Chapter 6:

Players, Pieces, and The Honorary Member

"So…You not only added another Relic for Mister Baldwin, but you made it painfully obvious the relic is for him but having it be the same color scheme as his hair and clothing…" Glynda said with heavy exasperation.

"What can I say? I do love Chess and helping out promising students" Ozpin said with a wide smirk before taking a sip from his mug.

"I think I've been well aware of this now after the many years I've worked with you. However, I still am always surprised how you bend the rules…" Glynda said with a tone you could tell was pure exhaustion from Ozpin's antics over the years.

"Yes, but I think Mister Baldwin will be happy to know he will be passing the Initiation" Ozpin said with a smile as he watched him and the other students running towards their location with two Grimm pursuing them.

"I am relieved to see him passing as well. I find him a fascinating soul, although I will be critical of him during combat class according to his performance against the Grimm during this Initiation" Glynda agreed with Ozpin, pointing out Mister Baldwin's shortcomings.

"Well, I believe the students have one final test of strength and adversity before they reach us. Let us see how they overcome this" Ozpin says with much curiosity.

So here we are, running for the cliffs while an overgrown scorpion and bird chase after us like we're their lunch. I'm so grateful that I was born naturally athletic because I'm sure I would be out of breath if I weren't for all the running I've done today. Maybe Aura is playing a factor in this? I don't know much about how Aura works. The show never went exceptionally in-depth with how Aura worked and the side effects it can have, if it has any at all.

We soon made it to the ruins below the cliff, and in my head, I knew how this would go down and was extremely afraid of getting on that bridge since I knew what the Nevermore would do to it. We all ran to opposite sides of the ruins and hid behind one of the pillars for cover as the Nevermore soon flew to the middle tower and perched on top of it before letting out a deafening screech.

"Well, that's great." Yang said in a sarcastic manner

Shortly after, the deathstalker charged through the end of the tree clearing right where we came from, mowing down the trees.

Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, and Jaune started running towards the bridge. Nora ran into the middle of the field and began bombarding the Nevermore with grenade shots from Magnhild. She was about to be attacked by the deathstalker from her flank, but Blake and Ren interfered. Weiss came to Nora's rescue and used her semblance to safely get them out of harm's way.

We were soon running onto the bridge, and I was in the middle of the group and saw the Nevermore coming in, which was coming in fast. "INCOMING! I bellowed out right before it slammed into the bridge, and before I even knew it, I wasn't on the bridge anymore and was beginning to fall into the abyss below.

"Isaiah!" a group of familiar voices cried out to me, and with quick thinking, I threw one of my swords at the Nevermore and hoped to fucking god that it would stick into the Nevermore. My prayer was answered, and it stuck into the Nevermore. I quickly activated the gravity bracelets, stopped falling, and started gravitating toward the Nevermore. However, as I grabbed the sword stuck in the Nevermore, it suddenly slipped out, and I began falling again. Desperation and panic overtook my body, and I was frantically looking for something else to throw a sword at to save me from falling.

Thankfully I was saved by a fellow sister of my new heritage. Blake caught me and was currently swinging us to safety. She threw me onto a platform where the remainder of team RWBY was and then used her semblance to dash onto the Nevermore's back to hack and slash away at it. She then joined us on the platform.

"It's a lot tougher than it looks!" Blake informed.

"Then let's hit it with everything we got!" Yang declared.

"Now, that's something I can do!" I announce as I transform my weapon into Its bow form. Everyone begins to unload their ammunition into the Nevermore as it charges at us and slams into the tower we are standing on. I quickly moved out of the way before it slammed into the building and made it onto a safe platform. Everyone on team RWBY made their way onto the platforms just like they did in the show, and I heard Weiss say, "None of this is working!" in a frustrated tone.

Sorry Ruby, going to steal your Plan from you. "I have a plan!" I say as I get all of Team RWBY's attention "Yang, get its attention and lead it to the wall of the cliff." I get a nod in response from Yang. "Weiss, once I give the signal, charge at the Nevermore and freeze its tail on the cliff's wall, so it can't escape" Weiss begrudgingly accepts this. "After that, Blake and Yang, you guys are going to make a slingshot using Blakes's ribbon by using those two pillars there" I point to the two pillars across from each other. "Ruby, you'll use that slingshot combined with Weiss's glyphs to launch yourself at the Nevermore. You need to aim for the Nevermore's neck, and once you land on the cliff's wall, be ready to run!" Ruby gleams with excitement as she nods at me. "Weiss, you need to make glyphs to help Ruby run up the wall with the Nevermore so she can decapitate it!" I said, finishing my orders to all of them.

"How did you come up wi-" Weiss began to ask before I cut her off.

"Fight now! Questions later!" I yelled out as Yang got into position and started to bombard the Nevermore with slug shots from Ember Celica.

I saw that team JNPR had just defeated the Deathstalker as Nora sent it into the deep Abyss below. I liked their performance a lot more. I can't say why but I just prefer their fight. Getting back on track, I looked toward Yang and saw that she's finally got the Nevermore's attention after making a direct hit to its face, which made it mad. It began to dive towards her, and right before it could get close, Yang made a move that I'm still baffled that she did in the show. Yang leaped directly into the Nevermore's mouth and stood inside it while holding its top jaw with her arm, and she started to let out slugshot punches over and over again. I knew exactly what she was saying. "I! hope! You're! Hungry!" Even while kicking a Grimm's ass, she still cracks dad jokes.

She soon was able to disorient it and saw it was heading towards Cliff's wall and about to crash into it. Yang quickly jumped out of the Nevermore's mouth and landed back on the bridge connecting the cliff's wall and the platform that the rest of team RWBY and myself were standing on. I quickly shouted to Weiss to make her move. "Weiss! NOW!" I yelled out as she immediately summoned her Glyphs to launch herself forward. Weiss summoned a Glyph at her feet, propelling her to the Nevermore. It tried to get away, but Weiss quickly made another Ice wall which froze the end of the Nevermore's tail and made it stuck in place. Weiss quickly made another Glyph to dash back toward our position. Blake threw her weapon to Yang, and they both attached each end of the ribbon to the two pillars making an enormous slingshot. Ruby then shot Crescent Rose to leap into the air and landed right in the center of the Ribbon as Weiss used her gravity dust glyph to pull Ruby backward. Weiss then says, "I expected this to be Ruby's plan, but I'm not surprised it came from you either" She's…not wrong; it's not my plan. I saw Ruby's plan in the show, although it didn't make much sense for her to say, 'I have a plan,' and somehow everyone else knew what she meant. Criticism of the show's writing aside, I focus back on our opponent.

"Think you can make the shot?" I say to Weiss as I cross my arms and give her a smug smile

Weiss also looks at me with a smug smile and says, "Can I?" in a tone with apparent confidence behind it.

"Can y-" Ruby began to ask but was quickly cut off by Weiss.

"Of course I can!" Weiss said quickly with a hint of annoyance.

Weiss starts to cast her shot, and the gravity glyph holding Ruby in place turns red before Weiss deactivates her gravity glyph sending Ruby flying toward the Nevermore. For some odd reason that I don't even know myself, I started singing out loud for everyone to hear the lyrics that would be playing at this moment in the show.

"~Red like roses!" Ruby flies toward the Nevermore and starts firing bullets from Crescent Rose to propel herself even faster toward the Nevermore. She soon hooks Crescent Rose around the Nevermore's neck. "~Fills my head with dreams and finds me!~" Weiss then summons a row of glyphs up the cliff's wall to the very top of it. Ruby then begins to sprint up the cliff while dragging the Nevermore by its neck with Crescent Rose as she shoots multiple shots to remove its head. "~Always closer!~ Ruby then reaches the top of the cliff and then, with one final shot, takes the Nevermore's head clean off. "~To the emptiness and sadness that has come to take the place of you!~"

Weiss, Blake, and Yang watched as Ruby finished the Nevermore before they all looked in my direction. Weiss, the team RWBY singer, looked at me with curiosity and confusion. Blake looked at me with a slight grin you couldn't tell was there if you weren't paying attention. Yang then looked back at the top of the cliff and then back at us and said, "Well, that was a thing. Also, Isaiah, what song were you singing right now? I've never heard it before, and for some reason, I feel like it's about Ruby."

She's not entirely wrong, but in reality, 'Red like Roses' isn't supposed to exist in Remnant, so it makes sense why they would have never heard it before. Like all the other songs I have sung since I arrived in Remnant. "The song is called 'Red like Roses,' and yes, Yang, it's about Ruby. I love music and songs in general. That song is a work in progress" I confirm for Yang. Yes, I know I didn't create the song or any songs I've sung, but they don't need to know that.

"You know I didn't take you for one who would enjoy music" Weiss chimed in, and honestly, I'm not sure why she assumed I wouldn't. She doesn't know anything about me and vice versa if you don't include my foreknowledge about them.

"I've always liked music since I was a little kid. It's a big part of my childhood. Oh yeah, by the way, I love your song 'Mirror Mirror' Weiss. Just know I can tell the deeper meanings behind the lyrics and can sympathize with" I explain to Weiss, and after that last part, her eyes widen in shock. I then turn around and say. "Well, let's not waste any more time of the day and regroup with Ruby and the rest of the gang."

After defeating the Deathstalker and Nevermore, Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and I made our way up the cliff and regrouped with Ozpin and Glynda. I noticed that Ozpin and Glynda were paying more attention to me than anyone else. I have a feeling why. Hopefully, they don't find me suspicious or anything like that. Afterward, we all headed back to the academy and into the auditorium. There, just like in the scene in the show, the teams were being formed, and leaders were chosen.

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." The auditorium screen shows each of their profiles as the boys are lined up for the applauding audience to see as Ozpin continues. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" The audience gives one more wave of ovation while four students walk up to the stage to take their places in front of the headmaster as their faces fill the screen. "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." Amid the clapping, Nora laughs and hugs Ren. "Led by... Jaune Arc!"

Jaune's eyes widen, and he lets out an audible gulp from his throat as he says, "Huh? L-Led by...?"

"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin commends Jaune.

A grinning Pyrrha offers a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but her "fine leader" is knocked over and falls to his butt in front of the laughing audience. Poor Jaune. I must help him out whenever Cardin starts bullying him. Like in the show, we need to nip Jaune's stubborn pride in the bud before it becomes a problem. Ozpin once again began to speak as he said, "And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin motions over the four as they stand before him. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!" Weiss looks to her right, surprised, and Ruby is obviously in shock as Yang goes over to hug her sister.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yang screamed as she hugged Ruby. As I watched the teams form, I had a broad smile and was glad that everything in the timeline was kept intact. Even with my involvement in key events, I began to head for the auditorium door before I heard Ozpin speak up again. "Team RWBY, please stay on the stage for a moment." Ozpin addressed Team RWBY, and they looked at him confused before following his command and walking back onto the stage.

'Ozpin…what the fuck are you doing, man?! This isn't what's supposed to happen. You had one other line you were supposed to say, and that wasn't it.' I was very concerned about what he would do next, and what he said next made that feeling even worse. "Isaiah Baldwin," Ozpin called out my name. "Please come onto the stage" 'Ozpin…I swear to god.' I did as he commanded, walked onto the stage next to Team RWBY, and stood next to Ruby. She looked at me and gave me a wide, friendly smile. I returned her smile in kind. Weiss still had an annoyed face from not being made team leader as she looked at me. Blake looked at me with the blank stare she was known for at the start of the show, but the twitching of the bow on top of her head showed some mild curiosity. Yang gave me a quick wink in my direction and then looked back at Ozpin, and I did the same as well.

"Isaiah Baldwin, you retrieved the Iris pawn. However, you did not acquire a partner during the initiation." Ozpin began pacing back in forth as he continued to monologue, "Normally, this would be a problem considering it's unheard of and is a first of its kind in our Academy. However, I have decided because of your performance that you deserve to be a part of a team." Ozpin opens his scroll, presses a few buttons, and shows our performance during the Initiation. It shows us running away from the Deathstalker, the Nevermore destroying the bridge separating us, and me falling off the edge and how I recovered but then had to be rescued by Blake. It then played audio of whenever I told Team RWBY 'my plan' to take out the Nevermore.

After the audio of our initiation was over, Ozpin spoke once again. "This shows how great of a quick thinker and strategist you are, and I think it would be a complete disservice to waste that talent." I had a feeling where this was going but wasn't entirely sure, so I let Ozpin continue. "So, as shown in the initiation, you performed exceptionally and naturally well with the members of Team RWBY. Therefore, I declare you as the Honorary Member of Team RWBY!" As soon as Ozpin declared that, I heard the audience roar in applause, honestly, I was expecting some negative feedback from the crowd, but I'm glad there weren't any vocal displeasures from anyone. All of a sudden, I feel someone bump into me and wrap their arms and scream, saying:

"Oh my god, Isaiah! You're a part of my team! This day just keeps getting better and better!" Ruby exclaimed and was giggling out of excitement. I couldn't help but smile at Ruby's infectious positivity and friendly nature. She's honestly just a ball of sunshine, isn't she?

"Yeah, I guess I am Ruby, glad to be part of the team" I say with a smile. I am genuinely glad to be on their team. I'm unsure what consequences this will have on the timeline, but hopefully nothing drastic.

"Welcome to the team, Isaiah." Blake says with a smile of her own

"You're one of us now, Foxy!" Yang says before wrapping her arm around my neck and giving me a noogie. She didn't do it too hard, so it didn't hurt. Although she easily could have with how much brute strength she has. 'If I ever said that out loud, I would be so dead' Weiss was the last to comment.

"While our first introduction left a sour taste in my mouth, I am willing to put it aside and work with you considering your plan worked flawlessly" Weiss said while doing the most tsundere pose I've ever seen. Arms crossed, head facing to side to avoid eye contact, and a slight pout from giving a compliment.

"~What's this? The Ice Queen gave someone a compliment~" Yang teased.

"Quiet you!" Weiss exclaimed

"Thank you, Weiss. I look forward to being on your team!" I say with excitement and a smile. I am genuinely excited about this. I'm a part of Team RWBY. 'Sure, my official title is an honorary member, but that still means I'm a member!'

After the formation of teams was done, we all went to our assigned team dorms. Once we got to the door, I realized that the dorm room I had been staying in for the past week was the same dorm room that was going to be assigned to Team RWBY. I know this because as we entered the room, I saw one of the beds was not made, and my kitsune mask was lying on top of it.

"Ummm, was someone already staying here?" Yang asked

"Oh, I know!" Ruby says as she sees my kitsune mask and suddenly dashes towards it with her semblance and then dashes back to where she was standing with my mask no longer on the bed but in her hands. "It was Isaiah. This is his mask! When I first met him on the night I met Ozpin, Isaiah was wearing this mask." Ruby explained, 'Goddamit Ruby…' I let out an audible sigh as I facepalmed.

"Why were you already sleeping in this dorm room!" Weiss exclaimed as she looked in my direction, making her discomfort well known to me and was now suspicious of me.

"Weiss, I was sleeping in this dorm room because on the night of meeting Ruby, I also met both Ozpin and Glynda, and he gave me the same offer that he gave Ruby. To attend Beacon Academy, he also offered to let me stay in a dorm room until initiation, and I accepted that offer. It just so happens that he gave our team the same dorm room he offered me." I calmly explain to Weiss, which seems to settle her nerves.

"Ok, that is an acceptable explanation. However, don't think I will sleep on the floor for a second because you already claimed a bed!" Weiss proclaimed.

"I know Weiss. Once I realized what room we got, I instantly decided I would sleep on the floor anyways. There's not enough room for another bed anyways, and you girls deserve a bed more than me." I explain again to Weiss.

"Good, glad that we are on the same page." Weiss replied.

"Isaiah…are you sure you're ok sleeping on the floor? It doesn't seem fair for us all to have a bed, and you don't." Surprisingly Blake was the one who said this.

"It's fine, Blake. I don't mind at all. I've had to sleep on the floor before at sleepovers and whenever I had to stay in a room with my sisters for a while. I'm fine with Weiss's request." I explain to Blake, and after realizing that I was mentioning my sisters, my face darkens as I start to reminisce about the time I spent with them and the rest of my family. All of those memories just kept flooding in.

"Isai-ar-y-kay?"

Memories of going with my oldest sister Vanessa to a San Franciso Giants baseball game. Buying popcorn and churros and just having a blast with her.

"-iah?"

Memories of swimming in my Stepfather's pool with our whole family while my Stepfather's at the grill cooking some Carne Asada, Hamburgers, and Hotdogs

"Isai-wha-s-wro-g?!"

Memories of saying Goodbye to my great-grandmother without knowing that would be the final time I would ever see her again before she passed away right before the Covid pandemic hit the world.

"ISAIAH?!" I heard Ruby scream my name and quickly returned to my senses. I look at them all and can tell they are very concerned about me spacing out like that. I then feel something wet dripping down both sides of my cheeks, and I raise one of my hands to wipe it off and realize that I'm crying.

"Huh?" I ask with confusion

"Isaiah, what happened? Why did you space out like that?" Ruby asked as she held onto my shoulders with both hands.

"I…I'm not sure…I mentioned my sisters, and it…it..it all came rushing back…I'm sorry…" I cried, "I just miss them so much." the tears continued as I tried to wipe them away. "I've just missed all of my family" I've been trying not to think about home too much and just bottling it in. "I just want them back" Of course, bottling up all those emotions would eventually crack from all the pressure and all that's happened today. Without even knowing it, both Ruby and Yang came up to me and embraced me in their arms. They know the pain of losing loved ones and never being able to see them again.

"It's okay, Isaiah. We know; just let it out." Yang says to me as she tightens her embrace. I cried harder and harder as I fell to my knees and couldn't stop crying. Ruby and Yang joined me when I fell to my knees, continued comforting me, and kept saying it was alright. Eventually, It was beginning to be hard to keep my eyes open and soon let them stay close as I gave in to the fatigue.

Hey Everyone!

Welcome back to another chapter of "The Voidwalker"

I feel a lot better about how I wrote this chapter. I didn't struggle and feel a little proud of how I did, although I'm probably just biased right now.

Writing that last part was the most challenging part for me. I just couldn't stop crying myself writing that final scene, I wasn't expecting to cry at all, but for some reason, it just hit me in the feels. I doubt it'll make any of you guys call, though I don't think I'm anywhere near that skilled at writing to make any reader cry while reading my work.

Although if you did, I'm sorry? It wasn't my intention…

I hope you guys liked this new chapter. I got it done a day early as well. Honestly surprised I got this done so fast as well.

Well, that's all I wanted to say! See you guys next week! 3

SÆKØ