Epilogue

The soft sounds of birds chirping brought Kuro out of a deep reverie.

He stood in a small house, gentle sunlight flowing through the windows, his bare feet making the slightest of creaks upon the light wooden floor. This house held only one room, and it was one he knew well. A single bed sat there, with pure white sheets made legendarily comfortable. Save for the pairs of flowing white curtains that fluttered in the breeze of the open windows and a simple, wooden door, the room was otherwise featureless.

A man laid in the bed, his own features very similar to Kuro's. He was lying on his stomach, the covers draped over his shoulders. Gray eyes, very similar to Ruby's, stared from behind a pair of black-framed glasses, while tangled locks of dark, blond hair danced atop his head. Two pale arms were folded before him, and he was looking up at Kuro, his own looks giving him the image of an eighteen year old, fresh with the vigor of youth.

Both men were wearing calm, peaceful expressions.

"We've succeeded." Kuro said, his voice soft and slow. "You've achieved what you set out to do." He curled his metallic wings around his shoulders.

There was a pause, and the man broke eye contact, shifting slightly. Then, he refocused on Kuro.

"Have I?" he asked.

Kuro's reaction was immediate. He knelt before the bed, so that they were only several feet apart.

"What do you mean?" Kuro asked. "The future has been altered. Team RWBY will continue their schooling, and Ruby and Weiss have fallen for each other via the Night Walker phenomenon. Was that not what you and I set out to do?"

"It was, and it has been done." the man replied, his expression a sad smile. "But the way we did it was too intrusive. Think about it." At Kuro's pause, he continued. "The phenomenon affected RWBY in the way we intended, but then we had to physically become involved in order to secure their bond in place. Now, we, or at least you, are integral to this world's future alongside RWBY. This was not what I, or THEY, wanted."

"If we had not been involved, the tragedy would have happened again." Kuro responded, reaching out and putting a hand on the other man's shoulder. "If Aki and Shio, under the disguises of Vade and Aya, had not made themselves more public, events would not have shifted towards our chosen destination. In order to force an intrusive change, you require an intrusive method."

"Perhaps." the man mused. "Nevertheless, you are correct. We have achieved what we set out to do. Now, together, we must mold this world back into the shape that I intended it to be." At Kuro's sudden look of incredulity, the man suppressed a smirk. "This world was never supposed to be so complex, you know."

"Was it not?" Kuro asked. Another pause.

"That question is dangerous, Kuro." the man softly chided, before slowly shaking Kuro's hand off. "We must stay the course. Watch over the world, and ensure that this world does not fall into the same trap that we just pulled it out of."

Kuro gave him a knowing look, before he turned away, standing up.

"I understand. I'll relay your instructions to Aki and Shio." Kuro stated, before starting to walk away. "I trust in you, my Master, not just as a master, but as a friend. Please remember."

"I will. Thank you, Kuro." the man replied behind him. He caught the last words before he exited the building.

"My avatar."

Now alone, the man in bed rolled over so that he faced the oak roof of the building, and sighed, resting an arm atop his forehead.

"What is truly perfect?" he asked himself. "Something for they, or something for me? Do I want to please them, or please myself?"

He paused, closing his eyes.

"No." he asserted. "They will not like what I've done. And why should they? It's not catered to their expectations. Let alone what they wanted."

The eyes flashed open, and a tear came from the corner of the left one.

"So what now?" he said. "They rarely care about the one beyond, how he feels. Just like the rest of them. So why do I actually care?"

Another tear fell.

"Maybe... it's just because of my own failings." the man answered. "I did lose faith in trust and friendships, have for quite a while. They will be the same. Claim to care, then the words just fall flat within seconds, painfully obvious to the one they claim to care about. It's ironic. The only friendships, the only love I feel and share, comes from my role in this world."

He rolled back over and propped himself up on his elbows.

"It's never enough, but it'll have to do for now." he said. "Once those men and women learn to... oh, who am I kidding?" He bowed his head.

"No-one will really care, will they?"

Kuro stepped through the ashen white door, into the dark realm of the Dark Library, still thinking about his Master's words.

"We must stay the course. Watch over the world, and ensure that this world does not fall into the same trap that we just pulled it out of."

What trap was he referring to?

The room before him was the one where he had been rested. A single white bed, two white torches in brackets, and nothing else.

Aki and Shio sat cross-legged upon it, awaiting his return as per his instructions. Their twin faces lit up immediately upon seeing him.

"Master! Did everything go according to plan?" Aki asked excitedly.

"Was everything done?" Shio queried, more softly than her twin sister.

"Yes and no." Kuro replied, as he sat down on the bed, mirroring their poses. While Aki's face seemed to brighten, Shio's darkened.

"What does that mean?" Shio asked. Aki's face fell too upon hearing her sister's words.

"He's doing his work on this world." Kuro responded. "Soon, it'll be our time to act again. But for now, we must be patient. We did do as he requested."

"You make it sound as if the fault lies somewhere." Shio pressed, her expression unreadable, her glowing blue eyes seemingly dark.

"Not with us." Kuro quickly assured. He turned to glance at Aki, only to find that she wasn't there.

Aki materialized before the man in bed, bowing respectfully even as he rose from his position within the bed. The pristine sheets coiled around him like an icy mist, and he regarded her with a look of appraisal, his expression neutral.

"Creator, may I speak to you?" she asked, her tone formal, knowing full well the power of the man before her.

"You may." he responded in kind. "You do not need permission to speak to me, you know."

Aki paused, considering her words. Kuro had told her that this man held the power to shape this world into whatever he desired, dictated everything. While she found it hard to believe there was anything stronger that her master, it was hard to argue that Kuro's master was superior in terms of power.

"Master Kuro has told us that you're, well, worried." Aki said, taking a brave step closer. "I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help."

The Creator did not reply for several moments. Then, he sighed, his eyes betraying a momentary weakness.

"Worry isn't the right word." he intoned. "Uncertain. Uncertain about whether or not events should have taken this course." Seeing her eyes, he smiled. "Don't hesitate to speak your mind."

"You've led us in the right direction, though." Aki assured, smiling at him. "You've got what you wanted."

"What I wanted, yes, but in it comes two issues." he replied. "One is the fact that it is not what everyone wished for. You know who I refer to. The second is the way we achieved our goals, by tearing down the course of this world and replacing it with our own design. Even our very existence in this world. We are outsiders, and not many appreciate our existence. Collectively, you, I, Shio and Kuro hold the power to turn this world in whichever direction I desire. But, both points are irrelevant when compared to the question of my own satisfaction against everyone else's."

"What do you mean? If you control everything, shouldn't you do what you want?" Aki asked, her smile faltering. If what Kuro said was true and this was HIS world, surely it would be his to shape how he liked, for better or worse. At this, the Creator chuckled.

"People outside of my own circles rarely care for my vision." the Creator responded, a smile upon his face now. "I have seen many worlds like this one, some of which I had a hand in their creation. For those I was involved in, I kept silent. But, within this world, I have my chance to show those that watch my machinations what I face, how I feel, as a human as well. And yet I know that because of this lack of care, no-one would really give any to my plight. They prefer those stories where I am silent, where their satisfaction is guaranteed, and I weave my work in patterns pleasing to them. Even now, I wonder if anyone will really see my true feelings, or even care if they should be shown."

Aki was silent. In the face of this, she had no answer.

"There's a reason I am called the Dark Creator, you know. Within this world, I paint this picture to my own tastes, and convey what I wish to convey to others." the Creator continued, his grin turning sinister. "For those willing to understand. For those that actually care about the pen behind the ink."

"For those that actually give a damn."