Here we are at Chapter 2. Khazhak and his team begin their first day at Beacon, and meet some interesting people along the way. I do not own RWBY Ice Queendom. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 2. Enjoy.
Chapter 2: Initiation
Khazhak looks out the window as the airship takes him and his friends to Beacon, along with all the other prospective new students to the school.
"So, any idea what the school's gonna be like once we reach it?" Lloyd asks, resting his hands behind his shoulders.
Edom is looking some information up on his scroll, "It appears that there will first be an initiation exam in order to actually get into the school. Not surprising, considering they're training warriors. If they can't pass that, they won't survive out in the real world. What's more, students will be split into teams of four. However, I don't know how exactly they set that up,"
"If that's the case, then we'll need to make sure we all end up on the same team. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not looking forward to rooming with complete strangers. Especially if they're a bunch of racist punks," Porphyrius says.
Khazhak glances back at him, "Don't worry, Porphyrius. We will be a team at Beacon. I will not fight alongside anyone else other than you three in that regard," he then looks back at the people around them. "Besides, most of those here don't seem particularly skilled enough to keep up with us,"
"Well, then again, they don't have our experience, or our sheer awesomeness, Brother," Lloyd flexes his muscles, making Porphyrius facepalm.
"I do wonder why the headmaster of Beacon Academy would offer us enrollment to his school rather than simply handing us off to the police. We're not official huntsmen, and what we've basically been doing is vigilantism. However, getting an official huntsman license for each of us would make things easier for our work. We'd even get paid more for it. Let's make the best of this situation for now," Khazhak says, crossing his arms.
Hearing some noise to the side causes Khazhak to look over and see Ruby Rose talking with the blonde girl from before. They seem really close with how the blonde is hugging Ruby.
"What's wrong, Khazhak?" Edom asks.
"Nothing. That's the girl I encountered when I found Roman Torchwick in Vale. Ruby Rose, I believe her name was," Khazhak replies.
Edom looks at her, "Hmmm, I see. I remember you said that she wielded a scythe in battle. It's not too often you find a fellow scythe wielder training to become a huntsman, or huntress in this case,"
"She's skilled, but inexperienced. I could tell right away. I do wonder who taught her though. As for the blonde, I saw her at the police station as I was leaving. They seem close. Family, perhaps," Khazhak replies.
Porphyrius looks over, finding his eye stopping on the blonde. They see the pair walking over and talking to a girl with long black hair, amber eyes, and wearing black and white clothing, all topped off with a black bow in her hair. The girl was reading a book by herself until the two showed up and started a conversation with her. However, just as when it looked like the blonde was ready to give up, Ruby said something that caught the new girl's attention, and she eventually smiled as the blonde started hugging Ruby again. Just then, they notice a girl with long, white hair tied in a off-center ponytail walk over and it didn't look like she was there to make friends. The problem is Khazhak knows exactly who she is.
"You've gotta be kidding me. What is the Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, doing here?" Khazhak wonders, narrowing his eyes.
Porphyrius spots her and quickly his expression turns into a murderous one, "You mean to tell me that little Schnee bitch is here?! I can't believe my luck," he looks like he's about to blow until Khazhak holds out an arm.
"Hold, Porphyrius. You lose your cool here, and you'll take out this whole airship, with us inside it. Cool it," Khazhak orders him.
"But, she-," Porphyrius protests.
"I said ENOUGH!" Khazhak lowly commands, shutting him down. "Lloyd, Reaper, stay Porphyrius. I'll be back in a minute. Make sure he doesn't lose control," and with that, Khazhak walks over to the girls.
Reaper and Lloyd practically have to hold Porphyrius' arms to keep him from going ballistic. Soon enough, Khazhak gets close enough to overhear their conversation.
"-So, you believe every lie those anti-human Faunus and those despicable terrorists, the White Fang, is spewing?" Weiss berates Ruby and the blonde.
"Hey, come on. No need to be like that," the blonde tries to placate her.
"You're wrong about them. The White Fang used to be pacifists. Until your family's company started exploiting and abusing all of your Faunus workers," the girl with the book retorts without looking away from her page.
"Oh, so that's it, huh. You're taking the Faunus' side?" Weiss asks.
"Please, only ignorant people would believe that every Faunus is evil. The world is not that simple," the black-haired girl fires back.
Weiss scoffs, "How dare you-,"
"She has a point, actually," Khazhak interrupts her as he joins the conversation. "The White Fang originally wanted peace and equality between humans and Faunus. To be seen as they are," his words catch the black-haired girl's interest. "However, it was because of people like you that progress on that front was slow. Soon, they lost their patience and turned to new, more destructive means. Yes, they have become extremists, but the fault isn't entirely on them. Humans like you pushed them to that breaking point. There are Faunus that are evil, but there are also Faunus that are good. It's the same with humans. Not all humans are innocent, princess. I'd have thought you of all people would know that," Khazhak turns to Weiss.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Weiss retorts haughtily.
"It must be nice, living in your big mansion, in your kingdom in the sky. Away from the real world. So you never have to see the damage, the pain, and the suffering your family's company has caused to so many innocent people, both human and Faunus. The blood spilled in the name of making money," Khazhak shoots back.
"Ugh, just who do you think you-," Weiss is about to ask, until a sudden fist flies next to her face, smashing the wall behind her.
Khazhak's right fist is just a couple inches from her face, and it hit the wall so hard that it cracked it a bit. Everyone freezes, especially Weiss who looks on in fear.
"I am someone who knows exactly what your father has done, even if you don't. And I do not fear you or your family. Now, look into my eyes. What do you see? The answer is nothing because that is what I see when I look at you. A spoiled little princess who believes that the world revolves around her," Khazhak retracts his fist. "The real world is larger than your understanding of it, Weiss Schnee. If you want to become a true huntress, then you must open your eyes and look beyond that which gazes back at you in the mirror. Only then can you become a true huntress,"
At this point, Weiss regains her bearings, "You-how dare-the nerve of... You just stay away from me! And you-," she points at Ruby. "Don't you ever speak to me again!" and with that, she stalks off from the group.
The girl with the bow closes her book and takes her leave as well. However, Khazhak notices her bow twitch, even if only slightly.
"Wait... could she be..." Khazhak thinks before a more pressing matter gains his attention.
"Oh, am I ever going to make friends at this rate?" Ruby moans as she sags her shoulders.
"Is that what that was about?" Khazhak asks.
"Well, it started out that way... Oh, wait, you're Khazhak right. I remember you from the other night," Ruby's demeanor brightens. "Wait, can you and I be friends?!"
"I... guess," Khazhak seems a little unsure, but goes along with it.
"Yes! See, Yang, I can make friends," Ruby points at the blonde's face.
"He seemed a little hesitant to me, Ruby," the girl jokes.
"And this is?" Khazhak gestures to the blonde.
"Oh, right. Khazhak, this is my big sister, Yang. Yang, this is Khazhak, the boy who helped me fight those bad guys the other night," Ruby introduces the two.
Yang holds out a hand, "Yang Xiao Long. Thanks for taking care of my baby sister and keeping her from getting into even more trouble,"
"Yang!" Ruby pouts.
Khazhak shakes the hand, then cocks an eyebrow, "Xiao Long? Not Rose?"
"We're half-sisters. Same dad, different moms," Yang explains.
"I see. If we're making introductions," he looks back and nods his head, gesturing for his team to join them. "These are my comrades: Edom Soul Reaper, Porphyrius Darkwing, and Lloyd Jyousai. I told Ozpin that I would enroll at Beacon as long as he'd allow them to join as well. We've been fighting together for a long time,"
Reaper bows his head, "A pleasure,"
Porphyrius simply nods, "Yeah,"
And Lloyd is the most vocal, "Nice to meet you, ladies. Brother, you sure know how to pick 'em," he jokes.
"Huh?" Ruby cocks her head.
Porphyrius elbows Lloyd in the stomach, "Ignore him. He's an idiot."
Yang giggles, "Your friends are funny, Khazhak," her eyes switch between them, though they stay on Porphyrius a moment longer.
"I hear you're a skilled scythe wielder, Miss Rose. Is that true?" Reaper asks.
"Y-Yeah! My uncle Qrow taught me at Signal," Ruby says.
"I see. I, too, and a scythe wielder. Perhaps we can compare our weapons sometime," Reaper suggests.
Ruby gets stars in her eyes, "I would love to check out another scythe weapon!" she cheers, while her sister merely shakes her head with a smile. "Oh, but I also really want to check out Khazhak's swords. They were so cool. Can I see them, Khazhak?"
"Not now. Another time, perhaps, little rose," Khazhak says, the last comment making Yang snicker.
"Huh, little rose? Hey, I'm not little! I drink milk," Ruby says matter-of-factly, but then notices how everyone is taller than her. "Ugh, you're only taller because you're all two years older than me!" and now her sister is laughing.
The conversation ends when holographic projections of Professor Ozpin and the woman who Khazhak met the other night appear in the airship, gaining everyone's attention.
"Hello and welcome to Beacon Academy. I am Glynda Goodwitch, one of your instructors at this prestigious academy. Our headmaster, Professor Ozpin, has a few words for you," Goodwitch explains.
"All of you have trained to become warriors. Today, your training will be put to the test in the Emerald Forest Initiation Exam," Ozpin begins.
"This must be that initiation we heard about," Porphyrius says.
A light comes up on the floor, showing everyone a map of the Emerald Forest.
"You must make your way to the ancient temple in the forest, eliminating any Grimm that get in your way. If you don't, then you'll die," Ozpin explains.
"You will become partners with whomever you make the first eye contact with. Two pairs will then be combined into a four person team," Glynda adds.
"These will be your teammates during your time at Beacon Academy. It would be best that you get along with one another," Ozpin says.
"Partners?! And teams?! I wasn't told about this!" Ruby starts to freak out.
Yang glances to the side, "Dad told us about this,"
"The temple contains several relics. You must choose one and bring it back to Beacon Cliff. We will watch you as you progress through the exam, but we will not aid you. You must accomplish this task on your own," Ozpin reminds them.
"We will arrive at the starting location shortly. Please prepare accordingly before then. We wish you well in battle," Goodwitch says, and so ends the explanation.
In the airship, the people gather their weapons from their lockers. Khazhak looks over his blades, making sure they're in perfect condition. The rest of his group check theirs and prepare for the exam.
"Remember, we'll need to avoid everyone else until we can link up with each other. No making eye-contact with anyone else," Khazhak says.
"Just try not to destroy the forest before reaching the temple, Khazhak. We don't need to kill everything that dwells there," Reaper says, holstering his twin-scythe on his back.
"No promises," Khazhak replies, holstering his swords on his hips. He then notices Porphyrius glare off in one direction and spots Weiss Schnee talking with a red-haired girl carrying a sword and shield. "Porphyrius, we're still on the airship," he walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Remember my promise. However, there are innocents here. You must not lose control again. Remember what happened last time,"
Porphyrius offers a hard sigh, "I just... Every time I see her, I'm reminded of what I lost... What was taken from me," he holds a hand over his eyepatch.
"I know, but you must not lose sight of the bigger picture. For now, focus on the exam. We'll worry about the rest later. Remember, I will keep my promise to you," Khazhak says before looking back at the two girls. He recognizes the girl with the red hair. "Although, it's a bit surprising to see the Champion of Mistral, Pyrrha Nikos, here. I figured she would've attended Haven instead of Beacon. Must've come here for a change of pace,"
They see a blonde guy in a black hoodie and shabby armor appearing to be hitting on the two girls. However, while Pyrrha didn't seem to mind his company, Weiss certainly did and practically pushed him away. The guy limps away, sagging and downtrodden. He ends up walking by Khazhak's group.
"Having trouble there, ladiesman?" Lloyd jokes.
"Oh, my dad said that the thing all girls look for is confidence. Where did I go wrong?" the boy laments.
"I pretty sure he's right, but there's a difference between confidence and cockiness. Plus, girls don't like pushy guys who can't take a hint," Lloyd explains.
"Is that how it works?" the boy asks.
"Pretty much. I'm Lloyd, what's your name?" Lloyd asks.
"Jaune. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet ya," Jaune replies.
Porphyrius rolls his eye, "Oh great, Lloyd made a friend with someone who looks like he'll be the first to die in the exam. Woo," he mutters.
…
The airship lands by Beacon Cliff and the examinees disembark. They all meet with Ozpin and Glynda at the cliff.
"The test shall begin now. Take your positions," Ozpin says.
Everyone stands on circular pads under signs with their names above. The position overlooks the Emerald Forest.
"Students, please have your landing strategy prepared," Glynda calls out.
"Uh, landing strategy?" Jaune asks as the students look down at the pads.
"So, that's it huh," Khazhak looks down at the pad.
"Aw, yeah! This is going to be fun!" Yang pumps her fists.
"Get ready to fly," Lloyd smirks.
Suddenly, one of the students gets shot into the air, much to Jaune's horror. They all get sent flying one by one, with Jaune being the last as he goes screaming like a little girl.
"Well, this should prove interesting. Who knows what kind of teams we'll have this year," Glynda notes while Ozpin sips his coffee.
…
Khazhak flies through the air, taking out his swords. He fires off a few shots in front of him to slow his descent and then when he gets close, holds is left blade in a reverse grip and stabs the blade into the side of a tree, spinning around towards the ground and landing safely. He hears screaming above him and sees Jaune flying above him, about to meet a painful death... only for a red and bronze spear to fly by and pin his hood to a nearby tree, saving him. Khazhak shakes his head and moves on. Above, Edom fires off a knife with a wire from his twin-scythe, imbedding itself in a tree branch. He reels himself in and swings around to land on the branch. Meanwhile, Porphyrius performs a maneuver similar to Khazhak to land... and Lloyd's strategy is simply to engage his semblance and crash into the ground. He leaves a large crater in his wake, but ends up without a scratch.
Lloyd dusts off his shoulders, "Ah, nothing like fresh air with a tinge of danger to get the blood pumping. Now, where to find the others," he takes off into the forest.
Khazhak moves through the forest, keeping an eye out for his allies. Instead, the first creatures he finds are a pack of Beowolves. The grimm surround him, ready to rip him apart.
Khazhak smirks while taking out his blades, "This should be fun," he notes as lightning flows around his swords.
In another part of the forest, Ruby Rose had ended up partnering with Weiss Schnee, for better or worse.
"Let's go, I'm not going to fail this exam because you're too slow," Weiss tells her. Ruby pouts and then zips by her with her semblance. "What the-,"
"I'm not slow, see. I'll show you what I can do, Weiss, and then you'll definitely want to be my friend," Ruby smiles back at her.
"That's her semblance," Weiss mutters, but then scoffs. "Only a child would-," she gets cut off by a huge explosion further in the forest. They look to see several more explosions occur, with blue lightning being seen among the smoke, debris, and flames. "What in the world is going on now?!"
Ruby sees the lightning, "Is that... Khazhak?"
"Who?" Weiss asks.
"Oh, it's just I've seen that lightning before. Khazhak, the guy you met on the airship with the blue and black clothing. I've seen him use lightning before. I think that's his semblance," Ruby explains.
"You mean that callous brute did-," Weiss begins, but another explosion cuts her off. She looks, seeing pieces of trees and grimm flying into the air. "How did one person acquire such power?" she mutters.
Back with Khazhak, he slices through one Beowolf in front of him, followed by firing a shot off to his left, hitting a second in the skull. A third comes at his right flank, but he swings his swords around leaves it in pieces. One more comes at his rear, but it gets cut in half by a spinning weapon flying by. Khazhak looks as the weapon comes around and gets caught in the hand of Reaper, revealing it as his weapon.
"Never were one for subtlety, were you," Reaper notes.
"Where's the fun in that? Any sign of Porphyrius or Lloyd?" Khazhak asks as he holsters his blades.
Reaper shakes his head, "Nothing so far. Hopefully, they've found each other so we'll be one step closer to becoming an official team. I'd much rather be with you three than complete strangers," Reaper notes.
"Then let's get moving," Khazhak walks ahead, with Reaper behind him.
In another part of the forest, Lloyd swings his claws in a cross slash, shredding through an Ursa. Another Ursa tries to smash him with its large paw, but Lloyd easily catches it and then throws the grimm into a nearby tree. As it gets up, Lloyd jumps up and smashes his steel feet into its skull, crushing its head. He looks back to see a few more grimm stalking towards him. Lloyd smiles as he gets ready for another battle. However, his fun is cut short when the grimm are suddenly ridden with bullet holes from behind. Their bodies fall and dissolve, revealing Porphyrius from behind.
"Hey, those were mine!" Lloyd complains.
"You were too slow, Lloyd. Gotta speed up if you want to catch the rabbit," Porphyrius smirks as they link up. "Any sign of Khazhak or Reaper?" he asks, but Lloyd merely shakes his head. "Hmm, hopefully they've found each other by now. Let's head to the temple. I'll bet we'll meet up with them there," Porphyrius then takes off running, with Lloyd right behind him.
Back with Khazhak and Reaper, a sudden fire provoked some grimm into running in their direction. Of course, they didn't last long as Khazhak and Reaper charge forth, slicing through three grimm together with their blades. Reaper jumps over one that tried to eat him, firing off one of his knives to stab its back. He swings his twin-scythe around, swinging the grimm towards Khazhak. Khazhak swings his right blade upwards, bisecting the beast.
"Any guess on how that fire started?" Reaper asks.
Khazhak looks around and groans when he spots something, "I'll give you three guesses," he says, pointing ahead.
They look to find Ruby and Weiss, apparently arguing with one another.
"Wow, so you're childish, slow, and you have a temper. Bravo," Weiss insults Ruby.
"And you're just an arrogant jerk. I hate you! You think you're so perfect, don't you," Ruby fires back.
This actually makes Weiss freeze for a moment and look away as she turns her back to Ruby. However, a Beowolf jumps from the bushes at her. The pair can't react in time, but a shot rings out, hitting the grimm in the head. The grimm falls to the ground and dissolves and the girls see Khazhak as the culprit, his left blade out.
"I highly doubt this is the place to have a little spat. You two are practically oozing negativity," Khazhak notes as they approach.
Weiss scoffs, "Oh, you again. Come to threaten me some more?"
"Khazhak," Ruby greet him with a smile.
"Little rose. I can assume the fire wasn't your doing. Most likely the spoiled brat here," Khazhak glances at Weiss.
"Hey, that wouldn't have happened if she-," Weiss begins.
"Now, now, arguing out here won't solve any of our current predicaments," Reaper gets in between them. "Right now, our focus should be on passing the exam,"
Weiss takes note of the skull mask on his face, "...And you would be?"
Reaper bows his head, "I am Edom Soul Reaper. A pleasure. Khazhak and I are partners now, but we've actually been fighting together for years. Now, we just need to find the temple, and our compatriots, and everything will be set,"
"Oh, it's cool you got partnered with someone you get along with," Ruby says, glaring at Weiss who turns her chin away with a 'hmph'.
Khazhak sighs, "Look, you two may not like each other, and I can't blame Ruby considering how you've most likely been treating her, but here's the reality: you two are partners now. Whether you like it or not. Which means you're stuck together for the next four years at Beacon. Unless you want to drop out or fail here, you'll need to learn to work together. So, get over it,"
"Please, don't remind me," Weiss pouts.
Khazhak gets in her face, "Wake up, Ice Queen. And look at your partner," he tells her, leaving no room for argument. Slowly, Weiss turns to face Ruby. "Have you not stopped to ask yourself why she was moved two years early to enroll at Beacon? Why Professor Ozpin, a man respected by many, would want her to come to his school two years ahead of schedule? I admit, I don't know Ruby all that well, but I've seen her in action. If there's one thing I can say about her, it's that she's skilled in a fight, even if inexperienced," he says, earning a look of awe from Ruby, followed by a pout at the last comment. "You should be lucky that you have someone with talent as your partner at Beacon, so get out of your own head. You won't survive here in the real world all by yourself, even if you think you can. No one can succeed alone. It's why I went looking for my comrades when I did," Khazhak nods to Reaper. "The four of us faced dangers you couldn't imagine, and we survived because we fought together."
Weiss looks between him and Ruby. However, before she can say anything, a large black feather falls between them.
Khazhak looks up, "Oh, crap," he says as the rest look up just in time to see a large Nevermore swooping down on them.
…
Meanwhile, Yang and her partner, the girl with the bow in her hair, arrive at the temple. They find several chess pieces laid out before them, but some spots are empty.
"I guess these are the relics we're supposed to collect, huh Blake," Yang notes.
"Some of them are missing. Guess we weren't the first ones here. Might as well pick one," her partner, Blake Belladonna, replies.
Yang looks around and eventually decides on a white knight piece, "How about a cute little pony?"
"That's fine," Blake nods.
Just then, they hear some noise and look to see an Ursa go flying through a tree nearby. The grimm slowly get back up, only for an arm blade to impale the top of its skull. As it turns out, Lloyd and Porphyrius were the culprits.
"For the record, that stunt back there was your idea," Porphyrius notes, glancing back at Lloyd.
"Hey, it worked, didn't it," Lloyd replies, but then notices Yang and Blake. "Oh, hey, Yang. Guess you beat us here," he waves at her.
"Hey guys. You looked like you were having fun," Yang waves back.
Porphyrius and Lloyd join them, "Not as much fun as you might think," he looks at Blake. "I guess you two are partners, huh,"
"Yep, this is-," Yang begins.
"Blake Belladonna. You guys know each other?" Blake asks.
"Sort of. Apparently, they're old friends of that guy I told you about who helped out my sister. Khazhak, right?"
"Yeah, that's Brother. We saw his callsign back in the forest," Lloyd points a thumb behind him.
"Callsign?" Blake cocks an eyebrow.
"Those huge explosions with the blue lightning. That was Khazhak's doing. He never liked being subtle. Prefers to just destroy what gets in his way, especially when it's grimm," Porphyrius explains while Lloyd checks out the relics.
"That was him? I can't say I've seen many people with that kind of power at such a young age," Blake notes.
"Brother's just special like that," Lloyd says, walking up to them with a black knight piece in his hand. "Got the relic,"
"Wait, 'Brother'? Are you two-," before Yang can finish, they hear more noise and look to see a girl with short hair, wearing a pink skirt, and wielding a large hammer, swing said hammer onto the back of a Ursa, causing it to crash into a nearby pillar.
"Aw man, I broke it," the girl moans.
"Nora," a boy with black hair tied in a low ponytail, wearing a green oriental shirt and wielding a pair of green pistols with blades under the barrells approaches. "Could you try to not do so many crazy stunts like that?"
"Was she... riding an Ursa?" Blake asks, stupefied.
"Hey, that sounds like it could be fun. Why don't we do that, Porphyrius?" Lloyd asks, showing a crazy grin on his face.
"NO," Porphyrius shoots him down.
The girl, Nora Valkyrie, grabs a white rook piece, "I got the castle piece. I'm queen of the castle. I'm queen of the castle. Ren, you get to be the king," she sings.
The boy, Lie Ren, offers a calm smile, "That's nice, Nora," Ren replies.
"They look like fun," Yang notes.
A sudden explosion in the forest rings out and they all look to see Ruby, Weiss, Khazhak, and Reaper running towards them.
"Brother!" Lloyd yells.
"Ruby!" Yang cheers, happy to see her sister.
The cheer is short lived when they notice a giant Nevermore flying low behind them.
"I'm getting sick of this crap!" Khazhak curses while charging up his semblance. "Reaper, get them out of here!"
"Ruby, hop on my back!" Reaper says, and Ruby does. "Pardon me, Weiss," he wraps an arm around Weiss' torso, much to her surprise, and then fires off a knife from his twin-scythe.
The flying knife hits a pillar at the temple and pulls the three in away from Khazhak and the grimm. The second the Nevermore tries to bite its beak down on Khazhak, he swings his sword around, sending out a wave of lightning that hits its face, causing it to fly back into the air.
"Ruby, I'm so glad you're okay," Yang notes as Ruby runs to the relics.
"Khazhak, how'd you get a Nevermore on your ass?" Porphyrius jokes.
"Not now! Reaper, I'll grab a relic," Khazhak says as he's reaches them.
The Nevermore flies back around and shoots several feathers at them. They head towards Weiss, but Reaper gets in front of her and spins his twin-scythe around to deflect the feathers. Meanwhile, Ruby grabs a white knight piece while Khazhak grabs a black knight piece as the grimm flies over them. Suddenly, Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc get flung through the forest and land near them. Pyrrha gets up as the group see a Deathstalker breaking through trees to approach them.
"Well, it's definitely a party now," Reaper jokes as everyone ready their weapons.
The Deathstalker tries to stab them with its stinger, but Pyrrha blocks it with her shield, "Jaune, go grab a relic. I'll cover you,"
Jaune listens and runs to the temple. He looks around and decides on a white rook piece.
"Pyrrha, I finally found you!" Weiss smiles.
Pyrrha glances back, and that's when the Deathstalker makes another move. However, Lloyd gets in front and encases his claws in his semblance, catching the swinging pincer. Porphyrius jumps over them, firing off several gravity shots at its tail and pincers to weigh it down.
"That won't hold it forever," Porphyrius notes as he and Lloyd move back.
Jaune walks up behind Pyrrha, "Come on, time to go!"
"The test only requires that we return with the relic. We don't need to fight these things!" Blake says.
"Aw, where's the fun in that?" Lloyd groans.
"I agree with the running," Jaune says.
"But, Ozpin said we needed to kill the grimm!" Ruby retorts.
"No, she's right. I love killing grimm as much as the next guy, but that's not our mission here. There's no need to waste our time on these things. Let's move," Khazhak says.
Weiss grabs Ruby's hand, "Come on, let's go," and pulls her along.
With a decision made, the group race towards a large set of ruins next to a canyon beyond them. Within the canyon is an ancient tower with several destroyed bridges, with only one bridge connecting it to the sides of the canyon. They move ahead, trying to get away from the grimm. However, as they get closer, a third grimm flies in and lands before them. A giant Gryphon. It roars as the group find themselves trapped by the large monsters.
Khazhak moves first, "Lloyd, get ready to fly!" he combines his swords into their greatsword form.
"Batter up!" Lloyd jumps above him.
Khazhak swings his sword around, with Lloyd landing on the side of it. He swings hard, sending Lloyd flying at the Gryphon. Encasing his body in steel, Lloyd rolls in the air like a cannonball and smashes into the grimm's chest, knocking it off balance.
Khazhak looks to the others, "Go! We'll handle this one!" he and his comrades move to face the Gryphon.
Ruby, Yang, and their partners use this chance to head to the bridge. Behind them all, Nora aims her grenade launcher and fires off a few shots along with Pyrrha and her rifle at the Deathstalker. Unfortunately, while the shots stun it, they don't kill it due to its tough armor. Ruby's group race across the bridge, but the Nevermore flies in and destroys it. Th four girls jump across the falling debris and get to safety. Ruby looks from the Nevermore to Khazhak's group as they fight the Gryphon. The grimm smashes one claw down, but Lloyd and Reaper jump out of the way. Lloyd and Porphyrius aim their weapons and fire a rain of bullets at it. The Gryphon turns and charges at the, smashing through some of the old ruins around. Khazhak switches his weapon into its third form, fusing the swords and the pommels of the handles, almost like a halberd. He twirls his weapon around and runs at it. Jumping up, he makes a few slashes on its right side, causing the grimm to roar and turn to him. Khazhak jumps back as it tries to sink its beak on him. Khazhak glances back at Jaune's group, seeing how they're doing with the Deathstalker. Jaune moves up, blocking a strike from the grimm's left pincer, while Pyrrha covers him by blocking the right pincer with her shield. Ren uses this chance and jumps over them, running along the grimm's body to reach its stinger. He starts firing his pistols at the tail, but this angers the Deathstalker and it swings hard, knocking Ren off and sending him crashing into a nearby wall.
"Ren!" Nora yells before firing more shots at the grimm.
Khazhak then glances at Ruby's group. He sees the girls each taking shots at the grimm as it makes a mess of the tower and the bridges.
"This has turned into quite the melee, huh," Khazhak mutters. "Porphyrius, ground its wing!"
"Got it!" Porphyrius activates his semblance and fires off several gravity shots at the Gryphon's right wing.
The limb gets pinned to the ground, preventing the grimm from taking flight. Khazhak and Reaper use this chance. They twirl their blades around and throw them at the downed wing. The two weapons spin in the air like buzzsaws, ripping through the wing, cutting it off and leaving the grimm grounded. Khazhak and Reaper catch their weapons and get back into the fight. With Jaune's group, Jaune notices how the Deathstalker's tail is hanging off by its main section and gets an idea.
"Pyrrha, go for the tail!" Jaune calls out.
"Done," Pyrrha sees it and throws her shield, taking off the grimm's stinger.
She then turns her sword into a spear and throws it, the weapon hitting the center of its face.
"Nora, nail it!" Jaune says.
"Yeah!" Nora runs past him, turning her grenade launcher into a large hammer.
She jumps up and swings her hammer down on Pyrrha's spear, causing it to shoot through the grimm's body and stab the ground from the other side. The grimm's body dissipates.
Jaune sighs with relief, "Ah, we're still alive," he looks over as Nora checks on Ren, not noticing that Pyrrha is smiling from behind him.
Back in their fight, Lloyd jumps up to throw a steel punch in the Gryphon's face, cracking its bone armor. On the other side, Khazhak gives Porphyrius a boost, getting him onto the grimm's back. He runs along it, firing his rifles at the joint of its remaining wing. The grimm shakes its body around, forcing Porphyrius to jump off.
"Reaper!" Porphyrius yells.
Reaper throws his twin-scythe, the blades spinning in the air as they cut through the damaged joint and take off the grimm's remaining wing. Khazhak changes his blades back into their greatsword form and charges up his semblance. Reaper fires off one of his knives, wrapping around the grimm's neck as he and Porphyrius try to hold it in place. Lloyd comes from the flank, jumping off pieces of the ruins as he encases himself in steel. He jumps up, right fist reeled back. Coming down, he smashes his fist into the grimm's upper back, causing it to fall to the ground. The three jump back as Khazhak is ready, lightning nearly bursting from his sword.
"Checkmate," Khazhak mutters before swinging his sword down, sending out a twister of lightning at the grimm.
The Gryphon gets annihilated, leaving nothing in its wake. Those in Jaune's group bask in awe at the light show. Khazhak separates his blades and grunts with a smirk. He then looks back at Ruby's group's fight against the Nevermore.
Jaune runs up behind him, "We've gotta help them!" he says, but Khazhak's blade gets in his way. "What are you doing?!"
"This is their fight. We already had ours. If they can't beat this, then they won't make it as huntresses..." Khazhak says, watching the fight. "Show me what you're made of, Ruby Rose," he mutters.
In the last fight, Yang jumps up and ends up in the Nevermore's beak, holding it open with her feet and her left arm. She fires off several shots from her fight gauntlet before jumping out, just before the grimm crashes into the canyon wall. The grimm gets back on its feet and goes to fly, but Weiss freezes its tail in place, keeping it from getting away. Meanwhile, Blake uses her chain-scythe to make a makeshift slingshot between her ribbon and two pillars from the ruins. Ruby jumps up, hopping onto her weapon as it hits the ribbon. Weiss conjures a black glyph to hold it in place.
"Of course, this would be your crazy idea," Weiss notes.
"If I show you what I'm made of, will you please give me another chance as your partner?" Ruby pleads.
"Are you still going on about that? This isn't the time for showboating," Weiss berates her.
"I'm not. I just want you to know that I can do this," Ruby retorts.
Weiss smiles, "I already knew that,"
"Guys, let's go!" Blake says as the grimm tries to break free.
"Take it down, Ruby," Weiss says, her glyph turning red.
Ruby cocks her scythe. Weiss swings her rapier and fires Ruby. Ruby fires off a shot, flying through the air towards the Nevermore. The Nevermore breaks free from the ice, but Weiss conjures some glyphs to give Ruby a boost, allowing her to wrap her scythe around its neck and pin it to the canyon wall. Weiss then conjures a series of glyphs up the wall. Ruby cocks her scythe and fires another shot, sending her racing up the wall. She fires off several more shots as she runs up the glyphs, taking the Nevermore with her. When she reaches the top, she beheads the grimm. The grimm's dead body and part of the cliff fall towards the canyon floor, while Ruby lands at the stop in a flurry of rose petals with style. She twirls her scythe around, smiling down at everyone below.
Khazhak holsters his swords, and crosses his arms with a smirk, "Not bad, little rose. Not bad at all," he then notices someone watching from one of the cliffs overlooking the canyon.
The person is wearing white pants, black boots, a light purple shirt that exposes her shoulders, and a large witch's hat of matching color. The woman has white hair, though not as long as Weiss'.
"It seems they've already found their hiding places," the woman notes.
Ozpin walks up behind her, "Then we'd best prepare for all possible situations,"
Khazhak narrows his eyes at the woman before turning back to his group.
…
Back at Beacon, after the exam, those that passed were placed into teams of four. After most of the teams were created, only a few groups remained.
"Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook. From this day forth, you will be Team JNPR. Led by... Jaune Arc," Ozpin announces, much to the blonde's surprise.
"Wait, me?" Jaune points at himself.
"I'm sure you'll do great, Jaune," Pyrrha smiles.
They leave and the next group step up, "Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight. From today onwards, you shall be known as... Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose," Ozpin says, making the crowd clap in celebration.
"Yes. You're amazing, Ruby!" Yang hugs her sister.
Blake doesn't make a reaction to this, but Weiss doesn't appear to be too thrilled at not being chosen as leader. However, the moment doesn't last as they leave for the last group to step up.
"And finally, Khazhak Rairyu, Edom Soul Reaper, Porphyrius Darkwing, and Lloyd Jyousai. The four of you retrieved the black knight. From this day forth, you shall be known as... Team KEPL. Led by... Khazhak Rairyu," Ozpin announces, and the crowd claps like before.
"Aw yeah! We're official now!" Lloyd pumps his fists.
"We're officially students now, Lloyd. We're not huntsmen just yet," Porphyrius reminds him.
"Well, this should prove interesting. Right, leader," Reaper nudges Khazhak.
Khazhak looks from the smiling Ozpin to the smiling Ruby behind him.
Khazhak grunts in amusement, "I guess we'll see,"
Porphyrius glances back at Weiss Schnee with a vicious look in his eye, though she doesn't notice. However, no one seems to notice the strange marks appearing on the backs of their necks.
And that's the chapter. Khazhak and his group officially become Team KEPL, alongside their new friends in Teams RWBY and JNPR. Now they truly begin their new mission as students of Beacon Academy. In case you guys had thoughts about how Khazhak treated Weiss, remember that h was the same in the original volume 1 from my main story, and because of her family's history with Porphyrius'. What challenges and trials await them in the classroom? Until then, please Read and Review.