The wind howled in the ears of every first-year student as they plummeted from the sky, the treetops of the Emerald Forest racing up to meet them. One after another, they employed the tools and skills at their disposal to ensure a safe landing.
Yang Xiao Long grinned wildly as she angled herself downward. With a thunderous boom, she fired off her Ember Celica gauntlets mid-fall, using the explosive recoil to slow her descent just enough to crash down in a low-impact explosion. She hit the ground in a crouch, her blonde hair billowing from the force of her landing. A small crater marked her arrival.
Blake Belladonna was more subtle. As she dropped, she extended the ribbon of her weapon, Gambol Shroud, and expertly latched it onto a high tree branch. The momentum swung her into a controlled spin, and after a few graceful loops and tugs, she landed on a thick branch, crouching silently like a cat in the shadows.
Weiss Schnee descended with elegance. Summoning her signature glyphs—large, glowing, circular seals inscribed with delicate snowflake patterns in shimmering white-blue light—she created a staircase of magical platforms beneath her feet. She stepped down each glyph like royalty descending a palace staircase, her posture perfect, her descent smooth and poised.
Pyrrha Nikos, the Mistral champion, landed with practiced ease. She angled her shield beneath her to absorb the brunt of her fall. A brief clatter of metal rang out as she hit the ground and rolled to her feet without a scratch, her movements fluid and calm.
Then came a blur of pink.
A girl with wild excitement screamed joyfully as she dropped like a cannonball, holding her massive weapon like a hammer. She slammed into the earth with a comedic boom, creating a cartoonishly large crater. Laughing as dust settled around her, Nora Valkyrie stood triumphantly in the center, completely unfazed.
Trailing behind her, the quiet figure in a green gi moved like a shadow. He vanished into the trees, his presence barely making a sound. That was Lie Ren, and unlike Nora, he made no fanfare of his landing. A whisper of leaves was all he left behind.
And then, there was Ruby Rose.
Unlike most students, Ruby's landing was the result of careful training. Her father had drilled her in aerial combat and high-altitude maneuvers. Spinning mid-air, she activated her Semblance, her body transforming into a swirl of red petals. The rose-colored vortex twisted and arced through the air, angling toward a sturdy tree. As she neared it, Ruby reverted from her Semblance just in time to hook Crescent Rose—now in scythe mode—around a high branch. She spun gracefully, slowing her momentum, then flipped downward and touched the ground softly. Crescent Rose left a trail of shallow gouges in the tree bark, but not enough to do any real harm.
Lastly, came Jaune Arc.
He was not prepared.
Tumbling through the sky, screaming incoherently, Jaune flailed helplessly as the ground came into terrifying focus. His arms windmilled in a desperate attempt to slow his fall—until, at the last moment, a spear flew through the air with precise aim. It caught the edge of his chest plate, hooking him like a fish and pinning him to the side of a tall tree.
Jaune dangled there, legs swaying as he blinked in shock.
"I'm alive?" he whispered to himself.
Far below, Pyrrha Nikos watched the scene with a quiet smile. She turned and began moving toward him, her shield slung over her back, the throw of her spear executed with expert precision. Her eyes softened at the sight of Jaune helplessly stuck in the tree. She didn't know why—but something about the clueless boy made her smile.
Ruby crouched low after landing, her boots silent against the forest floor. She took a steady breath and let her silver eyes scan the surrounding terrain. Trees thickly coated the area, their canopies dimming the sunlight above. The wind carried faint smells of moss and damp earth, and in the distance, she could just barely make out the spire of a ruined structure through the gaps in the trees.
That must be the location of the relics, she thought, locking in her direction mentally. Her father's training had drilled one thing into her more than anything: Always know where you are and where you're going.
She started forward at a brisk but careful pace, Crescent Rose folded on her back in its compact form. The forest was quiet, too quiet. And then—
Rustle.
Ruby froze.
Her eyes flicked toward the bushes just as a blur of black fur leapt out with a snarl—a Beowolf, one of the more common types of Grimm. But common didn't mean harmless.
SWOOSH—The beast lunged, claws outstretched.
Ruby reacted on instinct. In a flash of red petals, she sidestepped and extended her weapon mid-spin. Crescent Rose unfurled in a metallic shing, and in a single smooth arc, she sliced the Beowolf clean through as it passed. The beast evaporated into black smoke behind her.
But the sound of its death cry stirred something worse.
More rustling. More snarling.
From the shadows emerged six more Beowolves, circling around Ruby like wolves around prey. And among them, stepping out with a guttural snarl, was a larger Beowolf—its hide thicker, spikes protruding from its back, and glowing red eyes filled with malice. It was easily twice the size of the others.
Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Great. A pack leader…"
A tense silence stretched, broken only by the subtle growls and the creaking of the forest trees.
Then, the Grimm lunged.
Ruby twisted away from the first, letting it miss her and strike into open air. The second came immediately after—this one she dealt with, spinning mid-dodge to sever it with a precise scythe swing. She twirled out of the way of the third, her cloak whipping around her as the fourth and fifth tried to flank her.
She ducked, rolled, pivoted. Every motion was tight and calculated.
She couldn't afford to take many hits—her aura needed to stay intact. She needed to keep calm. Think. Move. React.
An opening presented itself. She pounced, spinning in a flurry of red petals, her scythe cutting three Grimm down in one seamless combo.
Only two of the smaller ones remained.
And then…the pack leader moved.
Its slow, deliberate steps sent a chill down Ruby's spine. The other two smaller Beowolves flanked it, snarling with renewed aggression.
Ruby braced herself. She couldn't take them all at once. She had to be precise.
Just as she was about to move—
CRACK!
Two sharp beams of icy energy erupted from the forest floor, spearing through the remaining smaller Grimm and causing them to shatter instantly into smoke.
Ruby blinked. "What—?"
She turned.
Weiss stepped out from the shadows of the trees, her circular glyph still shimmering beneath her boots, radiating a soft bluish-white light. She held Myrtenaster with grace, her posture firm and focused.
Ruby blinked as their eyes met.
It's her—the girl I ran into yesterday.
But Weiss gave no sign of recognition. No narrowed eyes. No curt remarks. Nothing.
If anything, Weiss looked at her the same way she might look at any other stranger in the middle of a Grimm encounter—evaluative, composed, and slightly impatient.
Before Ruby could say anything, the large Beowolf snarled again, claws digging into the earth as it prepared to pounce.
No time for pleasantries.
Ruby glanced at Weiss. "I could use some backup."
Weiss gave a small nod. "I already assumed as much."
Without waiting, Ruby dashed forward, becoming a blur of red petals as she zipped past the beast, slashing at its hind leg before darting away. The cut was shallow—but it caught the creature's attention. It roared and spun, chasing after her.
Weiss stood back and flicked her rapier in elegant, deliberate motions. Shards of ice spiraled out from Myrtenaster, whistling through the air toward the Beowolf to slow its movements. Ruby weaved between trees, dodging and baiting the beast toward her, slipping in light strikes and testing its reactions.
Their rhythm was shaky. Twice, Ruby had to veer off path to avoid getting caught in a stray icicle, and once Weiss had to cut her casting short to avoid interfering with Ruby's tight, spinning maneuvers.
But even with their timing a little off, they found a kind of momentum.
Weiss kept the Grimm off balance with her ranged support, giving Ruby windows to harass it up close and keep it from locking onto a single target. Ruby, in turn, never stayed still—circling the monster, keeping its attention split.
Then—
Weiss's eyes narrowed. "Now!"
With a final flick of her rapier, a large glyph flared beneath the Beowolf's legs. Weiss froze the Beowolf's feet to the forest floor, locking the massive creature in place. The beast roared in fury, thrashing against the ice, but couldn't break free in time.
Ruby saw her opportunity.
She gripped Crescent Rose tightly, pivoting on her heel to aim the scythe's long handle downward. The hole at the base of the blade-side glinted—just for a second—before it erupted with the force of a high-powered sniper round. The recoil launched Ruby high into the air, spinning like a whirlwind of rose petals.
With gravity on her side and her scythe still fully extended, Ruby came down hard—slashing in a wide, arcing spin. The Beowolf's roar was cut short as her blade tore clean through its neck, the massive Grimm collapsing in a heap as its body began to dissipate into black mist.
Ruby landed in a crouch, Crescent Rose extended and humming with residual energy, the petals of her Semblance falling around her like red snow.
~Intermission brought to you by Chibi Yang and Blake bumping into each other in the Emerald Forest~
With the massive Beowolf dissolving into black dust behind them, Weiss dusted herself off and walked toward Ruby with a slight scowl on her face.
"Well, that's done," she said, crossing her arms. "But we could have done better. You got in my way more than once."
Ruby turned to her, brow furrowed. "I got in your way? You nearly froze me with your ice thingies!"
"They're glyphs," Weiss corrected sharply, "and maybe if you weren't zipping around like a sugar-addled hummingbird, I wouldn't have to constantly reposition."
Ruby's glare sharpened. "You're still as rude as the last time we met… y'know, not even bothering to introduce yourself."
Weiss blinked, caught off guard. "Wait… hold on." She studied Ruby for a second, recognition dawning. "You're the girl from the courtyard. The one who just spaced out and crashed into me."
Ruby raised her brow. "And you're the one who didn't watch where you were going."
They stared at each other for a few seconds, the silence tense.
Then Ruby sighed and extended a hand—reluctantly. "Ruby Rose."
Weiss stared at the hand, then shook it with just as much reluctance. "Weiss Schnee."
Ruby gave a half-smirk. "So, I guess we're partners now."
Weiss let out a breath through her nose. "Unfortunately… yes."
"Well," Ruby said, turning toward the forest and pointing ahead, "the ruins should be that way."
Weiss glanced in the direction, clearly unsure but unwilling to argue. "Fine. Lead the way, Ruby."
Ruby started walking, and Weiss followed after a slight pause. The two moved forward—side by side, not quite together, but not quite apart either.
Just two strangers, trying not to get on each other's nerves… too much.
The scene shifts to a quiet patch of forest where Jaune Arc still dangled awkwardly from a tree, suspended by the spear lodged through the hook of his armor. He flailed slightly as Pyrrha Nikos calmly walked into view, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Need a hand getting down?" she asked, amused.
Jaune looked down at her with a sheepish grin. "Uh… yes, please."
With a swift motion, Pyrrha extended her hand, and her spear dislodged itself from the tree, soaring back to her with magnetic precision. Jaune yelped as gravity took hold, and he plummeted straight to the ground with a loud thud and a rustle of leaves.
"Thanks…" he groaned, lifting his head from the dirt.
"You're welcome," Pyrrha replied, offering him a hand to help him up.
As he dusted himself off, Jaune glanced around. "So, I guess that means we're partners now?"
Pyrrha nodded with a smile. "Looks like it."
Jaune blinked at the dense forest surrounding them. "So... where do we go?"
"I think I saw something that way," Pyrrha said, pointing deeper into the woods.
Jaune puffed up a bit, straightening his posture. "Well then, after me!" he declared, confidently stepping forward—only for Pyrrha to pass him and take the lead.
As they trekked through the forest, Pyrrha moved a low-hanging branch out of her way, unknowingly letting it snap back right into Jaune's face. Whap!
"GAH—!"
Jaune hit the ground with a loud thud, his nose now sporting a small trickle of blood.
Pyrrha turned quickly. "Oh! Are you alright?"
Jaune sat up, holding his nose. "Tis but a scratch," he said dramatically.
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you activate your Aura?"
Jaune blinked at her, looking as if she'd just spoken Martian. "Awa—wha?"
"You don't know what Aura is?" she asked, now genuinely surprised.
Jaune puffed up again, trying to play it off. "Of course I know what Aura is… but, uh, do you know what it is?" he countered weakly.
Pyrrha chuckled. "Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. Only those with souls can use it. It enhances our abilities, protects us from harm… like a sort of natural shield."
"Oh! Like a forcefield," Jaune said, finally latching onto something familiar.
"Something like that," Pyrrha smiled. "Sit down. I'll help you unlock yours."
Jaune blinked. "Wait, you can do that?"
"Of course," she said as she sat in front of him. "Now, close your eyes."
He did as instructed, and Pyrrha reached out, placing a gentle hand on his chest. She concentrated, channeling her own aura through him. A golden glow began to pulse from her hand into him, flowing through his body. Then, a soft shimmer surrounded Jaune as his aura began to manifest—faint at first, then stronger, glowing a pale gold around him.
Jaune's eyes flew open. "Whoa… this is Aura?"
"Yes," Pyrrha said warmly. "And you seem to have a lot of it. Impressive."
Jaune stood up, suddenly feeling lighter, stronger—like the forest air itself had changed around him. "I feel... awesome!"
"Good," Pyrrha said, standing beside him. "Now come on. Let's keep moving."
They both headed off deeper into the forest, Jaune walking with a bit more spring in his step—unaware of another branch swinging his way.
Whap!
"OW! Again?!"
Pyrrha giggled softly behind him.
A/N: This was part one of the emerald forest initiation. It was much harder trying to write this one. I hope the fight scene was good enough. I contemplated if I should have been more detailed or not and if I should do Yang and Blake POV, but it kinda started getting too long so I just said chibi it. So ya Yang and Blake met in the Chibi intermission. I still don't know how long or short I should aim for these chapters so until I do there might be some inconsistency in chapter length. Again this was Author-kun giving you a big thanks for checking this story out! <3