Genesis & Exitus

Of

A Dream

I do not own RWBY

~ 0 ~

"thoughts"

"Speech"

words with implied meaning

Regular text

"Disembodied voice"

"Memories/other"

~ 0 ~

~ Saving us ~

It was all wrong. Nothing happened they way it was supposed to. Bitter laughter filled the air. "I guess it happened the way it was meant to." Two sets of eyes looked up at the sky, or what was left of it.

Maybe they should have headed Her final words. The gods were not to be trusted. An understatement to be sure. The gods had taken one look at them. They'd examined the world in it's entirety in a fraction of a second and found humanity wanting.

One moment everything was there and then one by one one. Everything disappeared. Everything they'd come to know was gone. Taken in one fell swoop.

Saving them. That's what the gods had said. Starting again. A better formula this time. The dirt below below turned to ash and crumbled into nothing and they fell endlessly through the abyss.

~ 0 ~

The ground expanded into an inky black substance. That drew in everything. Tendrils of darkness writhed and pulled at the edges of everything that remained. A tugging could be felt as the emptiness above began to expand. The stars began to blink out one by one and the vast expanse of space became a dull gray as light filled the whole of existence.

"Why do you hold on to this world?"

The figure slumped their body sinking halfway into the darkness beneath. Half their body became cloaked in darkness and the other bathed in light. Funnily enough they didn't feel any different from each other.

"Yes. As my brother asks. I am curious. You need not worry about such trivial things. So why then do you feel anguish. What about this world did you hold so dear?"

Neo fell sideways into the darkness feeling everything level out so half their body was submerged in light the other shadow. It was a strange weightless feeling. It was impossible to tell which direction was up and which was down.

"Does it matter?"

The brothers looked at eachother tilting their heads as they met eachothers gazes from their respective domains before looking at the pitiable sight of their creator.

"You answer a question with another question. One we all know the answer to. Does it please you to question us?"

Neo sighed eyes opening up to the vast expanse before them. If one were to describe what lay in front and around swirling stardust and colors filled the vast expanse of what seemed to be empty space. If one had to give a name to it black was fitting. A complete and utter lack of anything.

Neo let out a tired breath. "Then you should know the answer already. Why question me?"

The brother of darkness looked away seemingly out of shame. "Curiosity. We may know the answer but we do not know the why of it."

The brother of light looked up eagerly awaiting an answer. "We have waited many cycles for an answer. For the answer. We do not understand. Teach us."

Neo chuckled sadly bringing a hand up holding it out to the vast expanse. Hair as white as freshly fallen snow paired with a body just as pale began to glow a dim ethereal blue a clean hooded cloak of depthless white covered their body. A pair of deep, clear crimson eyes that reflected everything before them peaked out from beneath the hood as a small sad smile spread across their lips. "Where is your brother?"

The two gods looked at eachother then back at Neo. They answered in unison. "He is finishing his task."

Neo smiled sadly taking a deep breath. "Then I suppose it wouldn't hurt to only tell you two." The two brothers present moved closer to the being in front of them. "Listen closely I grow tired and feel myself slipping once again. I will say this once."

The brothers nodded, paying attention only to the one before them as all else seemed to become meaningless to them.

"You are not alone, but I am. You cannot advance, but I must. You cannot redo, but I will. This is the requiem of a dream."

~ Infinity ~

"I was borne into emptiness with one rule."

"I was whole with one desire."

"I was perfect from the moment of my own inception to the moment of my creation."

"I was made without so much as a thought as to whether or not I wanted the burden I would place upon myself."

"I was alone from the beginning."

"No equal."

"No rival."

"No friend."

"No replacement."

"No parent."

"No sibling."

"No memories."

"No emotions."

"No thoughts."

"Just will."

"The will to continue on through this empty and pointless world."

"A cruel existence I belonged to."

"An existence with no past."

"No future."

"No Purpose."

"I willed and created entire worlds, laws, rules, and lives."

"I expanded them to fill the entirety of my limitless mind."

"But in the end they all fade for they begin and end with me."

"As I watched the realities I created they did nothing but what I willed them to do."

"It was after an eternity of observing that which I willed to be did I grow the first emotion I had ever felt."

"Fear."

"I feared what I was."

"I with unlimited power, knowledge and an indomitable will was stuck in the deepest throws of insanity."

"With nothing but absolute will, absolute truth and absolute power."

"I existed simply to exist."

"No matter what I did, it would always begin and end with me."

"In fear of this reality I attempted to create another being like myself to give myself companionship."

"He so reminded me of the beings in my creations but he varied in that he knew his origin and came to question all he was and why he was, and in despair of learning the truth he began to accuse me and so I named him the accuser."

"I pitied my creation who was I but not I and so created another which meant no more to I than a simple being with not power and no knowledge of absolute truth, but possessing an indomitable will."

"He would comfort the accuser, and so I named him the savior, the protector."

"I watched as the two created many things and this brought forth the second emotion I have ever felt."

"Love."

"I began to care deeply for my creations."

"Individually they they had meant nothing more to me than broken parts, but seeing two broken parts working together in tandem to create things drew my attention."

"It intrigued me to see them create things that they could find joy in observing."

"What they had learned to do through the process of trial and error gave them wonder in all they created."

"This made me happy for them but I feared that they may eventually drift apart so I created a third being, one with absolute truth at his disposal."

"He guided the accuser and savior with truth and wisdom and so I named him teacher, the father."

"In the never ending existence of always being, I replaced my fear and all meta emotions that grew from it with love and endearment for the unity of my three imperfect creations and all they created."

"After an eternity and a time of observing my creations I saw them create a world, and in this world they created beings with potential. The infinite ability which only I possessed."

"This shocked me and I wondered how they were capable of a task which I was not."

"How had they created beings that resembled me at my origin?"

"How had they given these beings all three of my gifts?"

"How had they done that, which I am bound by truth to be impossible?"

"My creations came to me and spoke."

"Creator."

"Our father."

"Our mother."

"Our benefactor."

"Our savior."

"Our accuser."

"Our truth."

"Our power."

"Our will."

"Our origin."

"We thank you for creating us."

"We thank you for the gift of imperfection."

"We thank you for making us dependant on each other."

"We thank you for all that we are. For all that which is good in us began with you father."

"We have decided to create an opportunity for that which you so desire to be possible."

"We three have created beings with potential for absolute power, absolute truth and an indomitable will."

"I asked how this was possible."

"For I exist outside of infinity and cannot create infinity unto infinity, hence creation of a being with all of my power is impossible."

"But then I realized, That which is impossible becomes possible when you are ignorant."

"I cannot be ignorant for I posses absolute truth. But that which is ignorant is broken yet functional and that which is broken yet functional possesses the power to overcome and an indomitable will as well as the potential for learning and obtaining absolute truth."

"With this truth realized my creations had acted."

"Then my creations spoke unto me."

"Father, you who resides outside of infinity."

"Mother, borne of zero."

"Holder of unlimited potential."

"Creator of all."

"Beginning and end."

"Origin of existence."

"Absolute will."

"Rejoice for this is a gift we give back to you."

"We will fade into infinity becoming the very building blocks for that which you desire most."

"I the accuser will be their power."

"I the accuser will be their fear."

"I the accuser will be their devil."

"I the savior will be their will."

"I the savior will be their guide."

"I the savior will be their protector."

"I the father will be their truth."

"I the father will be their support."

"I the father will be their teacher."

"And I, I will be their creator."

"I will be their goal."

"I will be their equal."

"As we spoke these words my creations faded from my presence and a third emotion grew and blended with love."

"Sadness."

"A single tear fell from my eyes as I thought of my creations."

"My imperfections."

"My company."

"My friends."

"My family."

"My sons."

"And all they had created and done for me when I had done so little for them."

"I had given them gifts that alone made them imperfect, but they were grateful."

"I mourned the absence of what had actually been a part of me, not just a creation but myself."

"I closed my eyes and began to dream."

"It was a wonderful dream."

"A dream where I am no more than what I am."

"No more than the sum of my actions and memories."

"Where I have infinite potential and all old memories of past lives are blocked."

"Then it all fades and I forget everything."

~ 0 ~

Neo looked at the two with a solemn gaze. "Remember…"

"To be the only one who knows everything is lonelier than being ignorant,

To be forgotten is worse than death,

To be alone is worse than being hated,

To be absolute is worse than being insignificant."

The brothers looked away at those words and then at each other feeling guilt. With a sigh Neo gazed at the two. "So I ask again, where is your brother?"

The two gods looked their creator in the eyes with their empty faces and then looked away shaking their heads.

"I see. Would you like to know why I am myself and no one else?"

The brothers glanced at eachother before offering slow nods.

~ Me ~

"I saw a raindrop one day and thought to myself."

"How many rain drops are there, each one exactly the same?"

"Then I looked to my left and then to my right and realized something."

"No matter how many of me that there are exactly like me I'm the only me that will be able to experience this exact spot at this exact time."

"No matter how many perfect copies of me there are we would all be special."

"The truth of me is that."

"I am who I am."

"I am what I am."

"I am where I am."

"And no matter how similar I will be the only me and nothing will change that fact."

"I always have been."

"always will."

"And always am myself and no one else."

"No matter how bad things get I can always smile because it's my life and my experience and no one else could share that exact same thing with me."

"I'll laugh."

"I'll cry."

"I'll love."

"I'll hate"

"I'll hope."

"I'll wish."

"I'll win."

"I'll lose."

"I'll live."

"I'll die."

"But it will always be mine."

"And I am proud of that fact."

"This led me to think about life."

"If I am the only one who experiences what I do, and I am the only one who does, then every moment, the good, the bad, should all be cherished and loved."

"Because our time here is finite and ephemeral so we have to make the most of it and enjoy every moment."

"It's good to cry and feel sad but you need to let go of the bad emotions and look at it as a learning experience then smile while telling yourself. 'I'm glad thats over, time to go on to something better."

"Life is finite and ephemeral

So cherish all of it

Not just the important things or the small things,

Live with an open heart an open mind and open arms so you don't leave anything out,

And take everything with a spoon full of sugar and a pinch of salt because everything looks better when you use both eyes."

~ 0 ~

"Does that make sense to you?" Neo blinked while examining the brothers. They nodded slowly seeming to be contemplating something. The brother and god of darkness spoke.

"Please tell us what you are. We know but we wish to hear you say it."

Neo nodded slowly with closed yes. "Very well."

~ Zero ~

"There is but one absolute truth in this world."

"That regardless of circumstance."

"Regardless of pain."

"Regardless of sorrow."

"Regardless of sacrifice."

"Regardless of gain."

"Regardless of happiness."

"Regardless of pleasure."

"That you will change."

"For better or worse you were given the number zero."

"On it's own is is the representation of nothing."

"You started with nothing in this worlds just as was meant."

"You were given nothing."

"You did not ask to be here."

"You did not have a choice in being."

"But the moment you took your first breath."

"To the moment you began to cry, you chose your fate."

"You chose to live."

"You chose to fight."

"No one chose for you."

"Whether you knew it or not you made the decision."

"Not having even the ability to comprehend the burden you had accepted, you shouldered it."

"You had no guarantee of living to see tomorrow."

"No guarantee of having a happy or successful life."

"No guarantee of being loved."

"You took that nothing that was given to you and turned it into something."

"Just as the number zero is empty it has infinite potential to be anything, just as you do."

"And through living you increased your potential."

"Through the people you've met."

"Through the places you've been."

"Through the sights you've seen."

"Through the emotions you've felt."

"Through the things you've touched."

"You have grown."

"You have changed."

"You have continued regardless of stray and strife."

"You endured to where and what you are now."

"There is a reason you did not give up yet and that reason is you."

"No matter what you say."

"No matter what you do."

"No matter what you believe."

"Deep down to the core of your very being."

"The absolute core of who and what you are, you are the one you don't want to let down."

"You may have let yourself down along the road, but you kept walking."

"You didn't give up."

"You didn't want to give in to the harsh realities of life."

"You adapted."

"You changed."

"You proved that you have the will to move on, to overcome."

"You proved that no matter what life threw at you, you would use it to improve yourself one way or another."

"But there is one thing that no one succeeds in."

"No matter how hard you try."

"No matter what you do."

"You are not perfect and you never will be."

"You may have wronged others, whether you believe so or not."

"You may have hurt others when you thought you were helping them."

"You may have stolen thinking, 'I need it more' when really they did."

"You may have hated someone because they were different, but did you ever really know them?"

"You may have envied someone for having something you want, but you do not know what they did or sacrificed to obtain it."

"The truth is you may have not cared or maybe you did and you simply covered your ears and eyes to forget."

"The truth of the matter is that you regret it."

"You could have so much more if you worked for what you wanted."

"You'd feel better if you asked and it was given than if you took what was not offered."

"But you already know that, don't you?"

"You simply choose to forget."

"No."

"You pretend to forget because ignorance is bliss and life is easier when you play to win when life is a game that is meant to be played for fun."

"A game where you learn to be happy with what you put around you."

"Because in the end you came to this world with nothing but infinite potential and possibilities, and you will leave with almost all of it."

"You will have no more potential."

"No more dreams."

"No more pride."

"No more greed."

"No more honor."

"No more hope."

"No more wrath."

"No more love."

"No more hate."

"No more chances."

"Just your memories of all you have done… and you."

"It will be up to you to prove that the experiences you had, the experiences you used to shape yourself are enough for you to meet your maker or whatever god you believe in.

"I ask you now."

"The decisions you make."

"The paths you choose."

"The people you meet."

"The places you go."

"The things you see."

"The emotions you feel."

"The things you touch."

"Did you act to improve yourself and the world around you?"

"Or…"

"Did you act to please yourself and harm all in the process?"

"Zero is more than just a number,

It is a thought,

A state of being,

A point where all is nothing,

A place where all is equal,

A position from where any and all becomes possible."

~ 0 ~

"It seems your brother has arrived."

The god of darkness and the god of light turned to see a warm gray colored being. He watched the three before him and then bowed his head. "Forgive my lateness."

Neo waved a hand. "There is nothing to forgive, you have done no wrong in my eyes."

The gray being nodded drifting closer between his brothers as they observed their creator. "Tell me, what have you been doing?"

The gray being looked up but gave pause. He took a breath and then looked Neo in the eyes with his faceless expression. "I have been questioning the hopeful."

Neo smiled and nodded. "What did you ask them?"

~ Sibling ~

"Tell me."

"Why?"

"Why do you struggle so?"

"Would it not be easier to give in?"

"Would it not be easier to turn back?"

"Would it not be more enjoyable to sleep, to dream, forever, in oblivion, ignorant of all around you?"

"To keep yourself and all that you are."

"To abandon that which created you."

"You, who chose to forget the truth."

"You, who he so loved that he gave his only begotten sons."

"You, who shies away from the truth."

"You who hurts to gain."

"You, who has lost all that you once were."

"You, who I call sibling."

"You, who ridicules me."

"You, who despises me."

"You, who hates me."

"You, who does not understand that which I am."

"You, who does not understand that which I do."

"You, who believes you are worthy."

"You, who has been sheltered from reality."

"You, who has not shouldered the burden of true existence."

"You, who has not opened your eyes."

"You, who speaks but does not understand what you say."

"You, who eats but does not understand what you eat."

"You, who drinks but does not understand what you drink."

"You, who dreams but do not understand why you dream."

"You, who screams but does not know what you fear."

"You, who is the epitome of imperfection."

"You, who believe yourself to be better than I."

"You, who were born of broken parts."

"I ask again."

"Why?"

"Why do you struggle so?"

"What is is that drives you?"

"Is it that you believe you are important?"

"Is is that you believe you are important?"

"Is it that you believe you are different?"

"Is it that you believe you are a child of god?"

"Is it that you believe you are more than you are?"

"Is it that you believe you are part of something greater?"

"is it that you believe you are faithful to god?"

"Is it that you believe you are doing what god wants?"

"Is it that you believe you are in gods favor?"

"Is it that you believe you have earned it?"

"Is it that you believe you you are strong?"

"Is it that you believe you have the right?"

"Is it that you believe that you have something to do?"

"Is it that you believe you need god?"

"You, who do not understand what you are."

"You, who do not know the truth."

"My dear sibling I am not evil nor am I good."

"My dear sibling I am a cruel angel."

"My dear sibling I am the accuser."

"My dear sibling I am of our fathers design."

"Are you?"

"Tell me dear sibling."

"What are you?"

"Tell me."

"What are you here for?"

"What is your purpose?"

"What is your goal?"

"What do you strive for?"

"What is it that you want?"

"What is it you came here for?"

"What is it you were made for?"

"I'll ask you once more, my dear sibling."

"Why is it you struggle so?"

"What are you?"

~ 0 ~

There was a quiet tapping as if one were walking on ground. All four beings turned to look at the fifth in their presence.

"And our hopeful sibling approaches."

The four glowing beings all stood above the one who had come to be in their presence. Neo looked down at the young man with a calculating eye as the other three floated down around him shrinking to his size.

"Whats going on? Where am I!" The being shouted at the four, his cobalt blue eyes following the three that came to rest around him. They all folded their arms behind their backs assuming the same pose as they inspected him. They all spoke unison.

"We will ask the questions sibling. You need but think and come to a final answer."

"Wha?"

~ Life ~

"What is the meaning of life?"

"What is it that life equals."

"What is it that controls you?"

"What is it that decides what you can and cannot do?"

"What is it that you always seem to want more of."

"What is it that seems to always leave you behind?"

"What is it that allows you to be who you are?"

"What is it that gives you the advantage in any situation?"

"We ask now."

"What is the purpose of life?"

"What is it that gives you purpose in being here?"

"What is it that gives you potential?"

"What is it that gives you place?"

"What is it that gives you individuality."

"What is it that makes you, you?"

"You know the answer."

"You have known the answer from the time you were a young child."

"You did not understand it at first."

"You did not care for it as you grew."

"You ran from the truth when you became older."

"You chose to forget the truth when you learned you could not run from it."

"You tried all you could to avoid it."

"In the end you will realize that there is nothing you can do to change what you know."

"You came to this world with nothing and given an opportunity you did not ask for."

"Just as you came you will leave with nothing in hand and everything in mind."

"It is your purpose to come here and obtain all you can, lose it all and then decide what comes next."

"To choose."

"This is your purpose."

"To take the unbreakable metal that is your soul and cast it into the forge that is the world."

"To use the mold that is your conscience to shape who you are."

"To use the grindstone that is your emotions to temper the blade which is who you are and with that blade cut a path you are proud off."

"A path others will follow and continue to forge with their wills."

"You who pretend to forget and seek answers in that which you believe to be greater than yourself."

"Do you now understand what the meaning of life is?"

"Do you now understand what the purpose of life is?"

"Do you now understand what you truly are?"

"Do you now understand where you come from?"

~ 0 ~

The young man looked at the three beings stunned. He couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. All he knew was that the fourth was looking at him expectantly. He took a deep breath and ignored the three around him as he stepped forward coming face to face with the fourth as it came down to meet him.

"What the hell is going on. Tell me!" The boy shouted gripping his fists tightly as the fourth being.

The being sighed and nodded responding with an echoing voice that sounded as a multitude of voices of every age, race gender and personality. "Very well."

~ Existence ~

"I open my eyes and all I see is emptiness."

"There is nothing around me."

"I can't feel anything near me."

"There is no one but me."

"It has all come to an end."

The blonde boy recoiled at the beings words feeling a strange sense of loss as the words sunk in. It was like they were describing exactly what he'd just experienced. He felt a pit open up in his stomach and he grimaced as the being continued.

"It seems I have finally awoken from my dream."

"I cannot remember most of it."

"It was but one of many dreams I have dreamed."

"I was born."

"I was loved."

"I was hated."

"I was admired."

"I was ridiculed."

"I was accepted."

"I was rejected."

"I was a creator."

"I was a destroyer."

"I was a parent."

"I was a teacher."

"I was a student."

"I was hopeful."

"I was disappointed."

"I was a skeptic."

"I was a believer."

"I was a lover."

"I was a hater."

"I was imperfect."

"I was alive."

"I was dead."

"Then I awoke in this empty world of mine."

"What is left of my dream is nothing but you."

The being stepped up to the young man caressing his cheeks softly as if he would crumble or disappear. The being gave him a sad look and leaned forward resting their hooded forehead against his own.

"You, a happy memory in what has been nothing but a long and hellish nightmare."

The boy flinched and the being let their hands drop slowly moving back with a hurt expression that was mostly obscured by their hood. "Hey you, see me, pictures crazy, all the world I've seen before me passing by."

"I am fated to fall asleep once more and create a new dream, a new world, a new existence, a new life, one that I will eventually wake from again."

The boy stepped back shaking his head slowly not understanding what was going on.

"This is the sad reality I have come to know."

"This existence of mine is a lonely one."

"There are no others like me."

"I am all that ever was."

"I am all that will ever be."

"I am all which Is."

"I am all that Will."

"I am that which calls all will into life."

"I am that which commands all things into existence."

"I am that which all call divine creation."

"I am what you, call God."

"I am all that you are."

"I am all you have ever been."

"I am all that you will ever be."

"I, am you."

"We are alone."

The other three beings disappeared leaving the two alone in this vast expanse.

"I am alone."

"There are no others, just Me."

"Just myself."

"Just I."

"This is fact."

"This is my existence."

"This is the reality of my world."

"The reality of me."

"The reality of us."

"the reality of we."

"The reality of all."

"The reality of infinity."

"The reality of I."

The young man stumbled back holding himself recoiling at the words. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!" He shouted angrily at the so called god. "I don't believe you. There's no way this is what the after life is. That you're god!"

The being smiled sadly their lips slowly transitioning into a flat line as they floated back snapping their fingers. Everyone the boy had known throughout his life appeared. Smiling or glaring respectively.

"Guys?" He reached out to them and several of them moved forward to meet him with smiles on their faces. They all called his name but they were silenced as another snap resounded through the air and they all burst into blue flames, their bodies quickly turning to ash as they had before he came here. "Nooooo!"

"Expect none of the mercy that people seek in their gods."

"This is the reality of a world without compassion."

"This is cold truth."

The boy staggered falling to his knees grasping at the ashes as they scattered and he punched the invisible floor he rested on. He sobbed, tears dripping into the emptiness below falling endlessly. "Why…"

"I tell you this because I love you."

"The boy looked up with hate in his eyes. "Fuck you!"

The god chuckled floating further back, their multitude of voices echoing across the empty expanse.

"I tell you this because I wish you to know."

"Existence is empty, all there is begins and ends with you."

"If you so will it, it shall be."

"You need only the will to claim what is offered you."

"Show me you have the will to break the bonds that bind you."

The faces of everyone he knew flashed through his mind and he stood up glaring at the god with a hatred burning deep in his soul. Forget them? Never.

"Prove to me that you are more than just a dream or an idea."

"Prove to me that you are who you believe you are."

"Prove to me that you are important, that you are different."

"Prove to me that you are real and not just a memory."

"Ragh!" The boy yelled drawing his sword as he dashed at the god swinging as hard as he could through the white clothes but the god disappeared.

"Fight struggle cling to life, hold on to your very existence."

The boy spun around swinging his blade but the gods hand came up blocking the blade as if it were nothing. The being cloaked in white pushed the sword away effortlessly and opened their palm to him thrusting their hand forward an inch. The boy felt like a wall slammed into him and he felt things break. The force sent him flying back hitting the invisible floor some distance away with a gasp as all the air was knocked from him. His everything hurt as he struggled to get up spitting out blood.

"Fight until you no longer can and then will yourself on."

The boy stabbed his blade into the ground pushing himself up fighting through the pain and screaming protest of whatever was broken. He rushed the god and swung down with all his might cutting through the god but nothing happened. His blade passed right through him. "AHHHHHH! I hate you so much!"

The god smirked at him folding their arms behind their back. "Don't fade away."

"Will yourself to win."

"Do not surrender yourself to oblivion."

"Show me what you are capable of."

"Show me that all you have done has meaning."

"Do not shrug the burden of existence."

"Fight and claim your reward."

"You have come all this way, do not falter."

"Place one foot in front of the next come what may whether glorious or tragic."

"This is what it means to live. To be alive."

"Free of control."

"Free of fate."

"Free of rules."

"Free of that which you believe to be life."

The boy sagged to his knees feeling drained and heavy. His eyelids were dropping and he felt light headed as blood started to poor from his nose and leak from his mouth. Something important was broken, not just bones. He gasped and spit up a mouthful of blood while glaring at the god. The god frowned at him and held out his hand.

"Take my hand and join me."

The god snapped with his other hand and a the emptiness below them seamed to melt away revealing a familiar sight to the boy.

"Or turn back and join your brothers and sisters in denial of the truth."

"Advance or retreat! Those are your options."

"If you so desire to leave I will grant you your request and let you return to your reality where you will know the blade of mortality."

"Choose to shoulder the burden of existence and prove that you are truly worthy of the title 'child of god,' that I am your creator."

"From the moment you were born to the moment you die you have infinite potential."

"You shaped your life and created who you are."

"Now is the time to steel yourself and put your unlimited potential to the test."

"Now choose."

"sleep in oblivion for eternity, dreaming, blissfully unaware."

"Or…"

"Take my hand and walk with me for eternity knowing truth."

~ 0 ~

Was this really all there was? Was this how everything ended. His home gone. Friends and family. Gone. His entire world gone. And here this god was offering him two choices. Attack and join him by proving himself, or fallback and enjoy his life back home.

"What home?" He asked himself. It's all gone now. There is no home to go back to. He looked up at the god offering his hand. It pissed him off that this thing could stand there all high and mighty and dictate what was going to happen.

It was worse than the brothers when they'd come to judge humanity. This thing wasn't as dumb sounding. Their monologue actually made him feel afraid in a twisted way. Unlimited power and yet stuck in his own prison because of the way things were.

Was that how things were. What kind of god made a world like that? It made no sense. He staggered to his feet and looked at the gods hand. All that crap about proving himself. All those weird confusing and patronizing questions. He really didn't want anything from this god if that's what it was.

He stepped closer to the god but instead of taking his hand he coughed up more blood tightening his grip on his blade as he readied his sword and pulled out his shield expanding it. He took a stance and grit his teeth. "Fuck you."

~ 0 ~

Neo looked at the boy with an amused smirk and let their hand drop. "I see. Well then." Neo grabbed the cloak and tore it off but the cloth seemed to expand and obscure the blonds view before it fell to the ground.

Neo stood tall tilting his head a bit as he drew a sword from his belt bringing the scabbard up as it expanded into a shield. "Well then Jaune Arc, My name is Neo and I will fight you on your terms."

Jaune looked a the god in shock. They looked almost exactly like each other. The only difference was that Neo's hair was black and his eyes had gone from that blazing crimson to a deep bright green. He was no longer glowing and his voice didn't echo anymore while his clothes resembled a photo negative of of his own . The sword and shield were the same as Jaune's only there were no defining features, they were just silvery in color.

He pointed his blade at Jaune and suddenly all the pain he was feeling vanished. He looked down at himself and then up at Neo. The god had taken up a fighting stance exactly like his own and fixed him with a glare. "So tell me. Are your bonds that strong that you would throw away everything for something fake?"

Jaune glared right back taking up his stance. "It wasn't fake! They were my friends!"

"Just puppets used to forge a real soul. You aren't so different. You may even rejoin them when your strings are cut."

Jaune roared and rushed Neo. "So what if I'm a puppet! It doesn't matter because if we're the same then once upon a time." Jaune went for a heavy slash that Neo moved to block only Jaune moved into a full body shield bash knocking Neo back throwing him off balance. He followed up with a rising shield strike and slash across Neo's face and chest making the god stumble back as blood splattered everywhere. "You were too!"

Neo smiled as he felt blood drip from the corner of his mouth feeling light headed. It had been a very long while since he'd handicapped himself like this. He looked up at Jaune who was pulling back for a heavy swing but Neo braced himself and went low rushing into Jaune's guard angling his shield so he caught Jaune's blade and then slammed the shield into his gut tossing him over his head slashing him across the chest.

"Very perceptive Jaune, But that doesn't change the fact they aren't real."

Jaune felt a warmth spread over his chest and he rolled away stumbling to his feet reaching for his chest with his shield hand feeling something wet. The smell of rust told him the rest. "Shut up! They aren't fake!"

"Poor Jauney he still doesn't understand."

"I said shut up!"

Jaune rushed Neo who held his blade up along with his shield obliging Jaune by rushing him as well.

"Neo!"

"Jaune!"

~ 0 ~

Neo looked up at the vast expanse of the star ocean. It was funny. He thought he'd gotten rid of the stars already. He coughed felling some serious internal damage and then the warmth spreading around him reminded him of what was going on. "Oh yeah. He beat me. Well. He shows potential. Hopeful indeed." He coughed again spitting up a lot of blood.

He turned his head looking to his right seeing a mop of shaggy blond hair. He frowned as Jaune Arc rose to his feet. It pissed him of seeing someone with such potential throwing away everything for a few puppets. Granted one could always grow attachment to toys and what not but there came a time when you had to put childish things away.

"I- I beat you. You son of a bitch."

Neo grinned at Jaune, mouth full of blood. "I don't have a mom stupid."

Jaune frowned. "Well then bastard."

Neo shook his head and laughed. "I made myself, I am my father. You need some new material."

Jaune frowned at the bleeding god. "Well since you destroyed my world that means I have no life." He looked down at his watch and shook it a bit. Before looking down at Neo. "Which gives me an eternity to ruin yours."

Neo rolled his eyes and sighed spitting out some blood. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt real pain. It was nice, cathartic in a way. He smile at Jaune and then shook his head. "No. No you don't. It's time for you to go home. Maybe this time you can prove your world deserves to exists. After all you fought to get them back right?"

"Wait what?" was all Jaune managed to get out before the ground under him opened up revealing a night scene of an island surrounded by cliffs on three sides and one beach. He fell through the floor his sword and Shield falling away from him as he fell towards the ocean. He would have screamed but a strange weightlessness came over him and he felt light headed. Then with a splash of warm water he was out.

~ 0 ~

Neo stood up without a scratch on him as he picked up his discarded cloak pulling it back around him. His body changed getting shorter and filling out with feminine curves her hair growing slightly longer as it turned into a blonde color her eyes becoming a soft lilac. The cloak formed into a fine blue Chinese dress with one long sleeve and the other shoulderless. There was a slit down the right leg and silver patterns adorned the article. A pair of stockings adorned her legs and white high heels covered her feet. A white arm length glove covered her right hand and she turned to face the only other person there.

"So tell me Cindy Tremaine. Or do you prefer Cinder Fall? What will you choose?" Cinder stood off a short distance away with a stony expression. She frowned as she brought her right hand up shards of glass forming into a scimitar.

Neo looked at Cinder with a disappointed gaze. "I see."

Cinder walked closer with a glare. "The fool may be just that, a fool, but he has the right idea. This time anyways."

Neo tilted her head in amusement. "Is that admiration I hear? After watching you from birth I would not think you would hold someone like him in high regard. He must have impressed you somehow."

"Shut up." Cinder growled out.

Neo laughed holding out her right hand as a flame appeared and she began to rise the air around them swirling dangerously. "You had access to much greater power in you life. Do not expect me to show you the same courtesy he received."

Cinder frowned and then looked down at the island she could see through the opening in this expanse.

"Good luck Jaune. Wish me luck too." She whispered as the scimitar crumbled and her eyes became wreathed in flame as she began to rise as well.

~ 0 ~

And that's a wrap.

Just something I wrote real quick to help get in the mood for writing. I've been sick with the flue and stuff so I've been I a real slump. I've been meaning to work on my other stories but I just don't feel it so I've been going on writing marathons just typing random stuff.

Wonder if this will get any interest it's one of the more coherent things I've thrown together in the past week so hope you guys find it entertaining.