AN- Thank you to the reviewers of last chapter!
HaFschu: Yes, very sad indeed, Team MAVR was a great team. Thank you for the review.
Masso 2010: Thank you for enjoying this story! I am probably done with the mass amount of OC's I've created so far, I can only have so many personalities stuck inside this head of mine. I can't say what I have planned after the tournament because spoilers, but I can say that I get where you are coming from, and I will do my best not to over do the Signal saga here. I think I've said this in one of the previous chapters, but the Poll does not determine who will be the main pairing of this story, and I get that if Ruby does win, since she is twelve and Kai is fourteen it would be very dodgy if I went for it, but the pairing isn't going to be made Cannon until at least Beacon or just before Beacon. At that point, if I do decide to go with Ruby, she'll be 15 and Kai would be 17. Which is a lot better then 12 and 14. I will count your votes toward the Poll as well, there isn't a lot of Pyrrha pairings out there because of the Jaune situation, which was one of the main reasons why I had her as an option, and even made some plans for if I do go with her, same goes for Yang, minus the Jaune thing. I do not plan to write out my own beginning to the show, and I don't plan on changing TOO much of what happened in the show, some things need to be changed of course, since the introduction of an OC character with his own set abilities and silver eyes is in the story, but thank you for the concern! Thank you for the wonderful review, I hope you enjoy what is to come in the future of this story.
Now lets see what the Poll is at now:
Ruby Rose- 22
Yang Xiao-Long- 16
Weiss Schnee- 15
Orchid Rosa- 6
Blake Belladonna- 5
Pyrrha Nikos- 3
Neo- 3
Okay then, Orchid climbed the ranks a good bit. Also, Pyrrha finally gained a voter, poor Pyrrha… Ruby is still in the lead, with Yang as the follow up, and Weiss close behind. I wonder what the Poll is going to be at once the story finally gets passed this Signal saga.
Sorry that this story is being updated slower than usual, time constraints have really been hitting hard recently. Which is why I've been writing whole chapters in a day like I have been the passed couple of weeks. Once I get out of school at the end of the semester I should have much more time for writing, and I plan to take FULL advantage of it.
Now let's get straight to the story!
RWBY: The Blind Huntsman
Chapter 12- Volume 0, Episode 10
Making some new friends
"Neat." Kai said with a nod of his head and with his usual bright smile.
For the first time since Team CFVY has been formed, most likely even before that. Fox actually laughed. Albeit a very small and quiet laugh that resembled a simple chuckle, but that doesn't matter to the other members of Team CFVY, and their leader is the first to voice their thoughts on the matter.
"Oh. My. God. Kid- No Kai, you are officially an unofficial member of this team." Coco said as she began to chuckle, her sunglasses falling down to her nose as she does so. "That is the first time I've ever heard this guy actually raise his voice above a few decibels, you're gonna get along with us great!" She slapped both her hands on the happily confused blind boys shoulders and pulled him into the group, while gesturing to his partner to follow them. "C'mon, we gotta go get the other pair of kiddies."
As Orchid and Kai are taken away from the table, the rest of their friends stare on in abstract confusion. Cyan and the Violet twins were still trying to process the fact that the current best team at Beacon have been chosen to mentor two of their friends, and they didn't even say a word to them.
"I blame you Rick." The red twin said as he shoved his brother.
"Wha- How is that my fault!? You didn't say anything either!" The blue twin exclaimed as he shoved his more aggressive brother away from him.
"You know exactly why!" Brick pushed his brother again, this time with red sparking hands.
Rick gasps as he feels the shocking current course through his body and leave through his feet. They were both very resistant to electrical damage, so he is pretty much unhurt, but that didn't mean it wasn't at least painful.
"Oh now it's on!" Rick shouted as he rolled up his sleeves and tackled his twin to the ground, and the two began wrestling with each other, their trays flying all over the floor of the cafeteria while Cyan just watched and shakes his head. No one else has much of a reaction because the two of them going at each other like this has become a norm for them. It's a wonder to them how they are able to appear like they be irritated by each other sometimes while at the same time showing how much they love each other by how the overhype each other and even have their own combo moves with silly names that almost all start with 'Lightning.'
"Lighting punch!"
"Argh!" Brick groaned in slight pain. "Lighting kick!"
"OOGH!" Rick held his crotch as red lighting traveled through his groin and down his legs until it dispersed into the ground and lightly shocked Cyan and Yang. They got very lucky that they didn't cause Yang's hair to frizzle up.
"Wow… that was really shocking eh?" Yang said with a nudge to her partner, who looks at her for a second before rolling his eyes and hiding the small smile he was barely able to hide from his blonde partner.
"Oh come on, that was a good one!"
"Whatever you say Yang."
"Eh, whatever, I am going to use the bathroom." Yang said as she got up, but as she walked passed Cyan she placed a hand on his shoulder and laid out one of her freshest puns.
"Cyan-ara!"
Her partner couldn't help it, and started laughing at that one, much to her excitement.
"What a fun little group." Mercury snorted, not minding that he, Emerald and his own partner were basically drifted out of the conversation. Shae exited the conversation when she put in her earbuds to listen to music, in her tiger ears of course.
He wonders how that works.
"Mhm." Two agreed, only difference between the two was that she actually meant it.
"Matsuoka." Fox called out to the blind boy that has stuck with him in the back of the group. Orchid is currently chatting up Velvet, starting out with.
"I love your Bunny ears! They remind me of carrots, and carrots are good for your eyes! My mom told me that."
She pointed to Kai as she said that, and Kai shuddered as he remembered the time he met her mother and asked her for her first name.
"You don't have to call me that… I prefer Kai anyway." Kai said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Okay… Kai then, why did you choose to speak with me? I am not as… talkative as the rest of my team. I understand if you wish to spend your time with them instead." Fox said in his usual monotonic voice.
"That's why I chose to stick with you!" Kai said with a grin, forgetting momentarily that the older student is also blind and suddenly realizes how everyone else must feel when they do the same to him.
Fox smiled slightly at the young boys answer. But the sound of his bare feet slapping against the floor raises a question for him.
"Why are you not wearing any shoes?" He asked with a hint of wonder in his voice.
"Oh, that's because I see with my feet, it's a technique my dad taught me. Seismic sensing." Kai went on to explain how his seismic sensing worked. Which Fox found awesome, he has a very different yet somewhat similar way of seeing, but he doesn't need to remove his shoes in order to see with his way.
"That is very interesting. Is your father blind as well?"
"Well… no, I asked him why he needed to know it if he didn't share the same impairment as me, but he never gave me a straight answer." Kai answered. "How do you see? I can hear your shoes so that makes me wonder how you are able to see if you aren't using seismic sensing."
"My semblance is to thank for that." Fox said. "I have a sort of sonar system if that makes any sense to you. With every step I take, along with loud noises, I can pinpoint anyone and anything nearby. Making me able to spot Grimm and humanoid enemies. I gave it a simple name, 'Sonar.' Without it I wouldn't have been able to do what I am doing now, I was very fortunate to be born with it."
Kai suddenly gets an idea, one that may work or fail miserably.
"Maybe I could teach you!" Kai suggested enthusiastically.
"There you are!" Coco exclaimed before Fox could respond to this suggestion. His leader managed to find the other pair that they were looking for, and by the voice of who is going to be working alongside Kai and Orchid is all too recognizable in a single bad way.
"You…" Cardin Winchester said in a deep hostile voice toward Kai as the group approached them, but his glare is averted when he notices Orchid glaring back at him with an angry look on her face, almost like she was ready to attack him right then and there. "Uh- I mean, are you the team from Beacon that's going to mentor us?" He asked in a much nicer voice as he dragged his partner, Sky Lark, into the beginning of the mess that he has just gotten himself dragged into.
"Yup, that would be us." Coco said as she flipped her bang out of her face.
"There's… a faunus on your team." Cardin said as he glanced toward Velvet, whose ears drooped at the attention and she seemed to be already afraid of the boy despite being older and much more skilled than he is.
"Is that going to be a problem Mister Winchester?" Yatsuhashi asked as he stepped up in front of Velvet protectively. With his arms crossed and using his towering height and broad build to intimidate the smaller hunter in training.
"Of course not!" Sky Lark came to his partners rescue with a obviously forced cheerful expression on his face. "Cardin's just kinda… socially awkward…" Sky said the first excuse that came to mind, and that earned him a vengeful glare from his larger partner. "And says things without thinking, forgive him please."
"Understandable, by the end of our training you will both be able to be comfortable around faunus." Yatsuhashi said with a nod of his head.
"Hey, we never said it was because of faunus." Cardin pointed out.
"You didn't need to, the way your eyes drifted over the humans of this team and lingered longer while looking at my teammate Velvet, and young Kai showed that you are at the very least not comfortable around faunus for whatever reason it may be." Yatsuhashi explained expertly, reading Cardin and Sky like open books. They didn't even have enough time to stammer out some excuse for why that may be the case before he continued. "Unless… it is because of certain… desires boys your age may be experiencing. In that case it would be perfectly normal to feel those… urges." He said the word with a hint of disgust.
"It's not that!" Cardin and Sky denied with red faces resulting from embarrassment.
Coco and Orchid couldn't keep themselves from laughing at the two boys. His leader was going to dish out a similar sentence to the two young racists, but she would be damned if she actually interrupted him during all of that. Fox smiled in amusement, and Kai hid his snigger from them all with his hand, and unconsciously wrapped his tail around his waist, better to be safe than sorry when around Cardin, even if he knows that Cardin isn't what he lets everyone know what he thinks he is.
What actually gave him away was when Kai sparred with Shae, he heard his voice cheering for one of them, he doesn't know who he was cheering for because of all the voices coming from every single direction. But he knows that he was among them.
Kai has actually wanted to speak with Cardin more, after sensing the inner turmoil from his fellow student, he could tell that he wasn't really a racist, but that he is pretending for whatever reason that may be. But he's just never got any opportunities to approach him. He is blind so it's not like he can see where he is, and there are always other people around when he is near him, so he never really knows when Cardin is around. But with the opportunity that has suddenly showed itself, he now has that chance to perhaps become his friend. He is sure that he can manage it within the few weeks that they have before the tournament, but his only worry is his own partner. Orchid may not be exactly… willing is the best word to describe it, to let Cardin anywhere near her friend group. Especially with her very colorful personality and way of thought.
"It looks like we will be working together," Kai said as he stepped up to the plate and turned his head to make it look like he is looking Cardin in the eye. "Lets get stronger together!"
Cardin made a 'Tch' sound. "Whatever." He agreed with a nod.
"Great!" Happy Orchid said as she jumped up to Kai's side and whispered something to her partner. "What's the revenge plan partner?" Inconspicuous Orchid asked as she peeked at her allies - no prey - out from the corner of her eye.
"Huh? No, Orchid we're not going to do anything like that." Kai whispered back sharply.
"...Not even a little?"
"No, technically they are our partners now, which means that we are not allowed to hurt them." Kai sternly blew her bubble, and a imaginary tear drops from the Flamingos eye.
"Okay Kaizy…" Defeated Orchid said with a soft nod.
SNAP
Kai heard the snap and in turn snapped his own head in the direction of Velvet, who is currently holding up a camera at an odd angle. Orchid also perks up, and looks toward the rabbit faunus with the long ears. Velvet shrinks from the attention and hides the camera behind her back with a flush on her face.
"S-sorry." The rabbit faunus said.
"Did you just take a picture of us?" Confused Orchid asked with a tilt of her head.
"That was what that was?" Kai muttered to himself. He wasn't going to say it, but for some reason he thought someone just clapped with wet hands.
…
Yeah, he is going to keep that one to himself.
"Don't mind Vel, it's for a school project." Coco came to her partners rescue after placing an arm around the more timid girls shoulder. "But now that everyone is together, we are going to train for a bit so we can see what you guys are capable of."
"Already?" Sky asked as the team from Beacon already started moving together to one of the outdoor combat training areas.
"Yes, it is something that we planned on the way here." Yatsuhashi confirmed without looking back at the hunter in training that asked the question in the first place.
"Though, I can't shake the question in my head away." Velvet spoke up in a quiet voice. "Why did the headmaster of this academy give us these four without giving us a choice? The others got a choice in the matter."
"I dunno." Coco shrugged. "I like the blind one though, so it doesn't really matter to me."
"I see that they are getting around splendidly." Headmaster Albedo said as he spun around in his chair and popped another piece of gum into his mouth and then proceeded to blow a bubble just a moment later.
The headmaster of Beacon academy grinned smugly as he observed the cameras that followed Team CFVY and the four kids that he recommended Albedo to give to that specific team.
"Why did you-" Albedo clears his throat. "Glynda I mean, tell me that you wanted this team with those two pairs?"
"Must you word it in such an immature way?" Glynda Goodwitch asked with irritation in her voice.
Albedo just shrugged in response.
"Simple, I am curious about how they will interact with each other." Ozpin said as he took a sip out of his mug.
"Olivia, nothing is ever simple for you, that would make things too simple." Albedo said with a exasperated sigh.
"What did you just call him?" Glynda asked, an annoyed tick mark forming on her forehead.
"Do not fret over it Glynda, it is merely a one-sided tradition between old friends." Ozpin came to Albedos rescue as soon as he saw his fearful expression. "Too put it into more understandable terms, I actually chose a random team from the first years from my own school, and did some research into some of your students here to see who would be the best match for which team from Beacon."
"Only that it was randomized." Albedo pointed out.
"Yes, we were on time constraints unfortunately." Ozpin said with a frown. "Nevertheless, I did enough research to determine that Team KO, would be best with Team CS."
"You are aware that Cardin Winchester isn't exactly fond of faunus correct?" Albedo asked. "Also, that doesn't explain why Team CFVY, the best first year team at Beacon, just happened to be selected have these two pairs of students under their mentorship." He finished.
"True, I am aware that Mister Winchester is known for his bigotry, but I have a hunch that may change in the coming weeks, but only if he is arranged to be around Mister Matsuoka. As for Team CFVY's convenient process of selection, that was more of a last minute decision made by my colleague, Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, and I saw no reason to say no to the proposition." Ozpin explained with the same smile on his face that he is known for when he knows that he has one the battle of wits.
One day, Albedo mentally promises himself that he will win.
"Bah, I suppose that will be enough for me then." Albedo surrendered and stood up from his seat. "Glynda, I must show you the process of how everything works within this school, since you will be running it in my absence. I assure you it is very different to how things work at Beacon." He quickly added when Glynda's trademark death glare was sent his way, but he is one of the only men able to resist her unspoken threats. Earlier's display of fear was not his best impression on the woman.
The soon-to-be temporary Headmistress calmed her glare down. "Very well, but only if headmaster Ozpin allows it, I am afraid that he may not do the paperwork required for the transfer of nearly every first year student here properly without me."
Ozpin sighed and shook his head, he really wasn't looking forward to it already.
"Yes Miss Goodwitch, I think it wise to take up headmaster Albedo's offer."
"Very well." She nodded as she headed toward the other headmaster's desk.
Albedo snorted at the easy defeat that Ozpin has taken so suddenly. It must have been a blow to his pride. He recovers and gestures to his chair, and the mahogany desk that he ordered from Mistral for his room. His reasoning was simple. If that cow Leonardo had a mahogany desk, then he would have the same, along with a mahogany chair to go with it, it even spins around and offers him amusement for whenever he is procrastinating from doing his own paperwork.
"Ugh." Glynda recoiled with disgust. "The first thing I am doing is cleaning this filthy desk of yours."
"It's not filthy." Albedo weekly argued. "It is simply… messy, that is the term I prefer to describe my wonderous desk."
"And I prefer to regard it in the manner that it appears. Which is filthy."
"... Why must you hurt me so." Albedo fake cried.
"Oh please, you are the headmaster of a huntsman training academy, you'll be fine." Glynda said as she reluctantly took a seat in the uncomfortably warm cushioned mahogany chair. "Show me what I am looking at."
"Alright! Kai and Orchid go into the center of the ring." Coco ordered, and the two she called upon listened without much hesitation. Orchid led Kai by the collar of his shirt when he started heading into a random direction. He can sense a lot of things, but the center of a combat training ring was unfortunately not one of them.
"What do you want us to do?" Kai asked as he began some quick ballistic stretching to loosen up his muscles.
"Like I said on the way here, I wanna see what we got to work with. So Yatsu here is going to spar against the two of you." As she said that, the big young man removed his sword that almost trailed the ground as he walked, and hefted it onto his shoulder with one hand, his heavy footsteps like a beacon to Kai with every step he took. He was heavy for his age. Kai gulped nervously when he realized what was about to happen.
"Don't hold back against him, because he won't be holding back against you." The scary thing with that sentence was that Kai couldn't find any trace of lies there.
As she went over the rules of the spar, which consisted of the usual fight until you are no longer able or when you come to surrender. Kai began to sense his opponent the best he can to determine the best approach. He and Orchid haven't fought together since the entrance exams, and it was against mindless Grimm that were more or less easily taken down. He can sense that Yatsuhashi is a heavy and bulky fighter. Which tells him that he is more than likely a hard hitter, and judging from the vibrations that traveled up his weapon when he stabbed it into the ground just a few meters away from where he was standing, he can tell that it is a large heavy curved sword with a long hilt. If he or Orchid got directly hit by that it could quite possibly end the sparring match right there.
His second worry was teamwork with his partner, while they trained and studied together. They never trained fighting together, so this would be a new experience for the both of them, and judging from Orchids less than subtle nervous shaking. She is thinking the same thing.
But neither of them were known for giving up.
They both get into their respective fighting stances, and Kai gets ready to activate his semblance on whatever element is required for whoever makes the first move.
"Alright, one more time just in case you guys missed it. Keep going until I say stop, or someone's aura gets too low. Sky here is going to be keeping track of the aura levels, isn't that right?"
"Yes, of course." Sky nodded as he showed the side of the scroll pad that showed everyone's aura levels, with Orchids and Kai's above each other with a versus between their names and Yatsuhashi.
"Great, and Cardin here is going to play cheerleader." Coco added as she spots Cardin looking over his partners shoulder. Once he hears his name and what he apparently has to do he isn't all that excited for it.
"Wait what!?"
"Awesome, glad you volunteered."
"I didn't-"
"Moving on, does everyone get what they're doing?"
Kai, Orchid, and Yatsuhashi all nod in unison.
"Great, now just hold that pose for a second."
SNAP
"What was-" Kai begins to ask.
"School project! Fox, start the countdown!" Coco ordered as she jumped out of the outskirts of the ring herself.
Fox sighed, but obeyed his leader as he was expected to.
"Three, two, one…" All three parties tense up, and Kai re-enters focus mode.
"Begin!" He yelled at the loudest voice he has ever blown out of his lungs, right before jumping out of the outskirts of the ring himself.
Yatsuhashi was the first to move, ripping his sword out of the ground that must have required more strength then most grown men weren't capable of and with unexpecting speed closed in on Kai right away. He was barely able to sense him in time to dodge the slash by bending his back backward.
He kept bending backwards until his hands touched the ground, and then he proceeded to backflip away to gain distance. As he did this, his partner attempted to counter attack since Yatsuhashi is still making a slashing motion. But rather then stopping the blade as it flies through the air, he let's it move him, making a three-sixty degree turn that was very narrowly block by Orchid's own weapon, which is also a multicolored magenta collapsible greatsword that can break into two separate smaller but not any less dangerous swords.
Her arms shake and her muscles burned as the overwhelming strength of her opponent lifts her off her feet and into the distance, she rolls backward along the ground and her greatsword almost slips out of her grip if it wasn't the quick thinking of her partner that lifted a wall out of the ground to stop her tumbling.
As she recovers Kai goes on the offensive, spawning up some stone shurikens and throwing a half dozen in his opponents direction. Which are all easily shattered against his bronze sword or completely missed their target. He charges through anyway, and lifts another stone wall out of the ground and punches a hole through it, sending a circular slab of much heavier and thicker stone his way, and then as that flies through the air, he kicks the stone wall and launches it in his direction.
With one slash, Yatsuhashi was able to cut through both of the projectiles.
Kai blasts some air next, and all it does is make his clothes whip against the wind and forces him to protect his eyes from the wind. But that was his plan the whole time, since he sensed his partner stand back up and heard her separate her greatsword into two smaller swords with orchid flower designs on each of the blades.
"Got you now!" Slightly psychotic Orchid yelled as she slashed both of her blades down at the Beacon student's back.
Just as the blades were about to connect with her target. He spun around and parried the attack, and jammed his fist into her stomach, making her cough up some spit and let go of one of her swords as she flies right through the stone wall that was meant to protect her, heavily damaging her aura.
"Orchids aura is in the orange!" Sky called out after witnessing the sudden drop in her aura count.
"I don't hear any cheering Cardin!" Coco shouted to the very reluctant Signal student, who still refuse to let his voice rise about a whisper.
"G-go… yeah." He unenthusiastically cheered.
"Bah, you're such a pussy." Coco teased.
She knew just how to push his buttons despite only knowing him for just under an hour.
Cardin growled and rose his voice. "Win for Signal Academy!"
"That's the spirit!"
Kai smirked at the single cheer, and decided that it was time to show off one of his tricks. A simple trick happily suggested for him by his resident red wearing friend, and that was to keep the little device that she made for him that has been freshly recharged and good for one more go.
With a slight twist of his wrist, the device activates, and the flame part of his semblance lights up as he absorbs the fuel that the device provides, and his arms light up with black flames that reach all the way to his shoulders.
Yatsuhashi raises an eyebrow, and gives an approving smile to Kai.
Cardin on the other hand, widens his eyes with shock. The surprise of Kai lifting some stone out of the ground with just a wave of his hand was a bit surprising in it's own right, but fire too?
How many semblances does this guy have!? Cardin thought to himself. He can barely make full sentences as he thinks on who exactly he thinks he made an enemy of.
Velvet takes another picture and gets excited at how good the picture looks as it renders in on the paper.
This time it is Yatsuhashi who assumes a defensive posture, curious as to how Kai is going to fight with this pent up flame. He and his team were given a decent amount of information on the kids that they were going to be picking up, and he was informed on Kai's semblances that he inherited from both of his parents. The manipulation of elements, primarily stone, water, earth, and fire. He himself is curious as to the power of his flames specifically, since it was stated that it is his most dangerous element for obvious reasons.
"Ha!" Kai punches one arm forward, and a cone shaped blast of black flame shoots out of his fist and toward his opponent. Yatsuhashi braces himself to push through the blast, since it is traveling at such a speed that he would not be able to dodge the attack completely due to his large size. So instead, he grabs the hilt of his sword with two hands, and enhances his strength with his aura. Then when the flames get close enough, he cuts straight through it and forces it to disperse around his body with a powerful shockwave resulting from his sheer strength. Negating the blast of fire completely while taking minimal damage to his aura.
"Ooo, now that was spicy!" Coco cheered from the sidelines. "Did you get that one Vel?'
"Mhm." Velvet hummed back as she shook the flappy piece of paper.
"Kai is in the yellow after that one." Sky announced as Kai's aura dipped beneath sixty percent. Using his semblance and the damage that he has taken so far despite it being just a few hits has deprived him of a good portion of his aura. He makes a note to practice fighting with Orchid in the future as well, he is sure that is one of the lessons that Team CFVY is trying to teach.
Kai fell to one knee with a huff, but didn't give up there, he could sense Orchid pushing herself up from the ground, recovering from her tumble earlier no doubt. So he just needs to distract the Beacon student long enough so that she can catch him with a good sneak attack, so he prepares his most dangerous attack, this time at low power mode like Qrow trained him to. He managed to gain a low power mode for his 'Flame laser thing' as Qrow called it, and managed to get ait to such a state to where he can use it against human opponents. So he doesn't end up piercing a hole through whoever is unfortunate enough to be at the receiving end of this attack. It went unsaid that he should only use his the full power version against Grimm or in an emergency where it's either him or his enemy.
Kai waves his arms through the air in a much faster motion then he would if he were using his full power, making a quickly charged pebble of black flame at the tips of both his index and middle finger.
Then with a grunt, he releases his attack.
"Ha!" A smaller, much weaker, but precise beam of black flame that resembles lighting in a subtle way shoots out of his fingers, which travels so fast that even the trained reflexes of Yatsuhashi isn't able to block it in time, which leads to him getting caught in the shoulder, and before he can recover from the sudden attack, a second one hits him in the same spot, actually pushing the burly teen back a few feet when his aura flared up to protect him. When this happens, his whole team was surprised by the speed and power of such an attack a fourteen year old was able to come up with. It didn't do much to his aura, but it did take off about twelve percent.
Kai gets ready to shoot another out of his other hand, but his opponent is expecting it this time, and does not plan on getting shot with a laser again. He digs his heels into the ground and charges forward with blinding speed that catches Kai off guard. He desperately raises stone up from the ground to defend himself, but the thick heavy sword cuts right through it, and then he senses a disturbance in the air that is awfully close to his skin, and by pure reflex raise his bracered wrist up just in time to block the attack the best that he can.
The sound of his blade connecting with his bracer echoed throughout the forest around them, and while Kai was able to successfully defend himself from the attack, he still nearly broke his wrist and forearm from blocking such a strong attack with an unorthodox tool of defense, and it still ends up dealing enough damage to send his aura into the orange.
He jumps back while using the momentum that Yatsuhashi provided for him to gain some distance, it hurts to move, but it doesn't feel broken. But he shouldn't use his left arm for the rest of this fight unless he is going for a ranged attack, and even then his flames are making his bruise burn.
"Are you hurt?" Yatsuhashi asked when he sees the younger boy gripping his wrist and holding a pained expression on his face.
"I can still fight! Any Grimm won't give me time to recover." Kai said as he let go of his injured wrist and swapped the bracer to his other forearm. He isn't familiar with defending with his right, but it's better then using his left in the current state that it is in.
"True, not a lot of students your age would keep going after that, but it is my duty to make sure you are not injured. The spar stops here, and Miss Rosa can stop attempting to sneak up on me." He declared as he turned around and made Orchid freeze in place with her sword held over her head, prepared to slam it down on the back of his. When she is caught she hides the large weapon behind her back and whistles a tune, pretending that she wasn't about to attempt cut him in half.
"You two are both impressive fighters on your own, but when it comes to working together and coordinating attacks. That is something you will work on together during our time here." Yatsuhashi said as he sheathed his curved sword back onto his back.
Kai and Orchid both follow the man off of the arena, and listen to the advice that he is providing for the two of them. The spar wasn't really much of a spar really, it barely lasted a few minutes and while Coco did say that he wasn't going to hold back. Kai could sense that he was still pulling his punches. If he wasn't holding back however, that attack he was forced to block could have broken his arm.
I can't wait to get as strong as he is! If only I were a few years older… Kai thought to himself as he listened to the older teens wise advice.
"Miss Rosa, why did you not use your semblance?" Yatsuhashi asked after facing the young Flamingo.
Orchid seemed to widen her eyes and let out a exaggerated squak that made Kai's ears ring for a few seconds from the unexpected shriek.
"How could I forget!? That would have been the perfect time to show off!" Bubbly Orchid exclaimed as she held her head and messed with her hair.
"This is your fault me!" Slightly psychotic Orchid threatened herself.
"It is all of my faults!" Regular Orchid cut the rest of herself off after Kai placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly.
Meanwhile, Yatsuhashi and the rest of his team, were all left speechless at the display of what could only be described as a crazy person with multiple personalities arguing with themselves.
"Probably should have told you guys about that." Kai said with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry."
"Is that normal around here?" Coco asked the other pair of kids that they are going to be training, and they both shrug their shoulders and nodded their heads. They have been on the receiving end of all of those personalities stuck inside that girl one too many times after attempting to bully one of her friends.
"Alrighty then." Coco sighed. "What Yatsu said is basically what you need to focus on in the future. I personally think that both of you have a lot of potential, especially you Kai."
"Wha? Me?" Kai got flustered and pointed to himself.
"Is there any other blind kids named Kai?" Coco laughed.
"Your semblance has a lot of potential." Velvet spoke up. "You are also very skilled for you young age. By the time you are our age I wouldn't be surprised if you were stronger than us."
"Hey, hey, hey let's not go that far Vel." Coco said as she rose her hands in a defensive motion. "We gotta let them look up to us for at least a few more days."
Kai at this point was a flustered mess. "Y-yeah, I think I need more time before that happens."
"What about me?" Jealous Orchid fished for compliments.
"FIshing for compliments?" Coco teased.
"Yeah! The Flamingo needs to be praised! Just as it should be." The Flamingo Goddess said that last part quietly to herself.
"Haha, I like you. You're a lot more fun than these two lunks." Coco said as she pointed a thumb in Cardin and Sky's direction. They have been silent ever since the sparring session ended.
"See? They don't even try to defend themselves anymore." She continued with bored sigh.
"Your weapon is very diverse." Yatsuhashi cut off his leader before she could forget to address the 'Flamingo' as she calls herself. "In it's greatsword form-"
"You have a greatsword?" Kai asked as soon as he heard that word.
"You are fighting with it as you should be. With both hands and with a lot of strength behind each strike. But I suggest you practice with it's dual form more. Other then that, the last thing I can say is to remember to use your semblance." Yatsuhashi explained.
"Okay! Kai, come over to my house after school?" Excited Orchid asked her partner.
"Sure!" Kai said with a smile. "Yang said she would handle Ruby's training today anyway, so I'm pretty much free the rest of the day.
"And that is why I am so happy that we have this bug lug on our team." Coco said with a smile as she gently slapped the larger teens butt, making him jump slightly at the sudden contact before he narrowed his eyes down at his leader. "Also, didn't know you two were partners in more than one way." She teased.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kai asked with a tilt of his head, the meaning of the tease going right over his head.
"Nothing!" Shy yet bold Orchid exclaimed as she started pushing Kai away from the group and took the scroll pad out of Skys hands.
"What are you doing? Is it that bad?" Kai asked in a perplexed voice as he wonders why his partner's heart rate has just skyrocketed.
"Yes! Very bad!" Embarrassed Orchid replied.
Coco laughed at the fact of how easy it was to make the younger girl flustered, and luckily she just happened to go and do the thing that she was going to tell her to do anyway since her partner can't use his eyes. There is another pair of kiddies that she needs to train.
"Okay, you two." She pointed to Cardin and Sky, who recoil when her finger nearly jabs them in the face. "You two are up against me, so go get in the center of the ring and wait for Yatsu's countdown." She ordered.
Cardin and Sky looked to each other, and nod. They would much rather go up against the much smaller girl then the large and powerful guy they just saw completely manhandle arguably the best fighter in class. Cardin rolls his shoulders as he takes his mace out of his sheath, and Sky follows suit with his halberd.
Oh, how they were so very wrong about Coco's skill.
As Team CS were getting their asses kicked by the leader of Team CFVY, Fox approached Kai as Orchid constantly called out how low their auras were getting. It was in the green a few seconds ago.
Kai was lucky enough not to get the cheerleader job, most likely because Coco was the one 'Teaching' at the moment, and Yatsuhashi or Velvet weren't about him to do the same thing their leader told Cardin to do, they at least had mercy for the poor kid. He wouldn't even know how the fight is going besides constantly sensing backs hit the floor and hearing the thunderous sounds of a machine gun opening fire.
"Is that a mini gun!?" Sky asked as he desperately dodges the hellfire of bullets.
"Why!?" Cardin echoed as he assumes a defensive posture with his large mace.
"Kai." Fox called out his name, and caught the attention of his fellow blind comrade.
"Hey Fox, what's up?" Kai asked as he turned his body to face him.
"It is regarding what you suggested earlier, about teaching me your seismic sense."
"Oh, what about it?" Kai inquired, now more interested in the conversation.
"I am willing to accept your offer." Fox said simply.
"R-really?" Kai stammered.
"Yes, it is odd to say. But technically you would be both my student and my mentor, as I would be to you. If you would take me that is, I understand if this is too sudden and you need time to think on it." Fox said, though he couldn't hide the subtle sadness his body gave out that Kai caught with his sensing ability.
Kai felt his heart skip a beat. Him, a fourteen year old huntsman-in-training, has managed to achieve a student. He didn't think anything like this was going to happen for many years to come! It would have been much more believable if he was the one being a student under so many huntsman until he was at least in his twenties.
"O-of course I'll accept you!" Kai suddenly blurted out without much thinking behind it. "I know what it is like to be blind, and I'll gladly go after the opportunity to help someone else. But it is going to take a lot of practice, and I mean pretty much every second of every day."
Fox smiled, even though Kai couldn't physically see it, he could sense it coming off of his mentor-student.
"Of course, though we only have a few weeks before I go back to Beacon and you go to Mistral to fight in the tournament. So we won't have much time." Fox pointed out.
"Then we should start right away." Kai said right away. "Take off your shoes."
Fox tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?"
"Take of your shoes, you need to be walking barefoot in order for this to work, and if you want to learn seismic sensing fast then you probably shouldn't wear anything on your feet anymore besides maybe socks." Kai instructed.
"Oh, that is understandable. I wasn't expecting that we would start immediately." Fox said as he lifted one foot to his hip and slipped off one of his boots, and then does the same to his other foot. He then folds the bottoms of his black jeans so that they wouldn't get dirty from the ground. His bare feet feel strange against the dirt that they are standing on, cold, moist, and dirty. Has Kai been walking on terrain like this his whole life without any foot protection? He pitied the poor boy if he ever had to walk on snow with no shoes on.
"I have removed my footwear. What is the next step?" He asked in a serious tone.
Luckily for him, Coco was too busy 'training' Cardin and Sky to notice, and while his partner Yatsuhashi noticed, he simply smiled at them, and Velvet said nothing but take a picture at what she thinks is an adorable and inspiring shot.
"Well… how do I explain this." Kai muttered to himself as he placed a hand on his chin. Orchid screaming out that Sky was in the orange nearly made him lose his train of thought. "You need to focus on sensing or feeling every little vibration you can, for example. I can sense that my partner is about four feet behind me, while one of your teammates fully turned their body to face us for a few moments."
Fox was surprised by the accuracy of his sensing. It is near perfect - no, it is perfect. He could tell when people were around him with his sonar, but it only works as long as there's sound. Kai can see everything around him in a three-sixty degree angle at all times by what he could tell.
Kai went on to explain every detail of what was around them as well, such as the grass moving with the breeze, the insects crawling up the trees, and even the bird that has just landed on a branch not too far from them.
Fox went from impressed, to amazed. He wants to be able to do the same, it would not only make him a better fighter, but also make everyday life much easier.
"Overtime, you are going to be able to sense the things I am able to sense, it all comes with experience and time. I started learning when I was a year at the time I was able to take my first steps. So don't blame yourself if you aren't able to learn quickly. It took my dad years before he was able to master it himself."
"It should be easier for us though, since we don't have that unconscious mental block that people with sight have that would make it more difficult to learn something like this." Kai explained while Fox listened intently. "Since your hearing and sense of smell are probably already either on par or better then mine, you can focus everything on sensing. Also, I suggest that you wear clothes that reveal more skin on your neck, arms, and legs. It helps me but I understand if you would prefer to keep the clothes you have on currently."
"No, you make many points that I will commit to memory." Fox said as he moved his toes against the dirt, trying to sense anything that he can. "It will definitely take a lot of time to master such a technique, but I thank you for building the foundation required for me."
"Of course! Anything for a fellow blind person." Kai said with a bright smile. "Oh, before I forget, I'd like to know what you look like, if you are okay with it of course."
"I do not mind at all, I am also curious about what you look like." Fox said as he lowered his head down slightly so that the shorter boy could find his face.
"Aw those two are just so adorable." Velvet said to her teammate, who grunted in agreement.
Kai let his hands roam over Fox's face, the first thing he felt was a scar that went vertically down the left side of his lips. But fortunately that was the only scar he felt on his face, he went on to feel the shape of his nose, facial structure, and eventually brushed against his longer hair as he went up and felt around his eyes. He didn't wear a headband to hide his eyes like he did.
And Unlike himself, Fox did not have scars around his eyes.
"Wow you are tall." Kai said as his arms began to get tired from being raised up for so long.
Fox chuckled softly as Kai took his hands away.
"How did you get that scar?" Kai asked innocently.
"That… is a personal matter that I would prefer to keep to myself for now." Fox said as he stood up straight and unconsciously traced a finger down the scar on his lip. He was glad that Kai didn't feel the rest of the scars that he has on his arms.
"Sorry for asking." Kai said right away, already feeling bad for asking such a personal question.
"It is quite alright." Fox said. "May I?"
Kai sensed his hand reach toward his face. This would be the first time he let someone feel his face to see what he looked like. Truthfully he was nervous about it, but Fox and him have made quick friends, and he didn't mind him getting to know him better, especially since they would only be around each other for a short time.
Fox's hands were warm, and they covered every detail of his face with ease, and he heard him hum when he reached the blindfold he has around his eyes. That made him nervous for a bit and felt his face get cooler as Fox removed his hands from his face.
"Why do you wear that around your eyes?" He asked almost as soon as he took back his hands.
"I… that's a personal thing." Kai used the same words Fox used against him just before.
"I see… blind eyes are nothing to be ashamed of Kai, I wear mine with pride. I let the world see my blind eyes." Fox said as he leaned on one hip.
Kai doesn't respond right away. The idea of showing the world his eyes scares him, even if he knows he will have to do it one day. Fox said to wear it with pride, and that it was nothing to be ashamed of. But he isn't ashamed of it, he has come to terms with being blind many years ago, he doesn't even know what it is like to be able to see in the first place so this is pretty much normal for him. He has just felt the scars on his face too many times, and that is what he doesn't want to world to see, if it weren't for the scars given to him by the Vacuan doctors who tried to save his sight. He would have taken the cloth off a long time ago.
"I also have scars." Fox said suddenly, almost like he was reading his mind. "I wasn't going to tell you, but for some reason I feel the need to. My body is covered in scars, an accident from a long time ago. I am not ashamed of them, if anything, they have made me stronger and helped make me into who I am today. I hope one day you can see your scars the same way. If that is the reason you wish not to remove that cloth from your head."
"Yo! Fox! I'm glad you made a friend but we have to get these kids to their next class." Coco called to them as she easily defeats Cardin with her handbag, making his aura dip into the red.
"Oh! Yeah, Cardin and Sky are almost out of aura." Orchid called out. She was distracted because she was too busy listening in on Kai's conversation with Fox. She respects Kai even more for wanting to help him.
As Cardin and Sky picked themselves up, and Orchid pulled him by the hand to follow Team CFVY to their next class. Kai could only think about one thing at that moment.
He had a lot to think about, and he needed help with it. He knew exactly who to go to for that.
"Orchid." Kai called out his partners name, and pulled his arm back to halt her in her tracks so that he would have her full attention.
"Hm? Whats up Kaizy?"
"Later tonight, I want to show you something important."
Here we are! I made this chapter longer to make up for updating this story later then I usually would. I tried to get them out every sunday, but having three stories and being forced into adult life makes things complicated as you can imagine.
I bet you guys are going to be looking forward to next chapter after what I just pulled :). I might have wrote more, but like I said before, I don't want to use up my ideas too quickly.
For those of you who just can't wait for Kai to reach the Beacon saga, he will be getting there soon. This is the twelfth chapter, with now over a 100,000 words already. All I can say is that it is coming soon, I can't say much else because of spoilers. But when it happens. You will know when it does. Of course there has to be timeskips because writing three full years of Signal would take forever. All I can ask of you wonderful people is this:
Please, be as patient as I am being. I want this story to get to the Beacon arc just as much as you do, I just can't skip over some crucial developmental points in the story, not just for Kai, but for almost ALL of the characters I have wrote into existence. But do not worry, I promise that in the near future that the Beacon arc will start. As in it will be this year, that much I can safely say.
Now let's get onto this special.
Third year of Beacon. Adrians departure.
Ever since Malikai used his eyes to save what remained of his team. Adrian has been angry with him. Asking him questions such as "why didn't you use it sooner?" "Why didn't you use it to save Vanessa?" "Why didn't you use it at all?" "Why did you let her die!?"
Richie was more supportive, but the combination of grief for his teammate and having to come to his partners defense at the same time was too much for them. Meanwhile, his partner hasn't spoken a word ever since they returned from the mission with the remains of both Vanessa and what remained of the huntsman that was supposed to shadow them.
Summer has desperately tried to cheer up her best friend, but not even she was able to get to him. He blamed himself for what happened. He hasn't even worn his headband properly ever since, while it still covers his eyes it doesn't exactly cover much else.
He has been spending a lot of time drinking however, and even though Qrow sweared that it wasn't his doing, she still had a suspicion.
Malikai was silent, until one day. Adrian had enough.
The leader of what remained of Team Maverick walked into his room to find a defeated Richie, and Adrian with packed bags. He knew what he was looking at before either of them could even begin to explain.
"I'm leaving." Adrian said with a scowl in his leaders direction. "Im dropping out, I just can't stand to be around either of you anymore."
"..." Malikai stared at him, his neutral expression unwavering.
"Nothing to say… even now?" Adrian said as he zipped up his last bag.
"... I wish you luck on your next quest through life." Malikai finally spoke up, walking passed him and out of the way of the door and lies down in his own bed.
"That's it!?" Adrian stomped up to Malikai's side. "Do you even care anymore!? Your team was grieving, and all you did was watch, everytime we tried to talk to you you would just shun us! Vanessa was my partner." Adrian teared up. "I loved her, and I was never able to tell her that. But you knew that already didn't you?" He wiped away his tears and lifted up his hood to cover his blonde hair.
"I did." Malikai replied, stopping Adrian in his tracks before he could leave the room. "I did know, and I did grieve for her. She was my friend to… I believe I explained to you what I did that day."
"Yeah, you did, some kind of warrior race that saved humanity from the Grimm. Fat lot that did." Adrian spat.
"Having these eyes isn't a blessing." Malikai ripped the headband off his face, and his silver eyes glowed slightly as tears threatened to fall down his face. He threw the now ripped piece of fabric down at Adrians feet. "I can't explain to you why it is the way it is but… Adrian, you are one of my best friends… I am sorry that I wasn't there for you, and I understand why you are leaving. I haven't exactly been the best leader." Malikai let the tears fall. "Please… if you stay I promise that I'll try to make things better. Without you… the team may fall."
Adrian's eyes shaked at his leaders speech, and he felt the same burning from behind his eyes as before. This is exactly what he wanted from his leader, but he just never got it. And it was too late.
"You should have said this before I made up my mind." That was the last thing Malikai ever heard from him as he opened the door, and walked out.
He was never seen again, and Malikai blamed himself for every second of it.
Between Chapter 6 and 7, Lone Survivor
Many years later. Malikai and his partner were barely able to pass as the first ever two-man team to graduate from Beacon Academy. At this moment, Malikai and Richie were on their last mission together, the one before his partner would officially retire to spend more time with his family.
They sat around a campfire in the dead of night, there mission almost fully completed. Their task was to eliminate Grimm that was threatening to attack a village not too far from Malikais secluded house.
"Have you ever wondered what's going on with Adrian now?" Richie asked his partner, who actually isn't wearing his headband for once.
"That's… a sudden question." Malikai said with a look of surprise.
"Well… it may be the last time I get the chance to ask it." Richie said with a sad smile on his face.
"Don't be like that, you know I'll come over whenever you want me to." Malikai said after finishing his meal. "And to answer your question, yes, I do wonder what is going on with him. Nearly everyday."
"Yeah… me too man."
They sat in silence as they remembered what almost lead to the downfall of their team all those years ago. They refused the offer to change their team name, since if they did then they felt like they would be disrespecting their memory. So they stuck with Maverick ever since, even when Adrian left.
"I don't think I ever said it, but I don't blame you for him leaving." Richie said suddenly. "If anything it was his fault, he should have known the way you behave after years of working together. We were all kids at that time, so we all made mistakes."
"T-thank you for that." Malikai said with a chuckle. "You never cease to put a smile on my face."
"That was always my job before, why stop now?" Richie asked rhetorically as they bumped their cups together a shared a drink.
They thought that night was going to be calm, a simple goodbye between lifelong friends. It has been nearly thirty years already, neither of them were able to believe it.
Out of nowhere, Malikai was shoved out of the way of something, and heard the sickening sound of something being stabbed into his partner. The force of his partners push sent him tumbling several meters away until he caught himself, and looked on with rage as he sees a familiar man.
Tyrian Callows, and his scorpion tail was injected into his partner who was already bleeding purple from his wound.
"Bah! That was meant for you." Tyrian said with a cackle as he ripped out his tail, leaving a long gash in his partners back.
"RARGH!" Malikai screamed in rage as he charged at the man, his sword drawn and his eyes glowing in the night. But it is blocked by a large burly arm, and he almost let go of the sword when he saw who it was.
Hazel Rainhart, another man on his kill list.
"How did you find me!?" Malikai yelled as he prepared to charge once again, if it wasn't for his partner croaking something out to him.
"M-Malikai… run." Were Richie's last words as the purple venom flooded his eyes, and he passed on to the next world.
"Ohoho, now those are my favorite last words when killing a man!" Tyiran cackled. "They tell their loved ones to run, and yet I always catch them. Just like I did to dear Summer Rose." He taunted.
Malikai felt his blood boil.
"Come with us peacefully, and no one else has to die." Hazel said, he genuinely didn't want anyone else to die.
With a grunt of defiance, Malikai tore off his cloak, and the fight that would last hours commenced.
AAAH the feels! Adrian is still alive by the way, he just hasn't been around for a VERY long time. Who knows what I could do with that? Thinking face. But yeah, that concludes the story of what happened to Team MAVR and why Malikai is basically the only one left. But they will all return in future shorts because I am not about to say goodbye to characters I just created.
Please review and tell me what you think of the story!
Disclaimer- I do not own RWBY in any way, shape or form.