Chapter Edits:
Additional story beats.
Fixed grammar errors.
Minor dialogue and monologue edits.
Chapter 1: New World
A being wreathed in golden, holy light stood in the vast expanse of space. Glowing white eyes squinting in thought. He felt himself gazing upon a shattered world torn with strife and war, plagued by darkness. A planet of his own making, a test. A failure. He'd abandoned it because it failed. And yet after centuries, he came back and gazed upon this forsaken world. His eyes narrowed at the memories that flicked through his mind. It only felt like yesterday, when in actuality it was far longer than that.
"Why are you back at this god forsaken rock, brother." Light glanced towards his brother, a being shrouded in darkness and shadow. Eyes of smoldering crimson.
"My thoughts wandered." Light hummed, staring back at Remnant.
"This world is useless to us."
"Perhaps... but you cannot deny that it was the closest we had gotten to success. Maybe, we should give it another go." Light tilted his head, squinting. "At the very least to see why we got as far as we did with them."
"You wish to give humanity a second chance? After what they have done?" Darkness narrowed his eyes in confusion, mixed with a hint of indignation. "What makes you think they are worth another?"
"Their slight against us is unforgivable, yes. But..." Light turned towards his sibling, folding his arms. "What if we were to give humanity another test."
Noticing the look in Darkness' eye, knowing he had caught his interest, Light continued. "Think back. Before Salem swayed their minds and rallied against us, humanity engaged in petty squabbles, yes, but never engaged in all out war against one another. It made me wonder... was it because of the innate bond that humanity shared, or because we were there to oversee them."
Darkness' eyes narrowed in confusion. "... You wish to rebuild humanity from the ground up?"
At that, Light shook his head. Gazing upon their failure once more. "No. I want to give them a test. Humanity is on a loose thread as it is. Ozma and Salem continue to fight from the shadows, with the rest of humanity blissfully unaware. They are fractured." Holding up a hand, the primordial forces of magic and everything arcane swirled around his palm. The power of Creation laying at his fingertips. Light smirked. "Humanity was united under our watch. Can they prove to do so once more without us? And with unknown variables standing among them?"
Darkness' eyes widened a fraction, gleaming with a creative intensity. He let out a booming laugh that caused the very cosmos around them to tremble, and felt a smirk tug at his lips. "Quite interesting. You've caught my attention. But tell me dear brother... what will you do about her? She will surely not stand idly by when she realizes we've laid our hands on Remnant once more. Ozma will not be taking chances, either."
"This will serve as a test for the both of them, then." Light smiled. He knew of Salem. Her soul was distorted, twisted from the Grimm Pools. Likely from trying to take her own life. She seemed to not grasped what immortality truly meant. And the centuries isolated in the dark lands surrounded by Grimm surely didn't help her already fragile mind. Ozma wasn't fairing much better, years of reincarnation, battle after battle with his former lover to protect the relics; coupled with death after death of not only himself, but those who he grew attached to, made the man cautious and paranoid. "But I must sate my curiosity..."
Darkness let out a low chuckle, stepping to stand side by side his brother as he stared down at Remnant. "Very well. Then tell me, brother. Who shall these variables be?"
Light's grinned softly, countless ideas formulating through his mind. He came to one sole conclusion, and began to chuckle himself as he delved deep into his ancient power. His body burning as brightly as the sun. His choice was made. Darkness recognized this, and flared his own power in response. Creation and Destruction, two opposites, coalesced and swirled together... and shot through the cosmos at lightspeed.
If this new experiment proved fruitful, perhaps it would finally make him understand why humanity was so different...
[HUNTER]
An alarm clock blared loudly in his ears and roused him from his sleep. A groggy groan came soon after and a young man, roughly 16 years in age, going on 17, sat up. Neck-length dark brown hair that bordered on black draped over his shoulders, messy and untamed. Mundane onyx colored eyes blinked blearily and he yawned. The alarm continued to ring, and his eye twitched.
"...SHUDDUP!" The boy snapped and grabbed the device before hurling it at the wall with all his might. It bounced against the wall with a hefty thud, and the noise finally stopped. He sighed in relief and rubbed at his eyes tiredly.
Sirius threw the covers off himself and hopped out of his bed, running a hand through his hair. He grabbed his phone and booted it up, blinking. "Mm. It's a Saturday... don't got much to do. Mom and dad are probably at work by now."
He stood there in silence and shrugged his shoulders. It wouldn't hurt to go for a walk, he thought. Weather was perfect for it, anyway. Sunny, not too hot, nor too cold. Just right. He smiled to himself and went to grab a fresh pair of clothes, and freshen himself up while he was at it.
It took 5 minutes to get dressed, technically 6 with the extra minute he took making sure his hair was the perfect mix of neat, yet maintaining a wild and messy look. In Sirius' mind, he thought he looked cool... just like the protagonists from some of his favorite manga and television shows. His classmates from school, on the other hand, thought he was weird.
Teh. What do they know?
["Recent reports state that a young woman by the name of Ava Johnson has been reported missing. With the current dilemma of many residents of downtown LA mysteriously vanishing, LAPD is hard at work at finding the cause behind these disappearances."]
Sirius paused as he made his way around the living room, his gaze drifting towards the the TV. Mom and Dad must have left it on by accident. He frowned softly at the news and shook his head with a sigh, resting his hand on the doorknob.
He'd heard about the various missing people's cases. He didn't pay much attention to it. As callous as it seemed, there wasn't much he could do. It was... frighteningly common, but horrid, for kidnappings to occur. For people to vanish and just... never return. He didn't pay it much mind, until the disappearances started spreading like wildfire. In his own city no less.
Nobody knew the cause or reason behind the disappearances, not even the local law enforcement. The vanishing civilians were also sporadic. Sometimes nothing happened for a few weeks. Months. Sometimes people disappeared back to back. He recalled a similar missing people's case being brought up a year back.
And they were no sooner to figuring it out. It was actually kind of scary. It made people question who would vanish next. Sirius himself actually asked that very same question. But he didn't dwell on it. No need to stress out over it, after all.
Exhaling through his nose, Sirius walked over to the couch and grabbed the remote, turning the TV off and setting the remote down before making his way towards the door.
With a hop, skip, and a step, Sirius was out the door. He dug into his pockets and pulled out his phone and a pair of headphones, scrolled through some of his playlists, and put on a song. He sighed softly and took in a deep breath of the fresh, morning air, grinning.
Nothing like a good tune and nice walk to start off the day! He thought to himself with a grin, nodding. His mood was swiftly improving as he settled into a nice groove.
As the boy walked, he passed by several neighbors. He knew them well enough, but didn't hold long conversations. A simple smile, wave, and brief hello was all that was needed. He wasn't good at talking to people anyway, never knew what to talk about, always froze up. Probably why he didn't have many friends--that was fine, though. Who needed that when you had anime and manga?
Sirius let a goofy grin spread across his lips as he replayed a scene from a classic anime, Dragon Ball Z. A worldwide phenomenon that took the world by storm, and practically pioneered the shonen battle genre. He loved watching the reruns on TV as a kid, and his dad grew up watching the show when he was a kid too, so they'd watch it together all the time before he had to go to work.
They loved Goku--admired him, even. To Sirius, Son Goku was what men should aspire to be. Always pushing themselves to be better, stronger. To be a protector and do what's right for the sake of others. To be kind and show respect to even your enemies, and always improve. Sirius wished to be half the man Goku was, even if he was a fictional character.
"Haah...~ that's cheesy now that I think about it." Sirius laughed nervously and shook his head. As he watched the scene on his phone, depicting the battle between Goku and Majin Vegeta in the Buu Saga of the anime, Sirius failed to realize he'd stumbled upon a park.
It was empty.
The chilling morning breeze caused the boy to wince a bit. Sirius involuntarily shivered and groaned, stuffing his phone into his pocket. "Ugh... it's kinda cold out, actually. Should I have worn thicker clothes...?"
Sirius trailed off and paused, blinking in confusion as the winds got more intense. His brows furrowed and he yelped, covering his eyes as the clouds began to darken and the sound of thunder boomed in his ears, rattling his entire body! "What the hell is going on?! Was the news wrong or something? It was supposed to be clear today!" His confusion and shock grew tenfold as lightning struck the spot next to him. He screamed in fright and stumbled over his feet, tripping and falling onto his butt.
What is going on?! Sirius gasped as the wind blowing around him soon surrounded him like a cocoon, obscuring the world around him. Whatever was happening wasn't natural, he could deduce that much. This wasn't an ordinary storm, and his observation proved right when the winds glowed with ethereal light. A mixture of gold and purple, burning brightly like a smoldering flame. It felt empowering, but it was blinding. And it felt raw, old. Instilling fear in his body. He couldn't move, fearing that if he did, he'd die.
As the light and winds grew stronger and eclipsed his vision entirely, Sirius couldn't help but let out a frightened scream towards the heavens as he was encompassed in light. The last thing he saw and felt, was a burning sensation running through his body, like lava had been poured into his veins. It was sheer agony, but it only lasted moments. He felt empowered soon after, rich with vitality. It was odd, but he couldn't process it. In his mind's eye, he could make out to blurry figures. Two men shrouded in otherworldly light and power.
Light and Darkness.
He blacked out.
[HUNTER]
Ozpin, headmaster of the prestigious Beacon Academy, one of the greatest founding Huntsman Academies, watched on as the newest batch of students for this semester were sent flying off into the greenery of Emerald Forest below. Some released startled screams, one such scream belonging to Jaune Arc. And dare he say... the scream was rather... unmasculine. But he digressed. Among others were whoops of excitement and thrill, and others were simply silent, focused on the task at hand. At his side was his deputy headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch, currently going over the student profiles and surveying the partner matchups.
"Professor, what did you use for the relics this year, may I ask?" The woman inquired. raising a brow at the silver-haired man.
Ozpin hummed, eyes focused intently on one of the cameras scattered around the forest. Focusing intently on one Ruby Rose. A prodigy in every sense of the word, a skilled mechanic and weapon specialist, having created her very own weapon with her own two hands. One of complicated design no less. Not anyone could wield a scythe proficiently, with the only ones he knew being Qrow Branwen and the fabeled Grimm Reaper, Maria Calavera.
The girl still had much to learn. She was skipped ahead two years, after all. She'd have to catch up to rest of her peers, but he wouldn't have invited her to Beacon otherwise. He believed she had what it took to be molded into a fine warrior, potentially even surpassing her mother, Summer Rose.
His eyes narrowed at the screen as Ruby and a white haired girl, Weiss Schnee, had partnered up. And they were off to rough start, it seemed. It'd be mended with time, he was sure. And there was no better way to form a strong bond than on the battlefield.
"Professor?"
Ozpin blinked, glancing towards Glynda, who fixed him with a light glare. The man smiled and sipped his coffee, calm, yet apologetic. "Apologies, Glynda. I was lost in thought. What were you asking?"
"What were you using as relics for this year?" Glynda sighed and shook her head, glancing down at her scroll. "You used cards for the last one. An odd choice, but I'm sure you've thought of much better-"
"Chess pieces."
"... Pardon?" Glynda muttered incredulously, looking towards Ozpin in confusion.
"I used chess pieces as the relics this year." Ozpin smirked at his blonde headmistress, who shook her head with disbelief and sighed harshly.
"I... I see."
Before any further words could be exchanged, a powerful explosion rocked the earth and kicked up a large plume of dirt and debris in the distance, mixed with streaks of light and electricity. Ozpin and Glynda's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. The initiation had barely started and they were already blowing things to kingdom come?
Glynda felt her brow twitch. "This batch is going to be troublesome, I can tell..."
Ozpin let out a hum of agreement, though felt his eyes narrow at the direction of the explosion. His gaze flicked down at his scroll and he began shifting through the cameras.
That explosion was far from natural.
[HUNTER]
"...y!"
"..ey..!"
"HEY!"
Sirius screamed in shock and surprise, jolting up from his spot. He heard a startled yelp, but he didn't bother registering it. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and he took in greedy gulps of air, taking a gander at his surroundings. So many trees, grass... was he in a forest?
"Where the Hell am I...?"
"Hey, are you okay?"
Sirius blinked in confusion and looked towards the voice. Standing just a few feet away from him were a pair of the prettiest girls he'd ever seen in his life. One was dressed in black and red with a modest bust and bright red cape. A cute, pale round face, shapely thighs, short black hair with red tips, and bright, mesmerizing silver eyes filled with concern, the girl gave off a cutesy gothic lolita vibes that sent his nerves on fire.
The other girl was dressed in white and looked like she'd came straight out of a Disney movie, giving off the air of a princess yet holding the gaze of a warrior. Her eyes were a striking icy blue with pale, unblemished skin save for the scar that went over her right eye, yet that only seemed to emphasize her unnatural beauty. She was lacking in the chest, but he could make out the outline of tone, shapely thighs and hips beneath her skirt. At her waist appeared to be some kind of sword. But it looked more like a rapier... with some kind of revolver holster.
She was staring at him as if he were dirt beneath her boots. Sirius immediately felt inadequate in her presence.
"You look like you took a nasty fall there." The black haired girl smiled sheepishly, pointing down at the crater he found himself sitting in the middle of.
Sirius' eyes widened and he yelped scrambling to his feet and dusting himself off. He gulped and glanced at the two girls, feeling his anxiety spike and his body lock in place. God, he sucked at this. "Uh... y-yeah..."
"Let me help you!" She grinned brightly. Her smile raised his spirits almost instantly as she held out a hand to him. Sirius took it graciously and she pulled him up with a grunt of effort. "I'm Ruby, by the way."
".. S-Sirius." Sirius mumbled with a faint blush, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he slowly glanced at the white haired girl. Her eyes narrowed and he gulped, looking towards Ruby with wide eyes.
The silver eyed girl blinked and glanced at the other girl with a frown, before nudging her and nodding her head towards Sirius. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, fixing the boy with a glare.
"Weiss Schnee." Her tone was almost pompous in nature, holding an air of superiority, almost as if he should know who she was.
He did not.
"Oh. Uh... nice to meet you!" Sirius smiled and nodded at her and glanced towards Ruby. Weiss' eyes widened in shock at his almost dismissive air, and appeared offended. "Uh, can you tell me where I am?"
Ruby let out a hum of confusion. "Eh? Did you hit your head or something? We're in Emerald Forest! For the initiation?"
He blinked.
"... in... Beacon Academy?"
He slowly shook his head, frowning. Ruby blinked in shock, and was about to respond before Weiss interrupted her, scowling.
"If the dunce wants to play the idiot, then he can do that. But we don't have time for this! If he wants to fail the exam, he can, but I'm not going to because he wants to lolligag! And I'm not tolerating you slowing me down, either." Weiss berated the two of them at once and whirled around, storming off deeper into the forest. Ruby looked miffed at the girl's attitude, Sirius grimaced, feeling a mixture of shame and anger bubble up inside of him.
"... Sorry, about that." Ruby mumbled and sighed, shaking her head before giving Sirius a reassuring grin. "But don't worry! Stick with us and you'll be fine. Then after we pass the exam we can take you to the infirmary to get your head checked up! Got your weapon?"
She was talking so fast he could barely keep up. Sirius blinked a couple times before replying. "Uh... w-weapo-?"
"Great! Let's go before Weiss gets even more grumpy."
Ruby was already moving before he could finish. Sirius held back a sigh and shook his head, and quickly followed after the two girls.
I'll play along for now. I'll figure out where I am as I go...
[HUNTER]
"Who is that boy? He wasn't here during orientation nor the start of initiation. I have no files on him either." Glynda's brows furrowed, a frown permeating her features as she watched the camera footage on her scroll.
Ozpin hummed, brows creasing in thought. He was at the cause of the explosion. Who is he?
"Ozpin, what do we do? This could be a potential civilian! He is in great danger, even with other students around. If his Aura isn't unlocked..."
"We shall observe for now." Ozpin tapped his mug with a finger, watching the footage intently. "If this proves too much, we will send a group to pick him up. And then take him in for questioning."
"Observe?! Ozpin-!"
"Trust me, Glynda."
Glynda stared at Ozpin in silence before reluctantly nodding her head and watching the footage on her own scroll. Her brows furrowed deeply.
[HUNTER]
"C-Can you two slow down?!"
Sirius let out a loud groan as he wheezed for air, nearly stumbling over himself as he lagged behind Ruby and Weiss. The two girls looked as right as rain while he was exhausted! They'd been walking for hours! What kind of freakish stamina did they even have?! As his mind tried to come up with some explanation, he nearly tripped over himself again and yelped. This caused Weiss to scoff.
"Are you going to continue to complain and whine? You'd think a huntsman-in-training would have good cardio." Weiss rolled her eyes, giving Sirius an incredulous glare.
"I... have no idea... what a huntsman is!" Sirius wheezed out, wiping sweat off his brow. "Or where I am, for that matter!"
"Ugh!" Weiss growled under his breath and picked up the pace. Sirius felt a surge of irritation once more at her attitude.
That irritation was extinguished as Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder, grinning. "I'm pretty sure she's always had a stick up her butt, don't worry about it."
"I HEARD THAT!"
The two blinked and snickered under their breaths. Sirius let out a sigh and gave Ruby a smile as he leaned against a nearby tree to catch his breath. "Thanks. F-For being nice to me, I mean. I dunno what's going on but I'm sorry if I'm being an inconvenience."
"Whaaat? It's no problem!" Ruby waved off his concerns with a bright smile. "A hero always helps those in need, right? And besides! Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."
Sirius' brows rose. "Where'd you hear that?"
"Friend told me! Like, yesterday."
Sirius snorted again, and blinked when a crack rang through his ears. He and Ruby glanced down to see the tree he was leaning on tilt under his weight... only to crack at the roots, tip over, and crash against the ground with a heavy THUD!! Sirius held back a startled gasp as he stumbled back, and Ruby blinked in surprise.
I wasn't even leaning on it that hard. What the Hell...? Sirius stared at the fallen tree with a look of confusion, and Ruby hummed.
"Must've been a pretty weak tree if you knocked it over!" Ruby grinned. "Got a super strength Semblance or something?"
"... a what?"
Ruby blinked, expression soon becoming incredulous. "How hard did you hit your head?"
"I..." Sirius trailed off, blinking himself and scratching his head before shrugging mutely.
The two flinched at the sound of a fierce roar and loud howling. Ruby tensed and her brows furrowed. Sirius shivered, feeling a primal fear within himself take hold.
"Are there wolves here?!"
"Beowolves." Ruby frowned, and soon gasp. "Gingersnaps! WEISS!"
Before Sirius could even blink, Ruby was gone in a flash. Almost as if she had teleported. The only thing left behind were a trail of rose petals. His eyes widened in shock and he placed a hand on his head.
"What... the f--" The howls grew more in numbers and the terror crept in. He looked around, noticing he was alone. Sirius shivered, and scrambled to follow after Ruby, breaking out into a dash. "W-Wait! Wait u--OOMPH!"
Problem was, his world suddenly blurred and he felt himself crashing through several trees. Sirius let out a groan as he shook himself out of his days and pushed himself up with a grimace. His jaw dropped as he looked at the trail of brief destruction he left behind. Several trees destroyed at the roots, all through him crashing through them.
His gaze shifted towards his hands and he shuddered, eyes widening in a mixture of fear and awe.
"... What's happening to me?"
[HUNTER]
I can't believe I got stuck with a child of a partner and some idiot tag-a-long! UGH, he doesn't even look dressed appropriately for the exam! Is he even taking this seriously?! Weiss scowled at the thought and shook her head. She could tell from a glance he was no warrior, poking and prodding at him with jabs just to get some better clarification. So what was he doing here?
She frowned. Is he a civilian? That doesn't explain how he ended up in Emerald Forest, or caused that explosion for that matter... Weiss slowed her pace until she came to a stop in a clearing, her mind beginning to wander. Or maybe, he's a secret part of the test that the headmaster didn't disclose! That if we protect him and bring him back safely, we'll get extra points? She giggled, smirking in triumph. Yes! That has to be it!
The sound of a branch snapping but the heiress on high alert. Weiss reached for Mystrenaster as feral growling echoed through the shadows, beady red eyes watching her with a menacing glare. Weiss narrowed her eyes and lashed out with her rapier as a creature lunged from the shadows, slicing it's arm clean off it's body. The Beowolf let out a howl of pain and was swiftly silenced with a stab to the head.
Weiss clicked her tongue as more Grimm dashed out of the foliage. An entire pack of Beowolves with an Alpha at the forefront. The much larger beast let out a ferocious roar, causing a chain reaction, as the rest of the pack began to howl. Weiss however, remained undeterred. She'd face far larger foes, and she'd trained for this very moment. She would not grow wet feet now.
One foot back, the other forward... not that forward! Weiss chastised herself and adjusted her stance, poising Mystrenaster above chest level. She shifted her feet and narrowed her eyes in focus as the Beowolves began to stalk forward. She twisted the chamber on Mystrenaster and it clicked in blast of Burn Dust. She took in a calming breath... Steady yourself, wait for the time to strike... and... NOW!
She dashed forth with a burst of speed, the tip of her blade glowing a red hot orange as the heat within built up. She prepared to swing down and bisect the Beowolf in front of her in two, but her plan of attack was halted when Ruby did the job for her, practically appearing from thin air and slashing the Grimm clean in half. Weiss shrieked in shock and slammed her feet into the ground, grinding her momentum to a halt and throwing her attack clean off balance.
Fire exploded in a roaring display of flames, slamming straight into the treeline and quickly setting the forest ablaze in a matter of seconds. Eyes wide, her expression quickly gave way to anger and exasperation as she whirled around to face her partner. "What is WRONG with you?!"
"What did I do? I just saved your butt!" Ruby shot back, affronted at Weiss' attitude. The white-haired girl seethed as she continued. "You just ran off and left me and Sirius behind!"
"You dolt, I'm trying to find the relics! It's not my fau--" Weiss' eyes widened in horror and she began looking around frantically. "Wait?! Where is he?!"
"Heh?"
"SIRIUS YOU DUNCE!" Weiss snapped, stomping her foot. "It's of the utmost importance that we protect him at all costs!"
"Oh, so NOW you want to help him! Before-!"
"This isn't the time for sass, Ruby!"
Their argument was further halted as a familiar screaming voice echoed through the forest and closed in on them at alarming speeds. A blur shot through the back of Grimm, blitzed right past them, and crashed straight into a tree that didn't happen to be on fire. Ruby and Weiss looked at each other in shock before realizing the blur was Sirius.
"Ugh... super speed is hard."
"Sirius!"
The boy perked up and whirled around to see Ruby and Weiss rushing over to him. He quickly got up and dusted himself off, grinning brightly as he met them halfway. "Guys! You aren't gonna believe this! I got-"
"No time!" Weiss cut him off, face set into a stern frown as she looked around. "We need to retreat, now!"
"What? We can easily take them! Why are we running?!" Ruby protested with a shaking of her head, hefting up Crescent Rose. Sirius' eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.
"If you haven't noticed, we have a civilian in our midsts! His safety is our top priority."
"You didn't seem to care about that before!"
"Well, my mind changed!"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE?!"
The two bickering girls shifted their attention to Sirius, face stricken with fear and horror as he pointed towards the pack of blood hungry Grimm. Weiss felt a headache coming on and she desperately wanted to nurse it. She shook her head.
"Those are Grimm, you may be a civilian and an idiot, but this is common knowledge! What, did you live under a rock your entire life?!"
"Look, princess, I don't know what the heck a Grimm is, or what the hell is even happening! Like I said! I. Don't-!"
"MOVE!"
Ruby holstered Crescent Rose and tackled the two out of the way using her Semblance before pulling the scythe back out. She twirled the weapon around with practices ease, getting into a battle ready stance. "We aren't gonna be able to run now. We're surrounded, so we have to fight!"
Weiss growled in frustration and resisted the urge to palm her face. "Fine! YOU!" She pointed at Sirius with a fierce glare as cold as eyes. "Stay put while we take care of the Grimm! Understood?"
Sirius felt beads of sweat roll down his chin and he nervously nodded. "Y-Yes ma'am."
"Good." Nodding in satisfaction, Weiss shot Ruby a light glare as she got into stance. "Don't get in my way this time."
Ruby scoffed. "I should be telling you that!"
The moment the Alpha Beowolf roared, Ruby and Weiss were on the move. Sirius was left standing in stunned awe as they dispatched the horde of Grimm with grace and expertise. Weiss was elegant in defeating her foes, dealing precise jabs and slashes at their weak points and maneuvering around them with her superior mobility, in complete contrast to Ruby who was simply too fast to keep track of, hacking and slashing away at Grimm like a hot knife through butter. From what he could deduce, her scythe acted as a gun as she used the recoil from it to accelerate her speed and cleave another Beowolf in two.
It's like straight out of an anime... Sirius felt a grin creep up his face as he watched the battle. With the pack dispatched, that left the Alpha Beowolf who was far larger and stronger than the average Beowolf. To further emphasize this, the beast slammed it's fists into the ground, tore out a chunk of earth, and launched it at Ruby and Weiss.
The two rolled out the way and lunged towards it. The Grimm leaped back, proving it's surprising agility and speed as it raised an arm to block a slash attack from Ruby. Grabbing the shaft of Crescent Rose, it tugged on the weapon with a snarl, and dug it's fist into her stomach. Ruby wheezed, face scrunching up into a grimace as she was sent flying across the clearing and tumbling against the ground. Sirius eyes widened in shock.
Weiss clicked her tongue and spun the revolver on Mystrenaster, settling on Lightning Dust. Charging aura within her feet and calling upon her Semblance, Weiss charged forth as electricity arced around the blade of her weapon. The Alpha Beowolf braced itself for another attack, but failed to realize it was a feint. Weiss flipped over the beast and landed on a glyph, before launching herself at the Alpha's exposed back and lashing out with a slash.
Lightning sparked around it's body and it let out a pained howl, body spasming from the electricity coursing through it's body violently. the Alpha lashed out with a half hazard swing to attack Weiss, but it stumbled back when a shotgun round nailed it in the shoulder, revealing Ruby, face set in a stern look of determination as she pulled the trigger of Crescent Rose again, firing shot after shot into it's body.
Weiss spun the chamber of Mystrenaster again as the Alpha was struck again and again by Ruby's shots. As the chamber locked on Ice Dust, she whirled around as frost covered the edge of her blade. Thrusting her rapier forward, it impaled the Beowolf through the stomach. It let out a strangled gargle and inky black ichor dripped from its wound, only to freeze over as shards of ice erupted from it's back in a display of brutality and gore.
As the life left it's eyes, Weiss wrenched her her weapon out of the beast and flicked the blood off her blade before sheathing Mystrenaster. She took in a calming breath and perked up when she heard Ruby's excited whoop. She turned to berate the girl again...
"Weiss! THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME! You were so fast, and cool! And the way you used Dust in conjunction with your fighting!" Ruby squealed, bouncing in place. "Amazing~!"
"I've never seen anyone fight like that in my life. You and Ruby were awesome!" Sirius grinned, face brimming with excitement. "It was like straight out of an action movie!"
Weiss blinked in surprise at the sincerity, looking between Ruby and Sirius. She flushed lightly in embarrassment, folding her arms with a huff. She felt a smirk tug at her lips. "W-Well, obviously! I was trained by the best, after all." She paused and glanced at Ruby, working her jaw as she came up with a response. "Your... skill with a scythe is... extraordinary. I don't see many scythe users, if at all."
"N'awe, stop it!" Ruby giggled shyly, batting her arm at Weiss with a grin. "... You can totally keep praising me, though."
Sirius and Ruby shared a laugh, and Weiss stared at them for a moment before smiling and letting out her own soft chuckle. Soon enough, though, the smell of burning wood and the crashing of trees filled their ears. They began to sweat as the fire continued to spread, and Ruby sheepishly laughed.
"... Weeeeee should probably get going."
[HUNTER]
"Think this is it?"
A buxom blonde beauty garbed in browns, blacks, and yellows with a flowing golden mane of hair, vibrant violet eyes, and an hourglass figure by the name of Yang Xiao Long inquired to her silent partner, Blake Belladonna, who was dressed in black and white with a cute black bow tied neatly on her head. Possessing a similar figure to Yang, though she admittedly had a much curvier rear.
Blake glanced at Yang in silence and jumped down the hill. The blonde shrugged her shoulders and quickly followed after the quiet raven haired girl. As they reached the temple, chess pieces caught their eye. Blake's eyes narrowed in mild confusion as she looked around. "Some of them are missing."
"Guess some people got here before us!" Yang shrugged, eyeing some of the pieces before grinning and grabbing a Knight piece. "How about a cute little pony?"
Blake rolled her eyes and smiled, grabbing one herself. "Sure."
With the items necessary for passing the exam in hand, the two tucked them away and looked around. Yang hummed. "What now? Do we just make it back to the cliff, or...?"
Before Blake could respond, a girlish scream pierced the heavens. Yang was on guard immediately, while Blake subtly winced and shook her head at the ear piercing cry. Yang frowned.
"A girl's in trouble! What should we-"
Yang blinked in confusion and her eyes soon widened as the scream came flying in their direction. Looking up, a black and yellow blur seemed to crash into the treeline behind them. Blake stared in muted, stunned silence while Yang shook her head.
"Whaaat the..."
"YEEEHAW~!"
They soon perked up to see a ginger-haired girl riding on the back of an Ursa Major, and was having the time of her life if the giddy smile on her face was any indication. Yang watched on incredulous, while Blake raised a lone, delicate brow, and spoke the question the blonde herself was mentally asking, as a black haired boy with a magenta streak in his hair garbed in green soon stumbled in after her.
"... Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?"
"...I..."
"Oh, woah! Who knew reading the sun would lead us to the temple! Nice work, Sirius!"
"It isn't that big of a deal..."
"Well, at the very least we aren't walking in circles."
Yang's expression brightened upon seeing Ruby step out of the forest. Then it soured lightly and winced upon spotting Weiss. That meant she and Ruby were partners... but from the looks of things, they weren't arguing anymore. Did she miss something?
Who's the kid behind them? Yang's brows furrowed as she spotted Sirius lagging behind. He looked rather plain, dressed in civilian wear. The only thing that stood out was his striking white hair, that was even whiter than Weiss'. But other than that, he was rather plain... was he another student? She didn't see him around.
"Isn't that your sister?" Blake inquired, raising a brow.
Yang nodded and grinned, quickly rushing over to the group, "Ruby!"
"Yang!" Ruby's expression lit up and she zipped over to her sister, clinging to her tightly in a sisterly embrace.
"Who's this?" Sirius raised a brow as he and Weiss walked over. The two sisters separated and Ruby beamed.
"Oh! This is my sister, Yang! Yang, this is Sirius."
"Hi," Sirius awkwardly waved with a sheepish grin.
"Sup, Shorty." Yang smirked, glancing Sirius up and down as she cocked her hip to the side.
"... I'm not short."
"I beg to differ~!"
Bursting through the foliage was a blur of bronze and crimson, revealing a tall amazonian girl dressed in bronze armor with long red hair done up in a braid, wielding a sword and shield. Trees exploded into splinters as a horrifying screech filled the air and sent a jolt of terror down Sirius' spine, as a massive scorpion Grimm was right on her tail. It swung one of it's massive pincers, and the redhead, too slow to dodge, as struck, crashing near the temple.
"Pyrrha!" A tall blonde haired boy yelped as he fell out of the tree he crashed into, scrambling to his feet and rushing over to the downed girl. Who looked up and smiled in relief as they closed the distance between one another.
"Jaune!"
"NORA!" The ginger-haired girl from before, Nora, spontaneously appeared between them with a joyful giggle before skipping off towards one of the podiums, leaving the two in a confused daze.
"What... the fuck, is that?" Sirius whispered in fright, pointing towards the Deathstalker.
"Deathstalker. An elder one at that." Blake frowned, slowly reaching for Gambol Shroud as the scorpion Grimm hissed, snapping it's pincers at the group of teenagers.
"So it's a big Grimm! Big whoop! We outnumber it nine to one! This should be a piece of cake!" Yang grinned, clashing her fists together as Ember Celic took form around her arms.
An ear piercing screech caught their attention and they looked to the skies to see a large avian Grimm soaring through the skies. It's massive, shadow like body nearly eclipsing the sun and leaving a dark shadow in it's wake. Their eyes as a collective widened and a few glares were soon directed Yang's way, as if her words had summoned the beast. She sweat-dropped and laughed sheepishly.
"Ahahaha... uh, maybe not?"
"... We are so fucking dead."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Ruby said determinedly, pulling out Crescent Rose and making a break towards the Deathstalker, firing a round from her scythe-sniper hybrid and using the recoil to boost her momentum. Despite the protests of her sister and partner, she pushed forward with a fierce battle cry, bringing down her weapon for a swing-!
A storm of feathers descended from the heavens and pierced the ground with ease. One of them stabbed straight through her cape and pinned her to the floor, halting all of her momentum and velocity and knocking the wind out of her. Ruby let out a strangled gasp as Crescent Rose clattered to the ground and she stumbled onto her backside.
"RUBY!"
"D-Don't worry! Totally fine!" Ruby tried to reassure Yang, who was already rushing to her aid. Another hail of feathers stopped her in her path. Ruby grimaced and tugged at her cape at an attempt to dislodge it. The ground trembled and she let out a startled gasp as she looked to see the Deathstalker making a break towards her. It hissed loudly, stinger raised to strike.
Weiss went to move. Everyone tensed and was about to spring into action. A sudden burst of wind halted them in their tracks. The ground caved in the spot Sirius once stood. He was gone in the blink of an eye.
The stinger fell down. Ruby closed her eyes, heart hammering against her chest, threatening to leap out her throat.
"RUBY!!"
The sound of flesh being pierced was deafening. And their blood ran cold.
Blood was spilled.
AHAHAHAHAAAA... cliffhangers. Gotta love 'em.
This is what you get when you binge the entirety of Volume 9 - which was really fucking good by the way -, and then watch Gwain Saga IMMEDIATELY afterwards.
Are people gonna like this story? I dunno! Will I continue it? Maybe! We'll see! Hope people like it, I got a couple of ideas. But this was just a plot bunny I REALLY wanted to scratch. And there are more to come.
So let's see what happens!