So, apparently I need some sort of text up here to keep my title aligned properly. I guess you learn something new every day.

REAPER IN RED

Chapter 3

Sleep did not come quickly to me. It never did. I never slept much. I did not know if that was just me, or what I was. Not that it really mattered. I just had some extra hours to fill while all those around me relaxed in unconsciousness. There was some tossing and turning, but most were still and unmoving in their sleeping bags. Training to be hunters would do that to a person. There was no reason to fear the night if you were training to fight back against all that lurked in it.

I sat up in my sleeping bag, peering at my sister fast asleep beside me. Her bag was open, her body strewn around it, taking up twice the space she needed, snoring loudly with drool hanging down her chin. I smiled at the sight. She was such a dork. A strong, brave and incredibly nice dork. I was so glad I chose her as my sister.

I looked up, noticing a light against the wall of the main hall. Creeping carefully from my resting space, I walked towards it, fixing the hem of my pajama pants so the cool late-night air did not touch my stomach.

Against the wall, in one of the room's few leather chairs, was the raven-haired girl whom had saved me from a scolding the previous day.

"Hello," I whispered to her. "My name's Ruby."

Gazing up from her book, she looked at me with her piercing golden eyes. "Blake," she replied.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I questioned, sitting down cross-legged in front of her.

She shrugged. "Shouldn't you?"

I thought for a moment before smiling in reply. "What are you reading?"

"It's a story about a woman trapped in a cave with a Wendigo of her husband."

"Not a light read?"

Blake smiled softly. "It's actually a love story. The woman needs to find out what her husband is jealous of in order to turn him back into a human."

"I don't think Wendigos work that way."

"it's just a story. It does get most facts about Wendigos correct though, so a little story-spinning to give the tale a happy ending isn't so bad."

"I guess." I did not have much more to add to the conversation. Picking it as a lost cause, I grinned and said goodnight to her, returning to my sleeping bag. It would be hours before I fell asleep, but in that time, I saw her lower her book and sleep on her chair.

The bright light of day hit my eyes before my sister could. She shook me roughly, waking me from my light slumber. I yawned, rubbing sleep from my eyes with my knuckles. "Morning Yang. Ready for initiation?"

"How could I not be! I'm so pumped up. This is going to be sweet. Finally, we get to show what we're made of."

"Ya! I'm so excited to use Crescent Rose. No more talking, just letting my baby do all the talking for me."

Professor Goodwitch was instructing everyone to get changed into their combat gear and prepare for the trek to initiation.

I washed myself up, and changed from my sleeping clothes into my usual attire. My combat skirt and my red hood tied around my neck. I relished in the heavy comfort of the garment, hugging it tightly around myself before picking up my weapon and equipping it to my belt.

Yang grinned at me as we made it to the door, following behind a crowd of other students and Professor Goodwitch, leading them through the campus.

When she had said trek, she really meant it. The crowd of students walked for two hours, from one end of campus to the other and back again. The deputy headmistress recited location names and a very basic history of each building on this tour, as everyone looked around to get a feel for the place. Their own gazes were met by those of upper year students who gave them thumbs up and words of encouragement, remembering their own time as initiates. I even mustered up the courage to wave shyly to them in passing.

Outside of the campus, the group proceeded through a forest. Marching for another hour, now on uneasy terrain, I realized that this was the first part of initiation. They were trying to tire us out with hours of walking and hiking. If anyone could not handle this pace, then they would be unable to handle what challenges awaited them at their destination. Most were in good spirits. So was I, loving the early morning breeze and the pleasant conversation with my big sister. Others were joking around and laughing at each other's jokes.

The forest broke out into a clearing overlooking a tall cliff. Standing near the edge of the cliff was Headmaster Ozpin, sipping on a tall mug of steaming coffee.

"Please students. Stand on an empty platform in front of you so that we may begin."

I chose the platform next to Yang's, giggling as I hopped on it, feeling it rise and fall underneath me like a springboard.

"Now students. This is your initiation. You will all be dropping into Emerald Forest below. Your objective is to find the artifacts awaiting you inside. Be warned, there are more than just Grimm in these forests. So keep on guard for any other Salemites you see. Any questions?"

"How will be getting down?" Jaune asked.

"You will be falling," Ozpin replied behind his mug. "I will allow each of you to choose your own landing strategies."

"And what are landing strategies?"

Ozpin remained silent as his answer, allowing for the next person to ask their question.

"When do we pick partners?" Someone I did not recognize said with a raised arm.

"Ah yes. Partners will be chosen today as well. That being said, the first person who meets your eyes will be your partner for the next four years at this school. Good luck."

With a click of a button, all the platforms underneath our feet launched forward, propelling us high into the air. I saw Yang laughing, activating Ember Celica, her armband weapons and firing behind her, pushing herself higher into the air and farther out. Not one to be left behind, I reached behind and opened up Crescent Rose to its fullest extent. The massive scythe felt comfortable in my hands as I swung it around, letting the brilliant weight pull me down towards the treetops below.

As I made it through the light green leaves, I fired towards the ground, letting the recoil slow my fall. Wrapping the blade around a tree, I swung, shooting myself horizontally and landing on my feet. I giggled, raising my hands in a gymnast's finishing pose. My smile quickly turned into a frown as I noticed two eyes glaring daggers at me.

"Nope." Weiss said, walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey! We're supposed to be… partners." My shout drifted off into a mumble as she disappeared from view.

I stared at the shrub filled dirt ground, kicking dust from the tip of my boot.

"Fine," I heard, seeing Weiss returning with an even deeper scowl on her lips.

"Yay!" I managed as she dragged me behind her.

"Let me get one thing straight with you. I don't want to be babysitting you for four years. So, don't even think about slowing me down."

I zipped around in front of her, rose petals appearing out of the shadows left in my wake. "Don't think being slow will be my problem. I'm super-duper fast. Today you'll see me running around and be like, 'look at her go. I just want to be her friend. She's so fast and brave and cute!' That's you by the way."

"It really isn't. Just get your head in this and help me find the artifact so we can win this initiation."

"I don't think initiation is something you can just win, Wiess."

"Everything is something you can win. Don't forget it."

I heard rustling in the bushes to my right. Stopping, I turned to look at the sound. The leaves rustled and I held up my scythe in a defensive position.

Suddenly, they darted forward, tiny wings shooting out a trail of glowing dust behind them. I waved a hand in front of my face, shooing the tiny creatures from my vision.

"Ew, I hate fairies." I said as they darted passed. "They always have a bit of slime on them. I'm going to need to wash my hands before they really start to stink."

"I don't want to hear about those pests. Let's just keep moving."

"What do you think they were flying from?"

My question was immediately answered as a loud growl rang out through the forest. Surrounding the two of us were beowolves. I sighed, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "Phew! Just grimm. I got scared for a moment."

"Pay attention dolt! They're still grimm and able to kill us if you aren't paying attention."

Weiss unsheathed her rapier, holding the deadly sharp blade out in front of her. As if our thoughts were connected, we darted in opposite directions, each killing a grimm with a single blow. Working our way clockwise, we struck fast and hard, working in perfect unison as the creatures of grimm evaporated in black smoke as they died by our hands.

Still, it seemed like Weiss was having an easier time than me. Not because she was more proficient with her weapon. No, she just did not seem to be getting attacked as much as me. Even the beowolves she was fighting attempted to circumvent her and attack me.

Right. I almost forgot what mom told me. It's a Grim Reaper thing. Darn. I swung my scythe around in a massive arc, decapitating two creatures. I heard a growl behind me, followed by a whimper as the grimm died mid-air. The tip of a rapier running through an eye.

"Pay more attention to your surroundings. That could have killed you."

Fat chance.

"Thanks Weiss," I said instead, allowing her to choose the direction and continue on towards where she thought the artifacts were hidden.

The two of us walked for some time. We did not spot any more grimm, but we did manage to kill a zombie or two. There did not seem to be any hordes at the moment, so fending the undead off was sort of a boring affair.

"You sure we're going in the right direction?" I asked.

"What would you suggest if you think you could do so much better?" Weiss crossed her arms, an eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Well, we can't see much from the ground, right? What if we take more…aerial approach?"

"I won't like where this is going, will I…"

I shook my head with a smile as we heard the caw of a massive nevermore.

"I don't like the sound of that." Weiss mentioned, lifting up her fencing foil and staring at the sky between the trees.

"Hang on!" I shouted, holding Crescent Rose under me with one hand, the other finding a place around Weiss's waste.

"What are you do-ING!" Weiss cried out as I rocketed us into the air towards the nevermore. With a second shot, we were right in the grimm bird's face.

"Grab it!" I commanded merrily, tucking away my weapon and grabbing onto a talon. Weiss screamed, choosing to hang onto me instead of the bird.

"What do you think you are doing, Ruby Rose!" She shouted in panic. "Get me down from here this instant! I command you!"

"Look over there." I pointed with my free hand towards a clearing. The forest opened up into an ancient worn-down temple, covered in massive chiseled boulders. "I bet that that's where the artifacts are hidden."

"And how do you suppose we get there, you dunce? Not like we can ask the grimm nicely to fly us over there!" Venom crept into her voice as her finely combed hair blew into disorder in the wind rushing around our faces. Her body wound tighter against mine as she hung on like her life depended on it.

With a smile, I tugged on the nevermore's talon. It dipped sideways under our combined body weight, turning in the direction of the clearing. It cawed loudly as it tried to fight against the excess weight, but I held on tight, pulling again whenever the bird veered in another direction. As we flew over top the clearing, I let go.

My shouts of delight were met with my partner's cries for my death as we hurtled towards the ground.

A second landing strategy later, and we were safely in the clearing.

"Bravo sis!" I heard the clapping and cheers of my sister. Beside her was the raven-haired girl, Blake.

"Hi Yang! Hi Blake! Are you two partners?"

Yang nodded as I skipped towards the duo, brushing myself off. Behind me, my own grumbling partner trudged forward, keeping behind me and trying to fix her hair as best as she could. Her landing was not as graceful as mine was.

"So, I guess we're the first group to make it here, huh." Yang said. "Want to pick our artifacts?"

Blake shrugged and picked up a white horse chess piece, holding it out for the remaining three of us to look at.

"Oh it's so cute! I want one too!" I squealed, not realizing I had said my thoughts out loud until I heard Yang's laughter.

"Don't worry sis. I think there's another one of them over there."

I turned to Weiss, silently asking if I could. With an eye roll and a hand wave of permission, I rushed over to the other white horse and held it up over my head. With a loud whinny, I ran back to them.

"Child," Weiss commented.

"Princess," I replied just as quickly.

"What now?" Blake asked. "Do we just wait here until they tell us we're done?"

We all shrugged. Weiss opened her mouth, only for whatever she planned on saying to be drowned out by a shouting in the distance.

"Heeyah!" A red-head girl and black-haired boy came charging in, riding on top of a grimm borbatusk. The animal squealed as it's face dug into the ground, rocketing to a stop in front of us. The girl jumped off with a frown.

"Aw, he died. Renny, do you think I could get another one?" The redhead bounced around her friend. Renny, she had called him.

"Maybe another day, Nora."

The two having finished their conversation walked up to us and introduced themselves. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Not Renny. Apparently only Nora was allowed to call him that, judging by the glare of anger she gave me when I used it.

We did not have too much time to introduce ourselves as they grabbed their own chess piece; a black castle, and we heard new shouting in the distance. And the scuttle of a very large death stalker.

And the crow of a giant nevermore.

And the groaning of zombies.

What a day this was turning out to be.

Maybe to clear up a bit of confusion about Jaune Arc and the "Reaper Slayer" lineage from last chapter. No, there is no special power or anything that makes one and his/her descendants stronger and more easily able to kill a Grim Reaper. More so, there are families who tend to go after Grim Reapers. Find out their weaknesses and kill them. Knowledge is the only thing being passed down through the family, not any magical or secret power (except for Schnee semblances, those darn lucky Schnees). The Arcs just happen to be a more prominent and famous one. At least to Reapers.

Guest - Thank you! And I hope you continue to enjoy it.

JackTheSpades - Not much I can answer you with, as I did indeed choose Reapers because they don't have a predefined power-set, except for the whole "Reaping" thing. Most of your thoughts will definitely be answered in the future. As for the age thing, I can definitely agree with you there. I wanted to make her old enough that she would scoff at human aging, but young enough that she isn't a master of her power/doesn't know everything about being a Reaper yet. If she were a thousand for instance, there would be way too much of a separation in terms of power and training. Even a few hundred years and just the ability to experience things around her would create a fairly large power gap which would inevitably make the story a lot more boring to read. I will say however, that she is still a very young Reaper.

Guest #2 - Ha, I wish I could have the courage to post whenever I finish writing. But, due to a combination of me being in school, having a full-time internship and some semblance (heh.) of a social life, you would end up with fewer chapters being posted rather than more. It's why I have a backlog of a couple chapters in case I don't write anything. But I do have a happy surprise...

Guest #3 - Well... okay. :)

You know what? See you all in two weeks! No more of this every three weeks thing.