Author's notes:

Hello. Next chapter. A small timeskip this time, but there shouldn't be another one for a few more chapters down the road.

ArguableReader:

I hope the previous chapter has given a pretty good hint as to the mentality of the MC regarding participating or not in the war against Salem. I pretty much sum up his thoughts in chapter 2 as to why he's decided on what he's gonna do.

I currently have two ideas on what could happen when the Beacon Arc commences, although one does involve OCs that I do have in the backwing in case. Right now though, I'm leaning on my other idea, which should be fairly interesting as very few other stories seem to have done it. And logically it would make sense, at least to me, so that's what I'll probably do despite a good amount of setup being needed to make it possible.

And no, having one extra guy on a team of four just doesn't make sense and Ozpin would realistically never do it.

As for the color naming rule, Remnant is kind of fickle about it. James Ironwood's first name definitely isn't a color after all. But all the names of characters that I do end up writing should theoretically have at least a little bit of a color to it, if that makes sense. Like how Spruce Willis makes you think of a tree, or something.

If you do leave a review in the future, however, please shorten it. Having one that's an entire page's length long is a bit too much.

Magi Mari:

I currently have a semblance in mind, but I'm going back and forth with what I really want it to be. I definitely want it to be unique, but while it should be strong it should also be completely plausible and only seemingly weak. An ability one would at first glance underestimate, but ultimately fear depending on the individual that wields it. That's the kind of power I'm trying to think of for the future of this fic.

Let the next chapter begin!

Patch
December 31
Year: -1

My name is Lucian Alabaster. Due to the upcoming New Year, I've decided to take a week-long vacation. I've been working at the dust shop for nearly two months now (7 days a week, mind you), so the Shopkeep graciously allowed me a week off WITH pay. Man I love that guy.

I'm currently on an airship heading to the Island of Patch. It shouldn't be too long, about 30 minutes to an hour at most, and the cost of travel between Patch and Vale is surprisingly small; it's likely due to the efficiency of dust compared to oil or coal back on Earth. While also a limited resource, dust is just far more efficient with seemingly little to no waste product whatsoever. I guess in a way it is crystallized magic of some sort, but I truly do wonder what the origin of this mysterious power source is…

New Years on Remnant is pretty similar to New Years in the United States. It's possibly due in part to the show being American made, so it makes sense. Everyone here speaks English after all. Or should I call it Remnantian now…? There used to be other languages in the past, and they still do exist, but after the Great War nearly 80 years ago the four kingdoms apparently unanimously agreed upon making Valean the primary world language. This is likely due in part to Vale's original king, Ozymandias, refusing to become the leader of all four kingdoms. After restructuring the governments and redistributing the territories, the decision was finally made to, at the very least, make Valean the unifying language of the world in his honor.

And yes, that man once called the Warrior King was definitely one of Ozma's reincarnations.

Anyway, the reason for my visit to Patch isn't just to laze around and throw my time away. In a sense, this trip could end up becoming the turning point in my life going forward. For one, I mostly just wanted to see the island that Ruby and Yang grew up on. It basically screams 'Tutorial Mode', so if there's anywhere I could start learning how to fight the Grimm at least somewhat safely, it's here.

Secondly, I wanted to meet Ruby and Yang. It's only a year from now until the two get into Beacon, so I need to do everything I can to introduce myself before things start to get hectic. After all, if I am going through with attending Beacon as a huntsman, having these two sisters as friends would make the transition a whole lot easier. Perhaps they'll even be willing to help me train so that I can actually get in through legitimate means… I really don't want to resort to Jaune's tactic of all things.

The problem with this is getting to know them naturally while not coming off as a creep. Though, considering how harmless I look, I probably don't seem all that intimidating anyway. I'm only 5'2"…

Shut up.

I still have a chance for a growth spurt.

Still, my training seems to be going quite well. Although I didn't gain too much bulk, I've become leaner, more toned and defined, and my endurance is at an all-time high due to my constant running and rigorous early morning workout routine. Heck, in just two months alone I feel even better than my college prime. Of course, the looming threat of Grimm probably acts as a pretty good motivator in getting fit, but still!

Stepping off the airship, I'm greeted with a delightful whiff of the salty ocean breeze and the frigid winter air. I look around to see a quaint ol' port town. Further in, the town slowly transitions into a more suburban cityscape, while past that is the Cliffside Forest. Due to the time of year, everything is covered in a layer of snow. Good thing I bought myself a thick trenchcoat earlier this month. Without aura, I can literally freeze like a popsicle within minutes.

Just then, I notice that kids can be seen walking around with their parents or building snowmen on the sidewalks.

"School must be out for all of Vale due to the holidays," I mutter.

From Christma- I mean, from Nondescript Winter Holiday to New Year's Day, school is out for all of Vale in order to enjoy the festive occasion. Of course, for Beacon students it may be different due to their focus on training huntsmen and huntresses, but for the rest of the populace this is a time to spend with the people you love.

…I-I'm not crying, I swear.

Wiping the stubborn tears out of my eyes, I aimlessly walk around with a forced smile, just taking in the scenery.

…

Of course, after about an hour of walking around, I got bored.

"This is kinda… bland."

I don't have family to buy presents for, nor do I have anyone to spend time with. Not a single friend. The only person I technically interact with is the shopkeep, if you exclude all the random customers that drop by at the store. Heck, I think I even saw Coco walk in once, but I was so frozen in place at the sight of her that by the time I came too, she was already walking out with the Shopkeep happily waving goodbye.

…Ahem, no- I'm not an idiot.

I hope.

…Hah. In the end, the only thing I feel when I see all of this happiness and joy everyone is exuding is… loneliness. Is this how Weiss feels on the daily, I wonder? Hmm. It's probably worse. Maybe.

"Guess I'll go home the-"

Turning around, I noticed a weapons shop with the sign 'On Sale Now! 25% Discount off all items for the Holidays!' just across the street. That reminds me, if I wanted to be a huntsman, I needed a weapon, didn't I? While I don't currently have enough to custom-make one (I don't even know what kind of weapon I'd be able to use right now), I should still have a bit of Lien on hand to buy a few temporary ones just so that I have some kind of self-defense, right? I looked at the name of the shop. Forgeman's.

Ding.

The bell chimed as I entered the store. A middle-aged brown-skinned gentleman greeted me from behind the counter with a smile and wave. He was bald, built like a rock, and for some reason looked vaguely familiar to me. I assumed this man was Forgeman, the owner of the shop. Judging by the calluses on his hands, there's no doubt in my mind that this guy has forged many a-weapon in his life. In any case, I waved to him politely and found myself looking around at all the weapons lined up on the walls.

Hmm. Very few of these are mechshift weapons. I guess those are reserved primarily for huntsmen and huntresses, huh?

Back on Earth, the only true sword training I've ever had was swinging balloon or plastic swords around with friends, or occasionally picking up sticks off the ground while pretending to fight hordes of demons or something.

…Don't judge. I bet you did the same thing.

Picking up one of the steel swords, I was slightly surprised by its weight.

Pretty heavy, yet just light enough not to impede my movements… I guess.

A sword is the most basic tool for fighting there is, and this one seems to be of Valean craftsmanship (No, I didn't look at the product description. You're imagining things). I've always preferred swords over guns, but the reason for that is kind of petty. I just don't like limited supply items, or in this case, ammo.

…

Okay, while I don't exactly like tools that require limited supplies to use, in a world like this I guess it is a requirement that I'll have to live with to survive.

Checking out the guns section, I briefly looked them all over before settling on the cheapest one - a gun resembling a Cobra CA380. (Author: Hm? No, I didn't look up "cheapest pistol" online. You're imagining things)

The gun takes 5 rounds per cartridge, and while it isn't a lot, it's still perfect for use in case of emergency as long as one doesn't venture too far out into the wilderness.

Unlike Earth, guns here in Remnant aren't as expensive due to the supply and demand for them, along with the fact that Grimm are a constant threat no matter how safe a city supposedly is. Also, instead of gun powder, all propellants use a form of refined dust powder. Higher grade propellants use better refined dust, but the cost jumps accordingly as well. Still, the refined dust lasts a surprisingly long time from what I've read. Just a small dash of it could last months at a time, far better than any propellant from Earth. I decided to go for the middle ground price on everything, as buying too cheaply could spell the end for me if something malfunctioned in the wild, and going too expensive would kill my wallet regardless of the discount the store was providing.

I finally settled on the pistol and the steel sword, along with 10 cartridges for the gun. This would serve as a perfect temporary self-defense until the day I could one day afford a true huntsman's weapon.

Just as I was about to turn and leave the store, the bell chimed.

"Hey Mr. Forgeman!"

My eyes widened. That voice. There's no mistaking it. Turning around, I came face to face with a bright red hood wrapped around a pale-skinned girl with brilliant silver eyes. A pair of headphones rested gently around her neck.

Oh shitake mushrooms.

That's freaking Ruby Rose.

Why the hell is my heart beating so damn loud. No, it's not out of attraction to the girl in front of me, but more due to the fact that THE main character is literally standing right here, in the flesh, with a bright goofy smile on her face. If I didn't believe I was in the world of RWBY before, I definitely do now!

"Ah, Ruby! How many times do I have to tell you, call me George!" Replied the owner.

The fact that I can actually see her, alive, a living and breathing human person, is just way too surreal. Do I talk to her? Wouldn't that be creepy? That mobster guy did it in the original show… he was launched out a window. Crap, and they say she's the socially awkward one! I think I'm actually sweati- Huh? Wait, did he say George? And his last name is Forgeman?

…Oh my god. It's George Foreman.

The number of emotions I was currently feeling right now was dangerously close to dropping me to my knees.

Breathe. I need to breathe.

After snapping out of my daze, I quickly tiptoed around one of the large shelves in the store as inconspicuously as possible. Looking around, I spotted Ruby chatting up a storm with George freaking Fore- no, Forgeman. I knew RWBY had a lot of cameos and Easter Egg characters and stuff, what with Spruce Willis and all, but come on!

I'm getting sidetracked.

I began contemplating deeply to myself. I wanted to go up and talk to her, but I'm hesitant. What do I even talk to her about, and what if interacting with her could change the timeline too much going forward? Butterfly effect and all that. Such a thing was almost guaranteed! Am I overthinking things?

One thing I knew for sure is that Ruby and Yang would undoubtedly join Beacon sooner or later. The one thing I didn't want to happen is Ruby not getting in because Oz didn't get a chance to invite her. Talking to her now may affect this chance. If she doesn't get in early, Team RWBY won't be formed and things will just get screwed to all hell further down the line.

At the same time, by making friends with her I'll be able to possibly invite her to From Dust Till Dawn every once in a while, increasing the chances that she'll come during Torchwick's robbery despite what other changes my presence could inflict on the timeline. If she doesn't come… hmm, well, I could always recommend her to Oz myself. But, in order to do that I'd first have to get into contact with the man, and that would be a tightrope walk in-and-of itself.

I guess no matter which decision I make, there's undoubtedly an uphill battle ahead-

"Um, hello? You've been staring at me for a while now. You okay?" Silver eyes met mine, the girl's head tilting slightly in confusion.

Ah. There goes my choice, blowing in the wind.

My heart rate has suddenly increased to dangerous proportions.

Was I staring at Ruby the entire time I was mentally conversing with myself?

"A-A-Ah, sorry, I was just deep in thought for a moment," I sputtered out.

I blinked.

She blinked.

We both blinked.

Think, think, think! How in the hell do I talk to her so this doesn't end up as messy as Ironwood's character development?!

"Um, oh, uh, cool, weapon, you've got there…?" I said with a twitching smile.

I'm doomed.

…Is what I would have thought, if this weren't Ruby Rose we're talking about. Stars burst from the young girl's eyes.

"Oh! You mean Crescent Rose? Yeah, I just built this baby a month ago! I actually came by the shop so that I could use the forge out back to make a few adjustments. Although I'm still getting used to its weight, she works like a charm slaying Grimm left and right! Trying to be a huntress and all, you know? I tend to practice with it near the Cliffside whenever I have the time. Actually, I was just about to go test it out again after I've finished calibrating the barrel of the sniper form- Ah, that's right, I forgot to mention, Crescent Rose is a scythe that also transforms into a sniper rifle! Pretty cool, yeah?"

…I have no words. By some miracle I was able to keep up with what she was saying up to now, but by this point it was just starting to devolve into a mess of unintelligible jargon.

"-was able to get a few good shots in here and there, but as I was saying the calibration could use a bit of tweaking for better accuracy-and I've begun rambling on again, haven't I? Haah, Yang warned me to pay better attention to that…"

I began rubbing the back of my head, slightly confused as to what exactly Ruby was going on about. Hearing it from a screen is pretty comedic, but having to listen to her ramblings in person really does drain the mental stamina out of you, doesn't it? Ruby bows her head apologetically.

"Sorry, I kinda just got lost in the moment. I just reaaally love weapons is all!"

"Not a problem. Actually, the reason I'm even here was to buy some temporary weapons for self-defense; at least, before I can finally order a weapon of my own one day."

"Really?! Wait, are you a hunter-in-training, like me?!"

"Uh, more like aspiring to be. I never really got the chance to unlock my aura or anything, and I've never been able to afford going to a place like Signal before," I sighed.

"Oh, well that's too bad… I guess I never really had an issue with things like that before. I've always had my dad and uncle Qrow to help me train, and they were even able to pay for my tuition to Signal too... If I didn't have any of that, well, I don't know what I'd do…"

"It's alright, really. Despite not having an aura, I've been doing a bit of training of my own, you know? I've just been doing the best I can with what I've got."

Ruby squirms back and forth a little bit, avoiding eye contact, before asking, "Um, what about your parents? Are they unable to pay for your tuition fee? Or maybe they don't want you being a huntsman? …Oh! Um, sorry if it's too personal a question, maybe I shouldn't have asked-"

"Haha, don't worry about that," I responded with a chuckle.

Although it pains me that I'll have to use a bit of manipulation and a half-truth here, it unfortunately has to be done. I need to take any chance I can get if it means becoming friends with her, and she just gave me the perfect opportunity to do so.

I looked down, somewhat melancholic. "I… um, they couldn't exactly pay for me to go anywhere. They aren't exactly, um, here anymore, if you know what I mean," I told the little reaper.

Perfect. By leaving such a vague answer for her to process, it basically all comes down to her own interpretation as to what I really mean. Which means nobody could ever blame me if she thinks I meant that my family is dead, when in reality it was I who truly died.

Her eyes widened with realization, but before she could utter an ounce of an apology, I stopped her with a raised hand.

"Stop. There's no need to apologize, I was the one that decided to tell you. It's just… not really a comfortable topic for me to delve too deep into, is all." And now to cut off any chance of her trying to dig further. Knowing Ruby, she'd probably feel far too guilty to ever ask for more than what I've told her. Of course, unless I decide to tell her more myself one day.

Ruby just nodded slowly, head drooping slightly, after a bit of hesitation. "Yeah, I get that… My mom died a long time ago too. While I don't remember her all that much as I was only 3 at the time, I can still kinda remember the stories she used to tell me of her adventures before bed."

Ruby looked up at me with a slightly strained smile. "That's why I decided to follow her example and become a huntress, to protect the people just like she used to do!"

I couldn't help but smile warmly at the young girl's determination. She definitely has that main character vibe, that's for sure.

"That's a great dream to have. I'm also aiming to become someone capable of helping others," I told the reaper. Of course, that was merely a fraction of the true reason, but she didn't need to know the full truth… at least not for a long while. If there were anyone I would ever trust knowing my origins and secrets, it would be this girl.

…And maybe Weiss, when she becomes less… Weiss-y.

Yang and Blake, on the other hand… although I like their characters a lot, they are admittedly the most prone to judging others without knowing the full context. Weiss got better with that overtime, but Yang and Blake have always fallen victim to assuming things or taking things the wrong way far too easily, and I really wasn't interested in that kind of drama. Of course, if I do tell Ruby and she tells them… Well, I really shouldn't dwell on thoughts that won't happen for a long while.

Ruby was a very trusting person, and I had a feeling she'd be my most loyal friend on Remnant in due time. It would actually surprise me greatly if she ever did willingly tell her team about my secrets. …She will need to work on being a little less trusting in the future, though. But, for the moment, I guess it does work to my advantage I guess.

…Huh. In a way I really am taking advantage of her kindness, aren't I? Yeah, she really needs to work on her naivety. She literally just met me after all.

Ruby's eyes seemed to sparkle at my mention of wanting to help others. I will admit, when I watched the show back on Earth, Ruby was a character I actually resonated pretty well with. 'If I ever had powers like hers, I'd likely do everything I could to help others too,' I thought.

The difference is that over the years that passed, I eventually grew older. While in the show only two years had gone by from volume 1 to volume 8, for me it was an entire decade. I was younger than her at first, but of course I eventually became much older. I died just as I was about to graduate college, after all.

Thus meaning, while my core beliefs remained the same, my maturity grew alongside them. Even though I didn't have the threat of Grimm to deal with, I still had to deal with life and everything else that came with it. While I still had my idealistic beliefs, I also knew they would remain just that. Ideals.

Ideals are great to have, but in a world consisting of only imperfection and imperfect people, such goals could never truly be attained. The best we could ever hope to do is strive to get as close to those ideals as we can, while also remaining realistic when it comes to our expectations of the results.

When I look into Ruby's eyes right now, however, they were just far too pure. It was a completely blind belief that everyone could be saved. She didn't have realistic expectations, and that's likely why she - along with her entire team - ended up so broken inside once Beacon fell.

"Uh, Hello? Mr.? You okay there?" Ruby asked while waving a hand in front of my face.

Oops, spaced out again. I did that a lot even back on Earth, didn't I…

"Sorry, I tend to get lost in my own thoughts a lot of the time," I said while scratching the back of my head in slight embarrassment.

"Haha, so you have my rambling problem, but rather than speaking out loud you do it inside your head?" She said as she giggled.

"Huh. I guess you're right."

That would make us two different kinds of socially awkward people then, wouldn't it? We both laughed.

"I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose," Ruby said while holding out her hand for a handshake.

"And I'm Lucian. Lucian Alabaster. Nice to meet you, Ms. Rose," I answered cheekily while shaking her outstretched hand.

Ruby laughed. "Ms. Rose? I'm only 14."

"Well, for someone who's only 14, you do seem pretty mature for your age," I gleefully responded.

"Ohh, shutyourstupidlittlefaceyou-fhdkkmdmdkrf," Ruby muttered with puffed cheeks, her hair twirling around her finger.

She punched my shoulder playfully, but unfortunately for me she underestimated just how strong an aura-infused punch actually was to a regular bystander such as myself. Holy hell! I nearly got launched into the freaking air! Aura seriously does wonders to a person's physique…

End Notes:

We unexpectedly found Ruby in a weapon's shop!
Well, I guess that's not all that unexpected after all. I hope you enjoyed the meeting between these two. I still think my character interactions could be better, but time will tell I guess.