Title: The Bonds of Life

Genre: Adventure, Friendship.

Characters: OC, Jaune A., Team RWBY., Team JNPR.

Desc: Post-Salem AU. In a secret past, 'The Rusted Knight' had slain the great Evil Witch Salem with no one else the wiser; Not Ozpin, not RWBY, and not (J)NPR. They were all left wondering what they should now become. Now in the present, a young girl navigates the world her Rusted Knight of an uncle had sacrificed in silence so much for his beloved friends… one that barely needed them.

A/N Okay, Initiation! Some action, and also some drama. Originally one chapter, but I split it up to two since it was so long. And like I said, this one's gonna focus on the happenings in Beacon. Hope you guys enjoy!

And as for review responses, here they are!

To 007foamy, yeah, that's on FFN's end, happens to me too even. They really need to fix that...

To ssharry135, thank you so much! Glad you liked it!

And so, without further ado... let's get into this!

The Weapon (Initiation, Part 1)

A Huntsman was only as good as their skills, their strength, and their weapon. At least, that was what many believed.

Jaune had believed that too, once upon a time. When he had fallen into a deep pit of self-loathing, it had been the one thing he had held on to, a false source of motivation that was confirmed and kept him up when he was banished, that allowed him to push back his fears; for at least he was improving, was pushing himself, and that he was doing everything he could and more, and that he would be strong enough if he kept at it!

Because a Huntsman was a weapon in and of themselves. A tool of change for a higher purpose. That was all he could be, no room for weakness or mistakes if he wanted to even hope to defeat Salem.

But he had gotten over that, had now believed in something else for a long time. He had learned, in time, that the very emotions he felt for his friends – old and new, near and far, alive and dead – could and would give him the right push forwards. It had been shaky, even as he defeated Salem and lived the years that came after, even though he knew it to be true…

…and now, on the precipice of meeting with another one of his old friends, Jaune couldn't help but look forward to whatever the future held next.

After all, a weapon couldn't exactly keep someone warm.

"Brr…. I didn't expect it to this chilly in the morning." Yang grumbled.

"I guess autumn's finally setting in." Jaune kept his hands in his pockets as Yang shivered beside him. They were standing at Mistral's Bullhead ports at the break of dawn, patiently waiting for the first flight to arrive. The flight that would bring with them Menagerie's Chieftain, the island's royal queen, Blake Belladonna.

Of course, Yang wanted to be there to greet her partner welcome and 'introduce' a new friend. And yet, she couldn't help but shoot Jaune a dirty look.

"And how the hell are you so warm, fancy pants?" Yang forced out.

"I am?" Jaune asked, "Ah- I mean, I guess I've just been colder."

"It's barely fifty degrees!"

"It is?"

"Tch. Lucky bastard…" Yang clicked her tongue. But still, it did little to dampen her smile.

Jaune had gone along remarkably easy this morning. He didn't hesitate when she knocked on his door, didn't squirm as they stood here in the morning, and didn't try to run away even as they continued to wait.

It wasn't as if she was replaying the conversation she had last night even now – okay she was – but the point was that it seemed that Jaune had taken her words to heart. And he was willing to see Blake, even if under an alias. He was trying, under his own volition.

They had time, and now, Jaune was willing to use it.

And as such, Yang couldn't help the smile that graced her face. Things were going somewhere, and soon enough, they'll all be together again! After so many years of preparing, of fighting, this was the best thing that happened to them by far!

Screw being happy – Yang was downright ecstatic! And with that, Yang turned to Jaune with a twinkle in her eyes, sparking of mischief agreed upon with her friend.

"So… you've got everything planned out?"

"Yeah." Jaune gave a nod. "If Blake, or anyone else asks, I'm just a mercenary you hired to get some extra help. And the whole reason I agreed to do it with you is since we're both heading to Vale."

"Not the best, but it'll do." Yang nodded. "I just hope that the others aren't going to badmouth me for this."

"Hm?" Jaune tilted his head, "For what?"

"Getting a friend to come with." Yang chuckled. "Thing is, Ruby and the others have been bugging me for a long time to take someone along. But come on, a girl needs some of her alone time, you know?"

"Heh, I see…" Jaune chuckled too. "So then, since I'm going to assume one of them is Blake, what can I expect here?"

Yang's smile grew even more. And he was asking about the others too! Even if it was just a small thing, this was progress! Progress!

"Well, Blake's the Chieftain of Menagerie, so she's got a whole population to run." Yang hummed. "Naturally, she'll open up to me, but it might take some time for her to trust you. Not that she's suspicious of everyone… she just has people to protect and interests to keep in mind, y'know?"

"I understand." Jaune nodded. "Think she'll figure us out quickly?"

"Figure what out? We're not dating, Jaune."

"You know what I mean…"

To that, Yang chuckled and shrugged. "Eh, fifty-fifty. Not like I don't call her, but sometimes, when it gets pretty stressful, she tends to, uh, overanalyse a bit."

"I'm certain the literature doesn't help."

This time, the laugh that Yang had came straight from her gut. "HAH! No, it doesn't!"

And as Yang let out that final laugh, a Bullhead finally began to appear from the clouds, descending against the rising orange sun. It had the symbol of Menagerie painted clear on its hull, and even from down on the landing pad Jaune and Yang could see the ornate modifications that had been applied to this specific model.

"Speak of the cat and she shall rain from the skies~" Yang quipped. She gave a light pat on Jaune's shoulder, grinning at him. "So, ready for this, VB?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Jaune flashed her a thumbs up.

The Bullhead finally landed, and Jaune couldn't help but grimace when the wind of the thrusters hit his body.

His mind couldn't help but wander. So… Blake was to be his next.

They hadn't been the closest back at Beacon, but he could still remember the things that happened clearly. She had been a secret Faunus, an ex-member of the White Fang, and someone who desperately wanted to improve the relationship of both humans and Faunus. For equality, for a better future for her people.

…The White Fang themselves had disbanded ages ago; he just never figured out that Blake was the son of its once-founders, Kali and Ghira Belladonna. He just- just didn't make the connection, despite their downright similar looks and how Blake barely hid herself.

And apparently, now she had inherited their position, was now the leader of a continent. While he never dived deep into politics, he did know that Menagerie wasn't that bad off. Sure they were far a ways off from Atlas, but from what he had heard, living conditions weren't as bad as Vacuo.

And he knew Vacuo. He'd been there. And sometimes, he could still feel the sand in his shoes. They were coarse, rough, and got everywhere.

Amidst his thoughts, Jaune watched with pocketed hands the ramp of the Bullhead in front of them lowered. He watched as Blake, wearing a dress that spoke of royalty yet was also modest enough to pass off as a normal civilian, descended.

"BLAKEEEEEEYYYYYYY!"

He smirked when he saw Yang squeal and rush at her partner, arms opened wide for a hug. He bit down a laugh when a sudden shadow clone appeared beside Blake and kept her partner at bay, Blake stepping to the side as Yang was held in place by face.

"Mmmf!" Yang mumbled, "Get- this- off- me!"

"Hello to you too, Yang." Blake let out a small smile; subtle but honest, true and elegant, befitting of royalty. "And no. You'll ruin the dress."

"Oh come on, you don't like these stuffy things anyways!"

"And that is precisely why I wouldn't repeat the dressing process all over again." Blake smirked, her shadow clone poofing away, the sudden loss of force sending Yang falling face-first to the floor.

"Oof!"

Jaune watched the interactions with a smile. It seemed that they were as close as ever. That was good, he knew some people whose partnerships didn't last this long.

But then, Blake's eyes turned to him, narrowing ever so slightly in questioning, and Jaune found himself on the spot. And in that moment, he found his brain short-circuiting.

What should he say? Yang and Blake had fallen into such an easy camaraderie that Jaune didn't realize he had been looking so intently. Had wondered what could have been, had unconsciously yearned to be that close…

Yearned it so much that he forgot what he was even supposed to do.

Now all his plans were shot, and Yang was looking at him, and what did she say about her? and wait what was he supposed to say-?

At that moment, Jaune, in his infinite wisdom, decided:

'Well, she is royalty, right?' He thought. And he did want to make a good first impression, not overstep his boundaries, treat people right…

…and his story was that he was a mercenary. A weapon, but still a partner to Yang. And what did knights of old do for royalty?

He had a theme going on, after all, a theme reinforced by magic and legends and fairy tales. Might as well stick to it.

And so, defaulting, Jaune bowed, a hand on his chest, and spoke in his best tone with closed eyes.

"A pleasure to meet you, Queen Belladonna. I am June Pier, a wandering mercenary… it's a great honour."

The wind blew over the silence.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

No one dared speak a word.

And then…

Blake raised an eyebrow, an awkward smile on her lips as she raised her hands in an apologetic manner, and then said:

"We… don't bow in Menagerie, Mister Pier."

It was all Yang could to muffle her laugh beneath her hands as Jaune flinched hard. "Snrk!" But then, the sniggers turned to chuckles and eventually devolved into full-blown laughs. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, nice going, Stud! AHAHAHAHA!"

Jaune looked up to Yang, scandalized. "You told me she was royalty!"

"I mean, she is, buuuuut… hehe!" Yang laughed again, "Nobody bows in this day and age, June! You really don't go out much, do you?! AHAHAHAHA!"

Jaune grimaced as Yang rolled over laughing on the floor. And as he slowly moved his eyes over to Blake…

Jaune could only despair when he saw Blake's shoulders shaking, looking away and stifling her laugh too. "Ehem… snrk!"

Jaune sighed. 'So much for first impressions… screw my life.'

'SCREW MY LIIIIFEEEEEE!'

Akane shouted inwardly as the professors instructed her and the other students to the launching pads on the cliffs of the Emerald Forest. Because she had expected many things from Initiation. Combat, absolutely. A test of her survival skills, of course!

Flying through the forest was not one of them.

Akane's internal despair was interrupted by Ozpin speaking. "Remember your objective, students. Descend into the forest. Reach the village at the centre and defend it with everything you have. But note, that the onslaught will never stop until someone finds the secret at the back end of the forest. What that secret is, where it is precisely located… is for you to discover. Find a comprise, if you wish, but remember that you shall only pass when the situation becomes safe enough for everyone. Remember your main objective."

A chorus of hums echoed. Some could see that it was a good test of both defence and offence. A Huntsman's duty was to defend the civilians and innocents, first of all, but they also needed to see that sometimes a problem could only be stopped at the source.

And yet, even more whispered between themselves. This exercise sounded incredibly dangerous too. What would happen if someone got injured? What if their all hadn't been enough?

Of course, their sane minds often prevailed and told them that the teachers would never let anything bad happen to them. That this was a time of peace, and since the disappearance of the Grimm, no single casualty had ever been recorded on Beacon's grounds. It was the logical belief, something that the colder heads among the students believed wholeheartedly in. And something that the Beacon staff had neither confirmed nor denied.

But that slight doubt still existed, no matter how hard they tried to squash it.

And most worrying of all…

Akane's eyes locked to one student who raised his hand. "Sir! Regarding the team formations…!"

"Oh relax." Ozpin gave the man a sly stare. "You'll all form teams, get partners. There's no way I'd let you all face this alone."

A collective sigh, one Ozpin took delight in. He took a sip of his cocoa and smiled.

"Because the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years."

The student's heart shattered. Akane herself could barely hold in her gasp, and her eyes went to the one Professor she knew was sane.

Professor Ruby Rose. "P-Professor, he can't be -?!"

And yet, Ruby could only give her a guilty, nervous, but encouraging thumbs up, before….

SPRING! And as soon as that Akane was launched to the air, flying above the Emerald Forest with others following suit behind her.

And the worst part?

She didn't even have any weapons with her.

"AAAAAAAA-!" Akane screamed as she felt fear seize her heart. What kind of madhouse were they running here?!

And what was that about partners?! The first person you make eye contact with?! How was that a good way to determine anything?!

Pft! A tuft of bird feather hit her mouth. Akane groaned and closed her eyes. Okay, focus. She was flying tens of meters per second through the air, below her was a forest full of trees and shrubs. That was much better than a plain field; more ways for her to break her fall.

Akane looked around. A lot of the students were using their weapons to guide their momentum. As if Nathan became an example, Akane caught a flash of the cowboy pulling out a lasso from his belt and using it as a swing to go from tree to tree.

Too bad she had no weapons. Gah, the virtues of being a runaway…

It wasn't like Uncle kept any in the house, okay?! He only had Crocea Mors, and that was it! Besides, with someone like him, who even needed another weapon? And she couldn't commission one so soon, on account of the time and the money!

No, instead, Uncle had taught her, trained her, how to use her fists and her legs and her entire body; in that way, he had told her, she would never be defenceless. He trained her in immaculate Aura control, so in-tune he had once told her only she could ever rival him in the future.

She would be able to stand for herself wherever she was, she would always be armed – heh – and she'd know how to use her body better than most Huntsmen did, because she relied on no weapons in the first place.

And Akane supposed it did make sense. After all, she had even begun sparring against him with him using his sword, so she supposed it should've meant something in the end.

"Akane, remember…" she heard her Uncle's voice whisper from memories; "You may not have a weapon, but your spirit lives within you. Your fist, your soul, you Aura…if you're strong there, then no one will be able to rob you of what's yours. Make yourself a weapon; and don't forget, the strongest of weapons feel for who they protect behind them."

But still – 'Uncle, my fists aren't going to help me land here!'

And yet, she heard another memory again, "I never did have a landing strategy."

BANGBANGBANG! Akane looked to the side and saw a student flying through the forest propelled by their weapon's recoil. 'Oh come on! Uncle?!'

Even so, she got the feeling that he would only sigh in exasperation.

Mid-flight, Akane blushed. Well, she did run away… so was this his fault in the first place?

Agh! Screw this. Akane scowled.

Uncle didn't train her to be useless, and she'd sooner die than letting something like this stop her!

Akane looked down and saw that the forest was getting closer and closer. Clenching her hands to fists, Akane flowed Aura to her feet and put her right foot forward. It crashed through a tree's leaves, bursting through it, and then fast approaching the ground.

But Akane was quicker. She grabbed the branches before they could sweep past her and channelled her Aura to her hands instead, allowing her to spin and launch back up to the skies. And this time, with much less momentum than the earlier launch.

Crack, crack, crack! Akane repeated her steps again and again, going from one tree to the next and slowly but surely bleeding the momentum out. With a final yelp of fun, Akane let go of the branches and soared one last time to the skies, before descending with a smile and landing gracefully on the forest floor.

Step!

"Hah…" Akane stood up and brushed herself off of any leaves and sticks. She took mental stock of her Aura – it was at 75%. The others probably were at much higher levels, but they probably hadn't needed to use theirs as actively in their landing as she did.

She looked to the skies; the sun was shining bright in the sky, slowly but surely getting to its middle point. There were silhouettes of other students passing by, but that did little to concern her.

She had limited time, and there was a village to protect. Even if it was fake, and this was all just Initiation, Akane knew better and believed in better.

Her Uncle would kill her if she prioritized anything other than those that couldn't defend themselves.

"It seems Miss Enko has prioritized the village first." Ozpin noted, his hands behind his back as he stood behind several screens. He observed his students dutifully via cameras hidden throughout the Emerald Forest, evaluating their performances one by one.

Beside him stood his fellow teachers, Professor Peter Port, Doctor Oobleck, Professor Ruby Rose, and Deputy Headmistress Pyrrha Nikos. They too were watching the Initiation with great interest, the highlight after months of preparation.

After the disappearance of the Grimm, the old 'send-students-to-find-relics-in-a-deadly-forest' Initiation format simply didn't work anymore. Instead, Ozpin and Goodwitch had devised a new way of initiation that tested the defining traits of the Huntsmen without the Grimm.

The ability to protect, the ability to attack, the ability to prioritize what was right.

And as such, the Initiation also became much more critical, even if it was just a made-up scenario. They didn't try to hide the fact but rather embraced it.

But now, what was on the line wasn't just the students' strengths anymore, but also the 'villagers' that were trapped in the village, barely holding on against their attackers; a resilient, massive wave of rouge and haywire Atlas Knight droids.

Of course, the 'villagers' were all actually trained Huntsmen that could defend themselves and even the students should need be. But the point was to evaluate such students' decision-making skills. Would they prioritize the lives of innocents, or would they go for a quick finish and risk it all for a secret they didn't even know where to begin looking?

Should they be smart about it? Well, if they did go to the villagers first, make sure that they were safe, and then obtain the secret from their hard-earned trust, then the students would easily pass. It would prove that they had the right mindset, the right mixture of offensive and defensive decision-making skills.

But head straight for the secret? Leave it all and risk it just because the scenario 'wasn't real?'

They'd be kicked out faster than they could cry.

That was what they needed in this day and age. Because now, they didn't have a common enemy in the Grimm, at least until Salem showed herself once more. And when she would, Ozpin couldn't risk showing a split front just because of this 'peace'.

They needed defenders, not sacrificial fools. They needed teamwork, not glory-chasing frauds.

And so, he was glad that Miss Enko had chosen the right choice. The wise choice, the choice that earned her the good books in several professor's eyes.

Ruby spoke up next. "I agree, Oz. But still… I'm kinda worried for her."

"Ah, I see." Ozpin nodded. He turned to Ruby with a smile, "Is it because she doesn't have any weapons?"

"Yes!" Ruby threw up her hands exasperatedly. "We could've given her a sword, an axe, something. But noooo, you kept blocking me and saying that she had this under control! I almost had a heart attack watching her land!"

"Well, that only further proved my hypothesis." Ozpin calmly elaborated. "Giving her a weapon this soon would only stifle her, forcing her to use something she wasn't familiar with. She came here of her own volition, carrying nothing but her wallet and the clothes on her back… and not even a weapon in sight. I've seen the way she fights, Ruby. She's a master at Aura control."

"And that means we don't give her a fair chance?" Ruby bit back with narrowed eyes.

"On the contrary, I think this is treating her fair. If we gave out handouts, then wouldn't everyone else expect the same?" Ozpin said. He pointed towards the screen. "We already admitted her early, Ruby. Doing anything more would only raise eyebrows. Attention we don't need."

"T-Tch. Fine…" Ruby looked away, clearly unhappy. Beside her, Pyrrha coughed into her fist and tried to calm down her friend.

"Well, at least she made the right decision." Pyrrha soothed, "We would've been worse off had she chosen otherwise…"

"M-mngrh…"

Ozpin smiled as he turned back to the screen. So far, Akane had yet to encounter any adversary. Her skill in that landing was the only showcase of Aura-control they got… however, that was about to change soon.

Akane stopped in her tracks when she heard the leaves around her rustle.

And yet, she had sensed no one around her.

Quick as a flash, Akane settled into her stance and kept her eyes peeled. She brought one open hand up before her, the other curled to a fist by her side, her knees bent just deep enough to let her be strong yet mobile. She kept her breath steady, all her senses ready for an attack.

She had been walking for almost an hour now, she knew she was just about to make it to the village, and now something was off? It was clear to her; the real test would soon begin.

Crack! Akane heard a twig snapping behind her and whirled around. Immediately, she saw a robot of some sort lunging at her with a sword for a hand, swinging for her neck.

"HYAH!" Akane ducked and delivered a solid kick to the droid's chest, forcing it back. Before the robot could recover, Akane charged her fists with Aura and punched it in its face. She felt a rush of adrenaline as her fist hit true, as metal buckled beneath her Aura.

And with another yell, Akane focused even more Aura and pushed through. The side of the robot's face crumpled, but it wasn't out just yet. Stumbling back, the robot regained its strength and swiped at Akane from below. Akane jumped to the side, the blow missing her arm by a few inches.

Akane felt a grin rush to her face; oh, this was good! It had been a long time since she had such a rush!

Akane jumped back in, and with her fist merely a blur, slammed it straight on the droid's gut. The robot crumpled, and before he could recover again, Akane raised her foot high and slammed a roundabout heel through the robot's head.

"HAAAAAAAH!"

Smack! BOOM! The robot flew to the sky and exploded into tiny bits from Akane's kick. Keeping her foot in place mid-kick, Akane took a deep breath and slowly lowered it down as bits of robot circuitry fell like dust around her.

But as Akane calmed herself, approaching footsteps soon turned to immediate threats as the girl found herself surrounded by Atlesian Knights on all sides. Akane took her stance again, smile still in place and ready to take each and every one of them on.

And yet…

Akane's smile turned to a fierce scowl the moment she began to hear the sounds of destruction off to the side. And it wasn't the sound of fighting by students, nor was it the sound of someone cleaning up these robots.

No, it was the sound of buildings being destroyed, the cries of people that ran for help as their village was being destroyed. A sound she knew quite well. A chaos that she grew up on.

At that moment, all thought of this being a 'scenario' left Akane's mind. It didn't matter what this was in the end.

She was raised better than to care about that.

Akane roared and lunged at the nearest Atlesian Knight she saw.

"All of you piece of junks… OUT OF THE WAY!"

Ozpin narrowed his eyes when Akane began tearing through the pack. This… this wasn't normal. And judging from the reactions of the others, they knew it wasn't either.

The resolutions on these cameras weren't the best, but they had gotten loads better over the years. As such, Ozpin, and everyone else, could see the moment when Akane's priority had shifted, and not in the good way.

She was taking this seriously, and that was what they wanted… but those eyes had something deeper pushing them. And more, those moves were done more on instinct than intent, and yet the way skill was also ingrained even still… just what had she gone through?

Those weren't anything a first-year should have…

"…Well, she's getting through them at least. Faster than any of the others." Ruby pointed out. If anything, she was doing well, and this new emotion didn't seem to be getting to her. Instead, it motivated her, coating her with power like a familiar cloak.

"Hm. Agreed." At this point, the Atlas Knight's algorithms would recognize the skill of the enemy and raise their numbers and strength accordingly. Oh, they weren't programmed to kill, and their ceiling would always be put below the skill level of the enemy they were facing. But then again, if this continued, that ceiling would only increase… and who knew if the base of one student was the same as the max of the other?

Ozpin sighed. "At this point, she'll reach the village in no time…"

Pyrrha coughed into her hand. "She's not the only one…" And with a finger, Pyrrha pointed to the other screen with a proud smile. And as the others turned to look at it to, they could see the reason why.

Because right now, holding the Atlas Knights back from the village, was one lone student: Pyrrha's pride and joy, Kelly Arc.

Unlike Akane's fiery determination, Kelly's slices with her longsword were cold and efficient. Her fire didn't burn hot, but rather she and her icy determination froze all her enemies' progress in their tracks.

Her sword swings were wide, strong, and cut down any enemy before they could come even close to the 'civilians'. Her eyes were analytical as she took optimal position after optimal position, not a single Atlas Knight even having even gotten a chance to fire a blast at a village structure.

But…

Pyrrha knew that Kelly couldn't last forever. She had been doing a good job so far, but the point of the exercise was to somehow end the wave, not outlast it. And she knew that with Kelly's continued efforts, she hadn't been planning on outlasting the enemy. She was stalling, waiting for another person to come so she could go to the secret and finish the Initiation herself.

It was efficient. It was practical. And done right, it would be the best way to finish the objective. Just like Pyrrha trained her.

But it also relied a bit too much on one's personal prowess. The keyword of this plan was if it could succeed, and while it didn't matter if the executor was strong enough…

Kelly was only a first year. Even now, Pyrrha could still see the flaw in her forms, the ways she still hesitated, the holes she needed to improve on. In that way, her decision had not been sound. And Pyrrha knew, felt it, that if this continued…

And Kelly had been the one who were holding the wave back. Putting her to go through the wave and fight it might not be the smartest decision. And yet, Pyrrha knew that it was what Kelly would demand.

For Kelly was feeling that she needed to prove herself above everything else…

Well. The purpose of Initiation was to test their prospects. No one expected a flawless performance, but falter too much…

Neither Ruby nor Pyrrha wanted their prospects to fail.

'Come on, Kelly. Don't let me down... choose the right choice.'

'Fight on, Akane! Don't let those tin cans stop you… Show them why I gave you a chance!'

Kelly Arc ducked under an Atlas Knight's rifle fire, quickly jumping up with her longsword before descending and piercing it through its face. She huffed out a breath as she dodged more fire, spinning her longsword around her and terminating many of a surrounding Atlas Knight.

She turned to the 'civilians' behind her. "Get inside the buildings! Don't come out until I say so!"

They nodded and went inside, leaving her alone with even more Knights. She gritted her teeth and jumped back into action, killing one, two, ten, she didn't know how many anymore.

And yet, no matter how many she offed, more would come and take their comrades' place, a never-ending assault.

She knew as much, of course. Ozpin had said so, earlier. She needed to eventually go to the secret at the back of the Forest and then end this once and for all. And she'd do that, once someone else came.

Another Knight came, this one swinging an axe for her neck. Kelly cleanly parried the blade and pushed her blade through the Knight's neck, neutralizing it instantly. Spinning on her heel, Kelly hefted her longsword over her shoulder and swung it around her. It cut in a circular arc and managed to deflect some fires that would've hit the buildings.

"Grk!" Hefting her blade again, Kelly dashed towards the next Knight and swung her sword hard, not as much cutting it as she was forcing it apart. Without even turning, she kicked away another that approached with a club, slammed her longsword's pommel on its head, and forced her longsword's tip through its gut.

Shrk!

And then, with a yell, Kelly gripped her sword tight and ran with the body still stuck to her blade, using it as a makeshift shield and ramming it through more and more Knights.

"HAAAAA!" Kelly roared and slammed the kebab of robots down on the ground, all of them dead. Pulling her sword free, she gripped it tight and swung it on an arc in front of her, creating a gust of air that sliced any Knights that had stood before her.

Kelly took a breath and slammed her longsword to the ground, looking with acknowledgement at the Knights that had been slain by her wind slash.

And yet…

Clang! More and more Knights took the place of their fallen.

Kelly cursed and pressed a button on her longsword, transforming it into a marksman's rifle. With a huff she hefted it to her shoulder and took aim.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Each shot rang in her ears as she fired and fired and fired. But the Knights, even though they fell from a single bullet, kept coming and coming, increasing her ire by tenfolds after every single step.

Kelly cursed. Where the hell was everyone?! At this rate, they wouldn't be able to protect the quote-on-quote civilians! At this rate, her chance to prove herself would be out of her grasp!

Her initiation would fail! And she had too much pride, too much riding on her shoulders to let that happen!

No!

She refused to go back a failure!

That was the one thing that she couldn't do. All the training Miss Pyrrha gave her, the uneasy confidence her Dad lent her… she could let it all go to waste. She had to succeed, she had to pass, she couldn't risk failing.

This was a test, wasn't it?

And the point of a test was for her to be able to pass.

…Screw it, then. As much as she didn't like it… this was all just a scenario.

She grew up with a Huntsman Dad; she knew what they were like and knew that all those people back there were just in disguise anyway. Ozpin would never let anyone die on his grounds. What mattered now was finishing Initiation.

What mattered was proving to her father than they could still do this.

She needed to do this.

She had to, to prove that their family could go above their grief. That they could move on.

There was no. other. way. This was what she had to do.

This was her worth, this was her purpose. Her strength, her ability to succeed, was and would always be all that mattered.

Kelly transformed her weapon back to its longsword form. She could do this. Just- just go through the wave, find the secret, and use it to defeat the Knights.

The others were bound to be close. She was sure of it. But she couldn't wait until they came. She couldn't waste any more of her precious energy. Because she had a higher purpose beyond this Initiation, she had an oath to her family, and a proof she needed to send to someone watching from beyond the heavens.

The 'civilians' would just have to hold on until help came. She had something bigger to fry.

Pyrrha felt her heart clench when she saw Kelly's eyes harden in decision. "No…"

She was a smart girl, Pyrrha knew. And she knew that she must've figured out the Initiation's illusions. And yet, that wasn't the point. If one was willing to sacrifice lives when they were 'guaranteed'… then what's to say they wouldn't do it when they were not?

"Don't do it…" Pyrrha bit her lip. It was hard enough to create real stakes without the Grimm; that had been the main problem of setting up this type of Initiation. But they had focused on the principle of it, had hoped that the students would understand that they needed to treat it as if they were facing real bandits.

Even if they knew that the Knights would never be programmed to let someone die. Even if they figured out that no normal 'civilian' would ever volunteer for something as dangerous as this. Even if they deduced where the secret was even was.

Because when you focused on winning – on attaining it yourself – then you lose track of what you were supposed to do: protect the ones that needed it.

Was Pyrrha telling Kelly to die where she stood, to fight until her last breath? Goodness no! The right choice now would be to call for help. To signal other students to the sky, to know when you couldn't take it alone anymore, to turn to others.

It was an obvious choice, especially in such a controlled environment. And yet, that was the very point of Initiation, for if they couldn't realize it now, then what was the chances of them realizing it further down the road?

They didn't want sacrificial pawns. They had lost too much to the Grimm, and the presence of such people now… they would only prove to be unnecessary sacrifices. Pyrrha had felt enough death in her lifetime.

And yet Kelly wasn't considering any of it. She was too wrapped up in her objective, her need to do it alone, her need to finish Initiation, that she wasn't taking the logical conclusion that there must be students nearby. For heaven's sake, Akane was getting closer and closer! There was no need to be the best, she could pass still! This was an Initiation with almost 30 other students!

But that wasn't what Kelly was considering. All she was considering was her need to prove herself, to prove to her grieving father, to prove it to her dead brother…

Pyrrha felt her heart squeeze. Ishe left here, if she went for the secret…

If she were to gamble the lives of others….

Pyrrha had seen someone who did that before, who had that feeling of 'doing it all alone'. And she didn't call him out on it when he left, had even sympathized with it. And it was to her now much-hidden disgust.

She had thought that perhaps it had been his destiny. That he'd come back, and she just had to wait. And so, she didn't fight it.

And now Jaune was lost to her forever.

"Kelly…" Pyrrha whispered. For all her imparting of her skills, they had still bonded over the same trauma. And she had loved her, acted like a big sister and sometimes even more to her, and had practically given her more than just a part of her soul.

She was her second chance. She made sure that she was strong, that she was capable, and that she knew just how much she loved her and cared for her.

…She just never once thought she would ever see history repeat itself.

"Choose wisely, my dear…!" Pyrrha whispered.

Ruby watched with wide eyes as Akane tore the wave of Atlas Knights to shreds. As the little girl's fists went through body after body, as her Aura swirled around her, as her kicks sent groups flying out against the trees.

And yet, Ruby couldn't help but be concerned.

Those eyes… they didn't seem to be in Initiation anymore. If anything, Ruby saw in Akane's eyes a need to save so honest, a vulnerability so raw that she thought that she had been looking at a veteran Huntress for a second – someone just like her.

Ruby's entire reason for being a Huntress was to help people, to save those that needed it. And after all these years, she could say that she had. Either directly through her numerous missions, or indirectly through her reputation and her years of teaching here.

But over her smiles and innocence, beneath her belief, a dark cloud constantly loomed A part of her that persisted, a part of her that ate her up in her most private of times. A part that never disappeared no matter how many people she saved, no matter how many people she taught.

That part often said to her, whispered to her:

What kind of Huntress couldn't save her best friend?

On dark missions, on hopeless days, she drew upon that despair, that anger, and used it to motivate her. It gave her strength to push through legions of bandits, through many a rouge militia, and it always brought her to the thankful and relieved smiles of the people she saved.

And yet, every single time, her mind would always ask her a poisonous question: what would it have been like, had Jaune been the one that smiled like that at her?

What would it have been like if she had saved him, like she had saved so many others?

And looking at Akane now, Ruby could see the same motivation being used – the desperate cry of someone unwilling to let anyone else die, that sudden power that was as poisonous as a scorpion's venom, destroying one's confidence if left unchecked.

It was clear that the little girl was barely in Initiation anymore. No, she was borderline genuinely thinking that this was a rescue mission. That all that mattered was saving the people that needed it, Initiation and secrets and everything else be damned. Saving was what she needed to do.

The thought of this being a 'scenario' never even crossed her mind.

Ruby knew that feeling all too well. That want to not risk a single factor to chance. But…

But she had grieved. She had cried, she had mourned… and now, 27-years-old and a career Huntress, a part of her knew that Jaune would never forgive her if she never moved on. But even so, even more so, she kept that pain close, unwilling to forget. And while she drew upon that power when the time called it…

To see someone so young experience it too…

Ruby could only close her eyes as Akane continued to tear and fight. She could do nothing, at least not while Initiation was still underway. She could only hope that, when this was all over, Akane was left standing on the side where Ruby could still help.

That whatever things that Akane had seen… that it didn't tear her up as it once did Ruby herself.

'…We're here for you. Just… you just need to make sure you pass this, Akane.'

"RARGH!" Akane slammed her fist through an Atlas Knight's face. Not wasting a second, she swung her hand to her sides and destroyed even more around her. And to her immense relief, after that final attack, she could finally see the 'village', complete with another student holding the line!

The girl had blonde hair just a shade brighter than herself, blue eyes sharp and guiding her longsword-rifle's aim. And yet, Akane could also see that the other student's stamina was far from tip-top shape, and that the Atlas Knights were targeting her relentlessly.

Without another thought, Akane cracked her knuckles and jumped in.

BANGBANGBANG! Kelly took a step back after each shot fired from her rifle. Though her bullets did their work splendidly, they also did little to thin the approaching horde.

Kelly took a step back; with a gasp, she felt her senses tingle and warn her that another Knight was coming up from behind her. She turned around as fast as she could, but the exhaustion she was feeling slowed down her reaction time. She could only watch as the knight's sword came closer and closer. This was going to hurt-!

CRACK! But before the blade could even graze her skin, a red blur had appeared and slammed their fist into the approaching Knight's side, destroying it instantly.

Akane sharply inhaled as this new person landed in front of her, entering a martial arts stance and guarding her back. This blonde-haired, red-eyes girl – for that was what she was – turned to her with a fiery smile, "Hey there! Name's Akane. You holding up okay?"

"I… will be." Kelly exhaled. She hefted her rifle and turned it into its sword form, taking a stance as the Atlas Knights paused.

"Kelly." She said curtly. And without a second to waste, Kelly immediately gave the girl a once-over with a critical eye.

She was young, terribly so. Her Aura was practically burning off her in waves, and what was more, was that she had no weapons to speak of.

And at that very moment, Kelly felt her ire snap. Here she was doing her best, pushing her limits, risking her pride and everything to prove herself the strongest. And what did she get in return?

She got a partner who was evidently much younger than her, who was using Aura recklessly and was foolish enough to no bring any weapons to a Huntress' Initiation.

Kelly growled. She had no time for this, and certainly no time to get riled up. She turned to her new 'partner'. "Keep them off me. I'll get to the secret and turn it off."

Her partner gasped beside her. "W-what? But you can't! We have to protect these people!"

Kelly growled, again. She had no time for people who played make-believe.

"Look." The swordswoman stressed, "This is all just a ploy. It's just Initiation, they wouldn't let people really die. Just do your job, and I'll make sure we pass."

"T-that's not what matters!" Her partner shouted. Kelly, already worn down from the constant fighting, felt her eyebrow tick in irritation. Her partner continued, "It doesn't matter if its real or not! What if something wrong happens? We have to be here! And besides, you don't even know where the secret is – and what it is in the first place!"

Irritated, Kelly swung her sword around her – slicing approaching Atlas Knights like butter and killing them like ants – and turned to her new partner in anger.

Couldn't she see? This was all a game! Everything was, and everyone was watching. And they needed to win! She needed to win. That was all that mattered!

What would happen if she came back a failure? If she couldn't even get past initiation? Then, her family would be condemned to grief, and all of Miss Pyrrha's training would be for nothing. The memory, the chance that she got to prove herself while her family was still shadowed by her brother's death… it would be gone in an instant.

She needed to be exemplary, to succeed. That trumped whatever they were supposed to do.

Was she selfish? Yes. But this was hardly, hardly, a real life-or-death situation.

But it seemed her partner was too young, too immature, too inexperienced to see that.

And on the other hand…

Akane looked at her new 'partner' – now, with a closer look, seeming so gosh-darned familiar for some reason that it hurt – with nothing short of indignation.

She wasn't dumb; she knew this was Initiation and nothing more. But her memories, her heart pushed her to act the way she did. It didn't matter if they won if everyone else died. It didn't matter if they stopped the enemy, but no one else was around to enjoy it!

She just couldn't, couldn't let it go that easily. It had been ingrained too deep in her, an integral part of who she was. Scenario or not, real or fake, she would always prioritize those who couldn't defend themselves. It was what her Uncle taught her…

…and what his experiences confirmed for her.

And so Kelly and Akane clashed. Even as they fought together, even as the Atlas Knights were felled around them, their philosophy simply didn't mix.

One was willing to do anything so she could win.

The other prioritized never losing anything again.

And all the while, the Atlas Knights only continued to grow stronger.