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RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.
Chapter 1: And so we begin
The world of Remnant is a fascinating place. A place where legends are often more fact than fiction, people make a living fighting against demonic creatures, and no one doubts the existence of the paranormal. It is a world I watch with great interest. And it is not often that I am able to tell a story of my own from it. However, I have come to learn that, as with most intellectual pursuits, you really need a good foundation. Normally, I'd start at the beginning, but if I were to tell the history of Remnant from the day of its creation to the present time… we'd be here for a while. A few years, at least. And were I to start my story when the main characters become relevant, you'd have more than a few holes that won't be filled in. Instead, I'll start outside the story. We need to start with a basis, an understanding, of this world and certain aspects of it.
One of Remnant's most prominent aspects is aura and the study of the soul. A person's aura is the sum of their being, it is their soul given form. A manifestation of the intangible. It is… them, for lack of a better term. Their semblance, which is an aspect of that manifestation, is an ability that manifestation gives them. It is an extension of their self that they can use to protect humanity. Although not every semblance is combat or defense oriented. Some can be surprisingly mundane. I know a lady whose semblance grants her the ability to clean things with just a touch. 100% germ removal. Not exactly the most useful for combat…
Anyway, the most noteworthy of aura users are the Huntsmen and Huntresses. Men and Women who have committed their lives to combat to utilize their aura and semblance to protect the weaker civilians and ensure the continued existence of human and faunus kind. Paragons of good. Banes of the Grimm. They are the guardians of humans and faunus. They are also one of the primary sources for knowledge concerning aura.
The foremost Huntsmen and Huntresses, alongside researchers and anecdotal experience, have determined that there are two ways to unlock a person's aura. The first is Aid. The second is Adversity.
Aid is the most common. Partially because it is the easiest method for a prospective aura user to utilize. Partially because of the bond it creates. To Aid, a person who has unlocked their aura sends a pulse of their aura into someone with a locked aura. This pulse acts as a… uh… jumpstart to the soul. Opening the pathways for aura to flow through their being. Thus, allowing them to protect themselves and those around them. It has been shown that there is a minor side effect whenever this method is used. A bond is created between the two participants. After all, it is essentially a sharing of the soul. It doesn't always lead to romantic engagement, but it does always lead to some form of bond. To my knowledge, never has a relationship created by such a bond been broken. However, people who undergo Aid often have the weaker auras. Not always, but often. And usually only by comparison.
Adversity is the less common of the two. After all, the first aura user had to unlock it somehow, right? Adversity is more about fighting your inner demons and calling forth your soul to defend you. It can manifest through a multitude of reasons. Competition for one. Overcoming your innermost demons for another. It is an emotional, mental, or spiritual trial that must be conquered. Facing physical trials that could lead to death, or torture, or anything along those lines aren't considered the adversity the soul needs. No cases of such a method for unlocking an aura have ever been found. That being said, unlocking your own aura through Adversity produces far stronger aura users than those who unlock it through Aid. Either way, unlocking aura is a voluntary choice on the participant.
This is what the books say. This is what Huntsmen and Huntresses say. This is even what an old wizard hiding in his tower says. History, research, and stories all agree, these are the only two ways to unlock aura.
They are all wrong. I know the truth. Not all Huntsmen and Huntresses are "paragons of good". I can name a few that deserve to rot for what they've done. Incarnations of evil. Little more than the Creatures of Grimm in human form.
And there is a third way to unlock aura. A way that is primarily about the trials, tribulations, and tortures one faces in reality. I call this method, Anguish.
The first aura users were never actually recorded. Their lives have been lost to history, purposely forgotten because of how they unlocked their aura.
Anguish is the least used, and most mysterious method to unlock an aura. Many people prefer you not know about it. To this day, only a small handful of aura users have ever unlocked their aura by this method. In all of Remnant's history, the number of aura users that have unlocked their aura via Anguish can be counted. Easily. In total, 75 aura users have unlocked their aura through Anguish. And of those aura users, 73 of them were brutally killed by their aura when it was unlocked. Many people don't know of this method for a reason. It has a near 100% death rate.
I suppose it would help if I explain what Anguish entails. Not much is written about Adversity, because it's a very personal process. However, nothing is written about Anguish because it's seen as an affront to nature. A violation of the beauty of life.
Anguish is the most violent method of unlocking your aura. Like Adversity, it involves a person diving into themselves. However, instead of "fighting inner demons", Anguish is about tearing the shackles from your soul in a desperate bid for protection. Forcing it to be… ejected from your body. Creating a temporary shield. An unwilling act made in a moment of pure desperation. On top of that, it will lash out at anything and everything to stop the torment, including yourself. The best way to think of an aura unlocked via anguish is that it's like a cornered animal with nothing to lose. If you can survive the onslaught of your own soul, you could become the most powerful of aura users. But even this doesn't fully describe what is required of the person. Like Adversity, it too is deeply personal, but it is far more… hazardous.
The requirements differ from person to person. The only link I have found amongst all the victims is a desire for release. Every single one of them was traumatized in some way. Abused, neglected, tortured. They all sought a release from their suffering. A reprieve that they were so desperate to achieve that death was an acceptable risk.
As I said, only two have survived the process of Anguish. The first lived many, many years ago. He was the first aura user ever. A man who was so powerful, that even the Grimm shied away from him. He is seen as a bogeyman of sorts nowadays but, when he first unlocked his aura, he was a paragon of good. A genuine hero. He helped discover the process of Aid and paved the way for people to build the first kingdoms. And, like I said, his aura was unlocked through Anguish. Though, what he endured to first unlock his aura is unknown. I believe it was a Grimm attack, but that knowledge has long since been erased from history. Not even I, with my great memory, can remember… which has me with some suspicions…
No one ever says this, but Adversity is the youngest method for unlocking aura in Remnant. Adversity wasn't discovered until a young woman unlocked her aura on her own. This was a few years after the first aura user had begun aiding others. Her aura was unlocked, not through the unrelenting agony the man who suffered Anguish experienced, but through an inner peace I have never bothered to understand.
As the years went by, the man went mad. Insanity took his mind. His power grew too much. He even began calling himself The Brother of Darkness, as if he could ever actually match up to the legend. He deluded himself into believing he was a god. That couldn't be further from the truth. Yet, as he fell to madness, he did behave more and more like the Creatures of Grimm. He died a truly vile being. His slayer was the woman who unlocked her aura through Adversity. He wanted to help, but everything went to his head. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
That history was never recorded. I remember it well though. Although, I expect you're curious about the other survivor? Well, now that is an interesting story, and that is the story I wish to tell you. This is just so you can understand the story. Despite the fact that you are hearing this from my mouth, it is not entirely my story. That doesn't mean I didn't partake in the events; I had a very important role to play… and I am very close to the one who suffered Anguish and survived.
Before that, however, there is one more thing you should know. I said earlier that many legends of Remnant are based more in fact than fiction. There is one particular legend that you need to know to understand me and my siblings. A legend that is almost as old as the one of the brother gods. It's not a popular legend, nor a particularly well liked one. It's the legend of the Horsemen. A few people are familiar with it in some capacity, I'd hazard a guess that you know at least the names of some of the horsemen. But I'll give the whole story… actually, it is quite long, I'll give you the basic gist.
There were once four kings. Four brothers with unfathomable power who ruled over the planet. One brother for each of four great kingdoms. They were good kings. However, their subjects obeyed more out of fear rather than respect. After all, that vast power could easily be turned on the innocent and the weak. The citizens would forget the benevolence of their kings when they thought of the power their kings held.
One day, a plan was hatched, people gathered from the kingdoms to plot the downfall of the kings. Unbeknownst to the brothers, their own subjects had mapped out their daily lives. In a well-organized attack, each kingdom killed their king and renamed the kingdom to distance themselves from the horrid act. The killings all happened in a single week.
However, as the fourth brother, the oldest and most powerful of them fell, he uttered a curse upon his murderers.
"You have made a grave mistake. Hear this, you will face judgement. Retribution for your crimes. Let them come in forms more fearful than the darkness. Let them be your reckoning." The king proclaimed as he died.
His words were whispered as warnings amongst the people; however, nothing came of it… for a time. But only for a time.
The first horseman arrived as a rider with a crown on a white horse. He was called Conquest, and he rode, conquering the kingdoms and turning the citizens and traitors into slaves.
The second horseman arrived on a red horse as a rider with anger filled his eyes and a massive sword in his left hand. He was called War, and he rode, driving the people into conflict.
The third horseman came on a black steed bearing a pair of scales. He was called Famine, and he rode, destroying the land's food, and spreading disease.
The final horseman came on a pale skeletal horse. He was called Death, and he rode to slay those who had survived.
In due course, judgement had been levied, and the planet was left to heal. In the place of those failed kingdoms rose the ones we know today. However, in the darkest of nights, on brinks of wars, or staving off the worst of hunger, you might see one of these fabled horsemen bearing down on you.
I'm gonna level with you. Most of this legend is actually true. There are a few minor differences. War and Famine are actually women, and the current four kingdoms didn't actually rise from the ruins of the destroyed kingdoms. No, the destroyed kingdoms have long since been lost to the annals of history. Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas all came centuries later.
You're probably wondering which of the Horsemen I am, right? Let's not beat around the bush, how else would I be able to remember Remnant's erased history? Well, I'm Death. Obviously. And despite how the full legend portrays us, we aren't actually evil beings.
Now, I don't know everything my siblings do, but I know Conquest spends a lot of time playing Chess. He also continually plots the downfall various people groups. Imagining fake scenarios where he'd ride once more and lead a conquering force. Famine, somehow, developed a split personality. She made things more confusing by naming that personality Pestilence… or maybe Pestilence named herself? Wither way, she dabbles in the medical field every now and then. Mostly, she cares for bacteria cultures and viruses. She greatly enjoys cooking and growing food, contrary to which horseman she is. She also dabbles in therapy, possibly to cure her split personality, but I digress. War spends most of her time at sporting events and tournaments. She has always enjoyed conflict, no matter the form. And despite who she is, War is actually the softest of the four of us. Despite her great love of conflict and competition, she loves spending time with her family more than anything else. I believe her favorite pastime is pestering Conquest and me.
Being horseman, we obviously have horses. Actually, the names of my siblings' horses can pretty accurately gauge my siblings' personalities. Conquest is terribly uncreative. Amazing when it comes to strategy and tactics. Not so much any other time. His horse is named Horse. War, she thinks she's funny, so she named her horse Peace. Famine is… confused, I guess. Her horse is named Pestilence… when Famine is the personality in control. Pestilence renamed it Famine. Fortunately, her horse answers to both, but it is still terribly confusing.
Back on topic, there's me. Death. What do I do? Well, I'm Death. I am a protector of life… odd I know. Though it is more fair to say that I protect the sanctity of life. My job is to ensure that everything dies, I sever the mortal coil. I don't actually kill anyone; I just ensure that when someone's time has come, that they follow through with their appointment, as it were.
Can't have people living forever, you know? That said, I did 'settle down', if you will. A lovely young woman. Her time had not yet come when I first met her. Yet, she was able to see me… somehow. She wasn't scared of me. I never did find out the reason. She grew older, and yet she was always able to see me. Surprisingly enough, we became friends. Her life was cut short at a mere twenty-five years old. And NO, I did not kill her. Like I said, I just severed her ties to life so she would pass on. Yet… that didn't exactly happen. For whatever reason, she liked me. She wanted to stay with me. Next thing you know, we've struck a deal, she becomes my lieutenant, then, later, my wife.
In return, she gave me two things. The first was a name. She was attached to her name as human (it's Bianca by the way), and she didn't want to give it up. She also didn't like calling me Death, so she decided that she would call me Reaper. Reaper Grim. I actually kind of liked the name, especially considering many humans already called me the grim reaper. The next gift was far greater though. She bore me a child. Our precious daughter, Keira. She got her mother's more human looks and my deep love for blades.
I'm getting off topic. Still though, it is important that you know this, and that you know who I am. For this story, my family and I tie greatly to the life of the second survivor of Anguish.
Our story now begins.
As I said, too many people see aura users as paragons of good. Righteous shields against the dark. However, some see the truth. Not all aura users are good. There are those who have fallen from grace, as it were. I already mentioned the first aura user, another such example appears in the case of The Xiao Long family.
Taiyang Xiao Long's time at Beacon, as a member of team STRQ, proved that he had the capabilities for greatness. A true hero that would have been the epitomized idea of a huntsman. An idea that, for one reason wasn't given a chance.
He fell hard for his fellow team member Raven Branwen. They were wed and had a child shortly after graduation. Yet, this happiness was fleeting. Raven left soon after her daughter, a small girl with bright blonde hair, was born. She stayed long enough for the girl to be named Yang Xiao Long. Taiyang was devastated, but his team leader Summer Rose stepped in to help.
It wasn't long before they, too, fell in love and were wed. She too had a daughter. A young girl with blue eyes and dark hair. Ruby Xiao Long. The small family was happy for years. It was idyllic. A perfect Huntsman household on the small island of Patch. But again, this happiness was fleeting. A fact the Xiao Long family would learn once more.
Summer was off on a mission. No one on Remnant knows for certain what happened, except for Summer, her killer and me. Summer Rose died on that mission. The official ruling was that it was a Grimm attack. But people who knew Summer knew that she couldn't die to just a Grimm. She was far too skilled.
Her death hit the small family hard, but Taiyang soldiered on. He had to be strong for his girls. Some believed he drew the strength to move on from them. Rarely was he without one of his daughters. Most often, he could be seen with Ruby. Being two years younger than Yang, Ruby was able to stay home more often, given that she wasn't quite yet ready to do any schooling.
She was a mere six years old when it happened. It was early winter. The sun was already going down, and the air was getting cold. The remains a recent snowfall still blanketed the ground. Taiyang and Ruby had gone out for the day to do some grocery shopping. Yang had gone to a friend's house for a sleepover.
They were leaving the store when Taiyang first felt like he was being watched. Yet he could not see anyone suspicious. Ruby was none the wiser. She was happily enjoying the candy bar Taiyang had allowed her to have. He hurried her out of the store, and they began the trek back to their home. It was barely five minutes before he felt the hostile aura approaching. Taiyang turned and saw a man shrouded in the darkness of the night.
Taiyang grabbed his daughter and ducked into an alley. He dropped the groceries and carried Ruby along. Ruby was confused and frightened, but she dared not utter a peep. Taiyang was a huntsman, and he only ever acted like this when there was a serious threat nearby. She knew this meant it was time to be quiet. The older man hurried through alleys and back streets until he reached the edge of town. He continued running, trying to reach the forest.
That was when Ruby knew it was really serious. Firstly, she had been warned to never go into the forest alone, even if it was a good shortcut to their house. It was a favored spot for the Grimm. Secondly, she felt the hostile aura that was following them.
Taiyang was grabbed by the shoulder and turned around. There was a lot more strength in the grip than Taiyang would have thought. He wasn't able to get a good sight of his attacker. As soon as Taiyang had been turned around, Ruby had been pulled from his grip and a needle had been jammed into his neck. His vision immediately began to blur. He could feel his aura rapidly dropping.
"DADDY!" Ruby cried out as Taiyang was thrown against a wall.
"Silence." The man commanded. "You'll be next."
Any protest he had was cut off as the figure grabbed Taiyang's face. Golden bands of energy began flowing from different parts of his body into the man's hand. The golden bands turned a dark blood red as they traveled up the man's arm. Taiyang screamed in agony as he felt his aura being pulled away.
The contact was suddenly cut by a small body slamming into the man's leg. Taiyang figured it wasn't out of any real force but rather surprise.
"A fighter." The attacker commented. "You'll be a tasty snack."
"Leave… her… alone." Taiyang rasped as his world was slowly going dark.
The sound of boots crunching on the snow drew the man's attention. He growled in the direction of the more powerful aura that was slowly getting closer.
"It'll have to be on the go then." The man growled.
"DAD!" Ruby cried out, tears blurring her vision, as she knelt beside Taiyang.
He grabbed Ruby around her neck and began to drain. Instead of golden bands, for Ruby, the bands were the same deep red as when they ran up the man's arm. If he was surprised, he certainly didn't vocalize it.
Ruby screamed. The pain was excruciating. Her fear was palpable. Pain erupted from all over her small body. Suddenly, she fell to the ground. The man staggered back. A dimly glowing, golden fist had slammed into the side of his head.
"Not… my… daughter!" Taiyang rasped with his last breath.
The man growled as Taiyang fell over. Ruby crawled over to him.
"Daddy?" she whimpered. "Get up."
Their attacker appeared to derive great pleasure from the girl's grieving. He chuckled as Ruby realized the horrible truth. Whatever he had done, it had killed Taiyang Xiao Long.
"Dad… no." Ruby cried as the realization set in.
"And now for dessert." Her attacker said.
He reached down for her.
"NO! PLEASE!" Ruby cried as he lifted her up.
He began to drain away her life once more. The pain was worse than before, and her attacker loved it. She cried out in pure agony.
"STOP!" She screamed through tears.
The next part is a bit hazy from Ruby's account. She can't exactly remember what happened next, or how it happened. All she knows is, one second she's experiencing pure, unrelenting agony, and the next, her attacker has been thrown into a wall. She fell to the ground but recovered quickly. She mentioned that she knew it was her aura that had saved her, but it was still lashing out.
Crimson tongues of power were destroying the area. One of them obliterated Taiyang's corpse. Ruby cried harder but, she turned and ran. She didn't look back. She only feared she was being chased by her attacker, but he had disappeared into the night. Ruby ran as fast as she could, her aura lashing out at anything and everything that moved. She disappeared into the forest.
I arrived at the scene a little after. I dismounted from my horse, Mordred. He pawed at the ground but was otherwise unfazed by the gruesome sight before us. We have seen far worse. Taiyang's soul was still tethered to the scattered remains of his body. A trail of destruction led off into the woods. He looked at me, concern was the only thing on his face. As with all who die, he recognized me immediately.
"Please, protect her." He pleaded.
I raised my blade and slashed, severing his mortal coil.
"You're lucky I already promised I would." I spoke as his soul departed.
I mounted my horse and rode off into the night.
The next day, cops showed up to the Xiao Long household. Qrow Branwen, Taiyang's brother-in-law, had been called in the night, he was Yang's closest emergency contact. When they were told of what happened, Yang broke down sought comfort from her uncle. All the cops knew about the incident was that Ruby had run into the forest in the night, Taiyang was dead to an aura user, and his body was destroyed by a different aura sometime after death. Qrow glared out the window, wishing he had been there and praying his other niece was safe.
Qrow organized search parties to find his wayward niece. They scoured the entire island for weeks. But Ruby Xiao Long was nowhere to be seen. They couldn't even find a body.
Qrow took Yang in. He was her only close family left. He formally adopted the girl a year after the incident. Qrow urged her to change her name, if for no other reason than that Taiyang's killer hadn't been caught. Yang changed her name to Branwen.
Ruby was never found. A path of destruction was carved into the forest, but it ended at a large clearing. Grimm were disintegrating when they got there, but there was no trace of Ruby. The younger Xiao Long daughter had vanished. Lost in the dark of the night. A small funeral was held, and a grave for Ruby and Taiyang was placed next to the grave of Summer. Only what was left of Taiyang's body was buried, closed casket. The tombstone was updated that day.
Yang wept for her sister and her father long after the funeral.
"I want to wake up." She cried over and over, desperately wishing this was a nightmare.
Qrow embraced her. Tears fell from his eyes as well. He quietly read the new tombstone before turning away.
In loving memory of Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long and Ruby Xiao Long.
Loving Mother, Devoted Father and Lost Daughter.
United once more in death.
May you find peace.
…/…
Ruby ran. Pain from the cuts and holes flaring with every step. The shattered moon was the only thing that lit her way. Her vision was still blurred from the tears and the bitter cold bit at her through her winter coat.
'Why?' she kept asking in her head.
She stumbled over a root and collapsed. Tears were spilling from her eyes, but she couldn't stop. She had to escape. Ruby picked herself back up and continued running. Her feet carried her through the woods, she stumbled time and time again. She could feel some part of her lashing out. Breaking anything that moved.
She ran until her small body couldn't take the strain. She collapsed in the center of a clearing. She shivered in the cold. A massive Grimm was there. It approached her. Her vision blurred with tears once more. She wished things hadn't turned out this way. That is when I appeared. In flash, I decapitated the Alpha Beowolf that was nearing her.
"Look at what we have here." I spoke.
Ruby froze. She didn't recognize my voice. She told me that it sounded low and soft. Like the gentle trickle of a stream on a calm summer's day. Yet, underneath it all, an underlying power, something far beyond anything that she had ever experienced or could even imagine.
Her broken aura lashed out at me. I simply raised a hand and stopped it in its place. Gently, I caressed her damaged soul, easing it into a sense of calm. Ruby slowly calmed down as I approached.
"Such a sad sight." I whispered, crouching down. "No child should have to suffer as you have."
Despite the low volume of my voice, Ruby heard me clearly. The storm of power that been following her had died down.
"You may rest now." I spoke. "You won't be harmed."
I gently rubbed her head, still keeping up my calming aura. Strangely, to her anyway, my hand didn't feel like flesh. It felt rough and hard. Ruby gulped and looked up at me. She gulped again and tried to back away.
To her, I was tall. Imposing, even. Yet, she was still comforted. That night, I wore nothing but black… then again, I usually only wear black. A pair of dark combat boots, slacks, and a polo. A large black coat with a hood covered my face and arms. The only thing I wore that wasn't black was my belt. The buckle was a dull silver. It was shaped like two crossed scythes.
She saw my hand and saw why it felt hard. It is nothing but bone, after all. My face, too, is nothing more than a human skull. My eyes burn with a brilliant black flame. Such power is held in them, yet she saw a kindness lying beneath my imposing visage.
A snort drew her attention. Behind me, Mordred, my pale skeletal horse, pawed at the ground. A plain black saddle rested on his back as he watched us with empty eyes. He knew to stay back, but he also knew we needed to return to my home. Her eyes widened slightly at the undead horse.
She later told me, that she knew who I was. She has never divulged how she knew. I have come to believe she doesn't even know. I suspect that it is for the same reason that dead souls know me. An innate knowledge of death. I also suspect that this realization is why tears welled in her eyes once more. Of course, the small child was more than mildly surprised when Death hugged her back. The cold no longer felt so harsh to her. She said my coat was fuzzy and warm.
Suddenly, she felt herself picked up off the ground as I stood up, not releasing her from my embrace. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her.
"Am I dead now?" Ruby asked in a tiny voice.
"No. It's not your time yet." I answered. "Though I did come expecting to severe your mortal ties tonight. However, that isn't going to happen. Tonight, young Ruby, you are coming home with me."
"Why?" Ruby asked.
I smiled, or at least, as close of a smile as I can get with naught but a skull.
"Nothing says you can't, and I have an obligation to fill." I replied cryptically.
"A what?" Ruby asked, wiping tears from her eyes.
"I made a promise." I answered simply as I swung the two of us up onto Mordred.
"To who?" Ruby asked.
"All in due time, my dear. Onward Mordred. Take us home." I commanded my steed.
The two of us rode off into the night. Vanishing as snow began to fall. The only evidence of our existence were the dead Grimm all around the clearing. How she didn't notice them, I will never know for certain, but I do know that grief is a powerful blindfold.
That night Ruby Xiao Long died, but Ruby Rose was born.
ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…
Data Log DoD-001
And thus, a new tale begins. I have been sitting on this one for a few months now. The idea was born from a simple question. What if the four horsemen of the apocalypse existed on Remnant? I know that there are a few other RWBY stories that star or at least allude to the four horsemen, but this is my take. Let me know what you think.
Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated. Feel free to leave ideas and recommendations for the future.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K.