Legal Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the show's characters. They are the rightful properties of Rooster Teeth. The True Runes and any other Suikoden-related lore that pops up in this fic are the rightful properties of Konami.
Chapter One:
In the beginning, there was "darkness."
Then finally, the "darkness" shed a "tear."
From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born.
Sword bragged that he can cut anything. Shield replied that he could protect anything. Then the brothers began a legendary battle for seven days and seven nights.
At the end, Sword cut Shield and Shield smashed Sword.
Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars.
And the jewels that adorn Sword and Shield became the True Runes-
The runes that all other runes were born from.
-The History of the 27 True Runes
The icy cavern that he jumped down into was full of freezing water. The ice cold liquid went up his waist, but Clover Ebi didn't mind the chill. Not as a human might. He'd long since grown used to the frigid climate of Solitas, having grown up in the region instead of in the more tropical vestiges of Remnant that his people often preferred to call home. That time for his people had been long ago, however, before the poachers had scattered the mer across the realms and nearly hunted them to extinction.
As a mer, Clover didn't mind the sudden leap into the cold water either, though he knew that wouldn't be the case for his fellow knights. The brown-haired man cast his gaze up, towards the opening in the cavern that the sudden ground's collapse had wrought into existence, noting the appearance of his two comrades' heads and shoulders peering downwards at his abrupt departure from their side above ground, "Might want to find another way inside!" Clover called to Elm and Marrow, "This led straight into an underground pool."
"Right! I so do not want to take an ice bath out in the tundra today!" Marrow Amin muttered, and Clover could just picture the younger man's Faunus tail lowering dejectedly at the prospect of having to find a roundabout way to their quarry.
"You got it, boss man!" Elm Ederne saluted with one of her large hands before she began motioning to the youngest member of the Ace Operatives that they should hurry and secure themselves an alternate route inside.
They both disappeared from the hole, and Clover let out a small sigh as he found himself temporarily alone in the surprisingly expansive space he'd jumped into. He hadn't even given it a second's thought before plunging into the darkness from up above. After all, they were pursuing Grimm to keep them from targeting a nearby mining settlement. Besides, thanks to his Semblance, his luck often held. It was probably the mines themselves being so nearby that had led to this area being so unstable and helping to create underground pockets just like this one, but he didn't really have the time to ponder that thought as his legs moved swiftly through the water towards the icy shore up ahead as he saw the telltale specks of crimson just beginning to freeze on the ground.
He frowned at the sight. All of the miners and their families at the settlement had been accounted for before the elite knights had set out, Harriet and Vine staying behind as defensive lookouts should part of the pack decide to turn back around. There hadn't been any people's tracks intermixed with the frenetic conflagration of Grimm ones leading up to the collapse out in the tundra, though that maybe didn't mean much if whichever poor unfortunate soul the creatures had stumbled upon had been caught in their midst.
An animal, perhaps? Or a traveler who hadn't been able to make it to safety in time? It was suicide to try crossing any part of Remnant alone, really, as the Grimm were constantly pouring out of the Land of Darkness ever since the Fall of Beacon so many months ago. The mer's breath hitched in his throat at the notion, Kingfisher gripped tightly in his hand.
His wondering over the situation would have to wait, however, as he heard the snarls and growls and gnashing of teeth from further inside the cavern. Whoever was caught in there amongst the Grimm wouldn't stand a chance for long, if they hadn't yet been torn apart limb from limb. He moved forward with purpose, raising Kingfisher to strike out and hopefully entangle some of the nightmarish beasts while they were still focused on whoever was their current target. However, the sight he saw at the end of the cave gave Clover pause.
Huddled with his back to the ice, snow, and rock behind him was a hunched over elderly man, the stranger's spotted Faunus features wizened with age. There were numerous cuts and lacerations coating the old man's body, a nasty gash ripping the cloth and flesh from his chest as blood streamed onto the ground below. The Faunus was surrounded by a pack of the bipedal, wolfish Grimm creatures, the boldest of which were already stepping forward as if sensing that the man was on his last legs. Clover froze when he counted a dozen. The odds of the brown-haired Atlesian agent being able to take on all twelve of the Grimm at once wasn't something even he was keen to bet on, even with his luck.
Despite the imminent doom that seemed to be closing in on the old man, who had yet to notice Clover hiding behind a nearby outcropping, the Faunus seemed strangely resigned to his fate instead of fearful or upset. Clover watched as he clutched his bleeding left hand closely to his chest, watery blue eyes gazing at the creatures of Grimm almost pityingly, "You've really gone and done it now." He said with a wheezing chuckle.
The Grimm continued growling, saliva dripping from their mouths onto the ice below. One took a step forward as if emboldened by the Faunus' taunt, and that was when Clover leapt across the outcropping, Kingfisher's hook hitting the shoulder of one of the monsters and sending it careening into the next one over. Chaos erupted at his sudden appearance, the Grimm now having to split their attention between two targets. Just as about half of those that remained, the one whose shoulder he'd dug into with his weapon had promptly turned to ash, turned their focus towards Clover, a bright light gleamed from behind them.
The mer turned to find the source of the light. The old man's left hand was glowing, a sickly red color emanating from it in a scarred shape of a twisting circle. The glow was soon bathing the entire cavern in its light, as a simultaneous warmth and chill permeated the area. And, as if that wasn't enough to set Clover's body on edge and a sense of dread to clamor through his heart, the air seemed to be ripped open by what sounded like a thousand voices screaming all at once.
Instinctively, Clover brought his hands to his teal-colored ears, hoping to block out some of the horrific noise as he squeezed his eyes shut to try and mitigate the persistent light. He knew it was foolish to do so. Not wanting to leave himself wide open to attack, the brown-haired man tearfully forced his lids to open once more despite his strong desire not to.
The air was bathed in red and black, the white and red bone masks of the Grimm painted with the nightmarish light. Above them, blades seemed to appear and suddenly crash down as the screaming intensified to an ear splitting crescendo. And just as quickly, the cavern was full of ash, the Grimms' bodies dissolving as though they'd never been there at all. The ethereal swords that had done them in nowhere to be found.
The silence that filled the space then was deafening, as the old man collapsed wearily against the wall, crimson smearing against the icy backdrop as he did so. His eyes landed on Clover then, and he smiled bitterly as teal met blue, "Still standing, huh?" He asked, red smearing his teeth and dribbling down his chin.
Clover watched in horror as the swirl of ash didn't dissipate, instead it seemed to only become stronger, the elderly Faunus' body seeming to disintegrate right before his eyes. He raced forward then on shaky, scale-covered legs, grabbing onto the man's shoulders just as they lost their shape. The old man's blue eyes once again met his bewildered gaze, a rather sad and haunted look crossing over his spotted leopard features then.
"That means you'll bear the same fate, one of these days." The elderly Faunus murmured as that strange circle symbol from before, to the mer's horror, was glowing right on top of his own left hand, "Lucky you, huh?"
And then the mysterious stranger was gone in a swirl of ash, just as Marrow and Elm were making their way through a side-passage, "Whoa." Elm breathed out as she wiped at the ash that got close to her forehead, "Decided not to save any for us, huh, Captain?"
Clover said nothing in reply, staring at where the old man had been just moments before. The glow and heat on his hand was vanishing, replaced by a body-encompassing chill. It was something he wasn't used to, given his usual tolerance for the cold. Elm and Marrow both looked at one another in concern then, the rookie knight stepping cautiously forward with his hand outstretched towards the mer agent, "Captain?" He asked, concern evident.
A cold sweat was forming on Clover's body, and he didn't have the chance to respond before the world was tilting over completely, teal eyes only taking in the swirling ash cloud all around him before everything went completely dark.
The red and black expanse that he found himself walking through was punctuated every so often by a cacophony of tortured screams, though the sharp voices seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. He was only ever alone in this space, after all, walking through an endless void that dripped with who knew how much unspoken pain and agony?
The old man's shape suddenly melted from the shadows then, though he seemed to be gazing at something far away from Clover. What it could be, exactly, given that there was nothing but endless emptiness all around them as far as the eye could see, was beyond the mer. The elderly Faunus looked just as haggard and put upon as when Clover had seen him in the ice cave, albeit his injuries were nowhere in sight now.
The stranger let out a melancholy sigh and began talking, but it seemed as if he was only speaking to himself if the unseeing light in his eyes was any indication. "Just once..." He murmured wistfully, a tinge of the sadness permeating the very space they were in filling his voice, "I would have liked to have seen Menagerie again just once. My grandson must have grown so big...!"
Then the dark world and lonely, devastated man disappeared completely and Clover was back in a familiar stone cell, his mother gently humming a song she'd long forgotten the words to as she ran her fingers over the brown locks of the child sitting in her lap, the teal scales of his legs, lower arms, and ears matching her own. She had to pause her singing to cough, the sound ripping something from her lungs and gills as she did so.
The young Clover couldn't help but gaze up at her fearfully as footsteps clambered over to the bars of the cell door, two figures standing there. One he recognized as the nervous steward of the house he'd grown up in. However, the dark-haired man in white staring rather impassively at him and his mother was an utter stranger.
"These are them?" The dark-haired man asked, and Clover huddled further into his mother's protective embrace at the steel in his words.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The steward replied, nervously wringing his hands together, "Though I fear the mother is not long for this world."
The man frowned, "You should have notified us sooner." He said plainly, as if he wanted the steward to know he wasn't going to tolerate fools.
The servant winced, merely weakly nodding his head as he opened the cell's door. The imposing man stepped inside them, his impressive build seeming to take up the entire space. He stared down at the two captive mer and there was a slight curving of his lips then that caused Clover and his mother to relax somewhat, though his blue eyes sparked with sadness all the same, "I'm sorry for how Atlesians have treated you." He stated quietly as Clover tightened his hold around his mother's lap.
The mer woman regarded the black-haired stranger carefully then with sad resignation crossing over her features, biting her lip as her arms tightened around her son, "Take care of Clover, won't you?" She asked, resigned to her fate.
"You have my word."
Fortunately, when Clover opened his teal eyes once more, it was neither to the sight of that sad and dreary cell he'd spent the first few years of his life in, nor was it the void full of regret and screaming. Rather, it was to a familiar ceiling and bookshelves filled close to bursting reaching straight up to the heights out of the corner of his eyes. Bright green eyes were gazing down at him with a relieved light floating in their depths, "Clover, you're awake!" Penny Polendina exclaimed, smiling brightly at the prospect.
"Hello, Penny." He greeted her with a tired yawn, his entire body aching and still feeling rather feverish as he sat up in what he now distantly recognized to be his bed. Clover was back home, in his bedroom in Pietro's workshop in Mantle.
He'd lived here with Pietro Polendina, one of the greatest inventors and tinkerers in all of the twin cities, ever since King James Ironwood had brought his shivering small form in a bundle of blankets to the scientist's home all those years ago. The semi-formal adoption had only gotten a bit more complicated with the creation of Penny, a sentient magic vessel designed to house one of the most particularly difficult of all the remaining True Runes. But Clover found he didn't mind the added chaos Penny brought along with her: she was very much like a real girl in every respect that actually mattered, and he'd warmed up to the idea of having something along the lines of a little sister quite readily.
"Careful now!" The redhead advised the mer as he sat up in bed, holding onto his shoulders to help steady him, "You've been unconscious for several days."
Clover frowned, though the news wasn't wholly unexpected. If he collapsed using his True Rune, it was often for anywhere up to several hours or a few days. He glanced over at the frost-covered window that led to a view of the Mantle streets below, "What about the Grimm?" He asked, fearing the worst.
He'd only used the Rune of Punishment because a horde of the creatures had somehow managed to get dangerously close to the city of Mantle itself, and only he and Penny had been there to hold them back at the time. Robyn had been on a diplomatic mission to Atlas, a fact he knew probably tore the tan-skinned blonde up inside since she always wanted to be on the frontlines to help protect her city. It hadn't been an ideal situation, but he'd needed to act quickly.
"The threat was properly neutralized!" Penny assured him emphatically, beaming proudly, "And I brought you back here to Father's workshop to recover as soon as I was able."
The brown-haired man smiled, gingerly getting out of bed with her help, "Thank you, Penny." He said, truly grateful for her assistance.
There was a harrumph from the doorway then as Pietro Polendina wheeled himself into the room, "Instead of thanking Penny, you should be considering how to avoid using the Rune of Punishment in the future." The older man told the knight gently.
Clover rubbed the back of his head, "I know, Pietro. It should only ever be a last resort." He responded honestly.
The Rune of Punishment was different from the other True Runes in that it was extremely parasitic in nature, feeding off of the life force of its bearer to bring forth its powers. It wasn't considered one of the most cursed of all the True Runes for nothing. Clover's luck semblance had been enough to keep him alive and to be chosen as its next bearer all those months ago in the cave, but there was no way it would shield him from the more fatal of its adverse effects forever. And who knew how long someone else would last once it moved on from him? The thought was enough to make him queasy.
Pietro smiled at Clover good-naturedly, "As long as you're still aware." He told him gently, "You had us worried, my boy!"
"Not just us." Penny informed him, "But King Ironwood, Winter, the Ace Ops, and even Robyn too!"
The mer winced at the mention of all of those names, wondering just how much apologizing and reassuring he'd have to do in the near future. A dark-skinned hand rested on his shoulder then as he sat back down on his bed, Pietro giving him a gentle look of understanding beneath his glasses, "Everyone will just be glad you've recovered, Clover." He informed him reassuringly.
The brown-haired mer smiled at the words of comfort, knowing just how true that sentiment probably was. He used the cursed True Rune only sparingly and hardly ever to the degree where he collapsed afterwards, so he knew well how relieved people often were after his recovery. One day, he wouldn't be so fortunate. He could almost taste the ash on his tongue, the thought of swirling into nothingness along with the Grimm he'd try to protect people from making his heart feel heavy. Doubly more so with the potential of possibly dragging others right down into the abyss with him.
That was probably why the old Faunus had been so far from home when he finally succumbed to the Rune. To try to avoid burdening another with his fate. It had just been a "lucky" coincidence that Clover had shown up when he had. He remembered the man's words in the void, his often familiar regret over missing his grandson, and he couldn't help but grimace slightly at how heavy it made his heart feel.
Maybe there would come a time when he would feel it was for the best to leave Mantle and Atlas behind too. He'd do it if it meant he could help protect everyone. He knew that King Ironwood wanted to keep as many of the True Runes around as possible to shore up defenses against Salem and the Land of Darkness, especially after the Fall of Beacon and King Ozpin's passing, but having a particularly cursed one around like the Rune of Punishment only increased the region's vulnerability.
Penny regarded him thoughtfully then, tilting her head to the side, "You are pondering over something again, Clover." She said in her thoughtful way.
His cheeks reddened at having been caught, especially when a knowing look flashed across Pietro's wise face as if he could tell exactly what he'd been thinking. The hand on his shoulder squeezed down all the more consolingly, "We'll figure things out, my boy." Pietro promised his adopted son, and Clover couldn't help but smile wistfully at the remark.
Dwelling on the matter currently wouldn't do much good, particularly when he should be checking up on things and ensuring that defenses had been repaired. Robyn and the Happy Huntresses had probably taken care of that already while he was out, and he hoped that the Ace Ops and the rest of the Atlesian knighthood had at least doubled their patrol efforts in light of the assault. However, being cautious and proactive was never a bad thing.
Just as he was moving to stand up once again, a string of unfamiliar voices could be heard shouting from outside the window of his room. The three glanced amongst themselves then curiously at the sudden commotion, especially when Elm's booming voice entered the mix, her words being muffled just enough by the walls and door that they couldn't hear what she was saying.
It didn't take long for Penny and Clover to leave the house and make it onto the street, Pietro right behind them. The sight that greeted their gazes afterwards was certainly one that would raise eyebrows, for a small crowd had gathered around the assembled Ace Ops and a rather large group that they'd cuffed and had in custody. The Atlesian knights' weapons were pointed perilously close to the newcomers, who were comprised mostly of various young people along with an older man and an elderly, short woman.
"I'm telling you, it's nothing personal but our orders are orders!" Marrow was saying to the tan-skinned elderly woman who had a blue scarf wrapped around her eyes, "No unidentified people are currently allowed within the borders of the twin cities."
"So your response is to arrest a bunch of kids and their old caretakers because they didn't have the required paperwork on them?" The elderly woman scoffed indignantly, "Real classy there."
"Speak for yourself, Maria." The red-eyed man said as he rolled his eyes then, the hood of his black cape still resting atop his head.
"Please," the woman apparently named Maria tersely replied to the hooded man, "You're older than me and we both know it."
That raised a few eyebrows, as the red-eyed man didn't look or sound like he would be over forty or so. Penny and Clover both glanced at one another then. That could mean...
"Please, you've gotta listen to us!" A brunette with scarlet tips in her hair spoke up quickly then, gesturing with her shoulders over at the rest of the group, "We came all this way from Beacon. It's imperative that we see the king!"
Harriet Bree crossed her arms, "Like His Majesty should be bothered to deal with intruders." She muttered, clearly unamused by the group as she tried to look intimating despite her smaller stature.
The blonde standing next to the girl who had spoken before stepped forward then and Clover noted a slight point to her ears as if indicative of elven lineage as her violet eyes blazed, "Well, if the borders weren't closed then maybe—!"
She was cut off by Penny loudly gasping from next to Clover, her green eyes zeroing in on the silver-eyed brunette who had spoken up before, "Ruby!" The redhead exclaimed enthusiastically.
The girl identified as Ruby blinked at the sound of her name, peering over Elm's massive shoulder at the now beaming redhead in obvious surprise, "Penny?" She asked, clearly surprised to see someone she recognized.
With that, Penny raced forward past Vine Zeke and Elm without a care in the world, pulling the other girl into a tight embrace that nearly bowled the petite thing over, "Salutations!" She energetically greeted.
Despite not being able to reciprocate the hug due to her hands being restrained behind her back, the shock on Ruby's face turned to a pleasant surprise as she leaned into the touch and rested her chin on Penny's shoulder in response, "I should have put two and two together and realized we'd run into you!" She said, her tone clearly overjoyed.
"I always did want to show you my home." Penny said, smiling as brightly as the sun, "This is perfect!" She glanced down at the group's condition and frowned slightly, "Well, almost perfect."
"Maria!" Pietro remarked pleasantly enough from behind them, "It's good to see you again."
The elderly woman smirked, "I'd say the same, Pietro, but this is hardly the ideal time to be cuffed like how it was last time." She replied as if she hadn't just provided them all with a mental image they didn't want or need. The older man laughed jovially, as everyone around them wisely pretended they hadn't heard that slightly flirtatious exchange.
"Great! See? Everyone's friends here." A redhead in the back of the group stated, a hopeful tint to her voice as she stretched out her bat-like wings behind her, clearly a member of the Winged Horde though they were rarely seen in Atlas as their territories were often in Mistral, Vacuo, or Vale, "Can we maybe do something about the cuffs now and hopefully not be arrested anymore?" She asked pleadingly.
Harriet frowned, eyes narrowing dangerously as she opened her mouth to no doubt curtly respond when Clover strode forward to stand next to Penny and cleared his throat, "What seems to be the problem here?" He asked, deciding enough was enough. Last thing they needed was for King Ironwood and Robyn to catch wind of this altercation.
"Captain Ebi!" Marrow responded, quickly saluting, "You're up!"
"How are you feeling, boss man?" Elm said in way of greeting, hitting him squarely on the back in a motion that nearly made the mer lose his balance completely.
Clover righted himself and ignored their remarks for now, "No one's answered my question." He said, patience wearing thin.
"This group of unknowns were found wandering Mantle without the necessary identification papers." Vine calmly responded, the tall man always the first to get down to business.
"That's because it is a little hard to get paperwork done when you're constantly running for your life!" The blonde-with-violet-eyes shouted in frustration, the black-haired feline Faunus standing next to her leaning against her shoulder as if offering her silent support.
Vine's lips downturned to a slight frown, "Be that as it may—"
"Listen." The hooded stranger cut in then curtly, "I personally know Jimmy, and he is going to want to hear what these kids have to say."
"That's King Ironwood to you!" Harriet bristled indignantly.
"We came all this way from Beacon, fighting Grimm the whole way." The man continued as if the knight hadn't interrupted him, "Believe me, we would've gone literally anywhere else if this wasn't so damned important."
"Believe you?" The short woman scoffed at the notion, clearly not even buying the possibility that what they were being told was true.
The man ignored her, his red eyes lingering on Clover then as if he'd pegged the brown-haired agent as his group's best bet at the moment given how the Ace Ops had responded to him, "We were there when Beacon fell. It's about the Sun Rune, and what happened to Ozpin." He explained, as if that was more than enough reason to see King Ironwood.
And maybe it was. The Sun Rune was the True Rune that had been in the Kingdom of Vale's possession up until the capital's destruction. The True Rune that had been assumed to be taken by the forces of the Land of Darkness. Ozpin was the king of Vale who had died fighting those very same forces off. The group of strangers looked haggard and tired, now that Clover was seeing them up close. As if they had traveled for quite a while without being able to properly rest, which made their story about coming from Beacon all the more plausible. Plus, Penny and Pietro both seemed to vouch for members of their group. Which meant...
Clover sighed, "All right." He turned to the Ace Ops, "Release them. They should at least meet with the king."
Harriet bristled, "But—!" She tried to say before Elm cut her off, the tall woman merely tilting her head, "You sure?" She asked curiously.
Clover nodded, "I'll accompany them and take full responsibility for the decision." He informed his fellow knights, smiling ruefully a moment later, "I need to check up with His Highness anyway."
Begrudgingly, the Ace Ops moved amongst the group to remove their restraints, Penny smiling happily as she pulled the girl called Ruby into a proper hug, her hands encompassing even the small wings that were under the brunette's cape. That meant Ruby was most likely at least partially related to a Winged Horde member though her wings were far too small for flight. "I am so happy, Ruby! I shall come along and vouch for you too!" Penny exclaimed, as if she had just been granted the greatest mission ever.
Ruby smiled, "Thank you, Penny." She replied, sounding truly grateful for the other girl's kindness.
Elm patted the old woman on the shoulder after removing her cuffs, "No hard feelings, eh?" She asked.
Maria scoffed, "You're just fortunate I want to catch up with Pietro, or your boss would be getting an earful from me!" She exclaimed, with a tone that indicated King Ironwood would eventually still be getting an earful from her.
As the last of the cuffs were removed, Clover motioned towards the outside of Mantle and in the direction of nearby Atlas, "We should get going if we don't want to catch King Ironwood in a meeting." He said before starting to slowly walk in the direction he'd just indicated.
The group of youngsters quickly nodded their assent and began to follow the Ace Ops to where their carriage and horses were. Marrow tried engaging a blond-haired boy in conversation as they moved, his tail wagging happily at the prospect of potentially making new friends despite the rocky start. As they moved, Clover felt an assessing gaze on his back. He turned his head slightly, his teal eyes meeting red ones not a moment later.
The hooded man promptly looked away then at having been caught staring. The mer remembered the stranger's comments from earlier about the Sun Rune and Ozpin. A shiver ran down his spine that had nothing do with the cold permeating the air as Clover couldn't help but wonder just who exactly this eclectic group was truly comprised of.
Author's Notes: And here is the start of what promises to be an exceedingly long, slow burn fantasy epic! XD This is more of a Suikoden Fusion AU story where I take elements from that video game series and incorporate them into the world of Remnant as opposed to being a strict AU or crossover. For instance, only the True Runes from Suikoden carried over instead of things like the Stars of Destiny, and the "children runes" are going to be the semblances from RWBY instead. So knowledge of the Suikoden RPG series isn't at all really necessary to enjoy the fic as I will try my best to explain its plot elements when they show up, though I do recommend the games as they're amazing! :D
Beyond RWBY's Faunus, I am including the Suikoden fantasy species of the Winged Horde (basically humans with wings), elves, and mer. To be honest, I have always loved Suikoden IV's interpretation of mer (since they give them legs and everything!), and those three Suikoden peoples seemed like a natural fit for this fantasy fic alongside the Faunus from RWBY.
For those at all familiar with the Suikoden plot, Remnant is in the aftermath of several of the True Runes having been destroyed in a catastrophe before which devastated the land, shattered the moon, and brought about the Grimm (Beowolves mainly) long before the main plot for this fic even starts, though that ultimately prevented the "Ashen Future" the wills of the True Runes wish to bring about. In other words, this is sort of a look at what would have happened in regards to Luc's plan in Suikoden III to destroy a True Rune and keep them from attaining the "balance" at the cost of every living thing the True Runes' sought. And while the True Runes often provide their bearers with nifty little perks such as immunity from diseases and agelessness, being chosen to wield one is certainly a very mixed bag for a whole variety of reasons. Other parallels that might be in the fic's plot are Salem and Ozpin being rather similar to the story set-up for Windy and Leknaat in the first game, and for Qrow and Clover to have a dynamic that is sort of a merging between Ted's relationships with Lazlo and Tir in the series.
Pairings will be Qrow x Clover, Ruby x Penny, Blake x Yang, Ren x Nora, Jaune x Marrow, Robyn x Winter, Weiss x Ilia, Harriet x Fiona, Elm x Vine, Mercury x Emerald, Joanna x May, and Maria x Pietro. There will be past relationships of Jaune x Pyrrha and Ironwood x Glynda given the nature of the True Runes, and there is one-sided Ironwood x Clover as well. The main pairing focus will be Qrow x Clover (because I am a sucker for Fair Game, lol) but the other pairings will have moments throughout the story.
At any rate, I've probably talked your ear off about this story long enough! XD I'll try to update this fic every week or so as my schedule allows while posting two chapters of Inheritance still as that story is already pretty much completed in the brainstorming phase. Hopefully, it will be as fun a tale to read as it has been coming up with the writing for it! :D