AUTHOR NOTES:
Well this is my first fanfiction so any advice or criticism would be much appreciated. Also, this story will mostly follow the cannon events, but will stray off for side events for my OCs. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy my story.
Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape, or form; own the rights to RWBY or any mentioned anime/games. The rights to RWBY belongs Monty Oum, Rooster Teeth, and any anime/games belong to their respective owners
A Change in Perspective
Chapter 1: The Struggles of a Friday Afternoon
We find ourselves in a brightly lit room with green walls. In the room are posters of cars, and collectible cars line one side of the room. In the room we find four figures sitting at a table. What could they be doing? Let's listen in and see what we can find out.
"And so I said. 'I know you don't need to tell me four times,' but she kept on fucking talking anyway," said someone. This person had the build of a slightly chubby man of about five feet and eleven inches tall. He had brown hair and brown eyes. "James, you need to stop getting yelled at next to me. It's really annoying to hear that banshee scream," said another figure on the left to the first. This person was even rounder than the first. It had the face of a man and was about five feet and nine inches tall. He had brown hair and grey eyes. "What the fuck ever Devin, I'll do what I want my dude," said James.
"C'mon guys, were supposed to be having fun not talking about school right Steven?" asked the figure on the right of James. He was about five foot seven inches tall and had an average build. His hair was light brown and his eyes were green. "Yeah Marks right guys. Let's not talk about school. It's Friday night and it's time to have fun!" said the figure on left of Mark. He was quite fat and his hair was a mix of light brown and red, and had blue eyes. He was about five feet and eight inches tall.
The room they were in had only a few objects in it. It had a bed, that was neatly made, a table, which the boys were sat at, and a television and gaming system on an entertainment stand. There was also a dresser that had a few doors in it, one window, and two bowls on the floor. One full of water and the other cat food.
"Alright Mark, that's fine and all but what the fuck are we going to do for the rest of the night?" asked James. "It's only six o'clock and we're already bored. We have been playing games since school got out, and I'd rather not sit here with my thumb up my ass and do nothing," James said, pointing to the controllers they were using prior to the conversation.
"Well we could go and play some football," suggested Steven. Looking out the window, the group could see a sizable patch of grass that looked well taken care of. Next to the grass was a stretch of gravel that led to a road. "I don't want to fucking go outside to play some game on a weekend. If I wanted to do work, I'd go to my dad's farm and work with him," said James, while waving his hands to emphasize his point.
"Oh hell yeah man I know exactly what we should do. We can watch RWBY. You know that internet anime that I've been talking to you guys about," said Devin, while wearing a small grin on his face. "Well, that beats going outside and getting sweaty for no reason," said James, while glaring at Steven with no real heat in his eyes. "Yeah that's fine with me. What about you Mark?" asked Steven. "I'm cool with whatever," said Mark.
"Alright, let's get started," Devin said, as he got up to get his phone to show them. "This show is really good. I can't wai-!" he said, before he was cut off as he fell over, asleep. The other three boys tried to wake him up, but in seconds they too began to feel tired. Soon all four boys were asleep, but something began to happen.
Their bodies began to disintegrate, like dust in the wind. In a matter of seconds nothing was left of them. No trace that they were even there to begin with.
LINE BREAK
"Ugh. What? What happened? Where am I?" asked Devin. He looked left and right, and saw his friends slumped on what looked to be pure white tiles. He ran over to them and shook them. "Hey guys! Are you guys OK? Come on don't be hurt please," He said, in slight concern. What if they were hurt? He didn't know how to deal with that.
"Don't be such a bitch Devin, Jesus," said James. "Oh good, I'm glad you are OK!" said Devin as he smiled slightly in relief, though it didn't meet his eyes.. It was weird to see him show so much emotion. He was usually lethargic and was not motivated to do anything. The other two boys woke up after James in varying states of unrest. Eventually they all were up and had to decide what to do next.
"I say we walk forward and see what we can find," said Seven. "I think we should just stay here and wait," said Mark. "Who knows what could be up there." All three of his friends looked at him like he was crazy. "What good would sitting here like a log when we could just walk forward and explore?" asked Devin. "There is no use staying where we are and the best thing we can do is to get our bearings."
"Alright, fine. But if we die, I'm blaming you Devin, ya hear!" said Mark, while pointing a shaking finger at Devin. And so they walked forward to see what this new place might bring.
White. That was the only way to describe what they saw. They walked down the hallway and only saw white. There was never any change in what they saw, nor could they even hear their own footsteps. They might have walked for hours, or for minutes. There was no way to tell, so they just walked.
Eventually though, all things must come to an end, so they all come to a stop but James is yelling at the ground.
"When are we going to find something new, dammit!" James yelled at the floor in frustration and exhaustion. "Umm, James? Look up." James looked up from the floor and saw a massive door. "Oh," said James. "I guess right now," quipped Steven.
"So do we just knock now, or do we try to open it?" asked Mark. The door was over ten feet tall and was made of the lightest wood any of them had ever seen. It was engraved with beautiful carvings and curves that just looked mesmerizing. Its edges were covered in a thin layer of gold. It looked like it belonged to a king.
"I say we kick it in and see if we can get some goddamn answers!" James yelled out in anger. "Yeah, I agree with James. I'd like to go home," said Devin.
So they all moved up against the door and pushed as hard as they could until an opening just big enough for them opened. They walked in and were immediately dumbfounded. The room was at least as tall as a skyscraper, and it was a mix of brilliant gold and white. It was almost blinding to look at.
In the room were two plain thrones. One was pure white and the other was pure black. They each had gold swirls engraved into them and were almost one hundred feet tall. But that wasn't what had the silenced.
No, what had them silenced was the figures sat in the thrones. Each were about two hundred feet tall, and were opposites. The one sitting in the black throne was a dirty white that looked like a linen sheet had been staged through the dirt. The other was a dull black almost grey. It was as if someone had tried to erase something, but didn't quite get the job done.
"SO, YOU HAVE ARRIVED," said the figure in white with a booming voice that seemed to come from all directions at once. "WE HAVE SOMETHING WE MUST DISCUSS HUMANS," it said while looking down at them. "LET US SEE IF YOU ARE WORTHY OF LEAVING HERE ALIVE!"
The group of four were in awe of the figures until James said something. "Wait, what the fuck do you mean by leaving here alive? Fuck this I'm outta here!" he yelled before the doors were slammed closed with a resounding boom they reverberated throughout the room and shook the group's bones.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot leave until we ask you a few questions," said the black figure, with as voice as smooth as silk, and just as soft on the ears. The voice was comforting in a way the four could not comprehend, just that it made them feel at peace, and safe.
"What do you mean? Why can't we leave here? And what is here?" asked Devin, slightly scared of being in the presence of such titanic beings.
"Here, let us come down to your level," said the figure in the white throne as it and the black figure shrunk to normal human size. Their colors and general shape didn't change, but now they had eyes and a mouth made made of colors. The white figure had eyes and mouth the color of blood, and it looked down on them with its eyes narrowed.
The black one had midnight blue for the color of its eyes and mouth and they got the feeling it was looking at them with sorrow and care. It reminded Devin of something, but the memory was fleeting, and he couldn't grasp it fully.
"We must speak with you about a few things," said the black being. It raised its left arm to its chest and said, "My name is Kalameet, a pleasure to meet you," Kalameet said. It then moved its left hand towards the white being, "and this is Jundo. We are the guardians of this world."
The group look on awestruck as they could barely comprehend how these beings could not only change shape, but act as if this was normal for them. It was crazy, insanity even.
"What are we here for and why can't we leave?" asked Steven. He tried to act brave, but in his eyes, you could see how truly scared he was. But he wanted to be brave for his friends so they wouldn't be as scared. And it worked. The others stood a little straighter, and their eyes shown with a little more determination than before, though Devin's remained dull. They were slowly gaining their confidence back in the presence of these beings.
"WE ARE THE GUARDIANS OF REMNANT. WE HAVE NOTICED A SPIKE IN GRIMM ACTIVITY AND NUMBERS. THAT IS NOT A NEW OCCURRENCE BUT THE CURIOUS THING IS THAT THE INHABITANTS HERE HAVE NOT BEEN FEELING ANY MORE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THAN NORMAL. THE GRIMM SHOULD NOT BE MULTIPLYING AS MUCH AS THEY ARE," said Jundo. It looked at them to see if they were comprehending what it was saying.
"What the fuck are Grimm?" asked James? "GRIMM ARE-" began Jundo, before it was cut off by Devin. "Grimm are a creature that exist in Remnant. I don't know how they're made or why, but I know they are attracted to negative emotions and death. They exist purely to tear down everything that humanity has created. Isn't that right Kalameet, Jundo?" asked Devin.
"That is correct Devin," said Kalameet. "Therefore, we have called you here, to see if you are willing to help is defeat the Grimm."
"Wait, how do you know Devin, and Devin, how do you know what Grimm are?" Mark asked with a panicked voice. He fidgeted in place when all eyes in the room went to him. "Yeah how the hell do you know about this shit Devin?" James asked, though he clearly was demanding an answer.
"I know about the Grimm because they-," he stopped himself. The others would think he was crazy, but when he looked to the guardians, he got a commanding grunt from Jundo, and a caring smile from Kalameet. "I know," he repeated, "because they appear in the show RWBY." Then all hell broke loose.
"That's bullshit and you know it Devin," yelled James. "There isn't any way that some damn show is real!" James' face was red from yelling, but he looked like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. After all, if giant walking lights existed, then who was he to call something else crazy.
"HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH HUMAN. THE WORLD OF REMNANT IS PARALLEL TO YOURS, AND THEREFORE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IDEAS FROM THIS UNIVERSE TRICKLED DOWN INTO YOURS." spoke Jundo.
"Well that explains how Devin knows about Grimm, but how do you know about us?" Steven asked, weary of the answer he might receive. He looked down, afraid he might be hurt or killed by the figures.
"We know everything about you. All of you hopes and dreams, and your nightmares." Kalameet explained as plainly as it could. "We know every hardship you have gone through and all the pain you've been caused. Especially you, Devin. It's terrible what happen-"
"SHUT UP!" Devin yelled as his grey eyes took on the color of a newly made blade, and his tongue was just as sharp. "You know nothing about me! What I've been through! What I've felt! What I think!" Devin ranted and yelled as he felt a burning anger swell through him, and he felt powerful. The sensation was new to him, yet felt natural, so he continued to ride his high. "You don't know what I've dealt with so just shut up," and just as quick as it began, the power left him. He felt weak, his arms and legs heavy. He could only feel exhaustion, his anger leaving him as he no longer had the energy to support it.
"Woah Devin, holy shit! What the fuck was that?" James asked with concern, and none of his usual sarcasm. "Yeah Devin, you gonna be able to stand?" asked Steven as he knelt by his side.
"Yeah guys," he said, and he seemed to believe it. He had a strange look in his eye, like a scientist discovering a new species. "I'm going to be alright. Just some bad memories." The rest of the group had never seen that side of him, never seen him that emotional. He almost never showed any more than a simple scrunching of his eyebrows, or an upturning of his lip. What could have happened that made him react that way?
"YOUR PAST MATTERS NOT. IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE HERE HOWEVER, YOU MUST GET UP AND ANSWER OUR QUESTION NOW!" said Jundo. It moved closer to the group of four. They looked at Jundo and Devin got up as he said, "Ask away, we're ready," getting a chorus of approvals from the other three.
"FINE THEN. MY ONLY QUESTION. IF I WERE TO GIVE YOU POWER, HOW WOULD YOU USE IT?"
"What do you mean, power?" asked Mark. He looked at Jundo with a pensive questioning stare that just screamed curiosity and the want to learn.
"IF YOU WERE TO HAVE SUPER POWERS, HOW WOULD YOU USE THEM?"
"Well, I'd help people I guess," Mark replied. This was not an answer he gave as an expected response. No, he truly believes that he would help people with a power and his eyes burned with a soft determination. He would be a shield to anyone he cared for. He would risk life and limb to make sure they were safe and secure!
The other three agreed with him, though James said that he would, "help people in his spare time." That seemed to satisfy Jundo as he moved back and motioned for Kalameet to move forward.
"I have two questions." said Kalameet. "Well ask away my dude, times a burnin'," said James, his voice thick with his trademark sarcasm as he opened his arms. "I'm an open book."
"Quite. Now, what powers do you want, and what weapon."
"Wait WHAT?" screamed Steven, as he looked at Kalameet as if it was crazy. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Kalameet began, "we were hoping you would help Remnant and become heroes and help push back the dark threat of Grimm."
"We will!" Devin said. Devin started moving towards the beings until James grabbed him and started yelling. "You can't just wake decisions for the rest of us you shitbag! What if we don't want to go, huh?"
"IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR WORLD, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT YOU NEEDN'T WORRY. TIME HERE WILL STOP FOR YOU AS SOON AS YOU GO TO REMNANT. YOU WILL NOT MISS ANYTHING," Jundo said, though he didn't sound like he cared whether we accepted the proposal or not.
"See guys, nothing to lose," Devin said blankly, though he did have a larger smile than normal. He seemed happy to be given a chance to go to the place that he said had given him escape from the real world so many times. Yet again, Devin was acting strange. First anger, now obvious excitement, why was he this way now? Could this place really be that good?
"Well, what could it hurt to go?" replied Mark. He excited to go. A place where he could be a hero and have powers! Sounded like a dream come true to Mark. "Besides it'll help keep my mind off, her," he said, instantly deflating a small amount as he sighed. Mark seemed to age a few years as he said this.
"C'mon man, stop being a downer. You need to get over her. This'll be like a vacation for us," Steven said, trying to help cheer up his friend. Mark was always the one with an optimistic outlook, so to see him like this just wasn't right.
"Fine, whatever. But if I get a shit deal out of this, I'm going to be fucking livid," James said as he resigned to going with his friends.
"So, I ask again," said Kalameet as it repeated itself, "What powers do you want and what weapon will you choose?"
"OOOH! I'm gonna go first. I'll choose regeneration and I'll go with a katana," Mark explained. He was so excited! He would be just like a samurai, he would save the day like a hero, he would- "What kind of gun will it be?" asked Devin.
"What? What kind of gun? What does that even mean?" Mark asked in rapid fire succession. "Well, in RWBY, every weapon is also a gun, well except for Jaune, but that doesn't really matter right now," Devin explained to the group, though he did whisper about Jaune, saying that he should have at least had a side arm, and that it was dumb to think swinging a sword wildly would help anyone. "That way, you have a firearm and a melee weapon on you no matter what, and it also allows you to be more versatile without carrying more things."
"Well then in that case, I'll go with a katana that can change into an assault rifle."
"If that is your choice, so be it. Here is your weapon. You must also name it to make it truly yours." But Mark had zoned out as soon as Kalameet finished saying weapon, a flash of gold was emitted in front of him, and from the flash floated a sheathed wakizashi. The sheath was a brilliant bright blue that shined like ocean waves.
When he pulled the blade from the sheath he saw that the blade was perfect. The handle was wrapped in a beautiful black cloth that crisscrossed up to the guard. The guard was a deep black that was as deep as midnight. The blade itself was a deep starry black that seemed to almost reflect the night sky. The blade was three and a half feet long.
When he put the blade back, he touched a button on the sheath and it sprung to life, whirring and moving, until he held an excalibur rifle. It was a mix of light blue and dark black and it fit perfectly in Mark's hands.
Next was James' turn. "I want teleportation and a deagle knife." In the same flash of gold a deagle 44 was in front of James. It was purple and in the barrel had a decal of something dripping. He looked until he found a button the bottom of the handle and pushed it. It changed into a switch blade whose blade was eight inches, purple, and had a little opening in the tip. The handle was an almost black purple that just screamed toxic. Overall, he was very happy.
After James was Steven. "If you could please, I think telekinesis would be cool, also as a weapon I would want a shotgun halberd." In the now customary flash of gold, there was a six-foot halberd in front of him. The blade was an aggressive blood red while the handle was a more reserved cherry red that was wrapped in the last foot in white cloth that was meant as a handle. He pushed a switch above the wrapping and it shifted into a single barrel shotgun. The barrel was a blood red and the handle, and the same cherry. He was just as ecstatic as the others about his weapon.
Lastly, was Devin. He thought long and hard while the others were choosing and he knew what he wanted. "I really don't need a semblance, I just need aura to keep up with the others. For my weapon, I want a pair of ninjato that turn into pistols."
In a flash of gold light, two ninjato were floating in front of Devin. They were in dark black sheathes. He took one from its home and examined it. It blade was a gunmetal gray that had only one remarkable feature, that being a small engraving at the top. It had what seemed to be kanji, the writing looked like this "保護すること." When he unsheathed the other, it had a similar engraving, though this one said, "その人が出血." The handles were wrapped in a pure white cloth that left no surface open. They were both about two feet long.
When he pressed a button on the top of the guard, the changed into double 357 magnums. The barrels were grey and the handles were white.
"These are perfect," Devin said, his companions nodding and agreeing with him. They were still in awe of the amazing weapons they had.
"We are glad you like them," said Kalameet. "Now it is time for you to go. And for what it is worth, I am sorry for this."
"What the fuck do you mean?" James asked before he felt an excruciating pain all over his body, as did the whole group. They doubled over and tried to make the pain stop but it persisted. Before they lost consciousness from the pain, they all heard one last thing, "HAHAHAHAHA! THIS SHOULD BE INTERESTING TO WATCH!"
Ending Notes:
OK guys, so let me know what you think about the story, and anyway I could improve my writing. Unfortunately, I still go to school, so uploads will most likely be anywhere from biweekly to monthly. I'll try to get the chapters out as fast as I can, but I won't promise anything.