A/N: It's high time that I finally delve into writing fanfics for my fave series. I've been debating on what to make, and after seeing what others have been writing, I can see we all think alike in some ways.. Which has led me to this finalized idea!

Extended Summary: What if Subaru had run into a different cast on that fateful first day in the Capital? A runaway girl with a dark past, an annoyingly chivalrous knight and his shifty brother, and a deadly pink-haired demon… The world that we all know will be turned upside down as Subaru finds himself joining the Anastasia camp. With two candidates for the Royal Selection seemingly missing in action, how will the Kingdom fair? Especially when the wicked eyes of the Witch Cult are waiting in every shadow…

SPOILERS DISCLAIMER: I'm reading through Arc 5 in the LN and I've researched some stuff from beyond that, so there are possibly ideas or characters from that Arc and beyond in this fic. However, what you don't know won't hurt you, to be fair! There will likely be some OCs as well, which will make it even harder to discern what's future canon and what's not(for Anime-only folks.)

I also haven't partaken in too many of the EX/side stories yet, so if anything conflicts, well… I'll figure it out!

Re:Zero - Guidance of the Everlasting Stars

"Hey.. Wait… This doesn't seem fake."

The sounds of footsteps and wagon wheels rolling along the stone pathways around Subaru filled his ears, his eyes squinting at the sudden sunlight filling his vision. All around him, strangers walked or rode past– Some certainly less Human than others. It was only moments ago that Subaru had been leaving the convenience store at night.. In fact, the bag was still in his hand, he realized, as well as his phone in his pocket.

The sight, the smell, the vibrant sounds of life… It could only mean one thing. His eyes widened and glittered with fleeting hope.

"T-This is totally real. Does this mean.. I've been transported into another wo–"

"Watch out–!"

His arms shooting upward as he yelled into the sky, Subaru was interrupted when someone suddenly bowled into him, a pointed elbow sharply digging into his side. He gasped and doubled over, catching his breath for a moment before turning to see who had just rudely crashed into him.

It was a child, or at least, they were a child's size. Wearing a dark hooded cloak, it was hard for Subaru to truly make them out, besides a single blue braid that was hanging out from the side. They only looked back slightly before rushing forward again with surprising speed for their size.

"Eh…" Subaru rubbed his side, wincing a bit. It was a ruder welcome than he had expected, but then again, if he really had been summoned to another world…

He gasped. C-Crap! Maybe that was the all-important NPC whose going to lead me into my big adventure!

Picking himself up, Subaru started to make chase through the crowd– This proved to be more difficult than the boy had imagined. After all, instead of Humans in his way, there were a lot of strange animal-like beings and large reptiles of sorts driving carriages. He nearly got run over several times as he fumbled and struggled, apologizing as he tried his best to keep up with the girl's fleeting self ahead of him.

I thought all that exercise would come in handy! But damn, maybe they've got some magic to help. Wait a second…

Subaru slid to a halt, kneeling and placing one hand on his forehead, his other hand outstretched towards his fleeing target.

"Hopefully this won't do too much damage, but… Let's give it a go! I'll awaken my magic potential right now!" After closing his eyes for a moment, he opened them and shouted confidently, "HUAHHHHH!"

As his loud exclamation echoed around, nothing happened at all. He garnered a few looks from those walking around him as he stood, looking down at his hand and scowling.

Maybe I need to find some sort of ancient master who'll teach me first? He wondered to himself.

WHOOSH! Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past him. He held on firmly to the convenience store bag in his right hand, nearly toppling over as he noticed something blur in his vision before disappearing down the street. He blinked in amazement, replaying it in his mind and realizing what he had just seen.

That was totally someone running super fast! Maybe… wind magic? Damn… He grinned and clenched his fists, feeling excitement growing in himself. If that hooded person was important, then I'll run into them again. That's the Hero's fate! But for now…

He turned his attention back to the busy street before himself. It would have been overwhelming for him to take in all the strange denizens of this new world, but then again, Subaru was quite familiar with these sorts of settings from all of the manga and anime he indulged in. This was just a classic case of an Isekai'd protagonist who would save the world from some impending doom they didn't know was coming.

"Okay!" Exclaiming to himself, Subaru decided on his first action: Finding a tavern or similar to gather information, and perhaps run into some kooky characters that would lead him in the right direction.

Chapter One

A Bright New World

Subaru, unfortunately, found nothing that he was searching for.

First, he ended up in a bar that seemed to despise the existence of Males as a whole. This resulted in a beating that he'd rather forget forever– Then, with his cheek still swollen from that assault, he stumbled into what he could only describe as a fancy restaurant, but one that only seemed to allow strange creatures inside… From what he could see and feel, it had a very calming aura about it, until the man at the front produced some sort of magic to blast Subaru back out the front door when he gawked for too long.

"Dammit… Where's my protagonist privilege?!" Frustrated, Subaru found himself in an area of the city where many market stalls were present. Approaching one that seemed to hold a variety of familiar fruits and vegetables. The language of the signage, just like the places he had visited earlier, were unreadable to him. Luckily he had garnered that spoken language wasn't an issue, based on the hurled insults the women of before had thrown his way.

The man behind the stall was quite well built, with his chest, stomach and arm muscles showing as he stood with a confident grin, the white scarring on his face and piece of twine between his teeth making Subaru think of him as 'at least slightly more than a minor NPC.'

"Boy, who the hell beat you up this early in the day," the man questioned, raising an eyebrow to him. "Guessing from those clothes that you must be a traveller."

Choosing to not recall his previous blunders, nor to explain his tracksuit that indeed was probably strange to this new world, he pointed to the red fruit before him. "What are those?"

"Those are Appas."

Appas…? The thought of a particular red fruit called 'Apples' back on Earth came to mind. The similarity was uncanny, but then again, so was the fact that he could speak to these people. He reached into his pocket and produced a few yen coins, to which the man scoffed.

"What kind of money is that? You can't use that here," the seller said with the wave of his hand. Then he seemed to become angered, leaning in closer. "Does that mean you're flat broke huh–"

As the man reached out towards Subaru to likely push him away from his stall, a hand suddenly landed on Subaru's shoulder from behind. He froze up, slowly looking back at the stranger behind him, clad in a white, black, and red uniform that stuck out incredibly. He was tall, with violet hair and yellow eyes that, while calm and friendly, seemed to hold a fierceness within them.

"Apologies," they spoke politely, letting go of Subaru's shoulder. "I must ask you about somebody you encountered earlier."

"Someone I…" Subaru thought back to the girl who had collided into him seconds after he arrived in the world. He grinned a bit, chalking it up to fate and internally thinking all the anime and other media he had consumed over the years. "Oh right, that girl! Er… What about her?"

The man took a step back and placed a hand to his chest, bowing politely towards Subaru. "I shall begin by introducing myself– I am Julius Juukulius, a member of the Royal Guard. I have been tasked with seeking a lost item that the girl in question has taken. Could you aid me in this effort, Mr…?"

"Subaru. Natsuki Subaru," he said, unable to help his smirk as a plan came to mind. This is gonna get me a head start in this world! I'll show you all, he thought as he petilly recalled his failures thus far. He turned towards the Appa salesman, waving a hand nonchalantly at him. "I was just in the middle of bartering for some Appas here, so I'm not sure if I've got the time."

"Bartering?" Julius looked towards the seller, who had a trained look of annoyance on his face as he gazed at Subaru. "I see."

Subaru watched with barely-hidden enjoyment as Julius produced some unfamiliar coins from his person and held them out towards the salesman. The man looked at them, then at Julius, then at Subaru, as if conflicted.

"What's the matter, sir? Is this money not accepted in Lugunica?"

"Cheeky bastard," the man grumbled as he accepted the coins and handed over a small sack of several Appas to Subaru, the boy taking it happily.

"Thank you, Mr Salesman man. And to you.. Er…" He rubbed the back of his head. The knight before him gave him a gentle smile.

"Julius," he reminded him.

"Right! Sorry sorry, I'm a bit out of it," Subaru said nonchalantly, waving a hand dismissively. "So, what do you need to ask? Ask away!"

"If you will accompany me, we can walk and discuss the matter," Julius said with another, smaller bow. Subaru did it back, walking on with the knight at his side.

Despite the hectic first experiences he had so far, Subaru appreciated how alive the city seemed to be. He wondered just what the rest of the world was like, and although he was almost certain he was destined to be the Hero of the world, he almost hoped that there was no impending apocalypse or war. A peaceful life in another world did sound pretty comfy, after all.

"The girl in question is a dangerous individual, despite her age," Julius began. "Do you know much of her, Mr. Subaru?"

"Hey hey, cut it out with the 'Mister' stuff. Shouldn't I be calling you something regal because of your status, Sir Julius?" Subaru chuckled nervously and hook his head. "I only had a brief interaction with her before she darted off. She was pretty damned fast."

"Indeed," Julius agreed. "It is lucky that my spirit can carry me along the wind much faster."

Ignoring what sounded like a boast, Subaru stopped in mid bite of one of the Appas he was carrying and shot a surprised look at Julius. "T-That was you! Someone tore past me on the street earlier!"

The violet haired man nodded. "Yes, that was I. I must inquire about you, M…" He paused as he nearly stated 'Mister' again. "Subaru."

"Hm? Oh, right, I bet my clothes and my accent and everything are pretty weird huh," Subaru said, rubbing the back of his head and laughing. However, when he looked over to Julius again, he was surprised to find no trace of humor in the mans firm gaze now. "...Eh?"

"Tell me, what is your connection to the Assassin Organization," the knight spoke, his right hand already grasping at the saber on his left hip. Subaru gazed at the black-and-gold hilt Julius was grasping, then took a step back, waving his hands in front of himself.

"H-Hey, you got the wrong idea here! Assassins? Do I look like that kind of guy?"

Julius didn't let up, pressing further by taking a step towards Subaru. "As a member of the Royal Guard, it is my duty to inquire. If you have nothing to hide, then you shall be freed immediately."

Freed…?

Subaru finally looked around at their surroundings. Somehow, they had ended up in an alleyway… But when? The only thing he remembered was taking in the sights of the city street, then talking to Julius for a short time, and then…

What kind of crazy magic does this guy have? He's bad news… Subaru gulped, holding up his hands innocently still.

"I'll tell you whatever you want, alright? But I literally have no informa–"

In a quick movement, the blade left Julius' side, and he swung it in a horizontal movement that severed the plastic sack in Subaru's hand. He gasped, watching as its contents spilled to the ground at his feet. The cup ramen and the bag of chips he had purchased, as well as a small leather sack that spilled colorful gems around–

What-what-what?!

"T-That's not mine, I swear!" As Subaru exclaimed that, he realized just how much more suspicious it made him sound. Thinking about what Julius had told him for a moment, he came to a single conclusion that must have occurred. "T-That girl… If she's an assassin or something, then she must've–"

"Silence," Julius spoke firmly, sheathing his elegant saber once more. He held up his other hand, and Subaru watched in amazement as small glowing orbs began to circle above his palm. Subaru was tempted to ask what it was, but the situation certainly left him with only one real option– "Do not try it."

Subaru, shocked that Julius could read his intention to run, watched as the six glowing orbs began to flutter towards him. They started to orbit around Subaru, and he began to panic a bit, swiping at them, but finding himself unable to catch them.

"As a member of Lugunica's Royal Guard, I am taking you in under suspicion of thievery of valuable items from the Hoshin Household," Julius stated firmly. "If you attempt to flee, my spirits shall detain you accordingly. Please come with me without any struggle."

Damn, have I really gotten myself into something this bad already? Am I just gonna rot in some dungeon? Or maybe that's where I'll meet an old wizard to teach me magi–

Subaru's fleeting thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a shadow looming behind Julius. His eyes widened and he reached out a hand towards the knight.

"Look out–"

Julius spun around quickly, but not quite quick enough. He raised his left arm in defense as some sort of small doglike creature leaped out and bit into his wrist, its eyes glowing red as it sank its surprisingly long fangs into him. With his right hand, he began to unsheath his blade, but the shadowy figure that Subaru had saw struck first.

The girl that Julius had been questioning Subaru about dug a dagger up into Julius' stomach. The knight gritted his teeth, bringing up his blade in a quick movement that probably could have bisected the young girl, but she managed to barely jump backwards in time to avoid it, leaving her small blade in her target. The creature that was latched to Julius let go and jumped back to land in the girl's arms, her hood fluttering off her head and showing her in full for the first time.

She was, as Subaru had suspected, a child. Her blueish hair, fair skin, and olive-green eyes were certainly unique compared to even the strangest people Subaru had seen in this new world. A pink flower ornament with a white outline was adorned to the left side of her head, and Subaru almost would have called her cute if it wasn't for the dangerous showing of skill he was witnessing from her.

"You truly are an Assassin," Julius spoke through gritted teeth as he tore the dagger out of himself and sent it clattering to the ground, motioning with his free hand, the spirits leaving Subaru and returning to him. "Waiting for the right moment to strike from the shadows. A very cowardly and dastardly move."

"Hmph. I hate that you're still getting in my way," the girl spat. "You chased me all the way to the Capital.. So creepy!"

The small dog beast in her arms yapped as if to back her up.

"Kua," Julius spoke.

The small blue orb, which Subaru now knew was a 'spirit' as Julius had said earlier, moved down towards the wound in Julius's stomach. It began to emanate with energy, and while it was impossible to see from Subaru's angle, he was still amazed.

"Is that like..Healing magic? Nice… Wait a second…" Subaru shook his head, speaking to himself under his breath. "This isn't something I want any part of! This guy was about to totally ruin everything!"

The small girl glanced past her opponent towards the ground where the bag of gems had been spilt out. She scowled, looking up at Subaru's dumbfounded expression.

"I couldn't have picked a worse person to use," she muttered, loud enough for the boy to hear.

"M-Me?!" Subaru pointed to himself. "I didn't want to get caught up in your crap, little girl!"

"Subaru," Julius spoke, the glow starting to fade from him as he stood firm, taking up a stance with his blade. "If you do indeed value your life, I would stay back and allow me to handle this." Stepping towards the girl, he stated calmly: "I am the Spirit Knight Julius Juukulius of the Royal Guard. Your wicked actions shall end here."

"Hmph…" The girl smirked slightly, not letting up on her battle ready position. "Meili Portroute of the Assassin Organization– I don't care what some dumb knight thinks."

"So you have some training in dueling etiquette, but your demeanor certainly needs a lot of work," Julius spoke, a small smirk appearing on his face that Subaru couldn't see. The boy watched as the six spirits Julius possessed encircled around him and moved up his blade, causing it to glow bright white, making Subaru shield his eyes from its radiance.

What the… This guy's not screwing around! Taking a few steps backwards, Subaru nearly couldn't take his eyes off the spectacle, watching as various glowing colors began to swirl around Julius. Ahead of him, the Assassin Meili seemed to be less confident than before. He wasn't sure if it was right for a young girl like her, despite her occupation, to be slain like this. But what the hell can I do about it? I just gotta hope that Julius holds back a bit.. In the meantime…

Steeling his resolve, Subaru turned and began to run, thankful for being given this chance– Only to see someone standing at the other end of the alleyway waiting for him. He slid to a halt, glaring at the slender boy before him, whose familiar violet hair and yellow, slanted eyes guaranteed one thing:

He must be with that Julius guy! Dammit…

Trapped between what was surely a death battle behind him and a newcomer in front of him, Subaru made his decision– He ran straight towards the boy ahead of him, judging that he maybe was less of a threat. His garb looked more like that of a butler than anything… But then again, there was a young girl back behind him who could probably kill him in a flash, so looks were deceiving here.

"You won't stop my stride, bastard!" Subaru reared a fist back, and to his surprise, the boy seemed to give in immediately, flinching and retreating. It made him feel so bad that he withheld his punch and stumbled past, rounding the corner and leaving the alleyway. "Well, that was easy… Now I guess I'm a damned fugitive, huh?"

The wind oddly seemed to pick up around him as Subaru took a second to catch his breath, putting a hand on the cool stone of the wall a few buildings away from where the fight was happening.

Do I leave this city behind entirely? That seems like a good play, but… He looked down at the bag of appas he was still clutching. I'll just starve to death eventually out in the wilds! Who knows what kind of crazy crap is out the–

SWOOSH! A particularly powerful gust hit Subaru, causing him to stagger–

"Eh…?" His world began to turn, before he fell over to the ground… Well, part of him did, anyway.

Blinking in confusion, Subaru watched from the floor as his own headless body collapsed over, the bag of appas he had held onto spilling out. His vision began to fade and his thoughts started to cease as crimson liquid pooled beneath him, matching the red of those delicious appas that had just gone to waste…

Subaru had died within a few hours of his arrival in Lugunica.

Subaru blinked, staring at the outstretched Appa that the salesman was holding towards him.

"What's up, boy? Were you lookin' to buy something or what," the man inquired. "Hm..?"

For a moment, Subaru could only stare at the man, then down at the Appa. After a second, it came back to him– He had just asked what it was, right?

"Ah, uh… I'm…" He was clutching the coins in his pocket. "Kinda broke."

"Broke huh? Then get the hell out of here! You're interrupting my business," the salesman yelled, raising his fist accusingly.

"Alright! Alright!" Subaru exclaimed twice as he backed away, sighing and rubbing his head. Something felt off, like he had been daydreaming or something. He certainly was still in this new, strange world. Lugunica it had been called… But wait, when did he learn that? It was after the man denied his coins, but… That didn't–

A hand came to rest on Subaru's shoulder, stopping him. He slowly looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening at the person he saw there.

"Apologies," they spoke politely, letting go of Subaru's shoulder. "I must ask you about somebody you encountered earlier."

Julius Juukulius gave a small smile as he politely bowed towards Subaru, the black-haired boy feeling a certain sense of impending doom as he gazed upon the violet-haired man, strange, hazy memories filling his vision, as if the man was going to behead him right then and there in one swift motion.

"Julius," Subaru said softly. This seemed to surprise the knight for a moment, his polite appearance turning to be a bit more stern.

"Yes… I am surprised you know my name. Without need for an introduction then, may I inquire about your own?"

Subaru's eyes naturally moved down towards Julius' blade at his hip. The man hadn't made any attempt to reach for it at all, so why did Subaru feel scared? Why could he clearly envision Julius doing so? It was like dozens of dazzling stars could be seen floating around the violet-haired knight, yet Subaru knew it was merely a hallucination.

Whatever was going on, he didn't like it one bit. It was way too confusing for this sort of plot. Surely this would just be some lazily written adventure story with lots of cute girls and no twists and turns, right?

Something clicked in Subaru's mind, a memory of sorts. He slowly raised the plastic bag in his hand and opened it, gazing down at the unfamiliar, small leather sack within it next to the items he had purchased from the convenience store. His hands began to tremble a bit, and he could see from his peripheral vision that Julius had started to reach towards the blade at his side…

Subaru was quickly realizing that this was not the fairytale Isekai adventure that he had expected. On the contrary, this was going to be a struggle— But he couldn't even imagine yet just how difficult it could become...

To Be Continued…

Next Chapter: Tame the Beast

A/N: How was that for a start? The crux of this entire thing is Meili Portroute and her relationship to the story and the Assassin Organization, something that deviates from canon that you'll all learn soon enough. This change causes a rippling effect, which is readily apparent by how this whole chapter has played out, and will bring a new version of the Re:Zero story to fruition!

Of course, there will be secrets and reasonings behind characters diverging in this story, just be patient and I hope I can deliver a nice buildup. All the beloved favorites will be in this story no matter where Subaru goes, just some will be in the spotlight more!

Make sure to leave a review to tell me what you think thus far! Signing off!