Death Isn't Your Enemy, I am Your Friend
Chapter 1
"Death is not the end; it is merely a new beginning away from life's struggles. I might be Death, but I am not your enemy. But more importantly, I am your friend."
Unknown Location
"A-are you sure they want to see me?" A beautiful lady with blonde hair, pale white skin, and blue eyes asked. Her hands were clasped together as she looked everywhere except the path before her.
If one were to ask someone else what they thought about the lady, they would pretty much give similar answers. And that would be that the lady looked like anyone else they might meet with nothing special about her, although some would question her choice of clothing as it seemed ancient in a sense. Yet, despite that, most would say she also looked gorgeous. Even the one walking next to her would agree with that statement. However, those with keen eyes would be on edge or worried for the lady when they spotted the areas of her skin that were deathly white with red and black veins crossing those spots. Some might assume the lady was sick or had an accident. Yet, those who knew the true history of the world of Remnant or were part of some groups would recognize those spots and who the lady was.
"I'm positive, Salem. They have been wanting to meet with you ever since that fateful day." Her... friend and acquaintance assured her.
"I-It's just that-"
"Don't worry, Salem. They know. But they still want to see you. You might not be able to hear them that well, but I can. They are excited to finally be reunited with you." Her acquaintance said, placing their hand on her shoulder. And even though they had known each other for months, Salem was still surprised that her friend was not a skeleton as she had initially thought after reading all those stories.
'They are not at all what I expected. But I'm glad they gave me this opportunity. And a way to become my old self again and free me from this curse.' Salem thought as she looked at her arms. It felt almost surreal for her to be able to see human skin and not the 'One' she took on after being cursed and diving head-first into a Grimm pool. Even the spots that still remained were quickly fading with each passing second. 'I should find a way to repay him one day.'
"We're here." Her friend said, snapping Salem from her thoughts.
Looking up, Salem saw a stream of clouds and other things slowly filling the area. But the one thing that stood out immediately was how it was all colourless. Yet that all changed. The colour of the surrounding trees, bushes, ground, and even sky slowly faded while the colourless clouds gained mesmerizing colours. The scenery was beyond words. However, what caught Salem's attention and made tears fall down her cheeks were the four figures in the distance who were smiling at her. Unable to control herself, Salem ran to the figures, who grew more excited the closer she got. Meanwhile, her acquaintance chuckled and smiled at the sight. While the job could take an emotional toll, these moments made it all worth it.
"I should give them a moment." The figure said before turning around and heading to another spot where he was needed to guide the souls to the afterlife.
Beacon Academy
A Few Months Ago
"-in the end, everyone will eventually die; just give them time. But do not fear the Reaper. He is not your enemy. He is a friend, a messenger, sent to bring you to your new beginning in the life after." Jaune Arc read before closing the book he was reading. Smiling, he set it to the side of the bench he was sitting on. Breathing in, he looked up and smiled at the beautiful day that Life had given to all things of Remnant.
"ZWEI! GET BACK HERE!" The voice of Ruby Rose shouted as she chased after her dog, who was somehow faster than Ruby, while she used her semblance.
"EEP!" Velvet Scarlatina shouted when her partner, Coco Adel, slapped her ass. Granted, while some might find it rude, Velvet knew it was just her girlfriend's way of showing affection.
"AND WE THEN FOUGHT OFF A GIANT-NO! A MASSIVE NEVERMORE AND BEOWULF!" Nora shouted, smiling, as she told her latest 'adventure' to some kids in front of her. The kids were part of a program that brought kids who wanted to become future huntsmen to an academy to see what it was like. Beside Nora was her partner, Lie Ren, who was smiling at the kids' joyful expressions. And even though he knew half the things Nora was saying were not true or slightly inaccurate, he couldn't bring himself to correct her when he saw how ecstatic the kids were.
'I'm glad they are all enjoying life despite some of their struggles.' Jaune thought, smiling.
"HEY! LET ME GO!" Someone shouted. Turning to where it came from, Jaune let out a disappointed sigh at what he saw.
"HA! What are you going to do about it, Faunus." Cardin of Team Crdl mocked before yanking on the antlers of the poor deer faunus they were bullying. The rest of his team was behind him, joining him in his bullying. However, because they were so focused on harassing the poor deer faunus, they failed to see the rest of her fourth-year team slowly approaching them with their weapons out.
'Sometimes I wish I could take some earlier than they are supposed to.' Jaune thought. However, those thoughts went away when another of Life's creations rubbed against his leg. "Oh, hello, little bunny. What are you doing here? I wish I had some lettuce or something to give you."
Smiling, Jaune leaned down and picked up the bunny. Bringing it up to his face, Jaune realized that it belonged to the species called the Lop, which was one of Life's later creations. Putting it in his lap, he began to pet it, which the Lop seemed to immensely enjoy. And not for the first time, Jaune was glad that he learned long ago how to interact with things that were full of life and didn't drain them. Placing the Lop beside him, Jaune continued petting it while enjoying the day. But his attention snapped back down when he felt 'something else' 'touched' his legs. Looking back down, Jaune gave a reassuring smile to his new 'visitors.'
"Some kits." Jaune said, looking down at the baby bunnies. But what made these kits different from the one next to him was the fact that he could only see their outlines. Moreover, despite some students occasionally walking nearby, they could only see the Lop beside Jaune. But they wondered why it was looking down at his feet. Reaching down to them, he started petting each of them while turning to the Lop. "I take it they are yours."
The Lop moving toward the edge of the bench to look down at the kits was all the answer Jaune needed.
"Don't worry. It might be their time, but I won't take them yet. Spend a little more time with them. I won't separate a mother from her children until they are all ready to move on."
Picking the Lop up, Jaune placed her on the ground where the ghost kits surrounded their mother. And despite not being there physically, Jaune could tell the mother felt her children hugging her. After a moment, they all bounded away as Jaune watched them. While some find it irresponsible, he knew they would return when they were ready. But Jaune's attention snapped away from the mother and her children when he heard some very familiar yelling.
"TEAM CRDL! ELARA! BEADU! ALTAN! MY OFFICE! NOW!" Glynda Goodwitch shouted, scaring all nearby students.
She didn't even give them a chance to answer before turning around and heading to her office. But both teams knew better than to disobey Ms. Goodwitch. Yet, Team Crdl still smiled and chuckled at how they harassed the poor faunus student. But they went silent when Altan used his sword to cut off their hair in one strike. Yet, before they could retaliate or say anything, they went stiff when Glynda used her semblance to lift them off the ground and restrict their movement. However, what caught Jaune's attention was how the fourth member of the fourth-year team wasn't with them. Looking around, he spotted her nearby, crying at the base of a tree. Not wanting anybody to be sad and figuring she could use some cheering up, Jaune got up and walked over to her. Although, he did slow his pace down slightly as he tried to remember her name. Thankfully, it came to him a second later.
"Hey, Clementia. Are you okay?" Jaune asked, sitting next to her.
"Y-yeah. I-I'm fine." Clementia answered, trying to hold back her tears. "J-just allergies."
"You don't have to hide it, Clementia. Let it all out. It is okay to cry. I won't judge you."
"Y-yeah, because I can skin you alive before you can even blink."
"Not even because of that, which you could totally do." Jaune chuckled. "But more importantly, I know what it's like to be bullied."
"I know. We've seen you having been bullied by Team Crdl before. But it was impressive that you finally stood up to them."
"Well, I wouldn't say impressive. It was just the right thing to do."
"Don't undersell yourself. It was impressive because you did something that everyone else would have just let happen."
'Which I don't like. But I can't say too much since it took me a while to do so.' Jaune thought. "Too bad it took me a while to do so. I could have spared Velvet and many others from their bully."
"True. But better late than never."
"Also, true." Jaune said, smiling. However, it went away when Clementine let out a choked sob.
"Why." She muttered. It was almost too quiet for Jaune to hear.
"Why what?"
"Why must they bully us? Why do they pick on me? I didn't even choose to be like this."
"I know. No one gets to choose who or what they are. They are born the way they are. And I wish I could say, Clementine. I honestly wish I knew the answer to why some people do the things they do. But after everything I have seen, the closest I could say is that they fail to see the beauty others have. And Team Crdl is one of the worst I have seen here. They are entirely blind to your beauty and the beauty other faunus students have."
"Wow. That was one hell of a cheesy pickup line." Clementine said, chuckling, momentarily forgetting what happened.
"Yeah. It was cheesy as hell, but it wasn't a pickup line." Jaune agreed before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a tissue, and handing it to Clementine.
"Thanks... Uh... sorry, what was your name again?"
"Jaune."
"Thanks, Jaune." Clementine said before using the tissue to wipe away the tears and blow her nose. "But what did you mean by failing to see our beauty? Cause I know you're not talking about our physical beauty."
"We all have a beauty in us, Clementine. A beauty that makes the world shine just that much brighter. And each one is unique to each of us. But unfortunately, some just can't see it. And even more so, some have darkened their beauty so that there is nothing left." Jaune explained, recalling all the people he had to help cross over. A lot of them were pure souls that he had the pleasure of guiding them to the afterlife. However, there was the occasional soul that was so dark that he was glad they were no longer among the living. Jaune knew he shouldn't feel like that and be a friend to all souls, regardless of their actions, yet he couldn't help it.
"Well, that's one way to look at it. And in a sense, you're right. Everyone has a beauty inside them, with some being brighter than others. But some are as dark as night." Clementine said.
"Which is unfortunate. And Team Crdl is one of them. I don't like denying people what they want to do with their lives, but I don't think they should become huntsmen."
"Me neither. Quite honestly, I think they would do more harm than good."
"And not just to the Huntsmen's name and reputation." Jaune added before sighing. "But still. Regardless of how dark their souls are, you should just ignore whatever they do or say. If they fail to see your beauty, then it's on them since they are missing out."
"Are you sure you're not trying some cheesy pickup lines?" Clementine asked, smirking, causing Jaune to roll his eyes but smile nonetheless.
"What I'm saying is to not pay attention to them. They are just one small annoyance in a world that's filled with amazing wonders, like your teammates. You have great teammates and great friends who care for you, like family. And you even have that special someone."
"Wait." Clementine said, eyes going wide. "How did you-"
"I saw you two hanging out and kissing each other while I was out in Vale. Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."
"Alright. But if I even suspect that you told others, oh, ho, ho, not even the Brothers themselves can save you."
'Well... I doubt they even would if they could. And that is if you could even harm me since I am what I am.' Jaune thought. "I know. But Arc's promise, I won't tell anyone."
"Good."
"Anyway. Just focus on the good, and don't be ashamed of who you are. Life's too short, too amazing, and too beautiful to focus only on the bad, regret what we haven't done, or wish things were different."
"You're right. I shouldn't dwell on what I wish was different, things I hadn't done, or what others think about me. I should focus on what I have." Clementine said before taking out her scroll when it alerted her to a message she got. And while Jaune couldn't see what it said, he knew it was good when Clementine smiled. "And what I have is pretty great."
"See. Just focus on the good and enjoy it while you can because you never know when it's going to be gone." Jaune said. "Although, I doubt anyone would mind if you kicked anyone's ass who is harassing you or others. And I'm sure none of the faculty would say anything to you doing that."
"True, since Glynda didn't do anything when Team CFVY beat the ever-loving crap out of Team CRDL." Clementine said, smiling, as she answered the message before putting away her scroll. "Thanks, Jaune."
"You're welcome, Clementine."
*RRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG*
"Well, that's the bell. I better get to class. I need to take notes for Peach's class since we have a test coming up, and the rest of my team will need the notes." Clementine said as they stood up. "See you."
"See you." Jaune said as Clementine left. Once she was out of sight, Jaune looked around and enjoyed the scenery. But his attention shifted when the Lop from before approached him with her kits following behind her. "Hey, guys. Are you ready to go?"
The kits looked toward their mother, who gave a slight nod to them in return. They all 'snuggled' into their mother once more before moving to Jaune's feet. Kneeling, he gave each of them a reassuring pet that told them everything would be okay. Looking back at the Lop, Jaune could tell she was still uncertain about the whole thing.
"Don't worry. They will be safe. I'll take good care of them. And they will be waiting for you until it's your time."
This seemed to ease the apprehension in the Lop's eyes as she went up and rubbed her nose against Jaune's hand. He gave her a pat before letting her do the same to each of her children before hopping away. Once she was out of sight, Jaune turned back to the kits.
"Okay, little ones. Follow me. And don't worry. Everything will be okay." Jaune said before guiding the kits to their new life. But he did chuckle when they asked him to carry them, which he gladly did.
One Hour Later
"Well, that was a fun time." Nora said as she and Ren snuggled together on their bed, watching a movie.
"It was, even though only half of what you said was true." Ren added, earning an eye roll from his girlfriend.
"It would have been better if the older kids didn't constantly swarm me for autographs or give me those creepy looks." Pyrrha said, disgusted. However, she smiled when Jaune gave her a chocolate bar. But it wasn't just any chocolate bar. It was her favorite brand that was exclusive to Mistral. "Thanks, Jaune."
"You're welcome, Pyr." Jaune said before heading to his bed. Despite what most might think, there were times when he could take breaks. He wasn't working 24/7. "So, we have the rest of the day off. Anyone has any plans?"
"I do have a meeting with Ozpin and Glynda at the end of the month. But aside from that and our usual tasks, I would say no." Pyrrha answered.
"Do you know for what?" Ren asked.
"No. They just said I would have to meet with them to discuss something important."
"What about you two?" Jaune asked, turning to Ren and Nora.
"Nothing today. But Renny is taking me out on a date this Sunday." Nora answered.
"That's nice."
"I'm glad you two are finally together." Pyrrha said, smiling.
"Me too." Nora said before hugging Ren so tightly that Pyrrha and Jaune could hear his bones crack a bit.
"But aside from that, we don't have any plans today or in the coming days." Ren said.
"Maybe we should do a team outing someday soon when we aren't too busy." Pyrrha suggested.
"Sure. That sounds like fun." Nora said.
"Should we invite Team Rwby or just keep it to us?" Jaune asked.
"I think we should keep it as a team bonding exercise. But it would technically be up to you, Jaune, since you're the leader." Pyrrha answered.
"Then I think we should keep it to our team only this time. But maybe next time, we can invite Team Rwby."
"Alright." The others said.
"But perhaps for today, we can watch a-" Pyrrha began.
*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*
"A Grimm alert." Ren said, worried.
"Does it say where?" Jaune asked.
"It's one of the outer villages." Nora answered.
"And it says it's a large group consisting of Ursa Major, Alpha Beowulf, and Boarbatusks." Pyrrha said, feeling worried for the people who will most likely die.
"What should we do?" Nora asked, torn. On the one hand, she wanted to drop everything, grab Magnhild, and find a bullhead that would take her to the village so she could help the people there. However, Nora knew that while she could take a good amount of them, she would get overrun. Not to mention, she wouldn't be able to protect everyone and guide them to safety while fending off a wave of Grimm.
*Ding*
'All First and Second Years report to the auditorium immediately. This is not a drill!'
"Hopefully, Ozpin has a plan." Pyrrha said as they all got up and headed to the auditorium. But while Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren exited the dorm, Jaune remained behind. He let out a heavy sigh before exiting the dorm as well. However, while the others went one way, he went the other.
Five Minutes Later
"Over here." Ruby Rose shouted, waving over Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren.
"Hey, guys." Yang said as the member of Team JNPR sat next to them.
"Hello, Team Rwby." Ren said.
"Did you guys also get the message about the Grimm attacking the village?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. It's sad to see all those lives lost." Nora said.
"I wish we could have done something, anything." Pyrrha added.
"Us too." Ruby said.
"Could Atlas have done anything?" Ren asked.
"No, I don't think so. Maybe if there was some warning or if Ironwood was allowed to put in some sensors near the village, then perhaps Atlas could have done something. But from what Winter told me recently, despite being the head of Atlas and on the Council, Ironwood has his hands tied. A lot are against helping any village if it is outside Atlas." Weiss answered.
"Damn. Still, like Pyrrha, I wish we or anyone could have done something to help the villagers." Blake said, with the others muttering in agreement.
"Hey. Where's Jaune?" Ruby asked, not seeing her best friend.
"What are you talking about? He's right... here." Nora began before trailing off when she didn't see her leader. "Where is he?"
"He was in the dorm when we got the message. Where could he have gone?" Ren asked.
"Perhaps the bathroom." Yang said.
"I doubt it."
"I'll go look for him." Pyrrha said, standing up. However, no sooner than she did, Glynda and Ozpin appeared on stage. Knowing she couldn't leave now, Pyrrha sat back down.
"Wow. Talk about timing." Ruby whispered.
"I just hope Jaune is okay."
"I'm sure he is. Arc might be dense-headed, but that doesn't mean he's an idiot." Weiss said.
"True." Pyrrha said, still worried. But her attention shifted back to Ozpin and Glynda when Ozpin tapped the mic.
"Let's get this meeting started." Ozpin said.
Meanwhile
"Oh, man. So much destruction." Jaune said as he approached the village the Grimm attacked. Even from far away, he could see the pillar of smoke rising from the village.
Sighing, Jaune quickened his pace until he reached the place. And once he arrived, he held back a wince at the destruction he saw. It was one of the worst he had seen in recent years. The buildings and houses were nothing but rubble, ash, or burning piles. All the vehicles were burning wrecks, and the fields the people used to grow their food were now burned beyond use. It would take at least one hundred years before the soil became fertile again. The streets would need to be repaved, all the underground pipes required extensive repairs, and the electrical poles had to be replaced entirely from the ground up. The place was utterly destroyed. There was nothing left salvaging. It would be better to just bulldoze the town and start from scratch or just abandon it altogether.
However, the sight that pulled at Jaune's heartstrings the most was the hundreds of dead bodies scattered all over the place. Blood covered the streets and soaked into the ground and remains of the sewers. In some spots, there was so much blood that the ground could not hold anymore.
"Well, time to get to work." Looking around, Jaune began to look around for the souls of the recently deceased. Luckily, most of them were in or near the spots where they died. Walking over to them, he slowed his pace and smiled when the first souls spotted him. "Hello, there."
'Hello.' A young girl innocently said.
'Um, hello. Who are you? What's happening? Where are we?' The mother asked as she held her daughter in her arms.
"I don't have a name. But the people of Remnant have given me lots of nicknames. Two you might be the most familiar with are Death and the Grim Reaper."
'THE REAPER!?' The mother asked, shocked and worried. But she calmed down when she took in his appearance. 'Wait. Is this a joke? You don't look like the Reaper. No offense.'
"None taken. I get that a lot. Yes, I look like a young adult to you. But in truth, I don't have a true form or appearance. The idea that I look like a skeleton is because skeletons are symbolic of death, representing the body after it has decayed."
'Oh. That makes sense. But why do you look like a young adult or kid?'
"There are several factors to that. But to keep it simple, it all depends on how you live your life. The better you live your life and the more... good you are, the more friendly and welcoming I look. However, the more evil you are, the more demonic I look."
'Again, that makes sense.' The mother said, taking it all in. 'So... we're dead, and you're here to take us to the afterlife.'
"Yup. Don't worry. It's not painful. Everything will be alright." Jaune assured.
'Will... will we still be together?'
"Of course. You might not be among the living anymore, but that does not mean you have been separated from others. You and your daughter will always be together in the afterlife."
'Thank you.' The mother said, smiling.
'Mommy. Can we still go on a walk later?' The daughter suddenly asked.
'Um. Sweety. I...' The mother began, but Jaune cut her off.
"Don't worry. There's no rush. Take your daughter on a walk one last time before we go. Then, if there's anything else you want to see or check, do it. And once you're done, head there to the remains of the statue across the street. I'll pick you up there to deliver you two and everyone else to the afterlife." Jaune said.
'Thank you.' The mother said, smiling. 'Come on, sweety. Let's go on the walk before we leave.'
'Okay, mom. Bye, Mr.' The daughter said before they left. Smiling, Jaune chuckled before turning around and heading to the following nearest souls.
Two Hours Later
'And that's the last of them.' Jaune thought as he led a brother and sister to the meeting place.
However, they were not the only ones Jaune was guiding. On his shoulders were an owl and a budgie. And in his arms, he was carrying two Guinea Pigs. Walking beside him were a red panda and a fox. Yet, the ones that made Jaune laugh were the chinchillas that were climbing all over his body. It did pain him to learn that some animals had died during the Grimm attack. Yet, they cheered him up once they realized he was feeling slightly down when he learned about their deaths.
"Okay. We're here." Jaune said as they arrived before letting the animals he was carrying down.
'Thank you for letting us visit our parents' graves one last time, Mr. Reaper.' The brother said.
"You're welcome."
'Will we see our parents again?' The sister asked.
"You will. They're actually waiting for you two right now."
'Really?'
"Yup."
"AWESOME!" The brother and sister shouted, causing Jaune to chuckle.
"Is everyone ready?" Jaune asked the other souls.
'Yes.' The other souls answered, smiling. While they were all initially scared or wanted to stay behind for a bit, they all ended up happy when Jaune assured them everything would be okay and that he would allow them to do one more thing one last time.
"Okay. Give me a moment, and we can get going."
'I'm really going to miss this place.' A young boy said.
'It might not have been as flashy as the Atlas Kingdom, but it had such a homey and cozy feeling to it.' A female faunus added.
'Too bad the Grimm destroyed it.' A mother said, looking over the destroyed homes.
'I wonder if life will ever return to the village.' A young girl said.
"It will if I have anything to say about it." A warm, new voice answered.
"Ah. Life. How lovely is it to see you again." Jaune said, smiling, as Life approached them. As usual, she was wearing her signature sun-yellow robe, her hairpin piece in the shape of a sun holding her night-coloured hair in a bun, with stars dancing in her hair. All this gave a beautiful contrast to her lavender skin. "How have you been?"
"It's great to see you too, Death. And I have been fine. What about you?" Life asked, smiling. It was a gentle smile that filled anyone who saw it with warmth.
"Alright, for the most part. Thankfully, your gift has helped me a lot mentally."
"That's great."
'Uh. Mr. Reaper. Who is this?' A young boy faunus asked, curious.
"This is Life. She is the inverse of me. Where I bring souls to the afterlife..." Jaune began.
"... I create life and ensure Remnant always has life on it. From the tiniest of animals." Life continued, holding up one hand to show a Paedophryne amauensis Frog. She then used her powers to give rise to a massive oak tree. "To the biggest of plants and trees."
'Wow.' The kids said, amazed.
'That's amazing.' An adult male said.
'So, life will return to this place?' A Father asked.
"Life will return. The soil will become fertile, and animals will come back as if this terrible tragedy never happened. But it is up to the rest of Remnant to decide what they want to do with the village." Life answered.
"But one thing is certain." Jaune said.
'What's that?' The brother and sister asked simultaneously.
"The people and memories of this village will never be forgotten. We will always remember you." Life and Jaune answered, smiling, causing everyone else to smile.
'Oh. Um. Mr. Reaper? Before we go, I have a question.' A young girl hesitantly asked.
"Yes, little one. What is it?" Jaune asked, kneeling before her.
'W-why is it that the tree and animal that life created are colourless?'
"That's a good question. It's also a question that Life once had. You see, the dead cannot perceive the colours of the living. And the living cannot see the colours of the deceased." Jaune began before nodding to Life. She nodded back and created a rose, an orchid, and a lotus before giving it to Jaune. He nodded his thanks before 'taking' the flowers' life. Their physical bodies wilted while their souls rose. And the colours they had were beyond words. "But that does not mean our world is colourless. It is full of colours that can leave anyone speechless."
'Wow.' Everyone said.
'They are so beautiful.' The young girl said.
"And there's more where that comes from." Jaune said as he put the souls into a pocket in his grey robes. "But now. It is time to go."
'Alright.' Everyone said.
One Hour Later
'It might not be the most pleasant, and you do seem some of the worst living creatures are capable of. But being able to reunite families and friends and free them from Remnant's rules makes it all worth it.' Jaune thought as he returned to the village after delivering the souls to the afterlife.
"Are you okay, Death?" Life asked, walking up to him.
"I'm alright, Life."
"That's good. But how's your mental health doing?"
"A lot better now. I have to thank you again for granting me the ability to walk among the living for brief periods of time. It certainly has helped me cope and handle some of the travesties the living beings of Remnant have done to each other."
"You're welcome, Death. I know it is hard dealing with all this." Life said before pulling Death into a hug. "While it is sad that all my creations will eventually die, I can take comfort that they will be in good hands. But you don't have a comfort like that."
"What are you saying, Life? I do have a comfort in this world."
"And what's that?"
"You, Life. While everything will die and I have to take them to the other side, I know that I can take comfort in the fact that this world will never be barren. It will always be full of the amazing, beautiful creations that you made."
"That's so cheesy. But thanks." Life said, rolling her eyes before they gained a mischievous glint to them as they separated. "But don't forget your creation from the time we temporarily switched roles."
"Hey. The platypus was a great creation."
"Death. The thing makes no sense. Not only do they break most laws of common sense, but somehow their fur glows bluish-green under ultraviolet light."
"That wasn't me. Or at least, not directly."
"Still. It's weird. But at least it's mostly friendly." Life said, chuckling. "Anyway. Do you have to head back now or guide others to the afterlife?"
"I don't have to go back for a while. And no souls need guidance right now. Contrary to what some people might say, I am not collecting souls 100% of the time."
"That's good that you have breaks. I would hate to see you burn yourself out."
"Thanks, Life. You're such a good friend." Death said, smiling.
"You're welcome. But since we have some time, how about we sit down and talk about your time among the living."
"Sure. There's a still somewhat intact bench nearby we could use." Death said, pointing to the bench. "And what would you like to talk about?"
"Well. There-" Life began.
*SSSSCCCRRREEEECCCCCHHHH!*
*BOOM!*
"To this day, I still wonder why the God of Darkness created the Grimm." Death said, staring off into the distance where they could barely make out the shape of a flying Nevermore.
"And why the God of Light never did anything about them or gave the people of Remnant a way to fight the darkness." Life added.
"Sometimes I feel like we were created just to clean up after their mess until the return to destroy Remnant once someone collects the relics."
"As much as I don't like speaking out against the creations of our creator, I feel the same."
"I just wish there was some way we could end all this needless suffering. I know war is inevitable, but still. Simple taking away one factor will spare everyone a lot of suffering."
"I know, Death. But there's not much we can do." Life said before turning to the horizon where the place the living nicknamed the Land of Darkness. "Even for her."
"But she's suffering, Life. The Brothers only knew the concept of suffering but never experienced it for themselves. And they only worsened her condition by putting this terrible curse on her. I wish I could end her suffering and possibly reunite her with her children."
"I know, Death. Trust me, I know. I wish she was no longer suffering, too. But what can we do? Maybe in the future, there would be something we could do to end her suffering. But for now, all we can do is watch."
"I know. And it pains me." Death sighed.
"It pains me too. But as soon as we find a way, which I'll help you find, we'll both help put an end to her suffering."
"Thanks, Life."
"You're welcome, Death. But now you must tell me about your time among the living." Life said, dragging him to the bench.
"Alright. Alright." Death said, chuckling. "Is there anything specific you want to know first?"
"What name did you choose?"
"It took me a while to find a suitable one. But I decided to take the name Jaune, which is the male equivalent name of Joan. And I took the last name of Arc, which was just random."
"Are you sure it was random, and you did not just pick that martyr's name?"
"Actually, the martyr did not cross my mind at all when I was picking the name. It was only after when someone pointed it out that I realized it."
"Figures. It must have been awkward at first, especially when talking to others."
"Ha. That's an understatement. I was and still am socially awkward." Death laughed.
"I can imagine." Life laughed, enjoying the moment. It was rare that she and Death could have a moment together without their jobs getting in the way. It was what made her appreciate it even more, and she knew Death did so as well.
Notes:
Just an idea I had that wouldn't leave my head.
One-shot or potential two-shot.