matter easily "Anyway Yang, you seen any sign of Ruby?"

"None." The brawler frowned, "I'm starting to get-" whatever Yang was starting to get would remain a 'mystery' for the ages as a loud piercing cry echoed out from above the trees, echoing roars responding from the ground.

"Sounds like we're about to get some company." The Schnee frowned, readying his tacky gauntlets that were decorated with shining gemstones, that or dust placed in a way she'd never seen before.

"Uuuuh…is there somebody on that Nevermore?" the energetic orangette, Nora, asked confused before rounding on a partner, "Ren-Ren, you said nobody rode Grimm! But they are!"

"That's Ruby!" Yang freaked out the second she saw a flash of crimson atop the Nevermore, an understandable reaction if that really was the brawler's sister.

"Jaune, use the Aias to provide cover if needed, I'll get her!" the Schnee commanded, taking charge instantly as he shot upward, a miniature whirlwind around his legs somehow.

"Don't worry Yang, he'll get her." The blond who was partnered with the Schnee nodded to Yang, his tone showing complete faith in the racist who'd just somehow flown. Had those actually been dust crystals? Were the Schnee's even hiding special ways to use dust for their personal enjoyment? She wouldn't be surprised.

"The fuck is a-?" Yang began, still panicking and wanting a distraction, when the Nevermore shot a barrage of feathers at the Schnee, the albino dodging even as the projectiles were now heading straight for their group.

"RHO AIAS!" Jaune shouted, projecting his voice outward as he held his hand aloft, seven circular barriers of solid light forming over them, the barrage of arrows only able to pierce through the first two or three before stopping.

"…that." Yang's voice was somewhat weak as she saw the halted arrow feathers aimed at them, the blond partnered up with the Schnee tossing them aside before ending whatever he'd done.

"Rho Aias." Jaune shook his hand, Blake noting the larger white dust crystals on his gloves still glowing faintly, "Something Whitely figured out. Certain dust crystals are pure and dense enough to be able to be used repeatedly so he had some implanted in this suit, primarily white dust with a hint of gravity to shape it. Put aura through and you can make a barrier. I have, as Whitley put it, 'an absurdly vast pool of aura' so I can make multiple barriers without having to worry."

"…I wanna punch it." Yang and Nora declared in tandem before pointing at each other "Jinx!"

"I see the Aias held up!" Blake was distracted from the baffling people she found herself surrounded with as she looked up to see the Schnee descending, holding a girl in a red hood who he handed over to a fretting Yang. Up in the sky, Blake could see the Nevermore was stunned but still alive and, more importantly, recovering "I saw the tree line too. We've got something big heading our way."

"The Deathstalker!" Ruby squirmed to escape Yang's grip, "We found it rampaging outside a cave! It must be chasing Pyrrha!"

"Wait how'd you get up there then?" Nora asked, clearly not focusing on the important things.

"…The Deathstalker flung me." Ruby admitted embarrassed even as the crashing grew louder and the Nevermore began to circle lower.

"I'll handle it." The Schnee cracked his neck as he landed, flexing his fingers in the gauntlets. While normally she'd be focused on getting herself and…most of those around her out of this mess, the temptation to see an arrogant Schnee put in their place was too good to pass up. From the tree line, Blake saw yet another redhead sprint out, this one being far more recognizable given her numerous advertisements and sponsorships that plastered her face all over the world.

"There we go." The Schnee nodded as the famous tournament fighter cleared the tree line, heading straight for them. Holding up his right hand before snapping the fingers of his gauntlet as one of the crystals on his knuckles glowed brightly.

Just as the Deathstalker came into sight, the trees around the Grimm came alive, lashing out against the creature as heavy limb and gnarled root slammed and forced their way through every chink in the creature's armor. A snap of the glove on the left hand and a thick spear of earth shot up from the ground, straight through the torso as the scorpion like monster gave a death screech before going still.

"T-there's still the Nevermore." The only one yet to talk, Nora's partner, stammered in shock as they pointed at the avian Grimm that was getting rapidly closer.

"Simple enough." The Schnee gave another smirk, one she'd have called arrogant before he demonstrated just what he was capable of. Another Dust crystal began to glow, the purple of gravity dust before the Nevermore became enveloped in a violet aura and came plummeting straight down hard, slamming into an awaiting field of stone spikes that skewered the beast with ease.

"Well, back to the cliffs I suppose." Schnee nodded once he was sure the two Grimm were dead, sharing a high five with a smirking Jaune who didn't seem phased by the bullshit the albino applicant had just done.

Just what was she getting herself in for at Beacon?!

AN: Before anyone complains about Whitley not pulling shit like that in the alleyway incident, I want to remind you that at that point Whitley's aura was very low from awakening Jaune's and he didn't have his gauntlets on hand.