A few minutes prior

Team: Ren and Nora

"Nora no." Ren muttered as he stared at his lifelong friend, watching the grin that suddenly crossed her lips. If Nora wasn't smiling she was usually grinning. But this grin, this one unfortunately meant something.

"Nora yes~." The orange haired teen stated as she continued to stare at the Ursa a few feet away from them, minding its own business and actually not interested in either of them for once. Ren reached for her, but she was already gone, moving up to the Ursa and jumping onto it's back. The moment it realized she was there it roared and tried to swing at her, claws swiping at it's shoulders as it turned. All the while Nora just laughed happily, "woo-ing" on occasion as Ren just palmed his face for a moment. "Ren you've gotta try this!"

"I don't think so." Ren sated as he looked back up and saw the hammer come out. "Nora what are you -" Before he could ask Nora to bring the hammer down on Ursa's back as it roared, this time in pain as it took off, a laughing Nora on its back.

"Ren catch me!"

'Why am I surprised she's doing this?'

Team: Yang and Blake

"So~ we're just gonna ignore that giant roar we heard a little while ago?" Yang asked as she put her hands on her hips. Looking to her partner she waited for a response. "You don't talk much do you?" More silence. Weirdly enough she kinda expected this much, especially considering how last night went. That said it wasn't a bad thing. Blake might not of come off as much of a talker, but at least she was still someone she could handle being around. She'd just have to talk enough for the two of them. 'She doesn't talk much I do; guess she's the Yin to my Yang.' Snickering slightly the duo continued walking though Blake did look back to see what the Blonde was smiling about. She didn't get an answer though as Yang just smiled playfully. Though the smile did slip when they reached the edge of their path, finding it disappearing into an old rundown temple. "Think this is it?" Blake just looked at her for a moment before they started walking down the hill and into the temple grounds and found small wooden figures resting on the pedestals, some yellow, some back, but their form was something familiar.

"Chess pieces?"

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here." Yang noted as a brief silence washed over the two. 'Aw~ I really wanted to be here first.'

"Well… I guess we should pick one."

Team: Jaune and Pyrrha

Think this is it?" Pyrrha didn't answer that question until they were a good few feet into the cave. Surrounded by stone and their only light being the torch that Jaune had created for them.

"I'm not sure this is it…" Jaune just sighed as he looked back at her for a moment.

"Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for maybe five more feet?" She did, the gain with how his day started he probably needed it. She pinned him to something twice after all. Hearing the teen yelp Pyrrha reached, a vain attempt to grab him and the torch he carried disappeared from view. There went the light.

"Ow."

"Do you feel that?"

"Soul crushing regret?"

"No, it's… warm." Pyrrha noted as she tried looking around. Problem was the surrounding darkness. Couldn't see the back of her hand even if she tried. She could see Jaune's eyes though, for whatever reason. 'His eyes are a really nice shade of blue…' The young Huntress noted as she stared at one of the two lights she could see for a moment before… wait lights? She looked away from Jaune as she turned her attention elsewhere. There was light coming from further within the cave. A warm, yellow shade from the looks of it. "Jaune."

"Yeah?"

"Look." Jaune turned, the only indicator being his eyes disappeared from her line of sight. "Light?" The teen question as he looked back to Pyrrha and then the light. "Think we should check it out?"

"I'll follow your lead." Pyrrha stated and smiled - although Jaune couldn't see it. When she heard him start walking she followed. Heading towards the light as she let her thoughts drift. Jaune was certainly a nice boy, though from what she had seen of his interactions with Weiss a bit of a flirt. Or at least he tried to be. Lacked that silver tongue. Bit ignorant to, but that was fine as well. Sure he apparently didn't know about Aura till she unlocked it earlier and wasn't aware of who she was, but both cases were corrected in time. 'I wonder who trained him… he should have a least known about his Aura.' The young huntress thought to herself as they closer to the source of light, and found… something.

"That's the relic!" A better view of Jaune showed that he was practically bouncing as he looked upon the loosely teardrop like creation. It was… pretty; that was for certain. Jaune reached for it, slowly as if it was going to bite him and when he made a notion to grab it -

'Did it just move?'

"Hey. Bad relic." Jaune sounded as though the relic was a misbehaving puppy. Would have been cute but… "Gotcha!" Pyrrha narrowed her eyes as the relic continued to move for a moment, and she saw something else poking through the shadows of the cave.

"Jaune…"

Turns out Jaune had a very feminine scream.

Team: Yang and Blake

"Some girl's in trouble!"

Team: Jaune and Pyrrha

She ran. There was no better way to say it, Pyrrha ran, turned on her heel and made for the cave exit in record time. With an apparently giant Grimm behind her; a Deathstalker to be exact.

"Ahhh! Why? Ahhh! Pyrrha! Ahhhh! Pyrrha!" No longer in a confined space and necessary room, Pyrrha turned skidding to a stop as she looked at her partner, apparently swinging from the Grimm's tail. She really felt bad for him, teen looked and sounded ready to cry. "This is not the Relic! It's not! Ahhh! Do something!"

"Jaun! Whatever you do, don't let -" She must have jinxed, cause it was at the moment that the Deathstalker swung its tail, sending the poor boy flying into the distance as he screamed again. "… go." She just watched him go before turning her attention back to the Grimm. 'Oh dear…' She scratched her head, gave the Deathstalker Grim an awkward smile and did the smartest thing she could think of. She ran, ran as fast as her legs could carry her and for the first time since Initiation she was incredibly happy she never skipped her morning job with Gales.

Team Ruby and Weiss

Some hundreds of feet above ground… "Ruby! I told you this was a terrible idea!"

"We're fine! Stop worrying!"

"I am so far beyond worrying!

"… In a good way?!"

"In a bad way, in a very bad way!"

"Well, why don't we just jump?!"

"What are you insane?!" That might have been up for debate. Also… "Oh you insufferable little-"

Team: Yang and Blake

"Blake, did you hear that? What should we d-" Blake just pointed skywards. Changing the subject as Yang followed her finger.

"Heads up!" One Ruby Rose called out, falling from the sky as Yang just looked on in both confusion and disbelief.. and then Jaune popped into her line of view. Smashing into the caped figure as they both smashed into a tree.

"What was that?"

"Ahem…" Ruby shook her head as she pulled herself from a daze and turned her head to look at Jaune hanging upside down from a tree. "Hey Ruby." This just wasn't his day it seemed.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?"

"I-" before Yang could finish that sentence however when they both heard a grimm growling and trees falling in the distance. Ursa and from the looks of it seemed to be trying to reach for something on it's back, stopping only when a flash of lightning erupted from it's back.

"Yeehaw!" It dropped and Nora rolled off it's back and onto the floor. "Aww. Its broken." She zipped over to the Ursa's back as she looked it over. "Ewww." Behind her Ren stepped out the woods, panting as he leaned on the Ursa for support.

"Nora… Please… don't ever do that again." He looked to his childhood friend and then around. She was already gone… of course she was.

"Oooooo." Up at the temple Nora was looking over a rook piece before lifting it up, holding as though it were a trophy. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"

"NORA!" That pulled the young lady from her little happy dance as giggled slightly and did a salute.

"Coming Ren."

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?"

"I-" Another Grimm growled the group turned their heads, looking to see Pyrrha running with a Deathstalker behind her.

"Jaune!"

"Pyrrha!"

"Whoa!"

"Ruby!" Jaune watched as Ruby left him, jumping from the tree they had both been confined in as she hit the ground.

"Ruby?"

"Yang!"

"Nora! The two jumped back slightly as Nora popped up in between them. The Grimm just hissed again as Blake looked at the scene.

"Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" It was at that moment that Yang exploded, eyes flashing red as she looked around.

"I can't take it anymore! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?" She got her two seconds.

"… It's really good exercise by the way." Gales noted as the girls plus Ren jumped slightly. "Running with something chasing you, is really good motivation for running."

"Gales!?"

"When did you get here!?"

"How long have you been standing there?" The one eyed teen just scratched his head as he looked over to Jaune - who was still in a tree unfortunately.

"I got here around the time Jaune crashed into Ruby midair." He admitted. "Just followed his screaming."

"Oh… so you saw-" Ren began before palming his face.

"I saw everything… by the way Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"Nice~"

"Thank you~"

"Uh... guys?" Ruby pulled the group from their conversation as they turned to her before turning skyward. Weiss was hanging onto the talon of an airborne Nevermore.

"How could you leave me?"

"I said jump."

"She has a lot of strength in that left arm of hers."

"She's gonna fall."

"She'll be fine."

"She's falling."

With Jaune, having finally released himself from the confines of the branch that he'd been stuck in, took a moment to catch his breath before his attention shifted to his falling snow angel. Time to be a hero. So he made the jump and by some unknown power he caught her with a smile. "Just dropping in?" Weiss looked down then at her savior. Which of course caused Jaune to look down and realize he didn't think this rescue was all the way through. "Oh god…" He tried though that's what counts. "Noooo!"

And then the pair hit the ground, or at least should have. "Gotcha." Looking to the one that had caught both of them Weiss and Jaune looked to the one eyed hunter as he smiled kindly. "My hero." Both muttered as Gales just set them down.

"Don't mention it."

A shriek from the Deathstalker and a swing of it's claw launched Pyrrha through the air and towards the others. Everyone just looked as she hit the ground shield first. "Great! The gang's all here! Now we can die together!

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby released a battle cry as her sister called out to her. Gales just watched the scene for a moment and chose to move. Weapon drawn he made his way to Ruby only for her to disappear from his line of sight and propel herself forward thanks to Crescent Rose's propulsion.

Lets just say her attack on the Deathstalker had… less than successful results. "D - Do - Don't worry! Totally fine!" She reassured everyone as she looked back at them for a moment. Looking back to the Grimm though that reassurance slowly disappeared from view. She fired, taking a shot at the white armor covering the Grimm before turning and ran. Must have realized she bit off more than she could chew at this moment. Smart.

"Ruby!" Yang moved, running towards her sister as Gales grit his teeth. In the sky the Nevermore screamed, roaring at the teens as it reared up, raising its wings it flapped once, launching a hail of feathers forward as they pelted the ground. Ruby bounced back when it hit her cloak, Gales batted his away, Yang stopped before she got impaled. "Ruby get out of there."

"I'm trying!" She stopped though when the Deathstalker Grimm stood in front of her and raised its tail before bringing it down on her.

"Ruby!" Gales made to throw his weapon when something flashed by him.

"You are so childish." Ruby looked up as she found the stinger tail just a few feet in front of her.

"Weiss?"

"And dimwitted, and hyperactive. And don't even get me started on your fighting style." Weiss continued as she turned to her teammate. "And I suppose I can be a bit... difficult, but if we're going to do this we're going to have to do this together." Weiss admitted as she leaned towards her partner and released a smile. "So if you quit trying to show off I'll be… nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this."

"You're fine." Weiss stated as Gales stopped in front of them as Ruby whispered something the girl couldn't quite catch.

"Normal knees… whoa."

"Touching as this moment is." Gales began as he looked at Weiss and then Ruby. "There's still a giant bird and wannabe Kusabami bearing down on us." The teen admitted as saw Weis nod. Yang in the meantime finally caught up to them, and just wrapped her sister into a hug.

"So happy you're ok!" A brief moment, and all four made their way back to the others as Jaune looked at the Nevermore.

"Guys, that thing's circling back. What are we gonna do?"

"Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us." Weiss stated as she looked towards the Chess pieces.

"She's right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things."

"Run and live. That is an idea I can get behind." Gales just crossed his arms and nodded.

"Long as they stay in the forests we can always come back later and deal with them." He admitted as he watched everyone go and grab a chess piece. In the meantime he just looked around, frowning slightly as he looked at the pedestals. 'There's no more…' The teen frowned slightly as he shook his head.

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item as well as your standing and grade you appropriately."

"He was only going to pass a certain number of students to begin with." Gales muttered quietly. "It's not just a retrieval, it's a competition between Hunters and Huntresses. We'd have to fight to keep the relics safe and in our possession. Whoever had it by the end of the initiation; they graduated."

"Gales?" Pyrrha rested a hand on her friend's shoulder as he gave her a smile.

"It's fine. Come on, we gotta get out of here."

"Right." Oblivious to the situation Ruby looked back to others as she made a gesture with her arm. Telling everyone to move and took off. She took the lead as Gales took the rear.

This wasn't running away; it was a tactical retreat. There was a difference. None of them had to necessarily deal with these two Grimm. As Ruby and Weiss said. They just needed the Relics and to get back to the cliffs.

If only it was that easy…

Path to the cliff wasn't a straight line, had to zig-zag through different parts of the forest to try losing their tails. Hard when one controls the air. Harder still when they took a bad turn and found themselves amidst a cliffside. Nevermore perching itself on top of a dead tower and screeched as the teens took cover.

"Well that's great!"

"Oh it's about to get better." Gales muttered as he looked behind his cover and saw the Deathstalker bursting through trees.

"Oh man run!" Everyone moved as Gales drew his weapon and his handgun.

"We need to ground that bird!

"Nora, distract it!" Nora happily obliged. Running cross the open field as Gales did the same from the opposite direction. Both dodged a storm of feathers being launched before opening fire. Nora her grenade launcher, Gales his handgun. Opening salvo gave the others some room to move towards the bridge though Ren and Blake stayed behind. Good idea, when both Nora and Gales turned the Deathstalker was already on them. Would have struck hadn't the pair chosen to move in. Weiss popped up a moment later, a Glyph appearing at her feet as she grabbed Nora and carried her away, leaving Blake, Gales and Ren to distract the Grimm a moment longer before they booked it as well.

"Go! Go!" Pyrrha made the call as she turned, spear turning into a rifle as she dropped to her knees and started firing. Ren followed her example for a moment before they followed the others across the bridge.

'That gets rid of one; path is too narrow for that Grimm to follow. All that's left though is the flyer.' Gales thought as he looked over to the circling Grimm. "What's your move?" It took out the bridge. "Fuck you birdbrain!" Left on one side with Ruby and Jaune, and on the other Pyrrha and Blake on the other.

"Man, we gotta get over there! They need help!"

"Yeah."

"Let's do this!" Nora declared as Jaune looked down.

"Yeah, but uh… I can't make that jump."

"Then we learn to fly." Gales stated as he took a few steps back and Nora grinned. Without warning she hit Jaune with her grenade launcher to bring him back before turning it into a hammer.

"Oh wait!" Too late. She hit the bridge with enough force it acted as a catapult, launching both Jaune and Gales into the air. "No, no, no, no, no!" With a quoich turn and firing of her hammer Nora launched herself after the duo.

"Ah~ smash!" She struck it's head as it brought its tail back for a fire from her weapon sent her back before it could do any harm to her though, and in her retreat she slammed into Blake and knocked her into Gales. He just looked at her than towards the other side of the bridge and gave her a look.

"You're crazy aren't you?"

"Honestly up for debate." The teen muttered as he tossed Blake into the air before grabbing her a turn, he threw her like a ball, letting her sail across the gap. She made it, a bit too much force but she made it. She reached the Nevermore, struck it a few times before landing on its back and ran along its back before jumping off.

"Its tougher than it looks!

"Then let's hit it with everything we've got!"

"I want it put on record that I don't normally work in groups of five." Gales stated as the Deathstalker pulled its tail from the bridge as it started to tilt.

"We gotta move!" They did, charging the Grimm it struck. Pyrrha went first. Blocking one pincer as she went after it's face. When it retaliated Jaune covered her, blocking with his own shield as she jumped over and knocked it away. Ren jumped on it's tail and fired on its stinger. Nora stayed at range firing grenade after grenade at the thing. Gales slipped between live rounds and jumped, bringing his blade down on a gap in its claw and took it straight off as he ignited the blade. A wail left the Deathstalker as it lost its claw and swung to get the teen away from it. Pyrrha threw her spear and launched it forward; nailing it in one of its eyes as Gale went for its legs and to keep it from moving while Ren was knocked away and to a wall.

"Ren!" Jaune noticed something as he turned to his teammate.

"Pyrrha!"

"Done!" She threw hershied at its stinger and removed it, stabbing it straight into its head and her shield returned.

"Nora, nail it!"

"Heads up." Nora jumped, dropping her hammer under her as she landed on Pyrrha's shield as Gales skid back and looked at the team.

"The synergy of these guys…" Pyrrha jumped, and then Nora fired, launching herself into the air. She just released a small happy laugh as she reached her full height, and dropped with the force of a meteor, smashing herself into the Grimm and broke the rest of the bridge and launched those on it into the air. When they landed the five, the bridge and Deathstalker dropping and hunters looked back to Ruby and the others still battling the Nevermore. "Still at it huh… Nora, ever play baseball?" Nora took a stance as Gales charged her. He jumped, twisted and landed on his weapon's side.

"Batter up!"

She pulled a variation of what she had done with Pyrrha, launching the teen into the air as he went after one of the pillars. When he reached it he stabbed his weapon into it to keep his balance and turned to see Yang across from him.

"Nice of you to join us."

"Glad I'm not late." He turned and grabbed his handgun as he and Yang opened fire on the Nevermore. "So what's the plan?"

"We're gonna pin it in one place and throw my sister at it!" Yang stated as the Nevermore charged them head on. It opened that beak of it as Gales and Yang shared a look. "Mouth."

"Head." Both jumped, and landed on their respective parts of the Nevermore. Both holding onto the beak from different angles as Yang opened fire down its throat as Gales did a full swung and fired at its eyes.

"I! Hope! Your! Hung-ry! " Yang jumped off a moment later as Gales swung around to be on its throat and stabbed his blade through it to hit the mountain. Stab punched straight through the neck and into the mountainside behind it as it struggled. Gales just glanced down to see the girls getting into position. Yang and Blake made an improvised slingshot as Weis made a glyph of some sort. Ruby just jumped on it as she landed next to Weiss.

All Gales had to do was keep the damn bird still for a minute. One last burst…" The teen muttered as he hit the trigger and his blade started to catch fire again. Before the oversized bird could try breaking free, the flames on the blade spreads as it started to catch fire.

Ruby was launched a moment later, firing shot after shot to ropell herself skyward before her scythe dug into the Grimms neck and Gales looked at her. Another act of synergy; Gales pulled himself up and stepped on his weapon and kept the fire coming. And Ruby, she ran, ran straight up the mountainside as she took the burning Nevermore and Gales with her. Moment she reached the top of her climb she took its head off. Leaving the body to slide down the mountainside as it slipped through Gales weapon and as he stood still pinned to the mountain wall.

"Wow…" Jaune must have spoken for everyone as they looked upon the young huntress. All save Gales who just climbed up the rest of the mountain and stood with her.

"Nice plan."

"Nice improv."

Yang just looked upon the two as she smiled lightly. "Well. That was a thing."

Beacon Amphitheater

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester Dove Bronzewing Sky Lark." Ozpin began as he looked to the four new students. There was an applause going around, to commemorate the occasion. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will work together as… team CRDL. Lead by Cardin Winchester." Another round of applause and the team stepped down.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie." The four stepped forward as Ozpin looked them over. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces." From this day forward you will work together as… Team JNPR." Nora couldn't help hugging Ren. "Lead by… Jaune Arc."

"Huh?" That certainly caught the teen by surprise. "L - lead by…?"

"Congratulations, young man." Pyrrha just smiled as she hit Jaune in the shoulder causing him to fall over.

"And finally; Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as… Team Ruby. Lead by Ruby Rose."

"I'm so proud of you!" Yang couldn't help hugging her sister as the rest f the school watched. For some reason someone just whistled at the sight.

"Looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year." That said Ruby and the others joined the other students as they had themselves a moment. One that slowly ended as she asked a simple question.

"Guys… where's Gales?"

Ozpin's Office

Office was nice, kind of weird looking but still nice. That said Gales just sat in silence as he looked to Ozpin, watching him take a drink of his hot cocoa for a moment. He missed hot cocoa, especially when the cold seasons came. Great for warming up. That said though the silence had passed long enough in his opinion.

"So~ yeah."

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here?"

"I have an idea."