[b]=Everyone=[/b]

After an hour, the sky took on a warm, orange tint. An hour after that, it was a pleasant, dark blue, pure blackness held at bay only due to the glow of the fractured moon hanging in the sky. All had finally gathered in the ballroom, making preparations to sleep. Some were already asleep, some were restless, and some tried to take advantage of the large number of people so that they could get noticed. But, in the end, everything finally went quiet. No one could fight the coming of the end of a very long day forever.

Some already suspected it, but tomorrow would be even longer.

[center][b]~The Next Morning~[/b][/center]

A wake-up call, a quick meal, and then straight to the locker room.If anyone had missed it before, it was impossible to not realize now. The entrance exam wasn't the last test they had to pass. Of course there would be many tests to come, but there was one last obstacle barring everyone's way into Beacon. The only thing was, no one seemed to know exactly what this test entailed. Less than two hours after waking up though, it seemed they were about to find out.

Sixteen of them were marched out to a large cliff, overlooking a forest. Before them stood Professor Ozpin and the woman who had directed them to the ballroom the night before.

"This... is the Emerald Forest," the woman told them. The forest seemed to stretch on almost endlessly. They certainly couldn't see where it ended. "Your task is simple, but it will be dangerous. This will be a live fire exercise to test your abilities in an uncontrolled environment and it will also be how we will decide your teams. I believe Professor Ozpin wishes to explain the rest."

"Yes, thank you Glynda," Ozpin cleared his throat. "I'm sure you've been wondering about teams for some time now, well let me shed a little light on that subject. It's really quite simple, though also a bit of a gamble, so be careful. The first person you meet eyes with will be your partner for the rest of the year. Now, I know what you're thinking: a partner does not make a team, and that's correct. However, you will have to wait and find out the rest later. As for how to pass this test, you and your partner will have to find a 'treasure' hidden toward the center of this forest, and then you must make it back out alive. That is all. Any questions?"

[b]-Felix-[/b]

The first person he met eyes with? The rest of the year? Oh dust, he felt bad for whoever he got stuck with. He was going to be a terrible partner, he just knew it. This was a recipe for complete and utter disaster. His eyes fell to the ground, and the strange stone squares he and everyone else were standing on. Well, there was a question. What exactly were these squares for? Maybe it was like a base and they had to make it back to their squares to win? But he hadn't said that...

[b]-Enyo-[/b]

[i]'OK, so the first person I see in the forest, who isn't Felix, will be my partner. So as long as I find someone, who isn't Felix, that doesn't suck, I'll be fine...'[/i] Enyo thought to herself. Why did she have to be taking the test with Felix? Why not another batch of more competent students? If she got stuck with Felix, she was pretty sure she'd just kill him and find someone else. Maybe she should ask if murder was allowed for the duration of the test...

[b]-Amalger-[/b]

Hm, Nevin was in his test group. Would that work? If he got stuck with Nevin, competing would be... strange. Counterproductive might have been the right word. They'd be a formidable pair, sure, but somehow Amalger came to the conclusion that he didn't want to meet up with Nevin in the forest, at least not until he found another partner. As for the whole team? Well, he didn't know enough to have any idea on how to avoid that just yet. Luck, maybe.

[b]-Randy-[/b]

Randy looked around. Who did she have to pick from? Well, she supposed she had limited control. It seemed like it would be more luck based, though she supposed if she saw someone she didn't like from behind she could try to sneak away. Well, there was Enyo. She wasn't sure how she felt about her. She was smart, so that wasn't bad... but then there was the rest of her, so maybe not so good.

There was a really pretty girl among them, she vaguely recalled her having a panic attack on the airship. Oh, and the large boy who had yelled at her in an attempt to keep her from passing out. She knew less than nothing about the girl, but the boy seemed... OK she knew nothing about him either. And... was that guy part fish? Oh, Melody was there too!

She caught Melody waving at her discretely. She then made an "I'm watching you" gesture, and then gave her a thumbs up while mouthing "good luck." Yes, Melody would be a good partner, right? Someone she knew, someone she trusted. Perhaps her luck would be better today. Yesterday had been awkward, but today she could do better!

"No? Then let's begin. You'll be using your landing strategy to enter the forest, and from there... well... good luck," Ozpin suddenly concluded, and glanced at Glynda who began pressing buttons on a holographic tablet she held in her hands.

"Um, wait... landing strategy?" A boy near the far left of the line asked.

"Yes," Ozpin replied simply. Suddenly the boy at the very end of the line, and the previous boy's direct left, was launched into the air and over the forest by the stone square beneath his feet.

" . . . oh," the boy's face went white before he was abruptly sent flying.

[i]'That looks like fun!'[/i] Randy grinned, eagerly awaiting her turn now.