Author's Notes

I know most people won't care, but I posted the last chapter of You, Me, and the Tuna on Saturday. Just wanted to mention it since the site was down, notifications are off, and it's an abnormal posting date.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!


Chapter 6 – A Friend to Last a Lifetime

In which Weiss Schnee scopes out the competition and makes eye contact with a few folks.


Weiss' dislike of the troublesome twosome only grew at the knowledge that the other sister had been bothering Blake, and Blake had almost gotten up to chase them down and give them a piece of her mind when Weiss shared her own story. It had only been a warning from Weiss that Goodwitch's threat of mass expulsion may have extended to actions involving Blake as well.

"She only said she would kick you three if you or one of the other two did something," Blake had tried to reason.

"True, but this was her favorite little pair. Goodwitch dealt with the immature one while wearing kiddie gloves, and the other one was allowed to threaten me with no consequences."

Blake turned away in disgust. "Some people…hey, how are the even sisters if they're both first years?"

Weiss looked at her, unsure of what the question meant.

"You said they called themselves siblings, but unless they're twins, one would expect them to be separated by one academic year at the bare minimum. Unless their mother got pregnant within three months of giving birth, which seems a bit fast."

I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps they are twins; that would be the simplest explanation according to the principles of Ozccam's Razor. Though, in all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised to learn Yang Xiao-Long had been held back over issues arising from that violent temper of hers. If I had to guess an elder sister from the duo, I'd pick her.

Weiss refrained from sharing this particularly nasty thoughts, as she'd wasted enough time on those unpleasant people already. To Blake, she said, "Our first day and we already share a nemesis duo. It's almost enough to make me wish I attended Haven."


The next morning, they awoke to find a professor ushering students to breakfast at Beacon's cafeteria.

"Be sure to eat your fill, children, for you shall have an examination of your physical capabilities immediately after the meal. Keep your strength up!"

Exactly as Weiss had suspected. Beacon's opening class could not be this large; there had to be over two hundred participants spending the night here. Without some way to cull those unfit for attendance, the school's resources would be drained within a month if they continued to house, feed, and educate all those present.

Those unfit for attendance…well, at least I won't have to worry about those two for much longer.

A trusted group of third years had been deputized by Beacon and assisted the newcomers as they made their way to breakfast, but neither Weiss nor Blake needed their aid. Weiss had prepared for her education by memorizing a map of Beacon's facilities in advance, and Blake had prepared by following the girl who'd memorized a map of Beacon's facilities in advance.

"See? This is why you should be the team leader."

"Because I'm studied in cartography?"

"No, because you're prepared like that." Blake gave Weiss a light shove. "You think of things like this and take action, while I'm too much of a go with the flow gal to ever be the same. We'd be utterly lost without you and your forethought."

Weiss smiled and thanked Blake, keeping quiet on the fact that she'd been about to turn the wrong way had there not been a third year making whole-arm gestures to the crowd in the direction of the cafeteria.

They were probably in the last third of students to arrive, meaning that pockets of students had already begun to congregate into cliques.

Weiss recognized a handful of those dressed in the style of her home kingdom, Atlas, all clustered together in a corner and forming a tight wall to prevent Beacon natives or residents of other kingdoms forming. We still have so far to come…

A group of men seemed to have also formed a small body of people on a table just past them, but this group didn't seem particularly intent on excluding others. It was merely that a cluster of similar looking people tended to attract more members of that demographic. A girl sat down and joined them, and they seemed pleased to have her…though that may have been for other reasons.

Most tables were like that – cliques formed not by exclusion but by attraction. Weiss noticed that there was no Faunus clique…

"…because there are no Faunus."

Blake shook her head, arriving at the same conclusion. "It just goes to remind you that we're not done yet. You and I are going to have to pick up where our parents left off."

"Where to, then?"

Blake scanned the room for a minute then pointed to the back wall where the food was being served. "Let's actually grab some breakfast before focusing on establishing our positions within the social hierarchy."

Weiss blushed at her myopic focus and followed Blake to grab some breakfast. She'd kind of been hoping that her first meal free of Father's direct influence could be fish, just to prove a statement about herself and her choices, but Beacon sadly didn't serve any for breakfast. Instead, she opted for a light meal of roast potatoes (the least oily dish) and a serving of fruit salad.

"Hungry?" asked Blake. "You don't usually eat so much."

"I mind my figure, but only a fool ignores advice when it's given. That professor cautioned us not to go hungry. Given the specific nature of his warning, I fear our initiation test may be some sort of long-term survival assignment – perhaps being dropped off in the wildlands outside the kingdom and forced to survive in the wilderness without resources."

Blake dug into her yogurt and grinned at Weiss. "Got all that from a tubby man telling us to eat a big breakfast, did you?"

"So, now that we're served, where to?"

Jokes aside, this was probably the first part of their initiation test – many organizations loved to begin proctoring exams without informing the takers. Given that Beacon had a limited number of spots, the formation of alliances would be a deciding factor in their eventual victory or defeat. Traits like brawn or skill were useful, but a test that failed to take into account brain was no test at all.

We need to begin scoping out a team.

"Would you be averse to sitting alongside Pyrrha Nikos?" Weiss asked Blake.

Blake shrugged. "Sure."

Weiss had to complement the genius of Nikos. She was insanely popular and was almost sure to be swarmed by rabid fans and prospective teammates, but she seemed to have taken that into account. For the past night, Weiss had watched her following some blond-haired boy who did not outwardly seem to offer much – a plain weapon, weak musculature, rather easily distracted, absurdly annoying – but now it was all clear. As the sole two Faunus approached Nikos' table, they saw several others who'd were trying the same saying their goodbyes and fleeing.

She ingratiated herself to a lackwit so that he could be her annoying shield from sycophants and bottom-feeders. An attack dog…I like the strategy.

"Oh, ladies," said the boy as Weiss sat next to Pyrrha and Blake next to him. "Will you be the ones brave enough to join the casa de Arc? Few can handle my masculine presence."

Nikos, I complement your dedication. He truly is a waste of space; you chose most wisely.

"Pleased to make your acquaintances," Weiss said neutrally, entirely ignoring the boy's prior comments. "My name is Weiss Schnee. This is my friend, Blake Belladonna."

Blake nodded, glad at not having to interact as she opened up her book beneath the table. "S'me."

"The name's Jaune Arc. It's short, unlike my…sword." He waggled his eyebrows and released a smile that probably could be classified as a misdemeanor in some kingdoms.

"And I'm Pyrrha Nikos."

"Yes. In fact, I was h–"

Blake kicked Weiss under the table.

Weiss had no idea what it was for, but she trusted Blake to be her lookout. Even if she had barely spoken, Blake knew Weiss well enough to guess what she had been about to say and had determined that Weiss was better off not saying it. Thus, Weiss dropped it without hesitation and said something else.

"Do either you have any predictions as to what our upcoming test shall be?"

"Test?!" Arc groaned. "Oh, man! I didn't study!"

"I don't think it's that kind of test," Pyrrha reassured him, placing a hand on his arm and laughing nervously. "You'll do fine, Jaune. I'm sure of it."

Oh. So, he was her guard dog, but she also wanted to…to…

With HIM? This dork? was all Weiss could think.

In her youth, Father had briefly attempted to push her in the direction of some suitors, but he'd also forbid her from seeing them when any got close to her. Weiss wasn't entirely sure, but she suspected he wished for the alliance any one of them could bring by uniting his company with theirs, but also subconsciously balked at the idea of handing over the reins. In the back of his mind, Father still saw the man as the dominant force in any relationship and probably thought Weiss would become her mother when she married. Thus, her taking on a partner would inevitably be some other man, almost assuredly the son of a rival, seizing the Schnee name, the Schnee company, the Schnee everything from him. But hey, it was his flawed reasoning that had saved Weiss from becoming a bargaining chip in an arranged marriage, so she wasn't about to protest.

Pyrrha was giving more words of encouragement to Jaune, so Weiss remained silent and paid close attention to her words as she stabbed a fork into her food.

"I'm just…not sure if I…no. No, I want to do this."

"That's the spirit. You'll do fine, Jaune. And, who knows? Perhaps we can work together during the test."

Weiss saw her chance. "Beacon does utilize teams of four. I suspect this test is one part weed-out and one part talent show to determine who we wish to be our teammates."

There was another kick from under the table, and this time Weiss had a pretty good idea of what it was supposed to mean. Pyrrha's smile remained, but her eyes immediately left Weiss as soon as she brought up the subtle reminder of the possibility of teaming up.

I'm being too heavy handed. I can't be the first to approach Pyrrha, and she probably had plenty of people competing for her hand. Blake is right; I would be better served by demonstrating my prowess during the test rather than directly requesting a team up.

Unfortunately, Jaune himself heard Weiss' words without hearing the implied request Weiss had made. "Teams of four? Hey, there're four of us! Oh my gods, we…" He froze, then paused and made a sultry smile. "How about it, my angelic snow dove? Care to join Team Arc?"

Weiss might've if not for the fact that a) Jaune had abruptly chosen to start acting suave halfway through a panicky moment of fear and b) Weiss would rather swallow Myrtenaster than be teamed with this nincompoop.

"I'd love to join Team Arc," Pyrrha said amicably.

"As would I," Blake offered, grinning in that way that wasn't obvious to anyone but Weiss.

No, Weiss mouthed to Blake, but the damage was done.

"Heck yeah! So, whaddaya say, Weights? You interested? Only one spot's left, and I'd hate for you to be left out."

"It's Weiss," she corrected, not dignifying the rest with a response. She also had another reason to avoid Jaune Arc like the plague: he was clearly infatuated with her.

"It appears I've finished my meal," Weiss said, having used a small Glyph to surreptitiously slide her remaining potatoes off the plate and onto the floor under the table when no one was looking. She stood up. "Blake, shall we be off?"

"Oh, I finished my breakfast too," said Jaune. "I'll walk with you."

Weiss bit her lips, forced a smile for decency's sake, and sat back down. "Would you look at that? I accidentally dropped some of my food on the floor." She pointed to the pile of potatoes. "I'll have to go back to the line and get some more…but don't you wait up for me." She brushed in Arc's direction. "If you're finished, you should get a head-start. Come along, off with you! I'd hate for you to be late of my behalf."

Blake's eyebrows rose as Weiss ushered Jaune away.

"I'll walk with you, Jaune," said Pyrrha, stifling a giggle. "Let's head over to the lockers together."

The duo departed after a tense moment for Weiss, and she let her shoulders slump when they were gone.

"Is everyone at this school mentally deficient?" she asked Blake.

"Well, you and I are here, so probably."

"Thank you for the saves, by the way."

Blake nodded. "You were coming in a bit too hard. I figure that if there's a chance we might spend the next four years with one of them, you wouldn't want to seem desperate on the first day."

"Desperate – ! I was merely sociable."

Blake batted her eyelashes frantically and put her fingers together over her heart. "Oh, Pyrrha! Pyrrha, my darling, we must simply be together on the same team, for my undying love for you burns brighter than the Fire Dust in Birdenaster! Will you marry me?"

"Oh…um."

The pair of them turned to the side to see Pyrrha at the end of their table.

"F-Forgot Akoúo̱. I'll just…I'll just…yeah."

Blake's ears curled back in alarm, not entirely sure of how much the Invincible Girl had heard. "Pyrrha, wait, I –"

"Forgive my companion's little confession," Weiss cut in, deciding to pay Blake back a little for her stunt about the teams just the other day. "She was just telling me how she was too shy to say it to you directly."

"Oh! I…I'm flattered, and that's very, uh, kind of you…Blaise, but I'm afraid I'm not attracted to girls." Pyrrha was bright red with embarrassment now, and the only thing that could possibly be even more red in the entire world was Blake's own cheeks. "S-Sorry to let you down, Blaine. I'll be going now."

Pyrrha left once again, and this time both of them watched intently to make sure she didn't return. When she was fully gone, Blake shot Weiss with a look that could've curdled milk.

"You'll pay for that. I swear to the Brothers, Weiss, I'm going to roast your wings on a rotisserie spit and eat them whole."

Weiss toyed with the fork in her hands for two seconds, then smiled.

"As long as you eat me instead of Pyrrha."


Weiss was partially correct about the initiation test. It was to be a trial of survival in the wilderness, specifically the Emerald Forest just beyond the outskirts of Beacon's property line, but it wasn't a challenge to see who could survive the longest.

"Your assignment is to collect relics stored at a temple somewhere with the forest, and return them to a collection spot marked on your scrolls. There are twenty relics, with each partnership of two students claiming one."

That got gasps from most likely the entire student body, including Weiss. She'd known that many of the prospective hunters would be going no further than today at Beacon, but she'd never expected so few.

Twenty relics means forty students. Only ten teams, with probably enough people to form fifty to sixty in the audience today.

"To this end, your partners will be determined within the forest by the following method."

Weiss stood at attention eager to hear the next part. She hadn't…in truth, she hadn't even considered the possibility that partnerships and teams weren't chosen by the students themselves.

"The first person you make eye contact with that does not already have a partner shall be your own for the next four years."

Finding herself thankful for Father's lessons in how to keep a straight face during tough moments, Weiss processed the information. Partnerships decided by such an absurd method…and he still hadn't even mentioned how teams would be assigned from among these random pairs of students.

I hope I don't get Arc as my partner, Weiss thought, keenly aware that he was gazing her way.

"Should you encounter any obstacles in your way to the relics, you must destroy them, or they will certainly destroy you. Are there any questions?"

Weiss hated drawing attention to herself at such an early juncture, but she felt like this information would be all but imperative to know. Her hand raised into the air.

Ozpin looked her way, and she spoke. "What obstacles might we face?"

He raised an eyebrow, and Goodwitch shot a look at Weiss that was neither friendly nor antagonistic. "The enemy of any true hunter: the Grimm."

Her answer had been what Weiss expected, and she probably looked the fool for asking such an obvious question. But that wasn't what Weiss wanted to know.

"But what about each other?"

"Each other?" asked Ozpin. If she'd learned some tricks of the trade from Father about not giving away your true intentions, the headmaster must've been the original master of the subject, for his tone revealed nothing.

"There are limited relics and a surplus of students. Will we be expected to defend our relics from other students?"

Ozpin smiled congenially at Weiss and turned back to the rest of the class. "If there are no further questions, we shall begin the test momentarily."

Murmurs arose throughout the student body as the full implications of Weiss' query sank in. Jaune Arc raised a hand and began asking another question, but his weak voice was covered up by the chatter of the concerned students.

"Excellent." Ozpin tapped a button on his scroll. "Happy flights!"

The ground beneath Weiss surged forward, and she found herself thrown into the sky.


Many students had many different landing strategies.

Several of them used semblances, though those tended to be the lucky ones who were simply born with the convenient abilities. Weiss did spot a few who creatively used less standard semblances to control their descent: one boy was teleporting himself short distances to gradually lower to the forest floor, and another used the very intriguing method of stretching out his body into a parachute.

Others used Dust from their weapons – that was the majority, in fact. The launching pads had thrown them in a wide variety of directions to scatter them throughout the forest, so many were using high-impact bullets, rocket blasts, and even flamethrowers to slow their descent. A few particularly nasty ones were also turning their weapons on their fellow students, having realized from Ozpin's lack on an answer to Weiss' question that they might wish to cull the competition early.

A handful simply let themselves fall out of the sky and would presumably tank the impact of the collision using their aura or other methods. Jaune Arc seemed to favor that strategy, as he certainly wasn't using Dust or a semblance.

Weiss was the only one among them who made no attempt to control her descent. Instead, she chose to rise.

Blake had been thrown in the opposite direction, so Weiss let loose her full and complete wingspan as she glided through the air, flapping at opportune times to gain altitude.

As she flew, Weiss noticed that the seemingly random pattern in the direction students were flying was not, in fact, random at all. They seemed to be scattered in a roughly circular pattern, one which Weiss could only make out because she was flying so high above the rest of them.

A pattern…

Assuming that her prior assumption about this school being fully corrupt was inaccurate (and with the benefit of a calmer mind, Weiss was beginning to believe that she might've been reading too deep into some of that), it was highly unlikely that Ozpin would let something as simple as chance determine who landed closer and further from the temple towards which they were all heading. After all, if a hunter of substandard quality were to land closer, they would be more likely to pass than a superior specimen who had the misfortune of being launched further away.

Thus, it followed that the launching pads were calibrated to be equidistant (or at least somewhat fairly dispersed) in relation to the temple, the location of which Ozpin already knew. Since the students were launched in a highly formed circular pattern, one might expect that they formed a locus of points around a central location of some key significant.

The temple! Great, now that I know where it is, I can –

"WOOOOHOOOO!"

A student who seemed to have somehow remained in the sky passed overhead, and the shotgun blast she was using to gain elevation struck Weiss. The interloper continued sailing through the sky, but Weiss' left wing took a solid shot and recoiled in pain, causing her flight to become uneven. Weiss spiraled out of the sky in a nosedive.

Only just before she struck a tall tree was she able to get her wits back together from the unexpected encumbrance and create a Glyph to slow herself down. The Gravity Dust that she'd been hoping to save for a rainy day was spent, but it was probably worth less than the aura that would've been lost from slamming face first into the solid timber before her.

At the moment, Weiss had managed to catch onto the tree and was perched atop a branch. She considered using a Glyph to carry herself down, but instead opted on saving the aura and letting her wings do the work. Her left one was still stinging from being shot out of the sky, but it was sturdy enough to simply open up and let her daintily descend from the treetop.

Flying back up was out of the question, sadly. It would've been much easier for Weiss to scope out Blake from the safety of the skies without risking Grimm encounters (or unwanted eye contact), but Weiss' raised aura had been only perfunctory at the time of the impact, and she didn't want to rely on it any further. For the time being, she would simply have to search the old-fashioned way for her friend: by scouring the forest.

This isn't ideal. If I run into someone else and get paired up with them, that's already bad. And there's no telling how partner duos are formed into team quartets. If the eye-contact wackiness is any indication, I'd best count on it being something equally inane.

Weiss had no idea how randomized teams were superior to chosen teams. Sure, it might force people to leave their comfort zones, but what if Weiss were partnered up with someone who was also a Dust user? It would be redundancy on their team. Or what if her partner bore prejudices against the Faunus? That would require intervention, surely.

But it's not like I can reasonably argue. I can imagine Goodwitch's words. 'Oh, you spoilt brat you, seeking to have the teams rearranged to fit your whims. You know, none of our human students have requested special accommodations. They're all quite happy playing along with where the chips fell.'

Hacking down a patch of shrubbery, Weiss trekked through the forest, doing her best to remain vigilant for any and all threats. As much as team-based friction might be a nuisance, the threat of Grimm was far more severe. The less time she spent in this open forest, the better.

Come to think of it, it's extremely unlikely that I'm going to happen upon Blake first. She could be moving in the opposite direction searching for me. Perhaps I'd be better off securing a relic, then waiting for her there using the temple as a rendezvous point.

Yes, Weiss decided, that was certainly a superior plan. The temple was behind her right now (she was fairly certain that her deduction of its location was correct), so Weiss would make her way there. Blake was a smart gal; she would likely come to the same conclusion.

Perhaps I'll be the one who finds her waiting there for me, relic in hand.

Weiss stopped moving, turned around, and was, for the second time in this twenty-four hour period, slammed into by Ruby Rose.


When she'd lifted her head out of the grass into which the collision had pushed it, Weiss involuntarily made direct eye contact with the red-dressed imp before she could realize the implications of her actions. The two of them stared at one another for a moment before Weiss half-crawled, half-scrambled to desperately get away from Ruby.

"No! I refuse! I categorically and unequivocally refuse to accept you as my partner!"

Rose looked over her shoulder, as though someone else might've come out of the underbrush to mediate. When she seemed to accept they were alone, she made eye contact with Weiss again. "Look, lady, I'm not too happy about this either, but it's not like –"

"Yes it it!" Weiss ranted. "It is like that!"

She turned her back on the problem-child and resumed her course in the direction of the temple. As expected, Ruby Rose followed after her after a moment to realize what was happening.

"Hey, you –"

"No."

"But Ozpin said –"

"No."

"If you could just –"

"No."

There was a burst of color behind Weiss, and then she was swept up in a torrent of rose petals that spun through the air around her body. Weiss stopped and covered her face to prevent any of them from getting into her eyes, and some swirling pattern of red and black color moved past her on the side and blocked her path.

The bizarre creation touched the ground and immediately slowed its spinning until the became Ruby Rose herself. Weiss frowned at her.

"There," said the odd girl. "Now, if you'll stop running off and actually listen to me, I was saying that we're stuck with each other one way or the other, Weiss. We don't get to make an…I know you must be used to…look, Ozpin was clear. Eye contact decides partnerships. I'm not a big fan of it either, but we have to follow the teacher's rules."

"Precisely," Weiss said, pushing past the huntress in her way. "I am following the explicitly stated instructions given to me by the deputy headmistress, and you are attempting to circumvent or altogether disregard them. I advise you stop, lest you find yourself in violation of our orders."

"But Ozpin said –"

"Yes he did, Ruby, and Miss Goodwitch said that we weren't to cause each other any more problems," Weiss explained. "As these instructions were specifically tailored to our unique circumstances, I naturally expect them to supersede any and all –"

"Stop talking like you're trying to buy my company, okay?" said Rose exasperatedly. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you."

"No, you aren't. You're risking getting us both expelled and attempting to criticize me for your own choice to have never picked up a thesaurus."

"Gruuuh, you are so…most normal people don't just sit down and read the thesaurus, you weirdo!"

Weiss would've normally been a lot more incensed over the casual idiocy of this girl, but she had come to expect it by this point. "Be that as it may, can you argue with my logic?"

"You haven't…"

Weiss stopped moving and did a heel-faced turn. "Deputy Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch ordered us both…ordered all three of us to have no further conflicts on pain of expulsion."

"And Ozpin said –"

Weiss placed a hand on Myrtenaster. "Ozpin said we must defend ourselves and our relics from any and all obstacles, lest they destroy us. Now, I have been patient with you. I could have, at any point, turned my sword on you, and yet I have restrained myself out of courtesy due to the uniqueness of our situation and my own predilection to solve things nonviolently. Push me further, and you will see just how a cornered bird reacts."

The two of them waited for a few seconds, all while Weiss' dominant hand rested on the hilt of her rapier. She didn't want to fight this child, but Ozpin had more or less stated that they were being pitted against one another, and there was not a chance in Vacuo that Weiss was going to let Ruby frickin' Rose ahead of her.

And then, Ruby's hand slowly slid up her hip, in the direction of her scythe.

We've got ourselves in a unique standoff here. I was bluffing; Goodwitch will surely have us both removed if we quarrel here, but I truly doubt she wishes for us to be put on the same team.

Damned if she did, damned if she didn't…Weiss fingered Myrtenaster's rotating Dust chamber and braced herself for whatever came next.


"Helloooo! Anyone there? Need a little help here…"

Both girls' head snapped in the direction of the voice. It was a man's voice, and one that Weiss felt was unfortunately familiar. She didn't let go of her grip on her sword, but she looked Ruby's way and waited to see how she reacted.

The infantile huntress nodded ever so lightly. Without letting the other out of their sight, both Ruby and Weiss inched in the direction of the man calling them.

The passed through some shrubbery and found themselves in a small clearing where sunbeams actually managed to cut through the treetops and reach the ground below. Weiss glanced upwards and saw Jaune Arc hanging from a tree from Miló, Pyrrha Nikos' signature huntress weapon. It was in its javelin form, piercing the tip of his hooded jacket and suspending him. His feet dangled helplessly as he tried (and failed) to angle his sword in a way that could slice open the tree to free himself.

"Oh, hey ice queen. Come to save your knight in shining armor?"

Pyrrha Nikos' javelin…

Weiss glanced at the javelin and had to restrain a cry of anguish. So close to having everything she wanted, and it had all been ruined by this little red monster. Now, because of Ruby Rose, every pathway led to failure, but some failures were less ruinous than others.

"Arc," she greeted. "Well met. And as a matter of fact, I have."

Weiss let go of Myrtenaster, trusting Ruby wouldn't try anything with a clear witness in front of her, and flapped her wings enough to rise up to the height of the nearest tree branch. From there, she made small hops up the tree towards Arc, boosting herself with her wings as necessary.

"Izzat your partner?" Jaune called over to Weiss, looking down at Ruby.

"No," Weiss said. "She already is spoken for. You're my partner."

"Hey!" cried Ruby, stamping her foot.

"Saa-weeeeet!" Arc pulled in his elbow as a sign of victory, and Weiss had to refrain from cringing. "Team Arc is finally coming together!"

It wasn't a pleasant though, having this noodle-like scarecrow for a partner, but she'd take a lump of manure shaped into a humanoid form over Ruby Rose.

It's this damned eye contact that ruined everything. If I could simply ensure Blake was my partner, I'd be all set, but she's nowhere to be seen. As such, I have to choose the lesser of two irksome menaces, and that would be Jaune Arc. Ruby Rose is a thoroughly unfixable, and teaming up with her would also guarantee regular interactions with her sister, who'd be my partner-in-law so to speak. That means I have to deal with my nemesis, and Blake, who WILL be on my team, would have to deal with her archenemy as well. That's simply too much.

What truly bothered Weiss about this was that accursed javelin. For whatever reason, Pyrrha Nikos was taken with Jaune Arc, and she had literally pinned him to the wall for her to collect at her leisure. If Weiss merely let these events transpire, she could assure her own team contained the Invincible Girl; Nikos would track her weapon down and insist she and her partner be placed alongside Weiss and Jaune.

And therein lay the problem: Nikos and her partner. Unless the world had smiled upon Weiss and granted her the luck of Blake and Pyrrha meeting in this forest, Weiss would have to make a choice. She could get Pyrrha, but only if she were willing to lose Blake.

And I refuse. No matter what, I refuse to be separated from Blake. She's the other half of my heart and soul, and we'll be together in Beacon even if I have to steal the relic from every other student in this forest and fail them all.

For some reason, that made Weiss think of Blake's little joke this morning about undying love and wanting to get married. It was clearly a wisecrack, and one at Weiss' expense at that, but the words Blake had used…hearing those words…

"You okay, my delicate darling dove?" Jaune asked Weiss, who'd now reached his level.

Weiss laid a hand on Miló. "Brace your legs. Lean into the drop when you land."

"Wh–"

The javelin was torn free, and Arc tumbled down into a pile of dry leaves and twigs at the base of the tree. When he emerged, his mouth was full of detritus. Groaning, he stuck out his tongue and began peeling bits of bark off of it.

Weiss leapt down after him, letting her wings slow her descent. Arc, momentarily distracted by her graceful descent, sighed longingly before he coughed up an acorn. It was almost enough for Weiss to have second thoughts about this whole arrangement. Almost. Actually, not really.

"But what about me?" asked Ruby, who'd been silent for the blissful time it had taken Weiss to scale the tree.

"What about you?" Weiss asked.

She then helped Jaune to his feet (taking care to leave behind the javelin so that Nikos wouldn't be able to track them) and walked off with her huntsman partner in the direction of the temple, leaving a stunned Ruby Rose behind.


Next Chapter: Four Swords

In which Weiss Schnee and Jaune Arc cover their tracks and seek out a temple.


Author's Notes

Before you get worried, Ruby and Yang will be main characters. I promise. And not just like cameo main characters – second only to Weiss, tied with Blake for screentime.

As much as I liked initiation, it would've been cool to see a battle royale for the relics. Or maybe Ozpin always intended that, but no one in canon was cutthroat enough to think of it.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!