Hello All! This is my first fanfic featuring my own team, Team SPYA, pronounced Sepia. They (I hope) won't be overpowered, I actually hope for them to be under powered in some respects. My plan for this fanfic is not to have ships or have my characters be heroes, I want to focus on growth and the ideas of Mr. Monty Oum, "[being] who you are and being the best at it" to drive these characters. After all, as Ozpin said, "We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity." I hope y'all enjoy, please comment and give me feedback, both positive and negative criticism is much appreciated.
The weekend has finally arrived for students of Beacon. A time for all of the students to finally take a break from the lives of Hunters and Huntresses in training… Well for all but one team.
"Do we seriously have to do this?" A disheveled lump of golden hair asked. Running it's hand through its thick mane, it revealed the face of a tired Yang Xiao Long, the blonde brawler of Team RWBY.
"Absolutely, you all have been neglecting your weapon maintenance so now we're all going down to the forge together as a team to keep our weapons in top, Grimm fighting condition!" Spunky red clad reaper and leader of Team RWBY, Ruby Rose stated. The two monochrome members of Team RWBY, ice quee- I mean Schnee Dust Company heiress Weiss Schnee and silent black clad ninja Blake Belladonna, lagged behind, Weiss sipping on her morning coffee in an attempt to wake up so early in the morning.
"Did you hear that?" Blake asked, her bowing wiggling slightly. The four girls stopped to listen closely. They heard a soft metal ping ring through the air. Blake's bow wiggled again. "It's coming from the direction of the forge." Blake began running towards Beacon's forge, her team members following her. The metal pings continuing as the etched closer to their destination, growing louder with each step. When they arrived at the entrance to the forge, the door was opened slightly, releasing an orange sliver of light into the hallway. Ruby slowly opened the door and poked her head into the room. She was met with a silhouette working in front of the flames of the forge, his hammer striking a red hot piece of metal. The silhouette lifted the shaped cooling metal to examine it before plunging it back into the glowing abyss of the forge to re-heat. Pulling out a bag and tossing a handful of what appeared to be red Dust into the forge, the silhouette kindled the flames, pulling on a cording adding air to the pyres to increase their intensity. Finally satisfied with the temperature of the forge. The silhouette drew back from the forge, turning to see the red huntress in training's face before she slipped it back behind the door.
"Don't run," the male voice sounded, "I don't mind an audience." Ruby came through the doorway, her teammates following her. The silhouette approached the wall near the forge and turned the light on, blanketing the room in light. The silhouette's features finally could be seen. Thick, black gloves enveloped his hands and forearm, a red-burgundy shirt covered by a worn black apron that might as well be a dark grey. Worn black pants and leather boots covered his lower body. His eyes were the same burgundy as his shirt and his hair was jet black. His face was covered in a toothy smile. "Hello ladies, how can I help you?"
"Who are you?" Weiss asked.
"I'm Seppo Kultainen, leader of Team SPYA." Seppo bowed. "To what to I owe the honor of having an audience with the Schnee heiress?"
"How do you know who I am?"
"How could I not know the daughter of the supplier of the best Dust for forging weapons?" Seppo gestured towards the brightly glowing pyres behind him. "I only use the best for my weapons."
"Well Schnee Dust is the most pure Dust." Weiss smiled her prideful smile.
"That it is." Seppo said. Transitioning he asked, "What are you four doing in the forge so early on a weekend when you could be sleeping or enjoying your hobbies?"
"Shouldn't we be asking you the same thing?" Yang asked.
"Very well, I'll answer." Seppo said, beginning to walk back towards the hot metal. "I'm up so early because I'm used to waking up so early, the reason for that being because of my hobby, or I guess passion." He pulled the red hot metal out of the fire and laid it on the anvil. "I like to make weapons. I am a blacksmith." The clang of his hammer striking the hot shaped metal sounded in the air.
"A blacksmith..." Ruby whispered. "...THAT'S SO COOL!" Seppo flinched at the sudden outburst of the red reaper.
"Wow, I never expected such a response for such a boring passion." Seppo said, still striking the red shaped metal.
"Are you kidding?" Ruby exclaimed, "Weapons are the coolest! They're an extension of ourselves, they're our first partners in our battle again the Grimm." Seppo placed the metal back into the pyres and turned around, raising his eyebrow at Yang.
"She likes weapons." Yang shrugged. Seppo looked back at Ruby, who seemed to transform into a little kid before his eyes. He started laughing.
"I've never met someone so excited by weapons in my life." Seppo said between chuckles.
"She knows everything about weapons." Yang said pridefully, placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"Everything? Now I wouldn't say that." Seppo said, crossing his arms.
"Of course I do, how else could I make such a beautiful weapon." Ruby brandished Crescant Rose, shifting it into scythe form.
"Well do you know that your baby needs it's mechanisms greased and housing tightened, oh and the blade is loose."
"What?" Ruby sprinted over to the work table and began examining Crescant Rose. After thoroughly examining Crescant Rose, she slowly rose and turned towards Seppo who was once again at work at the forge. "How did you know?" The rest of Team RWBY turned and stared at Seppo, bewildered.
"It's song was offpitch." Seppo replied, striking the now sword shaped metal one last time before plunging it into the pool of water nearby.
"It's what?" All four members of Team RWBY asked at once.
"It's song." Seppo repeated. "All weapons make a sound when it's drawn from its scabbard or mechashifted, and each is unique to how said weapon was made. Nowadays, with how intricate the weapons are, their songs are no longer solos but choruses, singing that weapons unique transposition and transformation. However, if something isn't right with the weapon, like if the sword doesn't fit the scabbard or the mechashift is affected by certain mechanisms not working properly, it's song is offpitch. Your baby had some minor details that to the untrained sounds fine but to the experts sounds a little off. It would have worked good, but not perfect."
"Wow," Ruby said for the second time today, this time however she stayed quiet, "I guess that's the difference between a novice and a master."
"Oh I'm no master." Seppo pulled the now cooled sword blade from the water and began examining it. "Like I said, an expert can do what I did. I'm no master. There are things about weapons that I can't even comprehend yet."
"Like?" Blake asked.
"My teammates' weapons." He replied, nodding at the blade in satisfaction. "I can't comprehend their weapons. They're something that only they could make, only they could understand."
"What makes them so unique?" Weiss asked, eyeing the working blacksmith in anticipation.
"They represent them, like all weapons, but they're tied to their own uniqueness." Ruby and Yang stood their confused, Blake contemplating what the blacksmith said, Weiss stood their wide eyed.
"The weapons are directly linked to what makes them unique," Weiss finally broke the silence from Team RWBY, "Their aura, their semblance."
"Very good, Miss Heiress. They made something that I could never make or wield, because it only works for them."
"Could we maybe meet these unique weapons and their wielders?" Ruby asked, bouncing in anticipation.
"Hmmm," Seppo tapped his chin, thinking. He glanced at Team RWBY, who were all now leaning towards. He sighed, picking up the recently forged blade. "Fine, follow me."
How's that? Please remember to comment and review. All forms of criticism is much appreciated!