Author's Note: I was meant to write this a year ago after volume 3 ended. Better late than never, as they say. I wish to give a big thanks to Fernachos for being a fast and good beta reader. I also want to thank Gorsouul for giving me some early feedback while the story was being written.
Ruby yawned beneath the bed sheets while rubbing her arms to induce some warmth into them. It had been an unusually cold night; so cold that she wished in hindsight that she had put on her fleece socks and an extra sweater. Her toes felt like they had turned into small, stubby icicles. She turned slowly and groaned into her pillow. Even though it was morning, she had no desire to leave her bed and expose herself to the cold air within the dorm. She glanced at the red curtains hanging by the window, and frowned as she saw something peculiar just outside the glass; multiple, white colored beads falling too slowly to be rain. It was difficult to tell from the position and angle she was in.
Could it be…? I gotta check it out! Please, let it be true!
The rapidly growing curiosity made her throw away the bed sheet and jump down onto the floor. With bare feet, Ruby hurried over to the curtains and parted them open, squinting slightly from the sunlight stinging her eyes. Once they had adjusted, she widened them and smiled.
"Yes! Oh, yeees!" She pumped her arms victoriously. She had been correct; it was indeed snowing outside. And quite a lot, too, judging by the countless snowflakes. She took a step closer.
"Oh wow!" she uttered in amazement. Not only was it snowing, it had been doing so for a long time. A thick blanket of white covered the ground and the rooftops. The sunlight shining down made the tightly packed snow glitter like countless, miniature diamonds. The snow looked so smooth, so perfect and untouched, like a white canvas ready to be drawn on by an artist.
A wide, playful grin spread across Ruby's face. She walked over to the other top bunk bed and shook the blond-haired person lying beneath the bed sheets. "Hey! Sis! Wake up!" The excitement resonated strongly in her voice. She then went down and did the same to the person sleeping below. "You, too, Blake! You won't believe your eyes!" Just as Ruby walked to the bed below hers, she was met by a pair of icy-blue eyes glaring at her.
"I'm already awake, you dolt. Thanks to you..." Weiss muttered, resting her head on her pillow.
"Rubes?" she heard Yang ask tiredly behind her. "What…" She paused to let out a drawn out yawn. "What's going on?"
"It's snowing!" Ruby practically yelled, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Let's head out! I wanna build a snowman! Make snow angels!"
"Really? It is?" Yang asked as she climbed down from bed, rubbing her face. Cracking noises were heard from the joints in her arms as she stretched and twisted them, making her groan softly. She walked up to the window and looked out. "Whoa, you weren't kidding. Think we're gonna get snowed in? Wouldn't that be cozy?" she said and chuckled. "We could turn our dorm into an igloo."
Ruby went and opened her wardrobe. "Good thing we brought our winter clothes when we moved here!" She grabbed and haphazardly tossed out any non-winter clothes down to the floor.
She heard Weiss groan behind her, still lying in her bed. "You better clean up your mess once you're done," she mumbled.
The first thing that Ruby found which she was searching for was a pair of tight, black long johns. She put them on clumsily while standing up, almost losing her balance. She then pulled out two pairs of socks, winter gloves and her characteristic red hood. "Yang, have you seen my jacket? The red one? Maybe it's in your part of the wardrobe?" she asked while she continued rummaging.
"Do not touch my clothes!" replied her sister, her voice being on a fine line between a sisterly advice and stern warning. "You're gonna crease them. Here, let me help you," she said and took a quick step next to Ruby.
"Ruby, slow down a bit," Blake said, having gotten out of the bed. "It's not like the snow's going anywhere. Give us a moment to wake up and freshen ourselves up first," she recommended.
"Blake's right," Yang agreed. "I don't mind going out, but not until I've taken care of my babies," she said and ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair, which looked to be in need of a comb.
"And until we've at least eaten something," Blake added and rubbed her stomach. "We could warm some cocoa and bring it with us in a thermos."
"Oh! Good idea, Blake!" Yang said, smiling from Blake's suggestion.
Ruby's gaze bounced between her sister and Blake. She wanted to rush out right now, but knew it would be more fun if she waited for her friends to join her. She sighed in defeat. "Alright, just hurry up, okay?" She turned her head to look at Weiss. Her partner was still remaining in bed, keeping her head beneath the pillow try to smother out the noises from her teammates. "Weiss? Get up already! You can't stay in here while the rest of us go out and have fun!"
Weiss removed the pillow from her head and gave Ruby a disapproving scowl. "We don't have time to go out and play in the snow like I'm some child. We have training and studying to do, all of us," she retorted while looking at each teammate.
"But-"
"No!" Weiss reinforced her answer with a raised finger. "You'll never talk me into going out, and that's final."
"I can't believe you talked me into going out," Weiss muttered while she walked together with Ruby, Blake, and Yang through Beacon Academy's courtyard. The ankle high snow crunched beneath their boots. A small, white puff of vapor left their mouths as they exhaled, quickly fading away into nothingness. The air around them was silent and peaceful, as only a few other students and teachers were outside.
"I can feel the marrow freezing in my bones," said Weiss while embracing herself. Despite her white coat, she felt as if she was practically naked. Her skirt had been put away in favor for lined, black tights, and thigh-high white boots over them. At least it was more pleasant to go outside, now that it had stopped snowing. The cold breeze, however, stung their exposed faces.
"We're all happy that you decided to come, Weiss. Zwei, too. Isn't that right, boy?" Ruby asked as she looked down at the black and white furred corgi wearing a blue vest. Zwei barked once at her.
"The only good thing about going out is that I get to see him in his vest. He looks so much cuter in it!" Zwei barked again at Weiss' words.
"That's not the only good thing," said Yang and raised her leg up, wearing gray cargo pants. "Finally, a good moment for me to wear my new clothes." She gave her thigh a tap with her hand, and then adjusted her brown leather jacket.
"Shouldn't you be wearing something for your head, too?" wondered Blake.
Yang rolled her eyes at her. "I already am, silly," she replied and brought her fingers through her long, blonde hair. "Oh, and speaking of which. Nice earmuffs, Blake." She giggled at her partner's fluffy and pink earmuffs.
"It was the only color they had," said an embarrassed Blake to her defense. Her feline ears flicked slightly under her black bow.
"I think they look cute," said Ruby.
Zwei fell behind the group, his stubby legs making it difficult for him to wade through the snow. "Here, let me help you." Weiss picked him up from the ground and held him against her chest. He offered no resistance. Instead, he approved by nuzzling against her shoulder.
"Oh, Zwei, you're being spoiled rotten," Yang said. "You're treating him like a big, furry baby."
Weiss cooed with delight. The warmth from the dog made her feel less cold. "You sure you don't want to pet him, Blake?" she asked.
Blake took a quick step away from Weiss. "I'm good, thanks," she answered, cautiously eying Zwei.
"Fine. Suit yourself." Weiss compensated by petting Zwei even more, hugging him tighter.
The girls arrived at Beacon Academy's park, a large and open area where students could come to relax and study amidst fresh, green grass, lush bushes and flower edges. Now though, winter had claimed the park and covered the whole area in snow. There were benches and turned off lamp posts. Icicles in various sizes hung from the bare branches of the trees. The snow was nearly untouched, as only a few other students and a couple of teachers were seen walking along the pathways. Crowning the center of the park was a large pond surrounded by smooth rocks, its water being frozen.
"Okay, we're finally here. Time for me to build a snowman!" Ruby dashed away from her group with such speed she kicked back some snow onto them. Red rose petals drifted like flurries, contrasting against the white snow.
Zwei squirmed in Weiss' arms as Ruby raced away, forcing Weiss to put him down. He waddled through Ruby's footsteps as soon as his paws touched the ground.
"C'mon girls, let's build it together," Ruby suggested once she had stopped in the distance where the snow was a bit thicker.
"Sure, we'll help. Right, Blake?" Yang asked and gently nudged her partner with her elbow.
"Uh… I've never built a snowman before," she replied hesitantly.
"Really? It's easy. Just follow us," Yang said.
A moment later, Ruby was humming a merry song to herself while she, Yang, and Blake were building snowman together. Each of them worked on a separate part.
Yang pushed and rolled a large snowball almost half of her size. It was made extra wide for stability and to act as the snowman's legs. While Blake was familiar with making regular snowballs, making the snowman's torso was trickier. Her first attempt ended badly as the snow was not packed tight enough and caused it to fall apart. Once she had finished it properly, Yang lifted and carefully placed it down on the legs without incident.
Ruby shaped the third and smallest part as its head. She polished it with her gloves to give it a smooth and round appearance. "Weiss, we're almost finished. Do you want the honor to dress him?" she asked.
"No thanks, I'm fine with just supporting you and your childish activity. Go team RWBY…" said Weiss with very limited enthusiasm while drinking from a plastic mug.
"Aww! Suit yourself!" replied Ruby and went back to her business.
Yang walked over next to Weiss and wiped away a couple of beads of sweat from her forehead. "Phew! Even during the winter, I can still work up a sweat. Feels good! My throat is feeling a little bit parched, though." She looked at Weiss. "Think you can help me with that?" she asked suggestively.
Weiss opened up her jacket and took out her thermos. She gave Yang a plastic cup and filled half of it with steaming hot chocolate. She then did the same for her own.
Yang took a sip from the chocolate. She smiled from the sight of her younger sister dressing the snowman. "Isn't it adorable? My little sis is growing up to become a fine huntress, but on the inside she's still a kid. Ahh, she's growing up so fast. I sometimes wish she wouldn't grow at all."
Weiss drank her chocolate greedily, quickly downing half of the cup's content. She almost scalded her lips and tongue in the process. "As soon as we're out of cocoa, which is the only thing that's keeping me alive, I'm heading back inside," she informed.
"Aw, don't be like that, Weiss. Doesn't all this snow makes you feel at home?" Yang asked.
Weiss narrowed her blue eyes at what she thought what a quip aimed at her pale skin and white hair. "Why? Because I'm the so-called Ice Queen?"
"Well, besides that. You're from Atlas, right? I hear there's lots of snow up there," Yang elaborated.
The small amount of irritation within Weiss faded. "That's right, but just because I'm used to it doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Whatever you say… your Highness," teased Yang as she giggled, earning a groan from Weiss.
"Yang!" Ruby excitedly called out for her sister's attention. "Take a picture, please?" With small rocks for buttons and a crude smiley face, a scarf around its thick neck, and bare branches for arms, the snowman now stood complete.
"Sure. Hold on." Yang reached into her pocket and took out her Scroll. She pulled off her gloves and pressed the holographic buttons with her bare fingers. "Alright, give your big sis a biiiig smile," she said as she activated the Scroll's camera function and aligned the screen with Ruby in the center. Ruby posed next to the snowman, smiling widely, looking proud over her creation. The Scroll clicked a few times.
"Thanks! I'm going to send the pics to dad later," Ruby said. She looked at Zwei walking close to the snowman. He lifted his leg. "Zwei! No!" she quickly raised her voice. Zwei quickly back away, whining regretfully. "Bad dog! Don't pee on Mister Frosty. Come; let's go for a short walk so you can do your business somewhere else." She led him away from the others toward several, thick bushes in the distance.
"Is she always like this every winter?" Blake asked curiously to Yang once Ruby was out of her hearing range. "She's more energetic than usual."
Yang nodded while putting the Scroll back inside her jacket. "Only when there's lots of snow around. We didn't see much of it when we grew up at Patch. The little we got usually melted pretty fast, much to Ruby's sadness. Our dad once woke her up late at night when he noticed it was snowing a lot, so that she could get her chance to make a snowman before the sun would come up."
"I see. That's very caring of him. I'm glad she got her chance today then," Blake said.
"I can't say I share her enthusiasm," commented Weiss. "I hated it whenever it snowed back home in Atlas. Snow once fell from the rooftop of my home and landed right on top of me, just when I had fixed my hair and was going to go out to the car!" She shuddered, shaking her head. "Ugh, some of it even got inside my clothes."
"Your hair got ruined? Sorry to hear about that," Yang said sympathetically.
"You're all lucky then," Blake said.
Both Weiss and Yang looked curiously at her. "Why's that?" Yang asked.
"It never snows at all in Menagerie. The climate is too warm," Blake explained. She reached down and scooped up a small amount of snow with her bare hands and formed into a ball. "I didn't get to see and feel what snow is like until I left home." She reared back her arm and threw the ball far away. Their gazes followed it until it hit a signboard in the distance.
Yang whistled. "Nice aim."
The simple compliment made Blake smile. "When I was younger, I was sometimes the target of snowballs for… reasons, so I had to quickly learn how to fight back."
Suddenly, while taking another gulp of hot chocolate, Weiss yelped and ducked as she felt something cold and fast graze the top of her head. Someone had thrown a snowball at her. She looked down on her white jacket and saw fresh chocolate stains on it.
"Who threw that?!" she yelled, eager for retribution. She glared at Ruby, who was still walking with Zwei in the distance. Blake and Yang seemed just as surprised as her.
"Careful, Weiss," said a familiar girl's voice behind her, "it looks like a sniper has set its sight on you." A childish giggle followed.
Weiss turned around and saw not one, but four friendly faces: Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. All of them were dressed for the cold weather. "You might want to take cover," Nora continued. The thick, pink colored bubble jacket she was wearing gave her upper body a rather chubby appearance. Despite the cold, she was still wearing her skirt, leaving her legs bare, save for her white and pink sneakers.
Pyrrha, who was dressed in a red coat, was the first to greet Weiss, Blake, and Yang with a wave and a warm smile. "Hello again," she said. She had changed her bronze circlet into a crochet headband of similar color.
"Hey. Nice weather we're having, huh?" Jaune said jokingly. Instead of wearing a winter hat, he had instead pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head. He wore a dark blue jacket over that.
Yang and Blake exchanged smiles with team JNPR. Weiss pouted at them.
"So team JNPR decided to venture out as well? Great, now we can all freeze to death together," said Yang as she giggled.
"As if we had any choice," Ren replied, pausing to adjust the dark green scarf around his neck, "Nora got so excited when she woke up and saw the snow that she literally dragged us out of our beds."
"Yeah… that sounds a bit familiar," Blake mentioned and glanced at Ruby, who had not yet noticed JNPR's arrival.
Nora grinned cheekily. "It was all worth it! You thought I was gonna let you sleep in and let this beautifully awesome, snowy day go to waste?" She looked up into the sky, her grin turning into a pout. "Why did it have to stop snowing? I wanna catch snowflakes on my tongue! Ren! Toss some snow over me! Make me feel like a dancing ballerina inside a snow globe!"
"No, I won't do that," Ren replied in his typical, calm and stoic way.
"Why nooot?" Nora whined.
"Because then you will likely end up with a cold."
Ruby suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stopping in front of JNPR and splashing them with snow and rose petals. As she came to a complete stop from her dash from the other side of the park, she splashed a small amount of snow together with some rose petals all over JNPR. Zwei appeared shortly thereafter. "You're all here! Yay!" she said to them, her silver eyes bristling with excitement.
"Hello, Ruby. You seem to be having fun," Pyrrha said in a friendly manner while brushing snow away from her shoulders. "Oh, and Zwei, too," she said as he came running. She kneeled down to pet him.
"We're having the time of our lives. Did you see the snowman I built?" asked Ruby and pointed at her creation. "He's missing his hat and a carrot nose, but he's still happy. See how big his smile is? Maybe I can-"
"Excuse me!" Weiss yelled all of a sudden. Everyone turned to look at her, a myriad of confusion, surprise, and amusement upon their faces. "Someone just threw a snowball at me! And I'm pretty sure which one of you did it." She fixated her sharp gaze on her main suspect. "Jaune!" she called out accusingly, "it was you, wasn't it? Was that you getting back at me for not wanting to go out with you? How utterly childish!"
Jaune gulped and widened his eyes. "I-I didn't do it!" he stammered, appearing so intimidated as if he had just been accused of murder.
Weiss crossed her arms and scoffed. "And you expect me to believe you?"
"I swear! I didn't!"
"Um, excuse me, Weiss," Pyrrha gently interjected, "but I can vouch for Jaune. He didn't throw that snowball."
"Thanks, Pyrrha." Jaune smiled at her, relieved that his friend had come to his defense. Pyrrha returned his smile and looked shyly at him, her cheeks rosy.
"Then who did?" asked Weiss, looking at each and every one, seeking answers. "I want the culprit to apologize to me. Right now!" she stated and stomped her foot into the ground.
"Maybe it was the snowman?" wondered Nora and pointed at Ruby's creation.
"Mister Frosty's innocent! Leave him alone!" said Ruby to her inanimate creation's defense.
"Mister Frosty?" Jaune echoed and smiled. "Is there a Missus Frosty, too?"
"Are we sure it's not alive?" Nora blinked, as if realization struck her. "Maybe it's a demonic killer snowman! It has the ultimate camouflage! We would never see it coming! When we go to sleep, he will stuff snow down our throats until we suffocate!" she gabled melodramatically.
"Nora, there's no such thing as killer snowmen. I told you to not watch that horror movie," said Ren.
Weiss quickly ruled out the possibility of Pyrrha and Ren having thrown the snowball at all. And on second thought, Jaune would never sink so low to actually do it.´"It was you, wasn't it, Nora?" accused Weiss.
Nora nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, not even trying to play innocent and defend herself. "Out here in the park, it's open season. Anyone's a target, myself included. It's hunt or be hunted. Those are the rules out here in this cold and unforgiving land," she explained.
Weiss huffed and scowled at her. "You just made those rules up as an excuse to throw a snowball at me when I wasn't even expecting it. I don't play by your rules. Now, apologize right this instant," she demanded.
"Make me!"
"Nora…" Ren sighed and shook his head.
The immature behavior only added to Weiss' frustration. She kneeled down and gathered a small amount of snow in her hands. "You will apologize to me." She reinforced her firm words by patting the snow.
"Or what? You're gonna throw that flat snowball in my face?" Nora retorted playfully. The threat did not deter her slightest. On the contrary, it did the opposite.
"Yes, I will!" said Weiss, raising her voice slightly. "You can prevent it by apologizing to me, and make sure you mean it!"
"Uh, Weiss, Nora, you two-" Ruby's attempt to calm the situation was silenced as she was gently nudged by an elbow.
"Let's see where this leads to. This should be fun," whispered Yang and winked at her.
"Go ahead then! Hit me! Throw that snowball right in my pretty face!" goaded Nora, pointing at her own smiling face. "I dare you! I triple dare you!" Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha stepped away from her to not risk getting hit.
"Since you're asking for it! Don't say I didn't warn you!" Weiss let out a loud grunt as she swung her arm and released the snowball. Despite her determination, her cold projectile, lacking both speed and accuracy, quickly dropped down several feet in front of Nora. Nobody said anything.
"Hah!" Nora broke the silence by laughing heartily.
"You need to throw it harder, Weiss. Soften your grip and relax your shoulder," recommended Pyrrha.
Nora gasped. "Pyrrha!" She gave her tall, red-haired friend a disapproving look. "Stop helping! Do you want her to hit me?"
Pyrrha put a hand on her mouth as she realized her shameful mistake. "I'm sorry!" she said sincerely.
Nora smiled reassuringly at her. "It's okay. It's not like she's gonna actually hit me anyway. Am I right, Weiss?" she asked and looked back at Weiss.
Weiss silently replied with an angry glare. Her failure only made her more determined to succeed. She bent down and grabbed some more snow.
"You can do it, Weiss!" Ruby cheered at her, no longer trying to prevent the situation from escalate. Her support, however, served more as an annoyance to Weiss.
Weiss' new snowball looked more like an actual ball, and not like the flat and messy one she had tried to throw at Nora. As she reared her arm back, she followed Pyrrha's recommendations by relaxing her shoulder and grip. She threw the snowball as hard as she possibly could. Instead of landing in front of Nora, the thrown snowball flew several feet over her head. Nora turned around and followed it as it landed far in the distance.
"What am I? The broad side of a barn?" asked Nora with a questioning frown. Her cocky smile had only grown.
Weiss gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists, feeling frustration swell within her, not only for her double failure, but also from the small chuckles and giggles she heard from her team and JNPR.
"Come on now, you're starting to embarrass your team. Think of our reputation," said Yang, doing her best to control her mirth. "What will people say when they hear that our teammate can't throw a snowball to save her life?"
"How about this: every time you miss, I walk a few steps closer with my tiny legs? You gotta hit me eventually, right?" suggested Nora. "I'll apologize if you can hit me."
Weiss shook her head. "No need, Nora. You're standing close enough." She scooped up some more snow and formed it into a well-shaped ball. She then raised her open, left hand toward Nora. A small, glowing white glyph appeared in the center of her palm. As she placed the snowball against the glyph, it was launched straight out at high speed.
"Wh-" Nora was interrupted by the snowball hitting her straight in the face, causing her to fall back to the ground.
"Boom! Headshot!" shouted a surprised and equally impressed Yang.
"Nora?" Ren quickly appeared by Nora's side and kneeled down. "Are you alright?" he asked, a small, slightly concerned.
"Did you really have to aim for her face? You could've hit her torso instead if you wanted to teach her a lesson," reproved Jaune.
"Well, she started it!" said Weiss to her defense and crossed her arms. "Besides, she aimed for my head earlier. A couple of inches lower and it would've been a direct hit."
Nora sat up on her own and brushed the snow away from her red face and short, orange hair. "Ow… right in the kisser," she said with a smile, showing no signs of pain.
Ren sighed out in relief. "Good thing your Aura took most of it." He grabbed Nora's hand and pulled her up.
"Aww, Ren, you're so cute when you worry about little me." Nora pinched and pulled his cheek. "I mean, not that you're not cute when you don't worry!" she then added, giggling in an awkward manner.
He rubbed his cheek as she let go. "I told you not to throw any snowballs at them."
Clearing her throat, Nora looked at Weiss in a pleased manner. "That was a pretty good one, Weiss." She then scowled. "But, you used your Semblance, and that's cheating! You've violated the holy accords of snowball fighting! And for that, there'll be serious consequences."
"Nora, no," warned Ren. "Don't make things worse now."
"Nora, yes!" She stretched out her arm and pointed at team RWBY. "One two three four! Prepare for a snowball war!" she declared loudly.
Jaune stepped forth with his hands raised. "Wait, Nora, I think Ren's right. We should-" He did not get to finish his sentence, as he took a small snowball to the cheek thrown by Yang.
"You heard her, Vomit Boy!" Yang quipped, already having embraced the war. "Are you just gonna let your team get rolled over, like that time in the dining hall?" she taunted, a second, larger snowball waiting in her hand, ready to be thrown. She grinned maniacally as she reared back her arm, preparing to throw her snowball with much more force than the previous one. Just as she was about to, a fast flying and precise snowball hit her wrist, causing her to drop hers to the ground. "Huh? What the?" She looked at the one who had interrupted her throw.
"I've got you covered, Jaune!" yelled Pyrrha while she quickly prepared a second snowball. She was in a combat stance, ready to attack and defend, except without her sword and shield.
The rest of RWBY and JNPR quickly joined in. Blake skillfully threw a fast snowball from a long distance snowball that hit Ren in the shoulder, just before she took a powerful hit from Nora's that sent her staggering backwards.
Pyrrha threw two snowballs in quick succession at Yang from the front. The blonde blocked them both, but failed to notice Jaune and Ren flanking her from opposite sides. They threw their snowballs at her, hitting her in the sides.
Laughter, cheers, and grunts resonated throughout the park as both teams fought each other. Snowballs were formed, thrown, dodged, and blocked. Neither side gained the upper hand as the eight man snowball war went on.
Ruby ducked from a snowball flying just above her head. She ducked even further as a second one grazed the top of her hood. She turned to Weiss and shouted, "Weiss! Blizzard!"
Weiss hesitated at first, but then reached inside her jacket and took out a small, plastic box. She opened it and grabbed a purple colored Dust crystal.
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she tapped into the Dust crystal in her hand with her Aura. Half a dozen of large, swirling, dark colored glyphs appeared at key locations where the snow was extra thick. Like vortexes, the dark glyphs sucked the surrounding snow into them. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Jaune turned to Nora, who was holding a snowball almost half the size of her body. "Nora!" he called to her and pointed at Weiss. Nora threw her snow-boulder unwaveringly, aiming directly for Weiss. The projectile was intercepted, smashed into fragments by Yang, who shielded her teammate.
"Got you covered, Weiss! Hurry up and do your thing! I can't be your human shield forever!" said Yang while punching multiple, smaller snowballs were thrown at her and Weiss.
Once enough snow had been sucked into the dark glyphs, they launched the snow outward in all directions. Team RWBY and team JNPR were suddenly enveloped in a local whiteout, with thick and countless snowflakes falling around them. Weiss dropped down to one knee, panting.
"Heey! It's snowing again!" Nora yelled happily. Stretching her tongue and arms out, she looked up and pirouetted as snow drifted around her.
"It's not real though," Ren commented.
"I can barely see them," Jaune said while squinting, trying to pierce the white, blurry veil.
"Alright! Blake, Yang, let's do this!" stated Ruby.
RWBY began to take full advantage against the surprised and disoriented JNPR. Ruby, Blake, and Yang advanced upon them. Ruby was the first to strike, throwing a snowball that hit Ren in the back. Just as he turned around to face her, he was hit in the back by another two snowballs thrown by the flankers Yang and Blake.
"Ren!" Nora cried out and rushed toward him.
"Nora, don't! Behind you!" warned Ren just as Ruby dashed up behind Nora. Before she had a chance to defend herself, Ruby shoved a handful of snow down her back and then dashed away. Nora squealed and squirmed, trying to get the snow out.
Pyrrha tried to fight back, but every time she tried, a snowball interrupted her and forced her to dodge, putting her on the defensive.
Jaune found himself being bombarded from multiple attackers. All he could do was to keep his arms raised in front of his face while backing away. "Team, retreat! Let's get out of this blizzard!" he ordered. His team mates did not question him, and turned around and ran.
Ruby watched her opponents flee amusedly, content with her victory. But it was not enough... "Don't let them get away! After them!" she ordered her teammates. Blake, Yang, and a panting Weiss obeyed the order. They split off and ran after the fleeing members of JNPR.
Ruby followed closely behind, stopping when something moved from the corner of her eye. As she turned her head and looked, it was gone. She was not sure what she saw, if she had seen anything at all.
"Come on, boy. Let's check it out," she said to Zwei. She did not like separating from her team, but they could handle themselves. This needed investigating.
Jaune jogged out from the blizzard. He felt he had been triply struck by misfortune. Not only had he gotten separated from his teammates inside the thick whiteout, he was also being chased. And it was YANG of all people. He would have preferred Ruby, or Blake. Even Weiss did not seem like a bad option now.
"Pyrrha isn't here to protect you this time! You're mine now!" threatened Yang. What would she do once she caught him? His mind flashed back to snowy days with his sisters. He shivered in horror at the bad memories.
"Hey, I can... protect myself... just fine, you know!" he defended, breathing shallowly in between words.
"Then prove it! Stop running and fight back! I know you have a snowball with you!" retorted Yang eagerly.
Jaune looked down at mentioned snowball in his hand. It was his only means to defend himself. If he missed, he would not be able to stop and make a new one.
I must risk it! I must make this one count! Gathering his focus, Jaune stopped and whirled around to throw the snowball as hard as he could, aiming for Yang's torso. The projectile was fast, powerful and decisive.
All it did, however, was graze Yang's cheek, who quickly raised and placed her hand against it. "Whoa!" she yelped with widened eyes. "That was a good one, but you gotta do better than that! At least you can aim, compared to Weiss."
Her compliment, as small as it was, was appreciated. "Uh… thanks?" He smiled sheepishly. At the very least, he had stopped her from running, but that did not mean he was out of danger.
Yang idly tossed her own snowball from hand to hand while looking at him deviously. "Pyrrha was right about one thing: you gotta throw harder," she said and reared her arm back.
Jaune dug his boots into the ground. He prepared himself to either block or preferably dodge the incoming attack. If only I had my shield with me!
"TAKE! THIS!" Yang cried out and threw her snowball. Jaune barely had enough time to see it coming, even less to dodge it. It hit him so hard in the chest that it knocked the air out of his lungs and sent him down on the ground.
"Oww..." he groaned, rubbing his chest. "Yang, did you… put a rock in that one?" he asked while catching his breath.
Yang smiled delightedly. "You think I'm a cheater like Weiss?" she questioned. "And hey, at least I didn't aim for your face, you know," she said in a cocky manner. Jaune was silently grateful for that.
Her smile spread into a toothy grin. That was bad news. With a single hand, she gestured at him to get up. "Go on, keep running. I need a short moment to resupply my ammo. Soon I'll hit you with not one, but two snowballs," she said.
Jaune did not want to play the mouse to Yang's cat. Should I just remain here and get it over with? If I run, I just prolong the inevitable. He then realized how disappointed his family and teammates would be at him if he would give up so easily.
No! I must keep running… keep fighting! Never give up! He internally yelled to himself and got up.
He looked behind and saw a building nearby, a large wooden shed with a slanting rooftop covered in a thick layer of snow. Maybe I can take cover inside. Surely she won't break down the door… right? He was not sure if the wooden walls would protect him against her snowballs which were probably as good as her punches.
Jaune looked at Yang again, who went down on her knees and began to leisurely create snowballs. Whatever head start she had given him was diminishing fast. He needed to act now. With renewed determination, he jogged toward the shed.
He reached the door and turned the handle, only to realize it was locked. Great. What do I do now?
He instead ran along the wall in search for another entrance. As he rounded the corner of the shed, he saw something that could give him a good chance to fight back and win; a black and red snow blower stood next to the wall. He quickly looked it over. A control panel with a couple of buttons and levers had been attached between two handles.
Just as Yang appeared from around the corner with a snowball in each hand, she dug her boots into the ground and came to a complete stop. "Oh? You found yourself a new toy?" she asked, her lilac eyes warily jumping between Jaune and the snow blower. Yang's caution motivated him.
As he slammed the green button on the control panel, the snow blower's engine began to hum. He grabbed each handle and turned the snow blower to point the chute directly at Yang.
"Don't come any closer!" Jaune warned her, looking her in the eyes.
Yang scoffed at his threat. He squeezed both handles as she took a step closer. The engine of the snow blower revved loudly. It rolled forward and sucked in snow, sending it back out through the chute as a thick and steady stream all over Yang. She gasped and raised her arms to shield herself, but it was all in vain.
Jaune widened his eyes, equally surprised by the large amount of snow spewed out from the chute. "Ack! I'm sorry!" he blurted out and released the handles. The snow blower stopped, ending the flow of snow from the chute. Covered from head to toe in snow, Yang stood still with her arms still in front of her head, appearing like a female, more humanoid shaped snowman. Only bits of her clothes and blonde hair were seen.
Yang said nothing. As she lowered her arms, a pair of glowing red eyes glared at him menacingly. Jaune gulped. Uh-oh!
The snowballs in her hands were crushed as she tightened them into fists. She threw back her head and roared at the top of her lungs, letting the whole park her hear ire. "You! Are! Dead!" Her blonde hair glowed brightly, as her Aura manifesting itself as golden flames around her. She leapt at him and reared back her fist, a murderous expression upon her face.
"I'm sorry!" Jaune desperately apologized and raised his arms in front of his face to shield him from what he expected to be a world of pain. Instead of his face, the wall behind him took the full force of her punch and cracked wide open.
Yang backed away from him, grinning while doing so, much to Jaune's confusion. "Heads up, Jaune," she said.
"Huh?" He heard ominous rumbling noises above him. He looked up and saw a large amount of snow falling off the slanted rooftop. He gasped as the cold and heavy pile of snow crashed on top of him. For a split second, he feared he would be buried alive.
As the last of the snow fell from the rooftop, he heard Yang's hearty giggle. Opening his eyes, he realized he had been lucky to only have been buried up to below his shoulders. He shook the snow away from his hood, shivering.
Yang's eyes were still red, and the glow from her hair had faded. Rather than angry, she now looked pleased and amused. She brushed her shoulders, arms, and legs clean. "That's how I make a snowman. I should put a hat on your head and wrap a scarf around your neck. I seriously gotta capture this moment. Hold on." She took out her Scroll. "Okay, say cheeeese!"
Jaune sighed in defeat and obliged, putting up a sarcastic smile for her.
"Are you done? Mind giving me a hand?" he asked once Yang put the Scroll back.
"Depends. Can you move your arms?"
Jaune grunted as he lifted his right arm out from the snow, followed by the left one. "...yes."
"Good enough. Then start digging yourself out. Have fun with that. Should be a healthy exercise." She turned around and walked away, waving good bye to him. "It's been fun."
Jaune sighed again. Despite the situation, he felt satisfied. I lost… But hey, at least I made a stand and fought.
With nothing else to do, he began to dig himself out from the snow pile.
Nora was pleased that Weiss had gone after her; a chance for her to get some payback. The hunter had become the hunted. While giggling, Nora chased Weiss across the park, throwing small but many snowballs at her, some of them hitting their mark.
"Admit defeat, Ice Queeny!" Nora yelled.
"Never! And stop calling me that!" replied an annoyed Weiss.
Both of them stopped at the sudden cracking noises coming from beneath their feet. Nora realized they were standing on top of the frozen pond. The ice was holding, barely. A bad step in the wrong direction could send their feet into the icy water.
"Uuh, how deep is this pond again?" Weiss asked, perfectly still.
"Why do you ask? You scared that you're gonna fall in and get trapped beneath the ice?" Nora's morbid question earned her a scowl from Weiss. "Don't worry, Weiss, I'll break the ice and pull you up if that happens."
Suddenly, Weiss ceased scowling and instead put up a bright smile. "Hey, Nora?" she asked, looking her in the eyes.
"Yeah?"
"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Weiss with a friendly tone. She took out a thermos from her jacket and showed it to Nora. "I have some right here. There's plenty left inside, and it's still warm."
The very mention of hot chocolate made Nora's mouth water. When she saw the actual thermos she swallowed her drool before responding, "Oh boy I sure do!" Her appetite, however, was quickly put down by suspicion and doubt. "Waaaait a minute! You're not trying to trick me, are you? Did you put something in it?" She narrowed her eyes at Weiss.
Weiss shook her head, looking shocked by Nora's mistrust. "Nora, please, you hurt me. Why would I do that? We're friends, right? Besides, I drank from this earlier. So did Yang and Blake."
Weiss was right. She had seen her and the others drink earlier. That was not enough to ease her suspicious, though. "You're lying!"
Weiss rolled her eyes, sighing. "Fine. Suit yourself. That means more for me." Weiss opened up the thermos and took a deep, drawn out sniff from the opening. "Mmm… such exquisite aroma. Simply smelling it warms my body and soul. Ruby put extra sugar in it. All that's missing are some marshmallows."
Nora fidgeted as her nose picked up the smell of the chocolate. She could practically taste it in her mouth. Even the nonexistent mentioned marshmallows. "H-hey! Wait!" she called out and raised her hand. "I've changed my mind, alright. Lemme have some."
"You forgot the magical word."
"...can I PLEEEASE have some delicious hot cocoa, Weiss?" Nora did her best to put up the saddest puppy eyes she could muster.
It worked, as Weiss tossed the thermos to her. "Catch."
Nora reached out and caught it. "Got it!" she said and hugged it against her chest. Weiss was right: the container was indeed warm. That was not the only thing she noticed. It feels… heavy. There must be lots inside. She swirled it around, hearing the hot cocoa slosh within. "Thanks!" she said loudly, nodding at Weiss.
Weiss nodded back at her. "You're welcome. I don't see the need to fight when we can drink hot chocolate instead. And I can't help but to feel sorry for your bare legs. That should warm them."
Just as Nora was about to unscrew the top, she froze and widened her eyes as she heard the ice groan beneath her. She was about to step away toward the pond's edge when the ice finally gave in. She yelped as her feet plunged into the water. Luckily for her, the water only reached up to below her knees. The cold water stung like hundreds of icy needles.
"Are you okay, Nora?" Weiss asked, keeping her hand in front of her mouth to partially hide her smile.
Nora shrugged her shoulders in indifference, shuddering. "Y-yeah, it's no biggie. It's like a footbath… except much c-c-older." She resumed opening the thermos and took a few, large gulps. She drank greedily, spilling a few drops past her lips. "Ahh! Gooood stuff!" The sweet and hot liquid made her forget about her submerged feet, if only for just a few seconds.
As she put the thermos away, she frowned as she saw a small, glowing black glyph on its chromed surface. The glyph faded away, the thermos becoming much lighter. She blinked, putting two and two together.
She shot Weiss an accusing glare. "You… you made the thermos much heavier, didn't you?!"
Weiss nonchalantly waved her arm at her, smiling. "Oh, Nora, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Nora balled her free hand into a tight, trembling fist. She felt she wanted to wipe that smirk off of Weiss' face. "You think you've won? Well I'm not done yet! I still got a hand to play. Or should I say, a fist!" Nora slammed her fist into the ice in front of her. "NORA SMASH!" A wide crack immediately appeared from the impact area which grew outward, becoming thicker and splitting up into newer ones. The frozen pond shattered like a mirror, including where Weiss stood.
To Nora's surprise, Weiss' feet did not plunge into the water. They still remained dry as they stood on a glowing white glyph, using it as a solid platform an inch over the ice.
"Nice try," said an unimpressed Weiss.
Nora pouted, her sky blue eyes shooting daggers at Weiss. "You keep cheating with your Semblance! Curse you, Weiss!" She shook her fist at her.
"Yeah, whatever. I'm done here," Weiss said with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. She jumped away from the glyph platform and landed on firm land again. "I suggest you hurry back inside and get your feet warm." she recommended, smirking while doing so. She then walked away without turning around to look at Nora. "Oh, and make sure to return the thermos back to us once you're done with it.
Nora looked at the thermos in her hand, thinking about "giving it back" back to Weiss by throwing it into the back of her head.
She stepped out of the water, her sneakers squishing with each step. She grumbled irritated to herself, "Filthy cheater. You and your pretty glyphs. Fine! If that's how you want it, then I shall play dirty, too!" She took out her Scroll, pressed a few buttons and then put it away. While waiting, she drank some more cocoa.
A few seconds later, the ground trembled as her personal rocket propelled locker slammed down into the ground nearby her. She hurried over to open it. She knew the importance of being prepared. Not only did her locker contain her weapon and plenty of grenades, but also an extra pair of shoes and socks.
"Ah, good as new! I feel rejuvenated!" she said after having put on dry and fresh socks and shoes.
She grabbed several grenades from the locker. The thought of using live grenades against team RWBY made her grin. Not hitting them directly, of course, just close enough for them to feel the shockwaves.
While merrily humming a song, Nora unscrewed the tops from the grenades and carefully took out the explosive, pink colored Dust within. She stuffed the empty canisters full of snow and then dipped them into the cold, turning them into ice projectiles.
"There we go! Wait until they get a taste of these, Nora's delicious popsicles! Hmm, should I flavor them? Okay, Maggy, it's payback time," she said while inserting her customized grenades into her grenade launcher. She then secured the Dust inside her locker and closed it.
With her feet dry, and her trusty grenade launcher in the other, Nora set out to hunt the girls of RWBY. She was hoping to find Weiss first, but anyone would do.
I wonder how Ren's doing. Maybe he needs my help.
Slowly and steadily, Blake advanced through the snowy grove on the outskirts of the blizzard where the whiteout was thinner. She slowly sank her boots into the crunching snow and exhaled through her nose to cause minimum noises.
I need to find him… before he finds me.
She had followed Ren but lost him in the whiteout. Now she was not sure whether she was following him, or if he was following her.
She listened with her feline ears, turning her head from side to side. Her senses were kept on full alert. All she saw was thick tree trunks and bushes covered in frost. She heard her teammates somewhere in the distant background, yet the close proximity around her was eerie silent.
The sudden snap of a twig caused her to freeze. Blake quickly looked around her, but saw not what had caused the noise.
Her eyes widened. Above!
She looked up and saw Ren standing on a thick tree branch with multiple snowballs at the ready. As soon as they made eye contact, Ren threw a few snowballs at her in quick succession with both his hands. Blake quickly ducked from the first snowball that was only an inch away from hitting her forehead. She then threw her head sideways to the left and then even faster back to the right to dodge two more.
Blake jumped and leaned backward turning her momentum into a handspring. As her open hands touched the snow she grabbed two handfuls. She hurried to run behind a thick tree.
She looked up and saw a thick and long icicle hanging from a branch above her. She grabbed it by the base and broke it off. This might come in handy. She made a couple of swings with it. Her makeshift sword did not feel right in her hand, as its weight and shape were not the same of Gambol Shroud's.
Blake took a quick peek to check the distance to Ren, the locations of the trees nearby him. He had the advantage of high ground, as well as a decent stock of snowballs. She pulled her head back just as a snowball almost hit her. She took a breath to prepare herself. She jumped out from her cover and dashed along the ground toward the tree Ren was standing on.
Snowballs were already being thrown at her. She slashed one with her icicle, and dodged another. Blake leaped up toward Ren and threw both her snowballs at him. Ren narrowly avoided them and countered with his own.
As a snowball hit her directly in the face, her whole body faded instantly into nothingness. Or rather, her shadow clone did. Ren had taken the bait. Blake used the opportunity to silently and quickly flank him, as she now stood on the branch of a nearby tree above him.
Ren, surprised by her distraction, noticed her when she nimbly landed on the branch. He threw two snowballs, but Blake slashed them both with a single and long swipe of her long icicle. Before Ren could grab more from snowballs by his feet, she ran forward and kicked them away.
She quickly stepped closer and pressed the attack with a rapid flurry of slashes and thrusts with the icicle at him. Similar to an exotic and elegant dance, Ren ducked, jumped, and twisted away from her attacks while balancing on the slippery tree branch. She pressed on, trying to push him back against the trunk of the tree.
Ren jumped backward and kicked himself away from the tree trunk up and over Blake. He broke off a pair of icicles in mid-air hanging from the tree branch above. Once he landed behind her, with one icicle in each hand, he turned around to face her.
Ice clanged against ice as Blake and Ren parried and traded blows from each other with neither of them gaining the upper hand. Whereas she had the advantage of reach, Ren had more flexibility with his two, shorter icicles.
They came to a brief pause and nodded at each other, both of them acknowledging the other's cunning and fighting prowess. Blake could not stop herself from smiling. Ruby's right. Playing outside in the snow is fun.
She swung her icicle down with both her hands. Ren parried the powerful swing by putting his two icicles together into a cross. He backed away and raise his open palm.
What is he planning?
She got her answer as he jumped and slammed his Aura-empowered palm strike against the thick branch they were standing on. The branch held but the impact caused her to struggle to remain standing. Ren threw one of his icicles at her. She dodged it, losing her balance in the process.
As she felt herself tipping over, she quickly pulled out and threw her black ribbon over the branch. She used the momentum to swing herself beneath it toward another nearby tree. She kicked herself off from the tree trunk toward Ren, stretching out her leg and kicking him lightly in the chest.
Blake gasped as Ren's flailing arms grabbed hold of her ankle, bringing her down with him as he fell. Both of them managed to land gracefully on their feet.
Not wanting to give Ren any time to attack her, Blake quickly stepped forward and thrust her icicle. Ren dodged by stepping to the side. She spun around quickly and swung at him, but the attack was stopped by his palm striking her wrist. His other hand threw a handful of snow against her unprotected face.
"Ah!" she cried out. The sudden cold splash blinded her for a second. It was all the time Ren needed to spin around her and pull her collar back, exposing the skin of her neck.
As she saw him raise his second and last icicle over her, she widened her eyes as she realized what he was about to do. No… he wouldn't!
"Ren! No!" Her words fell on deaf ears. Without breaking his stoic expression, Ren sunk the icicle down behind her collar, inside her clothes and leaving it there.
Blake yelped and jumped as she felt the ice sting her skin. "Ah! Aah!" She squirmed wildly while standing up. "How could you?!" She tried to reach for the icicle, but could not do so with her thick clothes were in the way. "I-I can't reach it! I can't get it out! Help me!"
"You fought well, Blake," Ren said and bowed to show her his respect. With the battle concluded, he turned around and left, leaving Blake behind.
Ruby was starting to have second thoughts about asking Weiss to create a blizzard. It had initially given her team and advantage, but it had also lead to everyone getting split up. Even Zwei was missing. Thankfully, the whiteout was starting to get thinner. She stood next to her snowman, looking and listening. She had heard Yang roar, and fighting in the distance. Now, however, things had gotten too silent for comfort.
The silence was broken by fast and light footsteps approaching her. Ruby did not panic. She looked down, seeing Zwei waddling over to her.
"There you are. Did you go out and scout on your own?" She greeted him by scratching him behind his ears. "Have you seen Yang and the others?" she asked. Zwei replied with a single arf. "No such luck, huh? Let's search for them together."
Zwei put his black nose up into the air, sniffing. "What is it, boy?" Ruby asked curiously. He looked ahead and began to bark.
She squinted her silver eyes as she saw the blurry shape of a tall and slender figure in the nearby distance. She dared not to call out, since she did not know whether the person was a friend or foe. As she took a few, careful steps closer, she saw the figure's unmistakable long, red hair. Ruby froze as the person turned around and faced her.
"Is that you, Ruby?" asked a girl, whose voice was familiar to her.
Ruby automatically replied in an awkward manner, "O-oh, hey, Pyrrha. Are you lost, too?
Good job, Ruby! Now you just gave away your position.
Pyrrha stepped closer. "Yeah, I can't seem to find my team," she answered while turning her head around. She looked at Ruby again and curiously asked, "What about you?"
Ruby opened her mouth, but hesitated as she saw the pair of snowballs in Pyrrha's hands. "O-oh, they… they're around here… somewhere. Think we should call for a search and rescue mission?" she jested nervously while her gaze jumped back and forth between Pyrrha's face and her snowballs.
Even if Pyrrha was her friend, Ruby did not lower her guard too much. As long the snowball war was going on, Pyrrha was also a potential enemy.
Should I attack her before she attacks me? But what if she isn't interested in fighting anymore? I have to find out.
"Hey, Pyrrha?"
"Yes, Ruby?"
"What are you planning to do with your snowballs?"
Pyrrha looked down at the mentioned objects in her hand. "Oh, these? Don't worry. I'm not going to throw them at you. This fight was fun, but it's over for me," she answered with an assuring smile.
Ruby nodded slowly. Pyrrha's response helped her relax a little. "But… if you say the fight is over, why are you still holding them?" she asked carefully, not wanting to provoke Pyrrha into fighting.
"I don't seek to fight anyone, but I will defend myself and my friends if we're attacked."
The last of Ruby's tension faded. "Alright then. Do you want to search for our friends together?" she asked.
"Sure. I would love to," Pyrrha replied.
Just as Ruby was about to step closer, she suddenly heard boots crunching through the snow to the right of her. As she turned her head, she saw Ren's figure emerging from the thinning whiteout. She then heard footsteps to the left and behind her as well, as Nora and Jaune also came.
"Well, well, well… Look who it is," Nora said, smiling deviously while resting her grenade launcher on her shoulder.
Ruby nervously looked around her, realizing that JNPR had her surrounded. None of them were attacking, but that did not really make her feel any safer.
"Jaune, what happened to you?" Pyrrha asked. His clothes were covered in specks of snow.
"I almost got buried alive in an avalanche."
"Avalanche?" Pyrrha echoed with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I had a run in with Yang." he elaborated, rubbing his arms while shuddering. "I think I got some snow inside my clothes."
"Looks more like you had a run in with the abominable snowman," Nora quipped.
Ruby looked around again, seeing no signs of her sister. But if Jaune's here, where's Yang? Did he actually defeat her? And what happened to Weiss and Blake?
She looked first at Nora, and then worryingly at the grenade launcher in her hands. "Why did you bring that to a snowball fight?" she asked. "You aren't using live grenades, are you? That would be cheating, just like using our Semblances," she reminded her, hoping that Nora would see reason.
A playful grin grew across rosy cheeks, and Ruby was not sure whether it was meant to make her relax or raise her caution even further. "Would you believe me if I told you that it's loaded with Popsicles? Do you want one?" asked Nora. "I can shoot it straight into your mouth. Careful not to swallow it whole or you'll get a stomach ache."
"Uhh…"
"So!" Nora interrupted, "Jaune, what do you suggest we do with her? We're all here, and she's alone. No one would be able to tell if she had a little… accident. What do you think?" she asked, lowering her grenade launcher and holding it with both hands, her finger resting on the trigger.
Everyone, especially Ruby, looked at Jaune for an answer. As he met Ruby's gaze, she silently pleaded at him not to tell the others to attack her. "Well…" Jaune began softly, pausing for a second, "I say we've all had our fun for today. Let's call a truce."
Nora quickly voiced her disappointment. "Awww! But Jaaaaune!"
"Don't pout, Nora. You heard what our leader said," Ren said. Nora pouted even more, and snorted.
Ruby breathed out in relief. "That sounds great. Thank you, Jaune. How about we find my team and go back inside and then have some-" As she gestured with her hand holding a snowball, she was abruptly interrupted by what felt like a cold fist hitting her in the chest. She stumbled sideways and crashed into her snowman.
"Nora!" Jaune shouted, "Why did you shoot?! We had a truce!"
"She raised her snowball! I thought she was gonna throw it!" Nora retorted to her defense, still aiming her grenade launcher at Ruby.
"Put down your weapon and relax, alright? Man..." Jaune sighed and shook his head at her. "Are you alright, Ruby?" he asked.
"I'm…" Ruby's voice trailed off as she recognized the snow chunks she was laying in. "Mister Frostyyy! Nooo!" she cried out melodramatically while clutching the destroyed snowman's scarf in her hands. Her sorrow quickly turned into anger. She turned her head and glared at Pyrrha. "Pyrrha! You distracted me so that your teammates could surround me? To make me lower my guard?"
Pyrrha looked appalled by the accusation. "No, I swear! That wasn't my intention," she said sincerely.
"Uhm, Ruby?" said Nora. "I didn't mean to destroy your snowman. That was my bad. Sorry!" she apologized while smiling sheepishly.
"You're sorry?" Ruby snapped back at her. "You're not the one who has to inform his wife and kids that he's dead."
"What's going on, Rubes?" Ruby heard Yang ask behind her. She turned around and was happy to see her sister, as well as Weiss and Blake walking together.
"They blindsided me and killed Mister Frosty!" Ruby explained while pointing at Jaune and his team.
"They what?! What a low blow, hurting an innocent snowman," Yang said disapprovingly, glaring at each member of JNPR.
"Why are you overreacting so much for a snowman? You can just build a new one," Weiss suggested.
"Mister Frosty was my friend! You just don't build a new friend, Weiss!" Ruby turned to face JNPR. "I demand retribution," she stated.
"Ruby, we're all very sorry about your snowman. We can-" Jaune did not get to finish, as Ruby dashed forward, leaving rose red petals behind. She slammed her snowball into his face, leaving him flat on his back.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried out.
Ruby kept running, setting her eyes on Ren. He reared his arm back to try and intercept her with a snowball. She dug her boots hard into the ground, sliding forward and kicking up a large amount of snow all over him. She then ran past him and headed toward a nearby, thick tree. She planted her soles against the trunk to kick herself off into another direction.
An ice projectile shaped like a grenade whizzed past her head. She saw Nora aiming and shooting at her, trying to lead her into her shots. Ruby picked up the pace and made her way toward Nora. "I'll take that!" said Ruby as she snatched the grenade launcher out of her hand.
"No! Give back Maggy, you thief!" Nora protested angrily.
The weight and shape of the grenade launcher was unfamiliar to Ruby. However, as geek for weapons, she knew how to use it.
Ren had just recovered and brushed off most of the snow from his clothes, hair, and face, while Jaune was starting to get back up on his feet. Their recoveries were interrupted when Ruby knocked the air out of their lungs with ice grenades. She took aim at Pyrrha and pulled the trigger, but the grenade launcher clicked empty.
Ruby dashed toward Pyrrha with lightning speed. She pushed her Semblance to the limit and jumped forward. In mid-air, she began to spin around so rapidly that she created a vortex around her that sucked in all the snow in her path.
Pyrrha remained where she stood, her face emotionless and full of focus. She thrust both her hands out toward Ruby. Ruby was just about to slam herself and the snow she was carrying around her into Pyrrha, when she suddenly felt the grenade launcher against her chest start to vibrate. An unknown, powerful force grabbed hold of her and tugged at her in mid-flight, sending her off-course.
W-what's going on?! She narrowly missed Pyrrha and kept turning into a completely different direction, heading straight toward where her team mates stood together.
"Don't come toward us! Steer away, you dolt!" protested Weiss loudly.
"Ruuubes! Stooop!" Yang yelled.
Ruby tried to slow down and stop, but found herself having lost control of her movement and speed. "I-I can't! Get out of the way! Get out of-" Like the unwilling, living and unstoppable projectile which she had become, she slammed herself against Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Even before they had a chance to stop and recover, the snow she brought with her crashed down on them as well.
It took a few seconds for Ruby to realize that she had stopped, as the world around her was spinning. She looked around and saw her teammates, breathing out in relief as none of them had been buried in the snow. They were all safe, despite their groans of discomfort.
"I hate winter…" Weiss muttered.
Jaune and his team approached and helped get them back up on their feet. Ruby's dizziness was starting to go away, but she still held onto Yang for support.
"What..." Ruby paused to brush snow out of her hair, "what happened? I was just about to hit you, Pyrrha, and then suddenly… I don't know."
Pyrrha smiled at her and waved her hand. Magnhild was gently pulled from Ruby's hands and floated over to its rightful owner. Nora gave it a bear hug. "You have your Semblance, and I have mine," Pyrrha explained. Ruby realized in hindsight what a mistake it was to have carried such a large, metallic item with her while running.
Once the last of the spinning was gone, Ruby straightened herself up and said with the biggest smile she could muster, "This was fun!" All her ire for her ruined snowman was gone. Now, she felt nothing but joy and satisfaction.
"Speak for yourself," Weiss commented.
"I think I'm gonna head back in now," Yang said.
"Yeah, same here. I've had enough snow for one day. I could use a blanket and some hot chocolate right about now," Blake said.
Blake's words gave Ruby an idea. "Hmm… I know just the thing."
Lively flames crackled within the large, stone fireplace in front of them, spreading warmth and illumination across the recreation room. Wrapped in blankets, and holding cups filled with steaming hot chocolate, RWBY and JNPR huddled together on a pair of couches in front of the fireplace. Zwei rested on the floor nearby, worn out, yet satisfied after playing outside.
Ruby leaned back into the couch and smiled. She felt tired, yet content. She was happy that it had snowed, even more so because she had shared the day together with her sister and friends. The day was a moment she could always pleasantly remember. She hoped that after she and the others would inevitable graduate and leave the academy, they would still be able to meet sometimes and have as much fun as they have had today.
Nora tossed some more firewood into the fire. She coddled closely against Ren when she walked back to her seat. Ren looked briefly at her, his face looking as indifferent as always, save for the vague red tone on his pale cheeks.
Jaune groaned quietly, rubbing his forehead.
"Are you feeling alright, Jaune?" asked Pyrrha.
"My head's pounding, and I can't stop shivering," he answered, his nose sounding clogged. "I think I-" He stopped in mid-sentence, his face grimacing, "ah-atchoo!" He sneezed into his elbow.
"Bless you," Pyrrha said with a smile.
"Looks like someone's catching a cold," Yang mentioned, grinning. "Call it payback for ruining my hair earlier. You-atchoo!" Her witty retort was interrupted by a sneeze of her own. She blinked. "That was purely coincidental! I'm not getting sick! I'm totally fi-atchoo!" she sneezed again, louder this time. "Noo! I can't get sick! Not now! I'm supposed to go to the city this weekend!"
"Don't worry, sis. I'll take care of you. We all will," Ruby said. She slurped from her hot chocolate. "After you two feel better, we should go out and do something again, together."
"Like what? A rematch?" Blake wondered.
Ruby shook her head. "No, let's instead work together and build the biggest snow castle ever!" In her excitement, she raised her hands up and accidentally spilled a few drops of chocolate onto herself.
Nora's face lit up with excitement. "Ooh! That sounds great! We should make one that has a gatehouse! A moat with a drawbridge! Oh, and battlements! And towers! The castle will be impenetrate!" Her grin faded as quickly as it had appeared. "Until the weather gets warmer and the castle will melt into mush…" she admitted, pouting.
"But what if the snow will be gone soon?" Ren asked, looking at Ruby.
Ruby shook her head. "Nope! I just checked the weather forecast. More snow will be coming soon. A lot more, enough for me to build an army of snowmen! Beacon Academy shall be mine!" She burst into a drawn out, diabolical laughter, which gradually turned into a giggle.
She took a breath and leaned back into the couch again, smiling. "But for now, let's just enjoy this calm and cozy moment together," she said and took a long sip from her mug.
The End
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave feedback. I have plans to write more RWBY oneshot fics.