AN: This is the last story I will be adding to this profile. I'd debated waiting but a large part of me really wanted to get this out. Entirely new ground with the pairings and setting for me. This is a Sugar Rush, Sunflower, and Monochrome fic! The basic premise for this story is going to be linked arcs for investigations/exorcisms/filler shenanigans there won't be a major arc unless I think up one. As for the names of life and death they are the literal Japanese translations for each. For obvious reasons expect OOCness. I also have Ruby and Yang in their roles mostly for a YinYang representation with Ruby's weapon choice based more on the other symbols associated with a scythe. I'll also be ignoring some cultural aspects of Feudal Japan for brevity's sake. Next for updating will be Desserts, then Phoenix Rose. I hope you all enjoy the journey, keep moving forward and don't feed the guard dogs! - Phoenix Commander signing off!

Thanks for editing MartunaMajor

I DO NOT OWN RWBY IT IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF ROOSTERTEETH PRODUCTIONS!

Chapter One: The First Fate

The darkness closed in as the clouds obscured the moon, a young woman clothed in a slightly weathered pink, black and silver kimono walked the streets of her village. She had a loaf of bread clutched tightly in her hands as she looked hurriedly for the one place she could stay with relative safety. The streets of Kuroyuri at night were not safe, thugs and other cutthroats preyed on those foolish enough to wander them. Nora had been abandoned at an early age, she couldn't recall even what her parents looked like. All the orange haired woman remembered from her earliest years was the sound of a voice, one night as she slept by a shrine dedicated to the God of Life.

"Nora," The voice whispered, rousing the orange haired child. "Nora Valkyrie."

"W-who's there?" Nora asked, a little frightened by the voice.

"You can't recall your name, so that is your name from now on." The voice replied, it seemed to come from the warm wind itself as blew. "You have much left to see in this world, even though you will face challenges everyday. Life, your life, is always worth living. Never take it for granted and never let someone take it from you." The voice said, the breeze this time carried with it the scent of roses.

"N-Nora V-Valkyrie...that is my name from now on? Hhmm, I like it." The blue-green eyed girl said, smiling, happy at having a name.

"I'm glad," The breeze continued, sweetly sounding almost like it was smiling. "You may feel alone sometimes, Nora, but you aren't. If you ever do, find this shrine, you are always welcome here."

That night was twelve years ago. She awoke to a well made pink and silver kimono, with the image of a pink lightning wrapped hammer dyed on the back of it. Nora assumed it was only a dream as the only person who was at the shrine when she awoke was a silver eyed shrine maiden who cared for it.

"It cost a lot more to get this loaf of bread than I thought it would. But at least we can have it with dinner tonight. Ruby said she'd be making rice balls, we can use it as bread bowl. It's been awhile since we've done that." Nora mused, as she moved quickly, doing her best to stay in the candlelight of the paper lanterns hanging from the windows of the houses.

The clatter of a loose stone caught the girl's attention, "Well, well, where did you get that bread girl? Actually, it doesn't matter cause you're gonna give it to me." A man said as he stumbled out of a nearby alley.

"Great, this guy again." Nora thought, slowly backing from the alleyway. As she did so, she wrapped a free hand into the folds of her kimono and around the hilt of a tantō knife. The woman could see the bandage around his arm from their last encounter. "How many times do we have to do this? I'm not going to give you my food!" Nora growled out, her knuckles whitened as her grip tightened around the concealed weapon and the mugger tottered closer.

"A girl like you should know better than to disobey her betters. Now give me the bread before I have to teach you some manners!" He ordered, a wicked light shown in his eyes as he drew a knife of his own from his sash.

"His eyes are glazed….he's drunk. Shouldn't even have to cut him this time." The orange haired woman thought as she kept backing to the wall opposite the alley entrance. She had spotted a ladder propped against the wall. "If you come any closer, I'm gonna cut you again. Only I'll cut deeper, I'm getting tired of having to see your ugly face." Nora threatened, with false bravado. She wouldn't kill the man, she doubted she could beat him in a close quarters fight anyway, even if he was drunk. Her only option was to run.

"Oh don't think I'd forgotten about that! I'll be paying you back for that as well! I don't even care if you are a shrine maiden, the gods gave up on me a long time ago so I curse them! Especially Seikatsu!" The drunk grinned with malice.

Neither the man or Nora could see the figures floating a few dozen feet above them. One was clad in a black and red kimono patterned with red roses, her long red and black hair flowed down to the middle of her back, her silver eyes filled with sadness and anger. The other was dressed in a gold and orange kimono patterned with flames, her golden mane of hair was as long as her sister's, her lilac eyes were filled with regret. "He's not a drunk….the darkness in his heart opened his soul to the demons, the Grimm. I've lost too many lives to them." The red and black clad life god mourned. She could see a dark aura permeating from him, dominating the white aura that was his life force.

"He made the choices that lead him to this, sister. Now we must wait and see how this plays out. It may turn out for the better." Shi, the gold and orange clad death god consoled. Seikatsu hated having to stand aside and let her sister take a soul to the afterlife, just as Shi hated to take them away.

"Fate has decreed what I fear it has…. No I will not lose you, Nora, I promised to keep you safe. I promised you would never be alone. I will not lose you to my sister, you still have much to see. Though how you may see it now might not be what I had originally wished." Seikatsu thought determinedly. For twelve years she had watched Nora grow up, both from a distance as a deity, and as the local shrine maiden. Recently, she had even encouraged Nora to become a shrine maiden as well. Nora only knew her as Ruby Rose, a fellow shrine maiden, but fate was forcing her hand she would soon know her as Life.

"Seikatsu, fate decrees that she must die. You can't intervene. I know you hate losing them, but you know I hate having to take them; there are rules even we must follow." Shi said, her eyes scanning a scroll of names. The mortals that needed to be lead to their final rest were on that scroll. Seikatsu could not see the scroll, but Nora's name had appeared on the list.

Seikatsu did not reply, she only tightened her grip on the pair of kama she had drawn when she saw the Grimm possessed man. The black, red, and silver hand scythes where a symbol of the harvest, of peace, and a symbol of life. If what she feared came to pass, she would use them to defend her shrine maiden. Even against her sister, Death. The criminal however was lost to her. Either Life or Death had to kill the Grimm, and doing so would kill the man as well. The sisters continued to watch in silence, waiting for an opening to strike.

"How dare you?! You'd forsake the one who gave you life?!" Nora's eyes went wide in shock and anger, she drew her tantō. She ignored her decision to run, no one was going to dishonor her patron without a few stitches to accompany their words. She lunged forward slashing the man's chest, her blue-green eyes hardening as an emotional storm unleashed itself.

"You stupid girl! Your God is a lie, if she really cared she would have helped me instead of letting me waste my days in this forsaken village!" The man countered, stumbling back to avoid the strike. He used his freehand to aim a punch at Nora's head.

"That's because you're supposed to help yourself! It's your life to live, not the gods. You have free will for a reason!" Nora didn't notice the incoming strike in her anger, the punch landed with enough force to cause her to see stars. It knocked her to her knees, she could feel blood beginning to trickle from where he had struck. Her assailant was standing over her and before she could move, he kicked the tantō from her hand and raised his own. Nora glared at him, "You think I'll beg, don't you? Think again, I was happy with this life, even though it was difficult at times. If it ends tonight then so be it!"

"Heh, I wouldn't expect someone under the yoke of the gods to understand. You'll die all the same, but you'll go to nothing, there is no paradise!" He raised his blade, and brought it down.

Nora felt a spray of blood splash against her face, if it hadn't been for the severed hand, discarded tantō lying in front of her and the scream that accompanied it she would have thought the blood was her own. But what had the orange haired woman's attention was the black and red clad woman standing behind her attacker, a pair of matching kama gripped tightly in her hands, rage filling her silver eyes. One of them was red with the mugger's blood the blade of the other was resting on his throat. The scent of roses was thick in the air as the wind picked up. A mixture of fear, joy, and confusion filled her as the moon came out from behind the clouds and Nora realized who she was seeing, "Ruby?…no that can't be her...but it looks like her, yet the scent of the roses…Lady Seikatsu!"

"You're unharmed, good. Though, knowing Shi, your name was on her list tonight because of this attack. I've broken a fundamental law by interfering, father will not be pleased…neither will Shi." Seikatsu thought as she dug the crescent blade of her kama deeper into the possessed man's neck, choking off his screams. She looked from Nora, who had managed to compose herself into a reverent bow, to Shi who stood behind the shrine maiden. A look of outrage crossed her features, her calm lilac eyes shifting to crimson. Ignoring her sister's look and her shrine maiden, Seikatsu began to pass her sentence. "You who have turned your back on the gods and allowed the Grimm into your heart! You will find no peace, the rest of your existence will be spent in torment. As you forsook me, the one who gave you life, I forsake you! Now be gone forsaken one, be gone Grimm!" Seikatsu's voice rang with authority as she drew her kama deep across the man's throat opening it completely, then brought the other across the back of his neck cleanly severing his head. A burst of malignant force spread out from the headless body, taking the form of a red eyed black wolf before dissipating, as the Grimm died with it's host.

Seikatsu watched the corpse intently in case the Grimm was not entirely dead. "Only a beowolf this time, but that was too close for my liking."

It was Nora's voice that pulled her attention away. "L-Lady S-Seikatsu?"

"You're safe Nora," The god of life said, stowing her kama into her sash, taking the shrine maiden's hands and helping her to her feet. "And you don't need to call me that. You've always been intelligent so I know you've figure out who I have been all this time."

"Y-yes, but, that wouldn't be right…I mean you're well..." Nora said, taking her hands back, her voice trailing off in embarrassment.

"Please, Nora? We've known each other a long time now, you've always called me Ruby. Besides I gave you your name and in a way you've given me mine." Seikatsu suggested, a smile gracing her features, both at her realization that her shrine maiden had given her a name, and in relief at Nora's safety.

"I-if that is what you wish, Lady Seika-, Ruby." Nora said, a little of her uneasiness leaving her.

Shi's voice interrupted them, "Seikatsu we need to talk about what happened here tonight."

"I know," Ruby answered, glancing at her sister before looking back at Nora. "Head back to the shrine, and get yourself cleaned, I'll be there shortly. I'll explain everything that has happened and what may happen as a result of tonight's meeting. Do not worry, I promise you'll be fine." She placed a hand on Nora's shoulder, a brief glow of silver light over the gash that was opened on the side of her head when the Grimm struck Nora.

The shrine maiden could feel her skin knitting itself back together and was healed in seconds, "I know I will be. I'll see you at the shrine, though unfortunately we won't be having bread with dinner tonight." Nora said looking at the ruined loaf, and trying to lighten thoughts that were going through her mind.

"We'll think of something, now go on." Ruby said, smiling at Nora's attempted humor. Once the shrine maiden was gone, Shi vented her frustration.

"I know you could not see the scrolls of the dead, so how did you know?!" Shi shouted, her crimson eyes burning with anger.

"What do you mean how? It's my job to know when one of my people are destined to die!" Ruby retorted sharply, her blood covered kama once again clenched in her fists.

"But you have no idea what you've done! Your actions tonight have sealed Nora's fate, her name has been crossed out. The scrolls see her as dead but because she has not in actuality died she is no longer guided by fate!" The death god shouted, waving the golden scroll in her sister's face, showing her Nora's name. It was crossed out with white while the others were crossed out with black.

"You mean she won't die, at least not in the mortal sense?" Ruby asked in clarification, as she wiped her weapons clean and returned them to her sash. Nora would be unable to die by any mortal means but what she would face from now on would not be of the mortal realm.

"Yes! That goes against the fundamental laws that father set down. Do you know what you've sentenced her to?" Shi asked not expecting an answer.

"An eternal life of being able to see the souls of the living, the dead, the damned and the Grimm. Yes I am aware, though I do wish it didn't have to come to this." Ruby sighed, knowing the trials that awaited her friend.

"What are you going to do? She has no fate, no mortal life, she straddles the line between the mortal and the immortal." Shi asked concerned, her anger cooling.

"I'll be her guide, her teacher, and above all her friend and companion. After all I promised Nora I would never leave her alone." The life god said, a smile returning to her face.

"I know you will be. You've done well all this time after all, now it's time to do better." Shi nodded, her eyes returning to lilac. The death god placed a hand on the corpse and flames born from the afterlife enveloped it.

"I plan to," Ruby said suddenly as they watched as the former host of the Grimm was consumed by the fire. "Father is going to be beside himself."

"Yes he will be." Shi agreed, with a short shake of her head.

"I wonder how beside himself he will be. I can't imagine he'll be mad for too long, a century or two at the most." The red and black clad woman said.

"If you're lucky. Then again you could just pout, it worked pretty well last time." The gold and orange clad woman suggested.

"That is true….wait….is that...fire?" Ruby asked, pointing in the direction of the shrines dedicated to Life and Death. Following her sister's hand Shi could see flames reaching for the clouds and the tops of the houses and nearby trees.

"That's coming from my shrine! The Ren clan….not them...anyone but them!" Shi thought, as she raced off in the direction of the fire.

"Shi, What about Nora? She should be at the shrines by now!" Ruby called, racing off after her sister.

"She'll be fine you and I both know that!" The gold haired woman replied, "Besides you have your reasons for saving Nora. I have mine for saving as many of the Ren clan as possible."