I feel good, pumping out more chapters for my stories. The other day, I uploaded one for Kaiser of the Cold, now one for this one!
RWBY is always going to be the property of Roosterteeth, and was born from the power of Monty Oum, may he rest in peace, always.
Chapter 4: The Birth of Team KOLD
Title Song: Snow From Seven Years Past (Adrian von Ziegler)
"So… let me get this straight… your semblance lets you control and speak to those two, whose names are Snowfall and Shadow, and they can communicate telepathically with you?" Onyx said.
"Yep," Lilo nodded.
The partnered duo were walking through the forest, flanked by the two wolves, who were constantly on alert. "What a unique semblance…" He chuckled. "I bet you were so confused to start with, hearing multiple voices in your head."
"To be fair, it's not that different to having younger twin siblings," Lilo said with a giggle. "These two are much quieter though." Both barked in agreement.
They fell into silence, until Lilo perked up. "I got the scent of students ahead," She then said. "Two different ones."
Emerging from the treeline, they saw two students, the busty blonde brawler and the girl with the black bow, standing on a hill overlooking some ruins.
"I see we weren't the first ones here," Onyx observed, announcing their presence to the two girls.
"Good to see some other friendly faces," The blonde said. "I'm Yang. This is Blake."
"And I'm Lilo, this is Onyx, and these two are Snowfall and Shadow," Lilo smiled. She glanced down the hill. "So… that's the temple the old geezer told us about?"
"Lilo, you know Professor Ozpin can probably hear you?" Onyx decided to point out.
"Sorry, I'll act indifferent about someone until I see their strength," Lilo shrugged. "That's just how I am."
"Well… he is the headmaster of one of the four most prestigious academies on Remnant, and it's been said his skills are the stuff of legend," Onyx told her. "General Ironwood of Atlas has made that very clear."
"I suppose we should head down and grab one of these relics Ozpin spoke of," Yang shrugged.
"Not a bad idea," Blake agreed with her partner.
The four initiates, with the two wolves in tow, walked down to the ruins, looking around at their surroundings.
"Chess pieces?" Blake asked, approaching a white castle piece.
"Looks like we're all just pieces of a chess board, but who are the players of this game?" Onyx mused.
His train of thought was broken when he heard a cannonshot from the treeline, followed by the sight of an Ursa corpse flying out of the forest to land on it's back. A moment later, a blue platform rose from the forest, and went over the trees to land in front of the Ursa remains.
"And that is what you get for messing with us," Koa said to the corpse, before walking past it with Jasmine in tow.
"Hey Koa, Jazzy," Lilo smiled. "Good to see you made it."
"Yep, and I see you all partnered up as well," He said, glancing at Onyx, Yang and Blake. "Now, I wonder where the others are…?"
He paused, hearing a very high pitched scream off in the distance.
"You guys hear that?" Yang asked. "Some girl is in trouble!"
Koa chuckled, "Actually… I think that was a boy…" He said.
Everyone paused, taking in his comment, then burst into laughter. Jasmine blinked, then glanced up, poking Koa, and pointing up.
Koa followed her gaze, and also blinked, seeing Ruby falling, only being intercepted mid-air by Jaune, who slammed into her, putting both into a tree.
"Um…" He was speechless. "That could never happen again, even if they rehearsed."
"Did your sister just fall out of the sky?" Blake asked Yang.
An explosion from the treeline got their attention, and they glanced over to see an ursa lumber out of the woods, before a pink explosion came from behind it. It then dropped, dead, to reveal Nora, who examined her now-dead steed. Ren emerged a second later, clearly out of breath.
As Nora inspected the pieces, singing queen of the castle with a white rook piece on her head, Ren panted over to the gathering. "Dude, how far did you run?" Onyx asked.
"Practically the entire forest," Ren sighed. "NORA!" He called over.
"Coming Ren!" Nora giggled, skipping back to the group.
"Did she ride an ursa all the way here?" Onyx asked.
"I think so…" Lilo was impressed.
Crashing sounds from the clearing off to the far right announced the arrival of Pyrrha Nikos, being chased by a Death Stalker, which was a massive, scorpion grimm.
"She brought a Death Stalker to the party?" Lilo asked, her claws extending in anticipation to fight.
"Ok, can we go five seconds without something crazy happening for once?" Yang asked, about to explode.
"Sorry Yang, I think that might be hard to accomplish," Koa said, glancing up again. The blonde just sighed, and looked up, as did everyone else.
"How could you leave me?!" Weiss Schnee yelled, holding on to the claw of a massive Nevermore, a bird grimm.
"I said jump!" Ruby said with a sigh.
"She's gonna fall," Lilo and Blake said at the same time.
"She'll be fine," Ruby insisted.
"She's falling," Koa and Ren sighed.
Jaune then decided to make his reappearance, leaping from the tree to catch her bridal style, however, he then remembered they were in the air and fell to the floor, with Weiss landing on his back.
"My hero," She huffed.
"Ok, Nevermore above… Death Stalker in the plains," Koa muttered. "What next?"
"Oh you shouldn't have said that…" Lilo muttered. Jasmine nodded, shivering with fear.
A screech came from the treeline.
"Ozpin, we're going to have to intervene… that thing is dangerous!" Goodwitch said.
"Have the teams on standby, but don't deploy just yet…" Ozpin instructed.
"What? Sir… it could kill them!" The woman objected.
"I have a feeling… that they can handle it," Ozpin said, watching as the initiates grabbed their relics.
"You guys head for the cliffs!" Koa said, "Whatever is coming from the trees, I'll hold it off, any volunteers to join me, say so now."
Jasmine tugged his sleeve, determination on her face, "Thanks Jas. I can always count on you."
"I know what it is… and it's gonna be a challenge, me and the pups will stay," Lilo grinned.
"And I'll join you too," Onyx added.
"The rest of you, good luck," Koa said to the other eight.
"Good luck to you as well Koa!" Ruby called back, as they ran off towards the cliff, with the Nevermore and Deathstalker chasing them.
Another screech came from the trees, and they then saw their foe emerge. A strange imp-like body was attached to a large horse body. The front legs had hooves, and the rear two were clawed legs. Also, a pair of long arms draped from the imp's body.
"A Nuckelavee… extremely dangerous grimm…" Lilo muttered. "Those arms extend, it can spin that upper body around completely, and it's got a shriek that causes killer headaches," She said. "I've fought one before, but we had like… ten guys back then… and they were fully trained warriors…"
"I have an idea of how we can beat it," Onyx said. "If we pull off it's head, it's a kill shot, but these things are smart… at least that's what the books say."
"Sounds good, Jasmine, you go for the horse, Onyx and Lilo, pin down those arms if you can, or chop them off, I'll play distraction with some fireworks," Koa said, twisting his boomerangs, lightning sparking throughout them.
"Roger!" Lilo and Onyx called, while Jasmine gave a quick salute before firing several shells at the horse head.
Lilo ducked under a swing from one arm, then sprang up as the arm shot out again, hoping to slice it into pieces. However, the arm jolted left, before curling up and socking her in the gut. Snowfall, immobilise it's feet, She commanded her wolf friend. Shadow, do what you can to help too. The white wolf's collar glowed, and ice jutted up from the ground around the Nuckelavee's four feet, freezing it in place, Shadow then turned into shadowy lines, slicing through the short amount of white armour plating around the grimm.
Meanwhile, Onyx came from the other side, firing three slugs, aiming for the head of the imp, but the other arm swatted them aside like insects, it then stretched out, but Onyx bolstered his aura, becoming an immovable object and swung Obsidian Rage down, pinning the right arm to the ground.
Jasmine fired two shells from her lance, then swung horizontally, the end clobbering against the head of the horse. It quickly recovered, and massive teeth lunged out, grabbing the end, and throwing Jasmine around like a ragdoll, before tossing her down to the ground. Her aura protected her from actual injury, but it still hurt her a bit. Getting to her feet, she narrowed her eyes, and accessed her Copy/Paste semblance, choosing to use the memory she had of Ruby's speed. With that, she activated her borrowed semblance, dashing towards the horse, bashing straight down with Kitsune's Kickback, firing a shot to increase the velocity coming down onto the head of the equine part of the grimm.
Lilo kept dodging the remaining arm, but it was becoming increasingly irritating, the arm then lunged straight at her, and gripped around her neck, and attempted to squeeze down, but nothing was happening. The wolf faunus blinked, then glanced at her arms and body, where her lilac aura glowed brightly. She then glanced over to Onyx, who was holding a hand in her direction. She then took initiative to the fact he helped reinforce her stance and aura, and stabbed both of her claws through the arm, pinning it to the ground.
"Koa!" Onyx called out.
"On it!" Koa nodded, pressing a button on one boomerang, a thin blade extended out from the outer-half, and he threw it, the weapon sparking with lightning, slicing straight through the Nuckelavee's scrawny neck.
"And that's all she wrote," Koa said, catching the boomerang, resetting both, and holstering them with ease.
"Come on! Let's go help out the others!" Lilo called out.
Jasmine stopped her, and all four followed her finger, watching a blur of red pulling the Nevermore up the cliff on a path of white glyphs. Ruby got to the top, before she decapitated the giant bird, causing the corpse to fall back down.
"I think they had things well in hand," Onyx remarked.
"Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the Black Bishop pieces, therefore, you will work together as Team CRDL (Cardinal)," Ozpin's voice carried around the auditorium, as he went through the process of announcing the new teams out of the first years. He was currently addressing the four musclebound men that Lilo had pointed out to Koa last night.
"Led by... Cardin Winchester," The man on the left of the four gave no reaction to his assignment, instead, the four stepping aside so Ozpin could continue.
"Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, the four of you received the White Rook pieces, henceforth, you will work together as Team JNPR (Juniper)," Ozpin said, speaking to the four said new teammates. Nora promptly hugged Ren, while Jaune and Pyrrha smiled.
"Led by… Jaune Arc!" Everyone clapped for the young man, who was shocked with his new position. Pyrrha then punched him on the shoulder, but he wasn't prepared and fell to the floor.
"Koa Maru, Onyx Stone, Lilo Fuchsia, Jasmine Diali," Koa led his new friends onto the stage, where Ozpin was reading out their names. "The four of you received the White King pieces, therefore, you will work together as Team KOLD (Cold)," Jasmine held Koa's hand, Lilo rubbed her wolves' heads, and Onyx nodded.
"Led by… Koa Maru," Ozpin said, and Koa nodded.
"I won't let you down Professor," He said. "Or you guys."
"We know, congrats on the lead role," Lilo told him, patting him on the back.
"And finally," Team KOLD stepped aside, as the final four walked up. "Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin announced their names. "The four of you received the White Knight pieces, henceforth, you will be known as Team RWBY. Led by… Ruby Rose!"
"That isn't confusing at all," Lilo whispered.
"They'll make it work," Onyx shrugged.
"Congratulations Ruby!" Koa called out.
"It looks like things are turning out to be… quite the interesting year," Ozpin smiled, glancing up at the screens, where the new teams were displayed.
"I couldn't agree more," Koa chuckled. "Come on Team KOLD, let's go find our dorm room."
His new team nodded in agreement. "Dibs on first shower!" Lilo grinned.
Their dorm room was next door to Team JNPR's, which was opposite Team RWBY's, inside, their bags had been placed in one corner, while there were four beds around the room.
"I have… one gripe about our new team," Lilo said. "Jas and I are girls."
"Use the bathroom to change," Onyx told her. He turned to Koa. "I have an idea for sleeping arrangements. Can you use your semblance and help us out here?"
"I think I know your idea," Koa nodded, and a blue platform appeared underneath one bed, and he moved it carefully around, until it was above one in the corner, on the left of the window.
"Lower it gently," Onyx said, his eyes close to one of the bed posts. Koa did so, and the four legs on the top bed landed on the four posts of the lower one.
"There, now for the other one," Koa smirked, while the girls claimed the first newly made bunk bed.
Once the process had been repeated, the four teammates made the place look like home. Onyx claimed half of the bookshelves for his collection of books, and also put a landscape he had painted on the wall, which showed an overlook from his hometown.
Lilo pinned up a poster of the Achieve Men, which were a boy band she was a fan of. She also had several grimm models, including a Beowolf, Ursa, Nevermore, Griffon and Nuckelavee, which she put on the top shelf above Onyx's books.
Jasmine put up a poster of a girl band called the Hex Girls, which were three young ladies which had false vampire teeth and long fingernails, giving them the appearance of vampires. She also put a small stuffed fox on her pillow.
Koa put a model of an Atlas ship on the desk, along with several pots of paint and a few grids with components, he then put down an old sea vessel on the windowsill, and hung a Bullhead model from a piece of string from the ceiling near his bed. Lastly, he put a small poster of a tournament that he was aware of by the door, the poster was for the Vytal Festival, which would include a big fighting tournament pitting teams from the different kingdoms against one another.
With that, they divvied the dressers and drawers so they could put spare clothes away. As Lilo went into the bathroom to take first shower, a knock came from the door.
Koa opened it to see Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch standing there. "Good evening Mr Maru," Ozpin said.
"Professors," Koa nodded. "Can I help?"
"Don't worry, you aren't at fault for anything, we just want to ask a few questions," Goodwitch said.
"Please, come with us and we'll talk," Ozpin offered.
"Actually… I think I know what this is about," Koa said, glancing over to Jasmine. She nodded, and he nodded back. "Please, come in, we were going to tell Lilo and Onyx at some point anyway."
At that moment, Lilo stepped out of the bathroom in her nightwear, and blinked, seeing the two professors at the door. "Evening," She casually saluted, before sitting down on her bed, which was the lower one of the girl's side of the room.
Ozpin and Goodwitch glanced at each other, then stepped into the dorm. "Right, I think it's time to explain Jasmine's condition in proper," He said.
Jasmine came over, and stood next to him, she then pulled out her pen, and wrote four letters. PTVD.
"Post Traumatic Vocal Disarticulation," Koa explained. "See… when we were young, our village, Melodious, was attacked by the White Fang. During that raid, twenty of our people were murdered, and another twenty were kidnapped."
He glanced down at Jasmine, who hugged him tightly. "Jasmine was one of those taken, and everyone from her family were killed, her mother, father, and brother and sister," He said, hugging her back.
Ozpin looked solemn for a second, "I'm sorry to hear that, continue."
"Jasmine was taken to a hidden facility, where she was tortured with experiments, more than once, each day, for around six years," Koa said, stroking his friend's head, as she had to remember all the hardships she went through.
"Six years…" Goodwitch gasped. "Poor dear…"
"Every break I got from Signal after I made Return to Sender, I went hunting for her, and took out a number of White Fang outposts and other vital facilities to their cause, hoping to find Jas, and the others from our village, but every time was a dead end," Koa sighed.
"This disarticulation thing… care to elaborate?" Lilo asked. "I've never heard of it."
"Post Traumatic Vocal Disarticulation is a condition involving the vocal chords of a person. After a period of extreme stress or trauma, a person diagnosed with this condition is rendered completely unable to speak, even if there is no catastrophic injury to their actual vocal chords," Ozpin explained.
"Oh… so it's a stress related mute?" Lilo asked.
"Miss Diali, I need to ask, can you manage working in a team?" Goodwitch asked.
Jasmine nodded, 'Don't worry, we'll learn to help each other, right guys?' She wrote out.
"You bet," Lilo grinned, and both Snowfall and Shadow barked in agreement. Onyx nodded as well, a smirk on his face.
"Then we have nothing to worry about," Ozpin gave a smile. "We won't take up anymore of your time. Good night Team KOLD."
With that, both professors left the dorm room, leaving the four teammates to themselves.
"Right, Jas, why don't you have the next shower," Koa said to his best friend.
She nodded, grabbing her nightwear and heading for the shower.
Lilo glanced at the fox toy on Jasmine's pillow, "So is that…?" She asked.
"Yeah, that belonged to her sister," Koa nodded, sadly.
That night, Lilo awoke to the slight sound of movement above her, and she noted that Jasmine was sitting up, looking out the window.
"Jassy?" She asked.
Jas pulled out her pen, 'Sorry, didn't mean to wake you,' She wrote.
"It's fine," Lilo smiled softly. "I'm sorry you had to remember that stuff today." She pat her bed, "Come on, you can snuggle up next to me for tonight. Or I'll let you have one of the pups as a sleeping buddy."
Jasmine slipped down from her bed, and got under the sheets, wrapping her tail around her and Lilo. "How is it so soft?" Asked the wolf faunus.
The fox faunus just smiled, and drifted off to sleep, with Lilo doing the same.
Koa: Do we rule or what?
Lilo: Sure didn't waste any time against that Nuckelavee.
Onyx: And we've become an official team now.
Jasmine: 'Team KOLD!'
All: Next time: The Badge and The Burden!