Byzan and Rose trek through the Emerald Forest, with Rose staying right behind Byzan. Byzan's cat ears swivel around as he listens to the sounds of the forest.

  Suddenly a high pitched scream runs out through the forest. Rose screams in fear and hugs Byzan from behind. Byzan raises an eyebrow and gnces in the direction he heard it.

  'Was that... a man?' Byzan asks in thought, then he gnces back and down at Rose; who has her face buried into his back. "Are you gonna stay like that?"

  Rose's face turns bright red and she jumps back and fils her arms. "I'm sorry! Ne soyez pas en colère! [Don't be mad!] It was instinct!"

  Byzan ughs as he smiles. "Eh, it's fine. Let's continue on."

  Rose's blush lessens as she nods. "Okay."

  The two continue on and Byzan gnces back at his shorter teammate.

  "Say, what nguage was that? I've heard it a few times before."

  Rose looks up to him with an innocent look. "Hmmm? Oh, It's Argusian. My family was originally from Argus, until they moved to Mantle when I was born."

  Byzan nods as he looks back ahead. 'So she and her sister are from The Kingdom of Ats. Shiiiit, this could be back if they find out I'm Nightshade.' He looks back at his teammate, who's shaking as she looks around. Then he looks at her white hair. "Say, do you happen to be reted to the Schnee's? Since you have white hair and all."

  Rose taps her pointer fingers together. "Yeah, I guess. Though me and Ambré are just second Cousins to Weiss. Though Cyprus Ash and Calico Ash are first cousins to her."

  Byzan's eye twitches slightly. 'Great, I'm now teammates with a Schnee. And of course Professor Ash and Calico are reted to them as well!'

  Rose sighs and looks down to the ground. "Though, J-Jacques doesn't like being around us. Calls us disgraces to the Schnee family. He kinda likes the Ash's though, only because they were high up in the Ats military. But at least Weiss and Winter do visit us sometimes..."

  Byzan hums in thought as he rubs his chin. 'So the Schnee family isn't as perfect as everyone thought.' A devious smirk grows on his face. 'How interesting.'

  Byzan then looks back as his teammate with a calm smile. "I do have to ask, why do you want to become a Huntress? You certainly don't seem... qualified for it."

  Rose nods in sadness. "Well... The Bell family isn't rich at all, we're kinda scrapping the bottom of the barrel. My dad died in the mines when I was a kid, my mom works 60 hours a week. My sister joined the military after dropping out of school, just so she could support the family. So I thought becoming a Huntress would be a good paying job."

  Rose grabs some of her long white hair and strokes it. "I'm terrified of the Grimm. They give me nightmares, but I have to try and overcome it. So I can support my family and save those in need." She smiles. "I'm gd Ambré, here with me though, even if she's a year older then most first year students."

  Byzan grows a bitter smile. "You and your sister of sure close."

  Rose's smile grows. "Ambré's always been there for me. She's kinda like my knight in shining armor. Always there to scare off the bullies. Telling me stories before bed. Even supporting my dream to become a Huntress. One of the most dangerous jobs on Remnant. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without her."

  Byzan hands curl into fists as he just smiles at Rose. "Good, for you."

  The pair then come to a small river and they both stop. Rose walks up to the river and kneels down on the edge.

  "It's look shallow enough to just walk through, and it's not going fast a tall." Rose stands up. "I think we can cross, s what do you-" She looks back to see Byzan standing behind a tree several meters away.

  "I think we should go around." Byzan states as he barely peeks out behind the tree. "Yes, going around seems like a good idea."

  Rose blinks in confusion. "Byzan, what are you doing?"

  "Hmmm, oh um... Pnning a way around the river."

  "B-But we don't have the time to go around the river."

  "YES WE DO!" Byzan shouts.

  Rose tilts her head in confusion. "Are you... Are you scared of water?"

  Byzan hops out behind the tree and points at Rose. "Being afraid of water is a very normal thing! Many cats do not like what so I don't see the problem!"

  Rose just raises an eyebrow, then suddenly her blue eyes turned red and she grows an unamused look. "Let's just get those over with." She speaks in a more mature tone, then her high pitched one.

  "Huh, Rose?"

  Rose walks over to Byzan and stares up at him. "Stop being such a fucking scardy cat."

  Byzan grows a look of shock. "Rose?!"

  Rose then grabs Byzan by his slim sides and suddenly lifts him up over her head. "Let's go." She walks towards the river.

  Byzan begins to freak out and fil around. "No! No! No! NO! I don't want to! Get me away from the water! I hate it! NOOOOOOOOO!"

  Rose sets Byzan down. "There, we're on the other side." Her eye returns to blue. "Sorry." She's back to her high pitch tone.

  Byzan looks around and notices that they are indeed on the other side of the river. He throws his arms up. "AHAHAHA! Take that water! Byzan: One Water: Zero!"

  Byzan begins to walk off with a smile, seemingly forgetting the ordeal with Rose.

  "Ah, wait up for me!" Rose runs after Byzan.

  Byzan walks with a satisfied smile while Rose keeps looking around in slight fear. Growls and roars echo further within the forest, making Rose yelp. Byzan just chuckles, making Rose pout.

  "Schmoll nicht, kleine Rose." Byzan calls out.

  "Wait, you know Atlesian?" Rose asks.

  "I know a few nguages."

  "That's so cool!" Rose smiles.

  Byzan grows a smug smile.

  The two come to a clearing with some ruins in the middle. Yang and Bke are standing in the ruins. The two then hear yelling and they look up to see Ruby falling, only for her to get hit mid air by a yelling Jaune. The two fly into a tree canopy.

  The cat faunus and short girl blinks in surprise a few times. "What was that?"

  The two then move towards the ruins, with Byzan waving. "Hey, Goldie!"

  Yang looks over and smiles. "Byzan, you made it!"

  Bke rolls her eyes and turns away.

  Byzan gnces at Rose. "Hey, go grab a relic."

  Rose nods with determination. "Leave it up to me!" She runs over towards the relics.

  Byzan meets up with Yang. "Have any problems, Goldie?"

  Yang shakes her head. "Very little. I did meet our friend, Bke." She motions to the hidden Faunus. "How about you?"

  "None at all." Byzan smiles. "I did meet a cute little women though~" He motions to Rose as she approaches.

  Rose grows a blush. "Wah?"

  Suddenly they hear a Grimm howling and trees falling nearby. They all look towards the forest edge to see a Ursai filing around, until it falls to the ground, dead. Nora yells in excitement as she falls off the back of the Grimm.

  "Aww, it's broken." The ginger says in sadness.

  Nora hops onto the dead grim. "Eeeew..."

  Ren runs out from behind the Ursai and pants a few times. "Nora?"

  "Please..." Ren leans on the Ursai. "...don't ever do that again." He looks towards Nora, only to see her gone.

  Nora stands in front of a golden queen chess piece. "Oooo...."

  Byzan points to where Nora was on the Ursai, then towards where she is now. "What the--"

  Nora picks up the chess piece and sings. "I'm Queen of the castle! I'me Queen of the castle!"

  "NORA!" Ren yells.

  Nora giggles then salutes. "Coming Ren!" She skips off towards Ren.

  "Did that girl just ride in on an Ursai?" Bke asks.

  "I-" Yang starts, only to get interpreted by a Goliath roaring and a rge wave of fire appearing in the forest.

  Suddenly Ambré and Maize run out of the forest with a Goliath roaring in the forest behind them.

  "Did they just bring an Goliath over here?" Bke asks.

  "I-" Yang starts only to get interrupted again by another Grimm growling.

  Everyone looks over to see a Deathstalker chasing Pyrrha out of the forest. Pyrrha skillfully avoids several attacks from the Grimms pincers.

  "Jaune!" Pyrrha yells as she spots him up in the tree.

  "Pyrrha!" Jaune yells in happiness.

  "Ambré?" Rose questions as she spots her older sister.

  "Rose!" Ambré smiles as she runs up to her sister and hugs her tightly. "Oh, thank Oum you made it."

  Rose's face slowly turns blue as the hugs gets tighter.

  "Ambré, you are cutting of air circuting to Miss Rose." Maize informs.

  "Oh..." Ambré lets go of Rose and she takes a few deep breaths.

  Ruby hops down beside the group.

  "Ruby?" Yang questions.

  Ruby sees Yang and smiles as she throws her arms up. "Yang!"

  Nora appears between the two sisters. "Nora!"

  "Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" Bke asks as Yang shakes in anger.

  "Well, ain't this a predicament?" Byzan ughs.

  Yang growls then explodes with anger as her eyes turn red. "I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds, before something crazy happens again?"

  Everyone quiets down for a few seconds. Ren runs up to them, Maize just looks around at everyone. Ambré and Rose smile at each other. Byzan takes out his fsk and takes a drink from it. Bke looks up to the sky and spots something.

  Ruby looks up and pats her sister on the shoulder. "Um... Yang?" She points up and Yang sighs.

  Up in the sky Weiss hands from the talon of a Nevermore.

  "How could you leave me?!" The Heiress shouts.

  Everyone stares up at Weiss. Byzan looks down at his fsk in confusion, before looking back up.

  "I said 'jump'..." Ruby points out.

  "She's gonna fall." Bke points out.

  "She'll be fine."

  "She's falling." Byzan points out as he puts his fsk away.

  As Weiss falls towards the ground, Jaune catches her mid-air. But they both fall onto the ground, Jaune face first while Weiss nds on his back.

  Weiss looks at her nails and pinly says. "My hero."

  "My back..." Jaune says in pain.

  "Weiss?" Rose and Ambré calls out.

  Weiss looks over and a small smile forms on her face. "Rose, Ambré." She gets up.

  Pyrrha is thrown by the groups feet.

  "Great!" Yang starts. "The gang's all here! Now we can die together!"

  "Damn... Not how I wanted to go out." Byzan mutters.

  Rose looks at the cat. "You have a way you want to die?"

  Byzan smiles as he nods. "I have an awesome way I want to die."

  "Th-that's kinda dark."

  "Not if I can help it!" Ruby smiles.

  Ruby gives a battle cry and charges towards the deathstalker.

  "Rubes, what are you doing?" Byzan shouts.

  Ruby, still screaming, fires Crescent Rose and charges at the oncoming Death Stalker. When the two meet, the Grimm swipes Ruby away and she is knocked back.

  Ruby gets up slowly. "D-Do-Don't worry! Totally fine!"

  Ruby turns back to the monster and shoots it in the skull, running away from it and sheathing her scythe as the Death Stalker now goes after her.

  Yang runs towards Ruby. "Ruby!"

  "Should we do something?" Maize asks.

  "Eh, if Ruby dies she wasn't fit for this kinda work." Byzan states, and everyone just stares at him. "What?"

  "Dude, that's kinda dark." Nora states.

  Byzan just shrugs his shoulders. "This world isn't for the faint of heart or the weak."

  Ambré elbows him. "We're only in high school."

  Byzan shakes his head. "Our enemies don't care."

  "Our enemies?" Rose asks.

  Ruby rushes towards the two, but the Nevermore caws above them, fpping its wings and releasing lines of sharpened feathers with points that catch onto Ruby's cape.

  Several surround Yang, stopping her "Ruby, get out of there!"

  Ruby is forcefully trying to get her cape unstuck. "I'm trying!"

  The Deathstalker looms above Ruby as it brings its golden stinger up. Then it brings it down onto her.

  "Ruby!" Yang holds a hand out in vain.

  But a white blur flies past Yang as Ruby closes her eyes. Ice forms around the Deathstalker, freezing its tail in pce.

  "You are so childish." Weiss berates Ruby.

  Ruby opens her eyes and sees the stinger, stuck in ice, mere feet away from her face. "Weiss?" She looks to the side and sees Weiss with Myrtenaster stabbed into the ground.

  "And dimwitted, and hyperactive." Weiss takes Myrtenaster out of the ground and turns to Ruby. "And don't even get me started on your fighting style. 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. So if you quit trying to show off, I'll be... nicer."

  "I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this."

  "You're fine." Weiss walks past her.

  Ruby then whispers to herself. "Normal knees..." She then moves around the ice and sees the Deathstalker trying to get out of the ice. "Whoa...."

  Yang runs over to Ruby and tightly hugs her. "So happy you're okay!"

  The two looks up to see the Nevermore flying above them as it roars.

  Everyone regroups and readies up.

  "Guys, that thing's circling back." Jaune calls out.

  A loud roar echoes in the forest as thumping comes towards the group.

  Ambré rolls her shoulders. "Seems like our friend is back."

  Maize brings out her hand fan. "We're combat ready."

  "Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying." Weiss calls out. "Our objective is right in front of us."

  "She's right." Ruby agrees. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs." Weiss smiles and nods at Ruby, and she nods back. "There's no point in fighting these things."

  "Run and live." Jaune nods. "That is an idea I can get behind."

  "But if we have to fight them, we can't do it all together, we'll just get in each others ways." Ambré calls out. "I think we should split up in groups of four."

  Everyone nods to each other. Ruby, Jaune and Ambré go over to the relics and all grab one.

  The Deathstalker roars and the ice around its stinger starts to break. Trees get thrown into the air nearby as the Goliath gets nearer.

  "Time we left." Ren calls out.

  "Right." Ruby agrees, she motions to move out. "Let's go!"

  Everyone starts to run.

  Rose gives a small ugh and Byzan looks to her.

  "Why are you ughing?" Byzan asks.

  Rose gives the cat a smile. "Even if I'm scar out of my mind, I'm actually having a little fun."

  Byzan smiles in response. "I guess I am too."

  As everyone runs the Goliath that was chasing Ambré and Maize appears beside them and charges towards the group.

  "On the right!" Byzan yells.

  Ambré huffs and turns to the Goliath and grabs onto its tusks and stomps her feet into the ground, slowly coming to a stop.

  "I'm getting tired of this thing!" Ambré yells as her muscles bulge and strain as she holds the Goliath in pce.

  Maize, Byzan and Rose slide to a stop and ready their weapons.

  "Looks like we're fighting." Bzyan mutters as he grows a Cheshire smile.

  "Be safe guys!" Ruby calls out as she and everyone else keep running.

  "We'll be fine!" Byzan shouts.

  "Don't die, kitty!" Yang shouts.

  Byzan nods and ducks as Ambré flies right above him and sms onto the ground behind him. Byzan unsheathes his sword and holds the scabbard in his left hand.

  Baxterbro

  The four all stand together as they ready their weapons. The Goliath roars and stomps on the ground in anger a few times.

  "This things tough." Ambré shakes her arms a few times, before she brings up her smg.

  Mazie fps her fan a few times. "Big Grimm take usually several teams to bring it down."

  Rose brings up her pistol as her hands start to shake. "W-Well, everyone else is busy, so it's just us."

  Byzan spins his sword around and ughs. "Ain't today just nothing but fun!"

  The Goliath roars and sms its front feet into the ground and charges towards the group.

  "Ready girls?" Byzan asks.

  "Ready!" The other three shout.

  Byzan smirks as his amber eyes gain a glint of excitement. "Then let's have some fun!" His clone appears behind him as the two charge forward.

  Ambré, Maize and Rose follow after the cat faunus.

  The Goliath roars and lowers its head as it charges, ready to spear Byzan with its' tusk as he reaches it. Byzan and his clone both fall to the ground and start sliding as they go under the Goliath, bringing up their swords and cutting into its stomach.

  Then Byzan's clone pushes him out from under the Grimm as it stomps down onto the clone. Making it poof into purple smoke.

  The Goliath roars in anger as it swings its head towards Byzan, only for Ambré to grab onto its other tusk with one hand and fire her gun into its face. Ambré grunts in strain as she gets slowly pulled along the ground

  Rose fires her pistol at the Grimm's face, but with how small her gun it's it barely does anything but anger the Grimm. The Goliath goes onto its hind legs, lifting up Ambré within and throwing her up into the air.

  The Roar roars as Rose screams in fear and tries to run away, but gets thrown into a tree as the Goliath sms onto the ground beside her.

  Ambré flips through the air and tries to right herself, but she's unsuccessful. But Maize appears and grabs onto her and they both safely nd onto the ground, and roll away as the Goliath swings its head at them, trying to bash the two girls with its tusks.

  A rge round sms into the side of its face and explodes. Byzan quickly reloads his flintlock as the Grimm roars in anger, part of its face armor cracking.

  "Damn, this thing just keeps going." The cat mutters as his clone appears beside him.

  The two charge towards the Grimm as it turns towards him and swings its head again. The two Faunus' smile and swing their swords onto a single spot on one of its tusks.

  A piece of the Grimms right tusk goes flying into the air and nding on the ground beside Maize and Ambré. The Grimm roars in anger and stomps onto the ground a few times and forcing Byzan to back up.

  Rose picks herself up off the ground as her right eye turns red. "If you want something done right, then you gotta do it yourself." She speaks in a mature tone.

  Rose? ughs as she grabs the big gun off her back and it starts to spin up.

  Bullets rip through the air as Rose fires her machine gun at the rge grimm. The bullets start to do some damage to the beast as it charges towards her.

  Maize narrows her eyes as time seems to slow down for her and several blue screens appear in front of her. The screens show several fighting scenarios and her pink eyes quickly look at all of them before they seem to narrow at one.

  The screen she's looking at flies into her right eye, making it glow blue for a few seconds. Time resumes for her and Maize shoots forward towards the Grimm.

  The pinkette weaves her way through the barrage of bullets from Rose. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a fire dust crystal and tosses it up and cuts it in half with her open fan.

  Fmes float above her fan as she nds beside the charging Goliath and swings her fan. A rge wave of fire pushes the Goliath to the side and it crashes into several trees, getting its good tusk stuck in a rge tree.

  "Everyone, now!" Maize shouts.

  Rose runs towards the Grimm as she ughs. Her weapon changes into a fmethrower and she lights up the Goliath. Ambré fires her gun onto the Grimm's face as clone Byzan runs forward and attacks the Grimm with his sword, the real Byzan fires his flintlock with explosive rounds.

  The Goliath gets unstuck and roars as half its bone armor is melted off and parts of its body burn away with the fmes.

  "Shit, it's not dead?!" Rose yells in anger, only to be unched off to the side by the burning Grimm.

  The Goliath stomps around in anger as everyone else jumps away. Clone Byzan poofs away and appears back by the real one as the Goliath charges towards him.

  Ambré jumps between the two and grabs onto the good tusk of the Grimm and stains as she holds it in pce. Her sapphire aura covers her.

  "Byzan, now!" Ambré shouts in strain and in slight pain.

  Byzan and his clone charge forward and jump at either side of the Grimms head and bring their sword down. The Grimm goes quiet as the back side of its body falls to the ground, Ambré holding up its head.

  Ambré lets out a tired sigh as she lets go of the tusk and the head falls onto the ground. Rose's right eye returns to blue as she sets her machine gun/fmethrower onto her back.

  Rose grunts in pain as her ice blue aura covers her. Byzan lets out a sigh of relief as everyone regroups and watches the dad Goliath slowly turn to dust.

  "Well... that was something." Byzan states.

  "We all make a good team." Maize points out.

  Ambré flexes her hands as her gloves are torn up and her hands are slightly bleeding, her wounds slowly healing up from her aura.

  Everyone regroups as they catch their breath.

  "I think it's time we head back to the cliffs." Byzan says as his ears flicker as howls echo in the distance.

  Rose tenses up. "YES PLEASE!"

  Everyone takes off running towards the cliffs.

  .

  .

  .

  Inside the auditorium, Ozpin is forming the teams over everyone.

  "Russle thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the bck bishop pieces.From this day forward, you will work together as... Team CRDL [Cardinal]. Lead by, Cardin Winchester."

  Everyone cps and the four walk off stage as Jaune, Ren, Pyrhha and Nora walk into stage.

  "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieve the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team JNPR [Juniper]. Lead by... Jaune Arc!"

  Jaune becomes suprised. "Huh, L-Lead by...?"

  "Congratutions young man." Ozpin smiles.

  Pyrrha pyfully punches Jaune's shoulder, but she does it a little to hard and he falls over. JNPR leave the stage as Ruby, Weiss, Bke and Yang walk on.

  "Bke Beldonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team RWBY. Lead by... Ruby Rose."

  Everyone cps as they walk off stage, as Ambré, Maize, Byzan and Rose walk into stage.

  "And finally, Ambré Bell, Maize Polendina, Byzantine Beldonna and Rose Bell." Ozpin starts. "The four of you retrieved the white pawn pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team Ambr [Amber]. Lead by... Ambré Bell."

  The four one stage smile at each other as everyone cps and cheers.

  "Good job, Sister!" Rose smiles brightly.

  "I like this already." Maize smiles.

  "Eh, try not to slow me down." Byzan calls out.

  "Hey, we're a team now, so everyone needs to work together." Ambré calls out.

  Ozpin takes a sip from his mug. "Looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year."

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  04-08-2024

  3912 words