Greetings RWBY fans! Chapter 4 is now ready for your reading... continuation.
We are now into the Emerald Forest, which has surprisingly stronger Grimm than you'd expect. How? Why? Well, I'll get to that late in the chapter. Until then... keep reading.
RWBY and JNPR are gathering at the Forest's Temple to gather Relics for Initiation. Yes, these are the teams. Why mess with Canon in this instance? Anyways... Let's get started on the chapter, because you didn't click on this link to read the intros and outros did you? (If you did, I'm touched that you'd follow my writing like this.)
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, watch the show on youtube or Rooster Teeth's personal website! Support the Official release. ;P
(Chapter Begin)
(Recap)
A few minutes later Ruby stopped, causing Weiss to stop when she no longer heard footprints.
"What now? Need a break after running that marathon?" quipped Weiss.
Taking a deep breathe, Ruby calmed herself, "We're not going to survive a week, let alone four years if this is what we do. I don't know what happened to reset us to arguing again, but we need to find a way to communicate without insulting each other."
"Maybe if you would just follow my lead, we'd be done by now," replied Weiss.
"Why does it have to be your lead?" asked Ruby. If they were going to get through this, words had to be the way to do it. Weapons would not be productive.
"I'm older. I have more experience," said Weiss matter-of-factly.
"I don't know when you started training, but I've been training just as long if not longer. Especially since you're Heiress to the SDC and can't be training all day," replied Ruby, causing Weiss to relent a bit.
"You're not wrong about that last statement. Father's been... resistant to me coming here."
"I can imagine. Though from what I've seen, I can't say he has the best intentions."
"His 'best' intentions are me becoming exactly like him and continue 'his' legacy," sighed Weiss, not sure why she's sharing this, "I am not my father. And this is how it starts."
'Okay... progress,' realized Ruby, not having heard that tidbit... not that she should, given the public persona of Jacques Schnee, "Well, if we're going to get to the Temple, we need to find the best way to get to the North End of the Forest."
"And how do we do that?" asked Weiss.
Just then, both of the heard a loud screech, much louder than it should have been.
(Recap End)
For as much as Karma and the Universe made fun of her being partnered with Weiss, Lady Luck granted them a means of transport. Ruby couldn't believe an Elder Nevermore was nesting right next to Beacon. How? It's a question she'd have to ask later. Right now, she and Weiss were currently riding on the back of the Elder Nevermore, something Weiss wasn't enthusiastic about.
"I don't know HOW you talked me into this. We're on a Giant Nevermore! How did I get roped into riding a Giant Nevermore!?" complained Weiss over the wind.
"It'll be fine. We got it to head North so we should be at the Temple soon," replied Ruby.
"So how do propose we get down?"
"Well, we can always Jump," said Ruby, before letting go of the Nevermore.
"Are you insa-" started Weiss before noticing Ruby had already left, "OH YOU MOTHERFU-"
Meanwhile, Ruby was in line to landing right by the Temple... where Yang and Blake apparently already made it too... if fact, she was in a collision course with Yang when all of a sudden, her momentum shifted as something larger than her sent her sideways into a tree.
"What hit me?" wondered a dazed Ruby, trying to clear her head, before noticing Jaune in the tree with her on a different branch, "Oh. Thanks Jaune."
"No problem," groaned Jaune having taken greater brunt of the hit.
"Did you're sister just fall from the sky?" asked Blake.
"I-" started Yang until a noise came from the forest.
A large Ursa came barreling through with the sound of cannons being let off behind it. Suddenly, the Ursa fell forward, revealing Nora on its back, as if riding it. Nora fell off as it fell forward and tumbled into a forward roll.
"Aww... it's broken," remarked Nora far more casually than most would as the guy from before, her friend apparently, caught up with her.
"Nora," he said, stopping to catch his breath, "Please... don't ever do that again."
Looking up, Nora had already moved faster than he could follow at first. Nora, having seen the Temple, rushed over to it and inspected the relics, before grabbing a White Rook piece and started to sing and dance...
"I'm Queen of the Castle," sang Nora, "I'm Queen of the Castle!"
"NORA!" yelled out her partner.
"COMING REN!" yelled back Nora as she skipped back to her best friend.
"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" asked Blake, still processing what just happened.
"I uh..." started Yang again, until another noise cut her off.
Everyone turned to see Pyrrha running away from a humongous Death Stalker. Pyrrha was doing her best to avoid it's attacks.
"JAUNE!" called out Pyrrha, worried for her partner.
"Pyrrha!" gasped Jaune, worried for his partner's safety.
"This is just great," sighed Ruby, jumping down, 'That's not one, but TWO Elders now. Ozpin better have a good reason for this!'
"Ruby!?" said a startled Yang.
"Yang!" smiled Ruby, going to hug her.
"NORA!" called out Nora, getting between the Half-Sisters, startling them in different ways.
"Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?" asked Blake.
This was the metaphorical straw breaking the Metaphorical Camel's back.
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" exploded Yang, eyes red, hair on fire, the works, shouting out, "CAN EVERYONE JUST CHILL OUT FOR TWO SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENS AGAIN!"
(Okay! One Mississippi! Two Mississippi! Next Crazy Event happens now!)
'Thank you, irony,' remarked Ruby, rolling her eyes.
(I aim to please!)
(AN1)
"Yang... two seconds are up, and you should also LOOK up," tempted Ruby, being the best choice to do so.
"How could you leave me!?" said a bewildered Weiss, hanging on for dear life to the Nevermore's talon.
"What, I gotta hold Miss High and Mighty's hand?" quipped Ruby out loud.
"She's gonna fall," noted Blake.
"She'll be fine," replied Ruby.
"She's falling," informed Ren, who had joined them in the two seconds Yang was catching her breath from freaking out.
As Weiss was falling, it was Jaune who jumped up and cancelled her momentum.
"Just dropping in?" said Jaune smoothly, far more smoothly than the situation implied.
Weiss, for all she was impressed, reminded him they were still in the air, and both fell to the ground, Weiss landing on Jaune.
"Thank you, Jaune," commented Weiss politely.
"Sure thing," croaked out Jaune, considering the impacts he's had, it's amazing he was able to speak, even with Aura.
Suddenly, Pyrrha couldn't QUITE dodge one of the Death Stalker's attacks and got sent crashing in front of the others.
"Great, the gang's all here! Now we can die together!" quipped Yang.
"Really Yang?" glared Ruby, before rushing out to meet the Elder Grimm.
"RUBY WAIT!" called out Yang, but it was too late.
"TAKE THIS!" called out Ruby, eyes glowing a bit as she swung her Scythe down.
To her great surprise, the Elder managed to block her strike and toss her back, knocking the glow out of her eyes.
'Okay... what!?' Rubydotexe had stopped working and needed to reboot.
(AN2)
"RUBY GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE BEFORE YOU DIE FOR REAL!" cried out a worried Yang, trying to move forward, but someone else was faster.
Ruby got her wits back just in time to see the Golden Stinger come down on her. She closed her eyes not being able to do anything in the .05 seconds it took for the strike to connect... until it didn't.
"How can you be so good at crowd control, but not a Single Grimm?" asked Weiss, having used an Ice Dust to freeze the tail before it could connect.
Ruby turned to look at Weiss.
"I would have been here faster, but I had to make my attack precise," smirked Weiss, though the look in her eyes showed humor, taking the sting out of the counterpoint she had just made.
"RUBY!" called out Yang, hugging her sister for all she was worth.
"I'm fine Yang," replied Ruby, "Thank you... Weiss."
Weiss nodded as the three of them got away from the Death Stalker. As all eight of them gathered together, the Nevermore reminded them it was still around.
"Guys, the Nevermore is still around," Jaune, "I'm not sure how we're going to fight that thing."
"We don't need to," said Weiss, "We're here at our Objective."
"We grab a relic and book it back to the Cliff," added Ruby, exchanging a nod with Weiss, both knowing these are out of their league in this area.
"Run and Live..." summarized Jaune, "I am good with that plan."
Ruby and Jaune grabbed a White Knight and a White Rook piece respectively as they started to head out. Ruby stopping on a nearby rock to keep an eye out for the two Elders or any other Grimm for that matter.
"What is it?" asked Blake, seeing Yang smile at Ruby.
"Nothing," brushed off Yang, but she was immensely proud of what Ruby was doing. Granted, it's a step up or step out situation, but she couldn't help but feel a warm glow of pride, one that she knew would be shared with Tai, Qrow, and especially Summer once they saw this.
Blake couldn't help but smile too as they both joined the others as they raced off towards the cliff, heading south east.
The eight of them found a high nearby cliff that would mark the end of their Exam, should they be able to make it, as they raced to avoid the Elder Nevermore. Soon, the Nevermore was ahead of them and landing on a tower that was at the edge of their side of the cliff, and a vast canyon between it and the higher cliff. Everyone separated off into pairs and used pillars to block them from the Nevermore's sight. It was smart, real smart. It wasn't an Elder for nothing.
"Well THAT'S great!" remarked Yang sarcastically.
Without warning, the Death Stalker broke through the trees behind them after having broken itself free of the Ice. Having been pincered in, they had to find a way past.
"And it gets even better..." groaned Jaune, "RUN!"
As Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Yang started running again towards the Nevermore, Ren had an idea.
"Nora, distract it!" he called out.
Nora, dodging feathers, brought out her weapon, a grenade launcher, and fired back at the Nevermore, forcing it away. Unfortunately, this left her vulnerable to the Death Stalker. Thankfully, Blake stayed behind alongside Ren and they both blocked the Death Stalker's Pincers. Weiss, following up, grabbed Nora and used her Glyphs to get them out of there. Upon reaching the Bridge, Pyrrha turned around.
"Jaune, keep going!" called out Pyrrha, turning her Short Sword into a Rifle and shot at the Death Stalker, trying to slow it down as the others made it across the bridge.
Unfortunately, the Nevermore was back, and it barreled head first into the bridge, separating the group of eight into a group of five and a group of three. Pyrrha, Ren, and Blake being unfortunate enough to be on the side with the Death Stalker. Ruby, being the only one with accurate long range, started firing at the Nevermore.
"Crap. They need help!" spoke up Jaune.
"Let's do this," said Nora, ready to long jump across the now gap between the two groups.
"I can't make that jump," replied Jaune, as Ruby, Weiss, and Yang started moving up the structure to a more advantageous position.
"Then get ready," informed Nora, nocking him back with her gun, before mecha-shifting it into a Hammer. Grinning, she moved forward, turned around, jumped, and swung her hammer into the bridge, using it as a catapult for Jaune, then getting on the hammer, firing it to get herself across.
Hearing her weapon, Ren backflipped, allowing Nora to fly over him and smack the Scorpion Grimm over its head. However, being an Elder, it was going to take a LOT more than that to kill it. Not liking the hit, the Death Stalker attempted to hit Nora back, who fired again and used the momentum to avoid direct contact, but managed to glance a hit on Nora enough to send her back, accidentally(intentionally) knocking Blake off at the same time. Blake, having quick(cat-like) reflexes, managed to swing her Gambol Shroud like a grappling hook and managed to pull her self up using pendulum momentum, combined with her Semblance to avoid another hit from the Nevermore, and managed to get on top of it. Placing her Sword in her bladed sheath, she struck at the bird's back as she ran down before jumping off and joining RWY.
"It's tougher than it looks!" remarked Blake.
'Well, it's an Elder,' thought Ruby, before calling out, "All Range, FIRE AT WILL!"
Everyone used the guns on their Weapons and just let loose a blizzard of shots against the Nevermore. The Nevermore, while bothered by it, still rammed forward, taking out the tower they were on, forcing them to get to higher ground from the falling rubble. Landing, Blake and Yang moved to get to a better position, but Weiss turned to Ruby.
"This isn't working. We need a new plan," informed Weiss.
"If only we can hold it in place..." mused Ruby, before noticing Blake's extendable ribbon attached to her weapon, "That's it! I have a plan! Try to freeze it, then Slingshot me at it at full force!"
"On it!" replied Weiss, moving into position.
(AN3)
Meanwhile, the Death Stalker was pulling its stinger out, and the remaining part of the Bridge was starting to collapse.
"We're losing ground here, guys. Let's finish this!" called out Jaune, as the four them ran at the Death Stalker.
Pyrrha got ahead and blocked its right pincer, and striking back, angering it. Jaune blocked the left and moved to the right as Pyrrha struck at the left pincer, leaving an opening for Ren to move quickly to its tail and fire pointblank into the base of the stinger. Nora tried to follow up with a grenade to the face, but the Elder Death Stalker reacted quicker, blocking the grenade and sending back Jaune and Pyrrha a few feet in the process. It opened it's pincers just long enough for Pyrrha to subtly use her semblance to lance her javelin form right into one of its eyes, dealing major damage, and it flailed, sending Ren flying.
"NO REN!" called out Nora.
"Pyrrha, the tail!" pointed on Jaune, getting her focus back onto the battle.
"Got it!" replied Pyrrha, throwing her shield and slicing through the weakened tail provided by Ren. The Stinger fell straight into its head. Pyrrha brought back the shield by sending it against two nearby pillars.
"Nora, Nail it!" followed up Jaune.
"Heads up!" warned Nora, jumping on Pyrrha's shield, who brought it up to use as a spring to launch Nora into the air.
Nora fired another Grenade at the same time as Pyrrha used her Semblance to launch Nora to help her get the most height she could, chuckling with delight, she fired a third to increase her acceleration down back towards the Death Stalker. With all that force into the small surface area of Nora's hammer, she slammed the broken stinger through the head of the Elder Grimm, finally killing it. The force also broke through the bridge and catapulted Jaune and Pyrrha onto solid land. Nora then fired one more grenade to launch herself off the Death Stalker as it fell into the canyon. Jaune and Nora landed haphazardly, but okay, while Pyrrha managed to land perfectly(broken semblance much?) on one knee as Ren made his way over, thoroughly exhausted. Ren fell over, done with today as Jaune, Nora, and Pyrrha turned to the other battle, where hopefully RWBY would be able to handle it.
(AN4)
Ruby, while JNPR battled the Death Stalker, replaced her ammo with her last set of Twenty-One rounds and called over to Blake, "Blake, get on that pillar! We're going to make a Slingshot!"
Blake understood what Ruby was getting at, nodded, and moved to one of the pillars that had a walkway facing the cliff, standing on top. Ruby was on another broken Pillar waiting for Yang.
Yang herself, had jumped into the Nevermore's mouth, holding it open with her feet and left hand, while firing with her right.
"I! HOPE! YOUR! HUNGRY!" shouted Yang firing round after round into the vulnerable inside of the Nevermore. She managed to jump out of the mouth before the Nevermore crashed into the wall.
Landing, she looked over to where the others were. Seeing Ruby and Blake on the pillars and remembering Blake's extendable ribbon, managed to figure out Ruby's plan. While Weiss moved forward towards the Nevermore, Yang headed towards the other.
"Yang, right there!" called out Ruby, pointing to the other Pillar parallel to Blake's one.
Weiss managed to freeze the Tail, preventing the Nevermore from moving right away. Weiss moved back into place as Blake fired her hook over to Yang, who jabbed it into the Pillar and pulled it tight alongside Blake. Ruby fired a round to get into position in the Slingshot, with Weiss using a Gravity Glyph to hold Ruby back, increasing the overall potential speed out of it.
"Only you could think of this," quipped Weiss, "It's so ridiculous, it'll work because the universe wants it to."
(Well of course I want to beat the odds, especially since it's so much fun!) No one heard this response though.
"Think you can make the shot?" grinned Ruby, teasing her.
"Can't I?" replied Weiss, before noticing her grin, "OF COURSE I CAN!"
"GIRLS, less talking, more firing!" called out Yang.
(AN5)
Ruby's grin changed into a smirk as she made eye contact with the Nevermore, her eyes glowing slightly again in anticipation. Killing an Elder was worth big points back at the office. Ejecting the spent casing, Ruby fired her next shot in perfect timing with Weiss releasing her Gravity Glyph, sending Ruby at the Nevermore at high speeds. The Nevermore broke free of the ice and was moving to attack the Silver-Eyed Warrior in front of it. Ruby's eyes glowed a bit brighter, causing it to flinch at the show of power, before Ruby, firing her weapon off seven more times, managed to pin the Nevermore to the cliff, but it was still alive. Weiss, thinking quickly, called forth a line of Glyphs up the side of the cliff, beginning where Ruby was standing.
'I have 12 shots left,' thought Ruby, before starting her run up the cliff, 'LET'S MAKE THEM COUNT!'
12... Ruby was running with all her might, but was slowed down greatly dragging an ELDER NEVERMORE behind her while going STRAIGHT UP A CLIFF AT 90 DEGREES.
11...
10...
9... Ruby was starting to feel the strain of her Semblance.
8...
7...
6...
5... Almost there!
4...
3... Her Semblance had burned through nearly all of her Aura
2... Ruby had managed to run right up off the cliff, only the Pinned Nevermore stopping her from going any higher.
1... Ruby fired off her last shot, decapitating the Nevermore as she flipped around and landed on one knee.
(AN6)
'Ow. Felt that one,' winched Ruby, panting as she got up and turned around, looking like a badass as the Nevermore head faded next to her while the body fell down into the canyon below, fading the same way the Elder Death Stalker did.
"I must say, Miss Rose," came a voice from behind her, "That was quite the kill."
Ruby turned around to see Professor Peter Port, The Grimm Studies Teacher, walking up her, smiling with pride at such an accomplishment.
"Thanks Professor," said Ruby, catching her breath, "I just have to wait for my friends to get up here, right?"
"That's correct," replied Port, "Only once your partner gets up here is the Mission Completed."
"Though... I do have to ask. Why are there TWO Super Large Grimm here? This is right next to Beacon. No Grimm should ever be that powerful right here!"
"I'm afraid I'm at a loss as well. I'm sure Ozpin would know though."
Ruby sighed, she was exhausted and didn't want to push the issue any further. She fell on her butt and just let out a laugh, glad that she made it through, and her (new) friends as well... though it took several minutes for them to get up there.
Several hours later, after the rest of the initiates got through the forest (turned out only 16 were being launched by Ozpin and Glynda, the others had other Teachers explaining and launching them from different points of the Beacon Cliffs, everyone gathered in the Ball Room again, Upper Classmen watching from the upper seats. Ozpin had announced several teams so far, and was now announcing the next one.
"Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark," announced Ozpin, "The four of you retrieved the Black Bishop Pieces. From this day forward, you four will work together as... Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester."
Everyone applauded as the four gave a slight bow of thanks before moving off the stage.
"Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren," continued Ozpin, as JNPR moved onto the stage, "The four of you retrieved the Whit Rook Pieces. From this day forward, you will be known as... Team JNPR, led by... Jaune Arc."
Nora cheered as she hugged Ren. Pyrrha was glad that Jaune was selected as leader. He really kept everyone together during that last battle.
"L-led by?" questioned Jaune, not quite believing it.
"Congratulations young man," informed Ozpin quietly.
JNPR then moved off as RWBY walked forward, the last Team who left who had gotten through Orientation.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long," picked up Ozpin, never missing a beat, "The four of you retried the White Knight Pieces. From this day forward you will be know as... Team RWBY, led by... Ruby Rose.
Weiss was surprised by this, but didn't make a scene in front of everyone. Ruby had surprised her greatly, so if this was warranted, Ruby would prove herself in the days to come. Yang wasn't as reserved as she cheered for her Half-Sister being named as Leader, hugging Ruby in front of EVERYONE in the crowd.
"It seems this will turn out to be an... interesting year," commented Ozpin as the festivities came to a close with this last round of applause.
"Hmm," chuckled Fox, "She actually did it. Slaying an Elder Grimm. That is something."
"You're not jealous, are you Fox?" asked Coco.
"Nah... she earned that one. She's a True Reaper of Grimm after all," smirked Fox.
"Her Scythe was a blast to take pictures of," noted Velvet.
"Her strength is belied by her appearance," commented Yatsuharu.
"She's definitely gonna go places," smirked Coco.
"Should she need help, we'll back her up, right guys?" asked Fox.
The others nodded. Ruby was certainly worth working with.
Neo smiled from her hidden place by the door at the entrance. Ruby defeated an Elder Nevermore to get into Beacon. She doesn't do anything halfway it seemed. Shaking her head, she headed out steathily and made her way to Roman's current Warehouse. She knew she was getting flak for not killing Roman after all this time, but she felt it would be worth it. Roman meant too much to her to actually kill him. She didn't want him dead. He actually cared about her, unlike the orphanage that left her to die ten years ago, she was only Twelve for Oum's sake! He didn't know about her condition, and she wanted to keep it like that. Holding a hand to her throat, where she constantly concealed the scar left by the Ursa Major that killed her before her time. Even if it killed her permanent, she would save Roman.
(AN7)
RWBY barely managed to make it to their room, before choosing a bed to crash in. They didn't say anything as they changed into their night clothes. One last hug between Ruby and Yang and RWBY fell asleep, leaving worries for the next day for the day.
(Chapter End)
Yes this is a longer chapter. Why? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED WHEN WATCHING THE EPISODE, IT'S KINDA LONG WRITING DOWN A FANFIC BASED ON IT! (Takes a breath.) Again, this fic works on the assumption everyone has already watched RWBY. If you haven't, go watch the official release, then return here. It'll make better sense that way.
Also, the Grimm Explanation about Elders and Alphas... yeah, sorry. Next time, for sure!
Longer Chapters means more potential for more Author Notes. It's just how I write. Read my other fics, they are there too. It's just what I do. Recaps too.
AN1: Like you weren't counting the seconds in your head yourself. I mean seriously, they had a stop watch timing it and everything (sound effects-wise, not in the show-wise)
AN2: This is sarcastic by the way. She's completely human. If I need to explain the joke... yeah...
AN3: Yeah... Ruby never verbally communicated in Canon. Hopefully this works better, all things considered. Also, like I was gonna leave JNPR's part out of this. It rocks!
AN4: Don't even DENY Red Like Roses Part 2 isn't going through your head by now, especially if you're watching the actual episode.
AN5: I'm gonna be clear now. This was a perfect opportunity for Yang to say 'flirting' instead of 'talking'. Why did I change that? Because RWBY will not be paired with each other in any capacity. There are plenty of White Rose, Checkmate, Bumbleby, Ladybug, and Freezerburn fanfiction out there. I don't ship them. Please accept this for this fanfiction. If you're reading ALL fanfiction for the shipping, then you're missing the point of story telling.
AN6: Why yes, I did count all Twenty-One shots Ruby fired from the last minute or so of RWBY vs. Nevermore. Also, slight reference to Deadpool, but I was doing this in my head even before Deadpool came out... so... yeah...
AN7: Added scenes for our other two confirmed Reapers of Grimm at this time. Hope you like them!
That should be it. Totally made up Neo's backstory by the way, since RT hasn't shown us one in the Anime yet. I literally just made it up writing this.
I think that's about it. School starts up next time, so... Until then...
Later,
RDF1