Players and Pieces

Yang Xiao Long was having a difficult day.

Not so much the Grimm or finding the temple - for someone as generally fantastic as her, these were minor issues.

No, these were important things and things to do with her little sister - which made them doubly important.

Firstly, she still didn't know what was going on between Ruby and that amber-eyed brunette… (Yang glanced sideways at her partner) The other amber-eyed brunette, that was. The one without the bow.

Secondly, Ruby was still somewhere out in the forest. Probably not a huge problem - all the other hunters should be coming this way, so even if Ruby got fixated on their weapons it should bring her in the right direction. But what good sister wouldn't worry?

Thirdly, she didn't know who Ruby was partnered with. She'd have happily partnered with her but it would probably be best if Ruby found a partner for herself (thereby making a new friend) but also wound up on the same team as her loving and magnificent older sister (thereby having some support). Yang looked at Blake again. She and Ruby seemed to have been beginning to hit it off before whitey and her sister's new trauma (seriously, what had happened?) turned up to spoil things, so Blake shouldn't mind being on a team with Ruby. The trouble was, from what Yang had seen during her own landing, Ruby had ended up in the same part of the forest as that Jaune goof and whitey. Either of whom was dangerous in their own way.

And now people kept arriving in crazy fashions.

Jaune, catapulting out of the sky and bouncing all the way into the ruins and scattering all the chess piece relics they were here from.

Nora, riding an Ursa. Enough said.

Ren, chasing after an Ursa and a girl crazy enough to ride one. It's not that she minded having some eye candy arrive but maybe one with more stamina… no, bad Yang. Not the time!

And now Pyrrha Nikos herself arrived, chased by a deathstalker about the size of a bus.

"I can't take it any more! What's next, is someone going to fall from the sky?"

There was a crash from the forest and Blake shaded her eyes to look south towards it. "Yang… you may not believe this..."

"Someone fell from the sky?"

"I think it's your sister."

"What! Ruby!" Yang broke into a sprint towards the site of the landing.

"Yang!" Okay, there was her sister, waving. "Yang! Look out!"

What? Why was she pointing upwards?

There was an explosion. Yang looked up and saw a plunging Nevermore break off from what looked like a strafing run. Good reason! Feathers were raining down, but fortunately not in the 'hail of bleeding death' way the aerial Nevermores were known for - more of a 'blasted off the grimm' sort of way.

And was that someone somersaulting off it?

The blonde skidded to a halt and backpedalled before the tumbling figure straightened and crashed into the ground, landing in a crouch with one hand supporting her and back turned to Yang. Quite a back too. Girl had style, Yang would give her points for that.

"Well, one hundred percent improvement on landing strategies," the new arrival noted to herself as she straightened up. "Ruby? Are you alright?"

Wait, this was the same girl from earlier. What was she doing with… oh no.

"Nyanza! Hang on, I'm coming!"

Wasn't Ruby scared of the older girl? Or at least avoiding her - which she wasn't even doing with Weiss Schnee despite repeated clashes yesterday. "How are you partners now?"

RWBY

With ruthless efficiency, Nyanza avoided an awkward conversation by leaving Ruby to explain the situation to her sister. Besides, Yang was going to be attached to Nyanza's partner for the next few minutes anyway so…

"Blake, Pyrrha. Hi." She looked around. "Oh, Jaune. You made it. Hi, people I haven't met yet."

"I'm Nora!" the ginger proclaimed.

The boy next to her gave Nyanza a measuring look. "Ren."

"Nyanza Doe. Nice to meet you… now, is anyone missing a partner?"

Blake nodded subtly towards Yang and Nora grabbed hold of Ren's arm. "We're together!" she announced. "Although not together-together because… that'd be weird but…"

"I hear you." Nyanza reached down and picked up a pair of black chess pieces. Both were queens. "Jaune, Pyrrha?"

"We're partners," Pyrrha said, helping the boy out of the stones where he'd been sprawled.

"Looks like we're all paired off then. And we need one relic per pair… anyone short?"

Jaune raised his hand. "We don't have one."

Nora waved a rook. "I'm the queen of the castle!"

"Good for you." Nyanza tossed her spare queen piece over to Jaune after Blake nodded towards her partner again. "So… I don't see that fighting more of the grimm gets us anywhere. How about we all head back to the cliffs together?"

"Who put you in charge?" asked Yang, suddenly returning to the conversation and swinging out verbally.

"Yaaaang!" Nyanza's partner puffed out her cheeks.

Nyanza sighed. "No Ruby, your sister did not put me in charge. Although she is giving me a headache, again," she finished in an only marginally softer voice.

"I'll make your head ache…" Yang yelped as Ruby elbowed her. "Okay, maybe we got off on the wrong foot." She glanced sideways. "You owe me an explanation, little sis," she added under her breath.

"Uh, guys?" Jaune pointed upwards. "That thing is circling around. Do we have time for this?"

Pyrrha looked around. "I think Nyanza has the right idea. We have what we came here for, so let's go."

"Oh fine." Yang headed for the slope deeper into the ruins and Nyanza followed her, as did the other six students. Up ahead there was a chasm right at the foot of the cliffs, spanned by a system of high towers and bridges of ancient stone.

The Nevermore cawed from above and behind as it swooped past, scattering the group as they took cover among pillars to avoid the large and sharp feathers flung down upon them. Pulling out of the dive, the huge black bird swept up and then settled to roost upon the top of the largest tower, glaring down at the bridge that they would have to cross.

"T-that's not good," panted Jaune.

"Maybe not," Nyanza agreed. She pointed back down the path they'd followed, where the deathstalker was making up ground. "But that might be worse."

"Oh man, run!" shouted Jaune

"Nora," Ren called as he brought out his weapons. "Distract it."

The ginger-haired girl didn't reply but she unlimbered her grenade launcher as she ran across the open ground between the pillars, feathers raining down behind her as the Nevermore decided it wasn't going to let the ground-bound grimm take its prey.

"Look out!" The giant scorpion's claws closed just short of Nora as Ruby doubled back and parried them with Crescent Rose. Each of the claws was easily larger than the fifteen year old and she was swept off her feet, knocking into Nora and both girls tumbled backwards towards the bridge.

"Go, go!" Pyrrha turned as she reached the mid-point of the bridge, shifting her spear into rifle mode and trying to suppress the oncoming deathstalker.

"Pyrrha! Look out!" Jaune cried out. He, Yang and Blake were in the lead and he'd glanced over his shoulder to see the Nevermore making another low pass.

This time it barrelled straight through the stone bridge, shattering it and throwing both Nyanza and the crimson-haired Mistrallian into the air.

Flinging one hand out, Nyanza generated a fiery burst between the two of them, propelling each back towards different sides of the broken arch.

"Gotcha!" Jaune threw himself forward, locking one hand on his partner's wrist. "Oh crap…" he added as her weight began to pull him off the ragged pier left of this side of the bridge.

A strong hand caught hold of his ankle. "I got you, Vomit-Boy. Ruby!"

Over on the far side, Ruby had wedged the blade of Crescent Rose into the unsteady stones, extending the haft just far enough for Nyanza to catch it. Even with the girl hanging onto the ground end, the balance was precarious - a second blast threw Nyanza up before either they or the bridge lost the battle against torsion forces and she landed on both high-heels.

"Thanks." She patted Ruby on the shoulder… but her eyes didn't get past where the Deathstalker had just herded Nora and Ren out onto the stone and away from whatever cover there might have been on the land. The four of them were trapped.

Yang heaved back and then used her free hand to catch hold of Pyrrha. "We have to help them!"

Blake opened fire on the Nevermore, which was turning for a second pass. "We've got to stay alive first. That thing's tougher than it looks."

"Hit it with everything we have!"

The three girls opened up on the incoming black bird while Jaune stared helplessly at it. "I really need a gun."

"It's not working!" Yang grabbed Pyrrha to pull her towards the tower. In turn, the redhead caught hold of Blake and drew her in the same direction. The bow-haired girl tried to do the same with Jaune but missed as he set his shield and darted forward unexpectedly.

"Dontmissdontmiss!" he cried out and leapt, sword in hand and legs pinwheeling, towards the Nevermore.

"Jaaaaune!" his partner cried out as the blond intercepted their enemy and what was left of the bridge came apart.

Over on the far side of the bridge, the other four students were backed up against a long drop. "I've got an idea," Ruby decided.

"Is it anything like the one with the Nevermore!"

"I liked that, it looked fun!" declared Nora.

"We're not riding the Nevermore," Ren informed them all flatly.

"We just need to pin it for a few seconds."

"Both claws and the tail?"

"Just the claws," Ruby insisted to her partner.

"That… might be doable. I've got the left." Nyanza took a half-step forwards. This was going to take perfect timing.

Ren moved forward on her flank. "On your right."

"What do I do?" Nora exclaimed.

Ruby braced herself. "When I tell you to hit it, hit it as hard as you can!"

The other girl's eyes seemed to sparkle. "You have the best plans!"

"Is she always like that?" asked Nyanza.

The boy nodded quietly and then his violet eyes narrowed and he folded his pistols away. "Here it comes…"

Finally confident that the stone would bear its weight, the Deathstalker crossed onto the bridge itself, claws reaching for the two human morsels offering themselves to it. Each claw closed in and the pair reached out, focusing their aura into their hands and bracing their feet.

Nyanza grunted as she closed her fingers on the outsides of the grimm's right claw and forced it to close short of her. She could hear the tiny chimes around one ankle sounding as she shook under the weight.

Across from her, Ren gasped with exertion, feet actually cracking into the stone beneath them. "Do it -"

A red blur streaked between them and there was a very pink exploision from behind.

"- now."

With a wet-sounding thunk the Deathstalker's tail was severed near the tip by Crescent Rose and then Ruby reached the tail herself, running up it and reversing her momentum until she reached the end and was going back over the grimm's back, Crescent Rose's blade aimed downwards. "Nora!"

"Coming doooooowwwwn!" the last of the team giggled as she cartwheeled in the air, grenade launcher unfolding into an impressive hammer.

The hammer-head struck the back of Crescent Rose and drove the wicked point of the weapon into the gap between the Deathstalker's head and body.

For a horrible moment, Nyanza thought their partners had missed their mark… and then the strength went out of the claw she was holding. Ren fell to hands and knees, panting and the young woman felt rather tempted to do the same. "Good work," she said instead as Nora and Ruby improvised a triumphant secret handshake from where they stood on the monster's back.

RWBY

Back across the bridge things weren't looking as promising.

"Don't shoot!" Pyrrha warned. "You could hit Jaune."

"Well we have to do something!" Yang shouted.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" the boy screamed encouragingly as the Nevermore made another pass by their position. He'd managed to jam his sword, Crocea Mors, into the bird's side. "Keep firing!"

"But we might hit you!" shouted Pyrrha.

Blake raised Gambol Shroud in pistol mode and resumed fire, aiming carefully. "He has a shield," she stated quietly.

Yang reloaded Ember Cecilia. "And if we do nothing, it's gonna scrape him off sooner or later."

Pyrrha made a discontented noise of agreement and aimed Miló, firing slowly and deliberately to avoid Jaune's position on the Nevermore.

With a screech of anger the Nevermore wheeled over and then tucked its wings together, diving entirely through the upper levels of the tower. Yang and Blake pounded shots into the white mask covering the upper face of the grimm until the last minute and then flung themselves in opposite directions as the massive stones were hurled in all directions. The blonde rolled down one of the other bridges while Blake simply reshaped her weapon into kusari-gama form and swung out into the air away from the crumbling architecture.

While the other two dodged, Pyrrha had charged headlong at the bird. Its beak opened as it saw prey literally throwing itself down its throat, but the young woman had other plans. Miló shifted in her hands from rifle to spear and as the beak closed, the full weight of the Nevermore's jaws drove both ends into its flesh while Pyrrha herself sidestepped and caught hold of Jaune.

The pair sailed out into the air as the Nevermore beat its wings in agony, bringing down tons of stone above it while critically losing momentum.

Reaching out, Pyrrha snagged hold of Blake's wrist as the young woman swung around and the three of them had just enough upwards momentum from the monochrome girl that they were able to reach the lip of another bridge.

It took Jaune a moment to gather his wits and by the time he'd risen to hands and knees both girls were standing and watching as the uppermost levels of the tower finished pulverising the Nevermore. "Is that it… did we get it?"

"I think so," Pyrrha told him.

"Hey!" called Yang, jogging along the bridge. "I got your spear!" she called over to Pyrrha. "Let's go check on the others."

RWBY

There was applause from the crowd in the amphitheatre Professor Ozpin announced each new team that had completed their initiation into the first year. Quite a lot of applause in fact - the seats were filled by teachers and by their fellow students, many of them now looking back on their own trials with the perspective of a year or more.

Faces appeared on the displays above the dais as Ozpin summoned each new team. "Dove Bronzewing, Cardin Winchester, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie."

Ruby made a disappointed noise as their comrades from the fight in the forest had to break off to join the other two students. "I wanted to be on a team with them."

"No reason we can't still be friends," Nyanza pointed out quietly as she clapped politely. Ruby wasn't wrong - they had worked together well… even if Nora was louder than a bullhead at times - every waking moment, for example.

"The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces," Ozpin declared. "From this day forward you will work together as Team Cardinal, led by Cardin Winchester."

The tall, muscular boy named showed no particular reaction to the nomination, keeping his arms folded behind his back. Nora grabbed hold of both her other two team-mates around their shoulders and swung her legs back and forth. Ren took that with more aplomb than the rather startled Dove.

Nyanza glanced at the other pairs. If pairs of partners were grouped by which pieces had been chosen… She saw Yang glare at her, having come to the same conclusion.

"Jaune Arc," Ozpin called as Team CRDN left the stage. "Ruby Rose, Pyrrha Nikos, Nyanza Doe. The four of you retrieved the black queen pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team Juniper, led by Jaune Arc."

The boy started and touched his chest. "Led by…?"

The silver-haired headmaster inclined his head fractionally in confirmation. "Congratulations, young man."

Jaune's partner added a beaming smile and punched him approvingly in the upper arm, knocking the startled blonde from his feet to both his and Pyrrha's embarrassment as the audience laughed. Nyanza and Ruby each offered him a hand up as Professor Goodwitch gestured for them all to make room for the next team.

"Well done," Nyanza said under her breath. She wasn't sure if she was congratulating their new leader, or backhandedly criticising the redhead for her over-reaction.

"This is going to be great!" Ruby exclaimed, punching the air.

"Blake Belladonna, Russel Thrush, Weiss Schee and Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin continued. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team Ruby, led by Russel Thrush."

That got a startled look from the white-haired girl who'd been such a headache yesterday towards the mohawked boy who was apparently her partner. Yang took the announcement better, reaching past Weiss to shake hands with her new leader. Even Blake unbent enough to nod politely.

"Rather your sister than me," Nyanza murmured to Ruby as the other teams formed up with them.

"Maybe she'll be friendlier now?"

"I'd settle for about a half-octave quieter."

Jaune offered Russel his hand. "Congratulations."

"Sure," the mohawked boy said, with a sidelong look at his team - Yang had lifted Ruby off the ground with a hug while Blake was standing next, but not too close, to Pyrrha and Nyanza. "You too."

Both of the boys turned as one to look at Cardin Winchester who took advantage of his height to stare disdainfully down at them until they turned away.

"Nyanza!" Nora called, completely ignoring the next team being called up onto stage. "Can you make pancakes?"

What? "I don't think I've ever tried," Nyanza admitted. "Why?"

"Ren can make pancakes. And you held that grimm off like he did so…"

"Nora," the boy in question put one hand on her shoulder. "That's not how it works."

"It isn't!?"

Professor Goodwitch twitched from where she was overseeing the first years.

"Looks like an interesting year," Ozpin murmured to her.

RWBY

"He did something to her."

Mercury shook his head at his team-mate. "Do you really think that Torchwick could get the better of her? Particularly after, you know..."

Emerald tilted her head in consideration. "I'm not saying he'd fight her head on."

"Well he's not an idiot."

"Debateable."

The slate-haired boy shook his head. "He's been running circles around the local police for years. There's a reason Cinder picked him as her agent for gathering dust. But you're right, being trustworthy isn't the reason."

"So what do we do?" She made to rise. "Go get the information out of him?"

"Don't be stupid."

"You're stupid."

"He'll have back-up and right now we don't."

Emerald considered that. "We could go to -"

"That's an even worse idea. Without Cinder to back us, those animals would tear us apart."

She slumped back into her chair. "Well you think of something!"

Mercury frowned. "Whatever happened it was either really quiet or real noisy. In the latter case there should be a police report whether it was where he said or somewhere else in Vale. Can you get hold of those for the last week?"

"Don't be stupid."

"Was that a yes or a no?"

She stuck her tongue out. "And if it was quiet?"

"Then he's hiding a body." Mercury rolled his shoulders. "That's not as easy as it might sound. There are rats in every town. It's just a matter of finding the right one."

"You don't mean actual rats, right?"

Mercury sighed. "No, Emerald."

"Because right now we're sharing an apartment and if you bring rats back with you I'll have to burn the building down."

"No real rodents are involved. And bringing anyone back to the apartment would be a terrible idea."

The girl nodded and then froze. "Mercury?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how long the rent's paid up for?"

He grimaced. "No, but I guess we'd better figure that out too."