Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction in a popular field. If you want to understand everything, read my profile for a timeline. A word of advice, though. Three extra franchises are used, but they will remain in the first chapter. They won't even be mentioned later. With that out of the way, enjoy!

?

In the distant future - or last week, depending on who you were - Paradox was happy. A deal he had made with the celestialsapiens had come to fruition. He had been able to find a successor/backup. It wasn't easy, mind you. The celestialsapiens had placed a major limit on who it could be, stating that they had to have destroyed at least a timeline in the past. Naturally, being a protector of time, he was stripped of most of his options then and there. However, one remained. So, he had talked to a friend, leading to this encounter:

"No, no, absolutely not!" said The Watcher.

In other words, it went better than expected.

After that encounter, Paradox made a choice that could have resulted in disaster. He went behind The Watcher's back to free Strange Supreme.

Upon Paradox's entry into the remains of Steven's timeline, the sorcerer calmly said, "Who are you?" without even turning his head. Even a momentary lapse in concentration would spell multiversal doom. "How did you find me here? Did The Watcher send you?"

"I suppose I should introduce myself, yes," said the professor. "In order, I am Professor Paradox, I guard time itself with complete knowledge of its flow, and no, The Watcher did not send me."

"So why are you here?"

"I am here for two things. The first is the time bomb you're holding. Allow me to defuse it for you." Before the doctor could protest, Paradox raised his arm...

And the infinity stones fell to the ground, leaving Ultron and Killmonger frozen in time, before all of it de-aged into nothing.

"How-" began Strange, before Paradox continued.

"The second reason I am here is that I need a successor. Someone who, should I fail, will succeed where I could not. While you are clearly not ready to take over, I do see the potential in you. If you would like to leave, I suggest you join me."

And so, the two left, just as The Watcher grew suspicious.

Now

Paradox was busy. With him stopping a universe from imploding, he had very little power left. So, when he got a chrononavigator alert, he was dreading what it might be. Clearly, it wasn't Eon. He was helping Paradox with said imploding universe. He hoped he could solve it with what little power he had left.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. In a far-off world, an alternate timeline was appearing where a young girl was not caught up in a robbery. Normally, this would be a good thing, but that girl was Ruby Rose, and that robber was Roman Torckwick. No robbery meant she never met Ozpin, never went to Beacon, never unlocked her silver eyes, and Salem was never stopped. Evil winning was bad enough, but Salem? She was immortal and a skilled magic user. The longer she lived, the stronger she got, and eventually, she would invade the multiverse. Now, that warranted intervention. Unfortunately, holding back the branch was all he would be able to do, even with Strange Supreme's help. He took a deep breath, gave Strange a note and an assignment, and began to push back against the rogue timeline.

Kakariko Village

Link and Impa were mourning. The princess, Zelda, was okay, but Link's predecessor (We'll call him Legend for now) was waking from a deep slumber. Recently, he had fallen ill, and he was now on his deathbed.

"Link," he said, weakly, "I was once the wielder of that sword you carry." He was referring to the Master Sword. "I killed Ganon, botched his resurrection, and sealed him away. I then traveled the world, saving it from evil for a decade. You know this, of course, but I say it with a purpose. It is your turn. Though I doubt anything will be as strong as Yuganon, the foes you face will be far from weak. However, you have proven your strength. You will emerge victorious. I have no doubt in my mind that you will survive your ordeals, lay down your sword, and die a peaceful death in your old age. However, let me share with you one piece of advice. If you find love, treasure it. I did not, and as a result, I have no children, nor a partner to comfort me here. Do not repeat my greatest mistake. Now, go. Hyrule may be at peace, but the neighboring kingdom of Hytopia is in peril. You are needed."

He turned to the other side of the bed, coughed, and spoke once more. "Impa. I still remember saving you from the Thieves' Town. Once free, you would not stop sneaking up on me. You taught me a valuable lesson. You showed me how to truly take in my surroundings, a skill that has saved my life more than once. For that, I thank you. Now, go. The princess needs you. As for me, I am content. I have lived a full life, and I have saved countless others. May the world always have a hero to save it when it needs one."

And with that, Legend died. Having two people who still remembered his story (Osfala's mother was forgetting more by the day), he was buried in a rather unceremonious grave by Dampe, with only a two-person funeral. Thus ended the tale of Link, Hero of Legend.

Or so everyone thought.

?

Link was confused. What was he doing floating through the void? What was that light in the distance? Why was he young again? Why did he have everything he had ever gained in his travels on his person?

"Hello," said a voice. He turned around and saw the most strangely dressed man. He wore blue robes, a red cloak, and a gold pendant. He was cloaked in an aura of darkness, which almost spurred Link to attack, but he didn't. He took his hand away from his sword, for he saw a man filled with guilt. Whatever he had done to gain his aura, he truly and deeply regretted it. The man continued. "My name is Steven Strange. We don't have much time, and reality is at stake. My friend can manipulate time, so when I return, it'll be a second of difference for me, but a year for you. I've convinced him to at least tell you about where you're going, but you'll be going alone. We don't have time to find anyone else, and we'll be busy stabilizing reality to help you. I know I'm rushing, but as I said, reality is at stake. What do you say? You in?"

To say Link was put off was an understatement. He was positively weirded out. However, assuming what the man said was true, reality was at stake. Only seeing one option, he acquiesced to Strange's demands, saying four words.

"I will do it."

One Year Later

Link stood, awaiting Strange's momentary arrival. He had learned the basics of Paradox and Strange's work, suggesting that he had made the right choice in helping them. More importantly, though, he had learned the basics of Remnant. Dust, Aura, Semblances, Grimm, Huntsmen, he knew the information like the back of his hand. He had also learned basic history, geography, politics, and even pop-culture, which were completely alien to him. He had even used his new knowledge to figure out a cover story.

He was Link Hyrule, orphan. His Semblance was Re-Use, allowing Dust to drain his Aura instead of its own power. Unless he had to use his full arsenal, he would use the fire and ice rods, which he would name Flame Stone and Crystal Frost, along with the red mail. His backstory was tragic. Upon finding some strange rocks in his backyard, he asked his dad to make some rings. Eventually, he found out that they were Hard-Light Dust, but so did the Schnee Dust Company, who saw some Faunus with Dust, stole their land to make a mine, and took the adults as labor, thinking the child would just die. Thus, his ten blue rings, perfect for defense without a shield. He had supposedly sold the eleventh to enroll in school and buy a scroll, the twelfth to get his weapons, and the thirteenth to be allowed to apply to Beacon and get away from Atlas.

Of course, he realized the inherent flaw in using only magic based attacks, so to conserve his power, he modified the hookshot by adding razor-sharp barbs along the chain to form Iron Barbs. After submitting his forged documentation through Paradox and completing his arsenal, he waited for Strange to take him to Remnant...

From Dust 'Til Dawn

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" asked Roman Torchwick. One of his lackeys immediately pointed a gun at the owner of the now empty store. The fateful robbery was underway.

"Please," begged the man, "just take my Lien and leave."

"Sh-sh-sh calm down," said the robber. "We're not here for your money." He turned to his lackeys and said, "Grab the Dust." Everyone immediately began casing the store. Some went for the powder tubes, one went for the crystals, and one searched the store for bystanders.

Normally, that last criminal would have found Ruby Rose, and she would have tried to stop the robbery, saving most of the Dust. Tonight, however, she had been sick at home. It wasn't anything life-threatening, but it did keep her from showing off her skills to Ozpin. Unopposed, the robbers took every last crystal, bullet, and container of powder, and they vanished into the night.

Glynda Goodwitch, having never been alerted to a fight breaking out, never came to the store to help with stopping the robbery. All she and Ozpin could do was wonder why these types of thefts were becoming so widespread.

Atlas to Beacon Airship

It was time. With Flame Stone and Crystal Frost on his back, and Iron Barbs on his hip, he stepped out of the alleyway he was transported into. Upon seeing the transport, he recalled his training for this. He had to appear good, but he couldn't carry himself like a fully realized hero. If he did, people would get suspicious. Slouching as much as he could bear, he walked forward, boarded the airship, and hid in a corner. After all, he was a Faunus in Atlas. People here would look at him like a criminal and a terrorist! So, he blended in, ignoring the few people who noticed him and stared thanks to his experience as a wanted man during Agahnim's rule.

Pretty soon, he started watching the other students. One of them in particular caught his eye, that being the girl in a white dress. She had a side ponytail of pure white hair, and a rapier with a dust barrel in the guard, most likely for some elemental attacks. The strange thing, though, was the sheer amount of luggage she had. It was at least triple what everyone else had, and it was being pushed by a servant. She was obviously a bratty rich girl, but her eyes said something else. They just screamed "neglect". He made a mental note to keep an eye on her as the bullhead took off.

After getting a clear picture of who the others were (he made a note to avoid many of them), the airship's hologram projectors came on to reveal Glynda Goodwitch.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon," spoke the recording, attracting everyone's attention. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace..."

It was at this point that Link stopped listening, since it was obviously just a fluff piece. If what she said was true, there would have been no need for him. What he did pay attention to was the view. It was a spectacular sight. The city below him was lit up by storefronts and houses, and it was populated by people just going about their days. The crown jewel of the view, though, was Beacon itself. Surrounded by other airships, the castle-like structure stood tall upon the cliffside, though the tallest part was easily the tower in the center, lit up by the glowing spheres inside.

Eventually, when the hologram's welcome finished, the others noticed the view and crowded around the windows, blocking Link's view while making a path to the doors. Naturally, Link was one of the first ones off the airship, leaving one thing left to do: socialize. After a quick glance around, he noticed two individuals who could be nice to talk to. The first was a redheaded girl with kind eyes who very clearly knew what she was doing. She was getting lots of attention, and she seemed to hate it. The second was essentially a blond, human version of him who had no clue what he was doing, yet Link could sense vast potential in him. He also seemed to be lonely. Choosing the latter, he walked off, seeking out the boy during the orientation.

Entering the auditorium, Link found the boy easily. "Hello," he said. "You looked lonely. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Uh," he began, startled by Link's presence. "N-not at all! I'm Jaune - Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue."

Link chuckled in reply, before saying, "Indeed. My name is Link - Link Hyrule. So Jaune, tell me, where did you get that impressive-looking sword?" While it was nowhere near as impressive as the Golden Sword, it was certainly a sharp blade if the thin guard was any indication.

"Oh, this?" Jaune replied. "It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it during the war."

"A blade with history," said the Hylian. "Impressive. I'm sure he would be proud of you getting this far."

While he had meant his words to be calming, Jaune instead shifted nervously in his seat. Link's mind began racing. Had the boy not made it into Beacon? Did he cheat? If so, why? He would not get the chance to ask, for Ozpin walked onto the stage.

"Ahem," spoke the microphones, for the headmaster had cleared his throat. "I'll... keep this brief. You've travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft, and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look among you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Link was inclined to agree with the professor. A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. Nor did knowledge grant the strength to lift the sword. Power, wisdom, and courage: all three were needed to protect others.

Ozpin left the stage, leaving most other students dissatisfied. Professor Goodwitch spoke next. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Before Jaune could get up, Link noticed where he was looking and grabbed him. "Don't," he said. "She is a spoiled brat and a petulant child. I recommend you avoid her. She will bring you nothing but misery." And with that, Jaune was too terrified to talk to Weiss.

Later

Link and Jaune were talking. Just small talk, but still, they enjoyed it, since almost nobody else would talk to either of them. After Jaune went to bed, Link began to plan. Clearly, Jaune needed expert help. Link decided he would give it. Next, the teams. Only two people came to mind when Link thought of who he wanted on his team. Definitely Jaune, and maybe the redhead from earlier. As for the last member, that would be a question for another day, as he slowly fell into sleep, dreaming of fights long since won and battles yet to come.