Revised as of 4/3/2016

I don't own Bleach or RWBY.

I want to dedicate this story to all the people that struggle with depression. This is dedicated to those no longer with us and to those that struggle everyday with the idea of carrying on with their lives. I have been there many times in my life and I struggle regularly with the idea of why I keep fighting when things never seem to get better. It seems any time I finally get a few steps forward I get knocked back ten feet on to my ass. The last year has been lonely with a lot of travel for work separating me from my family and being put in places that don't want me around. I wasn't in any position to continue this story at that time. Recently, if it wasn't for a car accident that made me realize how important I am to my family I probably would have given up.

I now realize how important it is to keep fighting and with the recent struggles of another writer in the RWBY fandom here on this website I have decided I need to keep pushing and fighting despite how much it hurts sometimes. I have decided despite the pain and difficulty I need to keep writing and work with those here on this page. I thank you all for your recent words of support to me and YARN. Its amazing to see the kind of support and strength this online community provides.

Chapter 1: The Initiation Test

Remnant is a colorful world with beautiful locales like the forests of brilliant reds and rich greens in the Kingdom of Vale, the snow-capped mountains and sparkling river valleys of Atlas, formerly Mantle, the rolling deserts and plains of Vacuo, and the foggy swamps and the dangerous beauty of the fjords of Mistral. It is also a world infected with a deep darkness that hides in the shadows. Around the cities of the four kingdoms are great walls and devastating weaponry designed to hold back this darkness. Within the shadows of the trees of the Emerald Forest and lurking beneath the waters of the misty swamps luminous red eyes stalk these virgin lands. This shadow of darkness has been man's enemy for centuries and they are known as the Grimm.

The Grimm are soul-less monsters of unknown origin that have created a world with a mysterious and forgotten history. They are beasts of black, white and red that resemble the animals of nature that normally inhabit those ecosystems. The Beowolves, the large wolf-like grimm of the forests and mountains, the Deathstalkers, scorpion grimm of the deserts and caves, and the Leviathans, the giant shark grimm of the deep oceans are just a few of the types of Grimm that inhabited the world. They strike humanity without mercy and fear, attracted to the negativity and darkness in a man's heart. Nearly a thousand years ago they had pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. In their desperation warriors discovered Aura and Dust to use in their fight to push back the impending dark.

Aura is the power of a person's soul brought to bear externally. A person with their Aura unlocked receives numerous benefits such as increased strength, speed and reflexes, improved healing ability and the ability to completely negate attacks based on the condition of their Aura and the power of the attack. Dust, or Nature's Wrath, is elemental material that forms like mineral crystals in the depths of Remnant's crust. These materials provide the effects of things like fire, ice, and lightning and when mixed and ground they provide a variety of effects, such as an energy propellant and electricity. Ancient humanity used these to push back the Grimm and finally build much needed defenses to keep the Grimm at bay.

Humanity survived to form the four kingdoms located across the five continents of Remnant. As humanity rebuilt their destroyed world they pushed to search for their lost history but it all seemed to be lost or out of reach. It was during this era of reconstruction that the Faunus first appeared. Confusion reigned as humans began to show properties similar to the animals that used to fill the ecosystems now dominated by the Grimm.

Tails and ears, claws and fangs, night-vision and enhanced hearing and sense of smell began to appear in random newborns. At first many thought this was an infection of the Grimm in humans. While parents of this new species defended their offspring the fear resulted in near genocide. The new "Faunus" hid from the rest of humanity until science proved that this was not the product of Grimm. Faunus had Aura providing further proof they were not the soul-less monsters that humanity had feared but as all things different, they continued to be feared and hated. As humanity and now the faunus struggled to continue their expansion old technologies were rediscovered by archaeologists.

As time passed humanity and faunus developed old and new technologies discovering new ways to reconnect with the rest of the Kingdoms around Remnant. Wars over technology, Dust, and difference in beliefs resulted despite the, now "inferior", Grimm. Time continued to pass and war spread and in the shadows the Grimm grew stronger, reveling in the world's negativity and ignorance. During the Great War humanity called a truce when the Grimm poured out of the lands surrounding the Kingdom's and nearly brought them to their knees. The peace treaty re-acknowledged the threat the Grimm posed to humanity and faunus alike. Each Kingdom created a school devoted to the training of hunters and huntresses to combat the Grimm. These schools, Haven in Mistral, Shade in Vacuo, Beacon in Vale, and Atlas in Mantle.

Now eighty years later in the Emerald forest outside of Vale gunfire and explosions echo notifying the occupants that today marks the annual initiation of the new students of Beacon Academy. The sounds are a warning to all denizens of the woods that a battle between Man and Grimm raged. The clamor awoke another soul that something, other than the monsters, are moving in the forest near him and his home since he first awoke here.

His temporary abode is a steeple structure standing at the end of a long, pillar lined walkway. It rises from thick fog that seems to rise from the chasm beneath it. The fog continuously rises from the depths of the chasm day and night giving the ruins a mysterious presence, a place long ignored by the world around it. Within the steeple a figure moves silently through the structure, pausing in an archway to ascertain the direction of the battles and the growing volume a sign that the fights grew closer.

The figure is a man with shoulder length orange hair. His only piece of clothing is a pair of pleated black pants, missing most of the right leg and tattered at the ends, held up by a white sash. Hanging from the sash is a small black pouch, his right hand grasping it gently. Within his left hand is a pentagon of wood with a carving of a skull. The rest of his exposed body is pale and thin, the muscle and bone stands out sharply against his skin due to malnuritionment. The skin of his torso is heavily scarred including a large brand of a five pointed cross on his left pectoral. His eyes scan the horizon as another explosion erupts burning an entire tree to the ground to ash instantly. His eyes widen slightly in surprise before he disappears leaving only a small cloud of dust and the sound of a gust of wind in his wake.

Throughout the forest, pairs of students united and began to form teams as part of their initiation. Their mission, after locating a partner, is to proceed to the northern side of the forest battling any Grimm in their way. Once there they are to acquire relics at an abandoned temple. After collecting their relic each pair is to return to the cliffs of Beacon Academy to complete their initiation. A simple acquisition mission with few chances of complications beyond the Grimm was a great way to test new arrivals to the school. Safety measures were in place to prevent the deaths of the students, despite the warning they were given before being catapulted into the forest. Yet this warning was given without basis, for even the best laid plans usually fail in the face of the enemy.

Currently one such pair of students approached the abandoned temple to collect their relic. Two teenage girls maneuvered towards the temple with significantly different styles. Unsurprisingly these styles matched their own personalities. These two girls are Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long.

Blake Belladonna has black, wavy hair that reaches the middle of her back. Her outfit is muted, lacking much of the color that is popular with other huntresses and hunters, to better blend with the shadows she regularly calls home. She is wearing a white, sleeveless shirt with a black, buttoned coat-tailed vest that exposes her midriff. A pair of white shorts and gradient purple to black stockings that start mid thigh and end at her black boots cover her lower body. On her arms she wears a pair of black ribbons and on her left arm a black sleeve complete with a silver band. Finishing off the outfit is a large black bow on the center of her head resembling cat ears from a distance.

Her face is the epitome of seriousness as her amber eyes scour the forest for threats. Her pupils are wide to allowing for her to see into the shade of the trees. She seems to melt into the shadows of the trees she passes, silently stalking from one to another like a predator moving in for the kill. Her right hand never moving far from the hilt of the weapon poking up from behind her back.

Yang Xaio Long is almost the polar opposite in appearance and movement when compared to her partner. Her long, mane of golden hair bounces wildly and hangs down to the top of her posterior. Her outfit, much like her personality, is bright and colorful as well. She is wearing a yellow, low-cut crop top with a black crest resembling a burning heart, a pair of black shorts and a white asymmetrical back skirt. On each hand are a pair of black finger-less gloves and on her feet is a pair of brown knee-high platform boots with orange socks of different lengths. On both wrists she wears her weapons, a pair of yellow mechanized gauntlets.

A smile adorns her face as her lilac eyes seemed to twinkle in the joy displayed by her carefree motions. Her taller frame allows her to take longer strides but her muscular frame makes her steps lumbering and heavy. Full of energy, she swung her arms to match her stride, striking nearby brush as her own steps crinkled and snapped on the leaves and sticks covering the forest floor. The cacophony this generates causes Blake's ears to twitch, and unexpectedly her bow, and her olive cheeks to redden in frustration. It was almost like Yang wanted to be assaulted by the Grimm that called this forest home.

They stepped clear of the forest and onto a small cliff overlooking the temple. From their clear vantage point the temple and large clearing around it is seemingly devoid of any friend of foe. Blake finally allows herself to relax as she exits the shadows to join Yang in silent observation. The temple is nothing more than a circular stone floor surrounded partially by a crumbling stone wall and pillars. Additional pillars of stone line the interior edge of the stone wall and even from their distance objects of black and white are clearly visible on them. Past the temple the clearing continued to another set of tall pillars with a small path through the middle. The path led all the way to a large steeple like ruin in the middle of a chasm.

"Think this is it?" Yang inquires with a playful smile.

Blake's only response to the question is a critical stare. Yang's smile swaps with a visage of shame at Blake's reaction. Yang scratches the back of her head sheepishly before offering a nervous chuckle as an apology. The two refocusing their attention on the temple as the cautiously pick their path down the embankment to the temple. Loose ground and no designated path made their trek down slow and arduous. After a few minutes of careful steps they reach the clearing before marching straight into the temple.

"Chess pieces?" Yang sounds out with a raised eyebrow. Her confusion is palpable as she stares at the simple game pieces. Blake turns her focus to Yang before offering a shrug in response to her partner's bewildered gaze.

"Some of them are missing," Yang notes as she passes a few pillars that are mysteriously blank, "Looks like we weren't the first ones here."

"Well," Blake says as she hones her attention back on the pieces, "I guess we should pick one?"

The two circle the temple slowly as they look at each of the pieces, presumably to determine which piece to select. Blake's eyes give each piece an analytic scan as she passes. Her thoughts picking each piece apart on their capabilities and the comparing it to Yang and herself.

'Pawn, cannon fodder used primarily as sacrificial pieces, but invaluable if they make it into enemy territory. No, doesn't suit us,' she thought moving to the next piece, 'Rook, considered strongest defensive piece, used for castling to protect king. Another no.'

Behind her Yang approaches a white knight, a huge childish grin on her face, as Blake studies the next piece in line, the black King. She doesn't have time to analyze it before her thoughts are interrupted by Yang.

"How about a cute little pony!" Yang cheers, holding up the white Knight.

'Knight, offensive piece with unorthodox with a seemingly unpredictable use in attack, slip past defenses easily. Seems like a match,' Blake thought as she quickly analyzes the piece briefly before answering.

"Sure," she replies with an easy smile and roll of her eyes.

If the knight wasn't a perfect match she doubts she could have withstood her partner's unyielding smile. If she was stuck with this girl as her partner for the next four years then she could admit that there were worse people to have as a teammate. She could have been stuck with someone bossy, egotistical or rude.

'Like that Schnee girl,' Blake thought as an involuntary shudder crawls its way up her spine. She truly pities the person stuck with her as a partner. 'And their future teammates as well.'

"Well that wasn't too hard," Yang idly mentions to Blake, her tone as cheerful as ever.

.

"It's not like this place is very difficult to find," Blake replies offering another smile.

The two seem to enjoy the moment of quiet and tranquil with a bit of relaxation. Unfortunately it doesn't take long though for their worry to grow as they both wonder why they have not seen any of the other initiates. Couple that with how easy the trek to the temple had been and the fact that Yang's little sister was out there, it wasn't a surprise when their bodies became tense as the air became thick with anxiety. A shrill, high-pitched scream nearby shattered the uneasy calm proving that their worries were well founded.

"Some girl is in trouble!" Yang shouts in worry as she tries to determine the source of the scream. She notices that her partner is too quiet for the circumstances, "Blake, did you hear that?" Yang pauses to check on her partner, "What should we do?"

Blake's attention wasn't focusing on Yang or the scream they had heard. Instead, her eyes are on the sky above them, looking at the source of a sound she had picked up just before the girly scream. Her jaw hangs open and slack as she slowly points up into the sky. Yang can't help but follow her partner's gaze, turning her whole body slowly as she looks up into the sky where Blake is pointing. Her mouth falls open as she sees something completely impossible to anticipate.

A smaller girl is falling from the sky, her red cloak fluttering wildly behind her. She is spinning and falling uncontrollably as she flails in a desperate attempt to regain some control over her fall. Without any control of her body she can't possibly hope to slow herself and use a landing strategy like all initiates had previously done after being launched from the cliffs. Behind her a giant Nevermore, a raven-esque Grimm, is silhouetted against the sun, a screech like nails on a chalkboard.

The falling girl's appearance becomes clear as her rapid collision with the ground seems nothing but inevitable. Her red and black dress and red cloak whip furiously in the air around her as she falls. The air rushing past her pins her brown and red hair to her face. Her skin is paler than probably healthy, most likely a combination of fright and her naturally pale skin. Her silver eyes are wider than would seem natural, almost bulging from the socket, her pupils dilated to nearly turning her eyes into pools of black.

"HEADS UUUUUP!" the girl shouts in an earsplitting wail causing Blake and Yang to 's trying to position herself to intercept the young girl in a crazy and probably suicidal attempt to save her younger sister's life.

The girl is now close enough to make out the small silver crosses that decorate parts of her outfit. Her fall is finally stabilized but she is clearly too dizzy to do anything to help slow her descent. Yang's eyes are now wide as she moves to try to get in position when another scream matching the previously heard girly scream fills the air. Yang and Blake watch the impossible and crazy situation as another body flies through their vision directly towards the falling younger girl. Blond hair and a tall, scraggly, and clearly male body barrels through with a squeal. Just as he reaches the same space as the girl both bodies seem to disappear with a gust of wind. Blake and Yang search the air and ground for the pair until a crashing sound in the trees behind them lead them both to believe they had been redirected from the collision.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake wonders aloud as Yang and her both stare at the trees.

"I...I..." Yang stutters unsure what to say in her state of confusion.

She wants to run to check on her sister but the chaos of the situation causes her to freeze. A crash at the edge of the clearing, in the opposite direction of her sister's landing point, grabs Blake and Yang's attention. Both tense expecting a creature of Grimm, their expectation is not disappointed as an Ursa, a bear Grimm, roars as it tears through the brush and trees. A sudden burst of a pink explosion in the back of the Grimm causes it to cry out before it slumps and begins to smoke.

"YEEEEEHAAAAW!" a girl exclaims from behind the Ursa. An indistinguishable blob of white and pink sails over the Ursa carcass, landing on the ground in front of it.

The momentary pause of the hyperactive blob reveals a girl with shoulder length red hair. Her turquoise eyes full of excitement and energy as she take in the surrounding the field. Her clothing is an odd assortment of colors and themes giving her a quirky appearance to go with her obviously quirky personality. She's wearing a collared black vest beneath which she wears a short sleeve white top that forms that has a tiny heart shape cut out just showing a bit of her cleavage. She also wears a short pink skirt that ends mid-thigh and matching pink, finger-less gloves and shoes. Her back and shoulders are protected by armor built into the vest. A white bow hangs off the back of skirt to complete her outfit.

Satisfied with her intake of her new surroundings her gaze shifts back to the expired Ursa, "Aww..." the redhead cries in dismay, "It's broken!"

At this cry a boy appears out from behind the Ursa in an acrobatic flip. He has long black hair with a magenta highlight and wears a green long-sleeved tailcoat with black and gold trimming and pink cuffs and a pair of off-white pants. He leans heavily on one of the Ursa's spikes trying to catch his breath. The girl is now standing on top of the Ursa's head staring down at it intently.

"Ewwwww," she exclaims looking at the Ursa. It's flesh is now beginning to break down and disintegrate like all Grimm do shortly after their demise.

"Nora..." The boy said still gasping for air, "Please... don't ever... do that again." Having finally caught his breath he glances to where his partner previously stood only to find he is now alone with the Grimm's slowly fading corpse. His pink eyes scan the area nearby for his partner, no clue as to what direction the bundle of energy moved. Blake and Yang watch silently as if trying to solve some puzzle the new pair present. They can only stare as the girl races by instantly grabbing a white rook.

"OoOoOoO!" she emits in interest as she snatches the piece from its perch. She immediately breaks out into song and dance with the chess piece, "I'm Queen of the castle! I'm Queen of the castle!" she sings as she moves from pose to pose in her dance, each time the chess piece is balanced perfectly and awkwardly off a new body part.

"NOOORA!" the boy hollers freezing the spastic girl in place. The rook is now balanced on her head as she stands with both arms straight out from her sides and one leg raised in the air behind her. Yang stares in uncertainty at the hyperactive girl while Blake on the other hand crosses her arms and glares at the highly annoying person.

"Coming, Ren!" She answers in a sing-song voice catching the piece as it falls off her head before skipping back towards her partner.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake asks shaking her head as Yang just watches her skip away.

"I..." Yang tries desperately to put words to the chaos. Again she is interrupted by the cries of another Grimm and the demolition of trees.

A girl carrying a short spear and shield and in leather armor with gold and crimson trimmings. Her long hair trails behind her like a tail with the crimson locks matching the red material of her outfit. She races out of the woods before an enormous and ancient Deathstalker rips through the brush as well as knocking over a few trees. It gains on her and she is forced to leap over one of its claws and then immediately rolls under the other as she lands.

"JAUNE!" she cries out as she runs away from the enraged Deathstalker.

"PYRRHA!" A boy's voice calls back from a tree near the one they heard the two teens crash into earlier. A close examination of the source by Yang and Blake reveals the blond boy dangling upside from one of the trees. His foot is caught in the crook of a branch preventing him falling but also preventing him from climbing down as well. The Deathstalker hisses and the clacking sound of its claws refocuses the blond and black haired partners.

Jaune couldn't figure out how he had ended up in this tree. Near the end of his impromptu flight, courtesy of the giant Grimm chasing Pyrrha, he had suddenly felt something pull him briefly before appearing on top of the branch from which he now hung. The sudden appearance upright on an uneven surface left him dizzy and he lost his balance. As he fell his foot became snagged in the branch causing him to dangle painfully by his foot. He is now swinging violently trying to pull his foot free of the branch so he can go aid his partner against the Grimm. A loud crack from the branch causes him to pause in his struggles. Suddenly the branch gives way and he lands head first on a thick branch just below him. The blow knocks the blond swordsman into a daze as he slips off to the side and lands in a crumpled heap on the ground.

Scuffling sound alerts Blake and Yang to something trying to move in position behind them. They spin quickly and into a defensive position. The both relax as they recognize Yang's sister stumbling up behind them. She is in a daze but appears uninjured with no sign of even a bruise on her pale skin. Her red and brown hair only appeared to be a little out of place from her unexpected arrival through the air earlier. Her black dress, red cloak, black tights and black knee high boots with red laces also seemed to be undamaged from her fall.

"WHOA!" she cries out as she catches sight of the massive Grimm attacking the crimson haired teen.

"Ruby?! Wha...?" Yang babbles as she inspects her sister for an imperceptible injuries. She is also trying to figure out how she had ended up behind them. The stone wall of the temple had been to their backs so she would have had to somehow land behind them silently or walk right past them. Ruby stumbles towards Yang with her arms outs looking for a hug.

"Yang!" she shouts in excitement as Yang moves in looking to hug her baby sister. They both fall backwards as a blur of pink and white suddenly appears between them jumping up with arms in the air.

"NORA!" the crazy Ursa rider from before shouts, startling the small group.

Nora's sudden interruption is unwelcomed by Yang and the chaos is pushing her to her limit. Her lips are tight and fists are firm with white knuckles as she is just about to snap from all the craziness happening around her. Nora is now standing next to her bouncing her weight from foot to foot in excitement while Ruby silently watchs her sister on the verge of exploding. Blake, missing the barely contained rage of her partner, continues to comment on the events happening around them. This is all in an attempt to make the circumstances seem even just a little less insane.

"Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" Blake questions finally pushing Yang over her limit. An explosion of fire surrounds Yang as her previous lilac eyes turn red

.

"I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!" Yang shouts loudly. Ren finally catches up with Nora, joining the group gasping. Yang glares at him daring him to do something crazy. The young man returns the death glare with shrug as if he is completely unaffected by her unspoken threat. Fate must be using a stopwatch as exactly two seconds pass before the insanity resumes in a fervor. Blake and Ruby looked up at the sky before Ruby slaps Yang's arm to get her attention.

"Ummm... Yang?" Ruby says pointing up at the sky. Yang can't even look as her shoulders sink in despair.

"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME!" a girl, appearing only as a white speck hanging from the giant Nevermore, cries down to the group. The entire group now stares up at her before Ruby answers her partner's cries.

"I said jump," she offers with a shrug like it wasn't completely insane to ride around on a giant flying monster and then leap off of it.

"She's gonna fall," Blake adds with a smirk as she enjoys watching the stuck up Schnee girl struggle. A jolt of pity does shoot through her mind as she realizes her partner's innocent younger sister has to deal with that mess.

"She'll be fine," Ruby replies almost too calmly considering the circumstances.

"And she's falling..." Ren counters barely keeping the mirth from his voice. While he doesn't wish any harm for the heiress that is now plummeting towards them, he can't help but be amused by the absurdity he is witnessing.

The blond boy underneath the nearby tree smiles as he sees the white haired girl fall. 'This is my chance' he thinks as he leaps into action. He takes an impressive running leap towards her. He stretches out as she lands comfortably in his arm. The two seem to almost freeze in place as he takes in her surprised expression.

"Just dropping in?" he asks with a suave tone. The girl doesn't actually reply as she looks down at the still rapidly approaching ground. She looks back at him in disbelief before it finally registers to him that he had down nothing to actually stop her fall. Instead now they both fall together and Jaune in his own panic lets her go. Jaune lands first in front of the group and the girl lands on his back as Jaune groans in pain.

"My hero..." the girl in white replies as she inspects her nails for damage not moving from the position on his back.

This girl is Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. Her appearance seems to match the cold and icy facade she typically holds in front of others. A pale blue jacket with a red lining covers a thigh-length dress of similar coloring with a piece of black lace on the neck. The Schnee crest, a giant snowflake, is displayed on the back of the jacket. A pair of impractical heeled, mid-calf white boots finish her ensemble. Her long, white hair is kept in an off-center ponytail with a small tiara at the base resembling icicles. Her blue eyes and pale skin in combination with her outfit and her cold attitude had already led to some giving her the nickname Ice Queen, much to her chagrin.

"My back..." Jaune whimpers. Behind them Pyrrha is still trying to evade the giant Deathstalker that trails her. A cry from the Grimm and the sound of a solid impact announces the pending arrival of Pyrrha. She crashes in a heap of dirt and dust in front of the group.

"Great! The gang's all here. Now we can die together!" Yang muses sarcastically as she poses with a fist in the air.

"Not if I can help it," Ruby replies with a smirk not picking up on her sister's sarcasm. She unleashes a high-pitched battle cry before taking off towards the Deathstalker. She pulls a red block of steel from her back that rapidly unfolds into a large, red and black scythe.

"Ruby, WAIT!" Yang shouts after her sister as the rest of the group watches in mute terror at the younger teens recklessness.

A gunshot from the back of her scythe propels Rubyl forward at ludicrous speeds as she uses her enhanced speed and the large recoil as a booster. She closes the gap between her and the Deathstalker quickly. She swings the large scythe around only to be slammed into the ground by the sudden loss of momentum when colliding with its unscatched carapace. She pulls herself up slowly stuttering out assurances to her friends that she was indeed okay.

"D... Do... Don't worry," she stutters uneasily, "I'm totally fine!" she shouts to her friends as the clacking of the approaching Deathstalker grows almost deafeningly loud behind her.

Another quick shot from the large rifle barrel that makes up the shaft of her scythe impacts the Deathstalkers carapace near one of its eyes. Using the momentary hesistation the gunshot provides she beats a hasty retreat. She collapses her scythe and returns it to the holster beneath the cloak on her back. Yang takes off towards her sister to help her with the deadly Grimm.

"RUBY!" Yang shouts in worry.

Ruby is actually putting significant distance between her and the Deathstalker, due to her natural speed. Unfortunately the group of initiate forgot about the large flying Grimm that could resist the isolated and open target it below. With a screech it launches giant razor sharp feathers down at Ruby like a rain of spears. One such feather impales the red cloak trailing behind her bringing her to a jerky and sudden stop. She struggles desperately against the resistance as the Deathstalker uses the opportunity to assault the vulnerable girl.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Yang shouts as she activates her weapons. Two shotgun gauntlets lock into place as she directs her arms behind her. She fires both simultaneously to use the recoil to launch herself forward but to everyone present she wouldn't arrive in time.

"I'm trying!" Ruby respounds only to freeze when the clicking of the Deathstalker's legs ceases behind her. She turns her head slowly to discover the Deathstalker's tail rising in preparation to strike. She closes her eyes in anticipation of her impending death just as the tail jolts forward into a orange blur of the poisonous tip.

The clang of the Deathstalker's tail striking metal, the sound of cracking and popping, and a sudden drop of temperature along with the lack of a fatal strike causes Ruby to open her eyes hesitantly. All Ruby could see was a seeming wall of white an inch from her face that for a second leads her to believe that maybe she is dead after all. Then she can hear Weiss sigh heavily in exaspertion with Ruby's recklessness. The wall of white moves away revealing the poisoned tip of the tail only a foot and a half away. The tail from below the tip to the base and the entire body of the Deathstalker is surrounded by a thick coat of ice. Ruby watches what she can now tell is a man move slowly out of the way. She takes in his appearance and find herself slowly becoming afraid despite his part in saving her life.

The man is wearing white bone plated armor over top of a black skin tight under-suit, the suit reminding Ruby, disturbingly, of a creature of Grimm. The armor is more of a jacket configuration with multiple overlapping plates on his chest and several plates on his arms and back. Two stripes of white extended down the front of his legs before connecting to knee high bone boots. His face is locked in a scowl and covered with strips of bone as well that barely stand out against his incredibly pale skin. His cheeks are gaunt and dark circles surround his empty dull amber eyes and his head was topped with orange hair, long and spiked but knotted and miskempt. A short sword with the guard being a large pentagram with a creepy skull in the middle gave him an appearance more intimidating and less heroic than she would hope for in a rescuer. He moves the sword, now coated in a faint glow of red and black, above the head of the Grimm. He brutally stabs through the ice and carapace of the Deathstalker forcing a screech of pain from the beast.

"You are so childish..." Weiss lectures her partner, assuming the screech is anger from the frozen Grimm.

"Weiss..." Ruby hisses trying to get her partner's attention without causing a scene

"And dimwitted... and hyperactive... and don't even get me started on your fighting style..." Weiss continues as Ruby turns her attention to her oblivious partner. Weiss is now crouching in front of her eyes focused completely on Ruby. It appears that she still hasn't noticed the man standing behind her as he silently pulls the blade free of the now disintegrating Grimm.

"Ummm Weiss..." Ruby tried to interrupt and get her partner's speech but Weiss wasn't paying any

attention to her. Ruby is utterly disturbed by how silent the man moves.

"and I suppose I can be a bit... difficult but if we're going to do this... we're going to have to do this together..." Weiss rambles on, much to Ruby's dismay. She would have to yell to get her partner's attention and likely upset her since it seems she was trying to come to an understanding with Ruby.

"WEISS!" Ruby interjects reluctantly finally pausing the bossy girl's speech. As predicted this only served to make Weiss angry as she moves to be within an inch of her partner's face. Her eyes begging for an excuse valid enough to interrupt her so rudely.

"WHAT?! Can't you seem I am trying to apologize!?" She yells as she glares in her partner's face.

"Yes... and I really, really appreciate it. I truly do but..." Ruby says expressing her sincere regret at having to stop her partner's speech. She points behind her emphatically drawing her partner's attention away from her and towards the man in armor behind her. Weiss' pale skin becomes significantly paler, as her eyes widen as she brings her rapier, Myrtenaster up in a defensive pose.

"Who the hell are you?" Weiss growls as she makes sure to stay between her defenseless partner and the imposing young man. The man reaches with his sword behind his back and with an audible clack the blade locks in the sheath on his back.

"Uhhh... Weiss he did block the Deathstalker's tail from reaching me," Ruby explains nervously to her partner. A smirk from the man was the only response they got before a blur of tan and yellow tackles Ruby knocking the feather out of the ground at the same time freeing the younger girl.

"Oh my god... Ruby I thought I was going to lose you!" Yang cries as she hold her sister tight against her chest completely ignoring the unknown man.

"ACK... can't... breathe..." Ruby whispers from between the suffocating and volumptious bussom of her older sister. Yang releases her hug to turn her eyes on her sister's saviors.

"Ooookay... who is tall, dark, and brooding?" she queries the two partners as she sizes up the mysterious young man. He is around their age but definitely not in the healthiest of conditions.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki..." he replies with a raspy voice that sounds unused for some time causing Yang to tilt her head curiously. The rest of the future hunters and huntresses join them as they check on Ruby and try to see the identity of the newcomer.

The man didn't appear to be any older than they were which kind of surprised her based on the dead look in his eyes. The moment is abruptly interrupted as he violently begins to cough causing him to double over briefly. He brings a hand to cover his mouth but the next wave of coughs brings a splattering of blood into his hands. The blood covers his hands and seeps between his fingers as a few drops reach the ground. A whistling sound fills the air as he coughs and everyone remember suddenly that a Nevermore is still circling overhead. They can only stare at the sea of razor sharp feathers begin to impact in front of them. The group dodges and rolls out of the way except Yang and Ruby who are still positioned on the ground. Terror fills Yang's eyes as she throws herself in the way of the three feathers coming at her and Ruby. She would keep her sister safe is what she thinks until the squenching sound of the feathers impacting don't result in any pain.

Gasps falling from the shocked lips of the other initiates caused Yang to look up from Ruby and find that the previous location of the young man is now startling empty. Yang turns slowly around and her eyes widen as she discovers why she wasn't dead. In the path of the razor feathers was the armored man. Through his right leg and left shoulder are two of the feathers that should have impaled her. The third was on the ground in front of him, the only one blocked by the blade he had pulled from his back.

He collapses to his knees despite the feather in his leg, the armored white and black suit appears to liquefy. The swirling black and white emulsion flows across his torso and vanishes into the hilt of the sword still in his hand. Once all the armor has disappeared into the pentagon shaped hilt the blade glows brightly and disappears as well. With a clatter of wood the pentagon bounces against the stones at his knees.

He is now wearing only a tattered pair of black pants and nothing else. The skin it reveals is pale white matching his previously viewed face and hands. The skin is covered in the soft pink and white of scars, both large and small, crisscrossing over the entirety of his torso and the well-defined muscle and bone beneath his skin. He is surprisingly thin without the armor as if he is suffering from malnuritionment and his breathing is harsh as he continues to cough and gag from the pain.

"Oh god... what happened to you?" Yang mutters in concern as Ruby moves behind her to get a look. Yang covers her eyes only to get a frustrated slap from her sister before she breaks free. Ruby unleashes a choked gasp as she takes in the young man's battered form.

Ichigo looks back to them as if making sure they are all okay, his eyes now a rich brown but still just as emotionally dull. Yang leaps into action catching the man before he can collapse onto his back. Another caw from the flying Nevermore and the howls of a pack of beowolves echo across the plain.

"No... time... run..." he struggles to say as he raises one hand to point to his left. The top of what appears to be a stone ruin stands out from the fog around them. Yang lifts Ichigo, avoiding the razor sharp edges of the feathers, before calling out to the still shocked group.

"We have to run!" Yang shouts as the group shakes their heads clear.

"Live to fight another day?" Jaune asks getting a nod as they all turn towards the ruins, "Well that's an idea I can get behind!" He shouts as the group of nine retreats to the ruins.

A/N

I will be spending my free time the next two weeks going through each chapter and making improvements. I hope to finish this process by the 17th. I will only be replacing the first chapter for now as I work on tying the rest together better and fitting in all the changes through out. After that I want to put out a chapter a week minimum. I see this portion ending with an modified version of the Breach at the end of volume 2.

At that point I will start a sequel covering volume 3 of RWBY. I have not read Bleach since I stopped updating this story over a year ago. I'm not sure how I will handle any of the new material. Anyone with ideas please let me know by PM or in the reviews.

I will try to answer all PMs I have received in the last few days. I apologize for the delay but the amount I received has been surprising to say the least and has confirmed to me that I need to keep pushing on and start reaching out when I am struggling.