I DO NOT OWN RWBY
Chapter 1: The Theatre
One could think that nothing had the impact to surprise Taiyang Xiao Long as the man, in his twenty-five years of life, had witnessed almost all the craziness the world had to offer. The day he had decided to retire in favor of having a family and a mostly normal life was the one that brought him the greatest relief. He was waking up with the knowledge that nothing weird could happen to him.
Until now.
Taiyang had a hard time remembering what he was doing before it happened. Was he doing the laundry? Or cleaning the room? Playing with his girls? All the events from the past few hours seemed to have merged together, leaving in their wake nothing but the madness of tangled memories. Just thinking about untangling it was giving him a headache, so he stopped trying. The situation was mind-boggling without pain to boot.
What had happened was that in a span of a second, Taiyang had found himself sitting in what seemed like a principal's office. It was a small, rectangular room with a drawer for documents, various plants, and one big painting of a sea. In the middle of it was a simple wooden desk with two chairs. Taiyang was sitting on one, while the other remained empty. As he looked to his right, he saw a window, but instead of a city or country, or even a forest...
He saw space. Eternal darkness sprinkled with bright winking stars.
"What in the…" he muttered, staring into the void when a bright light filled the room for a split second before disappearing. Taiyang blinked, trying to get rid of the blinding spots from his eyes.
"Apologies for being late. My last client was… lively, to say the least."
When the vision had finally returned to Taiyang, he saw that there was now a man sitting across from him. And he knew those glasses. And that hair. And those glinting eyes that were promising much, but hiding even more. Xiao Long's body was torn between readiness for action as the situation was still baffling, to say the least, and between relaxation as this was the face of a man Taiyang had absolutely trusted years back.
"Ozpin? Professor Ozpin?" He shook his head before letting out an awkward smile onto his head. "You do have a way with those meetings of yours…"
But before he could ask about how he teleported him from Patch, or where they actually were and what was the deal with the window, 'Ozpin' spoke up.
"I am not professor Ozpin," the man said, fixing the glasses. "I have taken upon his shape as he is a trustworthy memory of yours. We have discovered that this strategy proves most useful with our clients."
Taiyang was caught staring with his mouth hanging open as he tried to process what he had just heard.
"…what? Is this some kind of a joke? Because let me tell you right now, it's not funny."
"It is not a joke. Allow me to explain everything to you… avoiding unnecessary details. We have discovered your kind do not respond kindly to… complex descriptions."
'Ozpin' snapped his fingers and one of the drawers opened with a clunk, sending a thin, yellow file flying out of it. But instead of scattering papers all over the room, it landed gracefully in front of the impostor, leaving Taiyang even more baffled than before - and he didn't think that was a possibility.
"My… species have far surpassed the era of conquest and expansion," 'Ozpin' spoke, placing his hand on the file. "But as we were left with nothing else to achieve, we sought an activity that would keep us busy. And… entertained. Thus began the era of what we called and what in your language would be… The Timeless Theatre."
'Ozpin' picked out a single sheet of paper and passed it on to Taiyang, who took it carefully. It turned out to be a poster of a grand cinema room - in the dark, one could see the outlines of the weirdest creatures seated in front of the giant screen, on which several scenes, presented in slices side by side, were shown. Each scene was completely different, hosting beings of different appearances in completely different sceneries.
"I… don't follow?" Taiyang looked up at the impostor, who smiled at him in that familiar, warm way.
"With our technology, we are capable of researching other dimensions… Watching their life forms grow and evolve, develop and destroy, and in the end, die out. But that's hardly interesting, now is it?" 'Ozpin' looked at him quizzically. "Well, to keep it simple, we watch interesting events from various worlds. And if those events turn out to be… gripping stories, we record them, edit them, and then play them for our own amusement. It's harmless entertainment. We do not get involved in other species' business. I guess you could call it… peeking through a keyhole."
Taiyang glanced between the impostor and the poster while his thoughts quietly reassembled and fell apart as he tried to figure out what to do next. His mouth opened and closed several times before he finally found the words he was looking for.
"What does it have to do with me?" he asked, pushing away hundreds of other questions that could've only complicated the whole thing.
"Now, that's an interesting story," 'Ozpin' smirked before getting back to his serious demeanor. "But in short, some of our colleagues were concerned that we were stealing without giving something back. So it has become a tradition for us to invite people from the worlds that we take our stories from so that they can watch what we extract as a reward for providing us with such entertainment."
The man passed another poster, this time of a smaller room with two big corner couches, one coffee table, and a big TV screen. There were no scenes or outlines presented this time, but Taiyang guessed that while the theatre was for whatever species this was, the room was for the 'guests'.
"As you have probably already guessed – or not – you have been chosen for one of our shows thanks to a story that will happen in your world. You, and seven other people, were picked based on a certain… criterion that was randomly chosen. I'm sure you will pick it up as the show goes."
Another poster was passed on. Taiyang took it, with his thoughts still in a haze, and at first, failed to comprehend what was on it. At the second glance, he realized that the middle of the picture was taken by four big letters: red R, white W, black B, and yellow Y. RWBY. The word created a barrier between the top and bottom of the poster. The top was filled to the brim with faces of the Grimm, snarling and ready to pounce, while the bottom was separated into four sections of what Taiyang guessed were to be personal emblems. One he recognized: was the Schnee brand.
"To avoid spoiling anything," 'Ozpin' kept speaking. "The story starts approximately twelve years from when we took you and other viewers. It revolves mostly around four talented Huntresses, but it includes other people. Some that you may know. Some that you have never seen before. And of course, you."
"Me?" Taiyang finally lifted his eyes from the poster, his mood shifting from one emotion to another as if on a swing. He wasn't sure if he wants to believe in all this, but if it was a prank then it was the most elaborate prank he had ever seen. Honestly, a jest like this wouldn't be worth the effort.
"While choosing viewers, we may use random criteria to keep things interesting, but we always choose those that are either a part of the story, or that might have grand interest in it," 'Ozpin' leaned forward and smiled at him confidentially. "I can spoil you this little thing: you will be very interested in how the story unfolds."
After those words, 'Ozpin' shifted back to a proper position and fixed his glasses before taking a deep breath.
"Of course, you are not forced to be here."
"No?" Taiyang blinked, setting the last poster on the top of others.
"We're not kidnappers. This is supposed to be a gift, and gifts shouldn't be enforced. You have the right to refuse to take part in this, and thus, you shall be returned to your world without memories of this ever happening. Just so you know, all the other participants have agreed to take part in it. The choice is yours to make, however."
Taiyang stared first at the impostor, and then glanced at the poster of the apparent show, trying to wrap his mind around all this. If all of this was indeed real, and it seemed like it, he was chosen to witness events of the future that were turned into a movie for the entertainment of some very advanced species. It sounded like an opening to an awful book, but truth to be told, the more he thought of it, the more curious he was.
It wasn't every day that he was offered a glimpse into what the future would look like, less than watching something that captured the interest of a whole species. And if it involved him, then that would be a double reward to see how his life turned around. Besides, he was picked alongside seven others people out of the whole humanity on Remnant - winning a lottery was nothing next to this.
Taiyang has let too many good occasions pass. This wouldn't be one of those.
"Let's say I agree… What does it entail?"
"Simple!" 'Ozpin' clapped with enthusiasm. "You and other viewers will be transported to a comfy room. There, you will be given a viewing set alongside the remote to control it. After you've seen the whole show, you will be relocated back to your lives with a simple, mysterious souvenir that won't affect the future. Of course, your memories of this event will be erased."
"So what's the point of me watching it?" Taiyang frowned at the man. "If I'm going to forget it happened, then… what's the point? I don't get it."
"Let me put it this way," 'Ozpin' sighed. "I'm sure you have some memories that faded away with time. Or that you can no longer find. But would you rather those events you cannot remember anymore cease to exist? Those experiences, both pleasing and painful, just became redundant? It's not about remembering. It's about enjoying yourself. At least for a moment."
He did… forget a whole lot of events. He knew that he used to be so happy when his father returned from a long mission, but he could hardly recall it at this point. And so many happy memories that remained as gusts of pleasure or disgust, triggered by things that no longer made sense. Perhaps this creature was right. The future was going to happen with or without his permission. If he could know about it, at least for a moment, then he wanted to know.
"Alright," Taiyang took a deep breath. "I agree."
"Great. Oh, and just one thing… while present here, you will not be bothered by your mortal illnesses. Like fatigue. Or starvation. Or thirst. So do not worry about those down-to-ground problems."
"Riiight," Taiyang frowned, not sure if he wanted to know how that was supposed to be possible. But on the other hand, if those species were capable of traveling to other universes just to record some events for their own entertainment, they probably had ways to deal with that as well.
"Let's get the show rolling then!" 'Ozpin' snapped his fingers…
…and the world went black.
Until Taiyang blinked again.
In less than a moment, his rear side found itself sitting no longer on a stiff wooden chair but on a soft, comfy couch, with his feet sinking in a thick carpet. There was a soft, flowery smell in the air that he couldn't quite identify. As he leaned back, Taiyang realized that he was getting more and more relaxed, whether he wanted it or not - whatever was the cause of it, it was quite welcome after a whole event of confusion and shock.
The room he found himself in was the same on the poster from earlier - small, basically empty except for a TV set, the coffee table with a single remote on it, and double corner couches that had just enough space for eight people. People that were already present, in fact. Taiyang seemed to be the first one awake and conscious, so he took the liberty of looking at each and every face, trying to figure out what the 'criterion' could have been.
It took him just several seconds to realize that he had no idea: there were three people he knew just too well, one person he recognized but didn't know, and three complete strangers.
Unwilling to give in to even more confusion, Taiyang shook his head, shaking out all the questions into the depths of his mind, and turned towards the person placed the closest to him. She was already blinking back to awareness, her eyes dashing from right to left to take in her surrounding. Efficient, careful, always ready for anything - seeing her here was just another shocking surprise, but it was one that brought warmth to his heart.
"Summer?" he leaned forward to cup her face in his hands, worrying over her being stunned for so long. "Are you alright?"
"Tai?" she whispered and then jolted, suddenly fully awake again. "You're here too?! That's great! I was afraid I'd be in it with a bunch of randoms…"
Before Taiyang could respond to that in any way, Summer pulled him into a tight hug and he let her have her way with him. She was always clingy in private, getting as far as to climb on top of him, so he would carry her around when no one was watching. In the public, however, she was far more restrained, so seeing her act like this told Taiyang that the STRQ fearless leader was more than just nervous.
"You're here too?" Qrow's voice echoed from behind him. "And… Raven?"
"I assume you're the other seven people that were chosen for… whatever this is supposed to be, exactly," the man Taiyang had recognized as Jacques Schnee spoke up. "I won't lie, I hoped for a more distinct company, but it will have to do."
Taiyang finally untangled himself from Summer's hug and sent her a supportive smile before turning to take a second look at the other people. On his left were Qrow and Raven - the twins were already eyeing each other suspiciously but making no moves to find a different place to sit. On the right from Summer were two vastly distinct couples. The first one was comprised of a Faunus woman with cat ears on top of her head, and a giant of a man. Their clothes bore the symbol of the White Fang. Further to the right was the last pair: Jacques Schnee and a richly-clothed pale woman.
Most of them were still in a bit of a shock, some less, some more, but it did seem like all of them heard exactly the same as Taiyang did. Which meant that it most likely wasn't a prank and the whole idea of a show was a real thing. And seeing it alongside his wife and his best friend would definitely make the experience better.
"Jacques Schnee," the giant man sighed. "Even here, there's no escape from your company's reach. Are you the one responsible for it?"
"Are you assuming I'm the one behind it?" Jacques nearly choked on his words, staring at the giant incredulously. "You can't possibly be serious."
"Darling, I'm fairly certain this is a bit too much even for him," the giant's companion put her hand on his shoulder. "Besides… I think this is real. I think… I think we're really going to see the future."
Taiyang looked down at Summer, but she was too busy pondering over something with her nose wrinkled in that cute way, so he turned towards Qrow, who merely shrugged when he caught his gaze.
"I know this is real, Kali," the giant said in the meantime. "I've seen a lot of weird things in my life, but this? It's too weird not to be real; if it makes any sense."
"No, it's real," Summer hummed, leaning forward to snatch the remote from the table. "I've asked that guy who got us here some questions that, well, only I know answers to. And he knew them all. With details. That was kind of creepy…"
She looked down to study the remote, most likely already forgetting about what she was saying. Summer could be quite absent-minded when she found something exciting to do.
"I think we should introduce ourselves," Taiyang spoke up, letting his wife play with the remote in peace. "I'd rather not think about some of you as stranger number 1 and so on…"
"Fair enough," the giant shrugged, getting comfortable on his part of the couch. "Name's Ghira Belladonna, and this is my wife, Kali."
"Nice to meet you all," Kali smiled at Taiyang and his couch companions, but when she looked at Jacques, she scowled coldly.
And as he thought of it, Xiao Long realized just how awkward the other group is going to be in the foreseeable future - Belladonna was one of the main founders of the White Fang, the Faunus' organization that was fighting for rights and respect. And one of their greatest enemies was SDC, which norms of employment were apparently awful and not only for non-humans…
"My name is Jacques Schnee," the wolf in question smirked smugly at them. "CEO of the SDC company… which I hope you are all well aware of."
"Hard not to," Taiyang heard Qrow mutter.
"Willow Schnee," Jacques' companion nodded in their direction with elegance. "Pleasure."
So that was his wife! Taiyang blinked, suddenly realizing that there was quite an obvious pattern in their group… Except for one pair. He stole a quick glance towards the twins, but neither seemed very interested in the introductions. Qrow was searching through his pocket with such intensity as if he had a whole treasure up there, and Raven was staring at the remote Summer was holding.
"My name is Taiyang. Taiyang Xiao Long," he added after a second. "And this is Summer, my wife."
There was a flash in Jacques' clever eyes and Taiyang guessed that the man had the same hunch as he did. Three marriages in one place with a clear statement that there was a criterion for picking them up - this could not be a coincidence. However, Qrow and Raven were siblings, not a couple, which was ruining this theory quite well. Perhaps there was something else that was taken into consideration, perhaps he was wrong altogether. One was for certain - guessing was pointless at this point.
"Hi!" Summer lifted her face from the remote to flash everyone a joyful smile before refocusing on the buttons and pressing one of them.
The screen in front of them blinked and a bluish menu on a black background appeared. The beginning of a droplist was presented to them, with all the options greyed out except for the first one titled 'Trailers'. A bright green outline around it was to point out the current selection.
"Huh," Summer stole a second glance at the remote before focusing mainly on the screen. "That's not very complex."
"What about you?" Ghira spoke quickly, interrupting her. His eyes were drilling holes in both Qrow and Raven, who had been sitting quietly since the beginning of the introductions.
"They're Qrow and Raven," Summer said before any of the twins could open their mouths. Seeing how tightly she was gripping the remote, Taiyang could tell easily just how hard she wanted to get this show rolling.
"Are you two married, perhaps?" Jacques asked and Summer choked on air, nearly dropping the remote as she laughed and coughed at the same time. Although he knew just exactly why the man asked this very question, it didn't change the fact that Taiyang nearly suffocate while trying not to laugh at Qrow's deadpan face.
"He's my brother," Raven uttered through gritted teeth and Jacques had a tendency to look slightly uncomfortable at the inclination he made. "How about we get this whole circus on the road? The less I have to deal with you, the better."
Taiyang rolled his eyes at his ex's iciness, though he wasn't particularly surprised by it. She was never a very good team player, and whenever she was forced to cooperate with others, Raven would do her best to make sure everyone knew just how little she wanted to be there. Which, on one hand, made Xiao Long wish that the whole screening time won't be too long so that they could go their separate ways, but on the other, that it will be long enough to get back on Raven for her behavior. And for leaving him with an infant without a word of goodbye or the simplest explanation.
"I don't see why we should stall any longer," Jacques surprisingly agreed with Raven, sitting in a more dignified way and folding his arms.
"Agreed," Ghira sighed. "Let's see what all this is about."
They all looked at Summer who lifted the remote and hit the 'Play' button.
Instantly, the room darkened until the only source of light was the screen - which turned from blue to white, and from white to black, and then black turned to a starry sky with a shattered moon in the middle of it. And the music began to play…
It's written for the fun of writing. I won't sit too long on editing it nor bother with complex arcs or heavy dialogues. If it stops being fun for me, I'll probably stop writing it too.
I'm a sucker for attention, so leaving a comment might help me writing it. Nevertheless, thank you for reading! Have a nice day!