Shadows of Destiny

Rating: T

Series: RWBY

Pairing:

Volume 1: Summer

Summary: He was an orphaned Faunus. She was considered the strongest of her class. He barely survived the slums of Mistral while she was placed on a pedestal on her way to Beacon. Neither of them expected to be compatible and yet, fate had other plans for them. With secrets and agendas awaiting them, the world of Remnant will have a force to reckon with. The alternate timeline takes place just before the start of RWBY volume 1.

I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.

Prologue

The auditorium of the Hunter Academy was filled with several dozen students, each standing proud and tall as the headmaster stood before them. His balding hair and scraggly face made it easy for one to mistake him for a frail old man but his excitable demeanor would dissuade such a ridiculous notion. He wore the traditional staff's uniform, a yellow blazer and brown pants.

"Attention students!" his boisterous yet noble tone alerted the younger group. "Today, as you all know, is your final exam day for you all here at Sanctum."

The crowd remained silent as he cleared his throat, though there began to be a small stir amongst the students.

"With that being said, I am proud to announce that before we commence, I would like to announce that this year, we will be conducting no written exams," Immediately, the crowd of teenagers erupted in cheers only to be silenced by a gruff cough from the older man. "Instead, we will be conducting physical exams to determine who is eligible for admission to Haven Academy. We are also honored to be joined by Headmaster Lionheart and a special guest..."

The sea of students watched as a silver-haired man walked onto the stage, cane in hand, to the surprise of the many in attendance. His eyes, though a normal shade of brown, held an intimidating nature to them. It was clear to those in the auditorium who this man was, a fact he noticed upon gazing at the young minds.

"Young hunters and huntresses, my name is Professor Ozpin, the headmaster at Beacon Academy. It is an honor to be able to look out upon the future of Remnant with both anticipation and pride. As you undergo your trials today, don't worry about the extent of your opponents' abilities. Instead, I'd suggest that you focus on the limits of your skills and work to utilize the situation to your advantage. Thank you..."

The room rang with applause for the stoic man as he took his leave next to Lionheart, giving the Haven Headmaster the floor.

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin for those encouraging words!" the lion Faunus happily greeted before addressing his potential charges. "Now, before we begin, I would like to announce the tournament brackets. Each battle will be one on one and will be contended until one student either surrenders, loses most of their aura, or is knocked out. When you hear your name, you'll report to your designated station. If there are no questions, then let's begin. First up..."

As Leo Lionheart read off the names of each of the first-round matches, a young man with green eyes sat in the back of the room. Unlike the other students who were either nervous or excited, the young man appeared uninterested.

Currently, he was busy trying to stay awake as his mind drifted off onto his growling stomach as he was bored out of his mind. In truth, he wasn't at all thrilled with the idea of having to fight his way into a potential spot in Haven Academy. It wasn't because of arrogance either; he never thought himself to be better than everyone nor did he believe that he was untouchable.

So, why wouldn't he be eager for the chance to fight?

"Atsura Otueome?" His canine ear twitched violently upon hearing his name called. "Step forward."

"Great..." he sighed, knowing what came next.

Silence.

A dreadful and heavy silence filled the room as the fox Faunus got up and headed to the stage. His toeless boots echoed in the now hallowed room, something that caught the silver-haired man's attention. Wearing a simple black skin-tight shirt with a grey scarf, Atsura pressed onward while ignoring the murmurs of curiosity and fear. His black spiky hair flowed in sync with his black tail as he walked down the aisle.

"Leo..." Ozpin whispered. "This young man appears to have a rather intimidating nature if my assessment of the students is correct."

"Indeed. Perhaps Professor Cormier could shed some light on the young man?"

The older gentleman nodded in compliance.

"Atsura is one of the few Faunus here at Sanctum who is not only one of our top students but also an exceptional warrior. It would be interesting to see his showcase his talents if given the chance."

Ozpin raised a singular eyebrow at that last remark.

"What do you mean 'if'?"

Professor Cormier flashed a look at the headmaster that said 'just watch'. In only a moment, Atsura had arrived in front of the trio with a bored look on his face. Studying the young man before him, the leader of Beacon Academy could tell there was something peculiar about Atsura Otueome. Still, the statement made by the boy's professor lingered in the front of his mind, sparking his interest even more.

"Atsura Otueome will face Tua Myojin in the..."

"Pass!" a random voice called out from the crowd.

"Very well, then Jason Hawkins!"

"No way...! I'm not going against him." another boy shouted.

Interesting... Ozpin narrowed his eyes in thought at the numerous amounts of declinations from the formerly energetic bunch of students. It was as if the very life was sucked out of whoever was announced as the foxes opponent. At this rate, there wouldn't be many incoming students for Haven's freshman class. When he finally turned his attention back to Atsura, he began to notice something else resonating with the young man. Was it disappointment from the young man?

"It seems that Mr. Otueome is at a disadvantage..." He noted with a ghost of a grin. "Maybe it would be better if we tried a different method? One that ensures that he and others like him are given a fair chance to show the fruits of their labor?"

Both Lionheart and Cormier exchanged looks at one another before facing Beacon's Headmaster.

"What did you have in mind?" the former of the two asked.

"Perhaps we take young Atsura here, along with any others who may find themselves in the same situation and have them undergo an alternative method to gauge whether or not they're truly ready for the next step. If you'd permit me, I'd have him run a more abridged version of the initiation trials at Beacon."

"Are you sure about this, Ozpin?" Leo stared at his old friend.

"Relax. The newest students back at Vale are going to be engaging in this test as well. However, I will probably modify the rules a little given the last minute nature." Seeing no other way, Headmaster Lionheart and Professor Cormier agreed with the last minute request, much to their colleague's delight. "Excellent. With that settled, Atsura, please come along with me please?"

Without a word, an unsure Atsura followed behind the elder male, uncertain of what awaited him. As the two exited the auditorium, the vulpine Faunus could hear the sounds of names being called again trailed only by the sounds of excitement. This was typical of the course for the young man as he pressed onward behind the silver-haired man. It would be another few minutes however before he'd finally say something to the educator.

"Excuse me, Headmaster...?"

"Professor Ozpin will do, young man."

"Okay. Professor Ozpin?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

A soft grin began to form on the older man's face upon hearing the question. Given that he wasn't at Beacon Academy, he would have to improvise on what the challenge would be specifically. Normally, he'd have a set of artifacts placed in a designated area for students to find and return. Now, he was forced to think on the fly.

"That will be answered after you've acquired your weapon... You're going to need it for the Grimm."

"Grimm?!"

An hour passed by and Atsura found himself traversing the lone path that led outside of the city. After acquiring his weapon from his locker, he was sent into the woods with a simple task to bring back definitive proof that he'd slain a Grimm. By now, he was well outside the border of the city with the only comfort being that he'd be joined by others who were unable to acquire an opponent for the tournament. Despite the attempt at reassurance, it did little to change the anxiety eating away at him as he trekked deeper.

"Find a Grimm..." he grumbled. "I don't even know my semblance yet and this Ozpin guy has me hunting Grimm?"

A cool breeze kissed Atsura's face; a perfect contrast to the nervous feeling building up inside of his stomach. He took a deep inhale of the crisp morning air before pushing past a few vines that were blocking his path. When that became too much to handle, he finally reached for his dual Khopesh blades, hacking away at the foliage until he had a clear path. Interestingly, Atsura's efforts resulted in him looking at an open field. His eyes marveled at the peaceful sight of the scene before him as he walked into the open area. The soft wind, coupled with the tranquil location, made the boy crack a small smile. To know that such a place existed along the border of Mistral was both intriguing and mystifying; He'd even forgot about his mission for a moment.

"Focus, Atsura..." he shook his head. "No time to waste on the beautiful scenery."

It was good that he did too. Just as he regained his composure, his ears began to twitch violently; the sound of something cracking being the main reason. Even his tail began to stand at attention as the noise grew louder by the second. Once he turned around, Atsura was greeted by the low rumblings of growls. Soon, a pair of red eyes began to appear from the depths of the forest, causing him to clutch his blades even tighter.

Beads of sweat fell slowly down the side of his face while realization settled into his mind. If this was what he thought it was, then he wouldn't let this opportunity pass. Though a part of him wanted nothing more than to run away and hope for back-up, there was a stronger voice calling for him to stay; a voice that he'd choose to listen to.

"Finally..." A dark grin began to tug at his lips. "Time to bag me my first... huh?"

His vocal triumph was interrupted when the pair of crimson only began to multiply. First, it was just four eyes glaring back at him, then six eyes. Another pair showed up, making the total eight demonic stares peering at what they considered their next meal. One by one, the beasts began their approach, revealing themselves to be Ursa. Seeing the extent of his situation, Atsura took a deep breath and held out the two swords in front of his body, perplexing the monsters for a second. Amid their confusion, he smiled and combined the two handles of the blades and began spinning the much longer weapon until the sounds of clicking meshed with the air around him.

The four Ursa looked at each other before rushing at Atsura. Teeth bared, they roared at the boy who now looked as if he was smiling at them. The first of the group leaped in the air with its right paw primed to take a swipe at the Faunus only miss when he jumped back effortlessly. This left him wide open for an attack on both sides as two more of the bear-like creatures went all-in on snatching him in their razor-sharp teeth. This did little to hinder Atsura as he tossed the still spinning weapon in the air, freeing himself to jump back once more, causing them to butt heads as a result. Just as his feet touched the ground, the fox-boy finally allowed himself to smile fully, exposing his canines just before running toward the four Grimm.

Atsura then quickly twisted his body to hit one of the Ursa with a spinning kick to the jaw that landing with bone-crunching success, watching as it flew into a nearby tree. He followed this attack up with a sweeping kick that took the other hungry bear off of its feet before landing a jumping overhead kick that slammed it into the grassy field, though the soft grass did little to cushion the hard impact.

"Two down, two to...!" The boy was interrupted by the cry of another Ursa behind him followed by the silence that came from it being impaled in the head by his weapon. He turned around to see that it was stabbed in the head by what now appeared to be a scythe. "...One to go."

Atsura ripped the blade of the edge tool from its victim, at turned to face the only remaining creature who simply clawed at the ground beneath in a futile attempt at intimidation. Instead of accomplishing this, it only made the boy's smile grow larger. He lifted a single digit and signaled for the beast to come if it dared. The Ursa obliged and charged forward in a blind rage. Seeing no need for anything fancy, Atsura mirrored the monster's action, dragging the curved blade behind him. As the two drew closer, they both leaped into the air, neither backing down in their effort to destroy the other.

Scythe vs claws.

Faunus vs Grimm.

Two swipes.

One victor.

It felt like time stood still, if only for a split second, as the opposing forces touched the grassy fields once more. However, while Atsura landed on his feet, the Ursa landed in half. Atsura looked back at the wreckage from the battle with both fondness and relief. The broken and dead bodies of the Grimm allowed him the opportunity to finally breathe again, releasing the tension that had been building ever since he left the border of Mistral's gates.

Atsura walked over to the lifeless forms of the beasts that were all in a group with the intent of finding something to bring back to Professor Ozpin. He disconnected the scythe, returning it to the dual blades and put them in the sheaths on his back and went searching through the bunch. Kneeling down, the Faunus pondered between one of the creature's fangs or even a paw altogether when a sudden realization.

"Wait... There's only three here. Where's the fourth one?"

Atsura realized his mistake, only when it was too late though as he turned to find the, albeit injured, Grimm pouncing on him. It all happened so quickly that Atsura didn't have a chance to draw his weapon. Now, he was pinned underneath the Ursa with only his bare hands to protect him. Panic and dread began to fill his heart as he tried his best to avoid being eaten alive. The rancid breath mixed with ravenous drool made him want to puke but, that would be the least of his problems right now. All he could do was wiggle and squirm as the beast tried to claim its meal, only there was one minor problem with its approach.

The fox managed to notice that it's left leg appeared to be broken or at least severely damaged as it refused to put its full weight on it.

This was all Atsura needed as he mustered as much strength as he could and elbowed the wounded limb. As expected, the Ursa howled in agony, giving him enough space to squeeze out of the monster's grip. Unfortunately, in the midst of its pain induced rampage, the Grimm just happened to backhand Atsura, paying the vulpine back for his earlier attack. His body slid against the grass, leaving him a little battered but otherwise alright.

Before he could enjoy his wellbeing, the rumblings of the hurt Grimm caught his ear; even with its own body beaten, it seemed it wouldn't let its prey go without a fight. There was no time for Atsura to grab his blades. With his body aching, there was no way he could dodge the attack.

Guess I have no choice... he mentally cursed while pulling himself to his feet.

"I won't die here!"

Closing his eyes, Atsura began to summon his aura fully, coating his body in an amber hue. However, something else happened as the amber aura began to darken with black spots. The beast didn't care though as it lunged at Atsura, each grunt signaling bloodlust. Little did it know, the boy had now adopted the same mentality. Opening his eyes, the Faunus extended his right arm as the bear came down upon him. Soon, only black dust was left to float in the air as the Grimm had completely disappeared; only the heart of the beast remained in the hand of the glowing student.

Heavy growling filled the now silent field as even the wind didn't dare make its voice heard. This continued until the rumbles turned into deep breaths, long and labored sighs passed his lips. Still, there was a job to be done. Atsura exhaled once more and with whatever amount of effort he could gather, drug the big organ behind him, leaving behind the once tranquil stretch of land behind him.

When he disappeared back into the region of the woodland, a camera feed began to reverse itself as its viewer looked on at the display that had just unfolded. What was previously an uncertain and reserved boy suddenly transformed into a confident hunter-in-training with tons of potential? The fact that Atsura took on four Ursa effortlessly on his own? These things were all well and good, perfect qualities for hunters and huntresses alike. However, all of that those things paled in comparison to one moment in particular.

The burning orange aura and the black spots that formed inside of it were certainly intriguing factors. On top of that, witnessing the young male destroy a Grimm while extracting its heart only added to the fascinating aspects of the Faunus. Even with that, there was something that, to the average researcher, would go unnoticed; something that Headmaster Ozpin caught rather quickly.

"Those eyes..." he whispered.

He froze the image onto a slightly blurred but still discernible image. The average green eyes had now become crimson orbs that burned with rage whilst surrounded by the abyss of pitch-black scleras. It was only for a few seconds but, Ozpin knew that there was something more to this young man than previously thought. If his guess was correct, it would also explain the reason he was alienated by the other students at Sanctum Academy.

"Just what are you hiding?"

After returning to Argus with the heart of a Grimm, Atsura was grateful that Professor Ozpin was pleased with the result. With Lionheart and Cormier in awe at the feat of such a young prodigy (as they'd put it), Ozpin requested a simple interview with the boy to which the two, albeit skeptically, agreed to. That led to the Faunus being escorted to Sanctum Academy alongside Ozpin and Lionheart. The latter of the two provided them with access to his office so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

The office was shaped in a half-circle, with another, smaller half-circle jutting out to the room's front door.

A large desk made of mahogany dominates the space of the autumn-colored office. In the right-hand corner, for a more comfortable setting, are a small table and chairs for guests. On the table is a tea set Ozpin had gifted Lionheart some time ago.

Two tall bookshelves flank the front door. Spanning the far wall of the office and above the windows is a single shelf lined with books, boxes, and lamps. Ladders are present to provide access to the high shelves. Much of the floor is open, and a large, rectangular green rug leads from the door to the desk. There are many boxes, books and papers scattered about the floor. The ceiling is slanted, declining from the front to the rear of the room. In the center of the ceiling is a chandelier of four lights with square-shaped shades.

The sight of the large room was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. Grant it, fighting four Grimm still outweighed this moment, but it was a pretty close second. The pair took their seats with Ozpin sitting behind the mahogany table.

"Now that we've been afforded some privacy, I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your first successful mission here at Haven."

This instantly triggered a shocked reaction in the form of his left ear twitching.

"Wait. What do you mean by my first mission?"

Ozpin simply chuckled at the surprised youth.

"Simply put, your ability to not only bring back proof of your exploits but also acquiring one of the rarest parts of the monster is more than enough reason to grant you entrance into Haven Academy. Professor Lionheart and Cormier have agreed that you're ready for the next step in your journey to being a huntsman. You've more than earned your place here." Seeing the impending look of excitement steadily growing, the headmaster held a hand up in amusement. "However, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your recent experience if you don't mind."

"Um... Sure, no problem."

The older male smirked softly in gratitude.

"Excellent. First, would you care to tell me about your time here in Argus, specifically at Sanctum?"

"Well, it's a long story actually... But, it's not really a pleasant story either." Atsura nervously scratched his ears, shifting his gaze to the floor.

"I understand. It's a very sensitive subject and you shouldn't have to reveal it if it makes you uncomfortable. In lieu of that, how would you feel about transferring to Beacon Academy? We could provide you with a place to stay and perhaps even a special tutor who can help you with your scythe. I'd be more than willing to speak to your parents if that's an issue."

"I... don't have any parents, sir," Atsura interrupted.

"Do you have any other family members?"

Atsura shook his head.

"I've been living on my own after winding up here when I was younger."

Professor Ozpin sat there in silence after hearing this, studying the now silent Atsura. Here before him sat a Faunus with no home, no friends, or family trying to become a huntsman in a kingdom that basically views him as a lesser being. Sure, Argus was considered much better than many places like Atlas for Faunus but, it still had its faults.

"What if I could offer you an alternative solution to your dilemma?"

"What do you mean?"

Ozpin took a sip from his mug before continuing.

"With your skills and drive, I would like to offer you a spot at Beacon Academy. Should you accept, you'd be given a fresh start in a new environment and, with the new semester starting, there would be plenty of time for you to arrive and get situated before classes start."

"What's the catch?" Atsura interrupted.

Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle softly at the boy's skepticism. Given the implied nature of his time in the city and the school, the headmaster expected nothing less.

"No catch. I was actually here to observe another student who applied to Beacon. After seeing her match, I decided to stick around and catch some of the other matches for other possible students. That's when I spotted you. Some call it perfect timing. Fate. I prefer to call it something else entirely."

"Really? You make it sound so perfect but, I don't know. How can you be so sure I'm a good fit for your school?"

Seeing the uncertainty in the eyes of the fox boy, the ever stoic male set the mug down and stood to his feet. With his cane in hand, Professor Ozpin thought about all he'd witnessed from the boy. Setting aside the obvious fact that he was a Faunus living in a discriminatory world, Atsura was clearly a tough young man, to say the least. What he could do with that strength remained to be seen and that was what intrigued Ozpin the most.

"I simply believe in destiny."

Hey everyone! So, this is my attempt at starting my RWBY fic. I apologize if it wasn't exciting at first but, I will be working on making it better as things move forward. Still, the gist of the story is that this is an AU story set at the beginning of the series. This, of course, means that certain events will change while others may stay completely different. I'll be following the main timeline of the story but there will be some changes as early as the next chapter.

The main characters that will be focused on are Atsura, Pyrrha, Emerald, and Cinder. Of course, the over-arching plot of Ozpin vs Salem will be there as well as the canon story of RWBY. I may be looking for other OCs to add to the story for Atsura's team (AZRE or Azure). If interested. I'll PM you the application so you can send them in. I'll probably be looking for 2 girls and a guy to add. If chosen, I'll let you know and post it in the upcoming chapter.

For now, I hope you enjoyed this short prologue and I'm always open to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism as I'm working to get better as a writer. Anyways, have a wonderful evening and I'll be back with another chapter soon.