Rowan plummeted from the sky, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed in thought. The adrenaline rush he received from being in perpetual free-fall was nothing short of amazing, and very few things could ever naturally match the high he was feeling right now. As the canopy came into view, Rowan flipped Crimson Birch, pressing the butt of the sword against his shoulder.

Several shots rang out as he pulled the trigger, slowing his descent with the recoil. He twirled Crimson Birch in his hand. As soon as the first tree came into view, Rowan extended the dagger blade from Crimson Birch's hilt and stabbed it into the trunk, slowing him to a complete stop.

He landed on the ground safely before taking off in a wild sprint.

Partners… partners. That old goat said that the first person I make eye contact with was going to be my partner, Rowan thought as he vaulted over a fallen log.

Who to pick? Ruby?

The thought of being Ruby's partner for the next four years was appealing but the threat of Yang looming over his head for that long was just as unappealing. He quickly cast the notion aside.

Her?

Rowan almost wanted to laugh. Five years and she was still pissed at him.

That leaves Noctis and Akari. Whoever I find first I guess, Rowan thought.

He bolted through the forest, enjoying the feeling of wind against his face. His ears perked up when the sound of growling came from his left. Rowan sighed and tightened his grip around Crimson Birch. He jumped just as a massive paw came swinging out of his left.

He flipped in the air and fired a shot at whatever had come barreling like a truck and landed on the ground.

His eyes narrowed when he saw it.

The very thing he and everyone else had been training to kill. His grandfather called them a collective will. Horrific beasts and monsters that lurked in the shadows, seeking to devour civilization and return mankind to the void. They lacked souls and were creatures of pure destructive intent.

The Grimm.

The wolf-like creature reared its head at him. The exoskeletal plating on its head made its appearance more menacing. Spines jutted from his arms and back as it reared itself on its hind legs and roared.

"Beowolf," Rowan said as he widened his stance.

"I supposed you're not here to be my partner, right?" he asked.

The monstrous creature let out a growl as it lumbered toward him. Saliva dripped from its fangs, its red eyes containing an insatiable hunger.

He narrowed his eyes and was about to press the trigger on Crimson Birch's sheath when the beowolf's head was knocked to the side. The wolf Grimm roared as it staggered. In the place where it was, a blue yoyo spun, crackling electricity.

"That's—"

"Yoohoo!"

A blur of orange and red shot past him as the yoyo retracted to its owner. Akari flipped into the air and spun before launching her two yoyos at the beowolf's head. Blades expanded from the central core as the circles spun, grinding and slicing into the side of its skull.

Akari pulled her yoyo's back, retracting the blades before she caught them and landed on the ground.

The beowolf fell to the ground, dead. Viscous black fluid began to flow freely from the gaping wound on the side of its face. Its body twitched every few seconds before fading into harmless black mist.

Akari tucked her hair behind her ear. She slowly turned and made eye contact. Blue eyes met red and a silent understanding passed between them. She smirked and walked over to him with her gloved hand held out.

"I guess that makes us partners, huh?" Akari said.

"I had it," Rowan firmly grasped her hand.

"Sure you did," Akari bit back.

A silence fell over the two before they laughed.

"Come on. Let's go," Rowan said, pulling his hand back.

Akari stretched her arms before nodding. "North, right?"

"Hopefully, we don't run into anything on the way. I'd hate to waste dust on the first day of class," Rowan stretched his legs.

"Don't jinx us, Wolfie. Come on," Akari said as she walked forward.


Noctis and heights were incompatible. He panicked the entire way down but managed to regain his wits as the cold hard earth came within view. Deciding that living was a much better option than ending up as tomato paste on Beacon's grass, Noctis pulled on his semblance. The shadow on his coat extended and latched onto a tree, catching him before he became an afterthought in Beacon's initiation.

Landing on the ground with a hard but manageable thud, Noctis began to dust himself off. His dark eyes flitted around, scanning for signs of danger. The shadow retracted back into his coat as he clenched and unclenched his fists. His fingers twitched, aching to activate his weapon at the slightest sound.

Okay, okay. Eye contact. You can handle that, right? RIGHT NOCTIS! You're not a baby. Mom was super proud you got into Beacon! Come on! One foot at a time. Take a step forward, man! He thought frantically.

Noctis began to hesitantly walk forward, praying to Israfel or Auriel or whatever God decided to lend an ear that his partner would be nice.

"SOMEBODY HELP MEEE! WATCH OOUUUUT!"

Noctis whirled around and was met with the sight of a blonde missile crashing into him. Dust exploded everywhere as he was knocked to the ground.

"Ow…," Noctis groaned. A dull, throbbing pain radiated from his chest to his whole body. He lifted his head, seeing a mop of long, golden blonde hair spread out all over his chest. All manner of pain left him as he was suddenly very aware of a softness pressed up against him.

Oh shit! It's a girl!

Said girl groaned in pain. She sat up, not realizing that she was straddling him as she rubbed her head. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing deep blue irises.

"Ow, ow, it… doesn't hurt?" the girl blinked before her eyes drifted down. She jumped up suddenly, hands flying to her mouth. "O-Oh my Gods! I'm so sorry! Are you hurt? Do… Do you need to go to the infirmary? Wait, how do I even get to the infirmary? Who do I call for help!?"

Noctis watched as the girl began to hyperventilate. "Um, Miss?"

"Oh my Gods, I killed someone. I… I barely got into this school with Jaune. Ahhhh! What do I do?" The girl held her head, frantically looking around to find a way to get rid of the evidence. "Ahh, ah! I need to bury him—"

"MISS!"

The girl's head snapped up and turned to see Noctis dusting himself off. "I'm fine, see?"

The girl's expression softened slightly. Her hand was still on her chest, trying to rest her heartbeat. Noctis didn't know what to do. The girl was staring at him warily as if he were some sort of creep, or no, a ghost to be more accurate. She was terrified. He couldn't blame her.

"P-Professor Ozpin said that the first person we make eye contact with is our partner—" Noctis tried to get her attention but the girl was still having a full blown panic attack.

"I-I don't even know where to find Jaune and… what do I even do?" the girl said.

"Miss?"

Noctis's eyes flicked over to a mass of darkness behind her. A Beowolf came lumbering out of the woods, claws splayed and raised above its head. He reacted instantly, grabbing the girl by the shoulder and pulling her behind him.

In one swift movement, he rammed his gauntleted fist into its midsection. A loud bang shattered the silence of the woods as a blade ejected itself from the gauntlet's barrel, piercing through its hide with incredible ease. The beowolf let out a death rattle as Noctis pulled the gauntlet blade from its body.

The dying whine escaped its lips as it fell forward with a resounding crash.

"You really need to calm down," Noctis said, turning to face her.

The girl nodded frantically, not even letting so much as a peep out of her mouth.

"I'm Noctis, by the way," he said.

"V-Viridian…," the girl said.

"I guess we're partners now, huh?" Noctis said.

Viridian nodded as she took deep breaths. "I guess we are."

"Come on," Noctis beckoned for her to follow, "Let's get out of here before more Grimm show up."

The mention of more Grimm coming to their location was enough to make Viridian snap to attention. She hastily followed after him as the two made their way deeper into the forest.


Akari and Rowan trekked deeper into the woods. The trees seemed to be closing all around them now. Occasionally, the faint sounds of gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance. However, the sounds grew fewer and fewer as time passed, though a few happened here and there.

Rowan looked down and checked his scroll. He swiped through a few apps before selecting the Aura Meter.

"I think it'd be good if we shared our scroll data so we can keep track of each other's aura," Rowan said.

Akari pushed some foliage aside. She glanced over her shoulder. "Smart," she said as she pulled her scroll out. She tapped the sharing function and placed it close to Rowan's scroll. A ping sounded out from both their scrolls and soon, Akari's icon appeared on Rowan's screen.

"Good. We're still at least 98%," Rowan said.

"For now. If we don't run into any more grimm, we'll be golden. Hopefully, everyone cleared them out for us and we can just stroll our way to the finish line," Akari said as she stepped over the decaying corpse of a boar-like grimm.

"Hopefully," Rowan said as he ripped off the tusk from the dark boar. "How many of us do you think are… you know?"

"Alive? Well, I really hope all of us. The teachers aren't going to leave us to die, right?" Akari stopped walking and looked at Rowan. There was a hint of fear in her eyes. Of course, she'd be afraid. He was afraid as well. In a forest full of monsters, death was an ever-present companion.

Rowan sighed. His ears twitched as he kept walking forward. His eyes kept watch of every little detail they passed by. His heightened sense of caution allowed him to see more than he normally would. A large track wound deeper into the woods. The manner of which it moved was reminiscent of a sidewinding motion, almost as if whatever made it was…

"Slithering."

"What?" Akari looked back at him. She took a step and her foot dipped into the track. Having noticed a slight change in elevation between her two feet, Akari glanced down.

"Slithering. We're… not alone," he said.

"Great," Akari said as she pulled her yoyos out of her pocket.

Rowan remained silent as he kept his hand over Crimson Birch's handle. His ears took in all the sounds around him. Akari's shallow breathing. The sound of twigs snapping to his right and left. And finally, the faint sound of hissing that was growing louder and louder. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he jumped into the air, avoiding a strike in the nick of time.

A massive black snake had its head slammed into the ground. Rowan landed next to Akari, watching as the snake pulled its head out. Its red eyes glowed as it opened its mouth, revealing a row of hook-like teeth behind two very long fangs.

"King Taijitu," Akari said. "The black half is there, which means that…" She spun on the balls of her feet, shooting both her yoyo cores forward and catching the white half off-guard. It had struck stealthily from behind.

However, it didn't account for the fact that they were aware of it. Akari's yoyo cores slammed into the side of its skull, knocking it aside.

"So how do you want to do this? This is sort of our first teamwork exercise, right?" Rowan asked.

"I get the white half and you get the black half?" Akari suggested.

"Then we meet in the middle," Rowan added.

Akari grinned as an orange shroud of energy appeared around her.

"Alright then, Partner," she smirked.

Rowan chuckled as red energy crackled around his body.

As the twin halves reared their heads, the two took off toward their respective half.

Rowan slid beneath its strike, drawing Crimson Birch from its sheath and stabbing it into the belly, splitting it open as he went. As he slowed to a stop, he sliced outward, performing a severe diagonal cut on its underside. The Black snake hissed in pain as its black blood spilled onto the grass.

Rowan jumped into the air and drove Crimson Birch's blade into its skull. "Akari!"

"A little busy!" Akari danced around the White Snake's strikes. She pulled one of her yoyo cores back to her hand while shooting the other one out from her hand. The yoyo wrapped around its throat and she pulled back, slamming it into the ground.

She flicked her wrist, causing the yoyo wrapped around the White Snake to spin rapidly, pulling her toward it.

Akari smirked as she held the other yoyo core into her hand. The yoyo clicked as blades expanded outward from the circular core. Once she reached the white half, she stabbed the bladed yoyo into its skull.

The White Snake hissed and thrashed as Akari hung on, using the embedded yoyo to control its head to the best of her ability.

"What now!?" she screamed.

"Meet in the middle? Have them bite each other!" Rowan yelled back.

"That sounds really stupid!" Akari retorted.

"I know!"

Akari rolled her eyes as she tugged on the yoyo wrapped around its throat while using the embedded one to lurch the white one forward.

"Come on, Wolfie! Coming in hot!"

Rowan grinned as he slid the blade inside its skull, causing the black one to hiss and expose its throat.

Akari and the white half came in, its mouth and fangs sinking into the black half's neck. The two pulled out their respective weapons and jumped off, landing on the ground. The King Taijitu spasmed as its white half tore into the throat of its black half.

Rowan sheathed its sword, watching carefully as the snake tried to pull its white half off its black half.

"Now!" Rowan urged as he rushed forward.

Akari nodded as she took off after him. She shot her yoyos forward and jumped onto them, propelling herself with the cores as rollerblades. She jumped into the air and threw a yoyo at Rowan, who caught it and was pulled toward her.

Akari let out a grunt of effort as she threw Rowan at the white half of the King Taijitu while it struggled to pull its fangs out of itself.

Rowan shot past it, sword drawn from its sheath. He slowly resheathed Crimson Birch as the white head of the King Taijitu slid off its body, still attached to the black half. "That wasn't half bad," he panted.

"Yeah. I thought we'd fuck up and die," Akari walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

Rowan grinned and stood up, dusting himself off. "Pretty good work if I do say so myself."

"You're pretty handy with that sword of yours," she said.

"Same for you. I've never seen anyone fight with yoyos before and I've seen someone wield a giant farming tool as a weapon," he said.

"Thanks. Vermillion Star's been with me since I was in Sanctum. Never picked up anything else," Akari said.

Rowan smiled. As he was about to speak, a loud scream echoed from the forest. He and Akari turned in the direction of the scream. "A student?"

"Let's go," Akari said.

The pair took off in the direction of the noise.


"Viridian, hide!"

Noctis shouted as he rolled out of the way.

His luck was what one would call abysmal but today, it was even more so. First, he got virtually shot down by a blonde missile of a girl. Next, while making their way north, the pair stumbled onto a Grimm. And not just any Grimm, no, it was an Ursa. A large bear-like creature that was more of a pain to deal with than anything.

Its thick hide served as an extreme annoyance to anything that wasn't a Huntsman. However, with Noctis protecting Viridian, who was having a full blown panic episode, fighting this thing while keeping herself was now becoming an actual problem.

"Viridian, can you…? Can you fight?" Noctis asked.

"M-Me!? Fight that thing!?" Viridian shouted as she gripped her sword tightly.

"I'm kind of in a bind here! I need back— Woah!" Noctis bent backward as its paw came dangerously close to decapitating him.

He jumped back and fired several rounds from his bladed gauntlets, propelling him further back. Noctis landed next to her and glanced at Viridian briefly. The poor blonde was gripping her rapier tightly, trying to calm herself down. Her entire body was quivering in fear.

Damn it!

A slight black shroud surrounded him. He pulled his shadow out of the ground and swung it with incredible force. The shadow morphed into a hammer, slamming into the side of the ursa's head. The ursa was sent flying through several trees. His shadow retreated back into the ground.

"Come on! Let's go! There's going to be more and—"

"Noctis, watch out!" Viridian yelled as she pulled him toward her.

Noctis's eyes widened as he saw another ursa nearly bite him in half.

He and Viridian tumbled to the ground, rolling a few feet before stopping. He groaned as he got up. There was a large shadow above them. Noctis slowly turned his head to see the ursa standing on its hind legs, paws ready to reduce them to ribbons of meat. The Ursa roared as it was about to swing its paws when a series of gunshots rang out.

The ursa stumbled as the shots struck its back. It turned on its hind legs only for a large spinning disk to be stabbed through its skull.

Noctis watched in amazement as the disk slowed to a stop, revealing a yoyo core with four large curved blades. The blades retracted as the yoyo was pulled back, causing the ursa to fall forward with a resounding thud.

"Noctis!"

He looked up and saw Rowan running toward him.

"Rowan! Thank the gods!" he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Noctis scrambled to get to his feet as Rowan and Akari came to a stop.

"You two okay?" Akari asked.

"Y- Yeah, no thanks to you two, um…?" Noctis said.

"Akari. Just call me Akari," she replied.

"Er, well, I'm Noctis. This is Viridian," he said, gesturing to the shaking blonde girl on the ground.

"Oh god…," Viridian's face turned to the same shade as her name as she vomited all over the grass.

After a few seconds of throwing up, she slowly got up, holding her stomach. "H- Hey." Viridian smiled as best as she could, hiding the fact that she had just suffered a near death experience. There were a few cuts on her arms and one on her cheek.

"Oh, um, you might want to use your aura there," Rowan said.

"My what?" Viridian looked at him as if he were insane.

"Your aura. You know what that is, right?" Akari said.

"Huh? Oh. Um, of course, I do. Ahaha, but for some of us here who might… not know what it is, why don't you explain it like we're all 5," Viridian laughed nervously.

Rowan and Akari exchanged glances. The two turned to Noctis, who stiffened when he felt both pairs of eyes on him. He pointed to himself and almost let out a groan when the two nodded. "Um, well, aura is the manifestation of the soul. It sort of acts like a barrier that heals and protects you."

"Sort of like a forcefield… or a buff," Viridian said.

"Yeah, something like that. Everyone has it, even animals. The only thing that don't have it is Grimm. Grimm lack a soul hence why they don't have aura. They are creatures of pure destructive intent. A will that seeks to devour mankind."

Viridian scratched her cheek, face flushing in embarrassment. "And… what if I don't have one?"

"You don't have your aura unlocked. How did you get through the training academy?" Rowan asked, raising his eyebrows in shock.

"Luck?" Viridian said.

Akari stifled her laughter when she heard Viridian's answer. Rowan sighed and slapped his forehead.

"Um… how do I get an aura?" Viridian squeaked, her voice becoming smaller with each word.

Noctis shook his head and walked over. "Close your eyes and concentrate." He placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes glowed slightly as a light black shroud formed around his body before crossing over to hers. The moment it did, it turned green.

"Do you feel that warm feeling inside you?" Noctis asked.

"Mhm," Viridian replied.

"Pull it. Pull it as hard as you can."

Viridian nodded and focused on it. She found it easy to grab onto it as all other sensations fell away.

Noctis, Akari, and Rowan's eyes widened when they saw a surge of green energy rush out from her. After a few seconds, it settled into a faint shroud around her body. Her cuts began to heal at an astonishing rate, slightly faster than most aura users.

Noctis took a step back, feeling winded. "Woah…"

Viridian's eyes fluttered open. "Eh? Noctis, are you—"

"I'm fine. It's just. Never done that before. To be honest, I only know how to do this because my mom did it for me before I entered Pharos," he smiled.

"I feel…lighter," Viridian said, staring at her hands. "All my wounds are gone too."

"That's what aura does. It protects and heals you. Some people can do crazy stuff with it with enough practice," Rowan said.

"If you guys are done admiring yourselves," Akari said.

The sound of roaring came from behind them. Birds flew out from the canopy as the trees began to rustle violently. "We need to go, like now."

Rowan bit his cheek. "It's just one thing after another. Let's go before whatever's coming here comes over and—"

What lumbered out from behind the woods seemed like a creature out of a nightmare. It was a wolf-like creature 3 times larger than a beowolf. Its beady red eyes glowed from beneath its skull-like mask. Saliva fell from its open mouth, which housed rows of serrated teeth. The creature sniffed the air before turning its head toward them. The wolf-like beast stood on its hind legs, standing at a height that was almost as tall as the tree behind it.

"A Garm," Rowan said.

"We need to go. NOW," Akari urged as it eyed them warily.

"Way ahead of you," Noctis said.

The four exchanged glances before taking off, deeper into the woods.

The Garm roared, its snarl akin to a scream. It dropped down on all fours before giving chase.


"Is it still behind us!?" Viridian panted as she gave her all to keep pace with them.

"That's a dumb question!" Rowan replied.

The four ran through the forest, chased by a series of hellish screams. It was akin to the howl of a wolf and the cry of a wailing banshee. The very sound of it sent chills down their spines. The loud footfalls of the Garm could be heard behind them, getting closer and closer.

Akari clenched her jaw and jumped into the air. She swung her yoyos out, extending their blades and cutting down the trees behind them in an attempt to slow it down.

She landed on the ground as the others ran past her.

"GO!" she yelled as she began running again.

"I… see something!" Noctis yelled.

Fortune seemed to favor them in that moment as a break in the treeline came into view. The group broke through the foliage into a massive clearing. At the clearing's center, there was a ruined temple. Its worn stone pillars were arranged haphazardly in a circle. Within the circular stone floor, there were stone pedestals arranged in a circular formation. On the pedestals, there were gold and black chess pieces.

"The temple!" Akari said.

"Go! Grab the pieces! Noctis and I will hold the thing off!" Rowan slid to a stop and aimed Crimson Birch's barrel at the shaking treeline.

"Me! Can I choose not to stand here!?" Noctis asked, aiming at the treeline.

Viridian and Akari ran over to the temple, scanning the pieces on the pedestal. Some of the pieces were missing, most notably the rook and knight pieces. The only pieces left were the King white bishop, and black pawn pieces.

"Which one do we pick?" Viridian asked.

"Ozpin said one relic per partnership," Akari said.

"Guys?" Rowan said as he shifted on his feet.

"Fuck it! Viri, here!" Akari grabbed both white bishops and tossed one to Viridian.

"E-Eh? EHHH!?" Viridian caught the piece in a panic.

"What's taking so long!?" Noctis asked as the roars got closer.

"We got them! Let's go go GO!" Akari yelled.

Rowan and Noctis exchanged glances before taking off in a headlong sprint toward them. As they did, the Garm broke through the treeline, knocking over several trees. It let loose an ear-piercing roar that ripped up the grass around it. The beast growled, watching as the group ran northward.


The rest of the ruins came into view. A seeming necropolis that spanned over an almost bottomless gorge. There were clear signs of battle present. Nevermore feathers littered the stony path and some of the buildings were obliterated, their rubble scattered all over the pathway. As the group reached the bridge, they came to a screeching halt.

"Um… why is the bridge broken?" Noctis said.

Rowan knelt and brushed his finger against the ground. "Dust. Crap…"

"What? What does that mean?" Viridian asked as she gripped her rapier tightly.

"The bridge got blown up by whoever was fighting here," he replied.

"Are you saying we're stuck here!?" she said.

"No, we just need to jump," Akari said.

"Huh! Are you hearing yourself right now? That gap is too big for us to cross," Viridian said, glancing between Akari and the obvious 50 foot gap between them and the other side.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Rowan asked.

Viridian glanced between the charging black mass and the gap behind her. She closed her eyes in fear. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. She took a deep breath before shaking her head. "No… We better not fall."

"Akari, can you swing across with her?" Rowan asked.

Akari kept her eyes trained on the galloping Garm. "If you can keep that thing off me."

"Off you…? That thing is an Elite Class Grimm. First-years like us can't fight that thing by ourselves," Noctis said.

"We don't have a choice," Rowan said as he aimed Crimson Birch at it.

"Fuck… whoever blew up this bridge. If I'm dying here, I'm haunting them forever," Noctis said as he readied his arms.

Rowan laughed. "Me too."

The Garm roared as it charged toward them.

"Noctis!"

"Got it!"

Noctis shot forward, using the shots from his gauntlets to propel himself forward. He slid underneath its swipe and between its legs. The Garm turned to maul him when Rowan dashed forward and sliced into its back.

The Garm roared and turned to slash Rowan when Noctis delivered a bladed punch to its side. The Garm staggered and let loose a shrieking roar. A black pulse of energy exploded from its body, knocking them both back.

Akari watched the two hold it off before offering her hand to Viridian.

"Trust me."

Viridian eyed the redhead before nodding. Akari grinned and gripped her hand tightly before shooting her yoyo, embedding it into a pillar across the bridge. "Hold on!"

"Huh—!? Uwaaaaaggggghhh!" Viridian screamed as Akari swung both of them across the bridge.

The two landed on the other side.

Viridian coughed as she got to her feet. "N-Noctis! Rowan! Come on!"

Rowan looked over across the bridge, seeing Akari and Viridian waving at them.

"Noctis, on my signal, run," Rowan said.

Noctis glanced at Rowan for a moment before nodding.

Rowan took a deep breath and held his hand over Crimson Birch's handle. His eyes shined slightly as his red aura crackled around him. His other finger rested on the trigger of Crimson Birch. His eyes flicked over to Noctis, who nodded and took off toward the bridge in a sprint.

The Garm roared and bounded after Noctis. However, Rowan vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing in front of the Garm. He pulled the trigger, firing Crimson Birch from its scabbard in an explosive quick draw.

The Garm howled as the blade sliced into its shoulder, spraying viscous black fluid everywhere. It stumbled back, falling on its side as it reeled from the severity of the attack.

"ROWAN! COME ON!"

He looked over his shoulder and saw the three on the other side of the gap. Without wasting another second, Rowan took off in a headlong sprint toward the gap. He didn't look back. He didn't need to. Both sets of ears could pick up the sound of the Garm picking itself back up, followed by the sound of its unearthly howl.

Rowan channeled his aura to his legs, increasing his speed as he got closer to the gap. He jumped and after him, so did the Garm. Rowan spun in mid air, aiming Crimson Birch's barrel at its face and fired. The recoil propelled him back as the bullet pierced its throat. However, the Grimm's jaws opened to wrap around his leg.

Time seemed to slow as it was about to tear it off when Akari's yoyo shot past him and sliced into its open jaw. The blades extended, piercing its skull. She pulled the yoyo out, tearing its head in half and let it fall into the gorge.

"ROWAN!" Akari yelled as she shot the Vermillion Star's other yoyo at Rowan, wrapping it around his torso and pulling him back with all her strength. Noctis and Viridian grabbed Akari before she could be pulled down with Rowan and with their combined strength pulled him onto the bridge.

The four collapsed, panting heavily.

"Hahaha… we made it," Noctis said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Viridian sighed in relief as she all but melted into a blonde puddle on the ground.

Rowan laughed as he glanced at Akari, grinning from ear to ear.

Akari gave him a peace sign, returning his smile in the same way.


"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the Black Bishop Pieces. From this day forward, you will work as Team CRDL (Cardinal) led by Cardin Winchester," Professor Ozpin said.

Their names and pictures appeared on the holoscreen overhead as did their team name. The group bowed respectfully and left the stage.

Rowan sat next to Akari, Noctis, and Viridian as they waited their turn. It seemed that the pairs that retrieved the same color and pieces were put on the same teams.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the White Rook Pieces. From this day forward, the four of you shall work together as Team JNPR (Juniper) led by Jaune Arc," Professor Ozpin said.

Viridian smiled and waved at Jaune, cheering as he was selected as the leader.

"L- Lead by?" Jaune stuttered.

"Congratulations, young man," Ozpin said.

The room erupted in light laughter as Pyrrha lightly punched him in the arm, knocking him over.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the White Knight Pieces. From this day forward, the four of you shall work together as Team RWBY (Ruby) led by Ruby Rose," Ozpin said.

The crowd cheered as Team RWBY stepped off the stage after their announcement.

"And finally, Rowan Schwarz, Noctis Nightingale, Viridian Arc, and Akari Suzaku. The four of you retrieved the White Bishop Pieces. From this day forward, the four of you shall work together as Team RAVN (Raven) led by… Rowan Schwarz," Ozpin said.

"Huh? Me?" Rowan pointed at himself.

"Your older sister would be very proud of you, young man," Ozpin said.

Akari grinned and slapped his shoulder.

Rowan winced and smiled in return.

Ozpin's lips curved into a small smile as he took a sip of his coffee mug. "Looks like things are shaping up to be… an interesting year.


Vermillion Star

Owner: Akari Suzaku

Weapon Classification: Dust Conductive Yoyo-Fuuma Shuriken

Description: The design of this weapon is unique to say the least. It might just be the most unconventional weapon of the year. Wielded by Dustuber Suzari, the weapon features an incredibly strong titanium fiber wire. The cores are weighted, allowing Suzari to launch herself into the air thanks to the added weight. Suzari states that it is highly compatible with her semblance.

In addition, while limited in its mechashift capabilities, it has folding blades that extend outward when Suzari activates the aura receptor mechanisms through the wire. A unique weapon for a quirk streamer.


Teams have been made. The initiation chapter is over. I gotta say, this was fun to write. Like I said, this will diverge from canon almost immediately after initiation. They're not going to follow Team RWBY closely but they are friends with them since Rowan and Ruby are friends. They'll be working more often with Team JNPR for... well, I'm sure you all got the reasons.

Also, for anyone who didn't notice, Crimson Birch is based on Rakuyo from Bloodborne with the whole, dagger-katana hybrid that can split apart at the handle. And a less well-known fact, Akari's Vermillion Star is based on Red Star Thunderbolt from Honkai Impact 3rd, MEANING that Akari's whole fighting style was inspired by the Mars Sardine, Senadina.

Ahaha. Anyway, until next time.

Also changed Noctis's last name.