Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Chapter 1: Trailers
Ansem awoke with a start. Stretching his old bones, he found himself in a strange location. It was a fairly comfortable theater room furbished with comfortable chairs and couches. At the back of the room was a large oak door. Around him, he noted that he was in mostly unknown company.
There were nine adults, including himself and his wife. The other six were around the same age of his daughter Kairi. Frowning, he stroked his blonde beard and tried to recall how he got here. If his memory served him correctly, he had been reading the newspaper during breakfast.
Ansem felt a touch cheated, he hadn't gotten to finish. Brushing aside such minor concerns, he kneed down and gently shook his wife Rinoa. Dark brown eyes opened slowly as he helped her to her feet.
Far faster than he, she noticed and took in the new surroundings. From the frustrated look on her face, she didn't appreciate her lack of weaponry. He would never understand Hunters and their obsession with being armed all the time. Aura and semblances should make up for any lack of weaponry.
Rinoa elbowed him in the ribs as though she could read his mind. He flashed a disarming smile.
She wasn't amused.
The others scattered on the ground began awaking. A blonde girl yawned loudly as she cheerfully said, "I feel so refreshed."
"Summer? How are you here?" The grey haired man, who Ansem remembered as Ozpin, questioned a caped woman. Beside Ozpin was a blonde woman who was pushing up her glasses, looking equally surprised.
A more energetic conversation was occurring between the teenagers. A white haired girl rubbed her head, "What a surprise seeing you here, Pyrrha. Do you have any idea why we're here?"
The ginger girl she was addressing politely shook her head.
"Just great", the white haired girl grumbled as she crossed her arms.
"Guys!" The blonde girl from earlier cried as she raced towards the caped woman and the man beside her. They found themselves in a tight hug, as she lifted both off their feet.
"Yang!? There is no freaking way", the man said in between laughs. "I'm pretty sure that this isn't what they meant by 'they grow up so fast'."
"I'm glad you're doing so well, sweetie", the caped woman replied.
Off to the side, a disheveled cape wearing man eyed the scene strangely, as though he had seen a ghost.
"Well aren't we a motley crew?" A brown haired woman with braided hair said snidely. Beside her was a mustached blonde man.
With a cough, Ansem gained everyone's attention, "I feel it's necessary to introduce ourselves before we try anything else."
Most of the occupants of the room assented to his idea.
The caped woman and her husband were Summer and Taiyang respectfully. Glynda was the blonde woman beside Ozpin. The disheveled man was Qrow. The brown haired woman was Annabeth and she was the wife of the mustached blonde, Malachi.
As for the teenagers, the white hair girl was Weiss. She was beside a black haired girl named Blake and the blonde was Yang. Near them was the ginger Pyrrha. The black haired youth, Ren, had the orange haired girl Nora hanging off his arm.
Together, there were fifteen of them, a bit of crowd.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I am Ansem and this is my wife, Rinoa", Ansem replied as Rinoa waved.
Ozpin smiled and chuckled, "I daresay the honor is ours. It's rare that one meets Ansem the Wise, leader of the Kingdom of Mistral."
Ansem smiled wryly, "There's no need for that. Besides, we citizens tend to call ourselves Radiant Gardens. It doesn't seem to be catching on for the rest of Remnant."
"Your isolationist behavior may have something to do with that", Ozpin ribbed lightly.
Qrow pulled out a bottle of alcohol from his coat and chugged it down, "Now I may be a drunk, but I'm partially sure that I didn't travel to this place yesterday."
Yang was marveling at the large television in the room. "Hey can you guys buy little me one of these? Ruby and I'll love you forever", Yang directed at her parents. Her smile was wide and goofy.
The adults just shook their heads in amusement. None more amused than Ansem. "Teenage girls are the same everywhere."
"I wouldn't know", Taiyang said grumpily. As far as he was concerned, Yang was still his little girl.
Weiss rolled her eyes at the blonde's behavior. "She's just as childish as her sister", she muttered.
"You need to chill. You take things too seriously. Ruby's cool, you just had a bad first impression", she cracked a charming smile, which Weiss turned her back to.
"Why isn't Ruby here?" Summer questioned in growing worry. "Yang was with Ruby during her time, but only you came."
Yang shrugged, "Ruby's strong, she can totally watch out for herself. She got all of Beacon as company. We're the missing ones."
"Good spunk, kid", Qrow laughed loudly as he took another drink.
Yang zipped next to him and crossed her arms, "Learned it all from you, Uncle Qrow."
"Aah, I'm a bad influence", Qrow said proudly. He avoided making eye contact with the girl's parents.
"Perhaps, now would be a good time to explore this domain. There is still the door to investigate."
Nodding at Ansem's suggestion, Qrow and Taiyang pulled out their weapons to prepare for a fight. Slowly, Ansem turned the knob and pulled the door back.
It was a hallway.
With some relief, the pair put away their weapons. The hallway parted into two paths. There were twelve rooms, six on each side. Each door had some emblem and certain individuals recognized them. The married couples realized that they had shared rooms, while everyone else had a room to their self.
"This is neat. Whatever brought us here is at least polite", Malachi admitted.
"Polite is asking our permission to drag us into a different reality", his wife said sternly. She wasn't nearly as impressed and thankful.
At the end of the hallway was a kitchen. Each divergent path had an extra door. To the right was a gym, to the left was an open room with all matter of devices. Qrow went straight to the kitchen.
He whistled as he saw that the fridge was stuffed with food, but his eyes shined with he found a liquor cabinet.
"I think I'll survive here just fine."
"I'm sure you will, Qrow", Taiyang said as he laughed.
Summer looked at them both disapprovingly.
"What a pig", Weiss snorted.
Qrow eyed her amazingly, "You're just like your big sister."
Weiss stood a little prouder and taller.
In return, Qrow waved her off, "Don't puff up your nonexistent chest. That's a bad thing."
Weiss' face grew red from anger.
"Alright calm down, you old timer", Taiyang teased as he broke the fight.
"Hey, don't be so smug. You're just as old as me in my time. Unlike you, I aged well."
They chuckled together.
"Would you like a cup as well, Glynda?" Ozpin offered as he made himself a cup of coffee.
She narrowed her eyes at him and retorted, "This is hardly the time, Ozpin. I shudder to think what the rest of faculty is doing without us."
"Being uncomfortable now, will not improve our lot", he stated as he took a sip in delight.
"This is going to be such an adventure!" Nora sang as she jumped in place.
"Calm down", Ren said softly.
"Poo, you're being boring. You need to cut loose, buddy. Right, Pyrrha", Nora said energetically.
Said girl looked surprised, before she smiled widely, "I think he's a very pleasant person."
As one, they began to walk back to the theater room.
"I know what we have to do! Let's wreck this place!" Yang cried as she activated her gauntlets. Going to the back wall, she pulled her fist back and punched as hard as she could. The blow echoed, before she recoiled in pain and nursed her bruised hand. "What is this made of!?" A single bullet shell fell to the ground.
"It appears that Aura and dust hold no power here", Ozpin said clinically.
Yang was sure that Beacon's headmaster was smiling behind his cup of coffee. The jerk.
Ren eyed Nora that was fidgeting with something, "What have you found?"
Nora pushed a disc too close to his face as she said, "Look at this."
It was labeled 'Triumvirate', an interesting name, no doubt. Beneath it had the label of 'Trailers'.
"Little miss, can I see the box?" Malachi questioned. Nora nodded as she passed the box.
The other adults looked over his shoulders. Like the disc, it was labeled Triumvirate. It showed a brown haired teen sitting on a cliff. A sword was by his side, embedded into the cliff. A mouse keychain hung from the handle. A blonde teen had his arms crossed as he looked away from the front, standing just below the brunette. Lastly, there was a girl sitting leisurely beside the brunette. A red hood covered everything, but her face. A scythe laid on her lap.
"That's Sora", Rinoa pointed to the brunette. "He's a friend of our daughter, Kairi", she explained when she saw the blank looks.
"The girl's Ruby", Yang noted. Taiyang and Summer grew giddy at the sight of their younger daughter.
"The last one looks like Jaune, our son", Annabeth added.
Ansem looked closer at the image. In Sora's hand were three jagged cards. One card showed the boy as a small child falling form the sky, another had Ruby crying into her mother's empty cloak, and lastly was Jaune looking sadly upon shadows of great heroes.
Ozpin chuckled, "This is wrought with symbolism."
"Do take this more seriously, sir", Glynda sighed. "No matter how it appears, we are very much hostages."
Pyrrha raised a hand before she spoke, "Maybe we should watch it? It could hold some clues to our location."
Qrow took the box, "Why watch trailers, when this has the actual videos?" With that said, he flipped to another section of the box and attempted to pull out the first disc.
It wouldn't move.
No matter how much pressure he used, the disc didn't so much as bend.
"Patience, Qrow. You keep doing that and you may break the disc", Summer chided as she took the box away.
"I'm not one of your kids", he muttered lowly. He lightly pushed his niece when she began to laugh at his displeasure.
"Young lady, may you insert the disc? I believe that the contents will illuminating", Ansem asked as the girl nodded. He watched as she bounded for the television with a huge smile.
As it played, a black screen showed a trio of vertical rectangles. The first was highlighted. It had the outline of a boy holding a shield. It was recognized as Jaune. Annabeth looked a touch concerned of what was in the video.
They each took their seats and waited.
The video played.
Words appear on a dark screen. As a boy's voice is heard: Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.
"How eloquent", Pyrrha said. It was quite a bit younger than she remembered Jaune's voice being. It had a soothing and melancholic touch to it. Her interest was piqued.
Malachi and Annabeth were another matter. They were unused to hearing a philosophical sounding son.
A fourteen year old Jaune is shown falling to the ground. He grunts as he futilely tries to get back up, but he fails.
Malachi looks on in sadness. "That's enough for today", he says kindly as he helps his son up. Looking over him over, he continues, "Why don't you pick up your sister?"
Jaune looks down to the ground in resignation.
Annabeth grimaced and her husband held her hand. "Jaune just isn't made for the huntsman lifestyle."
"I know", Malachi said sadly. His son always tried so hard, but he just didn't have the talent. If he doesn't improve tremendously in the future, he would have to shut down his hopes of becoming a huntsman. He wasn't looking forward to that day.
"It's always difficult presenting reality to excitable children", Rinoa said in comfort. Though, it was a lot different for her and Ansem. Telling a child no wasn't nearly as difficult when they wanted silly things.
The Arc couple smiled thinly in thanks.
"Buck up, people. The guy has to improve. I mean, he was allowed to take the Beacon Initiation", Yang mentioned brightly. Sure the guy was dorky, but now wasn't the time to bring that can of worms up.
Jaune was walking through a forest, calling out to his sister Alice. He froze when he saw that Alice was being cornered by a pack of Beowolves.
Annabeth's fists were shaking. In the video, Alice was about nine or ten. But all she could think about was her precious little toddler.
Malachi wasn't doing any better, "What the heck is she doing out there!? And why are Grimm so close? This is completely out of the way for one, let alone a pack."
Ozpin narrowed his eyes. This was far too peculiar. If he didn't know any better, he would think that they were specifically targeting young Alice.
They see you as small and helpless;
He hesitates to help as his mind goes to each and every failed training session. Sadness shows on his face.
"This doesn't look good. If he's crippled by his past performances, the girl's toast", Qrow said briskly, taking another drink.
"He doesn't need to fight! He needs to get help fast!" Annabeth almost snarled. She felt a small amount of satisfaction over alarming the man.
"Mrs. Arc has a point. If he can figure out some way around them, then battle isn't necessary", Pyrrha said honestly.
They see you as just a child.
Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild.
But he sees the terror on his little sister's face and leaps into battle. The closest Grimm to Alice is knocked aside. With shaking legs, he protects Alice. He is tossed aside as he rolls around. With his sword, he attacks the Grimm again. But it is backhanded away. Jaune sighs glumly.
Yang was rooting for the blonde. "You can take him. Get your sword back", she felt very sympathetic to his courage to save a younger sibling. The only reason she was taking this so well was the fact that she had met the future version of the guy. That meant he had to survive this.
Hopefully, so did his sister.
Prepare for your greatest moments;
Prepare for your finest hour.
Jaune looks at them and just picks up Alice and runs. The wolves kept running after him. With the rest of his strength, he pushed her up onto the trees. And stumbles into a roll and tries to push the Grimm aside. It doesn't work. He's struck on the side.
The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower.
Jaune held his ribs with tears in his eyes. Glaring, he saw them trying to climb the trees and Alice tries to go higher. Glaring he slams his fist into the ground. Around him multiple white colored beings slithered from it. Getting up, he smirks and points at the Grimm.
Ansem gazed intently on the little white/silver creatures. They had low stature and held zippers in the place of mouths. They shared a stark difference to the creatures of Grimm. From his coat, he pulled out his notebook. This was riveting. Already, being brought here had net him some gains.
We are lightning,
Straying from the thunder,
Miracles of ancient wonder.
Each of them lunge at the Grimm. They rip each other apart. Limbs and heads on both sides are flying around.
Ansem grunted at the sight before him.
"Care to share?" Rinoa asked amusedly. Now that it seemed that the young boy was going to make it through this, she felt free to joke a bit.
"Not yet, I wish to think a little more."
This will be the day we've waited for.
This will be the day we open up the door.
Racing towards the group near his sister, a single Grimm is sneaking up behind him. The zipped hood of the white beings see it, and Jaune's eyes shine and he ducks every blow without looking. Twisting, he smacks the Grimm away with his shield.
I don't wanna hear your absolution;
Hope you're ready for a revolution.
Welcome to a world of new solutions.
The earth rumbles as he saw a Grimm five times his size erupt from the ground. It's armored with two jagged ice daggers for hands. It slams its blades into the ground and he was blown away. Ice ran up his leg as he cried in pain.
Ozpin put his cup of coffee down, "What manner of Grimm is that?" Never had he witness such a beast.
"It is called a Chili Ripper. They're fairly rare. Ice is their main mode of attack. There is also a version of this Grimm that uses metal and another fire", Ansem answered.
The headmaster nodded in thanks as he registered the information. He signaled for Glynda to begin typing the information into her scroll.
Welcome to a world of bloody evolution.
In time, your heart will open minds,
A story will be told,
And victory is in a simple soul.
The Grimm turns to the sister again. With anger he summons even more of the white creatures. This time they jump right into his chest. Clutching the entry point, his blonde hair stood up and grew red, marking appears underneath his eyes. His figure became more lithe and older. The ice had melted.
"Amazing. His semblance seems very adaptable. Hopefully, it isn't permanent. He looks like a thug", she complained. Even if it was, it was acceptable. His and Alice's health was the priority. She chuckled as she noticed how excited her darling was.
Malachi almost wanted to cry. He wouldn't have to discourage Jaune from his dreams.
Your world needs a great defender.
Your world's in the way of harm.
You want a romantic life; a fairytale that's full of charm.
With flaming fists, Jaune punched the Grimm and it screamed. Flames in his hands changed into chakrams. He throws one into the abdomen and runs to it. Jumping off the embedded weapon, he stabbed the head with the remaining weapon.
Beware that the light is fading;
Beware if the dark returns.
This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn.
Legends scatter.
Day and night will sever.
Hope and peace are lost forever.
He flipped over the head and snapped his finger and the whole Grimm was consumed by the flame. Each of the chakrams flew back to his hands, as he smirked.
This will be the day we've waited for.
We are lightning.
Welcome to a world of new solutions.
A story will be told,
That victory is in a simple soul.
"That was sweet! He was all like bow, kablam and was throwing fire all over the place. If I don't get you as partner, I'll pick him." Nora continued to talk rapidly about team combinations.
"That's nice, Nora", Ren said with a small smile.
Pyrrha was intrigued by the creatures. He seemed to share their sight and gained a transformation from absorbing them. A small part of her wanted to fight him. Though, she thought this new form of his was attractive in a bad boy kind of way.
Going up to the tree, he opens his arms wide and Alice leaps into them. "Are you alright, sis?" He asks as he continues to hold her.
She nodded, as she wipes the tears away. "You were amazing brother. I always knew you would get it."
Jaune chuckled, "I supposed I should've known better than to argue with you."
She hugged him tightly, "Thank you for saving me."
"No problem. You are my favorite little sister."
"I'm your only little sister."
"That's so sweet. Little Jaune always did love his little sister. I just want to pinch his cheeks", Annabeth cooed.
Most of the teens, with the exception of Weiss, laughed internally. How embarrassing that would be for them. Though, it was pretty funny when it happened to other people.
Jaune looks around suspiciously and whispers, "Between you and me, you're my favorite sister. Don't let the others know."
She giggled childishly as she said, "Ok, but only if you get me ice cream."
Jaune snorted, before putting her on her shoulders, "Sure thing, Alice."
They walk back to the village.
The video ended and the rectangular returned. This time, Jaune was no longer shadowed.
Weiss was the first to speak, "I can't believe that dolt was that powerful."
Yang shrugged, "What, you want to hook up with him now?"
"Not if he was the last man on Remnant."
"Harsh", she said in pity for the guy, although she was laughing.
Pyrrha frowned a touch. She felt that Weiss was being too mean spirited with the guy.
Qrow snorted at Weiss' reaction. But a look from Summer had him quieting down.
Ozpin rubbed his chin and directed a question towards Ansem, "Are you involved in Grimm research?" Ansem was known to be involved in many fields. It's claimed that Radiant Gardens' land was filled with diverse and advanced technology. Sadly, it was mostly rumors, very little escaped the kingdom.
"Correct. I'm not much of fighter, my passion centers in knowledge. Fighting blindly has done little to defeat the Grimm, so I feel more information is required. I feel that I've made some very good progress." Ansem sounded fairly proud of himself.
"Boring! Let's get to the next episode", Nora demanded.
Ren sighed and apologized in her stead. Her attention span could be quite short in some occasions.
Rinoa shook her head in mirth as she agreed with Nora. She was itching to see how Sora fared.
With that, the screen selected the next image and the image had the shadowed form of someone holding a scythe.
In the darkness, a teenage girl's voice spoke: A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream. I wanna line the pieces up- yours and mine.
Yang frowned at the voice. It was Ruby's but it sounded dead. For all her life, Ruby had been a cheerful person, if awkward. From the voice, this was present day Ruby.
Close your eyes now time for dreams,
Death is never what it seems.
A figure in a red cape placed flowers atop of a grave. The grave read: Summer Rose/ Thus Kindly I Scatter. The figure walks away, sparing not a second glance.
The silence was almost painful. Qrow and Yang flinched, while Ozpin and Glynda simply sighed sadly.
Taiyang seemed to choke on his words as he removed his arms off his wife's waist. "This is garbage, some sick joke. This doesn't prove anything." His words sounded hallow to even his own ears. Too many of these images were coming together. Looking over to Yang and Qrow, neither had voiced any doubts.
They knew.
"Honey. It's going to be okay. We always knew the risks of being in my field. You need to calm down", Summer tried to ease her husband's concern. Traces of fear and depression were inching on his features.
"We can fix this, Summer", he said with conviction.
Ansem wasn't so sure of it. There wasn't any data to prove that they could distort time. While they were viewing what could possibly be the future, it didn't prove their ability to change it. The only basis he had was fiction. They could simply forget once they were out of this zone. Lastly, Taiyang didn't even know what exactly killed his wife. Even if it was a Grimm, there was no way to know if it was the location or the particular Grimm.
Before he could open his mouth, Rinoa applied pressure on his hand and shook her head. "Don't start", she warned. Her husband was a loving man and father, but he lacked tact in some cases. At this stage, Taiyang was looking for a reason to vent. The man would turn on Ansem so fast, his head would spin. It was best that people who he cared for tried to settle him down.
"The future isn't set in stone, dear. But, I think we should continue watching. Maybe there will be an explanation in one of the discs. So please try to settle down." Unsaid was that he couldn't protect her on each and every mission. If they avoided the one that killed her, it didn't mean another couldn't get her later.
Did the things you thought you should,
All the things they said were good.
Somberly, she walked through a forest, with trees that grow more ragged and jagged. Through the shadows, Beowolves could be seen stalking her. Her hood shifts as she looks just behind her, but she continues to walk.
All your faith in ancient ways,
Leaves you trapped inside a maze.
Take the lives of those you need,
Just outside of the forest, there is a horde of Beowolves snarling. It is shown above that she is surrounded in a circle. They run towards her and she crouches down, pulling a container resting on her belt.
Glynda pushed up her glasses as she watched Ruby's skill. While she applauded her skill against the thugs, she felt that it was too early for her to enter Beacon. Perhaps this video could clear up some uncertainties.
Taiyang was on the edge of his nerves. His wife was dead and now his youngest daughter was in danger. He wanted to switch places with Ruby here and now. Not even the comforting squeeze of his wife's hand could alieve his concerns.
Sow the death then reap the seed.
Reap the seed.
The rectangle unfolded into a spear, with a red and black tip. Rapidly, she pierced all of the Grimm just above her. Rolling aside, she dodged a claw. Using the spear as pivot, she stuck it into the ground and pushed herself upwards.
Born an angel, heaven sent,
Falls from grace are never elegant.
This caused her hood to fall down and reveal red and black hair with grey eyes.
"She's so cute", Summer commented. Little Ruby was budding to a young woman. She was proficient in her weaponry as well.
"Kid, got moves too. I mean, she did learn from under me after all. She uses a mean scythe", Qrow bragged loudly. There was warmth in his usual gruff voice.
Yang jumped on the Ruby train, "She's skilled. And it's pretty funny seeing little Ruby swing around her precious Crescent Rose."
Yang, Qrow, Taiyang, and Summer laughed. The others smiled at the lightening atmosphere.
Stars will drop out of the sky,
The moon will sadly watch the roses die.
She cut three Grimm running at her in half as she dashed through them. She disappeared into petals and cut down multiple Grimm as she twirled her spear. She pulled the legs under a Beowolf and caught its body and flung it into a running group, causing them to tumble.
In vain,
Lost, no gain,
But you're not taking me.
She shifts the spear into a gun and begins sniping four to five at a time. Her firing gets faster and faster and faster still until the Grimm were all gone. Ruby began to tuck the weapon away until a shadow ran at her and claws her where she stood.
You can't have my life,
I'm not your sacrifice.
You can try, but I'm free,
And you won't conquer me.
Blocking with the gun, she was pushed back. She digs her feet into the ground.
I won't crawl,
Most of all,
I won't fall,
For you.
Show them gods and deities,
Blind and keep the people on their knees.
The new Grimm stood twice her height with teal thorns covering its body. Manacles were on its wrists and ankles. The chains on its arms are broken while those on its legs aren't. It has two dark horns and an equally red mane. Feral fangs roar and run to her, backhanding her into the woods.
"Ugly looking thing. But it does look strong. Where are they getting all these interesting Grimm?" Malachi complained. As dangerous as his career was, he enjoyed the occasional rarity among the Grimm. If he's going to risk his life anyway, he wants it to provide some vital intelligence.
"Those rare breed of Grimm tend to be more organized than the typical Grimm. I would go so far as to call it strategic. When they hit, they succeed and their existence is protected. I feel that the three might be targets for the Grimm in general", Ansem explained his current theory.
Ozpin replied, "That is not entirely certain. In Mr. Arc's trailer, they were focusing on the sister. While they seemed interested in him, they wanted Alice more than anything. More information is required."
"You bring an excellent point. I feel that since so much emphasis is being placed onto these three, Alice might have been collateral."
Pierce the sky, escape your fate.
The more you try the more you'll just breed hate.
And lies,
Truth will rise,
Revealed by mirrored eyes.
What if all the plans you made,
Were not worth the price they paid?
Flames burst from its claws as it runs at the flying girl. The girl turns her body and begins running on the sides of the trees while opening fire on it and looking at the cliff that had her mother's grave.
Qrow saw his old teammate freeze at the reminder of Summer's death. He wanted to curse, they were finally brushing that aside. If he didn't know any better, he would call the discs sadistic. If anything, at least Summer got to see how effective his training was.
And boy, did Ruby need it back then. He would've been impressed if she could fight a puppy, let alone a Grimm in the old days.
Even with the lives you stole,
It retaliated by cutting down trees with its flaming claws, setting the forest on fire. She shifts her gun into a scythe and swung her weight around to fling herself at the Grimm and wound it.
Still no closer to your...
Goal.
You can't have my life.
Her knees bent on a tree, her grey eyes grew dilated as her speed explodes. In a blanket of petals, she rebounds on the trees and cut the Grimm over twenty times. On the final run, she knocks it upward as she follows. Switching to gun mode, she bombards it with bullets as it whines.
I'm not your sacrifice.
You can try, but I'm free,
And you won't conquer me.
Pulling the gun back, she uses the scythe mode to bisect it horizontal. As she slams to the ground, the halves fall around her. Pulling the weapon back into a rectangle, she walks past the flames.
I won't crawl,
Most of all,
I won't fall,
For you.
It began to rain somberly.
"Until next time, Mom", Ruby says softly.
Summer wiped the falling tears from her face. She felt so loved by her child. It saddened her that she wasn't around to be there for her. She was sure Taiyang was raising her the best he could, but she wanted to be part of that. She had loved that girl even as she was in the womb.
Weiss refrained from commenting on Ruby's poor dust handling. Even she could tell that it was simply asking for trouble. Make no mistake, she didn't sympathize with the girl, she merely didn't wish to be rude.
Blake sighed sadly. This was the reality of the world. It was just another family torn apart by the monsters of Grimm. She didn't feel too bad for them, mainly because she didn't really know anybody here. The closest would be the headmaster.
Yang was truly saddened by the loss of Summer Rose. She had always been loving towards her. But there was little she could help with. It would be up to the adults to deal with it.
Ozpin, meanwhile, was looking a touch smugly towards his assistant.
She glared at him.
He said nothing, it wasn't necessary. He had been correct in recruiting Ruby Rose. She would be a massive asset in the battle against the monsters that terrorized the Kingdoms.
Ansem noticed the quizzical look on Ren's face and nodded in recognition.
"Are you aware of what Grimm that Ruby battled?"
"If I recall correctly, that was a Dark Thorn. Crafty little things. They're built mostly for trickery than straightforward fighting." Ansem was smiling now as he told the fruits of his research.
"I think the next one's coming on", Nora said happily.
The last rectangle had been selected. He was shadowed figured leaning on the borders of the rectangle.
"Why doesn't the kid have anyone for him?" Qrow questioned.
"What you mean, Qrow?" Taiyang asked in turn.
"Well it's obvious that each of us was chosen because of our connection with the three kids on the box, Ruby, Jaune, and Sora. The brats are properly in Jaune and Ruby's teams. Then there's Summer, she's dead and she was still selected. So why didn't this place bring Sora's folks here? Doesn't he have parents?"
Ansem chuckled, "That's very possible. He just fell out of the sky into the kingdom when he was younger. We could never discover where his parents went. It would've been far too an extraordinary way of abandoning a child. It's been a very vexing issue. Sora hasn't shown any real regret to not knowing his parents."
Initially, Ansem and Rinoa had thought the boy in pain or denial, but he legitimately didn't seem to care. Sora was quite the free spirit. Was there some other connection that drew them into this realm?
Darkness covers the screen as Sora's voice rang: I've been having these weird thoughts lately… Like is any of this for real… or not?
One day you will realize,
The stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you,
A brown haired figure with red pants, a black top, and yellow shoes is shown floating to the top of a body of water. A shield, mouse topped rod, and sword float above him. They sink towards him.
But will you ever let it shine from within,
And cast all of your fears aside?
First was the sword, then rod, and lastly the shield phases into him. When he broke the surface, he is able to stand albeit shakily. Around him, pools of darkness form and small black beings crawl out of them.
"What an odd way for Grimm to appear. They look just as strange. It's almost disarming." Ren was sure that they were much more of a threat than they appeared, especially with numbers on their side.
"Please. I could take them all on", Nora boasted as she flexed her arms. She pouted when Ren didn't agree with her. Best friends back each other up!
You'll see the light, but until that day comes
My Dearly Beloved,
Be strong, I shall be there
Sora looks around and sees no escape. Patting himself, he can find no weapon. Quick images flash through the screen. Lifting his hands, light shines and a keyblade appears.
"Could he always do that?" Rinoa looked impressed. If she could have her weapon appear to her on the whim, she would be ecstatic. It saves space, weight, and can deceive your foes. She made a note to question him on it later.
Ansem tried to think back and could only shake his head. Sora was a good kid, but he didn't invest all of his time in needling secrets out of him. Though, his daughter would've of spoken of it.
Always here beside you
So, keep your head held high,
They leap at them, and brings the keyblade down. Some jump in the sky and he tosses the blade and it destroys them. Rolling, he catches the blade and sweeps more of the beings away.
The shadows of this world
It takes only seconds for all of them to be destroyed. Sora looks at the keyblade and smiles goofily at it.
Qrow emptied his canister and pulled out a fresh one as he chugged it down, "I like that kid's style. Kick butt and have a good time."
"I, for one, find his technique too barbaric. It looks like he hasn't had a day of formal training. He might as well be carrying a big stick", Weiss complained. It was no wonder he hadn't gotten into an academy.
"Yes, what a horrible, unprivileged jerk. He obviously needs to learn from the great you", Blake quipped innocently.
She got the stink eye from Weiss.
Pyrrha wondered what material the blade was made of.
Will try to steal you away into their arms
But you belong in mine
From the depths of the water an elephant Grimm appears. Soar is big eyed. It roars and stomps towards him. Sora rolls out of the way, and thorws the keyblade at the beast.
Malachi looked like he was going to froth at the mouth.
"Get over it. You never fought a rare Grimm, what a tragedy. You and your problems."
"Annabeth", he said in a whiney voice, "You're so mean to me. What happened to in sickness and in health?"
She rolled her eyes and ignored him. He could be so immature about what he fought, what a battle junkie. A little restraint went a long way.
We are one within a dream
So hold me close and count the stars with me
All our scattered memories,
I will find the pieces, one by one
The trunk deflects it as Sora runs towards it. Jumping onto the husks, he directs it to the side, jumps to the head and grabs the sword. The Goliath rapidly changes directions and charges Sora.
Ocean waves drift over me
I'll keep you in my memory
This dream that lives within your eyes,
He blocks with the keyblade and slides across the surface of the water. Getting up, rolls underneath the charging Grimm and cuts at the legs, causing it to crash.
I wish to see it come to life
A thousand blades unto the sky (My Dearly Beloved, Be strong, I shall be there)
Reach out and link our worlds, yours and mine (Always here beside you, So keep your head held high)
Slowly, it gets up and narrows its eyes at Sora, he returns the favor. With a cry they charge at each other. In a flash they collide.
Let the tide rush over you (The shadows of this world Will try to steal you away into their arms)
And one day I know we shall meet again, (But you belong in mine)
An explosion of light and darkness swirls on top of the water as everything goes dark.
My Dearly Beloved
Sora wakes up to see Kairi's smiling face.
"That's so adorable. Ah, young love", Rinoa said.
Ansem rubbed the sides of his head in response to his wife's antics. "You have to stop trying to get them together. They're probably just friends anyway."
Rinoa looked at him as though he was dumbest creature to walk the planet. It made him a bit self-conscious.
"You can't possibly be that blind, she obviously has feelings and he feels the same way. Even the song said so", Rinoa insisted.
"That could've been a coincidence. She's just waking the poor boy up."
Mr. Arc looked at Ansem in pity. The man must've been in deep denial. What father would admit that their daughter had feelings for some boy. Good thing his little girls were above such things.
"I think that they'll make a lovely couple", Pyrrha said encouragingly.
"You can't just sleep anywhere, Sora. You'll get sick", she warmly chides.
He just chuckles nervously as he scratches his head.
"Something wrong?" She asks curiously.
"I… don't know." He says softly. They walk away from the water. "Was that all a dream?" He whispers.
"LAME!" Nora and Qrow said as one. There was no point in seeing someone else's delusions of grandeur. They had their own fantasies.
At a distance, his keyblade can be seen flashing away from the evaporating tusks of the Goliath.
"YES!" The pair yelled again. They got up and gave each other high fives. Sora had earned some real respect from them.
Ansem laughed deeply, "It's good that we're all relaxing."
Ozpin felt a little disappointed that the boy hadn't applied for Beacon. When he got out of here, he would try to recruit him.
Qrow leaned into his seat and brought something to the group's attention, "How long do you think we'll be kept here? I mean, I have alcohol, so I'll live somehow."
The Arcs were concerned about their youngest. She was napping before they had been transported here. Their older children were living in dorms. Anxiety was increasing.
Ozpin and Glynda were only a touch concerned. There were chains of commands for situations like this.
"There's little to help us in that endeavor. It is best we deal with one problem at a time. In this case, the videos may just be the key", Pyrrha explained.
Ansem had gotten up as they spoke. He was inspecting the walls of the room. Rubbing a bit of the residue, he concluded that the wall was made of both pure Aura and the richest of dust he had ever seen.
Malachi thought long and hard, before slamming his fist into his other palm, "I bet somebody strong is keeping us down here!"
Annabeth smacked him on the shoulder, "Try to sound a bit distraught, alright? We don't want a fight."
"So movie time, it is", Qrow stated drunkenly.
"Yay, infinite slumber party", Nora cried in joy.
"No, Nora that's not the goal", Ren sounded bemused.
"At least you're satisfied", Glynda's ire was directed towards Qrow.
He shrugged uncaringly, "There's no Jimmy and his pet Schnee." He looked directly at Weiss as she huffed in indignation. "Let me get some better drinks, so I can enjoy what the future has in store for us." With uneven steps, he made his way to the kitchen.
The older men shrugged and followed suit, leaving the females, and Ren, behind.
Author's Note:
Here's my own spin on the reading fics. I just love those and I don't know why.
Anyway, this crossover is of Kingdom Hearts and RWBY. I'm mixing the KH and RWBY mythos. If I get enough positive feedback, I'll continue this.
Until next time.