A/N: Hey readers! Sparkydragon98 here! This is a little idea I came up with while watching one of my favorite shows. I thought it might make a good story. This is my first fanfiction, so tell me what you like or don't like about it. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of RWBBY - The Shapeshifter!

EDIT: I just needed to change the time that passed after Bolt turned 17. That is all.

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Chapter 1 - My Past

My name is Bolt Burns.

I have spiky, blue hair and red eyes. I wear a blue hoodie over a green T-shirt, with blue jeans and black and white sneakers. In addition, I wear a pair of blue leather fingerless gloves. In case it wasn't obvious, blue is my favorite color.

I'm 17 years old. I just turned 17 a month ago.

I was born with a unique ability, one rarely ever seen before. But before I can tell you about it, I have to tell you about my past...

7 years ago...

I lived with my parents for 10 years, ever since I was born. My dad and mom were good people. My dad had black hair and red eyes, while my mom had blue hair and brown eyes. They cooked for me, cared for me, and read stories to me when I couldn't sleep at night. But most importantly, they taught me things. Things that would be essential for me to know as I got older.

When I was 7, I got to learn more about the world I live in. My parents explained how dark the outside world is and how it was overrun with creatures called Grimm. That was the day I learned of my parents' responsibility in keeping the peace. They told me that they were a Huntsman and Huntress, respectively. My dad showed me his weapon—a curved, silver katana with a lightning bolt on the flat of both sides. It also doubled as a gun. My mom wielded a pair of metal fans with a fire symbol on each for close-range combat, capable of blocking and deflecting bullets and other kinds of projectiles. She also wielded a chain sickle to attack from a distance. That was the day I had taken an interest in weapons; their cool designs and functions were absolutely amazing!

But most of all, that was the day that being a Huntsman became my dream. I was eager to get started; however, my parents laughed at my enthusiasm and explained that after I turned 14, I would be able to attend a school called Signal Academy. They told me that at Signal, I would learn more about being a Huntsman; I would even get the opportunity to make and design my very own weapon! I couldn't wait for the time to come; unfortunately, I had to wait 7 more years. I still dealt with it, waiting eagerly (and slightly impatiently) until the day would come.

After I had turned 8, I found out that I still had a lot to learn. My parents introduced a new concept to me: aura. They explained that aura is the manifestation of our souls. All living things have aura, excluding the creatures of Grimm, which have no soul. Huntsmen and Huntresses can use their aura to deflect deadly attacks or heal minor wounds. In addition, they can also use their aura for something called a "semblance", or an ability unique to a single person. My dad took me outside to our backyard, where he demonstrated his semblance: he charged up his aura and fired a beam so powerful that it obliterated a tree. My dad explained that his "aura beams" were capable of locking onto an opponent's aura, making them nearly impossible to avoid, while I looked on in wonder. Afterwards, my mom presented her unique ability to me. I watched in awe as she began to teleport, disappearing and reappearing all around us. After seeing my parents' special abilities, I started to wonder what my semblance would be. My parents told me that there were lots of different things it could be: speed, magic, clones, strength, etc. I hoped it would be as cool as my parents'.

Since then, I began reading books about the Grimm, weapons, and aura. I learned about many different kinds of Grimm and their appearances. The books I read that were about weapons gave me a wide variety of weapons to look at. I was interested the most in the bo staff. The range was nice, and keeping your opponents at a distance seemed like an efficient tactic in battle, especially against opponents specializing in CQC. On the other hand, a staff wasn't the most lethal weapon out there; after all, it was essentially just a stick. The clawed gauntlets also caught my attention. They were definitely lethal weapons. However, they weren't as impressive, defensively, as the bo staff. I couldn't decide between defense or offense; I was sure I would choose when I got older, though.

The books I read about aura were interesting too. They held the same information that my dad and mom had already told me. I also learned that meditation would help in unlocking a person's aura, so I chose to try it out. However, that was easier said than done. As an energetic 8-year old, it wasn't exactly simple to sit still and meditate; I couldn't even sit still for more than 5 minutes. My parents told me that I would get better as I got older, so I decided to hold off on the meditation for now.

When I was 9, my parents called me to come because they wanted to tell me something. They told me that they had decided that I was old enough. I didn't understand what they meant when they said that, so they elaborated: they were going to take me with them for the first time. I would get to see them in action as they "did their thing," as my dad put it. Of course, that got me really excited; I couldn't wait to watch my parents fight against monsters! After I got ready and they gathered their weapons, they took me to a forest that was about three miles from our home. My parents informed me that this forest was called the Emerald Forest. Once we got there, we walked inside. It was dark and spooky; I stayed close to my dad and mom as we continued through the forest.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes in front of us. The rustling spread from in front of us to all around us. I crept closer to my mom, getting a feeling that we were about to be attacked. As I expected, a Beowolf lunged out of the bushes in front of us; still, the sudden sight of a creature of Grimm jumping toward us from out of nowhere gave me a start. The Beowolf growled loudly and swung its claws back before bringing them forward. Unfortunately for it, it was going up against an experienced Huntsman and Huntress.

In an instant, the top half of the creature's body was separated from the bottom half. The two halves flew past my dad, who was standing in front of us with his arm extended, sword in hand. As they hit the ground, they began to dissolve; I watched it dissolve until there was nothing left.

Suddenly, another Beowolf jumped out toward us, this time from behind us. I spun around in shock, not sure if there was enough time to react. However, in the next second, I found myself standing on top of a tree branch and watching my father whirl around, the sword in his hand now a gun, and shoot the monster in the head. It dropped to the ground, dead.

I looked around frantically, trying to figure out how I got in the tree when I saw my mom standing next to me and smiling at my reaction. That was when I remembered she could teleport; I realized she must have teleported us up here. Just then, more Beowolves emerged from the bushes, surrounding my dad and growling at him. My mom gave me another smile before teleporting back down and standing next to my dad. She drew her metal fans and got ready to fight.

I watched for the next few minutes as my parents slashed and shot at every single Beowolf surrounding them. It was amazing: how fluently they moved, the way their weapons flashed as they used them, and most of all, their semblances in action! At one point, one of the Beowolves noticed me and jumped at me. However, it didn't make it very far before my mom's chain sickle hooked onto its leg and pulled it back down. Another one jumped at me, this time too far for my mom to intervene, but she didn't have to. A blue beam of aura slammed into the dark creature, sending it flying away. I smiled at my dad, who grinned and sent a thumbs-up back.

Once they were done fighting and all the monsters were dissolving, my mom got me down. I started talking excitedly about how that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. This made them laugh. We went home after that, with my parents promising to let me watch them fight more often.

Since then, my parents kept their promise by taking me with them to see them fight every week. I watched them take down lots of different monsters, ranging from the common Beowolves and Ursai to the rarer ones like Boarbutusks and King Taijitus, those fights being the most entertaining to watch. The more I watched them in action, the more excited it made me to eventually join in the action, too. My parents took note of this and told me that if I could improve in my meditation, they would give me something special to help me get started. I was ecstatic to hear that; so ecstatic, in fact, that I went to continue my meditating right away. I figured it wouldn't be too difficult.

Well, I was wrong.

My eagerness to join in the action didn't exactly help my concentration. It was only slightly easier than when it was when I was 8. I was able to stay put longer than when I had started a year ago, but not long enough for any real progress to be made. I was determined to, however, and never gave up.

As it turned out, my persistence paid off. About a month after I turned 10, I finally began to improve. I could tell due to the slight glow that surrounded my body, if only for a second. I eagerly went to tell my parents what had happened, and they seemed surprised to hear about it. Apparently, they hadn't expected me to make it so far so soon. They told me to keep up the meditation, and they would have the special thing ready for me in a few days.

I did as they said and kept up my meditation. I continued to improve gradually, the blue glow appearing around me and remaining for a few minutes before fading altogether. It was after a few more days of meditation that my parents called me. They told me that they were thoroughly impressed with how quickly I had improved. I frowned at that; it had taken a little longer than a year for me to make any kind of progress. They explained that they were expecting me to take a lot longer than that—years, at least—and speculated that my semblance might have something to do with it. Hearing that made me even more eager to find out what it was. Then my parents reminded me that they had a gift for me and handed me a blue box. I opened the box and couldn't believe my eyes.

It was a bo staff.

Lying inside the box was a blue bo staff. It was about 5 feet long with a yellow lightning bolt stretching from one end to the other. In the center of the bolt, my name was carved in black letters. Seeing this made me so excited that I literally spent 5 minutes running around ecstatically, and the next 5 hugging my parents, who had been laughing the whole time.

Despite this, I felt the slightest tinge of disappointment. I had gotten a bo staff as my weapon, which meant that while it would be ideal for defense, it wouldn't fare as well offensively as the clawed gauntlets.

As if they could read my mind, my parents said they had another surprise for me. They picked up my new bo staff...and promptly snapped it in half. The shock of seeing them snap my weapon didn't last long; after a second, the two halves began to transform. They turned in on themselves, showing off a set of three holes on each end. Once they were done reforming, a set of 3 claws popped out from each end, revealing a pair of clawed gauntlets, one in each of their hands. The shock, which had turned to awe while the weapon was changing, was now joy once again. It seemed I had gotten both of my desired weapons.

Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better, my parents managed to do just that. They told me that now that I had my weapon, they would start training me! I couldn't believe my ears; I would get a head start at what it felt like to be a Huntsman! I asked when my training would begin, and they answered that I could start now if I wanted. I wanted to start as soon as possible, so I agreed. They brought me to the backyard, where my training began.

They explained that they would begin with the basics. We started with my bo staff. My dad demonstrated how to twirl the staff around fast enough to deflect bullets and other projectiles, as well as switching it from one hand to the other. He told me that once I mastered this, we would move on. After about an hour, I managed to get the spinning down adequately enough; switching the staff from one hand to the other was another thing. It took a couple of days of practice in order to learn how to do it well enough, but I did it.

After learning how to wield my staff, my parents taught me how to use it in battle. They taught me how to attack with it and had me practice what I learned on targets that they set up. About a week later, my parents informed me that I improved excellently, so now they were going to teach me to use the clawed gauntlets. They taught me different styles of fighting involving these weapons, and though the training was arduous, I really enjoyed it.

The clawed gauntlets were harder to work with than the bo staff, and it took me a week and a half to learn how to use them as well. After that, my parents spent the next few days teaching me how to switch between my two weapons in rapid succession. They explained that this was a helpful skill to have in battle because in the midst of a fight, one weapon may be more suitable than the other. This training exercise was meant to help me minimize the amount of time it took for me to change weapons.

Once all my lessons were complete, my parents told me that they were extremely impressed with how far I'd come in my training. They informed me that I was progressing a lot faster than they were expecting and that if I kept up my training and my meditation, they would take me into the Emerald Forest so that I could test my skills against the Grimm there. I was delighted to hear that; I couldn't wait to fight against creatures of Grimm. The thought also made me a bit nervous; after all, it would be my first time.

I did as they instructed, meditating for 2 hours each morning before going to train for 3 hours in the afternoon. I continued to get better in my meditation and improve in my training. And eventually, a week later, my parents stayed true to their word. After my daily meditation and training routines, they told me I was ready. After my parents had gathered their weapons, we all headed to the forest. Unfortunately, this visit wouldn't be as entertaining as our past visits.

We made it to the forest, where my parents began searching for a Grimm that I could fight. My dad said that I would start with something easy, like a Beowolf.

However, none of us could have predicted that we would run into something much worse.

It happened when we were walking past a cave. We were still looking for a Grimm to fight, but it seemed like they were all staying away. I couldn't understand why the forest seemed so empty; at least, it did until we passed by the cave. After we had walked a few feet away, we heard a loud rumbling. We turned around in time to hear a thundering boom. Standing a few feet away from us was a giant scorpion-like Grimm, more commonly known as a Death Stalker.

These creatures were even harder to find than King Taijitus. They weren't something I was eager to face right away, due to their high resistance to blades and bullets. However, I had never seen my parents fight a Death Stalker before; I could probably gain some useful tips on how to defeat one in the future. I was sure they could handle it.

...At least, I was sure they could before the second one showed up.

As if one wasn't bad enough, another Death Stalker scuttled out behind the first, both snapping their pincers at us. Even I, a beginner, knew that retreating was obviously the best option. But as I turned to run the opposite direction, a giant feather flew from out of nowhere and embedded itself into the ground in front of me.

Giant feather? Oh, snap...

To my growing fear, a loud caw filled the air. We all looked up to see a giant Nevermore flying around above us. So now we were surrounded by 3 of the most dangerous creatures of Grimm, with no chance of escaping thanks to the Nevermore. We had no choice but to fight.

It didn't go so well.

I didn't have any ranged weaponry, and my weapon wasn't a firearm, so I was unable to fight the Nevermore. My bo staff was virtually useless against the Death Stalkers, but my clawed gauntlets weren't doing too much better. I had to be careful getting too close to the two monsters or else I would get hit by their enormous pincers or stingers. My dad was fighting them with me, slashing away at their heads and bodies, but they were too armored for him to make any real progress.

I risked a quick glance behind me where my mom was fighting the Nevermore. She was using her chain sickle to attack it from a distance, and when it fired its feather projectiles at her, she would use her Semblance to get closer to it and hack away with her metal fans. Even with this attack strategy, her attempts were far from enough to defeat the giant bird monster.

As I watched, the Nevermore fired off another round of giant feathers. My mom teleported out of the way once again, only this time there was a problem. My eyes widened in horror as I noticed that the feathers were now heading our way. My dad didn't realize what was about to happen, so I took matters into my own hands. I raced in front of him, shifting my gauntlets back into staff form. Once the staff was fully reformed, I began twirling it, deflecting the incoming feathers with a little effort.

I was feeling grateful for my parents' lessons and a little proud for pulling that off when I suddenly noticed that one of the Death Stalkers was now too close for comfort. Its stinger was hanging above its head, and as I watched, it brought it down, aiming for my chest. I barely managed to sidestep the attack, keyword being barely. As it was, the tip of the stinger grazed my right arm.

I dropped my weapon and grasped my arm while letting out a cry of pain, alerting both my dad and my mom to my predicament. Their eyes went wide with shock before my dad was in front of me, slashing away at the Death Stalker that had assaulted me, finally finishing his onslaught with a large aura beam that sent the giant scorpion flying into its friend. They both collapsed in a heap, but I knew they wouldn't stay that way for long.

This distraction bought my mom enough time to reach my side. She managed to bring me to the cover of the trees, temporarily out of the Nevermore's sight. There, she inspected my injury. It wasn't bad, but it did hurt. My mom said I couldn't remain here any longer because it was too dangerous. I wanted to protest that my parents would have less of a chance at winning, but before I could, my mom dashed over to where I had dropped my weapon. She picked it up and hurried back over to me.

Unfortunately, her movement attracted the Nevermore's attention. With an enraged caw, it flew toward her. I glanced over at my dad. He was fighting the Death Stalkers again, now that they had recovered, although the one that injured me had a crack on its head from where he blasted it. Another caw drew my attention back to the Nevermore, which was closing in on me and my mom, who had just reached me. It reared its wings back.

I looked back to my dad and saw that he was now looking at us. He gave a single nod. I didn't understand what he meant, but apparently my mom did as she nodded back.

Just as the Nevermore thrust its wings forward, firing more feathers at the two of us, my mom grabbed hold of me and teleported. However, instead of reappearing somewhere around the giant bird, I noticed that we were now surrounded by lots of trees. The cave was nowhere in sight.

I looked around in confusion before looking at my mom questioningly. She had a grim look on her face as she told me to find a safe place to hide and she would come back for me later. I argued that without me, they would be outnumbered, even with my lack of experience, but she said that I was their top priority and that they needed to make sure I was safe. Then she dropped my weapon into my hands and told me to go and not to be afraid, before pushing me in one direction. I wanted to argue against her actions, but by the time I turned back, she was gone.

I couldn't believe she had taken me out of the fight, and my dad must have been okay with it, which would explain the nod. Well, I wouldn't let them fight alone! I would go back and help them! The only problem was that I had no idea which way to go. I didn't know which direction my mom teleported or how far away. I couldn't even hear the Nevermore's loud caws anymore. I wouldn't let that stop me, though; if there was one thing I was, it was persistent.

With a resolute expression on my face, I set off in the opposite direction that my mom had pushed me; I figured that would be the best direction to start. I walked along, holding my weapon close to me and keeping my eyes peeled for Grimm. It was starting to get dark, but I didn't let that stop me.

About half an hour later though, I was starting to worry that I may not find them when suddenly I...felt...something. This...feeling...was warm and comfy, but fading. I closed my eyes, subconsciously turning in that direction and following the feeling until it disappeared. Then I opened my eyes and began to run, continuing in the direction that I had felt the feeling.

It was 10 minutes later that I finally saw the cave again. I rushed forward, feeling elated. I had finally reached them again! Maybe I would be able to help them finish the fight—

Then I made it into the clearing and any feeling of elation I had disappeared without a trace.

A few feet away from the cave's entrance, both of my parents were lying on the ground next to each other. They both had blood on their clothes. My dad had a gash running down his left side, while my mom had one across her forehead.

Worse than that, neither of them was moving an inch.

I rushed over to my dad's side first, tears pouring from my eyes. I shook him, trying to get a reaction out of him, but there was none. I tried my mom next, only to get the same results.

How could this have happened? I wondered morosely before I remembered the Grimm. My head snapped up and I swiveled around, searching for any sign of the three Grimm they had been fighting. However, there was no sign of any of them. I didn't know if my parents had already defeated them and they dissolved, or the creatures had left after they...

I looked back at my parents, tears pouring out in cascades, before falling to my knees. I was so distraught that I didn't hear the rustling of bushes or the footsteps that were coming closer. What I did hear, though, was the roar of something I didn't want to encounter right now.

I turned around, and sure enough, there was an Ursa behind me. It growled before running toward me. When it was in front of me, it stood on its hind legs and thrust its arms forward. I raised my staff to defend myself, but I wasn't fast enough. The Ursa swatted the weapon out of my hands before slashing me across my face. I grimaced in pain as I held a hand to my face, feeling the blood on my cheek. The bear roared again before knocking me backward with the back of its paw.

My back hit the outside of the cave, knocking the wind out of me. As I struggled to regain my breath, I noticed the Ursa stalking forward, moving in to finish me off. I couldn't defend myself or fight back without my weapon, and it was way too far away for me to retrieve it in time. It looked like this was it for me...

It was at that moment that I noticed something strange happening to my body. I seemed to be...glowing. It was starting in my chest and spreading throughout my body. A roar from the Ursa reminded me that I was still in danger. I looked back up and saw the Ursa towering over me, getting ready to attack again. I closed my eyes and held my hands to my face, not wanting to see my end.

Unexpectedly, the glow surrounding my body shone brighter until it was blinding to both the Grimm and me.

Then there was silence.

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Poor Bolt. Now what could be happening to him? I know, of course, but I want to see what you guys think. Write down your thoughts in your reviews so I can see if anyone will get it right. Hint: Bolt's appearance has something to do with it.

Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter. Keep in mind that this is only my first fanfiction, so please don't be too negative in your reviews.

One last thing, I won't be able to update frequently, unfortunately. I have school and I was so excited to post this chapter that I haven't finished writing the next one. Updates may not come for months. I'm so sorry, but I'll do my best to make sure this story does not become discontinued. I was always so frustrated reading an excellent story, only to find that the author has stopped writing it. I don't want to be one of those authors. In the meantime, if you need something to read to pass the time, here are a few suggestions:

The Master Challenge series by NoSignalBlueScreen - These stories are simply amazing! They're probably my favorite stories on Fanfiction. You have to check them out!

Veritas Aequitas by BonesBoy15 - A Naruto/RWBY crossover. This story is hilarious! Something else you have to check out!

RWBY watches Death Battle by epicvictory2025 - This story is exactly as the title suggests: Team RWBY watching the episodes of Death Battle. I think it's a story worth checking out!

Alright, that's about it for now. I'll be seeing you all next time! Sparky D., out!