A Cosmic Journey

A/N: Hello again, SE here. As promised, immediately following the first chapter are the potential storylines this first arc and story can take. Feel free to read just one, two or all three, and there's no specific order to be had. Again, if you decide upon a preference for which choice you'd prefer all are welcome to cast their vote in the poll on my profile, which will be up for two weeks. All reviews will also be taken into account and as always any favorites or follows are greatly appreciated. See you all at the A/N at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, all rights are owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, R.I.P.

Chapter 2A: Option 1

Chapter Date: 08/26/19

The first thing I noticed upon waking was that my arms and stomach seared from what were definitely bone fractures. The second was that said arms were raised and bound, which took precedence over the first as I opened my eyes and tried sitting up. All I managed was having my ribs flare in greater pain, and a groan escaped my lips as I looked around.

From the position I was laid up in and the minute turns I could make with my neck, I was in some sort of infirmary or hospital bed, complete with the white sheets and the railings. Up high was a soft white ceiling that gave the whole room an airy, acoustic atmosphere. There were other beds to my sides, in what I assumed were a line. Some were occupied by figures that I couldn't see from my position, with some laying still and others in various degrees of visual and audible pain. At the side of my bed was an end table, atop of which laid the tattered remains of my clothing. Reaching my right arm out of the sling that it was placed in, I bit back a hiss as I felt my jeans to confirm that at least my phone remained in the pockets.

"Ah, our intrepid visitor finally awakens. I was starting to get worried my aura-locked medical skills had gone rusty after so many years. I suppose the old man will wanna hear about this."

The sound of footsteps approached my bed as I looked over at the speaker. He was rather tall, at least six feet with salt-and-pepper hair and narrow, piercing hazel eyes. He was removing what looked to be a surgery covering from his scrubs, as his other gloved hand picked at the face mask he wore. In his hand was a small mirror that he brought up to my eye level.

"Sorry for binding you up a little tight, but it's better for your body in the long run. I figured you'd wanna see your face to finish the checkup. Anyway, I'm Doctor Theodore Caduceus, but just call me Ted. Everyone else does."

'Yes, let's call you Ted, and not the other guy who you look so much like right now.' I barely was able to tear my eyes away from his face to get the first clear look at myself since ending up in this shrunken body. Short black hair just shy of a buzz cut laid on my head, matching the dark limbal ring around the russet brown irises of my eyes. A straight-and-narrow nose matched with high cheekbones to give my face an angular feel. Even lips narrowed at the reflection, and I turned to the side to confirm the appearance of a birthmark next to my left eye. Most importantly, however, was the fact that this face was devoid of the hard-fought maturation that came from the hellish era of puberty.

He must've taken my shock at his appearance and my own as shock at the circumstances, as he coughed and add, "Anyhow, the old man and his number two'll be here in a moment. I'm sure they'll explain things to you better than I can for this sorta thing. I should probably get back to these other screw-ups. But don't worry, if you ain't dead by the time you get to me, you're in the clear."

Ambling off, I barely had time to start breathing again after that shock before another voice spoke.

"Well, it's fortunate that initiation was finished rather swiftly this year. We were already on our way over when Ted notified us of your awakening. Good afternoon, young man. How are you feeling?"

This time, my jaw dropped from both the circumstances and appearances of the two people walking through the infirmary entrance.

A head of seemingly unkempt silver hair hung over black eyebrows, inquisitive copper-brown eyes and shaded spectacles. Black and green alternated as his clothing with a black suit and shoes and green vest, shirt and pants. Completing the ensemble were the almost symbolic ornate cane and simple mug he carried.

His companion had gold-spun hair tied into a bun, revealing bright green eyes framed by thin glasses. Matching teal earrings and pendant along with a purple cape complimented her white pleated shirt and black pencil skirt, leading down to black stockings and boots. Held in her hand was a collapsible crop.

'I know I accepted the situation last night right when I was about to die, but having very live fictional characters standing in front of you is still a pretty difficult thing to swallow!'

Then what the man said registered somewhat in mind, leading to my next intelligent comment.

"Initiation…afternoon?"

'Perfect, I'm sure neither of them are questioning whether I have brain damage.'

To his credit, or possibly discredit, the man clearly believed that I was just ignorant of the circumstances and provided, "Yes, Glynda and I managed to save you from a tragic death in the middle of the night, and you have slumbered here in the infirmary since then. And today was the initiation test for all potential first-year students at Beacon Academy."

'Yup, this' Beacon. Which means…'

"I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon. With me is my friend, teacher and Deputy Headmistress of Beacon, Glynda Goodwitch."

'There it is.'

"We came here directly after the assigning of teams to first and foremost confirm the health of you and all injured potential students, be they successful or not in having completed the initiation." Ozpin continued, apparently oblivious to the literal knowledge bombs he was dropping on me. "Moreover, we wished to ascertain the circumstances behind your appearance and the subsequent attack on you. Now, is there anything that you would like to tell us about last night?"

'Oh god, I'm actually on Remnant. Yeah, I am absolutely screwed, I know fuck-all about this planet and just got my ass kicked my one of the weakest enemies possible! Not to mention my body's regressed back to fucking preadolescence here, and I have no idea what to tell Ozpin about any of this, because I literally have no idea what happened!'

"Ozpin, you clearly are overwhelming the poor boy with information that, while explanatory, is not helping his situation." Goodwitch chastised Ozpin with a roll of her eyes, then turned towards me. "Why don't we start with something simpler? What is your name?"

My eyes widened momentarily, only to narrow just as fast. 'If only she knew just how simple that question really is. I can't use my real name, because it doesn't follow the damn color rule! Okay, no big deal, just think of a random color and roll from there, aggh no I don't wanna be stuck with something like Umber Clay for the foreseeable future, not to mention it'd probably sound suspicious. Something Asian to pass as Mistralian and sounds like a color, aaaaaaaahhhhh…'

"Kouzai." I replied finally, trying not to look like I had just pulled it from the memory banks of manga I've read. I just hoped it would pass muster to the two of them, especially Ozpin, who was looking at me with an almost intense focus.

"Kouzai, hmmm…light and dark. The name is Mistralian, if I remember correctly?" asked Ozpin.

"I believe so." I replied. 'Oohh, thank you Japan for being the origin of anime!'

"And what of your surname?" prompted Goodwitch, obliterating whatever relief I'd just managed to obtain.

"Uhhhhh…" came my wise response. 'Alright, time to activate Bullshitting Mode, at least half the reason I graduated college!'

"I…I can't remember what my last name would be." I whispered, which made both adults present raise their eyebrows slightly, with the tiniest, most unnoticeable crack showing on Goodwitch's usual stern face.

"I see…" Goodwitch murmured, fingers slackening from their grip on her crop. "Do you remember how you came to be in the Emerald Forest?"

"N-No, I don't remember anything of how I ended up there. I don't even remember who on Remnant my family is." I replied. 'Both statements are entirely truthful, it's just that my family is not on Remnant. Wait, they found me in the Emerald Forest the night before initiation? That has to mean something!'

While Goodwitch seemed to be trying to recover from the wham lines I'd just given her, I asked Ozpin, "Why were the two of you in the forest during the night?"

"A sound question, Kouzai." Replied Ozpin, taking a sip from his mug of cocoa, not coffee. "The answer being that every year before initiation begins, the staff at Beacon sends some of their most capable members to make the Grimm levels in the Emerald Forest manageable for potential first-year students to handle. However, this system is not infallible, and the skills of potential students may fluctuate and still lead to injury, as you can see from your temporary roommates around you."

'Makes sense, even with the cameras that they somehow have in the forest there's obviously better ways to ensure safety.' I thought, nodding my head before responding. "So why were both of you out there at once, if you're so important to the school?"

"Well, to be completely honest, it's not a very safe policy to maintain, but really, extermination of the Grimm in the Emerald Forest is a simple matter for the more senior members of the staff. In all actuality, Glynda was doing most of the fighting, and I was present as backup in the very worst case scenario. Oh, and as a conversation partner."

"Not that your contribution of interrupting my focus was very helpful." Muttered Goodwitch, her stare back to Grimm-melting levels as she glared at Ozpin as if to both reprimand his non-action and challenge him to refute or even acknowledge her statement. No response came, but all parties present knew what she had said, and knew that Ozpin had heard.

"So, last night, when I was about to…you know, that explosion of purple was you, Miss Goodwitch?" I asked, trying to take a bit of the heat off Ozpin. 'Seriously though, that explosion almost did me in, I flipped three times before hitting the ground!'

This time Goodwitch's visage broke slightly, a dusting of pink on her cheeks as she coughed into one hand off to the side. "Yes, that blast was admittedly caused by my aura blasts. After a night of exterminating Grimm and listening to the Headmaster, my control was a tad lacking. When I saw that pack of Beowolves surrounding you I'm afraid I indulged in the protocol of 'shoot first, ask questions later.'"

"Pack of…OOOHHHH!" I exclaimed, specific memories from last night coming back to me. "So, those other explosions and howls that I thought I was hearing?"

"The sounds of Professor Goodwitch handling the remainder of the Beowolf pack responding to the call of the one you were in combat with. Which does bring me to my next point." Ozpin answered, taking another long sip from his mug.

'Coffee could've been explained away with the rigors of running an academy, but nooo, it had to be cocoa.' My eye twitched. 'How are the man's teeth not completely decayed with how often he drinks the stuff?'

"Ah, much better. Now, as I was saying, your fierce, if brief, combat with the Beowolf has clearly left you with numerous injuries, both visible and not. While I do not disparage your choice to have fought the Grimm, the fact of the matter is that you have injuries that will likely leave you bedridden for weeks in order to avoid any complications. Even then, you will most likely only receive a clean bill of health after a matter of months. Despite society's best efforts to advance medicine and Beacon's generous and cutting-edge stores, the only alternative to speed up this process any further is have your Aura unlocked."

"I don't have any problems with that, I would welcome being able to healing faster." I replied, confused. 'Seriously, who would turn down the option to get the ability to have forcefields, increased healing, increased strength, and maybe a semblance?'

"I'm afraid the issue isn't so cut and dry as you may believe." Goodwitch cut in, her 'teacher' face on as she dove into her explanation. "In unlocking your Aura, you would be required to undergo the necessary lessons in order to gain the knowledge and ability to properly use it. While this may not sound like a problem, the investment of time is something that many people are unable to or do not want to make. In addition, you will have to register yourself with the Remnant Database of Auras."

"There's a database of all the people with unlocked auras? Wouldn't it be extremely long?" I asked. 'Guess they take this stuff seriously. But really though, why doesn't everyone just have an unlocked aura and lessons on using it? The Grimm would probably be toast…er, well, maybe except for Salem and all the ancient Grimm.'

"It's not as extensive nor as complete as you might think." Goodwitch corrected, pushing her glasses into place. "One of the purposes of having a registry of all known individuals with Aura is that it aids authorities in keeping track of potential criminal leads, be it possible locations or people who might have unlocked the aura of a criminal. Moreover, the database acts as a form of early warning system to the number of individuals throughout the kingdoms with Aura. Contrary to belief, Aura is not just an energy source with no weaknesses. Besides the training and knowledge required to use Aura, the concept that Aura is the manifestation of the soul lends itself to the fact that use of Aura, both intentional and not, dramatically increases the level of 'soul', and therefore emotion identifiable."

"Meaning that unlocking everyone's aura would be like sending a flare to the Grimm to attack locations." I whispered, eyes wide. "Without proper training, it would be a self-consuming action in the end."

"Exactly." Confirmed Goodwitch, actually flashing a rare smile. "And even if training the populace at large to use Aura was a feasible and practical idea, it would never catch on. Both the citizens and councils of the kingdoms would never acquiesce to the altered and drastic increase on the importance of aura in everyday life. The citizens because of the time and effort involved, and the councils because of the drop of usefulness for the militaries, huntsmen and huntresses of the kingdom, meaning less propaganda in their campaigns and policies."

"Politics." I almost spat, and the vitriol in my voice must've been evident because both Ozpin and Goodwitch were surprised but smiled, with Ozpin letting out a good-natured chuckle.

"Indeed. So you see why the decision to have your Aura unlocked carries with it a good deal of impact and consequence. Perhaps giving you additional time to consider the offer would be more proper, but given what I saw last night, I believe that you can come to a decision rather promptly." Ozpin added.

'What he saw last…oohhh, the fight! He means my decision to fight, 'cause I hope to God it's not the skills I displayed. Am I some sort of potential investment to him to be a future huntsman, or a piece in his war against Salem? Count me the fuck out of joining his crusade, the man doesn't even have a plan right now to kill her! But with initiation done, there's less than a year left until the Fall of Beacon, and without Aura and some level of training the chance of me dying the next time I see a Grimm skyrockets! Aaaahhh, damnit!'

"I would appreciate having my Aura unlocked and receiving any training you would be able to provide." I said as level as I could. 'I have to play this right. Get Aura, get the training, but don't stand out! And don't tell Ozpin anything about the future! The second I do, I'll be so deep in his inner circle I'll probably be living out of his office, and there goes my life!'

"Excellent. Professor Goodwitch can see to having your Aura unlocked, and then we will talk regarding your training." Said Ozpin, stepping back to that Goodwitch could take his place by the head of my bed.

"Is there any reason that you won't be unlocking my Aura, sir?" I asked, confused.

"Although I am known as the youngest Huntsman to ever become a Headmaster, there are areas where even I profess to be lacking in. Try as I might, unlocking the Auras of others has never been a process that has worked well."

'Hmm, maybe it's because of the whole amalgamation-of-souls business. Or is it the reincarnation?' I thought, intrigued. 'Questions for later, I guess.' My attention focused on Goodwitch as she extended her hand towards my head, stopping just short of brushing my forehead.

"Are you ready, Kouzai?" Goodwitch asked, fingers halted from my head like I was a fragile, wounded animal. Actually, considering who was speaking, I probably was.

"Yep, let's do this, Professor." I replied, trying to give as innocent a smile as I could to reassure her. I think it worked, because she smiled back before placing her hand upon my forehead. She closed her eyes, and I closed mine as well, waiting in anticipation for what I knew would happen next.

"For it is in guidance that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of dedication and support to rise above all. Infinite in fortitude and unbound by limits, I release your soul, and by my will, protect thee."

My eyes snapped open as something, a feeling, rose from within. I watched the lavender glow around Goodwitch's body resonate with a silver glow on mine, then fade. The glow around my body steadied, then flared as parts of my body began tingling.

"Huh?...Whoa!" I breathed, as a series of slight itches on my bones and a general sense of tightening on my skin spread across my body.

"Your Aura should already be working to heal your wounds, especially since it has been freshly unlocked." Goodwitch explained, sliding her glasses back into place with no noticeable signs of discomfort.

'Darn, guess my Aura reserves aren't as big as Jaune's. That, or Glynda's got bigger reserves than Pyrrha, I'd buy either one.'

Ozpin stepped back to the front, taking another sip out his endless mug. "Now that you possess an unlocked Aura, the next step is to progress through the standard curriculum on Aura usage and effects. Typically, civilians achieve this by enrolling in a council-funded program where retired hunters provide the basic training necessary on Aura and how best to use it. However, this program is taught with a focus towards adults, meaning that lessons in such a program may not be the most efficient for an individual in your current situation."

'I don't like where this is going…' I dreaded Ozpin's next words. 'I'm twenty-two, for God's sake!'

"Therefore, the most practical solution would be to have you attend a combat school dedicated to the training and usage of Aura, along with other practical combat skills that provide the core of an individual's repertoire in battle, be they a civilian, military or huntsman. Signal Academy is the closest to Vale, and does offer dormitories for students whose homes are located far from the academy or who may not have one. Alternatively, if you desire a more stable home environment, I know of a wonderful family on Patch that I'm sure would be-"

"NO!" I exclaimed, causing Goodwitch and even a couple of the conscious teenagers in other beds to flinch at my shout. Ozpin merely raised an eyebrow, and I realized that he like Goodwitch was waiting for an explanation.

"I'm sorry for shouting." I apologized quickly, the improv wheels running overtime as I spoke. "I don't have anything against Signal or this family…it's just that I know so little about what's going on, including if I have a family at all. Even if it's only for a while, I'd like to stay nearby the forest, in case any information comes. Only if it's alright, of course."

'I'd love to meet Ruby, Yang, Taiyang, maybe even Qrow at Patch. But going to Signal would put me on the fast track for the 'Huntsman and Huntresses for Ozpin to recruit' list, and staying off it is how I don't get sent on death-inducing missions. Plus, if I stay at Beacon, I'll see them soon anyways, and get to stick close to Vale and keep an ear on things.'

"I see." Ozpin murmured. "I must confess that in attempting to mitigate the effects of this tragedy, I forgot one of the factors contributing to it. For that I apologize. As for your request to remain here at Beacon temporarily, it is true that the staff present are similarly suited to provide training and lessons on Aura to children, better than the council's program in Vale. Having access to you in person also allows the opportunity for any further questions necessary to discover a solution to your ailing memory, and instant notification of any updates for your situation. However, the question of your education, or potential lack thereof must also be answered, as well as who your temporary guardian will be while at Beacon. An academy for training Huntsman and Huntresses is a hazardous place for a young boy, even one with an unlocked Aura."

'Crapnuggets, I forgot about school! Damn, it's been years since I've been in public education, I'd say I don't need it but the history, languages, hell even the sciences or what passes for science here are probably completely different.' I inwardly winced at the potential hurdle. Instead, I focused on solving the other issue in the meantime, turning to Goodwitch.

"If it's acceptable, would it be alright if I stayed with you for now? You're nice, and you know a lot about Aura and other things too." I was trying to play the part of the vulnerable, injured boy, but I wasn't expecting what came next.

Raising his eyebrow again, Ozpin took a leisurely sip from his mug, smiled and turned to Goodwitch. "What say you, Glynda? I'm sure the existence of a child, however temporary, would do well to ward off the stream of potential courters, to say nothing of James and Qrow."

Goodwitch looked as if the statement had gone completely over her head, her mask of calm shattered as cheeks burned red from both my request and Ozpin's ribbing. Regaining control impressively quick, she muttered at Ozpin, "I doubt anything would deter James at this point. And I don't know how willing I am to trade one form of teasing by Qrow for another just yet."

Turning to me, her glare softened as she was clearly considering the idea in her head. "Kouzai, while I'm honored, flattered even, that you would think so highly of me, I have no experience in caring for a child, even one as self-sustaining as you. I just don't think…"

"If you're worried about taking care of me, I know how to cook and do laundry and other things, I think." I admitted, before acknowledging Ozpin. "And I don't remember how much I do and don't know yet, so maybe you could do some tests to find out?"

"A fine idea." Replied Ozpin. "I'm sure such stimulation will help you avoid boredom during the shrinking remainder of your stay in the infirmary as well."

"And you don't have to decide right now on taking care of me, since I'll be recovering here for a while." I turned back to Goodwitch, who seemed to acknowledge that point while she was thinking. "Also, if you're worried about the space, I can stay in one of the empty student dorms for a while. At least until the exchange students come to Vale for the Vytal Festival."

I could tell I said something wrong, as both Ozpin and Goodwitch looked at me strangely.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked nervously. 'Oh god, I didn't give myself away already right? It's been less than a day since I've gotten here!'

"I am unsure if you are unable to recall, but the upcoming Vytal Festival will not be held in Vale, nor will it be held this year." Ozpin explained. "The 38th Vytal Festival will be held next year, in Vacuo.

…

'…Don't…freak out…stay calm…keep your jaw up…'

"You're clearly still tired and recovering from your accumulated injuries." Goodwitch said, patting the top of my head, one of the only parts of my body not wrapped in bandages. She smiled and added, "Get some rest, Kouzai. I will think over your request in the coming days and have an answer for you soon."

As she straightened and began heading for the doors, Ozpin raised his mug towards me and said, "A speedier recovery to you, Kouzai. If you require anything, please feel free to notify Ted, and Glynda or I will heed your request. Until tomorrow then."

As the two left the infirmary, I patiently counted to ten, leaned my head as forward as my bindings would allow, and threw it back about a foot in a pathetic headslam against a soft pillow.

'Oh dear god, this…this changes everything. If the 38th Festival is next year, then that means the 40th, or the canon year that the show starts…is FIVE YEARS FROM NOW…"

Puzzle pieces started falling into place, mostly by falling directly on top of my head.

'I'm-Was twenty two, five years older than when I started watching RWBY at seventeen. This body of mine is undoubtedly before puberty hit, so I'd probably be…TWELVE?! Oohhhh noooo, this is some real Coeur shit right here; I regressed one year for every one since 17 that I made past canon. Five years forward means five extra years back, putting me at twelve…the same age as almost everyone from the main cast…'

I looked up towards the ceiling and slowly breathed out, in a desperate attempt to reestablish some modicum of calm.

'Ok, this means I've got a total of about six years until the Fall of Beacon where everything starts going to shit. More importantly though, that means I've got six years to figure out a way to get home. I feel terrible for this universe, especially since I know it's real now, but I've got a life waiting for me on Earth. I just need to figure this out…'

I couldn't move my fingers like I wanted, so I settled for drawing imaginary words and lines in the air with my mind, an old thinking habit of mine.

'Ok, there are four general possible ways I ended up here. Let's sound 'em off.'

'First is that something from Remnant pulled me here, like the Relics or some experimental form of Dust or semblance. To get back, I'd need to utilize those same methods and figure out how to reverse the effects. Putting aside the difficulty of the latter two as finding a grain of sugar in a shaker full of salt, the Relics are zealously guarded by Ozpin and the Inner Circle. The only way I'd ever be able to access them and find out which ones have the power to get me home, is if I was either invited to use them or if I steal them. One involves the promise of fulfilment presumably after a lifetime of service in Ozpin's war, and the other promises certain death from Ozpin and crew, if not Cinder if I ever actually manage to steal them. The other two are equally if not more impossible, since it'd take years and years of research to find the particular dust or semblance responsible for this, and years more on how to reverse the process. That's time, and likely intelligence that I do not possess.'

'Second is that someone from Remnant pulled me here. The only possible people who could so severely break the universe like that are Salem and the Brother Gods. Asking Salem for anything would either lead me to a swift death, or being pulled into her side to be used against Ozpin, both of which are unacceptable. Considering the Brother Gods would be an exercise in futility, as the only official way to bring them back is to get the relics, already established as impossible. The only other explanation is that one or both of them are present on Remnant, which also doesn't work given that they would've already heard me by now and hopefully whisked me out of Remnant, so all options here are inapplicable.'

'Third possibility is that something from Earth put me here, but again, figuring out science for Remnant would take a level of time and intelligence for learning that I don't have the luxury of. Not to mention I would be playing the most rigged lottery game ever, waiting for the conditions on Earth to match how I ended up on Remnant in the beginning.'

'Last and certainly least is that someone from Earth placed me here, and it's by far the most impossible. If someone, be they mortal or deity, had the ability to rip someone out of one universe and put them in another, the fact that I'm here now means that whoever did so meant for me to be here and isn't going to be bringing me back. Assuming in the most unlikely of scenarios that this was done by accident, whoever did so would've already brought me back. Barely worth mentioning is that there might be two or more individuals in my universe capable of this, but the idea that they haven't already fixed this cosmic failure seems indicative of their acceptance.'

'Overall, I'm stuck here for the very foreseeable future, and at the very least until the overarching plot of RWBY comes to pass, including the part where Salem gets beaten that I'll likely never get to watch. Live through, maybe. That said, so long as I don't get myself put on the game board as a piece for either Ozpin or Salem, there's nothing stopping me from setting the cast up in a better position than in canon. My existence in this universe has already started the butterfly effect to change things, so making a few more small ones won't hurt. If I plan this out right, making the cast to stronger or smarter, or maybe throwing an anonymous wrench into Salem's plans, should raise my overall chance of getting through this whole mess and making it back home. To do that, I need to get my complete bearings of what I'm dealing with here, time period and people and all.'

Coming out of my inner monologue, I blinked for the first time in probably minutes, then reached gingerly for the remote on the right railing of my bed. One button pressed had Ted shuffling back towards my bedside a minute or two later.

"Well well, if it isn't our temporary resident at Beacon here. I heard about everything from the old man an' Glynda, an' I can say without a doubt that you have things rough." Remarked Ted. "At the very least, how's life with an Aura treating you?"

"Good, I guess." I replied, putting back on the mask of a preadolescent. "I don't really know much about Aura though, so is it possible for me to get a book on Aura, maybe on its applications and stuff? I think it might help with the healing a bit."

As Ted voiced his agreement and left to send a nurse over to Beacon's library, I considered checking my phone, instead thinking better of it. 'I'm not sure if Remnant has signal the same way Earth does, so I shouldn't chance it right now, especially not while under any cameras.'

I laid back and regulated my breathing as the boulder that was the gravity of the situation weighed on me.

'Five years, huh? It's a long time, and yet not…here we go though.'

TIME REMAINING UNTIL START OF CANON: 5 YEARS

A/N: Woah, quite a bit longer than the first chapter, huh? It really makes a difference when you actually have time to think or have more than one person in a conversation. I plan on making my chapters around this long, don't wanna go too far over though otherwise it'll feel a little packed. As for the structural bits, I'm fleshing out a bit more of the narrative style that I hope to carry on in subsequent chapters, especially that narrow-viewed, unreliable narrator nuance that I feel adds depth and complexity to a story such as this.

Onto the more technical stuff then. Hopefully I've portrayed Ozpin and Glynda in at least a slightly realistic manner compared to canon, but if you feel that I'm not feel free to inform me about it. As for any original information, I'll try and keep it light on any additional OCs and only add information when I think it'll sync up with existing information about Remnant and canon. In terms of Aura and its drawbacks, I've taken some inspiration from writers such as Coeur and Imyoshi on some of its broad concepts, like what "manifestation of one's soul" really means and why the kingdoms don't have scores of individuals with unlocked Auras. Moving on from that though, the countdown arc begins next chapter, and I've got plenty of ideas for this storyline, so keep your eyes peeled for any announcements or updates. I may have a preference on which poll choice I'm partial to, but I'd really enjoy writing each of the selections available. Thank you again, and I'll be back shortly with updates.

-SE

Next Chapter Date: 09/16/19