Upon hearing the sounds of a rooster, Fenrir opens his eye and gets hit with an intense ray of sunlight shining on his face
"Ugh...tell the sun to kick it down a notch..." Fenrir groggily says
Fenrir stands up and grabs his outerwear, heading to the bathroom to change. Once he arrives in the cafeteria, with his combat outfit on, he approaches the booth that was serving pick up food for the new students. But when he looks at the tray, he sees only one pound of steak laying inside, with no other side dishes to add it
"Sorry kid, should've gotten here sooner." The chef says.
"Eh, beggars can't be choosers." Fenrir shrugs like it's no big deal, and reaches for the food
When Fenrir grabs the steak, he notices another hand grabbing the other end. Fenrir glares at the owner of the hand to a boy with glasses and red hair tied in a short ponytail, looking at Fenrir
"That's MY food you're holding..." The boy says
"And how's it yours...?" Fenrir asks
"Let go of it." The boy demands
"You first..." Fenrir growls
Staring daggers into each other's eyes, the standoff began to draw a crowd as Jotaro, Jaune, Crimson, Ruby and Yang were watching. Fenrir and the boy both raise the steak closer to each other, still not letting it go
"Give me...my food!" The boy orders
"Only if you say 'please'!" Fenrir jokes
"That's not a magic word!" The boy corrects
"Huh?!" Fenrir tilts his head in confusion
"Get your hands off it!" The boy continues, pulling the steak
"YOU get YOUR hands off it!!" Fenrir pulls back
They both continue pulling against the single meat using their strengths and neither of them will let it go. Upon the commotion, Weiss walks among the crowd and approaches Jotaro, looking at Fenrir and the boy with glasses
"What in the world is going on?" Weiss asks, folding her arms
"Apparently, they are fighting over a single steak..." Jotaro sighs.
"Seriously? On initiation day?" Weiss scoffs
"I don't understand it either..." Jotaro says
Using more of their strengths, Fenrir and the boy continued pulling the two sides of the steak up until it began to tear...with a snap, Fenrir loses his balance and crashes against the wall behind him, holding a piece of the the steak while the boy stands in place looking at the other piece in his hand. He sighs and walks away as Fenrir recovers from the impact.
"Ow..." Fenrir groans
Weiss shakes her head at the event, turns her attention back to Jotaro
"Let's go, we need to get our stuff from the locker rooms!" Weiss says
"Right behind you." Jotaro nods
*
At the locker room, Ruby and Yang are getting ready for initiation, all they need to do is grab their weapons
"Hey, did you hear about what happened at the cafeteria?" Ruby asks. "Fenrir was fighting over a piece of steak against another student, I wonder why."
"Eh, Fenrir looks like the type of guy who'd fight over anything, I wouldn't worry too much about it. So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!" Yang says, looking at her sister
"Yep! No more awkward small talk or 'getting-to-know-you' stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." Ruby strokes Crescent Rose and sighs happily
"Well, remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together." Yang lectures
"You sound like Dad!" Ruby sighs sheathing her weapon. "Okay, first of all: What does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!"
"But what about when we form teams?" Yang asks
"Um, I don't know, I... I'll just be on your team or something..." Ruby mumbles nervously.
"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team? You could pair up with Fenrir, I don't think he'd mind your company." Yang suggests
"My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?" Ruby asks, glaring at Yang
"What? No! Of course I do! I just thought... I don't know, maybe it would help you... break out of your shell!" Yang excuses
"What the-?! I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely-,"
"Ridiculous!" Jaune says, passing by the girls. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today?"
Jaune passes Fenrir who just equipped his scythe from his locker. When he looks to his right...he sees Pyrrha gathering her stuff.
"So she IS here..." Fenrir mutters.
A grin forms on Fenrir's face, showing he's got an idea on how to approach her. Fenrir slowly walks behind her and attempts an attack by kicking Pyrrha's left leg. Pyrrha side steps and dodges the kick, resulting in Fenrir hitting the locker instead. Pyrrha retaliates by swinging a right hook, Fenrir ducks, grabs her arm with his left hand and pins her against the lockers, his right arm pressed against her neck. The sudden attack surprised the other students who were getting their equipment as they look towards the commotion.
"Ha! Gotcha!" Fenrir laughs
"Fenrir!" Pyrrha sighs, followed by laughter.
"Nice reaction time, but that's still a point for me!" Fenrir releases Pyrrha and grins.
"Keeping score, are we?" Pyrrha chuckles, rubbing her neck
"You're the one who promised me a rematch, what better way to settle our fight than through a point system?" Fenrir shrugs.
"Fair enough, I'll give you that one. But I'll get even later." Pyrrha smirks, folding her arms
Fenrir nods at Pyrrha with a smile, they're starting to like this competitive rivalry between each other.
"Excuse me, if I could have a moment of your time?"
Both Fenrir and Pyrrha look to the voice's owner and sees Weiss Schnee approaching them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Weiss Schnee."
"And a pleasure to meet you." Pyrrha says, but Fenrir wasn't feeling the same courtesy as her. "My name is-,"
"Enter Pyrrha Nikos and Fenrir Calavera, it's an honor to meet you both." Weiss says, surprising Fenrir and Pyrrha
Many of the students overheard Weiss saying Fenrir and Pyrrha's names, now looking in their direction
"Would you two like to team up with me? I'm sure the three of us will be unbeatable together." Weiss says.
"Hold on, I understand how you know Pyrrha, but how do you know my name?" Fenrir asks
"You're kidding, right?" Weiss raises an eyebrow. "Everyone knows about the fighter who matched Pyrrha's skills with his own. Though you still lost against Pyrrha, your skills were close to a real Huntsman, not to mention your instant reaction time."
Fenrir and Pyrrha hear whispers of amazement from the other students, others are surprised to hear Fenrir nearly matched against Pyrrha in the Mistral Tournament.
"So, after our initiation, would you like to team up with me? Your skills and my smarts, we'd become the most powerful team in Beacon!" Weiss says
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass." Fenrir says, making Weiss gasp; surprised by his decline. "In fact, being in a team is bad enough, having you as our leader...would be worse."
With that said, Fenrir walks away. Both Weiss and Pyrrha look in surprise with his answer.
"How rude..." Weiss scoffs, then turns to Pyrrha. "What about you, Pyrrha? Would you and I like to form a team?"
"I'd be happy to!" Pyrrha smiles at Weiss
"Great!" Weiss says.
Weiss turns her back to Pyrrha with a scheming grin on her face.
'This will be perfect! I may have failed to recruit Calavera, but with Pyrrha at my side, we'll be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!' Weiss thinks to herself
"You know what else is great?" Jaune asks, coming between Weiss and Pyrrha. "Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."
"You again?" Weiss asks irritably
"Nice to meet you, Jaune!" Pyrrha greets with a wave.
"Yeah, yeah." Jaune dismisses Pyrrha, shoving her aside. "So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Weiss facepalms
"Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?" Jaune asks
"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-," Pyrrha starts
"You don't say." Jaune says, now approaching Pyrrha. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."
"That won't be likely."
Weiss, Jaune and Pyrrha turn around and see Jotaro approaching.
"You realize who this lady is, yes?" Jotaro asks.
"A potentially new teammate next to snow angel?" Jaune asks
"No, her name is Pyrrha Nikos." Jotaro answers.
"Hello again!" Pyrrha waves.
"She graduated top of her class at Sanctum. Won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row." Jotaro explains
"Uh...what?" Jaune tilts his head
"Seriously? Please don't tell me you're THAT ignorant of her accomplishments!" Weiss says
"She's also on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box."
They notice the boy in glasses from earlier approaching, showing a picture of the cereal box with Pyrrha on it on his scroll
"It was due to her popularity in winning the tournament, it's earned her a promotive spot for anyone's brand. That being Pumpkin Pete's cereal." The boy in glasses said
"Wait, really? That's you?!" Jaune gasps, looking at Pyrrha. "I thought they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"
"Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha chuckles nervously.
"I agree, it's guaranteed to upset your stomach." Jotaro nods
"Now, after hearing all of that, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?" Weiss asks
"I guess not... Sorry..." Jaune says, hanging his head low
"Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!" Pyrrha encourages
"D'oh, stop it!" Jaune says, his face brightening up
"Seriously, please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!" Weiss says
"Don't judge a book by its cover, Weiss." Jotaro lectures. "He could show great potential during Initiation."
"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?" Jaune says, invading Weiss' space.
"All right, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha, Jotaro, a little help, please?!
Jaune looks back just in time to see a spear strike him, sending the would-be leader flying into a wall.
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha shouts
"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." Glynda says over the intercom
Weiss and Pyrrha pass Jaune who continues to hang from the wall of a locker on their way out.
"It was nice meeting you!" Pyrrha says, taking the spear off the wall
"Likewise..." Jaune groans, falling to the ground.
Jotaro looks for the boy in glasses to notice he already left. He sighs and offers Jaune a hand
"Are you alright?" Jotaro asks
"Only thing wounded is my pride..." Jaune chuckles defeatedly. "I don't get it, Dad always told me all women look for is confidence...where did I go wrong?"
"Confidence was good, but a gentleman must have patience when a lady is asked on a date, you came on too strong." Jotaro lifts Jaune up his feet, looks back to where Weiss left. "But in Weiss' case, there wasn't any chance."
Jaune only groans as Jotaro carries him out of the locker room.
*
The students arrive at the edge of the cliff where Ozpin and Glynda begin to brief the students of their initiation
"For years, you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin says
"Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion...each of you will be given teammates...today." Glynda informs
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years." Ozpin explains. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path...or you WILL die. You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately...are there any questions?"
"Yeah, um, sir?" Jaune asks, raising his hand up.
"Good! Now take your positions!" Ozpin ignores Jaune
Fenrir, along with the rest of the students, put on a battle ready stance while Jaune keeps his hand up.
"Um, sir? I have a...uh question."
Weiss catapults off the platform she was standing on, the boy with glasses is catapulted next
"So this landing strategy thing...what is it? You're, like, dropping us off?" Jaune asks
"No, you will be falling." Ozpin answers
Crimson gets catapulted off the platform, next was Jotaro.
"Oh, I see, so did you hand out parachutes for us?" Jaune asks again
"No...you will be using your own landing strategy." Ozpin instructs.
"Uh huh...yeah..." Jaune mumbles
Yang gives Ruby a wink before putting on her sunglasses and getting launched ahead, Ruby glances at Fenrir
"Wish me luck!" Ruby smiles, then is catapulted off.
Fenrir gets catapulted after Ruby, leaving Jaune the last one on the cliff
"So, uh...what exactly is a landing strateGYYYYY!!!!!" Was all Jaune could ask before he's launched into the air
Ozpin watches the students descend as he takes a sip from his mug, smiling to himself.
*
As Fenrir falls toward the forest, he takes notice that he's about to crash into a couple tree branches and vines
"Crap!" Fenrir mutters
Quickly pulling out his scythe, Fenrir slices through the branches and vines; the snap of the wind hitting Fenrir's face at his descent. He gasps, noticing a tree he's about to crash in, Fenrir raises up his scythe and swings it diagonally. Fenrir uses his Howl Semblance and throws the upper tree out of his way, able to fly over the recent tree stump. Looking over his shoulder, Fenrir grins in accomplishment, falling farther away from the tree
"Ha! Still got it!" Fenrir laughs
However, Fenrir's body smacks into another tree he wasn't looking. Flat on the tree, face first, Fenrir slowly slides down and falls off, hitting every branch and vine slowing his descent.
*
Meanwhile, Jotaro looks down from his descent, entering the leaves of the forest. Hugging both his shoulders, he begins to focus and charge up his Semblance. He outstretches both his arms and grabs a nearby branch, using the momentum to launch himself off and landing on the next branch by his feet. Jotaro continues using acrobatics to slow his descent. Reaching ground level, he plants his feet onto the dirt of grass. Standing up, Jotaro scans his surroundings...he looks north and gives himself a nod
"Time to find that temple..." Jotaro says to himself
*
With Ruby still in the air, she crashes through an unsuspecting bird in a burst of feathers as she plummets downward.
"Birdie, no!" Ruby exclaims
Ruby fires off a few rounds from Crescent Rose to slow her down, then turns the weapon into its scythe form to catch the branch of a tree in her blade and fall downward at a slower pace.
Pyrrha, her weapon in sword form and armed with a shield, crashes through several trees and rolls on a branch, immediately shifting her blade into a rifle and looking through the scope at Jaune as he continues to scream and fall helplessly. Pyrrha coolly transforms her weapon again to its spear form, takes a moment to evaluate her throw, and rockets the javelin deep into the forest until a "THUNK!" is heard.
"Thank you!" Jaune shouts.
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha waves.
In the middle of the forest, Ruby lands in a crouch, then darts off with a single mantra in her mind.
"Gotta find Yang!" Ruby thinks, darting off to look for her sister. "Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find..."
"Yang! Yaaaang!" Ruby calls out for but hears no answer, now going back to her thoughts. "Oh, this is bad, this is really bad... What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first? Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice. He's funny! ...I don't think he's very good in a fight, though. Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm... Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her... Oh oh! There's Fenrir! He's mysterious and friendly! Though, he doesn't strike me as the guy who likes to stick around... Maybe Jotaro?he seems nice! But, something tells me I'd have a very boring conversation with him. Ugh! Okay... Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, Fenrir, Jotaro, aaaand..."
Ruby quickly skids to a halt when she spots Weiss who turns to face her face her. She stops just in time for their eyes to meet and a pause follows. This ends when Weiss turns on her heel and walks the other way.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Ruby tries to chase after Weiss but stops and kicks the ground dejectedly. "We're supposed to be teammates..."
Weiss is seen struggling through the forest, giving an occasional grunt or "Ow!" as she pushes plants out of her way. She brushes herself off and sighs in relief when she hears a voice above her.
"Come on, come on! Stupid...!" Jaune struggles, attempting to remove the spear from his hood
Weiss sees Jaune hanging a few feet in the air by the spear embedded in his hood and the tree behind him. As he gives up trying to pull it out, he looks down and sees Weiss, giving an embarrassed wave. Weiss simply heads back in the direction she came from and Jaune groans in dejection.
"By no means does this make us friends." Weiss informs, pulling Ruby along by her hood.
"You came back!" Ruby cheers, shooting her arms in the air
"Wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?!" Jaune exclaims
"Jaune?" Jaune looks down to see Pyrrha smiling at him. "Do you... have any spots left on your team?"
"Very funny..." Jaune says, crossing his arms and turning his head. He eventually looks down at her and gives a smile, Pyrrha smiles back.
*
Weiss continues trudging through the forest, with Ruby back a ways behind her.
"What's the hurry?" Ruby asks.
"I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow! It's bad enough I'm not partnered with Jotaro or Pyrrha, but, if I get a bad grade because of your—," Weiss begins until she's cut off by Ruby who just sped in front of her. "What the...?!"
"I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!" Ruby chuckles
"When did...?" Weiss says, looking back.
"Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!" Ruby says, wrapping her arm around Weiss. "You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss, and after it's all over, you're going to be like, 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool... and I wanna be her friend!'"
Ruby disappears in a shower of rose petals, which Weiss waves away from her face just as she hears crackling and rustling in the bushes around her.
"You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!" Weiss calls out. She hears something rustling in the bushes. "Ruby? Ruby...?"
Weiss leans forward a bit more, as multiple pairs of red eyes stare at her from the bushes and a deep growl is heard. She turns around until she spots a large, jagged Beowolf emerging from a bush and approaching her.
"Ruby!" Weiss cries out.
The Beowolf roars at Weiss, ready to attack it's new prey.
*
With Jotaro, he continues heading north, hoping to find anyone else in these forests. As he walks, Jotaro hears the growling of something ferocious in the woods. Hand gripped on his rapier, he steadies his breathing and keeps his eyes set on the lonely bush he heard growling from. An Ursa jumps out the bush and slashes its claws, Jotaro dodges to the right, pulls out his rapier and uses his fencing skills, stabbing a few holes into the Ursa's chest. It smashes Jotaro downwards with it's other claw but Jotaro dashes to the left, jumping up and over the Ursa, swinging down his weapon, slicing its arm right off as he falls down. The Ursa cries in pain as the Jotaro swings his sword up diagonally across the Ursa's chest and thrusts his rapier into the Ursa's wound, unleashing a lightning strike using the Dust from his sword, launching it straight to a tree. Now dead, its body evaporates into nothing, Jotaro sheathes his blade and was about to take his leave until...
"AAAAH!!!!!"
Jotaro jerks his whole body around to see Fenrir hanging lowly down from the tree the Ursa hit, Fenrir was all tangled up and facing upside down from the amount of vines Fenrir hit during his fall. Jotaro watches as Fenrir struggles to try and get himself free
"Uh...little help?!" Fenrir chuckles
Chuckling to himself, Jotaro unsheathes his rapier, jumps towards the vines and cuts Fenrir down. Falling from the tree he was hanging from, Fenrir hits the ground head first. Jotaro lands back to ground, feet first, and sheathes his rapier, watching Fenrir as he gets up
"Thanks for that." Fenrir brushes himself off.
"Don't mention it." Jotaro nods.
Fenrir looks at Jotaro with a smile and extends his hand to him.
"I suppose this counts us as partners, I'm Fenrir Calavera."
"Nice to meet you, Fenrir, I'm Jotaro Kurozaki." Jotaro smiles, shaking Fenrir's hand. "Wait...aren't you that student who tried to fight for that steak this morning?"
"Ok, first of all, that was the only steak to eat! And second of all...I didn't fight for it, that punk with the glasses wouldn't let it go! And THIRD...yes that was me." Fenrir says.
Chuckling at Fenrir's childish behavior, Jotaro scans his surroundings again to get back on track for his objective
"The temple should be north from here, that's the direction we should go." Jotaro instructs
"Well, since we're partners, we should get to that temple together...which way is north?" Fenrir asks.
"I believe it's...that way." Jotaro points past Fenrir, who looks over his shoulder. "Wait, no...it's that way..." Jotaro points to his right with an uncertain look on his face. "Maybe it's...this way?" Then he points behind him as Fenrir looks towards the path he's pointing. Jotaro drops his arm as worry begins to boil up inside him. "Oh dear..."
Fenrir walks up to Jotaro with a very confident grin.
"Don't worry about it, partner, I'll find the temple in the forest." Fenrir pats Jotaro's shoulder.
Jotaro raises an eyebrow at Fenrir's attempt to help
"How?" Jotaro crosses his arms. "Finding it without a sense of direction is like finding a needle in a haystack."
"For you, maybe, but I've been training in the woods with my Grandmother since I was a kid! I know how to spot something from a distance, just watch." Fenrir looks around to spot a good vantage point to climb.
Seeing a nearby tree, Fenrir jumps and climbs up to one getting a bird's eye view of the whole forest while Jotaro watches and waits.
"Huh...it's a good thing I'm paired with someone who knows the wild, I wonder how Weiss is doing...or Crimson...I hope they're ok." Jotaro mumbles
*
Meanwhile, Weiss deflects the swipe from a Beowolf with her Myrtenaster and gets pushed back into the middle of the beastly circle. She holds out her sword as she goes through her dueling motions and practices.
"Remember your training, Weiss." Weiss thinks. "Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward." She puts her foot forward as instructed "Not that forward!" Weiss pulls her foot back a little. "Slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and...Now!"
Weiss dashes forward with her loaded weapon at the Beowolf in front of her, just when Ruby suddenly appears between the two in a blur of rose petals and a swipe of her Crescent Rose scythe, landing a hit on the monster.
"Gotcha!" Ruby shouts.
Weiss widens her eyes and screams as she quickly has to stop, swinging the sword in a random direction and creating a line of fire that sets a nearby tree ablaze, followed quickly by the rest of the forest around the clearing. Ruby, distracted by Weiss' mess-up, is barely defended when the same Beowolf scratches her weapon, knocking the younger girl into the heiress.
"Hey, watch it!" Ruby snaps.
"Excuse me! You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!" Weiss snaps back.
"You'll have to try a lot harder than that..." Ruby mutters.
The duo wield their arms as the pack of Beowolves whine and growl around them. Ruby reloads her scythe just as a flaming tree falls near them.
"We have to go!" Weiss grabs Ruby's arm and leads her out of the blaze as it engulfs the grass and sets the Grimm to running back the way they came or suffering in the fire.
*
With Fenrir and Jotaro, they continue walking in the direction of the temple where Fenrir was able spot
"And you're sure you know where you're going?" Jotaro asks
"Yep, I may have lost depth perception but I haven't lost my sense of direction!" Fenrir answers.
"Right...what are you exactly? A tracker?"
"Kinda, I'm...a bit complicated." Fenrir says
"...Could you please elaborate?" Jotaro arches an eyebrow
"Well, uh..."
Their conversation is put to halt when they hear Beowolves howling. They look at the direction of the sound and see a large smoke flying into the sky.
"Looks like someone had too much fun." Fenrir says
"Someone could be hurt, let's go!" Jotaro runs ahead to the smoke.
"What about the temple?" Fenrir follows Jotaro.
"The objective is important, but innocent lives take priority!" Jotaro says.
Fenrir gives an understood nod and the two run towards the smoke to investigate.
*
Ruby and Weiss stop a safe ways from the smoke and flames. Weiss leans over and pants as Ruby looks behind her.
"What was that?! That should've been easy!" Ruby complains
"Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!" Weiss informs, pointing at the forest fire
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ruby scoffs
"I'm just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!"
"Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!" Ruby says sarcastically
"Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo!" Weiss says, walking away
Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolds Crescent Rose, slices a tree down to the stump, refolds it back, and follows her partner as the tree crashes behind her. Neither notice the large dark feather floating onto the fallen trunk behind them.
"Weiss?"
Weiss stops walking and looks to her left, seeing Jotaro approaching her
"Jotaro!" Weiss cheers. "It's a relief to see you!"
"And you, I take it that forest fire was your doing?" Jotaro smirks.
"Ugh, that wouldn't have happened if my dolt of a partner wasn't in the way!" Weiss rolls her eyes
Jotaro looks past Weiss to notice her aforementioned partner, Ruby, catching up with an upset expression.
"It appears you're stuck with her for four years now. At least you're ok." Jotaro smiles.
"What about you? Have you found your partner, Jotaro?" Weiss asks.
To answer Weiss' question, Fenrir steps out from the trees and bushes, brushing himself off of any stray sticks on his clothes until he notices Jotaro and Weiss
"Fenrir Calavera!" Weiss says, surprised. She quickly takes a bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you again."
"Wish I could say the same, Schnee..." Fenrir sighs, crossing his arms. He looks to Jotaro who appears to be familiar with Weiss. "You know the Ice Queen?"
"I am NOT an Ice Queen! Don't ever call me that!" Weiss scoffs, offended
"Maybe I wouldn't have to, if you checked the attitude!" Fenrir snaps.
"Excuse me?!" Weiss snaps back.
"Enough! Both of you! Arguing like this is counterproductive!" Jotaro says, standing between Fenrir and Weiss. "Or have you forgotten what attracts the Grimm?"
Both Weiss and Fenrir cross their arms, turning their gaze away from each other. Jotaro looks at Ruby, who remains bothered by whatever happened earlier.
"You're name is...Ruby, correct?" Jotaro approaches Ruby, extending his hand. "I'm Jotaro Kurozaki."
"Uh, Yeah! Heh, I...heard that was your name!" Ruby nervously chuckles, snapped out of her sad demeanor. "It's nice to meet you!"
Ruby shakes Jotaro's hand. She may be a nervous wreck but Jotaro can tell by the look in her eyes...she has passion, enough to keep her going.
"Anyway, Jotaro and I were heading to the temple 'till we noticed the commotion. You and the Ice Queen are welcome to come along, Rubes." Fenrir smirks, hands behind his head, relaxed.
"Seriously?" Weiss scoffs. "You expect me to follow you after that INSULTING nickname?!"
"Fine, you don't have to come along." Fenrir rolls his eyes, walking away. "Just makes you easier prey for the Grimm!"
"I-I don't think we should separate!" Ruby speaks up, getting the group's attention and making her a little nervous. "Weiss and I have no idea where the temple is...b-but you guys do! So going with you guys would...make things quicker...and...safety in numbers?"
"Ruby is right." Jotaro agrees, surprising the girls. "We don't know how many Grimm are out there, if we travel in larger numbers, we'll have more eyes and ears listening for an attack."
"Really, Jotaro?" Weiss puts her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me you're taking HER side!"
"Do you have a better idea, Weiss?" Jotaro asks.
"Well I—we could—maybe the..." Weiss stutters, trying to come up with a plan she thinks is better only to sigh in defeat. "Fine..."
"That settles it then. Come on, Ice Queen, the temple is this way." Fenrir says, walking away
"Will you STOP calling me that?! I have a name, it's Weiss Schnee!" Weiss scolds, following Fenrir
"Really? So what does that translate to? Ice Queen?" Fenrir smirks
"No! It means White Snow!"
"Snow's another form of ice, isn't it? So it that still makes you an Ice Queen!"
"No it doesn't! Stop insulting me!!"
Jotaro and Ruby watch as Fenrir and Weiss continue walking and arguing with each other, though Fenrir feels like he's winning emotionally with how heated Weiss is feeling.
"He never talked like that to me and Yang before." Ruby sighs. "I wonder why Fenrir is being mean to her. Then again, Weiss is a very mean girl so maybe I shouldn't ask why HE'S being mean to HER..."
"She isn't typically like this...give her some time and...Weiss'll grow on you." Jotaro advises, hand on Ruby's shoulder.
Ruby looks at Jotaro who gives her a comforting smile.
"Hey, slowpokes! If you don't catch up, we're gonna leave without ya!" Fenrir calls from a distance.
Jotaro and Ruby look at Weiss and Fenrir, then to each other exchanging nods, quickly catching up to the others.
*
Meanwhile, Crimson continues falling through the Emerald Forest, breaking a couple branches on impact and crashes into a bush. Crimson stands up, dirt on his face and a couple of twigs in his hair
"Ok...who thought launching students off a cliff was a good idea?!" Crimson steps out the bush, brushing the dirt and twigs off
Crimson hears Grimm roaring from a distance. Following the sound, he hides behind a tree to see a horde of Beowolves attacking the glasses boy. But he seems to be handling the Grimm all by himself, slaying one in half with his Gunblade
"Damn...that dude can kick ass!" Crimson smiles
One Beowulf slashes the boy from the right, he parries the attack with his weapon and shoots its head off. More Beowolves come after him so he fires his weapon, claiming three headshots in a row. He ducks from the last Beowulf's sneak attack and slices its head off. The boy checks his surroundings and seeing no Beowolves in sight. Sighing, the boy sheathes his weapon until a Beowulf charges at him from another bush. Spotting the Beowulf, Crimson jumps out from behind the tree
"HEY! WATCH OUT!!!!" Crimson shouts
The boy looks above him, surprised to notice the Beowulf, he reaches for his weapon until Crimson punches the Beowulf's face, midair, knocking it through a bunch of trees until it was out of sight, thus saving the boy's life. Crimson lands back on ground and smiles at the boy, who stares at Crimson and just walks away
"Uh...you're welcome?!" Crimson shrugs
Sighing, Crimson chases after the boy with frustration fueling his mind.
*
Meanwhile across the Forest, Pyrrha Nikos, armed with her sword and shield, and Jaune Arc are making their way through the bushes. Jaune hears a noise far away and turns his head.
"Did you hear that?" Jaune asks.
"Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy." Pyrrha confirms
They keep moving forward, Jaune still staring in the sound's direction as Pyrrha raises a branch to pass by and accidentally releases it right at Jaune's face, flooring him instantly.
"Jaune! I'm sorry!" Pyrrha looks back at Jaune
"It's okay." Jaune laughs, noticing the gash on his cheek. "Just a scratch!"
"Why didn't you activate your Aura?" Pyrrha asks as Jaune stands up
"Huh?" Jaune raises an eyebrow
"Your Aura." Pyrrha repeats
"Gesundheit."
"Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?"
"Psch! Of course I do! Do you know what Aura is?" Jaune asks, avoiding eye contact
"Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?"
"Uh... yeah."
"With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals."
"What about monsters?"
"No. The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. They are the darkness, and we are the light."
"Right, that's why we fight them!"
"It's not about why; it's about knowing. Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both. By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting."
"It's like a force field!" Jaune screams excitingly
"Yes, if you want to look at it that way." Pyrrha chuckles, then walks closer to Jaune. "Now, close your eyes and concentrate."
"Uhh... Okay." Jaune closes his eyes as Pyrrha places her hand on his head
Pyrrha smiles and closes her own eyes, opening them as her skin glows and her irises shrink before shutting them again. The two stand there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." As Pyrrha finishes, she hunches over in exhaustion after using her own energy.
"Pyrrha?" Jaune asks in concern
"It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own." Pyrrha stands straight and smirks as Jaune's wound closes. "And you have a lot of it."
"Wow..." Jaune looks at himself, noticing the glow around his body until it fades.
"Ow! Hey! Would you slow down, hotshot?!"
Pyrrha and Jaune look at the voice's direction to see Crimson and his partner approaching. They both notice Jaune and Pyrrha.
"Well, hello beautiful." Crimson smirks at Pyrrha. His partner sighs in annoyance
End of Chapter 3