Hello everyone!
So here we go, once again and now we've got the long awaited redo of this story.
In case you haven't heard, yes i have got COVID 19 and with the heat impairing my ability to write, this one is going to be a bitter shorter then the first version. But unlike the first one, we are going to be having a very special guest coming to oversee the viewing of Ruby's infinite possible timelines.
One that i believe fits in perfectly for the theme of this story.
But again, my writing ability is a bit impaired, so please bear with me as i try to get this story out, born anew. Maybe that's why i'm keeping it short, to ensure it's good. So as always i own nothing.
So please read, review and "What the fuc-BOOM"
Prologue: Arrival And The Curator
"Are you sure this is the right way?"
Weiss Schnee asked her teammate, Yang Xiao Long with a raised eyebrow. Not at her teammates(For once) but at the odd looking door. The busty blonde in question merely shrugged her shoulders and gave Weiss the notice,"See for yourself, this is the right way."
Weiss frowned and looked at the note:
"Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long of team RWBY. You are to report to this address for debriefing for you're heroic actions during the Breach."
Normally Weiss wouldn't have gone with just that, as it all sounded to sketchy and a possible assassination for her, but Yang AND Blake were requested as well. Plus Ruby wasn't apart of it either, so if they wanted an assassination attempt, it would have requested just one.
Kill one off at a time. Sowing chaos, distrust and making the rest of the team paranoid and the rest of the kingdom to boot. Seeing as chaos is, for whatever reason that was beyond Weiss's ability to understand, seemed to be WHAT Roman was trying to cause, it would make sense to do so. But the way they're going about it right now, made no sense.
That is, if this IS an attempted assassination.
If they wanted them all dead, they'd do the entire team not just three of them. It didn't make any logic senses, so Weiss called the headmaster. He not only confirmed it, but he and team JNPR was also requested to appear as well. That set Weiss's mind at ease but the question remained:
Why wasn't Ruby requested as well?
Did this meeting have something to do with Ruby? If so, where was the headmaster and team JNPR? The headmaster, she can understand as it was, by all rights, HIS job to not only ensure young huntsman and huntress are trained to the best of their ability AND protect Vale. Despite her team's intervention, the damage was done.
A whole lot of people were hurt, some that were in the blast zone when it actually blew up and others were even killed by the Grimm, when they had breached Vale's walls without anyone realizing it before it was too little too late. The only reason her team even realized the Grimm were in the city, was because they were on the train at the time. The point is, the only logically conclusion Weiss could come up with on why they were asked to come to this "Meeting" was because they were directly involved in it.
Her team and team JNPR, so Ruby might already be there and since it's Ozpin's job to protect Vale, his presence also made sense.
"Hey, you guys got an invite too?"
The loud and cheery voice of Nora Valkyire yelled out, making Weiss and the BY of team RWBY look to see the bomber, the rest of her team and the headmaster himself with miss Goodwitch too?
"It appears we are all here, i was unaware there would be more coming."
That made the WBY raise eyebrows at Ozpin, they didn't know they were coming too? What was going on here?
"Headmaster, do you have any idea who called us here?"
Pyrrha Nikos, ever the polite one, asked the older man as he shook his head,"I'm afraid not Miss Nikos. This is much a mystery to me, as it too you all. Sol i suppose we should get on with it then, shall we go in students?"
They all nodded and soon, walked into a room that looked a like a small theater room. Complete with several large, red sofa couches, a small glass table and a wide, flat screen TV. There was a second room connect to the one they saw and saw it was some kind of library with hundreds of hundreds of books lined up from end to end.
A very odd scene indeed.
"Are we in the right place? There's no one here."
Jaune said, looking around for someone, anyone but found nothing of the sort. Glynda frowned and looked around with an annoyed look on her face,"Is this suppose to be some joke?"
"And why isn't Ruby here with us?"
Yang finished, frowning like miss Goodwitch and looking around. Why were they all invited and not her younger sister? Was this suppose to be a prank or something?
"I suppose i will have to answer that."
A new voice cut in, one that was well mannered, controlled and had a tone to it that said "I know everything that you don't" making everyone look to see a man. Tall with a bit of wrinkled skin (as he's a middle-aged man) and icy eyes. His greying brown hair is long on the top of the head and shaved on the sides. He seems to use hair gel to hold it back.
His attire consists of a green three-piece suit (with octagonal details in the back), a white collared shirt with dark sleeve garters with a green patterned tie and dark brown leather shoes. The Moral Compass and the chain connected to it can be seen hiding in one of his vest pockets. Above those pieces of clothes. He also wears a brown and long trench coat, a green patterned scarf, a grey bowler hat and brown leather gloves.
His smile was like ones Ozpin wore, when he talked about certain things.
"Hello everyone, it is nice to met you all and i welcome you all, to my Repository."
"Who are you?"
Glynda asked, getting into a defensive stance, promoting the others to do the same. All the well dressed man did was smile, as he took off his trench coat and bowler hat and spoke, as he grabbed a light trio candle light,"I am many things but to you, i am simply known as the Curator of stories, a keeper of sorts. Ones of love and hate, adventure and horror, greed and beauty, life...and death. Much like you're own story in the world of Remnant. It is certainly one i happen to enjoy recording quite a bit, i am almost sad to see it come to an end soon."
"Story?"
Blake glared at the older man,"Are you saying our lives are nothing more then just fiction to you?"
"From a certain POV miss Belladonna, yes."
The man, the Curator answered without missing a beat, making Blake blink. He knew her name?
"Now, you're probably wondering why i brought you all here yes?"
The Curator pushed on, as Ozpin took the lead and said,"You are the ones who asked us to come here, Mr. Curator."
"Curator Ozpin, no 'Mr.' stuff. As for you're question, yes i did, as i said before: I am a keeper of all stories. You'res is just one of many too tell and i will tell you this, the Vytal Festival WILL come to a tragic end. While it is NOT my place to interfere, i CAN how you say, provide hints of what is too come."
"Tragic end?"
Glynda muttered to herself, sparing a meaningful look to Ozpin and mouthed:
"Does he mean Amber?"
"The seasonings changing, while are a natural part of life much like death, is a natural part of life. Everything that begins must have an end to end. But one should always be wary of any...menacing weather, for it may be closer then you ever imaged possible."
The older man cut in, smiling a knowing smile. That made Ozpin and Glynda freeze, as Jaune asked nervously,"So...how will you be providing hints?"
"Quite simple young man, you will be viewing stories. Stories of the multiverse, one that surrendering your own universe with a certain someone at the center of each world. As you can already see, a certain rose is missing from this gathering."
"Wait, you mean Ruby is going to be the MC of these stories?"
Weiss asked, as the man nodded smiling,"Indeed. Young Miss Rose is quite a remarkable young woman, with an equally infinite potential for greatness. Be it for the greater good of all...or for a more selfish gain."
"Pss, selfish. Yeah right Curator. Ruby is nothing but pure and innocent."
Nora cut in, laughing at the mere notion of Ruby being selfish or greedy. The older man did nothing more then smile that secretive smile, as he spoke wisely,"The Ruby you know, yes. No doubt she is one of the purest souls i have ever encountered but that is because of the choices that she and others in her life have made. You see, in life we all makes choices due to our own moral compass and we have to live by those decisions or even die by them."
"That's a bit ominous, don't you think?"
Ren asked, as the Curator took out a large book and said, as he flipped through the massive book,"Perhaps but it is life and death are two sides of the same coin. One should not fear death however, as it is...inevitable. It is the tax one lives for living and it comes for us all. Eventually."
"If only."
Ozpin thought a bit bitter about his situation, stuck in an endless cycle of death and rebirth.
"Still, we don't want it to come to us, too soon, do we?"
"No sir, we do not."
Pyrrha said with a smile, honestly a bit integrated by what kind of stories this "Curator" had to show them all. The man's features became more serious, as he spoke,"The actions you take, every CHOICE you make matters. As you will see, every choice you make WILL effect others. Sometimes those impacts are immediate impact or it will be a long term impact. To the point it will take YEARS for you to finally take note of the impact, you're choice makes. The stories i will show you, while different from each other, the theme's of each one are the thing you should pay close attention too. As i said, it is not my place to interfere but i can be persuaded to offer the occasion hint if you understand just WHO you should be wary of. If you understand the theme and meaning behind each story, you will be a step closer to being able to save you're own home from certain destruction. So, all that is left t decide is this:
Do you wish to view these stories?"
Everyone looked at each other and after a few seconds of silence, before Ozpin stepped forward and said,"Curator, we would like to see what you have to offer."
The older man smiled greatly,"Okay then, take you're seats, the viewing will start shortly.
Done and yes, it is the Curator from the "Dark Pictures Anthology" and yes, part of his speech was from the opening of Man Of Meden and possible Little Hope. Regardless i hope you enjoy.
Devil out.