Fire, a dancing form of life that engulfs the world in warmth, but also despair.
Cyan blue clashed with the heated flame as the irises of a young girl drifted across the clearing. Brushing away lilac threads, her hand bushed against her lance that was at her side. She shifted to sit upright, looking over the embers to the other figure in the area.
"So... Cecil. What town are you from? I've never been outside of Mistral before," her meek voice rose above the noises from the forest to draw the attention of the armored figure. "I mean... Cecil is an interesting name. It reminds me of the ocean... even if I haven't seen it." Even as she spoke, she could feel the distant gaze of her companion.
"Norba," came a short reply.
"Oh! I've heard of that one. It's suppose to be beautiful. Not too far or close to the ocean, just the prefect scene. My twin, Robin, she would really like to go there. She's taking the entrance exam as well. She's a bit more out there... I wonder how she's doing." Looking down, she gripped the hem of her skirt.
"I'm sure she's fine Iris." Snapping her head up at the sound of her name, she was amazed. It was the longest sentence Cecil had spoken since their meeting the past day.
"Yeah! I'm sure your right. Robin's always been a go-getter. I'm curious who her partner is." Silence had taken over the campsite once again, causing Iris a moment of reflection.
"So," she shifted to sitting up properly. She moved her lance to keep close to her side encase of an attack. "What made you want to be a hunter? Robin and I come from a long line of hunters and huntresses, so it's just something that was expected of us. Especially since Mistral is well... you know."
Iris brought her eyes back to Cecil. Being clothed in a dark armor, it was unusual choice of attire. Not many hunters now days would choose an outfit choice like that. Iris couldn't deduce much from the person who was her partner in the three day long exam to enter Haven Academy. Even the gender of Cecil was a mystery, since they spoke very rarely and gave no indication on the fact especially since the helmet Cecil wore hid everything.
"It's a job," Cecil said. Iris sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get far with Cecil. Two more days of silence, avoiding Grimm and trying to get to the ruins at the end of the area.
It would be before the sun rose that Cecil and Iris started their walk again. They had been lucky not to encounter any larger Grimm than Beowolves and two Ursas. The clinking of Cecil's armor was a soft noise that gave Iris a strange sense of relief. Within the dense forest o f stark emeralds and thick trees, any noise could lead to an unfaithful encounter. Which is why the silence of the forest was terrifying, but Cecil's presence helped Iris through. She was amazed by Cecil's raw strength, dealing heavy blows without the aid of the weapon on Cecil's upper back. Iris had yet to see Cecil reach back to even touch the double bladed weapon that seemed to be connected to a crescent shaped guard.
The red hue of the blades reflected the sun's rays that had finally peeked through the canopy. Iris smiled, stretching with the warmth that she dearly missed.
"I wonder what happens if someone makes it to the end before the third day mark?" Iris questioned out loud as the pair broke through the forest and into a swamp area. They worked their way slowly the the edges, finding a path that must have been made by a previous group. Iris looked back and found that Cecil had been struggling to make way through the sinking ground. She strapped her lance onto her back and held onto Cecil's tricep to help guide through the thickening sludge.
"I wonder if there are any Grimm that live in the swamp?" Iris said. With no reply, she looked back to see Cecil's leg stuck to the knee in mud. Shaking her head, she went to help. "What if something big is in the swamp?"
"G.O.U.S.'s? I don't think they exist." Cecil spoke, almost as a thanks for Iris's help.
With one leg on solid land, Iris turned back to reach out the Cecil who was still struggling.
"RAWR!" A loud noise split the silence like a knife and a large blob launched itself from the mud and attacked Cecil.
"Argh!"
"Cecil!" Iris watched as the Grimm attacked her teammate. Unhooking her lance from her back, she twisted the handled for the tip of the lance to reel back, opening it to the grenade launcher component. Firing, she got the Grimm's attention. Turning its back, the unusually large Grimm surprised Iris, as she had never seen anything like it. Its large body was covered in fur and there were shattered fragments of bone jutting out from its back.
It lunged at Iris, who switched her lance back to point mode. She was thrown back by a hit from its massive arms, smashing into a tree. Coughing, Iris tried to regain her breath, but wasn't quick enough when the Grimm approached and reared up both arms to crush her. Breath caught in her throat, she watched as flare of red appeared behind the Grimm. A red cloth was wrapped around its head, causing it to thrash about trying to pry off the fabric. Once it had tossed it aside, it turned its back to roar at the figure behind it.
Iris was shocked to see Cecil standing there. More shocked was she to see that Cecil was clearly female from her facial structure. Her hair was a deep red, like blood and whipped around in the wind as the Grimm roared. It lunged, causing Cecil to drop to the ground to dodge. She rounded it, climbing up its back and smashed down on its head with her fists. Reaching up, the Grimm managed to catch her and throw her off. Iris took this chance to charge, catching the Grimm in the arm with her lance. It swung its arms around wildly, hitting Iris who used her lance to guard. She used the time to reach back and grab a fire Dust from her back pouch. Throwing it at the Grimm, it exploded in its face causing the creature to growl in pain. With the distraction, Cecil appeared again, this time with her double blade weapon in her hand. She climb back up onto the Grimm's back and slashed down, embedding the blade into the Grimm's head.
"Wow," Iris said, wiping away sweat. As the Grimm faded away, Cecil retrieved her helmet which must have fallen off when the Grimm first attacked. She watched as Cecil approached, picking up her cape that she had used for a distraction. The fabric was shredded and useless, so she tossed it aside. Turning, Cecil's face frozen in a grimace as Iris eyed her.
"That... was great." Iris said, a smile on her face. Cecil scowled, wiping off her helmet before replacing it in on her head.
"Let's go," Cecil said curtly before continuing on the path. Iris just shrugged at her strange behavior. They had just taken down a big Grimm, and that's how she reacts?
This is going to be an interesting partnership.
So this is my ff for my RWBY Oc Cecil. This follows her story and her life, which takes place before RWBY storyline. She's about 17 in this, and in the RWBY timeline, she's about 22-23. Hopefully this turns out alright.