Here we are, finally in the Initiation. When was the last time you saw a story get into the Initiation arc of a RWBY fanfic on chapter 37? I can't say I ever have… then again, not a lot of stories have a 35 chapter prologue.
Bolticrontic: Huh, that does seem to be a thing in a lot of stories. But to be fair, loud and eccentric is just one of Orchid's personalities.
Oblivious IJ: We shall see my friend, the answer may surprise you. I gotta say though, the Mister Urra comment got me.
The Potato Man: She is almost everyone's favorite characters. I'm not surprised that a majority of the readers want her to be Kai's partner.
Masso 2010: You'll see what I've selected. Just wait, it is probably going to be a big surprise. Maybe.
Arctech: Welcome back! You are the only person so far who said that they'd rather have Orchid not be Kai's partner, I respect that. Welcome back to the story my dude.
Ignis1289: Perhaps, let me think about it. I actually haven't thought about that idea. Thanks for putting it in my head.
Thank you all for the reviews!
Beta: Crowskull
Now let's get right into the story!
The Blind Huntsman
Chapter 38- Volume 1, Episode 5
Feline Surprise
Ruby fired Crescent Rose beneath her four times in quick succession, each shot propelling her higher into the air barely before she could hit the top of the trees in the forest beneath her. Her hair was whipping behind her head, and she could barely keep her eyes open, but that only made it more fun as she fired her weapon one more time, and twisted in mid air, unleashing the blade of Crescent Rose and hooking onto a tree.
She twirled around the tree, the blade biting into it as it sliced through the bark and wood as she spiraled down toward the dirt and grassy ground. At the last moment, she activated her semblance in a horizontal direction angled toward the ground, and slammed her feet into the dirt. Her boots dug into the ground, and the dirt piled up as she slid across the forest floor, but she stopped in just little over a second. Successfully landing while using as little aura as possible.
"Gotta find someone. Gotta find someone. Gotta find someone!" She chanted to herself as she immediately bursted into a sprint, ignoring the black mounds she ran past which perked their heads up in curiosity.
I really hope I find one of my friends… Ruby thought to herself as she looked around frantically. Yang, Kai, Orchid, Brick, anyone! I would hate to get stuck with someone I don't know very well.
Well, there was that Jaune guy, but she didn't really think he could handle himself that well. It may be selfish of her, but she didn't want to be held back. The only other person other then her friends that she really spoke to was Weiss Schnee, and that was a no.
A hard no, sorry Weiss.
There was that girl with the vibrant red hair that seemed to be friends with Kai already, but Ruby didn't know her that well. Pyrrha Nikos, she was a championship fighter according to what she has been told and the videos she has watched in her spare time at Signal. She would be a good partner as well based on what she knew about her personality so far. She was on the Yes list.
But if it was any of her friends? That would be a huge plus, she might has well be given her Huntress license right off the bat if she got partnered with Kai because together with their silver eyes they could totally laser beam Grimm into ash with their eyeballs at every corner. So what if she would get a massive headache after using them for the first time? The concept was exciting!
Sadly, she didn't think that was going to be a thing. Ruby saw Kai get launched into a completely different part of the forest, away from everyone. Whoever got partnered with him would be lucky though.
So he was out, there was Orchid, which was a big yes, and then there was either Brick or Rick Violet, which were also yes's, and then there was Yang, who was the biggest yes of them all, and the one she hoped to be partnered up with the most. It didn't matter if she wanted her to 'branch out' like she said. Pfft, as long as she has her friend group from Signal, nothing else mattered.
Ruby widened her eyes in surprise and she slammed on the brakes. Her heels digging into the ground again for a few feet before coming to a halt. In front of her was a girl with magenta hair, and glasses. A greatsword split into two smaller ones in each hand, currently fighting against the Grimm.
Silver eyes met magenta, and Orchid grinned at her friend as she cut off the head of the Grimm she was fighting.
"Ruby!" Orchid cheered.
"Orchid!" Ruby cheered back as the two girls jumped into each other and wrapped their arms around each others waists. Orchid picking up the shorter girl and spinning her around.
"Guess you're stuck with me for another four years eh?" Orchid asked, adjusting her glasses as she let go of Ruby. She was in her true original personality, which made sense given the situation they were both in. Her personalities could come out to play another time.
"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Ruby said as she placed her hands on her waist. "So, partner, which way do you think we should go?"
"Hmm." Orchid placed a hand on her chin, and stomped down on a creep that tried to bite her on the leg casually. Nothing and no one would interrupt the Flamingo Goddess' train of thought. Nothing. "I was thinking about finding other people, but since you're here that point is practically moot now. I'm down for anything really, what do you think?"
"Uh…" Ruby hummed, and concentrated. "Maybe we can find others? I mean, numbers wouldn't be so bad, right? That way we can all find the relics together."
"Sounds like a plan!" Orchid exclaimed, showing her agreement with her voice as well as a thumbs up.
The two recently established partners hiked side by side each other, listening out for anyone that might have been around. They thought that they heard someone calling for help, but turned back around when that person got the help they desired by being scared by another person, who has now become their new partner. Whoever that poor girl was, she was going to have a fun year, they could already tell.
A few minutes later, they ran into some Grimm again. Nothing that the two girls couldn't handle, with Ruby's blitzing speeds, and Orchids monstrous strength in her Berserker personality. Small Beowolves and Creeps hardly stood a chance against them.
After they were done with that scuffle however, they finally started hearing something.
"Stop following me!"
"What do you mean stop following you? We're partners now!"
"I refuse to acknowledge you as such."
"Yeah? Well, too bad princess, we're stuck with each other whether you like it or not, and trust me, I don't like it either."
"Pfft," Orchid stifled her laughter as she reverted down to her normal personality, and jabbed a thumb in the direction of the voices. "How much do you wanna bet Brick got stuck with that Weiss girl from yesterday?"
"I don't think that is a bet worth making," Ruby pointed out, giggling along with her new partner. "Come on, let's go make sure they don't kill each other."
/-/
"Ugh!" Weiss threw her hands up in the air in indignation, she made the mistake of looking into that red eyed boys eyes for just a fraction of a second, and their fate was sealed before either of them could react in time to look away. "Why did you land right next to me? That's hardly a way to get any positive attention from me."
"Sorry, next time I'll politely ask the wind to not blow in your direction." Brick replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "I wanted to partner up with my twin brother, but apparently fate decided that I was better off with you."
Weiss scoffed. "If that is what Fate has in store for us, then I'd much rather just got off and find someone else to be my partner."
"Yeah, great idea princess. I'm sure the cameras around here would just magically turn off anywhere we go." Brick said.
"Okay, first of all. Stop calling me princess!" Weiss said as she spun around, jabbing her finger into Bricks chest and glaring straight into his eyes. He glared back, completely unintimidated by the heiress. "I am the Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, and second of all, I do not need to be partnered up with you, I am sure I could easily have a conversation with the headmaster, and get myself a new partner. You could even get with your brother since you seem to want to be with him so badly. What do you have to say about that?"
Brick shrugged his shoulders, not at all bothered by the truth nor the threat. "You have nice light blue eyes."
Weiss recoiled and blinked, not at all expecting that kind of response from the Violet twin. She flushed a light pink and turned back around with a huff, not dignifying what the twin has said with any sort of verbal response. "Let's just get this over with."
"I don't really see what the problem is anyway," Brick started as the two began to walk. "I mean, sure it sucks I didn't get with my brother, but you're acting as if I hate you." Weiss turned her head slightly as she walked in front of her, showing that she was listening even if she wasn't speaking. "Now, I don't know about you, but one argument on the first day of being at Beacon is hardly enough for me to hate someone. So this is what I say," He cleared his throat, and stopped walking, as did Weiss who looked over his shoulder to face him.
"Why not give this partner thing a shot?" Brick asked as he let his arms fall to his sides. "I think we got off on the one foot, so instead of yelling and glaring at me whenever I speak, how about we attempt to start over?" He smiled, and leaned forward as he intertwined his fingers behind his back. "Now what do you have to say about that?"
The two met eyes once again, and they stayed locked for a good couple of seconds before Weiss sighed to herself, shook her head, and ran a hand through her snow white hair.
"Is that a yes?" Brick asked, admittedly a little hopeful. He didn't want to have this memory always in the back of his mind, and would much rather at least try to give this a shot.
"Whatever." Weiss said as she started walking again.
Brick chuckled. "That wasn't a no~" He cooed as he placed his hands behind his head and grinned giddly. His younger age showing once again.
"Shut up." Weiss said coldly.
"Awe~" A new voice cooed from to the side of them.
Instincts kicked in and Brick unsheathed his short sword, and Weiss pointed Myrtenaster in the direction of the voice as well. Each were about to spring into action, at least until Brick widened his eyes and smiled at the sight of two of his favorite girls in the world.
"Orchid! Ruby! You found us." Brick said as she sheathed his sword again. "You two are partners?"
"Yup!" Orchid said as she pulled Ruby into a one armed hug, though not nearly as tight as Yang would have done. Ruby was grateful she wasn't getting the life choked out of her in a hug for once, it was a welcome feeling. "This little reaper is all mine now, disappointing is it?" She teased, fluttering her eyebrows toward the red Violet twin.
Brick scratched the side of his face and laughed nervously, not denying or confirming the answer to that question. It made Weiss roll her eyes at the sight as she twirled Myrtenaster in one hand and returned the weapon to it's home on her hip. She made no move to greet the two girls, except nodding in their direction. Ruby shrinked sheepishly and tried not to look at the girl, but the message was clear.
"Right, so since we're all together now, we should try getting to the relics now. Right?" Ruby asked nervously, hoping that she wasn't about to get yelled at again.
"That seems to be the most approachable of ideas right now." Weiss said with a nod, agreeing with the hooded girl who widened her eyes with a decent amount of shock.
She made no effort to point out how she did not expect that from the heiress in the slightest, but then again she didn't have to. Her wide eyes said that for her.
"Great, let's go then!" Orchid said as she hooked her arm through Ruby's, and yanked her away. Brick and Weiss followed, one more happy about this than the other, but each content with the idea.
"Rargh!" Rick roared as he blasted an Ursa with a bolt of blue lightning, stunning it and injuring it's arm. The beast howled in pain and reared back, only to charge at the Violet twin again. "Tch," Rick jumped over the Ursa Major, and flipped off of it with a push of his hand. Landing on his feet after a backflip, and watched as the Grimm rammed into a tree.
Behind him were the bodies of a few other dead Grimm, all fading away into black ash and smoke as he heaved for breath. The Ursa Major shook its head, and turned back toward him, teeth bared and saliva spilling and drooling out of its mouth.
"You things are tougher than the ones I'm used to." Rick commented as he got into a stance, holding his sword out next to his face. Blue lightning crackled around him, not that it intimidated the Grimm monster at all. "I keep hitting and shocking you but you just won't die! What gives?"
The Ursa Major replied by roaring loudly, and charging him again. Rick gasped lightly at the newfound speed of the usually slow type of Grimm, but dodged to his right and slashed at the monsters hind leg. His sword cut through muscle, and grazed against bone. Rick even conducted some lightning through his sword and into the Grimm's body for extra damage.
The Ursa only roared in pain as a result, and it threw it's paw blindly behind it self and caught Rick fully on the side. The sheer force of the attack made Rick cough of spit, and blow out all of the air he had held in his lungs, he flew back and slammed against a tree, shaking the entire plant as he fell onto his butt and hung his head.
Rick narrowly rolled out of the way in time to avoid the next attack, and scampered away as the Ursa struggled to free itself from the vines of the tree.
"What the hell? I know you things aren't this strong." Rick said as he panted for breath. "Looks like I don't really have much of a choice, sorry bro, I'm gonna have to overclock without you." Rick's eyes glew and electric blue and the lighting around his body crackled even higher, and louder. His muscles burned with the power that ran through them. Rick held his sword up above his head, and charged all of the new power he had into his weapon.
"Overclocked Lighting Hurricane!" Rick screamed out the attack name of his new personal move, swinging his sword out in front of him but kept the momentum spinning his body around. After the first revolution, Rick swung his sword toward the Ursa, creating a lightning slash that cut through the air and stopped the Ursa in its tracks, after a few seconds. Rick slashed another one it's way, hitting it across the shoulder. The other one hit it in the face, and then another, and another, and it kept going without any signs of stopping.
"Finish!" Rick shouted as he swung his sword so hard into the ground that it dug halfway into the dirt. A vertical slash of blue lightning came out this time, one much larger in size and crackling more than any of his previous attacks. The Ursa staggered and shook, too dazed and stunned by the electricity still running through its body to be able to dodge the attack like it wanted to.
The attack hit it, and it hit hard. The Ursa was pushed back by the massive slash of lightning, and tried pushing back with all it's might. All to no avail. It's back crashed against a tree, and then crashed through another when it went through the one before. Once it it a large stone, the lightning exploded in a mirage of blue and white plume of smoke.
Rick fell backward onto his bottom as the plume of smoke faded away to reveal the Grimm's body, still smoking after the attack.
"Whew… that's what you get you… bear thing." He said as he threw a fist up into the air triumphantly.
The Ursa started to get back up shakily.
"Oh you've gotta be shitting me." Rick said as his eyes widened with a degree of fear in them. He pushed himself up to one knee, but could not go any further than that. He was too tired and his aura was still regenerating after his full power attack. He wouldn't be able to do much right now, even if both of them were hurt.
The Ursa roared loudly, and started to charge.
Rick roared back and held his sword out in front of him, determined to meet it head on.
A red and gold javelin speared into the Ursa's neck, killing it instantly.
Rick looked around, confused by grateful for being saved like that. He was looking for the person to thank for this, and a girl with vibrant red hair stepped out of the nearby bushes, smiling sheepishly at the blue eyed boy.
"Hello!" Pyrrha waved at Rick. "I saw that you were having some trouble, so I came over to help."
"Thanks for that." Rick said with a relieved sigh. "You saved my life- Oh!" Rick realized that he was staring into the girls emerald green eyes. "Does this mean we're partners?" He asked as he pointed to his own eyes.
Pyrrha put on a smile and nodded her head. "I do believe that it does, our eyes did meet did they not?"
"Unless I'm a guy I know, then I can see that your eyes are green." Rick said with a chuckle, and then sheathed his sword. "Rick Violet, your partner for the next four years and maybe beyond." He introduced himself with a regal bow.
Pyrrha giggled and walked over to take her weapon out of the Grimm's ashy corpse.
"Yes, and I am Pyrrha Nikos. Your new partner." She greeted back with a smile, a genuine one this time.
"Well then champ, lets go get ourselves some relics!" Rick said as he started walking in a random direction, before wincing and nearly falling. He completely forgot about the bruised ribs he now had because of the Ursa Major he was just fighting. He thought he was going to fall, but a head of red hair poked out from underneath his arm, and he found himself looking up into the taller girls face.
"Let me help you." Pyrrha said as she looked down at the shorter boy.
Rick nodded his head and muttered his thanks for her help. Then proceeded to whisper something about it not being fair that he was so short.
"Hey there," Yang waved to a pink eyed boy as she sat on a dying Beowolf. "Saw you take down those two King Taijitu, pretty cool I must say."
"You watched me kill the two very large and powerful Grimm on my own?" Ren asked the blonde brawler between his very effort filled pants for breath. The battle was very hard fought, and he nearly got swallowed up more than a couple of times.
"Yup." Yang said as she lowered to the ground a little bit, her dead Beowolf slowly burning away as the seconds passed by.
"Why didn't you help me?" Ren asked, keeled over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"Eh, I wanted to see if you could handle yourself, and you should be happy to hear that you passed the test." Yang said with a wink, snapping her fingers and pointing a finger gun toward Ren as to congratulate him for his success.
"I almost died." Ren pointed out.
"Eh, semantics aren't important here."
"My life is not a minor detail!"
"Well when you put it that way…" The dead Beowolf that Yang was sitting on suddenly vanished, and she fell to the ground with an 'Oof'. She winced and rubbed her butt and held her hand out toward her new pinked eyed partner. "Help a girl up will ya?" She asked.
Ren regarded her offered hand, then looked into Yang's expecting lilacs eyes. Then promptly walked right past her.
"I am sure a girl such as yourself can help herself up." Ren said as he passed her by.
Yang gasped dramatically, and jumped up to a standing position to follow her new partner.
Oh yeah, he was going to be a fun one to mess with. She could already tell.
She would acknowledge the rustling in the bushes beside her later, there was better things to think about.
That quickly changed.
Kai cut through another Beowolf, his silver ebony sword slicing right through the monster like a hot knife through butter. The head of the creature of darkness fell to his side next to his heel, and Kai pulled the sword out from monster from behind him and slid it back into his sheathe.
"Another few Grimm, dead. Yet no other students." He said to himself as he sensed the bodies of the Grimm fading away all around him.
He thought he was on the trail of someone he sensed close to the time he first landed, but now it has been a full two hours, and he has heard and sensed no one ever since he stood on that cliff. He wants to concentrate and see if he could find someone with a highly focused version of his seismic sensing. But he needs to stand still in order for that to work. Which is asking for death since every time he stands still for a second, a Grimm attacks him.
Two hours of hiking and killing Grimm, it was only thanks to his highly trained body and endurance that he has not begun to get tired yet. Only breathing a little harder. But with these few moments to himself to rest. He will be recovered in just a few minutes.
He whipped Silver Ebony to his side, ridding it of the black blood that stuck to the blade, and then wiped his face of the blood that stuck to his cheeks. His blindfold felt a little damp, but he would have to worry about that later. He could always wash it off after initiation is over anyways.
Suddenly, Kai whipped around and slashed the area behind him, and heard and sensed something slump to the ground. He wondered what it was, and nudged it with his toe. It felt like hair, but he found himself getting back on guard as it disappeared before he could prod it any longer to see what it was.
"Who are you?" Kai asked as he turned his body to face the direction the person who nearly snuck on him was hiding.
"An ally." A girl answered him, stepping out of the bushes with her hands up beside her head. "It's me, Blake."
Kai's form relaxed, and he lowered his sword. Keeping it at his side as he stood up straighter in a relaxed posture. "Blake? Finally, I haven't heard anyone since I landed." He sighed, and then realized what he almost did. "Sorry about that, I didn't know you were you until I was already swinging my sword. How did you dodge it?"
"It's okay, and that was my semblance. I can leave clones of shadow behind as a distraction so that I could redirect myself and make a decision on what to do there next." Blake explained simply. "You beheaded the shadow I left behind when I tried to grab your shoulder."
Kai hummed in understanding, and nodded his head. But one thing ate away at him. "You were going to grab my shoulder?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean you sought me out to become my partner?" Kai asked, crossing his arms and smiling out of amusement as he sensed Blake grow more nervous after being called out.
"Perhaps… you were the only one I felt comfortable in being paired up with." Blake said honestly. "I also found it strange that you were launched away from everyone else, so I came to see for myself."
"Thanks for that then." Kai said. "Well, if you want to be my partner, you know what to do next."
"Okay." Blake said as she took a step closer to Kai. She stopped in front of him and slowly rose her hand up from her side. She hesitated before she could clasp it on his shoulder, after this it was decided, they would be partnered with each other for the next four years at least. There was no going back after this, and she needed to make up her mind right now. Kai was a prodigy in his own right, and he had that eye power of his, but he was also dangerous. Her previous experiment to see how he reacts to someone coming up from behind him almost lead with her losing her head.
Did she really want this? To be partnered up with this boy for the next four years could mean many things. It could end up being a great decision to make, but it could also turn out to become a very bad one she felt. She knew that Kai had issues, it was obvious in the way he carried himself.
Despite all of that, she clasped her hand on his shoulder, and squeezed gently. Claiming the blind half faunus as her partner.
"And now we're stuck together." Kai said as Blake took her hand off of his shoulder, leaving the spot colder than it was a moment before because of the moment of shared body heat the two had.
"Indeed we are." Blake said with an amused smile. "What do we do now?"
"Preferably we should seek the others out. Try to find more people, and then the relics. Whatever comes first." Kai said as he sensed the surrounding area again, and thankfully not sensing any Grimm. "It's been two hours or so already though, so we might just be better off going for the relics right away."
"Hm, I agree." Blake said. "Can you do your thing?"
Kai chuckled. "My thing?"
"I don't know what it's called… the thing you do with your feet." Blake said as she pointed to Kai's feet. "I assumed that you are able to see because of that."
"You're observant." Kai pointed out. "You assumed correctly, it's called seismic sensing, it's a trick my dad taught me while I was growing up. Since I was born blind, I had to learn a way to see and move about, and my parents hated watching me walk around with a stick."
"That was nice of them…" Blake wanted to change the topic, she saw the grimace on Kai's face when he thought about his father. "Is there a way you can branch out to sense the others?"
Kai nodded his head. "There is, but I have to focus hard and press my hands against the ground. It leaves me vulnerable, and since we're in the Emerald Forest…"
"You didn't want to risk getting caught off guard." Blake finished for him. "I understand, well, since I am here now. I will take care of anything that tries to attack you while you're sensing."
"You read my mind." Kai said as he knelt down on the ground, settling Silver Ebony to his side and pressing his hands against the grass beneath him.
He started to focus hard, keeping his breathing steady and blocking out all of the unnecessary sounds of the world around him. His mind drew up a blank, and he sensed his new partner, Blake, step up to his side with her weapon drawn. Prepared to take down anything that would jump out at them.
It took a couple of minutes, but finally Kai was able to latch on to something. It was a low rumbling sensation that must have felt much more violent the closer you were to it. As he focused more in that direction, and sensation. He started to sense that the rumbling wasn't in fact anything collapsing, but instead it was of something moving, and this something had a lot of legs. There was also the faint feeling of a person running away from that thing, and also a person on that person's back for whatever reason.
"I got something." Kai said as he cut his focus off, and turned to his left. "People are in trouble, we have to go now." He declared as he broke off into a sprint, not waiting for Blake to respond.
She didn't need too, he sensed Blake running up beside him, and kept an equal pace with him. He pondered using his semblance to give him a boost in speed, but he wanted to save up all the aura he still had just in case he needed to use his semblance to a higher power.
And for some reason, he felt like he was going to need it.
Jaune Arc sprinted as fast as he could with the girl on his back, desperate to get away from the snapping claws of the Deathstalker that gained on him slowly. He was terrified for his life.
Not that the girl on his back cared. His partner Nora Valkyrie was absolutely ecstatic with the current situation that they were in.
"Go my blonde steed! I see the temple in the distance!" Nora exclaimed as she pointed forward.
"Trust me, i'm going as fast as I can!" Jaune shouted back as he heaved for air.
"Not at this pace we aren't! C'mon Jauney, you're the one who said that you wanted to get stronger." Nora said with a giggle as she looked back at the snapping and hissing Grimm scorpion.
"This is not what I meant! I'm about to pass out here!" Jaune said as he felt his sweat practically bursting out of every pore on his body.
"Hey! Are you calling me fat!?" Nora shouted back at him, bopping him on the head. "That's mean!"
"What!? No!"
"Even after I unlocked your aura for you…" Nora sniffled. "And all I asked in return was that you give me a piggyback ride… This is the thanks I get!?"
"I'm sorry, i'm sorry! That isn't what I meant!" Jaune cried out as the ginger haired girl kicked him in the side.
"There, that's what you get. You are not forgiven." Nora said in a pleased tone at the poor blondes expense.
"About to… run out of… stamina." Jaune said as he started slowing down, eyes half lidded shut and his breathing becoming slower and more ragged.
Nora promptly swapped their positions by flinging him up into the air with her legs, and aiming her own body in a way for Jaune to land sprawled out across her back. She grabbed his legs and let him slump against her back, head over her shoulder as he goes on the brink of passing out.
"Don't worry my knight in shining armour~ I've got you." Nora cooed as she sprinted at full speed.
"T-thank you." Jaune murmured back as he continued to slide in and out of consciousness.
"Sooo… is this the place?" Orchid asked as the four initiates pushed through the bushes into an open field.
"Since there is a a stone temple across the field, I would assume yes." Weiss said as she pushed through the bushes next, waving her hands through her skirt to rid it of the many leaves and twigs that latched onto the fabric.
"Good eyes princess, I don't think I would have seen it without you." Brick teased as he popped up from around another tree.
"Oh please, your sarcasm is not needed here." Weiss said with a huff as she pushed out of the bushes.
"C'mon guys, I thought we were going to be working as team now?" Ruby pointed out, trying to mediate the banter before it could divulge into a full blown argument.
"For now," Weiss said, huffing as she threw her lopsided ponytail over one of her shoulders.
"Onwards my loyal companions!" Orchid exclaimed, pointing her long heavy greatsword in the direction of the stone temple not so far off in the distance.
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Brick shouted as he jumped out of the forest, using his semblance to give himself a burst of speed with red lighting trailing behind him as he ran.
Ruby bursted right past him, no matter how fast his semblance made him, he would never be as fast as her. He was okay with that, it was to be expected.
What he wasn't okay with was when Weiss bursted past him, almost tying with Ruby as they made it to the temple, and even had the gall to turn around, cross her shoulders, and smirk at the red eyed Violet twin. Taunting him, and they both knew that she won this round.
Just this once… I'll let you have the win. Brick thought as he caught up with the group, with Orchid catching up quickly.
"Well, they didn't exactly make it hard to find out what exactly the relic looks like." Orchid pointed out as she inspected one of the oversized chess pieces, this one being a black queen. "I like this one though, Ruby?"
"Yeah, we are queens after all." Ruby said with a playful roll of her eyes.
"Ooo, that gives me an idea." Orchid picked up the black queen, and used it scratch her chin as she thought about what a new title of hers could be. "I shall dub thyself, Queen Flamingo Goddess of the Wonderlands!"
"Praise thee." Brick said automatically, catching himself straight after and wondering why he said that. "Why did I say that?"
"Because you're weird." Weiss suggested.
"Weird in a good way, I'm assuming."
"No-"
"Thank you Weiss, I shall treasure your compliment for the rest of my life." Brick said in the most sarcastic butler voice he could muster up with his imagination, making Weiss grit her teeth together in irritation.
"COMING THROUGH!" A blur of yellow hair barreled through both Brick and Weiss. "Hey Ruby, I love you by the way." The figure who has now appeared to be grime covered Yang as she hurriedly picked up a random chess piece, not stopping to look at it as she shoved it into her back pocket and cocked her Ember Celica.
"Yang?" Ruby was confused, she felt happiness, bewilderment, and of course, confusion because of the sudden appearance of the blonde brawler she has grown up with. "What's wrong, and why are you so dirty?"
"No time to explain, my partner is currently running toward us with a very angry gorilla chasing him." Yang said as she turned toward the direction of falling trees, and the sounds of gunfire and unrestrained curses. "I went to go get help, now let's go help him out!"
"Wait, what's going on?" Weiss asked as she shakily stood back up.
"Yeah, can't say that I understand what's going on right now." Brick said as he shook his head. "I see a few stars though, that's cool. Imma name that one Jonah."
"There's a giant gorilla chasing my partner!" Yang shouted off the top of her lungs. "Big, black, and very muscular."
"Bow chicka bow wow." Orchid muttered not so quietly.
"Orchid, not now please."
"Help me, please!" Yang's unfortunate partner cried out as he bursted through the forest, and straight after three trees were ripped out of the ground as a huge Grimm Beringel the size of a truck chased after the pink eyed boy.
"Oh shoot, shoot it!" Yang exclaimed as she fired off flares from Ember Celica, Ruby fired her Crescent Rose at it as well. Brick didn't see a reason to argue, and started throwing lightning bolts at it.
"It's bulletproof!" Brick cried out before Weiss could participate in the ranged bombardment, lowering Myrtenaster before she could waste any of her precious dust.
"It's also explosion proof!" Ruby exclaimed as one of Yang's flares exploded and did nothing to the towering Grimm beside make it roar in anger.
"But is it blade proof?" Berserker Orchid asked as she held her curved greatsword with both of her hands, manic grin on her face as she charges the beast. "COME HERE YOU FIEND!"
"It is also blade proof!" Ren helpfully added as he ran past the charging Orchid, screaming her head off and greatsword lowered at her side and prepared to meet the Grimm monster head on.
"No Orchid! We have to support her!" Ruby exclaimed as she shifted Crescent Rose, and fired it off behind her to propel herself forward.
"Damn it!" Yang cursed as she too fired off herself into the fray, leaving Brick and Weiss behind.
The two looked to each other, not knowing if they should both follow or just one of them.
"Sooo, am I going first?"
"I would rather not be close quarters with that thing, thank you." Weiss said as she spun the dial on her weapon. "I shall play the role of support for you all."
Brick rolled his shoulders, and then cracked his neck. "Should've guess… alright, here I come guys!" He shouted as he tore his short sword out of its scabbard, and rushed to go fight with his friends against a powerful foe.
Weiss aimed stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground, and begun to focus her semblance. Charging it up while considering all of the options she had at the moment.
Orchid and the Beringel met in the middle, her large sword clashing against the shoulder of the great beast. A shockwave carried out through the ground around them, cracking the stone and kicking up dirt. Orchid grit her teeth as she was pushed back, and the Beringel remained stunned for an extra second, which was all that the group needed for Ren to jump back in and pull the magenta haired girl out of trouble.
"Don't charge it like that again, you'll just get yourself killed." Ren said, earning a nod from the Berserker Orchid. Thankfully, Berserker Orchid has learned to control her temper, sometimes. But enough so that she wouldn't attack anyone who questioned her. "Yang, keep it distracted, I feel like your friend there is charging up a powerful attack." He ordered next, completely calm and collected even in the face of death.
"So keep doing what I've been doing?" Yang asked as she reloaded Ember Celica.
"Yes."
"That's all I need to here then!"
"What about me?" Ruby asked, loading more powerful bullets into her Crescent Rose as she looked toward Ren expectantly.
"Use your speed to your advantage, and decided what you do from there." Ren quickly ordered as he flourished his weapons. "Lets go!"
Orchid sprinted to the right, and Yang and Ruby charged up the middle while Ren sprinted to the left. In multiple directions, the Beringel couldn't keep up with all of them at the same time. So it went with the predictable decision to try and tunnel vision one of them. It slammed it's big fists into the ground, and charged toward the one it had been chasing before, roaring all the while.
Ren let it get close before suddenly changing directions, skidding across the ground as he turned and let it barely miss him.
"Now!"
"Rargh!" Yang yelled as she slammed her fist into the beats left side, feeling her fist dig into its hide before bouncing back.
"Hah!" Orchid exclaimed as she swung her sword over her head into the Beringels back, doing much more damage and causing it to bleed.
At the very moment it decided to try and behead Orchid, it realized that it's back legs were encased in ice, trapping it there momentarily.
"Do it Brick!" Weiss screamed as she kept the glyph beneath the Beringel active.
"Sorry Rick, you're not here, but I gotta go all out!" Brick shouted as his eyes electrified with red lightning, and aura grew larger as he continued to sprint. "Overclocked Lighting Slash!" He shouted as he swung his sword through the air, a large electric damaging arc slicing through the air.
Yang and Orchid dove out of the way, and the Beringel roared in pain as the lighting slash cut right through one of it's arm, removing it from its body. Then exploded against its chest as it broke past it's guard.
"Hah! I guess you could say that we… disarmed it!" Yang punned.
"Yang no." Ruby said as she landed beside her sister.
"I want a new partner." Ren said as he ran a hand through his raven black hair.
"I liked it!" Berserker Orchid called out from the other side of the Beringel.
"Thanks Orchid!"
"Guys, I don't mean to interrupt anything but IT'S STILL ALIVE!" Brick shouted as he jumped back and dodged the one arm that he cut off as it was thrown at him. "It just threw its own arm at me!"
What shocked them more was the fact that it was still alive. The slash wound on it's back completely healed as if it were never there in the first place. Then, to add even more shock to them all, it raised it's stump into the air, and the arm that was just cut off started to grow out again. It roared painfully as a new arm, completely hairless and black skinned, bursted out of the stump, moist with blood and slime.
"Okay, this is new." Brick said as he took a step back, as did everyone else around the monster. "Uh… what do we do now?"
"It has to have a limit…" Ren said, but quiet enough so that Yang was the only one that heard him. "Everything has a limit, we have to tire it out!" He shouted so that everyone could hear him.
"Got it!" A new voice from behind the Beringel called out, one that Ren instantly recognized.
A warhammer slammed onto the top of the Beringels head, cracking it's bone armoured skull. Then a pink explosion followed it up, pushing the Grimm down to all fours as a ginger haired girl flipped through the air, landing beside Ren.
"Nora!" Ren greeted, happy to see his childhood friend.
"That was the best entrance I have ever seen." Orchid muttered to herself. "I must one up her one day."
"I'm here Renny! And I brought a friend!" Nora exclaimed as she pointed toward the forest.
"Why did you leave me again!?" Jaune asked in a shout as he came sprinting out of the forest, his stamina regenerated quickly due to his large reserves of aura. Behind him, the same Deathstalker from early continued to chase him, it's many legs digging into the ground with each step as it hisses and snaps at the blonde knight that it is chasing.
"Oh uh… I brought two friends!"
"Nora, this isn't good!" Ren pointed out. The six of them before Nora and Jaune came were having a lot of trouble with just one of these monsters. Now with two elder Grimm, even between the eight of them, they might need more help to win this battle.
"Ruby and I will go help out Vomit boy, we're going to have to split up here." Yang said, getting a nod of agreement from her little sister.
Ren sighed and ran another hand through his hair, not at all happy with the situation they have all unfortunately found themselves in. "Very well, work quickly. If you can."
"We'll try, but don't expect a miracle." Yang said in a deadly serious voice. The time for jokes was over, this suddenly turned into life or death. "Man, where is Kai when you need him?"
"I dunno, but we got a job to do. So let's do it!" Ruby shouted as she launched herself toward Jaune, using her semblance to quickly speed to Jaune's location, Yang in hot pursuit as she hurries to meet the Deathstalker and stop it from even getting the chance to hurt her little sister as she snatched Jaune out of trouble.
Yang dashed in and slammed her hand into the side of the stinger which almost caught Ruby by the hood, that wouldn't have been good and might have even lead to her death. The Deathstalker hissed angrily as it's stinger was forced into the ground, and it tore it out with a bit of stone still stuck to the end of it.
"Thanks." Jaune muttered as Ruby set him down beside her a good hundred feet away from the Deathstalker. Crocea Mors slid out of it's scabbard with a screech, and said sccarbard shifted into a shield to occupy his left hand.
"No problem Jaune, are you hurt?"
"No, just tired from running so much, but I can still help!" The blonde declared as he rose his arms, weapons at the ready.
Ruby smiled at him. "Good, then you can help Yang hold it back as we figure out what to do with it."
"Sounds like a plan-, wait, do you see that?" Jaune asked, narrowing his eyes between the two large Grimm monsters. "It looks like… lightning?"
"Oh, is it red or blue?" Ruby asked casually.
"Uh… blue."
"Rick is coming guys!" Ruby called out over the battlefield, earning a battle cry from most of the combatants.
A few seconds later, as was expected, a blur of blue lightning burst through the forest, a girl clad in spartan armour in hot pursuit with weapons drawn. It was quickly figured out that this was Pyrrha Nikos when she jumped onto the back of the Beringel, and stabbed her spear deep into its body, and at the same time Rick struck the Deathstalker in one of it's legs, cutting it off and getting away before he could get countered.
"Come one guys! You're having all this fun without me?" Rick asked when he landed next to Yang, and flourished his short sword.
No one had time to reply as Pyrrha ripped her spear out of the Beringels back, spraying black blood everywhere as she flipped off of it's back, and used her shield to block the blind backhanded attack the Beringel through at her. But in just a few seconds, the wound she created steamed up significantly, and healed completely.
"What the…?"
"It can heal by the way!" Brick shouted out as he skidded across the ground on the other side of the Beringel, slashing up it's leg and dashing away before he could get countered, throwing a lightning bolt as he did so. "We have to tire it out!"
"Understood." Pyrrha said with a nod, getting into a strong hybrid stance before the Beringel.
Ren looked about the battlefield, panting for breath as he kneels on one knee as Pyrrha plays the role of tank, along with Nora and that Orchid girl. There was ten of them against two elder Grimm, and they have already proven that they can at least hurt the monsters. Right now, it was Ruby, Jaune, Yang, and that Rick boy against the Deathstalker, and then there was himself, Pyrrha, Nora, Orchid, Brick, and Weiss playing the role of support in both fields of battle.
They had a good chance of winning and slaying the two monsters, but they had just as good of a chance to get killed after just one mistake. They needed to be careful, but more importantly they needed help.
He started to make a plan in his mind, but when he heard a loud deafening caw in the air above them, all of that was washed away.
Ren dared to look up to the sky, and widened his eyes at what he saw. Their situation just got even more dire.
"Nevermore!" Ren called out as he jumped out of the way of a dive bomb.
"Are we getting close?" Blake asked Kai as they sprinted alongside each other.
"Yes, they should be just ahead. Just one more mile." Kai said between pants. Throwing caution to the wind and using his aura to make his body move even faster than before. It was bad, he sensed two very large Grimm fighting against what felt like ten people. Those people were Huntsman and Huntress' in training, but the fact that they were having trouble with them was concerning enough as it is.
To make matters worse, he sensed a third Grimm nearly kill one of them. He needed to get there and help these people, they were probably his friends.
"I'm coming guys, just hold on a little bit longer." Kai whispered, he wouldn't lose a friend today, not after everything that happened.
Well, that was a thing of a chapter. I can't believe I wrote this all nearly in just a day. I didn't want initiation to be more than two chapters, but of course it seems like once again I am going to have to write just one more chapter here.
So next chapter we are going to have Ren, Weiss, Brick, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Rick, Orchid, and Ruby up against a Deathstalker, a Beringel, and a Nevermore. Some amped up grimm as well, I wonder how that is happening?
Just to clarify, this is how partners are working at the moment; Kai is with Blake, Ruby is with Orchid, Brick is with Weiss, Ren is with Yang, Jaune is with Nora, and Rick is with Pyrrha. Try to remember that, I know it's complicated, trust me.
I know.
So yeah, there is all that happening at the same time. Some lady rammed into my parked car just this morning, so I have that to deal with now. Next chapter from me will be Detective Grimm, so you can all look forward to that one when it comes out.
Please review and let me know what you think of the story! If you would like to keep up with me on the progress of the chapters I write, than you can give me a follow on twitter!
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