~Ammy~

A pack of beowolves, with an alpha leading from the back, burst from the tree line charging for us, eager to rip us apart.

"I got this!" the blond yelled jumping in front of us and pointing her gauntlets at the Grimm. A barrel popped out from the outside of each of her gauntlets, between her elbow and pinkie finger, then opened fire into the center of the pack. Bullets pouring out of the boxes on her upper arms, through the barrels on the gauntlets, and straight into the Grimm. Flinching slightly from the sudden sound of gun fire, I noticed the pack starting to split to each side to avoid the bullets and surround us.

"Red, cover the left!" I shouted over the machine guns and Red sprinted to protect that flank. I then turned to the blue haired girl shouted, "cover your partner, I got the right!" She nodded, I was slightly taken aback at the intense look in her eyes compared to the previous glazed over one but, it is not a priority. Sprinting to cover the right and to keep the pack from encircling us, I met with my first target. Easily ducking under it's wide swipe, I countered, cutting into it's ribs and trough it's chest. I cut through a four more with the same ease, their movements slow and obvious and leaving plenty of openings. These must be really young Grimm if they are this sloppy, I thought now that my side is clear. I looked left to see the only Grimm still alive is the alpha who was engaged with Red.

They were trading blows until Red flared his crimson aura for a powerful swing with his blade. But, when the blade hit the Grimm's armor it shattered. The Grimm countered, backhanding Red sending him sliding back, and causing his aura to ripple from the impact. The motion of his aura reminding me of the small waves a stone would make when tossed into a calm pond. I raised my right hand to create a glyph to help Red. But before I could draw it, ice came streaming from my left along the ground and when it reached the alpha's legs, it encased its lower body in a block of ice. Surprised, I looked over to see the blue haired girl with her palm on the ground at the origin of the ice stream, with her partner next to her seeming just as surprised, the blond having to reload.

I looked back to see how Red was fairing to see him grinning with his aura flared, walking up to the alpha Grimm. When he got just out of the Grimm's reach, he pulled his right fist back and his aura seemed to condense into his arm. Then he jumped forward and punched the Grimm with an impressive uppercut. But what I did not expect, when his fist hit the Grimm it created a small explosion. The sudden bang made me flinch again, I also did not want to get hit with any bits of Grimm or ice, raising my small shield. When I looked back, the Grimm's head was blown off, and the rest of its disintegrating torso slumped on top of the ice block with a pleased looking Red standing over it.

"Victory!" I looked over to see the blond with a huge grin and a fist in the air. "Stupid Grimm didn't stand a chance against us!"

"They wouldn't have even shown up if you weren't so loud," Red growled back, with any sign of satisfaction gone now.

The blond just gave a sheepish smile in return. I interjected with a touch of concern, "it seemed like you enjoyed it though."

"I might like fighting but I do not like being snuck up on," Red said back.

"You guys were awesome too," the blond continued with her grin back. "You guys cut them up like they were nothing and then you punched that alpha's head clean off."

Red just glared at her flattery and turned to me, "lets go now before they attract another pack of Grimm." And, started walking back to the forest.

"It is a good idea to get out of here," I said to the pair as I started after my partner.

"Right, I am low on ammo anyway," the blond agreed and turned to her partner, "let's head back Shiva." Who just stared back with that same glazed look as before but followed when we started for the forest. When we got to the tree line the blond started saying, "oh yeah, now that I think about it we don't know each others names, I'm Rikku Margrace."

She held out her armored hand to shake, which I accepted with slight hesitation, "call me Ammy."

"Amie?"

"No it's pronounced am-me."

"Sorry, oh and this is Shiva Nailo," giving half apology and gesturing to her partner who seemed to only be half paying attention. "She doesn't really talk much or do much really either," scratching her head and earning a confused squint from Shiva.

"I see... and my partner goes by Red," gesturing to him as he seemed to deliberately stay a few paces ahead of us.

Rikku leaned close to whisper, "he is kind of an angry person isn't he."

"Possibly, but he is not too bad, at least not to me, yet," which got me curious as to why he is acting as such.

"Well it might be just because he broke his sword. And, don't either of you have last names or are they a secret or something?" She finished teasingly.

"I am not sure about Red, he didn't say, but mine is Ankoku," I replied curtly and faced forward thinking that would stop her from prying.

"Ok, nice to officially meet you," after that we walked in silence for awhile. Well, until Rikku asks me, "hey we are going the right way, right?"

"Yes we should be back soon, the smells from campus are getting much stronger."

"That's good, I'm getting tired of walking the woods," Rikku said while stretching her arms. "I'm ready for a hot shower."

x

"Ammy Ankoku, Rikku Margrace, Red, and Shiva Nailo brought back the red crystals." The headmaster's voice boomed throughout the auditorium. "They will be known as team AMaRaNth, led by Ammy." Followed by applause as we left the stage to make room for the next team.

x

After the team ceremony, we left and went straight to our dorm. Rikku was practically skipping down the hall followed by Shiva and me, while Red was hanging back. I glanced back to see him looking less than happy, so I decided to slow my pace to walk beside him and ask him about it. "Something wrong?"

"Wrong? Yeah, I'm stuck with those two," he said scowling at Rikku and Shiva.

"I could understand being annoyed with Rikku but what did Shiva do?" Rather confused by his irritation.

"What about you, how can you be happy with those two?" Completely ignoring my question.

"They have been very cordial to me so far, I have no reason to dislike them."

"Tch, you can like them all you want but, I have no reason to trust them," he spat out.

Before I could continue Rikku shouted, "we're here!" She burst in while we entered like normal people and took in our room. Four beds lined the back wall with the window, desks on either side of the entrance. Shelves and dressers along the open parts of the walls, and the door to the bathroom in the middle of the right wall.

"I call bathroom first," said a new voice. I looked over thinking it was Rikku speaking oddly only, to see her staring with a shocked look at Shiva gathering her things from a bag in the corner.

After she entered the bathroom Rikku said, "that was odd, and speaking of odd what is with our team name?" looking at me.

"I'm not sure, I have never heard that word before," I replied sitting on the left middle bed.

"I wonder what it means?" Rikku said and flopped down onto the other middle bed and Red made himself comfortable on the far left bed next to mine.

When Shiva exited the bathroom Rikku immediately face palmed. "We have been over this Shiva you need to wear clothes when you are around other people," she said from behind her hand as Shiva was wearing short shorts and an overly revealing, loose tank top.

"But it gets too hot with anymore clothes than this," Shiva countered sitting on the last bed, nearest to the restroom.

"It should be alright as long as Red doesn't mind," I added and looked at Red who seemed to have fallen asleep already, in his same pants and t-shirt only taken off his jacket.

"Of course he wouldn't mind a half naked hottie," Rikku mumbled to herself with a slight pink tint on her cheeks. "Whatever, I got bathroom next," she said already halfway there.

"You were curious about the meaning behind the word amaranth right?" Shiva asked Rikku before she closed the door.

"Yeah why, you know what it means?"

"Amaranth is a species of red or purple flowers, but also can mean an imaginary flower that never fades," Shiva summarized.

"Oh, that's cool I guess," Rikku said before continuing into the bathroom.

I decided to just change in the room, because Red was sleeping anyway, and to wash in the morning. I returned to bed and let my mind wander. Team leader is definitely something I did not want to be. It is way more responsibility than I wanted to deal with. I sighed, at least my team is nice enough to me, even though Red doesn't like Rikku and Shiva. Which I am sure I will have to remedy some time and get them to be amiable. Such a pain I though with another sigh.

"Everything alright?" came a voice from my left.

I turned to see Rikku with concerned look on her face. "Oh Rikku, I was just thinking about what happened today."

"I know, it's just so exciting to finally become a huntress. Well a huntress in training that is," she chirped happily with a smile.

I forced a smile for her, "yes it is." Rikku seemed satisfied with my reply and settled into her bed. Well I suppose overall, things could be worse. I could have problems with all of my teammates.