"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
-Mahatma Gandhi
RWBY:Re;bellion
Chapter 1: Safe Haven, Part 1
The night sky dazzled with stars, all twinkling and sparkling like gemstones. The moon hid from sight, leaving only its drifting fragments. On a small isle near the continent of Sanus, there was a small house. Inside the house, specifically in a room where the children resided, a woman clad in a snow-white cloak read a book to her daughters and son.
"Once upon a time, there lived a prince and his younger sister. The kingdom their father ruled was not a kind one, however. The emperor valued strength and believed that the weak should be crushed underfoot. He showed no kindness to his closest advisors, not even to his consorts or subjects, for he only loved his empress.
"One day, however, the emperor's brother, overcome by jealousy, conspired to have the empress murdered. The princess was caught in the attempt. The assassins robbed her of her legs, and the sight of her mother's dead body robbed her of her sight. The emperor's heart was shattered, and all that was left was cold hate. He shed not a single tear and closed his heart forevermore.
"The prince, who grieved for the loss of his mother and the fate that befell his sister, confronted his father in outrage. "You shed no tears for my slain mother, and you show no love for your injured daughter!" the prince cried. "Have you no heart?!"
"A heart is a useless thing," the Emperor replied calmly. "I have no need of it. Just as I have no need of you."
"The Emperor, seeking to cut off the last remains of his ties to his beloved empress, exiled his children to live in another land. It was here that the prince and his sister would find a new family in the prince of this country, clad all in white with a heart of virtue and justice. It was as if he were a mirror to the foreign prince, whose hair was the color of a raven's feathers. The White Prince and the Black Prince became close friends. Together with the Black Prince's sister, they lived a happy life. But all that changed when the emperor ordered his kingdom to attack the White Prince's country.
"Chaos and strife ruled the land, and within the month, the White Prince's country fell under the emperor's banner. The White Prince's countrymen were stripped of all that they were. Their homeland, culture, and even their names were taken from them. The Black Prince's heart seethed with rage for the injustice he saw. For the next seven years, this rage would fester. For seven years, this rage became a seething inferno.
"Despite all this, he cursed his own powerlessness, for he had no means to raise the flag of rebellion. One day, however, his fate was irrevocably changed, and his heart stained black when he met an immortal witch who offered him a thorny crown…"
The woman paused and looked to her children. The sisters openly wept at such a bitter tale while the son's face was troubled as if pondering something.
"T-that's so sad!" the eldest daughter sniffled. "Mom, what the heck?! Why'd you tell us such a downer?"
Summer Rose giggled into her hand and ruffled Yang's beautiful blonde hair. "It may be a bitter tale, but it has its own lessons to impart, my little dragon," she told her before leaning in and kissing her forehead. "And there are some genuinely happy moments. For example, the Black Prince—"
"Don't spoil it!" In spite of her tear-stricken expression, Ruby did not want to hear things that had yet to happen in the book. The tale her mother told was sad, but as it was nowhere close to the end, she knew there had to be more to it than that. "What happened next? What happened next?!"
"Sorry, Ruby, but I'm afraid that's all your getting for now. Maybe if you're a good girl, you can hear more of it, okay?"
"Okaaay…" Ruby pouted, but was nonetheless excited, eagerly shifting under her sheets.
Summer smiled at her youngest child before noticing the frown on her son's face. "Rouge? What's wrong? Did you not like the story?"
Rouge blinked, pulled from his thoughts. He shook his head. "It's not that, it's just… I feel like I've heard that story before, but I don't know…"
"Really? I swear this is the first I've read it to you all." Summer pursed her lips. "Tai didn't read this to you when I wasn't home, did he?" The three children shook their heads. "Perhaps you read it in class?"
"Maybe…" Rouge did not seem wholly convinced.
Summer leaned in and wrapped her arms around her son, gently kissing his forehead as she had with Yang. "Come now, my little prince. Time for bed. You have a big day tomorrow."
The kids dove under their sheets and watched as their mother smiled at them all lovingly, turning off the lights and leaving the room.
Several years later…
The sun hung brightly in the sky, white streaks of clouds sitting over the horizon. The isle of Patch was in the last throes of summer, and the winds bearing middling warmth. Today was a day of departure for many, as bright youths left for the airports to the academies of their dreams. Some left for civilian schools, while others who dreamed of being warriors left for places of renown like Beacon Academy. Although there were many leaving for Beacon, being the closest Huntsman Academy, there was one who sought broader horizons.
"I still think you suck," 15-year-old Ruby Rose pouted, folding her arms and giving her older brother the stink-eye. "Why can't you come to Beacon with us?"
Rouge Rouse, now 16, had grown quite a bit since childhood. Although not as tall as their eldest sister, he was slightly taller than Ruby. His raven-black hair was chin-length, the bangs partially obscuring his left eye. His right eye was the same color as Ruby's: bright silver, the color of steel. He wore a black v-neck shirt under a dark gray hoodie with two purple lines running down the sides of the sleeves. The hem of the jacket came down to his ribs and the sleeves were shorter than most. Complimenting his jacket were gray baggy jeans held secure by a leather belt, the buckle bearing the same emblem as Ruby. Over his feet were black sneakers with red soles, purple strips running along the back of the heels.
Rouge sighed and raked his hand through his dark locks. "I already told you why I planned on going to Haven, Ruby," he chided his sister. "Uncle Qrow got me a letter of recommendation, and it's in another kingdom. We've known Vale all our lives, so there are plenty of things I'll get to experience over on Anima. Besides, it isn't like we won't see each other again. I can always call you on my scroll."
"That's not the point, oh darling brother of mine!" Ruby folded her arms. "Yang's going to Beacon, I'm going to Beacon, you could go to Beacon! If all three of us go, we'd all be together."
"Maybe, but I doubt we'd be on the same team." Seeing his sister's pout, Rouge ruffled her hair. "Just because I won't be at Beacon doesn't mean it's the end of the world, you know."
Ruby squawked indignantly, prying his hand off her hair. She hated when he did this, treating her like a kid. It was exactly why he did it, to get a rise out of her. He would not be able to treat her like a kid forever, not with the lifestyle they wanted.
Qrow made it clear to him early in life what to expect from a Huntsman out in the field and what to expect.
"I still think you should come with…" Ruby pouted a while longer before sighing. She then smiled and hugged him, which he reciprocated. "Just make sure to call me and Yang lots, okay? I want to hear all about Haven and your new friends!"
Rouge chuckled. "Bold of you to assume I'll make friends."
"Hey! Ruby! Bulkhead's here, come on!"
"Coming, Yang!" Ruby shouted back, giving her brother one more hug before running to join Yang. The blonde grinned and waved back at him as they departed into the Bulkhead.
Rouge watched the aircraft close its door and lift off the pad, rising into the air and flying away into the distance. It would be another ten minutes before the Bulkhead for Haven Academy arrived. When it touched down, he grabbed his duffel bag and stepped inside. A few minutes later, when all passengers were on board, the air craft left Patch and ascended. He looked out the window, watching as his home slowly faded from the horizon. Clouds soon engulfed his view.
He sighed and reclined into his seat. As excited as he was about going to Haven, part of him felt apprehensive. Mistral was not like Vale. It was a melting pot of all sorts of cultures, and Faunus discrimination was more common. That was not going into the criminal activities happening in the country's underbelly. There were all sorts of gangs and syndicates operating in the kingdom, but only one group had him concerned.
The odds of getting involved with them were low, but there was no telling what the future held for him. All he could do was wait and see how things planned out. At the very least, he did not want to make an enemy out of the group if he could help it.
Waiting patiently for the air craft to arrive at their destination, Rouge opened his duffel bag and dug through it, searching for something to pass the time. He pulled out a book and closed the duffel bag, turning the book over to the first page. Before he could start reading, though, his scroll started to buzz.
"Oh, for…" Irritated, Rouge pulled out his scroll. Upon reading the ID, his irritation faded somewhat. It was a message from Edan.
"Things have gotten complicated over here," it read. "Something's got Junior in a fit. Torchwick involved. Going to check things out."
Rouge frowned and re-read the message again just to be certain. He typed a message back to Edan, then closed his scroll.
"This spot taken?"
The teen looked up. In front of him, pointing to the empty seat next to him, was a girl wearing a lopsided beanie covering her left eye and a red-and-white jacket.
"No one's sitting in it, so I assume so," Rouge said. "Knock yourself out." The girl nodded her head and plopped down on the seat with a relieved sigh. "Long trip I take it?"
"Left from Vacuo, couldn't get a seat until now. My dogs are barking at me," the girl said and turned to Rouge, offering a hand in greeting. "May."
Rouge smiled and accepted the hand. "Rouge. Nice to meet you."
The ride to Haven was dull, for lack of a better word. There were not many familiar faces from Patch, due to most wanting to attend Beacon Academy since it was closest, and the ones he did recognize already formed their own social circles. Aside from their initial greeting, May seemed to forget he existed and focused more on her scroll listening to music. She was off in her own little world, barely paying attention to anyone. Not that he blamed her, given how chatty everyone around them was.
Rouge indulged in people watching, scanning the crowd for anyone interesting or worth nothing. In his early teenage years, he and Yang often played a game of guessing who did what and where they were from based on their clothes and figure. More often than not he won, noticing the littlest of details.
Right off the bat, he noticed that most of the passengers on board were from Vacuo based on their clothes and skin tone. Living in harsh conditions and deserts all around you tend to give people a darker complexion or impressive tans, and their choice of clothing leaned more towards function than fashion. Some sported impressive scars, and the feeling they gave off was one of awareness and anxiety. One or two went for their weapons, only to stop themselves.
I guess Qrow wasn't kidding when he said people in Vacuo were hardy people, Rouge thought to himself.
Six people caught his eye by the time he was done surveying the crowd.
In the far back of the Bulkhead, leaning against the railing on his forearms and watching the scenery go by was a Faunus, evident by the gold monkey tail swishing about his backside. His shirt was open, exposing his muscular physique for all to see, red bracers over black fingerless gloves, and blue cargo pants held up by a white belt. He was conversing with a girl his age with olive skin and platinum blonde hair, wearing a yellow robe with one sleeve adorned on her arm and revealing a black tube tank-top underneath.
On the other side, closer to him and May, there was a teen with raspberry-red hair and purple eyes wearing a dark bluish-gray jacket with a circular plate on the back, his fingers tapping and pressing down against his scroll, most likely engrossed in a game of some kind. Next to him was a tall youth with spiky blonde hair. His eyes were slanted, gold with narrow pupils. His outfit leaned more towards functionality, wearing a sleeveless black bodysuit with a white breastplate over his chest and bracers over his wrists.
Across from the two was a female pair that could not be anymore different. One girl was chatting animatedly with another who looked bored out of her mind. The first had turquoise eyes and teal-green hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a gray and cyan jacket over a white blouse with a black skirt and patterned stockings. The second girl had matching purple eyes and hair, styled in a bob-cut, clad in a purple-and-black sweater that went down to her thighs and a thick white scarf wrapped neatly around her neck. A large white hat sat atop her head, curved and pointed like a traditional witch's hat.
Others in the crowd caught his eye, but they were the ones that stood out to him the most. He liked to believe he had a good eye for people, or at least those with a good grasp for combat. The spiky blonde looked ready to fight at a moment's notice, the girl in the yellow robe kept glancing around as if wary of her surroundings, and the girl in the white hat had a firm hand on her weapon.
Rouge ceased in his pastime and closed his book, bookmarking the page. They were probably close to Haven Academy by now, so it was best for him to have all his things in order before they disembarked. While he double-checked to see if he had everything, the holo-screen displayed on one of the windows changed to a news report.
"In other news, tensions in the frontiers of Anima continue to rise along with criticisms against the Council and the Huntsman as yet another settlement falls to the Grimm threat." Next to the news anchor was a dreadful, but familiar sight. Buildings were in disarray, walls torn apart and doors shattered to pieces with trails and splotches of blood painting the dusty streets of the settlement. "This marks the third frontier settlement in Anima to be overrun by Grimm, though investigations reveal more gruesome details as police officials state this may yet be another Branwen Tribe attack. In spite of the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral's best efforts, the bandit clan and its elusive leader, Raven Branwen, continue to evade law enforcement. As more and more settlements come under attack from both the criminal element and the Grimm, discontent with the Council continues to skyrocket, with some calling for the resignation of the entire party."
Rouge scoffed. Typical politicians, making false promises facing anger when their lies unravel.
Then again, he knew incompetence was not the only factor that led them to this situation. There were several syndicates in the capitol that infiltrated the council, feeding information back to their bosses and manipulating data for their own ends. The Branwen Tribe was not like any bandit clan either; they were smart, deadly, and ever since his aunt took over, they knew better than to stay in one place for too long. They constantly moved from one place to another, sometimes within the span of a week depending on their targets. That was to say nothing of the obvious corruption within the Mistralian government, either.
This was also another reason why Rouge wanted to attend Haven rather than Beacon. He was well-versed in the shadowy underbelly of Vale, knowing the names of every major player and crime family operating in the kingdom. Mistral was another beast entirely; if you knew which shadow to look for, there was someone waiting to offer a shady service, be it murder or information.
The most well-known and elusive criminal organization in the Kingdom of Mistral were the Spiders, who had their fingers dipped in every pie. Government, black market, public institutions, and everything in between. Rouge was willing to bet they even had eyes and ears inside Haven Academy too.
The news continued. "—a surprising development in our ongoing coverage of the mysterious Black Fang Organization. Earlier this week, a Faunus protest rally went horribly wrong when the White Fang disrupted the event, only to subsequently be subdued by unknown individuals clad in black and wearing dark masks. By the time police arrived, the White Fang members were bound and the black-clad interlopers were long gone. Information on the Black Fang is still scarce, but the group continues to make waves as—"
The news feed cut off abruptly, replaced by a man with shoulder-length red hair and a thick beard, a red cape draped over his shoulders. He was a Faunus, as evident by the furry rounded ears atop his head.
"Welcome, one and all!" the man declared boisterously. "Welcome to Haven Academy! I am Felix Nemean, Professor at this prestigious school. Some of you may come here in pursuit of glory, others for protecting your fellow man from the threat of the Grimm. Regardless of your reasons, those of us here at this school endeavor to ensure you receive all the necessary training and knowledge needed to fulfill your goals."
The people around him clamored excitedly, eating up the professor's words. Their excitement only grew when the Bulkhead made a steep descent, passing through another layer of clouds before the academy came into view. It sat over a mountain hilltop, accessed only via air traffic and an elevator leading down into the city below. Lush forests surrounded it from all sides, especially near the back. The CCT Tower stood proudly in the background, looming over the academy like a beacon.
"So, that's Haven…" At some point, May looked away from her scroll and looked out the window along with the others. "It's not as impressive as Beacon looked in the brochures."
"It's still better looking than Shade or Atlas," Rouge commented.
The girl giggled. "I actually considered going to Shade, to be honest."
"Oh yeah? What made you change your mind?"
"Change of scenery, mostly. Staring at sand dunes and watching street brawls happen for the stupidest of reasons gets old after a while, you know?"
The Bulkhead parked on the helipad, cutting its engines and lowering the ramp. Bright and starry-eyed kids from all over Remnant stepped out, some stopping to take in the sights while the others immediately went to explore. There was some time before the opening ceremony, giving everyone ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with the campus.
Of course, just because they had the opportunity did not mean they would get to stay. Rouge knew that a fair amount of the people around him would go back home in defeat, unable to make the cut. Initiation would test them and see who was Huntsman material and who was not. Any extras were likely to transfer to the other academies if any had a vacancy.
Rouge stepped off the ramp, carrying his duffel bag on his shoulder. He stared straight ahead, looking for where the auditorium was located. It's a lot bigger up close, he thought to himself as he pulled out the brochure. Let's see, the amphitheater should be on the eastern side of the campus, in the largest building. That should be easy to find.
He slid his brochure into his pocket and made his way to the building, only to stop when heard a battle cry and a body flying past him.
"What the…"
He stared at the motionless heap on the ground in befuddlement before turning around, finding the spiky-blonde Faunus from earlier facing down a group with a toothy smile on his face.
"Why you son of a…!" one of the thugs accosting the blonde hissed. "You're gonna pay for that, you filthy animal!"
The blonde cracked his knuckles and neck. "Are you going to yap, or are you going to put up your dukes?"
We only just got here, and people are trying to start a fight…? Rouge sighed in exasperation while debating his options. He could step in and intervene, defuse the situation if possible, or watch things play out. If the look on the blonde's face was any indication, he was clearly looking for a fight. If he got in the way, odds were he would not take too kindly to a stranger getting involved.
Thankfully, Rouge did not have to intervene at all.
"What the flying hell is going over here?! None of you brats are students yet, and you're already starting shit?!"
A woman with blue hair and eyes stomped towards the group of troublemakers with an apoplectic look that sent onlookers fleeing. She was one of the rare Faunus whose traits were most peculiar, having bipedal serval legs with three toes and claws rather than humanoid ones. Given that she looked several years older than the teenagers she was confronting, odds were likely she was a teacher.
"He started it!" one of the thugs pointed at the blonde Faunus.
This did not deter the woman in the least. "I could give a rat's ass who started it! Save this crap for Initiation and get your ass to the amphitheater!" None of them moved at first, choosing to instead glare at the target of their ire one more time before leaving. They must have been moving too slow for her liking, as the woman roared. "NOW YOU LITTLE SHITS!"
The thugs quickly made themselves scarce. The blonde Faunus seemed disappointed he did not get a chance to fight and walked away. The woman watched both groups leave with a critical look in her eye before she groaned and dragged a hand down her face. "Why did I agree to teach here…?"
Rouge wisely made the choice to leave before she caught him and chewed him out for one reason or another. Living with Yang gave him plenty of experience in dealing with irritated members of the opposite sex.
Sun Wukong found Haven's campus, and Mistral's general geography, a welcome change of pace compared to Vacuo. No sandy winds threatening to get in your clothes, no disgustingly dry heat; just gentle breezes and lush green woodland surrounding the place. The architecture was not bad either, often reminding him of the training dojo he used to visit while attending Combat School. It was perfect. Well, almost perfect. He could deal without the occasional glares thrown his way.
"So," Sun began. "What do you think? Everything you dreamed it was going to be?"
His friend nodded in agreement, though Sun had an inkling feeling that he was paying less attention to the architecture and more to the girls passing them by. One of those girls happened to catch his gaze, smile, and wave, which in turn made him smile and wave back with a wink.
"Really, dude?"
"Come on, Sun, let me have this," Neptune said. "I might not have another chance to do this depending on how things go tomorrow!"
The monkey Faunus rolled his eyes. "We'll be fine! I mean, really, what's the worst that could happen?"
"And that right there is why I know we'll fail. You never, ever say those words to the universe. Do you know why Sun? Because the universe is always listening. So, because you said the forbidden words, I know for a fact we are screwed."
Sun and Neptune stared at one another, the former deadpan and the other serious before they broke down laughing.
With how they acted, a passive observer might think that the two had been friends since childhood, though in truth, they became friends when Sun moved to Haven shortly after he started his fourth year. Sun's transfer to the Combat School in Argus, Neptune's hometown, was pure luck, much less placed in the same class as him. The two hit it off when Neptune attempted to rope Sun into being his wingman, which backfired on the former on account of the girl he was crushing on being more interested in Sun's abs than Neptune himself.
Sun was not entirely sure how that happened, given how much care Neptune put into his day-to-day appearance. Blue hair carefully stylized, clothes matching the current popular trends, and being a geek on top of that. The only thing out of place was his goggles, though Sun never asked him about it.
When the day finally came for them to embark on their journey to become Huntsmen-in-training at Haven Academy, they did so with zeal. Neptune was cautiously optimistic about their future, as not everyone made the cut, but Sun was confident they had a chance. They were not jack of all trades or top of their class by any means, but they had the skills to prove they belonged here.
Sun swore, no matter what, they were going to become students here.
This was not the first time Arslan Altan came to Haven Academy.
She was only ten back then, accompanying her older brother Attila when he decided to enroll. The school seemed so much bigger back then, imposing almost. She laughed as she remembered how tightly she clung to her brother's pants leg; afraid the school would devour her. Attila laughed and ruffled her hair, scooping her up in his arms. His warm smile helped to calm her, as had exploring the school in full.
Coming back to Haven after seven years, not as a girl accompanying her brother but as a future student, felt strange, but welcome. The school expanded since she last came here, improved facilities and new buildings, which made her feel excited.
There would be plenty of time to explore later. For now, Arslan focused on the task at hand. Four years of training at Combat School prepared her for this day, and she was not going to waste it.
She ignored the others in favor of heading towards the amphitheatre where the Headmaster would be greeting the new arrivals. As she did, she happened to overhear a conversation happening behind her.
"So, what do you think life will be like here?"
"Assuming we make it past Initiation? Who knows? Can't be any worse than Sanctum."
Arslan glanced over her shoulder. Behind her were a raspberry-red haired boy and a girl wearing a white scarf around her neck.
The red-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that? I mean, sure, we had some problems in Sanctum, but nothing too bad I don't think."
"We had to deal with a racist teacher who couldn't decide if he wanted to teach us how to fight or if he wanted us to be assholes like him," the girl with the scarf snorted. "And even when he did teach us how to fight, he sucked at it."
"He was," the boy nodded in agreement. "Didn't he keep picking Nikos to fight or give demonstrations?"
"He did. What does it say about his incompetence if the Class Valedictorian does a better job at teaching than him?"
Arslan recognized the name easily just based on conversation.
Pyrrha Nikos, winner of the Mistral Regional Championship for years in a row and the kingdom's most recent celebrity. A rising star and warrior, the number of defeats she suffered could be counted on one hand. Arslan knew her very well, and not just from videos and ads for Pumpkin Pete, either. Two years ago, the "Invincible Girl" defeated Attila. It was the most nail-biting fight she ever saw and engraved it into her mind. Attila lost, but he took his defeat in stride.
"I made her work for it, and that is enough," he told her.
Arslan knew she should have felt bitter and angry on her brother's behalf, but the memory of the battle, of the way Pyrrha and her brother smiled as they traded blows, transfixed her like no other. It was like watching a dance, a ballad of violence and steel with one partner trying to assume dominance over the other. The crowd roared in excitement, unable to tell who would win, but neither of them cared. At that moment, they focused only on themselves, who would win the battle.
When she left Combat School behind her, Arslan hoped to have the chance to battle Pyrrha Nikos herself. Unfortunately, the superstar announced she would be attending Beacon Academy as her Huntsman school of choice. She was disappointed, but Arslan knew it was not a missed opportunity. The Vytal Festival was this year, a grander event than the Regional Championships. There was no better venue for a chance to fight her.
Arslan smiled to herself and continued walking forward, eager to begin Initiation.
On the one hand, I feel bad for not getting this out to you guys sooner.
On the other hand, I am so glad I waited. RWBY: Roman Holiday finally came out, and holy shit am I enjoying the fuck out of it, especially since it gives me a whole lot of stuff to work with regarding Lil' Miss Malachite and Roman later down the line.
At any rate, welcome to the rewrite of RWBY: Black Rebellion. This story is being written on both Fanfictiondotnet and on Sufficient Velocity. As a quick word of warning, I will be updating stuff VERY infrequently due to the fact that I am attempting to do things by a schedule, which is not helped by me doing college classes and stuff.
In short, I'm writing this bitch out in full, but you guys are getting a chapter by a week by week basis, but only up to the events of Volume 1 as that is all I have written up to in the drafts. After that, I will shift focus to another story.
On a side note, as some of you eagle-eyed readers may have noticed, I am including Mark Zhang's Team SLVR into the story. If I remember right, he said fans were allowed to use them in any fan content, but I could be wrong. I don't specifically remember WHERE or WHEN he said that, and if I am wrong, feel free to correct me and I will remove them from the story.
…honestly, I really hope I don't. Coming up with Rouge's team name was a fucking bitch and I have the freaking story drafts ready and everything!
(For those who have no idea who Team SLVR is… Just go on YouTube and type it in the search engine. Seriously, do it. Five trailers done in classic RWBY style. While I doubt we'll see Mark Zhang work on actual RWBY stuff since he's mainly an animator over on ScrewAttack, I hold onto the hope I get to see some amazing shit from him.)
Speaking of including unexpected characters, Felix Nemean and Arrastra Skye are not an OC characters and in fact a canon characters. Specifically, they appear in RWBY: The Grimm Campaign, which is set two years before Ruby happens to run into Roman. They are part of an active Huntsman Team during TGC, but for the sake of the story, I have them listed as teachers along with the rest of their team at Haven Academy since the only faculty member at Haven we know of at present is Leonardo.
I hope you guys enjoy this!