We see an overhead view of the Emerald Forest as the camera pans down into the misty underbrush, where Yang is walking and looking around.
Yang: (calling out) "Helloooooooo? (not seeing a shadow quickly pass by) Is anyone out there? Helloooo? (stops and raises her arms) I'm getting bored here! (hears a rustling in the bushes behind her and turns) Is someone there? (the rustling continues as Yang comes over and peaks inside) Ruby, is that you?"
A low, inhuman growl is heard, and Yang's head rises up as she stares at the creature.
Yang: "Nope!"
Yang quickly rolls to the side as black bear, which is a Grimm called an Ursa, charges out of the green. She gets up and activates her weapon, which are called Ember Celica, staring at the monster before another Ursa runs out behind her. She leaps over it, and its companion runs at her again, only to get knocked back by a fiery punch. The other Ursa and Yang charge at each other, and Yang manages to get under it and deliver several punches and a kick to send the creature back.
Yang: "You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you? (the Ursai merely growl at her) You could just say "no"."
One of the Ursai stands on its legs and swipes at her twice, with Yang barely dodging the attacks.
Yang: (laughing) "Geeeez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba..."
Before she can complete her insult, a single strand of her golden hair falls in front of her face and lands on the forest floor.
And it at this moment the two Grimm Bears knew...They just made their death wishes.
Yang: "You... (closes her violet eyes, then opens them to reveal red, making the Ursai look at each other confusedly before Yang screams) You monsters!!!"
An inferno surrounds Yang for a moment, and she rockets forward, unleashing a devastating combo of flaming hits and blows on the offending Ursa, making it fly through several burning trees. The other monster runs over, but stops short at Yang's gaze while a tree falls to the ground behind her.
Yang: "What! You want some, too?!"
The Ursa rears up and prepares to strike... right when a whirling noise is heard and the monster makes a befuddled noise, falling down a second later to reveal Blake with her weapon, Gambol Shroud, in the beast's back. Yang pants in exhaustion while Blake recalls her weapon back to her hand, sheathing it on her back and smiling to the side (or to you, the reader(s), if she just broke the fourth wall right there).
I would appreciate it if she didn't do that.
Yang, now purple-eyed again, looks towards her new partner over the smoking remains of the monster.
Yang: "I could've taken him."
The scene then suddenly changes to Weiss' predicament, deflecting the swipe from a Beowolf with her weapon, Myrtenaster and getting pushed back into the middle of the beastly circle. She holds out her sword as she goes through her dueling motions and practices.
Weiss: (in her head) 'Remember your training, Weiss. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward — not that forward! — slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and... (brings her rapier up, the revolver spinning) Now!'
Weiss dashes forward with her loaded weapon at the Beowolf in front of her, just when Ruby suddenly appears between the two in a blur of rose petals and a swipe of her Crescent Rose scythe, landing a hit on the monster.
Ruby: "Gotcha!"
Weiss widens her eyes and screams as she quickly has to stop, swinging the sword in a random direction and creating a line of fire that sets a nearby tree ablaze, followed quickly by the rest of the forest around the clearing. Ruby, distracted by Weiss' mess-up, is barely defended when the same Beowolf scratches at her weapon, knocking the younger girl into the heiress.
Ruby: "Hey, watch it!"
Weiss: "Excuse me! You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!"
Ruby: "You'll have to try a lot harder than that..."
The duo wield their arms as the pack of Beowolves whine and growl around them. Ruby reloads her scythe just as a flaming tree falls near them.
Weiss: (grabs Ruby's arm) "We have to go!"
She leads Ruby out of the blaze as it engulfs the grass and sets the Grimm to running back the way they came or suffering in the fire. Ruby and Weiss stop a safe ways from the smoke and flames. Weiss leans over and pants as Ruby looks behind her.
Ruby: "What was that?! That should've been easy!"
Weiss: "Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!"
Ruby: (scoffs) "What's that supposed to mean?"
Weiss: "I'm just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!"
Ruby: "Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!"
Weiss: "Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo! And don't even think about saying that the Kamen Rider "recommended you"! I'm not falling for such an obvious lie!"
Weiss begins to walk off on her partner yet again. Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolds Crescent Rose, slices a tree down to the stump, refolds it back, and follows her partner as the tree crashes behind her. Neither notice the large dark feather floating onto the fallen trunk behind them. Meanwhile, across the Forest, Pyrrha, armed with her weapons, Miló and Akoúo̱, and Jaune are making their way through the bushes. Jaune hears a noise far away and turns his head.
Jaune: "Did you hear that?"
Pyrrha: "Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy."
They keep moving forward, Jaune still staring in the sound's direction as Pyrrha raises a branch to pass by and accidentally releases it right at Jaune's face, flooring him instantly.
Pyrrha: (looking back behind her) "Jaune! I'm sorry!"
Jaune: (laughs, lowering his hand from his cheek to reveal a gash from the wooden recoil) "It's okay. Just a scratch!" (gets back up)
Jaune then closes his eyes as his body starts glowing a bright yellow, as the scratch closes up and vanishes.
Pyrrha: "It's a good thing you have that amazing Semblance of yours."
Jaune: "Come on, Pyrrha. We've been over this, my Semblance isn't anything special. All it does is let me boost Aura."
Pyrrha: "And I've told you before, Jaune. Your Semblance allowing you to enhance the effects of Aura is what makes it so amazing."
Jaune: "But it's not like it's any good in a fight. Not like yours, anyways."
Pyrrha: "Jaune, you know my Semblance has limits in fights, as well as other things. Yours doesn't have any limits for it's usage."
The scene changes to Lie Ren trekking through the forest's tall grass. Ren then stops and narrows his eyes, looking around while a huge black Grimm serpent rises up from the grass behind him and quickly surrounds him with its large, hissing body. Ren adopts a fighting stance as the snake coils together in front of him and attacks with its long fangs. He leaps out of the way, with the snake's mouth hitting the ground and instantly coming up again to hit a jumping Ren back with its snout. He then lands in a crouch when the serpent encircles him again, and he unleashes his StormFlower before jumping up and firing at the creature. Ren then kicks the snake's snout and slashes at its head. The snake then flows around Ren and tries to bite him again, but he flips over it and drives his weapons into its head, pausing a moment without sensing the serpent's white head behind him. Ren turns and looks up at the white head as it launches itself at him, dodging it and landing just in time to see the head slither towards him. As it gets closer, he runs at it and leaps onto the black head, sliding over its body and blasting the other head. Ren is unprepared for the white half to hit him with its head, knocking him off as he drops his weapons, and leaving him to merely raise his arms and distantly cry "No!" to the mouth of the black head. Ren is now holding the front fangs of the colossal snake in his hands, glowing a faint, pulsating pink as he grips the teeth and yanks them from the monster's mouth, causing it to flail away. It attempts to bite him again, but Ren spins to the side and stabs a fang into its eye, rotating his arm to deliver a final blow that drives the makeshift weapon into its skull, which ripples, expands, and blows apart in a dark mess as its headless body falls over its fellow creature. Wasting no time, Ren runs right at the white head. Ren stands atop of the body of his enemy, sliding the weapons into his sleeves and brushing them off before a strange, animal-like noise is heard above him twice. He looks up and meets the upside-down eyes of Nora.
Ren: (chuckles) "I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like."
In response, Nora gives her friend a "Boop!" on the nose, causing him to smile. Meanwhile, Professor Ozpin is watching the students on his Scroll at the Beacon Cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest when Glynda walks up behind him, holding her own tablet.
Glynda: "The last pair has been formed, sir. (taps the screen on her tablet) "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along."
Glynda then swipes on her tablet, with it now showing Nick and Amber, both walking through the forest. Strangely enough, the two haven't come across even a single Grimm since they landed in the forest.
Ozpin: "Mmmm..."
Glynda: "I still can't believe that's really him. I know I shouldn't question him, especially after everything he's done in the past, but I don't understand why he suddenly requested to be enrolled into the academy. Just what is he up to? And why would he decide to join ANY of the four academies NOW of all times, specifically? And why as a student? (deactivates the tablet, walking back a little) I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes. (turning back to Ozpin) Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year? (silence) Professor Ozpin?"
Ozpin doesn't answer, only watching his tablet with a contemplating interest as it shows the footage of Ruby Rose sitting in the grass and picking stray leaves while her "partner" Weiss Schnee walks in random directions.
Weiss: (walking right) "It's definitely this way. (stops and starts walking left) I mean... this way! It's definitely this way. (stops in front of Ruby) Alright, it's official: We passed it."
Ruby: (stands up, slightly annoyed) "Weiss, why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?"
Weiss: "Because I know exactly where we're going! We're going... to... the forest temple!"
Ruby: (sighs, frustrated)
Weiss: "Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!"
Ruby: "Well, at least I'm not pretending like I know everything."
Weiss: "What is that supposed to mean?"
Ruby: "It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!"
Weiss: (sighs to herself, spinning around and walking in another direction) Just keep moving!
Ruby: (in a faux imitation of Weiss' voice) "Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaaah! Watch where you're going! (in her normal voice) Why are you so bossy?"
Weiss: (turning back around to face Ruby) "I'm not bossy! Don't say things like that!"
Ruby: "Stop treating me like a kid!"
Weiss: "Stop acting like a kid!"
Ruby: "Well, stop acting like you're perfect!"
Weiss: "I'm. Not. Perfect! Not yet... But I'm still leagues better than you." (continues to walk away)
Ruby: (to herself, dejectedly) "You don't even know me..."
????: "And that's her first mistake."
Ruby and Weiss turn around to see Nick and Amber walking up to them.
Ruby: "Oh! Hey, Nick."
Nick: "Hey, Rubes. I see you got stuck with the unlikeable spoiled brat over there."
Ruby: (upset) "Yeah..."
Weiss: "Will you just stop insulting me!"
Nick: "Well maybe if you started acting nicer and like someone more likeable, maybe I would."
Weiss: "What is your problem?!"
Nick: "My problem? You're the one who's being an unreasonable jerk to someone who's trying to be your friend. Also, I'm not the one who almost set the whole forest on fire. You're lucky me and Amber froze the flames before things got worse because of you."
Elsewhere in the forest, Yang and Blake step out into a clearing that reveals the circular stone temple, broken and decrepit but for the platforms around its inside, holding several black and gold objects.
Yang: "Think this is it?"
In response, Blake gives Yang an incredulous look and heads down the hill, her partner following. They walk across the floor and observe the items on each pedestal, now shown to be familiar shapes.
Blake: (looking at a black king, confused) "Chess pieces?"
Yang: "Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here."
Blake: "Well, I guess we should pick one."
Yang then approaches one of the relics.
Yang: "Hmmmm... (studies the golden knight, then picks it up and shows it to Blake) How about a cute little pony?"
Blake: (smirking) "Sure." (they walk towards each other to the center of the temple floor)
Yang: "That wasn't too hard!"
Blake: "Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find." (they share a smile)
Jaune and Pyrrha are standing at the mouth of a dark cave, where drawings are seen to the side involving armed men against giant beasts.
Jaune: "Think this is it?"
The scene cuts to their walk inside the cave, Jaune holding a short, burning torch to light their way.
Pyrrha: "I'm not sure this is it."
Jaune: (sighs) "Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?"
Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, Jaune trips on the ground, and the torch flies into a small puddle, extinguishing the flame so the two are cast in darkness with only their eyes visible.
Pyrrha: (as Jaune gets up and grumbles) "Do you... feel that?"
Jaune: "Soul-crushing regret?"
Pyrrha: "No, it's... warm."
Jaune and Pyrrha continue onward through the cave until they see a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features.
Jaune: "That's the relic! (he slowly reaches out to grab it, but it moves away from his swipe) Hey! Bad... relic! (he tries to get it again, then jumps forward and hangs onto it as the object raises him above the ground) Gotcha!"
Pyrrha: (worried) "Jaune...?"
Jaune's catch lowers itself so he is dangling right in front of the now-glowing red lines and eyes of a scorpion Grimm called a Death Stalker.
Jaune: "Oh no..."
Jaune's scream is heard all the way from the temple, where Yang turns towards the direction of its source.
Yang: "Some guy's in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?"
Blake doesn't answer, staring at something in the sky. At the cave entrance, Pyrrha rushes out right before the monster crashes through the hole, roaring and waving its grass-encrusted claws as Jaune hangs from the stinger, calling from help and continuing to scream.
Jaune: "Help! Pyrrha! He-e-e-elp! Pyrrha, I feel like I'm pointing out the obvious, but I think this is not the relic! I should've listened to you! Do something!"
Pyrrha: (wielding Miló in front of the creature) "Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let- (before she can finish, the Grimm hurls its tail back and launches a still-screaming Jaune across the forest as she watches in dismay) ...go." (she turns back to the scorpion as it continues to snap its claws at her, and she smiles embarrassedly before turning and rushing away in a burst of green leaves)
Blake is still staring at something above them, but Yang is focused on the forest.
Yang: "Blake, did you hear that? (turns to her partner) What should we do?"
Finally, the faint-but-growing-louder scream of "Heads uuuuuuuup!" is heard when a white, black and blue armored figure, holding onto Ruby, dives from the sky and presumably crash lands to the ground.