Chapter 5: Frenzy
In which Bronzewing takes the first step, Pyrrha meets her partner, and Weiss tries not to lose her mind.
The air around Bronzewing suddenly rushed past him.
Bronzewing perceived a tree nearing him at an alarming speed.
Bronzewing's sword impaled the tree, ceasing its motion as well as that of the air.
Perspective was the key. Bronzewing himself was a constant in space. The universe was the moving object. Keep perspective in mind, and no trial would be insurmountable to Bronzewing. Bronzewing's grandmother, an unlicensed but veritable huntress in her own right, had taught him that.
Thrush was approximately 0.115 klicks southwest. Rather, Thrush's unique hairstyle was 0.5 klicks southwest. Many other students matched Thrush in height and build, and some among them wielded daggers similar to Thrush's signature pair, but none bore mohawks. Using his semblance passively on the entire forest burned through Bronzewing's aura at a distressing pace, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Not only did Bronzewing need to locate his childhood friend, but he also had to avoid both Grimm and students with whom Bronzewing might accidentally partner up. It was a necessary sacrifice.
Thrush had sacrificed as well. He had attended Beacon's opening ceremony sporting a mohawk.
Arc was nowhere nearby, but that was inconsequential. Once Thrush and Bronzewing were united, the pair would not need to worry about…unwanted eye contact (was their headmaster some kind of simpleton?). They could rendezvous with Arc and his partner at the temple of relics. That is, if Arc had a partner by that juncture. That is, if Arc's heart still beat by that juncture.
"Stop that," Bronzewing commanded himself out loud. He'd shamed himself. After censuring Xiao-Long over her insensitivity to the feelings of others, here he was doubting Arc and mocking Thrush's appearance. Arc had been accepted into Beacon, ergo he must possess suitable combat prowess.
Speaking of Xiao-Long, the brawler was nearby engaging a pair of Ursa and a small pack of Beowolves. Beside her was another, likely her partner. Bronzewing was not yet familiar enough with the girl to recognize her if she were a great distance away, but he'd spent sufficient time in her presence to do so at their currently close proximity. Should he assist her? This supposed pre-determined partnership of hers meant they could make eye contact without issue…
No. Thrush was alone, and Xiao-Long was not. He'd noticed her sister standing on the same launch pad, and no one could mistake the scythe he currently sensed carving through Beowolves while Xiao-Long dealt with the Ursa.
"Prosperity, Xiao-Long," wished Bronzewing her as he pushed on.
Pyrrha felt her cheeks turn red as she apologized to Jaune for the umpteenth time. Dust, he must hate her by now! Miló had pierced the inside of his hoodie, and now he was covered in bruises from falling out of the tree when she recalled it. The tree she'd gotten him stuck in!
At least they'd made eye contact. Four years had to be enough time to… do something. Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure why she was so protective of her new partner. Maybe it was that he had no interest in her. Well, he seemed interested in her, but only as interested as a normal teenage boy should be in a normal teenage girl. She'd followed him around all day yesterday, and they'd even met eyes four times (she was counting), but he didn't seem to recognize her. Even now, as he awkwardly flirted with her (she felt awkward; he pushed on in the most charmingly oblivious way), he just called her Pyrrha and only did so after she'd introduced herself. Not once had that dreadful moniker, Invincible Girl, passed through his lips. Everyone else was eager to either team up with the school's hotshot celebrity or get her autograph. Everyone.
Something felt off in the back of her mind. She checked her surroundings; no Grimm or people nearby. She checked Miló and Akoúo̱; neither seemed out of order. She checked her partner; bruised, but otherwise unharmed. Bruised…that was it!
"Jaune, why didn't you have your aura up when you fell (sorry!) out of the tree?"
"M-my aura. Um, right. I didn't have it up because…mine is in the shop. You know how it is. Slayed a few hundred Ursa Major and got it all sorts of scratched up. Thought it could use a fresh coat of paint too, so I – wait, how did you know my name?"
Shit.
"Your friends told me," Pyrrha stammered out a little too quickly.
"Funny, I haven't split up with Dove and Russ since I met them yesterday, and I don't remember you approaching us. I guess you must've spoken to them after I'd gone to sleep."
"Y-yeah. Must've been that," Pyrrha lied. She needed to be careful. Jaune seemed to be laid back, but even he might have an objection to her practically stalking him for a full day.
"I wonder where my bros are." Good. He was distracted. "We had better find them. The three of us were hoping to be on a team. Us being partners is perfect since you already know them! I think I saw Russ launch over this way!"
Well, she'd gotten the partner she wanted. Maybe Pyrrha's luck would hold, and the Grimm would eat the other two.
Weiss continued her light jog through the dense greenery, marking a nearby tree to ensure she didn't accidentally backtrack. No partner, no backup, and she was still making steady progress. Winter would be proud.
A hostile hiss interrupted her thoughts. Weiss was not alone.
It had to be the one thing she was actually hoping to find in this forest – a challenge. Weiss drew Myrtenaster, adopted a combat pose, and scanned the woods. A two headed King Taijitu slithered into view. Weiss steadied her rapier as her heart beat in anticipation of her first real confrontation with a creature of Grimm.
"Yee-haw! Howdy-do, little missy."
In defiance of all logic, there sat two other Beacon initiates on the white head of the snake. A grinning young woman in a ten gallon hat casually twirled an oversized hammer in one hand as though she weren't sitting atop a humungous serpentine monster. In front of her sat a blindfolded boy.
"Nora Valkyrie and Sky-High Lark, at yer service. What's yer name, stranger?"
"What?"
"Yer name. Don't worry, chum, I already made eye contact with Renny. Now where in tarnation is that boy?"
Weiss instinctively responded in the only way she knew how. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. On behalf of my family and the–"
"Weiss Schnee, huh?" the snake-rider interrupted. "Well, I jus' so happen to be lookin' fer a C, not a W or an S. Until next time! Schnee-haw!"
"Nora, can I look now?" asked the blinded boy, fear lacing his voice.
"No chance, Malarky. We're needin' to find ya the right pardner, so it's gonna be eyes-shut until then."
Yet another stranger emerged from the underbrush, though this one was travelling on foot. "Nora, please wait up."
"Worry not, Ren, I saved you a seat on the other head of Snake Gyllenhaal," Nora offered.
"Who?" squeaked out Weiss.
"That's what I named my noble steed here," said Nora.
"I refuse to ride a Grimm, no matter what you named it," said Ren. Despite the bizarre circumstances, he sounded more tired than angry.
"Don' worry: if it we get too far ahead, I'll break Snake Gyllenhaal's legs!"
"Nora, it doesn't have legs."
"Then you'll just have to run, pardner. Now let's go. Mush!"
Amazingly, the King Tajitu weaved between trees in search of its rider's mysterious target. Ren sighed and followed in its wake.
weiss_schnee_.exe has encountered a critical error and crashed. Hold F12 to continue.
Weiss. She was named Weiss Schnee, and she was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The sword in her hand was Myrtenaster. She was attending Beacon Academy.
An animalistic howl came from behind her. She turned to see an Ursa suddenly leaping out of a nearby shrub, snarling furiously. A moment passed with both of them remaining completely still.
Weiss ran over and hugged the beast, her arms tightly wrapping around its jet black neck. The Ursa cocked its head, unsure what to make of the huntress-in-training's odd actions.
"Oh, it's only a Grimm, not another student! Thank the Brothers!"
Omake
Pyrrha: Jaune, is your aura unlocked?
Jaune: Shoot, you're right. I think I left the keys at home. I guess I'll have to call the dealership and ask for a replacement pair.
Next Chapter: Friend or Foe – In which two new friends find common ground, and two new enemies can't see eye to eye.