Ozpin sipped his coffee passively as he stared out over the cliffs. He stood motionless as he observed the old forest below him, waiting for the students to make their way back. Glynda strode up beside him, looking at a series of video feeds on a scroll that showed various initiates.
"Our most recent pair has been formed, sir," Glynda told Ozpin, placing the scroll in his hands. "Rosalie Caelum and Sonara Brunswick." She nodded in approval of the match. "Ms. Caelum's overabundance of patience and compassion will make a good counter for Ms. Brunswick's...excitable nature."
Ozpin only nodded his head slightly to demonstrate his agreement, and continued scrolling through the device.
Glynda continued her report. "Other pairs recently formed include Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, Azure Knyte and Rember Autumn, Gayle Mensthe and Jad Eclipse, and Valerie Ashe and Kyra Myst."
She took a glance at the screen displaying Azure and Rember and stared hard at the two. "By the way professor..." she commented, "I tried to find any information regarding that Knyte boy, and I'm afraid to say I've found next to nothing."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow, and looked up, intrigued. "Oh?" he asked, "What did you find?"
Giving an exasperated sigh, Glynda began. "Well sir, he was trained by Amaranth Phlox in basic combat skills when he was young. That's about it. No transcripts to speak of, and nothing to explain how he's here. Police reports claim he's been missing for years."
Ozpin listened attentively, taking another sip of his drink and returning his gaze to the horizon.
"He hasn't attended a single combat school in all of Remnant, and yet his skills match those of some third year students. He's an enigma, to say the least. Where on earth did find him?" Glynda asked, glancing questioningly at the Headmaster.
The grey haired professor maintained his stare into the distance. "I didn't find him. Nor did he find me..." Ozpin said. Handing the scroll back to Glynda, he turned back to the cliffs. "Keep me posted about the students, Professor Goodwitch. That will be all."
Nodding once more, Glynda turned away from the cliffs and started walking away, leaving Ozpin to his own devices.
Azure and Rember trudged through the forest, the fox faunus getting bored with her partner's silent demeanor. They hadn't spoken to each other since joining up.
"So..." Rember asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What exactly are you doing?"
Pausing, Azure turned and faced her. "Using a special talent."
"Like, your semblance?"
"No." he said, resuming his walk. Rember followed close behind. "Besides," he continued, "You already know what my semblance is."
"Right, your invisibility trick!" Rember recounted. "That was pretty cool! Too bad it didn't work well on me," she added proudly, her fox ears twitching in response.
"Lucky moment," Azure retorted. "And going invisible isn't the only thing I can do."
"Oh reeeaally? What else can you do?"
"You'll find out later."
"Aww, how boring. Please?" Rember pouted.
"No," Azure stated with a tone of finality. Rember gave a disappointed sigh.
The trees around them were thinning, and the pair soon found themselves at the crest of a small hill. Looking down, they spotted a stone structure set in a clearing. The architecture was weathered and appeared ancient, from where they were standing.
"That's gotta be it!" Rember exclaimed. "There's no way there's more than one old temple around here."
She started making her way down the hill while Azure remained at the top to observe the area more closely. It didn't really look like a temple, just a bit of stone ruins. Not wanting to keep Rember waiting, Azure shook his head and followed his partner.
The two arrived at their destination quickly, and they looked around keenly for the headmaster's relics. It didn't take long to spot their objective, and they glanced at each other curiously before going back to the objects before them.
"Chess pieces," Azure said, intrigued.
Sure enough, large chess pieces sat on pedestals arranged in a wide half-circle, each one made of either ebony or gold. The pair walked to the center of the setup, studying each piece with interest. Some were missing from the displays, but only a few. They obviously weren't the first to arrive.
"Well, I guess we should pick one," Rember said, crouching slightly to look at a playing piece more closely. "Any of them jump out at you?"
Azure stared at each relic closely, trying to distinguish one that stood out. After a brief moment, his eyes rested on a black knight piece. He walked towards it and plucked the statue off its pedestal, looking at the horse-head figure keenly. He noted how funny it was that a knight, someone who is supposed to protect innocents, be honorable, and fight evil, could don a color such as black. To him, black was something that represented darkness. Corruption. Evil.
He didn't dwell on it long though, and turned away from the pedestal. He strolled back towards Rember and held out his prize. They had their relic, now they just had to complete the objective.
Rember smiled when she saw his choice.
"Great!" she said, "I think we should-"
Her speech was cut short when a Ursa burst through the trees, charging towards the pair. Rember's weapons materialized in her hands, and Azure pulled out his bow, an arrow notched in the string. Just as he was about loose the arrow, Azure spotted two individuals clinging to the Grimm's back. He heard uproarious laughter, and lowered his bow.
"Hold it," he said, and Rember relaxed somewhat.
They waited for the Ursa to stop moving, curious to meet the riders. Just as the Grimm came within meters of Azure and Rember, a cloud of dust emerged behind the Ursa's head, killing it. The monster wiped out spectacularly, and the dark knight holders finally saw who the newcomers were: Jad and Gayle. They were laughing hysterically as they climbed off the carcass, still reeling with the thrill of the moment.
Dusting off his jacket, Jad looked over at Gayle with a humongous grin. "What'd I tell ya?!" he exclaimed, "Totally awesome, right?!"
"I will admit, that was pretty fun," Gayle agreed, giving him a smile of her own.
After calming down, Gayle was the first to realize where they were and notice their amused audience. "Hey, we made it, Jad! The relics are just over there!" she said excitedly to her partner.
"HUZZAH!" Jad shouted, and started running.
Then he spotted Azure, the white clad archer smirking, and increased his speed.
"PASTY! MY BRO!" Jad screamed, unexpectedly glomping Azure to the ground and gripping him in a vice of a hug.
The two sent up a cloud of dust, and Azure tried wiggling his way out the crushing embrace.
Why does this keep happening to me...? Azure wailed inwardly, desperately wishing to know the reason behind all the tackling. Jad soon let go of him, and the two got to their feet. Azure spotted his relic on the ground and retrieved it, thinking I must've dropped it.
Jad caught a glimpse of the black item, however, and his eyes widened. "Oooooo! That looks cool! A black horse?!" He exclaimed, " It totally reminds me of this one motorbike I've seen! Is there another one of those?"
"Yup." Rember replied, pointing over towards its twin. "Looks like there's two of each."
"Sweet! Back in a flash!"
Jad sprinted over to the other black knight piece, yanked it from its pedestal, and just as quickly ran back to stand by Azure. After admiring the relic for a moment, Jad casually glanced over at Azure and his new partner. He did a double take and a large smile spread across his face when he caught sight of Rember.
"We-he-hell, hellooo, foxy lady. Pasty, you lucky dog, you got paired with the foxy lady!"
Unimpressed, Azure raised an eyebrow, while Rember began laughing.
"Ahahahahaha! I don't think I've heard that one!" she gasped, clutching her sides.
"That's right. Captain Original!" Jad smirked proudly.
"It was pretty brilliant," agreed Gayle, high fiving her partner.
"Alright..." Azure piped up, getting everyone's attention. "We should get moving. There's no reason to stay any longer."
"You got it," Gayle said, and the others nodded in agreement.
They didn't have time to move however, as a loud scream met their ears. It sounded like it came from a girl and the four of them turned towards the sound. Almost immediately, Valerie and Kyra came bursting through the trees, sprinting towards them with varying degrees of fear painted on their faces.
"RUN!" Valerie shouted, waving her hands wildly. "THERE'S A BIG-A VERY BIG-"
She was cut off when a colossal King Taijitu, larger than the one Jad and Gayle had faced, ploughed through the dense foliage, eagerly chasing after the two initiates.
Azure, Jad, and Gayle all drew their weapons. Rember, not having put hers away, sprang towards the Grimm, and much to Jad's chagrin the rest of them soon followed.
"Are you freaking kidding me right now?! I just killed a Nope and now there's a bigger one!?" Jad muttered anxiously as the four of them met the best head on, extending the blade on his staff.
His longer legs propelling him ahead of the others, Jad hit the Grimm first, striking the middle of the snake's body. The monster's heads hissed and both lunged at him, but Azure and Gayle both jumped in front of their friend. They each blocked one of the heads, digging their heels into the ground as they were pushed back a bit. The King Taijitu was stunned for a second and recoiled. Seeing an opportunity, Rember shot out her whips, wrapping them around the snake's heads. Pressing a button on each handle she grinned maliciously and the King Taijitu wailed in pain as it became enveloped by the electric current. The monster slumped to the ground, stunned, and Azure leaped into action. Activating a button on the hilts of his weapons, the swords were quickly infused with ice dust energy, and frost coated the blades. He stabbed the ground where the first head lay and it was encased in a dome of ice. He dashed over to the other head and did the same there, freezing the snake's heads to the ground while the body flailed desperately.
Feeling that the threat was under control for the moment, Azure looked over at Valerie and Kyra, his expression neutral.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Umm...well, you see-"
"She stumbled into that thing's den." Kyra bluntly stated, waving to the subdued Grimm that tried vainly to free itself.
"Hey! How could I have known that that large crevasse was holding an enormous monster?! And I just...tripped at a bad time." Valerie grumbled, folding her arms in defense.
"I hate snakes," Jad grimaced.
A muffled hiss caught everyone's attention and they turned to see cracks spreading across the icy surface as the Grimm struggled.
Knowing that the ice wouldn't hold long, Azure took charge.
"Alright, you two grab your relic," he said to Valerie and Kyra, who hurried to do as they were bid.
The archer turned his attention to his partner, who bounced on the balls of her feet with an attentive look on her face. "We're leaving."
"Mind if we tag along?" Gayle asked, gesturing towards herself and Jad.
Her partner nodded enthusiastically at the idea.
Azure pondered the proposition for a moment, but Rember ultimately responded.
"Sure!" She grinned merrily, little fangs appearing. "Who knows what else is lurking about? It's a good idea to team up."
"Sweet! Let's get moving then before that Hell spawn gets loose," Jad stated eagerly, the thought of the giant monster getting free sending chills up his spine.
He started running back towards the cliffs that stood visible above the trees, Gayle close behind.
"C'mon Azure! Let's go!" Rember encouraged as she set off after the others and Azure nodded, hurrying after them.
"Hey, what about those other girls?" Gayle asked as they reached the edge of the trees.
"I'm sure they're fine! They'll catch up soon enough," Rember replied as they entered the cover of the forest.
Valerie and Kyra skidded to a stop in the ruins and looked frantically for a relic. The pair scanned the remaining pieces, searching for one that stood out to them. They knew that the King Taijitu would be free any moment, so they had to be quick.
"Uhhh...hmmm...which one should we take?" Valerie asked her partner, clearly not the type that worked well under pressure.
"Who cares?! Just grab one and let's go!" Kyra replied irritably, eyes on the Grimm behind them.
Valerie nodded in agreement. It didn't really matter. After a brief moment, her eyes rested on a white queen piece. Not delaying any longer, she grabbed it and ran back to Kyra. She held it out for her partner to see and then tucked it away safely.
Kyra smiled at her partner's choice, surprising Valerie greatly. "Right, what's next?"
Valerie stood there in shock for a moment before snapping back. This was the first time Kyra had been nice.
"I...think it'd be best if we follow the others," she said, still taking in Kyra's sudden change in mood.
Before they could start moving, the pair heard a deep, resonating caw in the distance. They looked up at the sky to see a giant Nevermore winging its way directly towards them, and the girls instinctively got their weapons ready.
"Where did THAT come from? And why is it coming this way?" Kyra asked, worried at the sudden appearance of another Mega-Grimm.
"Ah, that actually might be my fault," an unfamiliar voice said behind Kyra. The pair whirled around, ready for battle.
To their surprise, there were two newcomers. A girl in blue and pink with braided pink hair, and a smaller girl in green with short brown hair. They waved to the jumpy girls, trying to appear friendly. Kyra and Valerie relaxed, letting go of the breaths they were holding and waved back.
"It's okay Rosy! That mean monster can't lay a claw on you! I bet you could beat it just like those other ones!" the girl in green exclaimed cheerfully, a giant smile painted on her face.
"I'm pretty sure even I can't beat that one. At least not by myself," the pink haired girl stated with humble patience. She looked over to Valerie "I'm Rosalie, by the way. This is my partner Sonara."
"Hiya!" Sonara said excitedly, still smiling enormously.
"I'm Valerie," Valerie replied, a kind grin on her lips. She motioned to her partner. "This is Kyra. It's nice to meet you!"
Kyra interjected. "Look," she said, "not that I'm not enjoying this...thing, but we do happen to have a giant monster in ice behind us."
The words barely left her lips when the group heard a series of loud cracks, and Valerie's heart began to race.
"Right, we need to go. You two have a relic?" she asked Rosalie hurriedly, knowing the King Taijitu would soon be free.
Rosalie nodded. "Yes. We grabbed one before coming over here."
She revealed her own white queen piece to Valerie before tucking it away again.
"Alright. Everyone follow me! We need to get back to the cliffs!" Valerie ordered.
She sprinted after Azure's group, and the other three followed. Just before reaching the trees, Valerie glanced back to see the Nevermore and the now free King Taijitu in hot pursuit of them. She groaned and forced her body into overdrive, hoping they could outrun the colossal monsters.
Azure, Rember, Gayle, and Jad ran as fast as their bodies would allow while staying together. They'd been running for what seemed like hours, the discomfort of overworked muscles a familiar friend by now. Darting through a series of bushes, the group quickly skidded to a stop at the edge of a wide valley. Looking down into the depths, they saw a collection of ancient, weathered stone buildings.
"How much farther till the launch pads?" Jad asked breathlessly, gaze alternating between the basin and the woods behind him.
"A good couple miles, maybe more," Gayle panted, pointing tiredly to the outline of Beacon Cliffs on the horizon.
Rember, who fared slightly better than the others, opened her mouth to say something but stopped abruptly, fox ears twitching as an unfamiliar sound reached them. She turned back to the forest and squinted at the sky above the trees to see the unmistakable silhouette of a gigantic Nevermore flying towards them.
"Guys, we've got trouble," she warned, unsheathing her batons.
The others turned to see the incoming monster and drew their own weapons. Azure picked up on four presences approaching their position at a rapid pace, and correctly assumed that two of them were Valerie and Kyra. He also took note of an enormous void pursuing them. He notched an explosive dust arrow to his bow, aiming behind the unseen initiates. Valerie and Kyra soon came into view, along with the two girls he'd seen earlier that morning. At the speed they were going, it wasn't long before they'd joined Azure and the others, desperately gasping for air.
"How far away are they?" Azure asked, his arrow still pointed into the trees.
"They're...not far! Lost...snake," Valerie managed to sputter, ready to keel over.
Azure kept the bowstring tight, senses on high alert.
"I wouldn't be so sure," he retorted, giving the girls an impartial look. "Catch your breath, those things will be here in a few minutes."
Valerie's group nodded as they all fought to catch their breath. After a few moments, Rosalie was back on her feet.
"Anyone have a plan to beat these things?" she asked, watching the Nevermore fly towards them.
The eight of them stood in contemplative silence, clearly unsure of how to defeat the incoming goliaths. The cries from the Nevermore and King Taijitu weren't helping their thought processes either, the monsters almost on top of them. Luckily, an idea popped into Gayle's head, and her eyes lit.
"I think I've got something!" Gayle announced, her hand shooting up into the air.
The others turned to the lizard faunus, waiting to hear her idea.
Knowing she had the floor, Gayle explained. "Okay, I have an idea to use the Grimm to our advantage, but I need to know who the four fastest are."
Rember stepped forward, an ardent smile on her lips. "Me! And this one," she added, grabbing Azure by his cape and pulling him forward.
"I'm said to be rather agile," Kyra spoke up, a confident gleam in her eyes. "So I can be the third."
Gayle smiled appreciatively. "Ok, anyone else?" she asked the remaining initiates.
"Why not you?" Jad suggested. "You were pretty nimble while fighting the other snake, before I showed up. You've got some MOVES!"
"Oh, right. I guess I could be the fourth. Sure! Why not?" Gayle replied. "Right. Here's the plan…"
They all huddled around the faunus as she whispered the plan to them. As her explanation finished, the Nevermore landed directly in front of the group, spreading its wings and blocking out the sun. It shrilled so loudly that Rember flattened her ears and the others grimaced. As that happened, the King Taijitu made its appearance, crashing out of the woods and hissing menacingly.
"We all know the plan!" Gayle shouted. "Let's go!"
With that, Gayle and the other speedsters rushed the King Taijitu, while the remaining four initiates moved on the Nevermore. This was their last obstacle, so it was all or nothing.
Azure was the first to hit his target, slowing his pace and firing an explosive arrow directly into the King Taijitu's midsection. The monster shook off the attack, its scales a little blackened, but showing no damage. The monster's rasps grew angry as it lunged for the archer, who evaded.
Rember reached the serpent before Kyra, and after smartly dodging a strike from the pale head she used her whips to swing atop its skull. The clawed tips of her batons clinging to the Grimm's lithe body, the faunus held on grimly. Another explosion met her hearing: Azure doing his part to keep the beast occupied. Gritting her teeth, Rember anchored herself with one baton and used the other to gouge out the beast's eyes, blinding it.
Task complete, the fox girl leapt off the beast and landed safely back on the ground as the snake cried out in anguish, its glowing red eyes now black and bloody.
Enraged by the pain of its other half, the black head of the snake attacked Kyra ferociously, its movements wild and watched the monster's movements critically, waiting for her opportunity to strike. It didn't take long.
The King Taijitu lunged with all its speed, but the white haired girl spun to the side and it missed, its snout smashing powerfully into the earth. Seeing that it was briefly stunned, Kyra wasted no time in using her wrist blades to destroy the serpent's remaining vision and leaving it completely blind. Satisfied with her handiwork, Kyra ran back to meet her fellow combatants.
"Now! Get it's attention!" Kyra yelled to Gayle, who was standing with her laser cuffs aimed at the beast.
"You got it!" Gayle replied, shooting a concentrated ray of energy at each of the Grimm's heads.
Heated beams burned through the thick scales, and the monster wailed. It coiled in on itself, blindly lashing out with its fangs. But its fury soon returned, and the four nimble initiates sprang back to avoid a surprisingly accurate strike. Sharing a glance, they turned and ran to join the others in their battle against the massive raven.
Jad fired continuous blasts of dust energy from his staff, trying to wear down their foe. While every shot hit its mark, the Grimm didn't seem phased in the slightest by the onslaught. The giant bird hovered above the students, only flapping its massive wings occasionally to stay aloft.
Damn it! This isn't really working… Jad thought, frustrated. After a few more hits, a bright green light started shimmering over his skin, his mood shifting when he took note of it. Although… He snickered, A few more direct hits will help me end this pretty quickly…
Spotting the change in Jad, the Nevermore let out a shrill cry and flapped its wings. A barrage of black feathers shot from its wings, the tips arching towards him. As he was about to be impaled, however, a strong gust of wind descended upon the boy, blowing all of the plumage away. Rosalie jumped in front of Jad and swirled her Lavender Thorn in a clockwise motion, the winds following accordingly. Faster and faster she went, until a churning vortex hovered around her sword. She stabbed in the Grimm's direction, and the twister was loosed, growing larger and larger as it neared the Nevermore. The massive bird struggled to remain aloft as the cyclone came closer, but its wings were unable to withstand the manipulated air currents. With a loud cry it crashed to the ground, dazed.
"Sonara, now's your chance! Get him good!" Rosalie called to her partner, the girl in green grinning.
"Hehehehe! You got it, Rosy!" Sonara cheered, drawing her jian and rushing towards the grounded Nevermore.
As she got closer, chunks of rock and earth were torn from the ground, rising up and floating around Sonara. A green-yellow glow covered the boulders, each of them controlled by the still grinning girl. Pointing her sword at the monster, the necklace of earth hurled towards the Nevermore, shattering when it made contact. The Grimm had recovered from the wind attack, but cawed furiously as it was impacted by the thrown earth, its black plumage spotted with patches of brown. It tried to take flight, but Rosalie urged the air above the beast to press it into the unforgiving ground.
"Hey, uh, Valerie?" Jad shouted, holding onto his hat as the wind threatened to sweep it away. "Now's our chance! Let's get him!"
"Okay!" Valerie shouted back.
She and Jad charged the Grimm. Valerie got there first and bashed the bird's beak with her shield, sending its head reeling back. Jad switched with Valerie and leapt up, slashing at the base of the monster's neck. The Nevermore wasn't greatly affected and snapped its beak down to hit Jad, but he blocked the attack with his staff. Unfortunately it didn't absorb all of the blow's force, and he was sent crashing into the ground. Stunned, Jad got shakily to his feet, the light he'd been emitting fading.
He looked up to see the Nevermore trying to free itself from Rosalie's wind restraints. Valerie was able to strike at a wing joint with her sword a few times, but only succeeded in angering the monster further. The Nevermore became more agitated as it's attempts to free itself proved fruitless, its cries growing louder and louder. Rosalie tried to keep her restraints in place, but she was losing energy. Holding such a massive creature for so long was a struggle, and her body was starting to hurt from the effort.
Before long Rosalie was unable to maintain her semblance, and with a victorious screech the Nevermore leapt into the air. Rosalie's exhausted body was sent flying into the dirt by the blast of air those massive wingbeats caused, briefly knocking her out.
When she opened her eyes, Rosalie saw that the group who'd taken the King Taijitu was running toward them, the great serpent following haphazardly. Slowly getting to her feet, Rosalie tried pulling up her semblance again and fought a wave of dizziness that caused her to sway on her feet.
No, there has to be something left! She thought desperately, clutching at a sharp pain in her left arm. I have to keep that Nevermore pinned for just a bit longer! Calling upon her semblance once more, she used the last dregs of her energy to create another windstorm, pinning the Nevermore again.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Rosalie screamed, her whole body protesting the strain of sustaining the winds.
Azure and the others soon ran past the pink haired initiate, which could only mean...
"Move!" Rember shouted to Rosalie over the whirlwind. "It's right behind you!"
Dropping her semblance, Rosalie barely was able to get out of the way as the rampaging King Taijitu charged towards the downed Nevermore. The two monsters collided, the sound of the impact echoing throughout the canyon below.
"We'll take the bird! you take the snake!" Jad said to Valerie, and he and Gayle ran towards the Nevermore.
Valerie nodded and looked over at Kyra. Her partner was trying to say something, and with a little thought she was able to make it out before they both rushed the King Taijitu.
"How long can your weapons stun that thing?" Azure called out to Rember, putting an arrow to his string as they ran.
"As long we need!" Rember yelled back, batons at the ready. "Just say the word."
Azure nodded and loosed the arrow, hitting the colossal Grimm in the face. The arrow lodged in the bone plating covering its head, and the Nevermore cawed in annoyance. Jad unleashed a flurry of slashes across the Grimm's face and neck, cutting through the thick layers of hardened feathers and into the flesh beneath. Gayle was mirroring Jad's attacks with her glaive, wearing down at the enemy's throat. The Nevermore screeched in alarm and flapped its wings, trying to get in the air, but the hungry claws of Rember's weapons shot out to waylay it. The sharp points dug into the facial bone plating, and Rember hit a button on each of her whips, sending surges of electricity into the Grimm. The monster cried out in pain and crashed back to earth, dislodging the claws and cutting off the electric current.
"Jad! Gayle! Hit the back of its neck!" Azure called out, the other pair nodded in response.
They jumped into action and started wailing away at the spot Azure pointed out. Looking over his shoulder, Azure took in the other team's condition at a glance.
Each pair was occupied with a separate head. Valerie and Kyra alternated blows against the black head, while Sonara was distractedly holding off the white head, and shielding Rosalie at the same time.
"Just hold on Rosy…" Sonara whispered as she stopped another lunge from the snake. She grunted, the continuous impacts started to wear her down. "I'll fight this evil monster til you can help."
Using her semblance, she started chucking rocks at the Grimm, hitting it in the face. The beast hissed, enraged and frustrated. It dove at Sonara again, intent on destroying her, and Rosalie tried to stand again only to stumble, her strength spent. Sonara was able to stop the attack with her jian, the sword holding strong under the pressure, but her arms shook with the effort. Both human and monster pushed with all their might, but the King Taijitu was slowly winning, pushing back Sonara inch by inch.
"Rosy…" Sonara grunted, her muscles about to give. "You need to get up! If you don't…" She trailed off, fear evident in her voice. "I can't hold on much longer! Help me!"
A bolt of energy shot through Rosalie and she jumped to her feet, both rapiers poised. She dashed towards the head, scoring a deep wound just behind the jaw. The monster wasn't expecting such an attack, and it paused as it became difficult to breathe.
"Now, Sonara! Kill it!" Rosalie shouted to her partner, once more.
Sonara nodded and readied her sword, a deadly look in her eyes. She leapt into the air and aimed for the incision left by Rosalie. She swung her jian as she came crashing down, cutting cleanly through its throat. The beast gurgled and slammed into the ground, dead.
"Sounds like the other two killed their target." Kyra said, shooting bullets at the white head.
"Then we best hurry!" Valerie replied, crouching behind her shield. "I can get it, but I need you to draw its attention for a sec, kay?"
Kyra voiced her agreement and continued shooting, keeping the snake at a distance. Valerie looked at her sword and concentrated, tapping into her semblance. Her red eyes began to glow and the metal of the blade started radiating heat. After a few more moments she turned her attention to the King Taijitu.
"Alright! Switch out!" Valerie ordered, and she sprinted toward the snake with her heated blade held in front.
Kyra complied and moved out of the way so that Valerie had a straight shot at the beast, but kept up her rate of fire. Moving as fast as she could, Valerie leapt towards the Grimm. When she was close enough, she narrowed her gaze and swung her sword. There was a sizzling sound, and the smell of burning flesh as the blade cut cleanly through the Grimm, beheading it.
Valerie landed safely on the ground and let out a relieved sigh. She turned to see how Azure and the others were doing, and was blown away by what she witnessed.
Gayle and Jad were working vigorously to expose the skin on the Nevermore, but were only able to uncover a small patch before it recovered and took to the skies. It had done its "Feather Rain" attack a couple more times, but the four of them were unharmed.
Azure had been observing the Grimm's condition throughout the encounter, and he could tell that they were wearing it down. Now's my chance… he thought, his bow split back into two blades.
"Rember!" he called out to his partner. She glanced over at him before returning her eyes to the Grimm, triangular ears angled to hear him. "I need an opening! Stun it again!"
Rember gave him an assured smile and grinned wickedly.
"You got it!" she exclaimed, readying her whips.
The Nevermore shrilled as it flapped above the group, beginning to gain some height. Rember took immediate action and activated her whips, sending the clawed ends flying through the air. They were able to latch around the monster's legs and she activated the electricity, sending the Grimm to the ground once more. Azure dashed forward and hopped on top the colossal beast. Rember stopped the electricity so he wouldn't become part of the circuit. The Nevermore recovered from the stun almost instantly and took to the air without hindrance, whipping up a ferocious wind. It flew higher and higher, until it was a safe distance away from the puny creatures below. Azure clung tightly to the Grimm and waited for it to stop its ascent. When it leveled out, he clambered his way to where Jad and Gayle had thinned its feathers and aimed his bow, three arrows notched to a bowstring pulled to its limit.
"Now…" Azure said through gritted teeth, an intense look in his eyes. "Fall."
Azure loosed the arrows, each one shooting directly in the bird's exposed area. The shafts went in the top, through the neck, and out the bottom. The Nevermore's wings spasmed and stopped flapping, the corpse plummeting back to earth. Throwing his weapon back into his quiver, Azure held on for dear life.
Back on the ground, Gayle looked around for any sign of the pale archer.
"Where is he?" she asked, unable to spot him in the immediate area.
"Last I saw, he jumped on the giant chicken before it took off…" Jad started, thinking back to a few moments earlier.
Rember shaded her eyes and looked up to see the Grimm falling limply, wind tearing at its feathers, and picked a white figure against the dark plumage. She inhaled sharply and clenched a fist.
"He's up on the Grimm!" she exclaimed, pointing.
They all turned their eyes to see Azure holding onto one of the feathers, a look of intense focus on his face.
"We need to move!" Rember shouted, already sprinting away. "It's going to come down on top of us!"
They hurried to follow the speedy faunus, clearing the presumed crash sight and hoping that Azure would survive the collision.
Up above, Azure remained unfazed, holding fast onto the lifeless body of the Nevermore. His sharp eyes scanned the terrain below, trying to find some way to survive the inevitable impact. I've only got one shot at this… He thought, his grip on the beast starting to slip.
"Hold on Azure!" Valerie called out, unsure if he could hear her or not.
The party took cover behind the slowly dissipating carcass of the King Taijitu, all eyes on the figure above.
Azure reached back for his bow, letting go of the Grimm with one hand and digging his blade deep into the exposed area Jad and Gayle made the instant he held the grip of his weapon. A combination of gravity and velocity sent the sword slicing down the Grimm's back, making Azure's heart stop before the blade caught on something, and the sharpened metal held fast. Luck was coming through for him, and now Azure just needed to concentrate. Concentrate and pray this would work...
"WHAT?!" Valerie yelled angrily. "Is he insane?!"
Rember piped up sarcastically "Please don't break my partner, I just got it!"
"Try again, I don't think he heard you!" Jad commented facetiously with a grin, some of the others stifling giggles at Rember's comment.
Valerie glared, but all eyes soon returned to watching the Nevermore fall ever closer. To their dismay, the group noticed that the Grimm was beginning to disintegrate. That didn't bode well for their companion. Azure held fast as the body made contact. The entire vicinity erupted with sound and an earth shattering tremor.
Rember and the others covered their eyes as a wave of dust filled air pounded at their faces. They waited for everything to settle down before leaving their own dissipating cover, searching for any sign of Azure. Squinting through the remaining airborne dirt, a vague silhouette became visible in the distance, moving closer.
"Hey Azure!" Jad shouted over to it, still squinting. "That you?"
He wasn't disappointed. As the words left his mouth Azure's dust-covered white garments came into view. A sky blue aura fizzed and crackled around his body, but a cool headed grin graced his lips.
"Yeah," was all the young man said, taking in the looks of the other initiates.
Their expressions varied from sheer astonishment, to joy, to impressed. His grin grew, savoring the reactions.
"C'mon," he said, pulling out the black knight piece that he and Rember had retrieved. "Let's get going."
It had been a few hours since the battle in the ruins, and all students were now back in the school. Everyone waited anxiously for the announcement of this year's teams, the assembly area packed to the brim.
Azure glossed over the crowd briefly. Rember was chatting with Gayle and Jad beside him. They'd been told to find the pair with the same relic as them and line up in an orderly fashion near the circular stage. Each new student did as instructed and waited eagerly for the ceremony to unfold.
Ozpin walked up to the center of the stage, the audience falling silent as they took note of his appearance.
"I would like to thank you all for being here," Ozpin began, offering a welcoming smile to the audience. "It is no easy task to gain acceptance into this school. It takes years of work, dedication, and skill." He motioned towards the initiates on the side where they waited to be called up. "These young men and women have shown that they fulfill all of those qualifications. So without further delay, it is my honour to present this year's new students of Beacon Academy!"
The crowd clapped enthusiastically, eager to meet the new students. They didn't have to wait long, as Ozpin soon began calling out names.
"Our first students: Khione Blanc. Briar Tempest…"
"I hope this doesn't take super long, I hate crowds," Rember commented impatiently, fidgeting with her hair.
"Just be patient," Azure replied, watching as the line ahead got smaller and smaller.
It wasn't long before he heard some familiar names, and returned his attention to the stage.
"Valerie Ashe. Sonara Brunswick. Rosalie Caelum. Kyra Myst," Ozpin called as the four girls walked onstage and into view of the audience. "The four of you retrieved the white queen pieces. From this day forth you will work together as Team AMBR (Amber), led by Valerie Ashe!"
"Wait, what? I'm the leader?" Valerie exclaimed, clearly shocked.
The four of them looked up to see their photos on a large screen, a single initial from their respective names under each picture. Sonara jumped onto Valerie's back, giggling and hugging her happily. Rosalie and Kyra both nodded approvingly as they made their way off stage, leaving Valerie struggling to detach Sonara kindly.
"Guys! It's our turn next!" Gayle whispered eagerly. The four of them straightened in preparation.
"Rember Autumn. Jad Eclipse. Azure Knyte. Gayle Mensthe," Ozpin announced. The four followed team AMBR's example and lined up in view of the spectators. "The four of you retrieved the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as: Team KRME (Chrome). Led by Azure Knyte!"
Azure's eyes flooded with surprise and he looked over to his new teammates. Jad gave him a big grin and tipped the brim of his hat. Rember smiled and punched Azure's shoulder playfully.
"That's so awesome! Congrats!" Rember told him, laughing.
To his surprise she gave him a hug. Her laughter eased his initial discomfort. Gayle suddenly pounced on the both of them and knocked them to the floor, praising Azure's accomplishment as well. The audience laughed as the newly formed team scrambled to their feet and Rember pulled everyone into a crushing group hug. The team shared the moment for a bit longer before they were ushered off the stage.
"I think we're gonna make a great team!" Rember smiled, still holding Azure and Gayle in a hug/headlock.
"Rember…" Azure gasped, clearly out of breath. Across from him, Gayle was tapping on Rember's other arm weakly.
Seeing them struggle, Rember let go of them immediately.
"Whoops! Sorry," she apologized.
"It's no problem," Gayle replied, rubbing her neck. "I'm really excited to have you three as teammates!"
The two girls went back and forth, building off of each other's enthusiasm until they were both speaking too quickly for the boys to catch all of their conversation.
"Quite the partners, eh Pasty?" Jad said lightheartedly, nudging Azure and chuckling.
Azure nodded at Jad and looked back to the stage, observing at the last team being announced.
"...And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin said, gesturing to the last four girls.
Azure felt a sense of deja vu as he saw the ones named Blake and Weiss, but he ignored the feeling as Ozpin continued.
"The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by...Ruby Rose!" Ozpin concluded.
Azure saw Ruby freeze, shocked, only moving when Yang gave her leader a hug, and a small smile spread across his face.
"C'mon you three," Azure addressed his team, walking towards the exit. "Let's go get a dorm room."
"You got it," Jad said.
"Sounds good!" Gayle replied.
"Let's go! Team KRME, ready for action!" Rember exclaimed, punching the air.
Three followed their leader closely, walking out of the amphitheater and in the direction of the dorm buildings.
fThe night was young and the air was cold, biting at any skin left uncovered. Two men lurked in a secluded alleyway on the shady side of Vale in an effort to make their meeting more private. The men wore white and black garb, masks resembling the faces of Grimm concealing their identity. They had animal ears poking out of the black hoods they both wore, dead giveaways that they were faunus. The red head of a Beowolf backed by three jagged claw marks adorned the back of their outfits.
They were from the White Fang.
"Did you deliver the shipment to Torchwick and get the money?" One of them asked, his cat ears swiveling around in an effort to detect any incoming danger.
The other faunus nodded. "Yup. We should contact the leaders now."
The faunus pulled out his collapsable, holographic tablet known as a Scroll and searched up the contact information of their superiors. The scroll's dial tone sounded for a moment before a voice was heard at the other end.
"Did you finish the job?" The voice was deep and blunt, cutting straight to the chase.
"Yes sir. We got it to the warehouse." The cat faunus answered. "What's our next move?"
There was a pause before the booming voice spoke up again. "Get back to base and alert teams SWAN and GOLD that they should resume their training. They need to be ready to execute a big job in a couple months time." The transmission cut out abruptly, leaving the two grunts to their thoughts.
"You heard the boss," the cat faunus spoke up, rolling his shoulders. "Let's alert the teams."
The other faunus nodded his head and tucked the scroll away. Then the two ran into the darkness, vanishing from sight.