Author's Notes: Thank you PoterHawk96 for pointing out a problem with my page dividers, you helped make this story better.
It was a well-known fact that negative emotions drew in Grimm, though the reason for that was like so many other things about the Grimm which is to say a complete mystery. Despite the many attempts to study them very little progress was made and the tendency for Grimm to suddenly die if kept in captivity alongside their bodies turning into a smoke-like substance upon said death meant that progress in that area wasn't going to happen anytime soon, however, you don't need to understand why something works in order to take advantage of it. One of the major factors that led to The Great War was an attempt to suppress all emotions in hope that it would put an end to Grimm attacks altogether. Thankfully they failed, as emotions are a natural part of people and to rob them of that would be worse than cutting off their limbs since you would be now cutting off a piece of their soul.
When Lie Ren had learned of this particular bit of history he had already unlocked his semblance which gave him a unique perspective on the matter as someone who had the ability to smother his and other people's emotions at will and to the surprise of more than a few people he had found the plan to be confusing and utterly appalling. While he would admit that being able to stop yourself from feeling negative emotions could be helpful like right now as he wandered through Emerald Forest in search of his other half named Nora Valkyrie, he would never agree that the theoretical benefit was ever worth feeling so hollow all the time. There was also another issue with the plan and that was, the Grimm have eyes and will almost always attack sight making that plan not only cruel but utterly pointless as well.
Nothing proved that point better than a full grown King Taijitu suddenly emerged from the wood and rushed at the young man in an attempt to crush the green-clad huntsman-in-training to death only for Ren to be just fast enough to dodge. Locking eyes with his deadly foe Ren let go of his Semblance and allowed the emotions to come back which had anxiety at the very forefront, though it would be impossible for anyone to tell just by looking at his face. Well... impossible for anyone who wasn't Nora Valkyrie, she could read him like a book which was something he found comforting. He didn't want to fight however running from the King Taijitu would be a pointless endeavor.
Which meant the Grimm had to die.
The ground shook and trees were uprooted as the mighty terrible beast charged forward with frightful speed, however, the Ursa was not chasing anyone nor was it running towards a battle. The once alpha predator was running away from an even stronger predator, a huntress whose cheerful laughter was still ringing in its ears no matter how fast or far it ran. There was no escape for this because Nora Valkyrie had already caught the Grimm and was now riding it like it was some sort of horse, using its powerful body to cover more ground in her hunt for her other half, her partner Lie Ren.
People whom she passed by would describe the rider as either crazy, stupid, or a complete badass but all would agree that she was having the time of her life. The truth however was that Nora Valkyrie was feeling anxious not that anyone would know by looking at her face or listening to her laughter but, who could blame them for making that mistake? After all who could honestly say that they have ridden a Grimm? As far as Nora was concerned the answer was no one except her and that just made the undeniably fun experience even better. But Nora didn't bend this monster to her will just for kicks and giggles she needed to find Ren, they lost their home together and together they found a new home, they struggled together and grew together. And dammit, they were going to be Huntsman Together!"REN WHERE ARE YOU!?" Nora screamed with a force that could awaken a sleeping dragon, she then went dead silent waiting for Ren's answer. Some may have doubted themselves when no answer came back but Nora was not one to give into doubt. The silence just meant that she was looking in the wrong place and that the sooner she moved on the sooner the two would be reunited.
Ren's battle against the King Taijitu was going poorly though it probably didn't look that way to anyone that could be watching. To most people, it would look like Ren was dominating the overgrown snake as it would chase him but he was always several steps ahead and was pumping bullets into the reptile and when he wasn't shooting it, he was slashing it with his Strom Flower blades. But with somone was to look a bit closer they would see that nothing he did was truly hurting the Grimm.
The problem was two-fold and the first part laid with his weapon of choice the Storm Flower Pistols were devastating weapons against the Grimm, as long as he could hit the unarmored parts of whatever monster he happened to be fighting and normally that wasn't a problem. However, the second part was that this species of Grimm known as King Taijitus were notorious for being completely covered in scaly armor which for Ren meant that his bullets couldn't penetrate and his blades weren't cutting deep enough. For now, all he could do was keep his distance and keep shooting and hopefully one of his bullets would hit either the eyes or a weakened scale. He was fast and incredibly graceful, as his best friend Nora would sometimes say that ee was nearly a ninja and there wasn't a single person in the world who would or could argue with that statement. But, right now he wished that he could trade some of his speed for force, pure simple and wonderfully straightforward brute force. Maybe then he would be able to make some progress against the monster however, even without the pure strength needed to pierce those scales, Ren was far from helpless. His skill in Aura manipulation is what allowed him to be accepted into Beacon and it was high enough that he could perform an Aura empowered strike. It was a technique that seemed simple however the results it produced were unforgettable but it was also a technique that puts a hefty drain on the user's Aura reserves. If it didn't kill in one hit he would be left in a worse position than he was in the beginning and even if it did kill he would be left in a Grimm infested forest with a noticeable chunk of his Aura gone. But he didn't have to consider such risky plans just yet, he was still far faster than the beast and could stall till a better option presented itself.
Or, so he thought.
This King Taijitu in particular was an old Grimm and was one who has fought and survived battles against the Strong, the Fast, and the Deceitful and has done far more than merely survived those battles, it was more than a survivor, was the King of the Emerald Forest. It has killed and devoured would-be-heroes in the past and it would do the same now and forever into the future. All it needed was one hit, a mere glancing blow would be enough to wretch the weapons out the hands of this mouse. Granted this particular rodent was speedy, had impressive reflexes and even instinct, but it did not know the Emerald Forest as the King did. Soon, the mouse would be cornered and then swallowed whole and screaming all the way down just like every mouse before it.
The sound of battle was heavy in the air and it echoed far into the forest eventually reaching Nora's ears and commanding her full attention. Her very first inclination was to gallop towards the fight and join in however there was a problem, The first person you lock eyes with will become your partner for the next four years. Her anticipation evaporated and she found herself oddly paralyzed by her ever-growing anxiety as she wrestled with the decision before her. On one hand, someone who may not be Ren was in trouble and She was in a position to help but, if that person was anyone other than Ren and they didn't already have a partner, then the possibility of her being separated from her other half would be… she didn't want to think about it. But, then again. I would be abandoning someone to the Grimm, someone could die because I selfishly wanted to be Ren's partner at all costs. As bad as not being with Ren could be, abandoning someone innocent to death because she acted like a petulant child was not acceptable. She would help and if it wasn't Ren, then she would live with consequences.
So, with excitement and fear weighing heavily on her heart, Nora guided her mighty Steed towards battle and silently prayed that it was Ren.
Ren was in trouble.
The King Taijitu had somehow managed to herd him back towards itself leaving him with nowhere to run and to make matters worse he lost his weapons once again thanks to the beast. However there was a silver lining to everything, the monster instead of simply bashing or constricting Ren to death had instead tried to swallow him whole and normally this would have been a near-instant kill for most people, however Ren still had a trick up his sleeves that helped him stand out in a crowd and it wasn't the Aura empowered strike though it had similar roots. With the help of his best friend Nora and while he was still in the process of learning how to use Aura had discovered how to actively trigger and focus the shielding aspect of Aura which would create a powerful barrier between himself and death. However that would not be enough to win, he needed a plan, thankfully all that running he did gave him enough time to formulate one.
First Step, Ren concentrated all of his Aura into his palms creating the barrier which was currently holding back the mighty jaws of the King Taijitu. The Second Step of the plan would be difficult but Ren knew that the situation was do or die, there was no room for doubt of hesitation! Carefully angling his palms he parried the bite and moved out of the way of the mouth before moving onto Step Three which was using a concentrated Aura powered palm strike to break off one the Grimm's fangs which he immediately used to arm himself with. Step Four depended on his enemy and just like he hoped the King Taijitu became enraged and lunged itself at the the young huntsman seeking revenge for this insult however Ren predicted that move and stepped out of the monster's way once more proceeding to the Fifth Step and jamming the stolen fang into the creature's eye but he wasn't done yet. Step Six, concentrating as much Aura as he could spare into his hand he delivered another palm strike into the fang making it shoot through the eye of the monster and obliterating the King Taijitu's head in a shower of black liquid and smoke.
Unfortunately for Ren, the King Taijitu is a species with two heads.
Fortunately for Ren before the second head could end the fight it suddenly found itself under a barrage of pink grenades as familiar and ever so comforting voice filled the air with a battle cry as Nora came down from the sky like a lightning bolt from the blue crashing into the second head and killing the Grimm with her war hammer Magnhild and thus ending the reign of the former king of the Emerald Forest. When the dust was settled the two friends looked at each with a little anxiety.
"So, Ren. Do you have a partner?"
"No, I don't. Do you have a partner Nora?"
"I do now!" and with that, they embraced each other in a warm hug as their family was now whole once again. Together they marched forward to complete the trial together as they were always meant to be, fully confident that they would be able to handle anything the world threw at them.
They were being followed.
It's an odd thing to watch a rival die at someone else's hands, as a Grimm, it didn't really feel anything as it watched the green-clad one and the pink one killed the King Taijitu. Well, actually that wasn't really entirely true. Despite being a Grimm and therefore not truly capable of feeling things, watching the King Taijitu die did produce certain instinctual urges that could be called feelings, for example, it felt the need to expand its territory, it felt the need to remain vigilant and most of all it felt the urge to kill the Green One while it was weak.
But annoyingly the Green One was no longer alone and the Pink One was strong and they were now traveling together! Had either been alone then it would have gladly taken the chance but, together the two would surely kill him. But, there were many Grimm in this forest, and many of them still young and foolish beats lacking in any plan beyond a straightforward and suicidal charge to snuff out their prey's life. And at the moment when prey becomes predator and slay the young Grimm, he would make his move striking the would-heroes from their blind spots and bringing them low. But for the plan to work it would need to gather disposable allies and so with that in mind, it began to stealthily follow the pair.
It had patience. It was strong. It was cunning. It wanted to kill them both. And it was going to wait for the perfect moment.
Yang Xiao Long was having the time of her life, though for most people fighting through a forest of Soulless Men Eating Monsters while separated from your little sister who was also in the forest and was also most likely fighting against the same Soulless Men Eating Monsters, wouldn't be considered a good time. However those people didn't know her precious little gem and Ruby was a tough girl, besides being separated from her awesome big sister would force Ruby out of her shell, so it was all good as far as Yang was concerned. As for the Grimm she was facing, Beowolfs were no match for her, and neither were Ursas, Nevermores, and Creeps. Frankly, it was nothing more than a more up for her though she had heard from some Beacon's current students that there were incredibly dangerous and rare Grimm in the Emerald Forest such as a King Taitiju and even Deathstalkers. However despite the ruckus, she was causing so far neither of the two has appeared, and honestly, Yang was okay with that. She was an adrenaline junkie not a suicidal idiot and to be honest these small fries were the perfect way to enter into the next phase of her life.
However, there was one slight… downer named Blake Belladonna. Now Yang wasn't an unfair person, as the closest thing to a mother figure in Ruby's life she had a responsibility to be an example of a proper adult and Huntress. However, that doesn't stop anyone from thinking less than flattering thoughts about the people around them and Blake was… Boring. Now Yang knew that what the polite thing to think was more along the lines of "This girl is serious," or "She's a little private," or at worst "She's a bit Anti-Social," and all of those were true... at the same time, which was the problem. In the hour that Yang has known Blake, she hasn't managed to get Blake to lighten up or even open up once even with her witty and brilliantly crafted puns!
However, Yang wasn't at all worried. She knew that there was absolutely no way that she was going to fail the trial which meant that she had four years to crack this girl's shell and even though Yang didn't look or act like it, she could be very very patient and when her new partner wanted to talk she would be there to lend a listening ear and if necessary a warm hug.
Blake Belladonna however was feeling rather conflicted. On one hand, she was safe, even though the Emerald Forest wasn't what anyone would ever call safe, she felt safer here than she did during her last few days as a member of the White Fang which was a depressing thought to have. The Grimm did not scare her but Adam Taurus, her old partner, scared her. But it wasn't the threat of death or mutilation that made her leave him, it was his hate. That infectious loathing that spread to everyone in that once noble organization and twisted their just cause, that hate which threatened to consume her as well had she stayed. But she didn't stay, she left Adam and the White Fang and ran to Beacon. Here she would be safe, here she could start undoing the damage that she had helped cause and hopefully one day Adam would change and they could work together again.
However, on the other hand Weiss Schnee was a fellow student and there was a very real and incredibly terrifying thought that she might end up on the same team as Weiss.
Now it must be stated that Blake was not afraid of the heiress but, she was by no means an optimist about that potential situation and the Schnee's were largely responsible for that. She knew that the truth about her Faunus heritage would come out eventually and she was ready to accept that but with Weiss attending the same Academy her attitude had changed. If she and Weiss were on the same team and when the truth came out, the Schnee would not be happy and Blake knew all too well what that despicable family was capable of and just how pathetically petty they could be. It was even possible that Weiss might attempt something even if they weren't on the same team.
"Hello! Remnant to Blake! Please respond!"
Blake turned to her partner Yang feeling somewhat annoyed by the blond brawler's constant pestering. "What is it, Yang?"
"Finally I get something out of you! Look I can't help but notice that you seem to know where you are going so I wanted to know if you figured out where the Relics were."
Blake turned away from her partner and kept moving forward, "I think that the Relics are in ruins."
Yang stopped and considered Blake's answer for a bit before responding "The Ruins, huh? Well, I admit that if I had to hide a treasure I would be sorely tempted to hide it there. But-"
"You thought it was too obvious?" Blake completed the thought.
"Yeah. I thought that there was no way it could be so easy, that there had to be a trick involved. I even considered going the opposite direction, going right back to the cliffs."
Blake was surprised and just a little interested, Why would she come to a conclusion like that? She was going to ask but, it seemed like Yang was able to read her body language and had already begun to answer.
"I have a little sister and let me tell you it can be hard hiding things from her but, nobody ever expects you to hide something from them under their own bed. So I figured that this was a test to see who could figure out the trick first."
Yang said this with such confidence that even Blake was nearly convinced but she still was able to find the hole, "But, that would just mean that the first people to give up would be the ones to pass and that would just be counterproductive," she pointed out.
Yang shrugged, "Yeah, I realized that too which is why I didn't go through with it. But, since this test needs to be passable in the first place…," she went suddenly silent and started to stroke her chin as though she was in deep thought, "You're right!" she suddenly declared and began running in the direction of the Ruins. "Quick Blake Follow me!"
Blake began chasing after her partner. "What's going on? Yang, what was I right about?"
Yang kept running but she answered back, "The Ruins! The Relics are at the Ruins! Just like you thought they would be!"
"It was only a guess! So why are you suddenly so sure?" Blake shouted back rather bewildered.
"Huntsmen don't always have access to transportation, many times they have to travel by foot through the wilderness. This trial isn't testing our fighting ability, the fact that we are here proves that we can fight! This whole trial is testing our ability to find our way through the wild lands! It's about plotting a course to the goal, conserving our strength, and doing it all under a time limit because when the Huntsman is late…"
"People will die," Blake answered with a little bit of a smile on her face, Maybe coming to Beacon was the right choice.
Pyrrha no longer needed to support Jaune's weight; his bizarre Semblance had healed him to the point where he was able to walk and travel alongside all of them without slowing them down. This was unequivocally a good thing however the recovery worried Weiss who instead of walking alongside the pair instead chose to follow them from a safe distance, but just close enough to keep an eye on the two of them and intervene should something happen to either Jaune or Pyrrha. It wasn't just her either, Ruby was walking alongside Weiss and while the young girl did not carry the same level of concern that her partner did, it wasn't nonexistent either. Despite their differing opinions on Jaune's condition and Pyrrha's guilt both Ruby and Weiss agreed that the man in question shouldn't be able to walk. Even with High-Speed Regeneration fixing any damage to his muscle, bone, and tendons Jaune shouldn't be able to walk. Regeneration could heal the body but it couldn't refresh it, his stamina should be at an all-time low and yet he was walking just fine and has been doing so for over an hour. Soon they would be at the Ruins, soon they would be official students of Beacon Academy... assuming that there were any Relics left and of course assuming that the ruin was where the Relics were at all. But honestly, they weren't worried about that just yet, rather both Weiss and Ruby were far more worried about Jaune, though for Ruby it was worry born mostly out of fear for his safety and as for Weiss, it was more of a fear of the unknown and right now everything about the boy was a complete unknown and even Pyrrha herself was something of an enigma.
Weiss wasn't a detective but this was a question she was going to find an answer to, Pyrrha claims that it was an accident, honestly what kind of fool does she take me for? But, then again... what possible reason would she have for wanting Jaune dead? I just hope I don't end up on a team with them.
Jaune leaned his head towards his partner but stopped before he was looking directly at her. "Hey, Pyrrha…" he was speaking softly with his eyes facing down toward the floor, he had been thinking about earlier and how he reacted and even treated Pyrrha and he wasn't happy with how he spoke to her or how he handled the situation.
"Yes, Jaune?" she was curious about what he wanted to say even though his body language made her worry just a little.
"I am sorry… for how I acted back there."
She was not expecting that, "Jaune, I should be the one apologizing, I… I nearly killed your dream." She felt nothing but remorse and the apology just made that feeling worse.
"I'm not going to act like you didn't wrong me… but you also helped me, you would have helped me even if I hadn't… demanded and then I got angry at you anyway." He looked away from her in shame.
"Look Jaune, I am glad that you don't hold what I did against me. But, you shouldn't apologize for getting angry. You were right to do so, you were right to demand my help. Sure, hitting you with my javelin was an accident, but that doesn't resolve me of any responsibility." She was feeling oddly better like a massive weight was being lifted off of her shoulders.
"Well, if nothing else… Pyrrha, I'm glad that you're my partner." Jaune's voice was sincere.
"Thank you, Jaune… that means a lot to me." A warm feeling washed over Pyrrha and she liked it.
However, that was a feeling that was not shared by Jaune. He felt worried, scared, and confused. Back there, the way I acted… that felt so weird. For a moment I wasn't myself like I was someone or something else. Pyrrha said I was angry, but I didn't feel angry… I didn't feel anything at all. No, that's not true, I felt not empty… but rather my feelings were slipping away like they were being used to fuel something... I snapped and something changed back there, I need to talk to Gris.
The Grimm are just mindless beasts, this statement is unique because it is both true and misleading. Most Grimm are indeed devoid of any real intelligence or any desire apart from destruction however, there are exceptions to every rule and the Elder Grimm is without a doubt exceptional in this regard as their age grants them intelligence. Though scientists are still baffled by how a creature that initially starts its existence with nothing more than base instincts and desires can gain the abilities to think and plan through nothing more than sheer aging. However there are some Grimm who don't need to wait for the passage of time to gain intelligence, some spices born with it and through age they only grow smarter and more cunning and thus more dangerous.
Another common misconception is that Grimm hunts in packs, this while seemingly true at first glance has been proven wrong over and over again. Even Beowolves who is the poster child for this misconception is not really hunting as a group, it is just that a group of Beowolves is individually chasing the same prey. Though given how terrifying such monsters are, the idea of a true Pack of Grimm working together to take down a target has been rightfully described as nightmare fuel.
Anyone who may have witnessed the Small Horde heading to the Ruins might have thought of it strange and oh so very dangerous and they would be right. To make matters worse was that the horde was steadily growing, integrating whatever Grimm it encountered into its fold but more importantly, it was heading straight towards the ruins. At the back of this mob were two Grimm, together they were the ones who started this march, they were the ones who were leading this hunt and determining where to take it. Grimm are not normally intelligent but they were the exceptions and even though they couldn't mold the horde into a proper pack they didn't need to. They were assassins, not generals, they didn't need or want an army.
They just needed a distraction.
Author's Notes: Well I figured that it was high time we took a look and see what everyone else was up to. Hopefully, that was the right call. Either way, there is going to be a fight in the next chapter and it's going to be big. I might have to make the fight a two-parter. The crazy thing is we are still only at the beginning of Vol 1.
Man do I have my work cut out for me...