"That is a hole in the ground. We are looking for ruins."
"Yes and where are ruins usually found? Underground."
"While I see your logic we're also taking a test. I don't think they'd place the location we are meant to retrieve a relic from in a random hole in the ground."
"Ok but what if they ARE in a random hole in the ground and we just leave it here and fail the test because you're too scared to enter a cave?"
"I'm not scared! I just don't want to waste my time with a pointless venture. Every moment is precious."
"Guys please..." Pyrrha finally interjected, firmly yet gently pushing Y/n and Jaune away from each other. "Jaune's right, we should check it out in the unlikely event that it IS where we should be."
Y/n glares at Jaune as the teen smugly grins. "Very well. You two can enter the cave but I'm standing guard outside in the event of a Grimm attack or cave in."
Jaune then asked, "Can't you leave Farron for that job?"
Y/n shook his head as he pat Farron on the head. "Complex commands don't work for my summons. Best I can tell them is to stand guard. It won't come to warn us and I am not aware of its death if it ever falls," Y/n lied. In truth, the creatures formed from Lifeless Embers retain every bit of their intelligence as they did from death and he is acutely aware of them, even to the point of sharing senses with them when he wills it. Now would he tell them that? No. Of course not. He doesn't fear caves per say but he does have issues with what usually lied within them.
Jaune was a little annoyed before realizing that he would in fact be partnered with Pyrrha even if temporarily. "Fine. Pyrrha come on." With that Jaune entered the cave.
Pyrrha looked to Y/n. "Stay safe," She requested as she quickly followed Jaune.
Soon as she left Y/n shot himself up into a tree with his grappling hook. He then set Farron to guard the cave while he opened up his coat. "Come on out Dyna," Y/n spoke with a certain fondness as a hawk flew out from his coat, leaving a trail of embers in its wake. Y/n held out his prosthetic arm to allow the gigantic bird a place to perch. The hawk sets itself down, it's prosthetic blades dangling off Y/n's arm. Y/n then began to pet the hawk as he spoke, "Apologies but I won't be calling out Tillo today. It's just you for now. That being said, I want you to spy on the other innitiates please. Oh and keep an eye out for any ancient buildings."
The hawk nods its head in understanding before spreading its wings and soaring past the tree line. Y/n closed his eyes and opened them once more though this time he was sharing his vision with Dyna as she flew above the forest. Eventually Dyna caught sight of a red and white pairing and moved in to observe them. She silently took her place on a perch as the two humans seemed to bicker, oblivious to her and Y/n's observation.
"Weiss come on! We're suppose to be partners..." Ruby moaned in exasperation.
"Yes and so long as you do everything I say you may actually pass this initiation," She replied in a similarly exasperated tone.
"That's not how a partnership works!"
"That doesn't matter. Besides you should be thankful you're paired with me over someone like that oafish brute," She huffed.
"Oafish brute? Who," Ruby was confused now. She hasn't met anyone that fits that description.
"Do you have brain damage? It was that man who so carelessly grabbed me after knocking my stuff over!"
"Oh! You mean Y/n! Wait, Y/n's not oafish nor a brute!" Their argument quickly pivoted towards Y/n... much to Y/n's amusement.
"How can you say that when he so carelessly grabbed me?!"
"Weiss please, he didn't even grab you. He placed his hand on your shoulder and walked off. Besides, it was my fault he even fell over your stuff and I apologized for that. That and you shook an uncontained vile of dust in his face..."
"Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. You'll side with some brute over your own partner."
"Oh NOW you consider us partners!"
GROWLLL
The fighting ended immediately as the two readied their weapons and set themselves back to back. Y/n was mildly impressed by the display. Not many could ignore their differences so quickly for a fight. Even if it was clear they were still annoyed with each other it's commendable. A single great bear like beast emerged from the the tree line on Weiss' side. Y/n watched, with a light eagerness, for the fight to come. "Ruby," She whispered as she prepared for the fight ahead by setting a glyph below the two.
It was a quick engagement. Weiss' glyph gave the two a considerable boost to their jumps as they avoided the Ursa's claws. This was followed by Ruby twisting herself around and planting her scythe into the ground and firing off a sniper round. At the moment of impact Weiss struck the beast with her blade before she then moved to a position where they could pincer the beast without fear of friendly fire. Soon after it was a small matter of chipping away at the beast as Weiss pulled its aggro and dodged around it through the use of her semblance's glyphs speeding her up and acting as walls.
It would eventually drop dead as would any beast when matched with a competent hunter. With the beast felled Weiss' gaze turned to Ruby, "You weren't completely useless that fight." It was a back handed compliment sure, but a compliment from her was rare regardless of variant.
Satisfied with what he saw, Y/n ordered Dyna to move on to another pairing of initiates. To which Dyna responds by quickly taking flight and surveying the area before quickly finding a perch once more. Dyna and Y/n were subject to the sight of a yellow haired girl and the same cat as before and their aftermath of two Ursa's. The yellow haired girl sported a playful grin as she held her hand out to the cat. "Yang Xiao Long," She introduced, "Nice to meet you partner."
The black cat took Yang's hand and shaked it firmly, "Blake Belladonna. Likewise." Her tone was simple, curt, and lacking in energy. Y/n couldn't help but smirk as they performed their greetings. They reminded him of his first time meeting Solaire or either of the Catarina knights, Siegmeyer and Siegward. Their boyant attitudes heavily contrasting his own defeatist pessimism.
Unfortunately his fond reminders of the past gave way as Farron alerted Y/n of an issue before then being silenced in an instant. Y/n cut his connection to Dyna swiftly and prepared for battle as he gazed down from the tree and caught sight of Farron's assassin. A massive scorpion like beast, with that oaf Jaune desperately hanging onto its tail. It darted off into the forest after it had emerged from the cave. Y/n shot down to ground level as Pyrrha emerged from the cave.
The two then spoke in unison, "We need to go after him! He needs our help!" / "I thought he'd never leave."
The two exchanged a momentarily look. Pyrrha's out of worry and Y/n's indifference. He was finally rid of the annoying third wheel. Is what he'd like to believe if it wasn't for Pyrrha's annoying and well meaning obstinance. Y/n took a step away from her turned towards the direction the beast fled and summoned forth a giant red wolf, specifically the one he had killed off when he delved into Raya Lucaria. Y/n hopped atop her back and offered his hand to Pyrrha.
"I thought your semblance only worked on grimm?"
"I never said how it worked," he scolded with an amused chuckle. "Raya was my pet. Now come on, we're losing distance."
Pyrrha's saddened reaction to the realization that Y/n at some point killed his pet was thrown to the wayside as she remembered they're in pursuit of a Death Stalker with Jaune holding on to its very deadly stinger for dear life. After she gets herself situated, Y/n pointed forward and spoke, "Catch." The red wolf sped off immediatelly. Pyrrha braced herself for the sudden speed by wrapping her arms around Y/n's waist.
Elsewhere, though he broke off his connection with Dyna she never left. This is how we found her spying over Glynda and Ozpin. Ozpin being the only one to notice the bird as Glynda was busy arguing with herself about not to become an alcoholic. She was failing. "I just... what are these kids thinking?!"
Ozpin, amused by the out burst took a moment to glance at Glynda's Scroll. She was rapidly flipping through camera views as TWO initiates chose to ride grimm to aid in their initiation and another initiated a high speed chase throughout the forest. Said chase was after a death stalker with an initiate held hostage because the idiot refused to let go. As for the pursuers... "I knew that boy was trouble," Glynda grumbled as she continued flipping through camera feeds to monitor the high speed pursuit.
"Well, if anything, Beacon certainly won't be quiet in the years to come."
"Assuming they even pass. Despite bring so reckless they've yet to even find the relic site."
"I doubt that'd be an issue much longer," He took a sip of his coco, "though it would appear Mister Arc is out of luck."
"The only positive in this whole mess," Glynda huffed.
"Glynda. You can't give up on a student before they even become one," Ozpin reprimanded.
"With all due respect sir, there are just some people that are far too lacking."
Ozpin merely shook his head as he looked back at the scroll. A small smirk formed, "Would you look at that, it appears the remaining initiates are heading towards the relics as we speak."
Glynda's eyes shone with despair. She then slowly produced a decanter, a gift from an annoying individual that tried to woo her once, from her back pocket and really began considering it. Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle as he lightly forced down her decanter and offered a second mug of hot coco. "Where... where did this come from?"
Ozpin didn't respond to her question. He just watched the remaining initiates with an almost child like glee. "Who do you think will collect their relic first? Twently lien says its Miss Valkyrie and Mister Ren."
"Sir you can't seriously be betting on our initiates... thirty on Belladonna and Xiao Long."
Dyna had heard enough of their conversation and took flight once more, this time in the direction of her master. As she did so she bore witness to the high speed pursuit. Raya was nearing the targeted scorpion little by little, Jaune was still a blubbering buffoon, and Pyrrha finally stopped holding onto Y/n and had a serious blush. As for Y/n, he was measuring the distance between him and the scorpion.
"Raya, keep Pyrrha company," he spoke as he slowly began to stand up.
"Y/n what are you doing," Pyrrha shouted in shock as she tried to grab him.
He swatted her hand away, "I'm going to fell the beast before us and save that idiot," he replied nonchalantly as he held up his prosthetic arm.
"We've nearly caught up to it though!"
Y/n ignored her words as he fired out his grappling hook, expecting it to dig into the scorpion's tail and real him in. However the beast had more intellect than it led on as it quickly maneuvered its tail so that the hook would strike the carapace of bone and harmlessly bounce off. Y/n clicked his tongue in annoyance as he prepared for another shot. Only to stay his hand as the scorpion and Raya had ran so far that they made it out of the forest. Y/n then took immediate notice to the giant bird that had fired its feathers for seemingly no reason.
"DODGE THE FEATHERS," He shouted to Raya as he used his grapple to yank himself towards the ruins he just noticed. Raya did so with ease, even with Pyrrha panicking and clinging to her back. The feathers didn't hit either of them but they did manage to pin the scorpion down. This had the unfortunate side effect of launching Jaune a good distance into the air and right into the cliff wall above the ruins. Y/n sighed as he turned his attention towards the inners of ruins and found what he assumed to be what's left of the relics. There were eight pedestals, only four had what appeared to be a chess piece remaining. "Found the relics," he muttered as he collected the white queen for him and Pyrrha.
As soon as he turned around he had to close his eyes in frustration at the sight of the absolute hell the area had quickly devolved into.
Author's Notes: Really don't have much to say this time around. I hope you enjoy the story so far as we are finally concluding the Initiation arc with the next chapter. I honestly expected it to be only two maybe three chapters long but as the title says it just keeps going hahaha.
Anyways, usual stuff 'n all that. Tips, Tricks, Ideas and Criticisms are welcomed and encouraged! Have a good one y'all!