Author's Note: Hello and welcome readers, both old and new, to my RWBY one-shot multiverse fic. Now that I've gotten two years of experience with the full-length film version, I have a feeling this fic will be better written. And since each chapter will introduce a new multiverse, the potential for creativity is even greater.
Anyway, without further ado, read, enjoy, and don't forget to review. And, as usual, if any mistakes are made, point them out for me and I'll fix them.
Beacon Academy
It was a bright, sunny, Saturday afternoon at Beacon academy.
Most of the students and staff were enjoying their day off and chatting eagerly about the upcoming Vytal tournament only a month away. The chance to show off their martial prowess to the rest of Remnant was especially appealing to the aspiring huntsmen and huntresses. But, besides that, it was just a typical day...
...except for a certain group of people, the day would be anything but typical.
High up within his office in Beacon Tower, Headmaster Ozpin was discussing plans for the Vytal tournament with Professor Glynda Goodwitch and General James Ironwood.
In the teacher's lounge, Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck were chatting amongst themselves over some coffee, excited for their upcoming roles as announcers for the tournament.
Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias were playing a fantasy styled strategy game in the library, and the latter was winning.
"Boom! I just destroyed your right flank!" Neptune said, feeling victory was close.
"Awww, man! I hate this game!" Sun complained.
"Shhh!" the librarian angrily shushed the two boys from the front desk.
"Sorry," Sun and Neptune said nervously.
Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina had just gotten back from shopping and were trying on their new outfits in their dorm room.
"It's not from the old shop we lost during the breach, but it'll do for a replacement," Coco commented on her new sunglasses while she preened in front of a mirror.
"I'll say," Velvet agreed with her partner as she admired herself in a new jacket she bought.
Team JNPR was split up, engaged in different activities. Jaune and Pyrrha were sparring on the rooftop, the former slowly but surely making progress, much to the latter's pride.
In the dorm room, Nora was baking a batch of pancakes while Ren was brewing some tea to go with it, planning to share it with Jaune and Pyrrha when they returned.
Nora licked her lips fervently as she added syrup to the pancakes. "You, Jaune, and Pyrrha are gonna love this batch!"
"Go easy on the syrup, Nora," Ren cautioned as he carefully brewed the tea.
Nora gasped and pointed at Ren. "Blasphemy! You can never have too much syrup!" she cried.
Ren sighed at Nora's dramatic response but couldn't hide a half-smile at his partner's antics.
Nora calmed down and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," she said meekly as she scratched the back of her head.
Ren cleared his throat. "Anyway, I hope you're as excited for the tournament as I am," he said as he carefully poured the tea into a row of cups.
"Absolutely! With Pyrrha on our side and Fearless Leader in charge, we're sure to kick butt and take names!" Nora said with her fists raised.
Just then, Nora received a text message on her scroll. She fished it out of her pocket and opened the message. A puzzled look crossed her face as she examined it…
Meanwhile, right across the hallway, Team RWBY was also hanging back in their dorm room. Yang was listening to music on her scroll, Weiss was filing her nails, Blake was reading a... questionable book [1], and Ruby was making some minor adjustments to her beloved Crescent Rose with an excited grin on her face.
Yang muted her music. "Gearing up for the tournament sis?" she asked with a smile.
"Heck yeah!" Ruby said as she caressed her weapon. "I can hardly wait to show off my baby to the rest of the world."
Yang giggled while Blake and Weiss smiled in amusement at their leader's quirkiness.
"Oh yeah! I know we're gonna do great!" Yang said enthusiastically with a fist pump.
"You asked JNPR if they wanted to practice later today, right?" Weiss asked her partner.
"Mm-hmm," Ruby nodded. "They're up for it after lunch. And-" her scroll's message notification went off. "Hold on."
She picked it up and found a text message sent by an unknown contact. Curious, she opened the message. It contained a picture of a golden emblem with a cloaked man on engraved it. Accompanying the picture was a text that read: press the emblem and experience the multiverse.
"What's this?" Ruby questioned aloud.
"What's what, sis?" Yang asked, turning to face her sister.
"I just got some weird text. Check it out," Ruby answered, showing the message to her sister.
Yang hopped down from her bunkbed and climbed up to examine Ruby's message. She was about to comment on it when she received a message on her own scroll. She checked her scroll and cocked her brow. "Huh. That's weird. So did I."
"And me," Weiss added, holding her scroll.
"Me too," Blake finished.
Each member of RWBY dropped what they were doing to stare in puzzlement at their scrolls.
Yang arched her brow. "Experience the multiverse?" she said slowly, not comprehending.
"Who sent these messages?" Blake questioned, not recognizing the number.
Weiss waved her hand dismissively. "Forget about it. It must be some troublemaker playing a prank," she claimed.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Ruby declared as she pressed on the emblem.
Weiss sighed. "Don't be a dunce, Ruby. It's gotta be-"
Before Weiss could finish, a bright yellow light enveloped Ruby, and, in an instant, she vanished, the light fading away. The room was dead silent for a few seconds as the three girls stared in befuddlement at the bed Ruby once occupied.
"Ruby!" Yang screamed as she leaped up to the bed and swept her hands over to the sheets her sister once laid upon, frantically looking around for her. "Where did she go?!"
"She just...vanished into thin air!" Blake said in disbelief.
"B-but that's impossible!" Weiss exclaimed.
Yang was about to retort Weiss' words when there came a sharp knock at their door. Groaning slightly, Weiss got up to answer it. Standing outside was Ren, looking very anxious.
"Ren? What's the matter?" Weiss asked gently.
"Nora just disappeared, that's the matter!" Ren answered frantically.
Yang hopped down from Ruby's bunk. "She's not the only one. Ruby just disappeared too!" she informed, much to Ren's surprise.
Just then, Jaune and Pyrrha returned from the rooftop and came jogging down the hallway towards Ren. "We got your text, Ren. What happened to Nora?" Pyrrha asked.
"You said she went missing," Jaune added with worry.
"That's right," Ren confirmed with a nod. "She got a text message from an unknown sender with a link attached. When she clicked on it, she disappeared in a flash of light."
Jaune and Pyrrha exchanged glances. "You mean this one, Ren?" Jaune asked as he showed his scroll, the golden emblem on it.
"Yes! That's it," Ren said before turning to Yang. "Did you guys get it too?"
"Yeah. And when Ruby clicked on that token, she vanished."
Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha all filed inside the room. The six students stood in a circle while staring at their scrolls, all showing the emblem from the messages they received. They were wary and uncertain on how to handle the situation.
"So, what should we do?" Weiss asked. "Should we report this to the headmaster?"
"That sounds like a good idea," Jaune agreed with a nod.
Yang shook her head. "You guys report this to Ozpin. I'm going after Ruby!" she declared, holding up her scroll.
"I'm not sure that's wise" Ren cautioned, even though he contemplated going after Nora the same way.
"Ren's right, Yang. You have no idea where that link will take you," Blake agreed out of concern for her partner.
Yang's resolve didn't diminish. "I don't care. She could be in danger and I'm going after her!"
Before anyone could stop her, Yang clicked on the link. The blonde brawler's vision turned bright yellow as the light engulfed her, as it did Ruby earlier...
A Pocket Dimension
Yang's vision cleared. She blinked, then looked from side to side, taking in her new surroundings, a look of confusion on her face.
"What the…?"
She was standing in what appeared to be a small movie theater. Three rows of red, leather reclining seats with built in trays sat in the center of the room, totaling about twenty or so. A large holographic screen projector hung over the far wall. On the right-hand side of the room were two restroom doors.
"Yang?"
Yang turned to see Ruby and Nora Valkyrie standing not far away to her left, safe and sound.
"Ruby! Thank Oum you're okay!" Yang cried as she rushed over to hug her sister.
"Calm down, Yang. I'm fine," Ruby assured as she gently pushed her sister off, a little embarrassed.
"So, you two got also those messages," Nora deducted, then she scowled. "I lost my pancakes when I clicked on it!"
Yang suddenly looked angry. "Yeah. Speaking of which, I'm gonna have a little talk with whoever sent them."
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Yang was interrupted a series of pulsing energy sounds, and a series of light flashes like the one Ruby disappeared in. One after the other, Jaune, Weiss, Pyrrha, Blake, and Ren teleported into the theater, all of them holding their scrolls. They looked around wide-eyed at their new, unexpected surroundings.
"Nora! Thank Oum you're all right," Ren said with relief when he spotted her.
"Of course. It'll take a lot more than teleportation to take me down!" Nora boasted as she flexed her biceps.
"What is this place?" Jaune questioned.
"A movie theater by the looks of it," Pyrrha said as she pointed at the seats.
Weiss scratched her chin. "Hmmm. It seems awfully small, doesn't it?" she noted the small number of seats.
"Well, at least we're all together again, safe and sound," Ruby said, looking on the bright side even if the group was in a completely unfamiliar environment.
Shing!
The group all turned quickly at another flash of light on the opposite end of the theater. It faded away, and its place stood Headmaster Ozpin with his scroll in hand: a good indication he received the mysterious message.
Ozpin's confused gaze swept across the room and stopped on RWBY and JNPR. "Students?"
"Headmaster?" Pyrrha said in surprise. "You got that text too?"
Ozpin was about to reply when another light flash delivered Professor Goodwitch holding her scroll.
Glynda glanced at the students. "Children? You received that mysterious message as well?"
Ruby nodded. "Yes, Ms. Goodwitch."
Glynda turned to Ozpin. "Headmaster? Where's James? He was with us up in Beacon Tower when you pressed on that link," she asked.
Ozpin shrugged and sipped his mug. "He must still be there. Perhaps he'll be joining us soon," he presumed.
Shing! Shing!
Next to arrive was Dr. Batholomew Oobleck and Peter Port, both men teleporting beside Glynda.
Oobleck shook his head in befuddlement. "What in Monty's name just happened?"
Port stared at how many others had arrived at the theater. "Whatever it was, apparently we're not the only ones old friend," he said, gesturing to everyone else.
"Good to have you with us, gentlemen," Ozpin said plainly.
"Well, I must say, I've experienced many odd events in my life, but never teleportation through a text message," Oobleck said, wishing he had his research equipment to study his new environment.
"Neither have I, Bart," Port seconded, then glanced up in reminiscence. "Although, this does remind me of one arduous event when I-"
"Peter, please. This is hardly the time," Glynda interrupted Port's chatter, to the latter's irritation.
Three more flashes delivered Penny Polendina, James Ironwood, Winter Schnee. All three of them quickly took notice of the earlier arrivals.
"Hello, General. Welcome to…wherever this is," Ozpin said with a gesture.
"Hello, Ozpin. Glad to see you're safe," Ironwood replied with a nod.
"Penny?" Ruby said, instantly recognizing her android friend.
Penny's face lit up with happiness. "Salutations, friend Ruby! It's so good to see you again!" she chirped as she approached her friend and embraced her in a tight hug.
Ruby squirmed in Penny's embrace. "Likewise..." she said in a strained voice. "Now…could you...please...let me go, Penny?"
Penny gasped and released Ruby. "Oh! I'm sorry," she apologized. "Sometimes I forget how strong I am."
Winter and Weiss locked eyes and smiled. "It's good to see you sister," the latter said.
"Likewise, Weiss. And it's good to see you're not harmed," Winter said sincerely.
"She's you're sister? I can easily see the family resemblance," Yang noted on Winter.
Winter turned to R-BY. "So, you're Weiss' teammates. It's good to meet you," she said, earning smiles from them.
Shing!
Everyone turned to see the latest guest lying face down on the floor. Yang and Ruby gasped in elated surprise upon recognizing who it was.
"Ugh...what happened? Where am I?" Qrow Branwen groaned as he lay face down on the floor, his flask in one hand and his scroll in the other. He groaned as he got to his feet, stumbling slightly.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby squealed with glee as she rushed over to hug her uncle.
"Hey, kiddo. Great to see ya again," Qrow said, returning the hug without dropping his flask."
"Good to see you too, Uncle Qrow," Yang greeted. "But why did you press the link on your scroll?"
Qrow shrugged. "I just figured, what the hell? Why not press it?"
"No doubt, the liquor had something to do with it," Winter assumed, not happy to see Qrow.
"Good to see you too, ice queen," Qrow snarked.
Winter glowered at Qrow and prepared to respond when more teleportation flashes cut her off. One after another, Sun Wukong, Neptune Vasilias, Velvet Scarlatina, and Coco Adel all appeared in a row.
Sun looked around the theater. "What the heck just happened, bro?" he asked his partner.
"Besides being teleported by a text message on our scrolls? I have no clue," Neptune answered plainly.
"Sun?" Blake said to her monkey Faunus friend.
"Neptune?" Weiss said to Neptune.
Velvet smiled and waved to the others. "Oh, hey guys! I see you got the message also."
"Mm-hmm, it's good to see you guys again," Ruby said, returning the smile.
"But now that Ms. Scarlatina mentioned it, who sent us those messages in the first place?" Ozpin asked the big question.
"That would be me," a calm, silken male voice answered.
Startled, everyone spun around to see as a shimmering, yellow, image of a tall, slender man dressed in a cloak materialize just beneath the projector. Only his hands and lower half of his face were visible. His eyes glinted beneath his hood.
Taking no chances, Ironwood swiftly drew Just Cause and aimed it at the figure's head. Yang, Nora, Winter, and Qrow also aimed their weapons at the figure before them.
"Who are you? And what is this place you brought us to?" Ironwood demanded in question.
"Yeah! You've got some nerve taking my little sister from me like that!" Yang shouted, her eyes turning red, her blonde locks glowing.
"This better not be a trap of some kind! Because none of us are going down without a fight!" Nora concluded.
The figure raised his hands in a placating manner. "Please, calm yourselves. And lower your weapons. I mean you no harm," he promised.
There was a tense pause before the guests slowly lowered their weapons. But they remained wary as they stared at the figure. Yangs eye color returned to normal, but she still looked angry at her little sister being abducted.
Winter jerked her head towards Ironwood. "You didn't answer his question," she pressed.
"My name is Gold-Sith," the figure introduced himself with a slight bow. "And I know you'll probably take all of this with a grain of salt, but this theater you're all standing in is actually a pocket dimension within the subspace between different realities. My species has the ability to inhabit such areas."
The crowd's anger and alarm changed to shock and disbelief. None of them expected such an answer from Gold-Sith.
"Come again?" Glynda said after a long pause. "This is another dimension?"
"And what do you mean your species? Are you saying some kind of alien?" Oobleck said in an amazed half-whisper, intrigued to meet an extraterrestrial.
"From where you're standing, yes," Gold-Sith nodded. "But, more specifically, I'm a member of an interdimensional race of beings that can traverse, observe, and record different universes. And, to a limited extent, construct objects within subspace. In this case, a small movie theater."
Everyone stared at Gold-Sith with no shortage of skepticism. After all, it was a crazy sounding story.
"What do you mean different universes?" Ozpin asked, his curiosity suddenly piqued.
"Well...how can I put this? Gold-Sith scratched his chin. "Has anyone here ever heard of the multiverse theory?"
Oobleck held up his hand. "I have. According to the multiverse theory, there is an infinite number of alternate realities that are completely unknown and inaccessible to us," he said quickly but coherently.
Gold-Sith smiled and nodded again. "That's right. Inaccessible, but as of now, not unknown. Courtesy of yours truly. And, across these realities, there are thousands my own kind, and each one has their own universe to observe."
Oobleck smirked with pride at being correct, and appeared more tempted to believe Gold-Sith if it meant learning something.
"Oh, yes. That's right. Your message mentioned the multiverse," Ruby recalled as she held up her scroll.
"And you claim to have access to them?" Winter asked Gold-Sith dubiously.
Gold-Sith shook his head. "I cannot interact with other universes directly. However, I can establish teleportation links through communication devices. In your case, scrolls. Additionally, I can only build here, within this pocket dimension. And this theater is about the extent of my constructive abilities."
Everyone listened intently. None of them were fully convinced yet, but it was still a fascinating story. Ozpin looked the most intrigued, but not suspicious. As mysterious as Gold-Sith was, he didn't strike Ozpin as an agent for Salem.
Ironwood wasn't convinced though. "You expect us to believe all of that?"
"Jimmy's got a point. I know you just teleported all of us to a movie theater, but that still sounds like bull to me," Qrow agreed.
"I understand you're all skeptical, but I can prove my claims are true. For example, I know much about all of you from my observations over Remnant," Gold-Sith said as he looked at Ironwood and Qrow. "You're General James Ironwood. Commander of the forces of the kingdom of Atlas, headmaster of Atlas academy, and wielder of Just Cause. And you're Qrow Branwen, professor at Signal academy, younger brother of Raven Branwen, uncle of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, wielder of Harbinger, and your favorite whiskey is Old Crow. [3]
Ironwood and Qrow both stared dumbstruck at Gold-Sith having so much knowledge on them.
"Well, he's convinced me," Velvet said with a shrug.
"But why did you even summon us here in the first place?" Ozpin asked what everyone else was undoubtedly wondering.
"I'm glad you asked. I brought you all here to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime: to see your alternate selves living on alternate versions of Remnant, right here on the big screen, Gold-Sith proclaimed with his hands held out.
"Alternate versions of ourselves?" Pyrrha said, suddenly interested.
"That actually sounds pretty awesome," Yang admitted, her anger now gone.
"Oh, yes! Just think of all the possibilities," Penny said with her hands held up.
"That's it? You kidnapped all of us to force us to watch the multiverse?" Weiss accused, hands on her hips.
"I apologize for the method I used to bring you all here, but I'm not holding you here against your will, Ms. Schnee," Gold-Sith reassured. "That emblem link on your scrolls work both ways. Anytime you like, just press it again, and you'll return to the exact location you left off from on Remnant."
"Even so, Ms. Schnee has a point. Something feels wrong here," Ironwood said distrustfully.
"Don't be so paranoid, Jimmy," Qrow lightly scolded. "If Gold-Sith meant to harm us, he would have done it by now."
"And you could always test out that teleporter, sir," Winter reminded.
Heeding Winter's suggestion, Ironwood took out his scroll and pressed the emblem, disappearing in a flash of yellow light. A few seconds later he returned, proving Gold-Sith was telling the truth.
"Well, look at that. It works," Coco said.
"I agree with Qrow on this one. Plus, we're the first people on Remnant to ever experience something a phenomenon this. We shouldn't squander the opportunity," Oobleck said, always eager for new opportunities to explore and discover.
Ozpin held up a finger as an idea formed in his mind. "Plus, this could be a learning opportunity for all of us, especially the students," he suggested.
Gold-Sith smiled. "Indeed. Although the main reason for these viewings is entertainment, it could also be an important learning experience to observe other realities. The possibilities are endless. There are thousands of different versions of Remnant throughout the multiverse. There are versions without auras, semblances, dust, or even Grimm."
Now everyone was truly captivated by Gold-Sith's offer to watch other realities with such possibilities.
"A world without Grimm?" Coco said softly in wonder.
"That's unreal," Sun commented.
"Well, if Gold-Sith wishes to teach the students, he gets a star in my book," Port said approvingly.
Ironwood pursed his lips in thought. "I'd be willing to give it a chance. But, we all have commitments back on Remnant, including preparations for the Vytal tournament," he reminded everyone.
"James is correct," Glynda agreed. "While I find it very intriguing, we can't spend all day here watching a multiverse show."
"And people will notice we're missing. What if they get worried and start looking for us?" Velvet fretted.
"Not to worry: there is no time here. Hours or even days could pass in this dimension, but by the time you return to your previous locations, nary a second will have passed," Gold-Sith revealed.
Glynda did a slight double-take, impressed by Gold-Sith's abilities, as was everyone else.
"So, we can stay here as long as we like to watch the show? That's so cool!" Ruby beamed.
"So, that's how word of this spread and we all got here so fast," Ren realized.
"Yes. And, no doubt, you'll want food and beverages during show time. All you need to do is picture them in your minds, and they'll materialize in your hands or on the fold-out trays built into your seats. Another handy ability of mine," Gold-Sith went on.
Ruby and Nora both looked excited upon hearing this, imagining for a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a platter of pancakes respectively. They both squealed with delight as their favorite snacks materialized into their hands.
"I love this place already!" Ruby gushed.
"Me too!" Nora shared the Red Reapers sentiments.
"Hmmm," Blake hummed to herself before a plate of fileted fish appeared in her hands, her mouth salivating as she held it in her hands.
Qrow quickly followed suit and a glass of Old Crow whiskey, and some ice appeared in his hand. He chuckled and took a swig.
Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh no," he muttered as Qrow began chugging his drink.
"Don't worry, General. I'll be sure to keep Mr. Branwen from becoming too intoxicated," Gold-Sith promised. [4]
"That's a relief," Winter said, not wanting to deal with a drunk Qrow.
"Killjoy," Qrow grumbled.
"Also, there are restrooms on the side of the theater. No doubt, after a while, you'll need to get up to take a bathroom break," Gold-Sith finished, jerking his head towards the bathrooms.
"Oh, thank Oum. I've really gotta go," Neptune said with relief as he headed straight for the men's restroom.
"Well, this all sounds very interesting. But I'm not entirely sure I'm on board with it," Weiss said doubtfully.
"Awww, come on Ice Queen. It sounds like it'll be fun to me," Yang insisted, eliciting a scowl from the heiress for being addressed by her nickname.
"Yeah. And besides, time moves at a snail's pace here," Ruby reminded her partner. "And if you really don't like it, you can leave anytime you like."
Weiss paused for a second before exhaling through her nose. "Fine, I'lltry it out," she said as a cup of tea appeared in her hand.
Neptune returned in time to hear Weiss. "Glad to hear it, snow angel," he said with a wink and tooth glint, while Weiss blushed lightly.
Gold-Sith clasped his hands together with a warm smile. "Wonderful. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show everyone. And, one last thing, if any of you have comments to give on the presentation, it'll pause automatically for as long as you need," he informed his audience.
"That's convenient. It'll give us time to discuss the viewings amongst ourselves," Ozpin said with a nod.
"And take notes," Oobleck added happily as he produced a notepad and pen from his pockets.
Everyone took their seats: from left to right, RWBY and JNPR took the first row. Next in the same order, Coco, Velvet, Sun, Neptune, Winter, Ironwood, Penny, and Qrow took their seats in the second row. Lastly, Ozpin, Glynda, Oobleck, and Port took the back row seats. They all imagined and received their preferred snacks and beverages.
The overhead lights dimmed, and the show started…
Author's Note: I apologize for not including an actual universe viewing in this chapter. It's not quite ready yet, and this introduction took longer to write than I expected due to multiple circumstances, including other commitments. Plus, I wanted to give the RWBY cast a chance to acquaint themselves with Gold-Sith and understand the setting and functions of his interdimensional theater.
For those of you who read my previous fic, you may notice I recycled a few lines here and there from "Cinematic Multiverse", but since that's my story anyway, I figured why not?
And, of course, recommendations are welcome, but only via PM. There is a limit to what I'll publish. Adaptations will take up no more than twenty-minutes or so of real life time.
Finally, Halo Combat Evolved won the voting poll for the first one-shot, but it failed to show on my profile. Any casting recommendations are welcome via PM.
Anyway, stay tuned, the first universe viewing will be coming soon, so please be patient.
[1]- You all know what book I'm talking about, lol.
[2]- I figured it would be more humane and if Gold-Sith simply gave the protagonists a chance to enter the multiverse by their accord rather than flat-out kidnapping them like other multiverse fics. And they'd probably trust him more if they have the option of leaving whenever they like.
[3]- In case you didn't know, Old Crow is a real-life bourbon whiskey brand. I honestly couldn't think of any better choice regarding Qrow's favorite whiskey.
[4]- Giving Qrow access to an unlimited supply of booze is a recipe for disaster, so Gold-Sith will be keeping a leash on him.