AN: Hey guys. Sorry that it's been a little bit since you've seen anything from me. I had COVID again, this time for Christmas.
I wanted to advertise my other story, A Jewel Without a Crown, my rewrite of my Xenoblade 2 story. Go check it out! It doesn't get nearly enough readers.
Chapter 7
"S-So, Pyrrha, I-I take it this is a Hy-Grimm," Jaune said as the mutated Zolom bared down on them, waiting to see who would make the first move.
"Yes, and a very dangerous variant," Pyrrha said.
"W-what do we do?"
"Don't get scared," Ren said. "Hy-Grimms can sense negative emotions just like any other Grimm.
"O-Oh, okay," Jaune said. He took a few deep breaths.
Okay, Jaune, don't get scared, he thought. Pretend there's no giant mutant monster in front of you. Just think calm and happy thoughts. Jaune looked up at the Hy-Grimm, and saw that it was looking right at him. Oh gods, why is it looking at me?!
The Hy-Grimm roared and readied to attack Jaune's group, but it was interrupted by a series of explosive rounds hitting its back. The mutant turned around to see Blake's group ready to fight.
"Hey ugly, forget about us?!" Yang taunted.
"We're gonna kick your scaly butt again!" Yuffie yelled.
The Hy-Grimm growled at them. Nora took the opportunity to launch herself up at the mutant with her hammer, with the intention of caving the monster's skull in.
"Nora smash!" she shouted. The Zolom's tail came up and knocked Nora to the ground, without ever turning its head. "…Ow." The mutant turned to look at Nora and spat a green liquid from its mouth at her. Ren tackled Nora out of the way as the venom hit the grass. "Whoa. Thanks, Ren. I didn't know those things were poisonous."
"This type usually isn't," Ren said. "Nonetheless, it would be wise to avoid its venom."
"Oh, come on," Nora said. "I can handle being sick for a couple of days."
"That's not the issue." Ren and Nora looked at the spot where the venom landed, and saw that the grass was burnt, with smoke rising from the impact point.
"Okay, maybe I'll be a little more careful."
Their conversation was interrupted when the Hy-Grimm roared and charged at the duo with the intention of eating them. Pyrrha jumped in front of the mutant and slashed it across the face, but it didn't leave a cut. The mutant attempted to attack Pyrrha, but she managed to keep it at bay with her sword. Jaune quickly ran to the Hy-Grimm's side and stabbed it with his blade, but the impact caused it to violently vibrate.
"Gah!" Jaune exclaimed. The Hy-Grimm's tail swung up and knocked Jaune to the ground.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha called out. The Hy-Grimm lunged at Pyrrha, only to be intercepted by the fox Faunus, who threw smoke bombs into the creature's face.
The young ninja landed next to Pyrrha with a smile. "Hi, I'm Yuffie."
"Uh, hello," Pyrrha said.
Green liquid washed over the Hy-Grimm's eyes and cleaned them. The mutant roared, but was interrupted by Yang, who launched herself up into the creatures mouth and held its jaw open with one hand and fired with the other, causing the mutant to shake its head from side-to-side.
"I! Hope! You're! Hun! Gry!" Yang yelled, each exclamation punctuated with a shot from her gauntlet.
Blake and Red ran over to Ren and Nora, while Reno ran over to Jaune and helped him up.
"Hey, how you feeling, yo?" Reno asked.
"Like I want this day to end," Jaune said.
Reno chuckled. "Same."
"How are you two?" Blake asked to Ren and Nora.
"We're fine," Ren said.
"Yep, but I. Want. Vengeance!" Nora shouted.
Yang landed on the ground next to the others. "I really thought that would work."
The Hy-Grimm bore down at the wannabe Hunters and growled.
"Okay, so does anyone have any suggestions to take this mutant out?" Reno asked.
"Maybe if we work together we can defeat it," Jaune said.
"Our numbers give us an advantage," Blake said. "But it still won't be easy."
"Then let's give it our all," Yuffie said.
The Hy-Grimm roared and charged at the same time as the Hunters.
"I-Is that a Hy-Grimm?!" Aerith asked in alarm as she and the teachers watched the students fight on their Scrolls.
"It would appear so," Ozpin said.
"Oh, this ain't good," Barret said. "Looks like we're gonna have to save their asses."
"I couldn't agree more. Glynda, send a message to Team CVFY and inform them of the situation." True, Ozpin had informed the students before initiation that the teachers wouldn't interfere, but that was before a Zolom of all creatures transformed into a Hy-Grimm. No one in their right mind would blame them for not being able to handle this kind of threat.
"Already on it, sir," Glynda said.
"Good. You two should also accompany them. I believe it will take more than one team to defeat this mutation. I will stay here and inform you of any changes to the situation."
"You got it, Oz," Barret said before turning to his wife. "Come on, angel. We've got runts to save."
"Right behind you, honey," Glynda said.
Aerith watched as her Aunt Glynda and Uncle Barret ran off to assist the students, leaving Aerith alone with her father. "Do you think they'll be able to save them?"
"I have the utmost faith in them," Dad said. "After all, they trained you."
"I know. But, what if this turns out like Nibelheim?"
"Aerith, you can rest assured that I will not allow another tragedy of that magnitude to occur. Just have faith, and Miss Rose and her allies will make it back."
"Okay, Dad. I will."
The two of them turned their attention back to the video on her father's Scroll. Despite his reassurances, Aerith couldn't help but worry for the safety of her new friends.
The only thing she could really do for them now was clasp her hands together and pray.
Please, to all those in the Lifestream. Don't let the Hy-Grimm take my friends from this world.
"I don't believe it," Weiss said as she and the others watched everyone else fighting the mutated Zolom. "An actual Hy-Grimm. I didn't think we would encounter one so soon."
"Yeah, today's just full of surprises," Tfia said.
"We gotta get over there and help them," Ruby said.
"How? The bridge is out."
"I could use my glyphs, but I don't have enough Aura for multiple tripes," Weiss said.
"What about one big glyph for all of us?" Ruby asked.
"I can manage that."
"Okay, let's go beat that monster!" Ruby shouted.
"And hope it's the last monster we fight today," Tifa said.
"Cloud, you ready?" Ruby asked, though she received no answer. "Cloud?"
Ruby, Tifa, and Weiss turned to look at Cloud, and he was completely frozen. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared at the Hy-Grimm.
"Uh, you okay?" Tifa asked.
"What's the matter?" Weiss asked.
Cloud still didn't respond. He just stared at the Hy-Grimm.
The world for Cloud disappeared as soon as he saw the mutated Grimm.
Suddenly, he was a small boy, being carried in the arms of a blonde woman that he assumed was his mother. She was carrying him through a burning village, and he saw the head of a Hy-Grimm Zolom.
"Cloud!" The sound of Weiss's voice snapped him out of it. "Is everything alright?"
Cloud shook his head rapidly to clear his head. "I-I'm fine," he said. "Let's go take that thing out."
"Ok," Ruby said. "Weiss."
"Everyone surround me," Weiss said. Everyone gathered around her as she summoned a large Glyph under their feet.
"I hope this thing can get us across," Tifa said.
"I have no doubt in my mind that Weiss will do it," Cloud said. He turned to Weiss and gave her a reassuring nod. A smile graced Weiss's lips.
"Get ready," Weiss said.
In an instant, Weiss's glyph turned black and launched them across the ravine.
The mutated Zolom struck at Yang, who dodged and fired a shot at its head, which had no effect. Ren ran in and delivered a kick to the other side of its head, with similar results. The Hy-Grimm reared up and spat its venom at Yang and Ren, forcing them to dodge in opposite directions.
Nora charged at the creature with a battle cry and delivered a powerful strike to its side with her hammer, only causing its Aura to ripple. The Zolom knocked Nora to the ground with its tail.
On top of a nearby ruin, Reno and Yuffie watched the Hy-Grimm as they waited to pounce with their weapons at the ready.
"Ready, Yo?" Reno asked.
"You bet," Yuffie said.
Reno and Yuffie jumped off the ruin and landed on the Zolom's head. They began attacking it with their weapons, causing the beast to thrash around.
"Go down, mouse breath!" Yuffie yelled.
"Less talking, more hitting!" Reno shouted. Reno made his way towards the Zolom's eyes and stabbed it with his baton. It had little effect, and the Zolom's eye glared at Reno. "Aw, crap."
The mutant threw off Reno and Yuffie. Yuffie quickly used her Semblance to teleport to the ground, while Pyrrha ran up and caught Reno in her arms.
"Whoa. Thanks for the save, cuz," Reno said.
"You're very welcome, Reno."
Red charged at the mutant, his body enveloped in fiery aura. He nailed the mutant dead-on, but the beast didn't even stagger upon impact. The Zolom clamped its jaws down on Red's leg and lifted him into the air.
"Red!" Blake shouted.
The Hy-Grimm shook Red from side to side before throwing him into a pillar. Blake attempted to run over to help, but her path was blocked by the mutant. Red tried to stand, but fell to the ground. The pillar began to collapse and was about to crush him, but at the last second, Yuffie appeared in a puff of smoke and tackled Red out of the way.
"You okay, Red?" Yuffie asked. Red stomped his leg a couple of times and nodded. "Good," Yuffie said, breathing a sigh of relief. A shadow suddenly cast over them, and they looked up to see the Hy-Grimm's tail coming down on them. "Run!" They jumped out of the way at the last second, and the tail shook the ground upon impact.
"I… don't believe it," Yang exhaustedly said as everyone regrouped. "We hit it with everything we got, and it doesn't even have a scratch."
"Are these things invincible?" Reno asked.
"No, they just have incredibly strong Aura," Pyrrha said.
"Does anyone have any ideas?!" Jaune yelled, only to be met with silence as the others just simply stared at the approaching Zolom. Everyone tensed up as they racked their brains to try and think of any way out of this dilemma, when suddenly a large shadow was cast over the Zolom. The monster and the Hunters looked up to see a giant icicle falling towards them. The icicle slammed into the Zolom and shattered upon impact, causing the beast to fall to the ground for the first time. Seconds later, Ruby, Cloud, Weiss, and Tifa landed in front of everyone else with their weapons ready.
"Hope you don't mind us jumping in," Cloud said.
"Not at all," Reno chuckled. "The more the merrier, yo. I just hope you enjoyed our performance."
"Sorry we took so long," Ruby said. "Are you guys okay?"
"Eh, nothing we can't handle," Yuffie said. The Zolom growled, and Yuffie stiffened up with fear. The beast rose back up and glared at the Hunters with pure hatred.
"Damn, I thought that attack would do some damage," Tifa said.
"Now you know how we feel," Yang said.
"Even after all your attacks, I doubt four more fighters will make a difference," Weiss said.
"Then what do we do?" Nora asked.
Ruby looked at everyone, and saw how exhausted they all looked. It didn't look they were going to last much longer, so that left only one decision. "Everyone, we need to run."
"What?!" Weiss exclaimed. "Do you want this thing to chase us all the way back to Beacon?!"
"No, just towards those ruins."
"Well if that's the case, I think it would be best if the Zolom didn't see us," Tifa said. She used her Semblance to form ice gauntlets on her hands, and then used her Materia to set them ablaze. "Everyone get ready." The Zolom charged at them. Tifa slammed her fists together, causing steam to cover her and the others, obscuring them from the Zolom's sight. The beast came to an abrupt stop and used its tail to dissipate the steam, only to find its prey gone. Furious, it began hunting for the Hunters once again.
Ruby and the others carefully peaked out from behind the ruins and saw that the Zolom was searching for them before ducking back down.
"Okay, it doesn't know where we are," Ruby said. "We got some time before it finds us."
"We should take this opportunity to come up with a plan to defeat this Hy-Grimm," Ren said.
"Why do we need to defeat it?" Jaune asked. "Let's just stay hidden and wait for it to go away."
"Yeah, or maybe wait until the professors send some help," Yuffie said.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Blake said.
"Why?" Reno asked. "Those sound like pretty good suggestions to me."
"If this was any normal predator, but this Zolom followed Red all the way to the relics. So I don't think it'll just leave without having its meal."
"And as for help, I presume it would take about forty minutes for a Bullhead to fly from Beacon to here," Pyrrha said. "So we'd probably get found before any help arrived."
"So fighting the Hy-Grimm is our only option," Cloud said.
"Well, we were able to take down a Nevermore and a Deathstalker, so we can take down one mutated monster," Ruby said. "All we need is a plan. How's everyone's Aura?"
"Our Aura has taken quite a bit of damage, and the Hy-Grimm did the most," Pyrrha said, speaking for everyone in her group. "What about you?"
"Probably the same as everyone else," Tifa said. "That Nevermore was a pain."
"So, we have a vicious mutant looking for us, our Auras are low, and it will be quite some time until help arrives," Weiss said. "How can we possibly form any kind of strategy to get out of this mess?"
"Well, maybe we could…um…" Ruby said, trying desperately to think of something.
"I might have an idea," Cloud said, making everyone look at him in surprise.
"You do?" Yang asked.
"Yes, but I don't know if it will actually work."
"Well don't keep us in suspense, yo, tell us," Reno said.
"My Semblance. It could take out the Zolom, but it takes time to charge. And with how low my Aura is, we'll only have one shot."
"How long will it take to charge?" Blake asked.
"About three minutes."
"Okay, while you're charging your Semblance, we'll keep it distracted," Ruby said. "Then, when you're ready, I'll lead the Zolom to you so you can finish it off. Sound good?"
"Uh, how about instead of all of us attacking at once, you and Pyrrha attack it from far away with your guns?" Jaune suggested.
"Oh, I can help with that!" Nora said excitedly. "I have plenty of ammo left."
"I'll help, too," Yang said. "I needed an excuse to practice my aim anyway."
"That leaves the rest of us to attack the Zolom up close," Blake said.
"So we get the hard part. Great," Reno said.
"I'm surprised, Reno," Weiss said. "I thought you'd be a little more excited to be fighting with me again."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Reno asked, suddenly changing his tune. "Let's take this mutated garden hose down, yo."
"Okay, on the count of three," Ruby said. "One." Everyone took a ready stance. "Two." They tightened their grips on their weapons. "Three!"
Cloud watched as everyone else jumped out from behind the ruins and ran towards their designated spots, getting the Zolom's attention. Ruby, Pyrrha, Nora, and Yang stood far from the Hy-Grimm and fired their weapons at it, as the others attacked it up close with their weapons.
As everyone fought the Hy-Grimm, Cloud stood in the open and held his Buster Sword out in front of him.
Ok, feel your energy and let it flow through your body and into your sword, Cloud thought. He closed his eyes and controlled his breathing as he concentrated on his energy. A white aura enveloped his body and he felt a tingling sensation in his hands as the energy flowed into his sword. Cloud suddenly heard a pained cry come from one of the others as they were presumably hit by an attack from the Zolom, nearly causing Cloud to break his concentration. Focus, Cloud. If you stop now then that monster will just kill everyone. Cloud continued focusing his energy into his sword as the pained cries became more frequent and harder to ignore.
"Come on, come on!" he said aloud this time. Finally, the white aura around Cloud dissipated and covered his sword. Cloud's eyes flew open in determination. "It's ready!"
He saw Ruby dodge the Zolom's tail. "Alright, I'll get the—"
She was interrupted by a blast of fire hitting the Hy-Grimm in the side of the head. The mutant looked around and spotted Red XIII, before he launched another fire ball at the beast, causing it to roar in anger. Red made a made dash towards Cloud as the Zolom began chasing him.
"Red!" Blake called in concern. The Hy-Grimm spat venom at Red, forcing him to dodge as he ran. Cloud prepared his attack as Red and the Zolom drew closer by the second.
Just a little closer, Cloud thought. Red reached Cloud and leaped over his head, landing behind him. The Zolom roared as it slithered towards them at great speed. Now!
Cloud swung his sword down and launched an energy slash at the beast, hitting it in the head and cutting through its Aura. The Zolom still sped towards Cloud and Red, forcing them to dodge out of the way. Suddenly, the Hy-Grimm came to a complete stop and went still as a statue. Everything was quiet for several seconds, until the beast's head split open and black ooze poured out from its wound before it collapsed to the ground, finally dead.
"We did it," Ruby said. "We did it!"
Everyone began cheering and celebrating their victory. Cloud smiled before twirling his Buster Sword and sheathing it on his back. He then turned his attention to Red XIII. "Thanks for helping me out, Red." Red nodded his head. "Come on, let's go join the celebration."
"Well, that was unexpected," Ozpin said as he and Aerith watched Mister Strife and Miss Belladonna's canine companion walk away from the dead Hy-Grimm.
"They…They beat it," Aerith said before throwing her arms around Ozpin to hug him, while he gave her a one-armed hug in return. "They beat the Hy-Grimm!"
Ozpin chuckled in response to his daughter's enthusiasm. "I suppose we should have had a little more faith in their capabilities."
"Or maybe the planet knew it wasn't their time yet," Aerith said, ending her hug so she could look at Ozpin.
"Perhaps. But no matter the reason, we should just be thankful that they're still alive." Aerith nodded her head in agreement. Ozpin then noticed that Glynda was attempting to call his Scroll. He pressed the button to accept the call. "Yes, Glynda?"
"Sir, the Bullhead has just arrived, and we're about to head out," Glynda said. "Has anything happened to the children?"
"Oh, they're perfectly fine, but they might be a little exhausted," Ozpin said. "Just send the Bullhead to their location."
The camera feed from Glynda's scroll shifted, and Barret took her place. "Just the Bullhead? Oz, those kids are fighting a mutated Zolom, they're gonna need more than just air support."
"Actually, they defeated the Hy-Grimm," Ozpin said.
"What?!" Barret exclaimed.
"Ozpin, you can't be serious," Glynda said.
"He's telling the truth," Aerith said. "They took it out, Aura and all."
"Seriously?" A young woman's voice, presumably Miss Adel's, could be heard in the background.
"Yep. So Coco, your team might have some competition this year. Hope you don't mind being second-best."
Miss Adel's sunglasses-clad face then appeared on the screen. She chuckled. "Just for that, Aerith, I'm not gonna go easy on you during our sparring session." Aerith stuck her tongue out at Coco, which prompted Ozpin to chuckle.
"Now about the Bullhead…" Ozpin said.
"We'll send it to the children's location right away," Glynda said.
"Excellent." Ozpin and Glynda ended their call. He turned back towards Aerith. "Well, now that the situation has been taken care of, I think I should head back to the auditorium and prepare to assemble the teams."
"And I'd better go check up on Marlene and Betty," Aerith said. "They're probably a little worried without me there. See you later, dad."
With that, Ozpin and Aerith turned and walked away from Beacon Cliff.
Cloud and Red approached the rest of the group.
"Are you guys al—" Cloud started to ask before he was tackled to the ground by a Semblance-powered hug from Ruby.
"You're okay!" Ruby cheered.
"Well, I was," Cloud said, laying on the ground.
"I swear I was gonna lead the Zolom to you, but Blake's dog beat me to it and I thought and I thought 'Oh no, the dog's gonna get eaten!'" Ruby rambled.
"Ruby," Cloud said.
"But Red made it to you and you fired that energy attack and I was so happy."
"Ruby."
"But the Zolom was still moving and I was about to run over and—"
"Ruby! Breathe!" Cloud said.
Ruby took a few deep breaths. "Okay, I'm good. I guess I'm still on the adrenaline high."
"I could tell. Now could you get off me, please?"
Ruby looked down, realized that she was basically straddling Cloud, and immediately got off of him. "Ah, sorry!" Um, good job, Cloud," Ruby said, laughing nervously.
"Hey, don't forget about Red," Yuffie said, gesturing to Red. "The plan wouldn't have worked without him." She began petting Red. "Isn't that right, Red? Who's a good dog, who's a good dog."
"Yeah, Red's on tough pooch, yo," Reno said.
"I suppose, but I think I'm gonna need to get him a leash so he doesn't do something like that again," Blake said, prompting Red's ears to flatten.
"That's a very unique Semblance you have, Cloud," Pyrrha said as she and Weiss walked up to him.
"Don't forget powerful," Weiss chimed in. "I've never seen a Semblance like that before. How does it work?"
"Well, basically, I can absorb the energy of almost any living thing from the area I'm in, like trees, the grass, or any nearby animals," Cloud explained. "Then, I put that energy into my sword through my hands, allowing me to send an energy slash at any threat in front of me."
"Fascinating," Pyrrha said. "But, why didn't you use it when you fought me?"
"Like I said before, it takes time to absorb the right amount of energy, and I have to remain in one spot. So, using that during the tournament wouldn't have been the wisest choice. I also can't absorb the energy from humans or monsters, don't know why though."
"I suppose any Semblance would have its drawbacks," Weiss said. "I just didn't expect yours to be so limiting."
"Well, here's hoping I can get past those limits at Beacon," Cloud said.
Tifa stretched her arms and popped her back. "Speaking of Beacon, now that we've taken care of business here, I think it's time we start heading back."
Nora whined. "Can't… too tired… need rest… and… pancakes." She fell to the ground in exhaustion.
"Yeah, I'm with hammer girl," Yang said. "Let's take it easy and rest for awhile."
"I agree, a rest would be quite beneficial for everyone," Red said.
"See, even Red agre—" Yang started to say, before she realized who had just spoken. Everyone turned to stare at Red in shock.
"Um, is it just me, or did it sound like that thing just talked?" Jaune asked.
"That's because I did," Red said, speaking with a deep masculine voice.
"…The dog is talking," Nora said.
"Allow me to introduce myself," Red said. "I was given the name Subject 13, a name I don't particularly care for. You may continue referring to me as Red XIII, Red, or anything else you prefer."
"B-b-but this is…" Weiss stuttered. "How can you talk?! This is scientifically impossible, unless we all suffered a concussion!"
Ren nodded. "That does sound more… logical than a—"
"Talking dog," Nora interrupted.
"You'll find that this world is full of wonders you'd deem 'impossible'."
"But why didn't you talk to us when we found you?" Reno asked.
"I wasn't sure if I could trust you," Red said. "I feared that if I did reveal my secret, you'd end my life or capture me to be experimented on. But, after seeing how you all fought to protect each other, I knew you could be trusted. And I must thank you, Miss Blake. If you hadn't healed me, I most certainly would have perished. For that, I am forever un your debt."
"Um, you're welcome, Red," Blake said.
Ruby and Yuffie both squealed in excitement before dashing over and engulfing Red in a double hug.
"This is so cool!" Ruby cheered. "I thought this only happened in fairy tales!"
"Right?!" Yuffie said. "Our very own talking dog!"
"Guys, we gotta take him with us," Ruby said.
"Uh, I don't know, sis," Yang said. "I think it would be a bad idea to take him to Beacon."
"For once, Yang and I agree on something," Tifa said. "If anyone at Beacon found out Red can talk, we could all get in trouble."
"Yeah, like we could get arrested for harboring an endangered species," Jaune said.
"Or worse," Weiss said.
"Oh come on, like anything like that could happen," Ruby said.
"Yeah, plus sis already said he can come, so, ha," Yuffie said.
"Guys…" Yang said.
"I think we should take him," Cloud chimed in.
"What?" Weiss asked. "But if anyone finds out—"
"Then we'll deal with it when the time comes. But, if Red doesn't talk around anyone else, then we won't have anything to worry about."
"I believe I can manage that," Red said.
"See?"
"I suppose you're right," Weiss said.
"So does that mean…?" Ruby asked hopefully
"Yes, we can take him with us," Yang said.
Ruby and Yuffie cheered and gave Red another hug.
"Hear that, Red?" Yuffie asked. "You're part of the group now."
"Please refrain from constantly enveloping me in affection," Red said.
"No promises," Ruby and Yuffie said in unison, prompting Red to sigh.
"Now that that's been decided, I believe we should start heading back to Beacon," Ren said.
Reno chuckled. "I don't think we'll be walking back, yo." He pointed towards the sky, and everyone looked up to see a Bullhead flying towards them in the distance.
"They sent a Bullhead," Jaune said in relief. "What a relief. I don't think I'd be able to make it back on foot."
Blake approached Red. "Red, when we get back to Beacon, could you tell us a little bit about where you came from? And why you were afraid of being experimented on?"
"Of course, but I won't go any further into my past until the time is right," Red said.
"Okay."
Nora suddenly perked up. "THAT DOG CAN TAAAAAAAAA—"
"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark," Ozpin recited as the four boys in question stood at attention on the stage in the middle of the auditorium. Their names and pictures were plastered on the big screen above them. If Ozpin was being honest, they looked more like punks than Huntsmen. "You retrieved the black Bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Cardinal, led by Cardin Winchester. The screen displayed the letters CRDL as the audience clapped for Team CRDL as the four boys walked off stage.
The screen then changed to show four new pictures. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie," Ozpin recited as the four students walked up to the stage. "The four of you retrieved the white Rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team Juniper, led by Jaune Arc." The letters JNPR flashed across the screen.
"Huh?" Jaune asked, shocked at his name being said. "L-Led by?"
"Congratulations, young man," Ozpin said.
Pyrrha playfully punched Jaune in the arm, accidentally knocking him to the ground and prompting the crowd to laugh a little. "Oh, sorry, Jaune," she said as she helped him up.
"It's okay, I'm good."
"Ren! Nora!" A small voice called out. Everyone looked towards the stairs to see a young girl of 8 years old excitedly running towards the stage with Aerith trailing behind her. She had long brown hair tied into a ponytail, wore a sleeveless grey sweater with a matching skirt, and had grey sneakers with pink socks.
A big smile appeared on Nora's face. "Marlene!" she called out excitedly. Marlene ran up to Nora, who picked her up in her arms. "Were you worried about us?"
"Mm-hmm, but I knew you'd be okay," Marlene said.
"Oh yes, how could I forget your young ward?" Ozpin asked with a playful grin on his face. "Apologies, Miss Marlene, but I was unable to include your initials in the team name."
"That's okay, Mister Ozpin," Marlene said, causing several people in the audience to gush at her cuteness, Ruby included.
"Marlene, I thought we told you to stay with Aerith," Ren said.
"Sorry, she was with me, but got away when she saw your pictures," Aerith said sheepishly.
"That's alright, Aerith," Nora said. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her."
"Yes, it was very much appreciated," Ren said.
"It was my pleasure," Aerith said.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but who's the little girl?" Jaune asked.
"We'll explain later," Ren said.
"Yeah, all you need to know right now is that she's our little sister," Nora said, putting Marlene on her shoulders and making her giggle.
"Also, I think we've been on stage a little too long," Ren said. Jaune, Pyrrha, and Aerith turned and realized they were still on stage, with the audience waiting for them to wrap it up.
"O-Oh, right. Forgot about that," Jaune said.
"Sorry," Pyrrha and Aerith said simultaneously, before they looked at each other and blushed lightly. The newly-formed Team JNPR, plus Marlene and Aerith, finally made their way off the stage.
The pictures on the screen finally changed. Ozpin chuckled. "Now, Blake Belladonna, Reno Sinclair, Yang Xiao Long, and Yuffie Kisaragi." The named students, along with Red XIII, walked onto the stage. "The four of you retrieved the black Knight pieces. From this day forward you shall work together as Team Brick. Led by Blake Belladonna." The letters BRYK appeared on screen.
Blake's eyes went wide and her mouth fell agape, rendering her completely speechless. Reno patted her on the back. "Hear that, B? You're the boss."
"Way to go, Blake," Yang said.
"This is u-unexpected," Blake said with a nervous chuckle. Red nudged Blake's leg to get her to look down. He nodded approvingly at her. Blake returned it with a smile.
"Hey, since my sis is the leader, I guess that makes me the second-in-command," Yuffie said.
"What, says who?" Yang asked.
"Me, the second-in-command."
"Ha, in your dreams, ninja girl." Yang put Yuffie in a headlock, but the fox Faunus was quickly able to get out of it.
"Oh, Professor, is it alright if we keep Red?" Yuffie asked. "I mean, we couldn't have defeated that Zolom without him."
Ozpin looked at Red, who met his gaze. They studied each other for several seconds before Ozpin smiled. "I don't see why not. Just make sure to keep an eye on him."
"Don't worry, yo," Reno said. "Red's a good dog. He won't leave any messes while he's here." Red smacked Reno in the thigh with his tail. "Gah! His attitude needs to be worked on, though." Reno glared at Red, who turned away. The newly-formed Team BRYK walked (or limped, in Reno's case) off the stage.
With that, there were only four students left.
The pictures changed one last time. "Finally, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Cloud Strife, and Tifa Lockhart." Three of them walked up to the stage with pride, though Ruby looked extremely nervous. "The four of you retrieved the white Bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Rust." The letters RWST flashed across the screen. "Led by Ruby Rose."
Ruby and Weiss were both rendered speechless by the announcement. Tifa walked up and hugged the young reaper, though a little bit more gently this time.
"Congrats, Red," she said. "Or should I say 'Red Leader'?"
"Heh, I guess you're gonna get to boss me around," Cloud said. "How do you feel?"
"I'm not really sure," Ruby said. "I'm just a little stunned."
"I don't think anyone would blame you," Tifa said before turning to Weiss. "Hey, Weiss, what do you think of our leader?"
Tifa's words seemingly snapped Weiss out of a trance. "Um, I think it's… great. C-congratulations, Ruby," she said.
"Aww, thanks, Weiss."
"You're… welcome," Weiss said. Though, Ozpin noticed Weiss making a tight fist behind her back, causing some blood to seep from her palm.
No one else seemed to notice, except for him.
"Looks like things are shaping up to be… an interesting year."
AN: And with that, we finally have the final teams: Team RWST, Team BRYK, and Team JNPR! God this is fun.
So, yes, we finally get to see that Nora and Ren are taking care of Marlene. While they consider her their sister and not their daughter, I just have to say that I genuinely believe that Nora would be a really great mother. Yes, she's hyper, but she's clearly shown that she can be serious when she needs to be, and with how affectionate of a person she is, you know that her children would never grow up wondering if she loves them.
So next time, we'll be starting the semester at Beacon.
As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you all next time!