Team EMBR (RWBY oc)

Chapter 40:

Ember's POV (2 Weeks later)
     "Cmon Hazel. We've been over this. You can't get lazy, or your performance will suffer." I scolded my sister as she stood in front of me in the training room, directly after a failed rep.

      "I know it seems like she's being hard on you but she's right." Ash called out from a seat along the edges, right next to Rose. The hospital let him go a week ago, but they told him he may still be a little rusty. He ended up staying with us at Ewens Manor since the place his parents were staying at only had enough room for two, "the slightest deviation in your stance and all your muscle memory is gone."

      "I get that." Hazel groaned, "it's just- I'm bored. All we've done is train, train, and train some more. All in hand to hand. I haven't even touched the sword yet! Not to mention actually fight somebody!"

     "Well you can fight me." I suggested, "if you really want to."

     "Only if you promise to take it easy on me..." She muttered.

     "Don't worry. I'll play it defensively." I answered as I stepped into the center of the training room, making sure Hazel followed me out.

      "Make sure you keep you Aura up. 'Kay?" I said to her as I threw my hands up in front of me.

     "Trust me. You don't wanna forget that." Rose joked from where she was sitting, "you remember when Em almost killed me in your backyard?"

"I only hit your shoulder!" I called out defensively, throwing my hands out to my side before placing them on my hips, "It's not my fault your Aura was down."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure it's up." Hazel said impatiently as she stepped up to me, her fists up. I followed suit and waved my hands, telling her to come at me.

"Cmon Hazel! You've got this!" Ash cheered her on from the side. I couldn't help but smile at that. I glanced over at him for a second before coming back to the fight, only to see a fist coming up at my face. I threw my arms up and blocked the strike with my forearms. I slid my front foot back and shifted my stance to make what was my back foot now my front foot. Hazel pressed the attack as I shifted back, kicking her foot at my front knee. I brought my leg up and stood sideways, so she hit my calf rather than my knee. After that she tried to uppercut me, but I had backstepped out of her reach, so she lost her balance when she overextended and stumbled forward.

     Since I would normally attack there, I threw a jab at her head, albeit slower than I usually would. Hazel did exactly what I taught her and smacked my fist down and away. I continued the momentum and spun, bringing my heel towards her head. Fortunately, she jumped back and dodged the kick.

    She ran straight forward at me and threw a hook up high. I ducked below it, which was hard given the height difference. As I stood back up she threw a kick at my side, so I threw my arm to my side to take most of the force.

     "You're doing great Hazel!" Ash called out with a chuckle, "the last person to fight her hand to hand had already lost."

    I just let out a chuckle as Hazel swung hard at me. Hard enough to make her spin. Rather than press any kind of attack, I just lightly shoved her away.

     "Remember. Stay in control of yourself." I said as I threw a weak hook at her. She threw her arm out and 'caught" the strike, blocking its path, so I brought my leg up to kick her, but she ducked under and shoved me away. Once we both regained our stances she threw multiple strikes at me, all of which I backstepped. With every strike she threw, she got more and more reckless. I could see her face start to twist in frustration. It took me awhile to realize why, but once I did, I dropped my guard.