...vi veri veniversum vivus vici...
...by the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe...

RWBY: Final Judgment

interludium I: Of Godslayers and Dust

It was a mysterious thing, fate. It was something no one could fully comprehend, nor understand. It was like an unseen force, a power beyond anyone's control. Perhaps it would be accurate to consider it a wheel. A wheel that continues to spin, without falter. The first time he knew fate existed was when he was born into a cruel, unforgiving world that was trapped underneath a bedrock ceiling. The second was when he had died, and found himself in the service of a god. The third was when he found himself in the crossfire between angels, demons, and gods.

Finally, he knew fate was a cruel thing. Though, perhaps, by some chance of circumstance from his meeting with the god who revived him, it was by his own actions that led him down this path.

The path of becoming a Godslayer.

"Heh...what a pitiful sight you are, YHVH," Dagda spoke from within Nanashi's smartphone. Even though he wasn't here, the young Hunter could see the menacing smirk on his skull-like face, green eyes dancing with delight. "Once, you were a golden paragon of power...now, your the same as the rest of the beings you have your so-called angels declare war on. A pitiful, disgusting demon. How the mighty have fallen, eh?"

"YOU...HOW...DARE YOU...YOU WRETCHED CUR...?!" The Being once known as "God" glared scornfully. No longer did he possess his illustrious, omnipotent form. From the denials of his preachings of forgiveness, benevolence, fairness, freedom, purity, and compassion...he was dragged down from his Throne. He was nothing more than a Demon now...

Once, he was a sea of golden heads in the black abyss. Now, he had been degraded into a winged serpent surrounded by scathing, wretched blue flames, sporting several heads. From within the flames on his body, a silhouette of a humanoid being, with a face set into utter rage and fury, glared down at Nanashi.

The boy wasn't exactly unscathed by the assault. His body was torn apart and covered in slash marks. His green attire was nearly left in shreds and tatters. His sword was cracked. He must have died several times at the hands of YHVH, only for Dagda to resurrect him for each time he fell. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his demons. Many had fallen at YHVH. Satan himself was no better, though the Arbiter remained standing tall and proud, despite the numerous cracks across his massive form. Not even Flynn, who was resurrected after his death as Vishnu, was spared from the onslaught, as his body was found not far from him...or rather what was left of it's charred husk.

Nanashi felt his heart tremble. Once again, he had witnessed the consequences of his actions. He betrayed the expectations placed on him to stop Krishna. He had betrayed his friends expectations to hold on to his humanity. He betrayed the expectations of their memory to save Flynn. Now, he witnessed the man he once knew as a comrade in his past life perish once again. He gritted his teeth, and while his body felt ready to break apart, his will would not allow him to fall. His hand gripped his katana tightly, as his green eyes stared down the battered creator's deadly form.

"What's the matter, YHVH?" Nanashi taunted. Though he was on the verge of death for the countless time, he still found his voice to be booming and strong enough to denounce the demon. "Can't stand the idea of being the same thing you made? Well...tough shit!"

"IMPUDENT FOOL...!" The degraded God scowled. "YOU SHALL SUFFER A THOUSAND...NAY...AND INFINITE NUMBER OF DEATHS FOR THIS FOLLY!"

"If case you haven't noticed, I've been there and done exactly that!"

Dagda smirked. "Exactly," he said. "Until the day you meet your end, my Godslayer will come back, again and again, until your nothing but a rotting corpse!"

"THEN I WILL KILL YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL YOUR WILL BREAKS!"

His will was already broken. It had been since before he had killed Krishna and Flynn when they were fused together. Now, all that drove him was a promise he had sworn to himself.

To the people he betrayed.

To the friends he killed.

To Asahi.

"No...YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S GONNA DIE!" Nanashi screamed in absolute Wrath as he charged once more, sword in hand.

What little demons he had with him also followed suit. Odin, reborn alongside Krishna from within the Cathedral of Shadows, became cloaked in a fury of electricity as he aimed his Gungnir, poised to impale YHVH. Krishna's light eyes glowed, a phantasmal image of Shesha dancing around him as it bared it's fangs down on the demon. Shiva glared back at the imposing being, though it's own feelings of wrath easily overwhelmed itself, as the Pralaya lashed around him uncontrollably, waiting to be set loose upon God Himself. Satan simply let waves of primal, unadulterated darkness and light wash out from his body, ready to obliterate his opponent at any given moment.

YHVH roared as the blue flames began to burn harshly around him, and spread his wings, his roar echoing across the black void. "Alright, kid!" Dagda shouted. "Let's end this, once and for all!"

In response to the Celtic God's words, Nanashi leaped up into the air, green eyes and markings glowing in turn, and swung his blade.

...throughout the years, many tales have been spun. Some of these stories are fairy tales, carrying a meaning or message in it's words. Others were grimm tales, telling of harsh worlds with consequences to ones actions. If you were to believe that other worlds, beyond that of your own, exist, then so too are many tales.

I will tell you of two tales. A fairy tale, and a grimm tale.

Once, in a world besieged in an ever-lasting war, there was a young boy, who, like many others, was forced into a conflict between powerful entities known as demons and angels. However, while trying to protect his dearest friend from such creatures, he had lost his life. While lost in death, he met Dagda, a god who had grown weary and tired of the world's state. He had granted the boy an offer: to return to life, in exchange for servitude. The young man had accepted, and had become Dagda's puppet. He had become a Godslayer, a human with the power to kill all things that held power. Gods, angels, demons, buddhas, pretas, nothing was safe from the power of one who enacted deicide. Eventually, his own story began to unfold, after being tricked by the Allfather called Odin into unsealing a powerful entity known as Krishna, the leader of the Divine Powers. They desired only one thing: "salvation" unto humanity, at the expense of their souls. Their power was great, possessing a primordial serpent at their side known as Shesha. They had even taken humanity's liberator; the Samurai known as Flynn.

The threat of the Divine Powers was indeed great, so much so that the forces of Heaven, led by God's Chariot Merkabah, and the forces of Hell, led by the Demon Lord Lucifer, had called for a ceasefire. For the first time, humanity had been called to arms alongside the two armies that had thrusted them into this war for power. Soon, the Divine Powers were destroyed, though the battle between Lucifer and Merkabah continued to rage on. The Godslayer was soon called to defeat them both. For a brief moment, humanity was given a reprieve. A war that had lasted for years had finally come to an end. Unfortunately, this only served as the precursor to an event of utter destruction. The Divine Powers, in truth, yet still walked among mortals, having faked their own demise in order to witness the war unfold. Humanity was once again put on the brink of extinction.

Eventually, the Godslayer was tasked with making a choice: to fulfill his role as Dagda's Godslayer, and defeat the creator god, YHVH, and ascend all humans to a higher plane of existence, free from a world of gods' influence, or to preserve his world by cultivating the peace that existed within human potential with Dagda's mother, Danu, who possessed the Queen of the Fairy Folk.

And so the Godslayer had chosen...having lost the life of his dearest friend, who had died to save his life, he took the path of Anarchy. Those he once held as comrades stood against him, alongside much of humanity, but they fell to the power he had wielded. Soon, even the Divine Powers fell victim to his strength. Now, with the Divine Powers destroyed, all that remained was one singular foe...the Creator God, YHVH. By destroying YHVH, the Godslayer would free humanity from his control, and the universe would be remade entirely. No more gods would exist, and humans would become something more. The Godslayer himself would become something akin to a God, as from the moment he had accepted Dagda's proposal, he had forfeited his own humanity, becoming one that is neither angel nor demon.

Now...let me me tell you a fairy tale.

Once, there was a world, mere remnants of it's shattered past. Despite it's state, humanity had long since began to thrive. Through turmoil, and through war, and through times of peace, they had forged villages, cities, countries, and soon enough, kingdoms. However, like all worlds, such peace is threatened by an unimaginable darkness. This darkness...was known as the Grimm. Black, heartless, lacking a soul, they had threatened to return humans back to their place of origin; mere dust. However, they had soon come to wield the power of Nature's Wrath, which had come to be appropriately named Dust. This tale followed four young girls, each with variant backgrounds.

One, a daughter of dragons, fierce and powerful.

One, a girl plagued by her own cursed past, hiding in the shadows.

One, a princess born of noble rights, yet forced to follow the expectations set to her.

And lastly, a girl bearing silver eyes, who aspired to become the heroes of the stories she was raised on.

Fate had brought all four girls together for a reason. A reason to save the world. Yet, they would face many trials. Trials that would test their strengths, their resolves...their bonds.

Often at times, tales become intertwined with one another, for fate had always something in mind, be it for good, or for worse.

Before we continue on...surely, you must know, that such tales are but mere fiction. Only those that accept this can see what new tale is about to unfold.

Agree
Disagree

-Agree

...very well. Then let us begin.

As I have said, often at times, tales become intertwined with one another. This tale is one such event. The world shall be overcome with darkness, a great black that will threaten to consume the light. Yet, through that turmoil, a silver soul will find solace within one who partakes in the communion of ravaging of the heavens.

Let us begin the tale...of the silver-eyed huntress, and the Godslayer.

When Nanashi opened his eyes, he found himself staring back at a unfamiliar white ceiling. Where...where was he...? What just happened...? He...he could've sworn he was fighting YHVH...but...why was his mind a blur...? He slowly looked at his surroundings, since he found it somewhat hard to move. It looked like some kind of medical room, given the obvious white colors that dominated the entire room. A small window was found open on his left, with the curtains blowing. A gentle breeze blew across his face, catching the vague blue colors of the sky past the curtains as they flapped. He found a small desk to his right, with a vase full of flowers.

"Where...is this...?"

He paused. Did his voice always sound so high? Nevermind that, where was his smartphone? He took another look around the room, and found the object in question sitting on the desk with the vase. He reached over to grab it, though he stopped. Why was his arm so short? Moreover...were his hands always so small?

He looked down at himself, taking a peek at his legs. Like his arms, they had also shrunk in length, as had his feet.

What...what was this? Wait...shorter limbs, higher voice...oh God...don't tell him...

"Oh, you're awake!" a voice called out as Nanashi heard the sound of a door opening and closing. "Thank goodness! I was so worried!" The person stepped into view, moving past the white curtain that barred the entrance to the room. She was a young woman, presumably in her late twenties to early thirties. She possessed a light complexion, and clad in a light gray cardigan below a black corset and red skirt. She also wore a pair of black leggings with a pair of knee high black combat boots. a white cloak was draped around her lithe frame. Her hair was cut short to her neck, colored black with red highlights. The most striking feature, however, were her silver eyes...

Nanashi blinked. Her features were different than the people of Tokyo's, or those from Mikado. "Um..."

"Oh, right, sorry..." the woman chided to herself, smiling kindly as she bopped herself on the head, sticking out her tongue. "I guess your pretty confused about all of this, huh? My name's Summer! What's yours?"

"N-Na...Nanashi...my name is Nanashi..." He answered.

The woman called Summer tilted her head. "Na...na...shi... Hm, that's a strange name."

Many people thought so, himself included. Seriously, why would anyone name their child "nameless?" Did they mean to be insulting or something, or was there some kind of hidden meaning about it? Regardless, it was the name he went by and chose to stick with it. It was even the name he inputted on the smartphone. Speaking of which, he had forgotten about it while looking at his body. He picked it up from the table beside him, and quickly activated it. Thankfully, everything seemed to be fine. Of course, that was just the surface. He would have to check and see if the Demon Summoning Program was still functioning, along with the Cathedral of Shadows app.

"That's a pretty slick Scroll you got there, kiddo," Summer remarked curiously as she sat down on a chair, next to his body. "Though it's pretty weird looking." Scroll? How the heck did this seem like a scroll? "Anyway, are you okay?" Her silver eyes frowned heavily in concern. "When I found you in the Emerald Forest, you were covered in wounds. Did a Grimm do that to you?" Grimm? Was she talking about demons? If so, she wasn't far off the mark. He was in a fight with one...one that used to be called "God." Deciding to play along, he nodded. Summer only seemed to be more concerned. "And what about your parents?"

"I...don't have any. They died a long time ago."

"Oh...I...see..." Summer fidgeted awkwardly. She...she didn't mean to open up old wounds.

"If you're feeling sorry about it...don't be...I don't even remember them, let alone know them...so it doesn't really matter..."

Summer frowned heavily upon hearing this. "Nanashi...parents are very important. You shouldn't speak of something with 'it doesn't really matter.'"

Nanashi didn't understand the meaning behind her worse. How could he? The only family he ever had was Asahi and the Master, and they were both gone forever. All because of the Divine Powers. If it weren't for them, his family would still be alive. "...sorry," he responded in a manner that sounded apologetic. "But...I really don't remember them well. The family that raised me died not too long ago, so..."

Summer nodded in understanding. "I get it," she said before looking sad. "Still, for someone so young to go through that...you're pretty tough for a five-year old."

Nanashi froze. Five?

'...ah crap.'

Did he really de-age by a span of ten years? Shit...That meant he would have to go through puberty again. He felt a shudder run down his spine. Puberty was not exactly fun for him. He was at least glad he didn't get acne or zits, so he guess that was a plus. "I...guess..."

"Summer?" a male voice called out, as the young teen-er boy heard the door open again. "Is he awake?"

"Yeah!"

"That's a relief." the voiced sighed as the person in question walked in. He was a man in his late twenties to early thirties with blond hair, having two small strands sticking out from the top. He also had blue eyes, a soul patch and a small amount of stubble along his jawline. Black tribal-like tattoo was printed on his right arm. He wore brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, a red bandana on his left arm, and a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. He also wore armor, consisting of a metal spaulder, leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove, all on his right arm.

Nanashi, for a moment, felt himself staring back at awe. The man was enormous, and if that body of his was any indication, he knew how to bash someone's skull in. A human skull, anyway. "Allow me to introduce my husband," Summer smiled widely. "Taiyang Xiao Long! Tai, this is Nanashi!"

"Nanashi, huh? Quite an unusual name. Well anyway, nice to meet ya, kiddo." Taiyang nodded as he extended a hand.

Nanashi nodded, and took his hand. He immediately felt how rough his hands were, signs that he had been through many a fight. "So, Nanashi..." Taiyang said, releasing the boy's hand. "What were you doing all the way out in the Emerald Forest? The doctor's said that you hadn't unlocked your aura, but they found a weapon on you." He frowned heavily as he cross his arms over his chest. "That kind of thing is dangerous without Aura. You should have been more careful."

Nanashi frowned. "...Aura?" he asked. "What's that?"

"Aura," Summer explained. "Is, to put it bluntly, a shield made from your soul. It protects you, and it heals you. It's saved mine and Tai's butts a lot."

"A shield...from the soul...?" This Aura thing was a completely new concept to him. He knew what an aura was...but from what he recalled, it never did anything like this...

Taiyang nodded. "Yeah...strange, I'm sure your parents would have told you. Speaking of that, where are they? We need to..." he trailed off, seeing the look on his wife's face. Instantly, sadness and regret formed over his own mug, as he averted looking at the boy's eyes. "Oh...I...I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he told the man. "Um...can I ask something?"

"What is it, kiddo?"

"...where am I?"

"Right now, you are in the hospital in the Isle of Patch. It was quite a journey from where I found you, but this was the place I was closest to at the time. I'm just glad you weren't too badly hurt..."

Isle of Patch? Where was that? "...this might sound like a weird question," Nanashi said. "But what...country am I in?"

Summer and Taiyang exchanged a bewildered look at one another, as if they had become increasingly more worried about him. Then, they turned back to him. "You're in the Kingdom of Vale, which Patch is apart of...Nanashi, are you sure your alright?"

The boy wasn't listening. He was even more confused now than ever. Kingdom of Vale? Where on Earth was that? Why had he been shrunk back down to the size of a kid? Just what the hell happened with his fight against YHVH? "I-I'm sorry, I'm just...still a bit rattled."

"I can understand that," Summer said, nodding in understanding. "We'll be outside."

Nanashi nodded, and the two left the room. Not long after they did, Nanashi looked at his smartphone. "...Dagda, what the hell is going on here?"

Instantly, the face of the demon who brought him back to life and made him into his Godslayer appeared on the screen. "I am not sure ki...wait...did you get younger or something...?"

"Thanks for stating the obvious..." Nanashi scowled. "But seriously, just what the hell happened after our fight with YHVH?"

Dagda sighed. "Figured you wouldn't remember," he said before his face turned serious. "You managed to beat YHVH in the end, but he was apparently a sore loser too. He opened up some kind of portal. I tried to keep you from falling in, but as you can see, it didn't end up all that well."

"Those people said we're in the Kingdom of Vale, but I don't remember Isabeau or Gaston-" he repressed the regret that filled his heart at the mention of their names. "-mentioning a country like that. Just where are we?"

"My guess?" Dagda scoffed. "Bastard threw us into another world. I can't feel a single demonic or godly presence anywhere."

The boy's eyes widened. "Wait...what does that mean?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you kid? This world isn't apart of the Axiom's control! It's completely cut-off!"

"What?!" The boy cried in shock. A world...separate from the Axiom...?!

Dagda growled in annoyance, feeling equally as bitter. "Trust me kid...I know how you feel. I never would have imagined that the bastard would try as something as stupid as that. I would have thought that he wouldn't have enough power after the beating we gave him, but obviously, I was wrong."

"So what now...?" Nanashi asked. "Are we stuck here? Or is there a way to go back? If there is...I say we go and kill YHVH for pulling this shit."

"Technically, we already did," the Irish demon pointed out. "Even if he succeeded in bringing us here, he wouldn't have any strength left at all. In other words, he died throwing us into this world. As to how we get back...sorry, kid, but I don't think there is. Like I said, this world is cut off from the Axiom. That means there are no angels, no demons, and no gods either. If there were, there might have been a way we could find a way back. As it stands now, kid...we're completely stuck here."

Nanashi gritted his teeth, anger bubbling up from his chest as he slammed his hand on his knee. "Dammit!"

It wasn't fair...it wasn't supposed to be like this! After he had usurped YHVH, he was going to change everything...start everything over. Humanity would go beyond their boundaries, given the freedom that Dagda had wanted for them, a world free of the influence of gods. In that new world, he would be able to bring everyone back. Asahi, Navarre, Nozomi, Hallelujah, Gaston, Toki, Isabeau, Flynn...everyone. It didn't matter to him if they might hate him for the rest of his life. He wanted them there, the only things that reminded him that, somewhere inside of him, there was at least a piece of him that was still human.

If only...if only they had run away when he had given them the chance...!

"...still hung up on killing your friends, I see," Dagda noted, seeing the pained expression on his face. "Look, I get that you wanted to bring them back...but face it, kid. There's no way they would forgive you. After all, you were the one who chose to side with me."

"I know but...I would've been fine with the fact that they would still live." He shook his head. "So what if they wouldn't ever forgive me? So what if they would hate me. I wouldn't care. I just...I just wanted them to live the lives they should've gotten...The lives they all deserved..."

Dagda scoffed. "Your too naive, kid...then again, I guess it's a good quality to have, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, seems like the Demon Summoning App is working fine. I had a talk with the old man in the Cathedral. Seems you can still fuse demons. Even if it isn't connected to the Axiom, the old man can link it directly to the Expanse."

Nanashi was surprised at this, but nodded. He decided to check and see if any demons had survived the fight. To his pleasant surprise, Odin, Shiva, and Krishna were still alive, whereas the rest were either dead, or recovering from their injuries. From what he learned from that couple, this world wasn't without danger, so it was nice to see he still had some allies at his beck and call. He sighed as he reclined in his bed, staring back up at the ceiling.

A whole other world, completely cut-off from the universe that was his home...it was all so...unfair. Then again, perhaps this was his punishment for killing his friends. He had failed them, betrayed them. He knew that they would never forgive him, but even still...they reminded him that there was at least some humanity left in him. That a part of him still remembered that he was still the human...the Hunter, Nanashi, not just the Godslayer.

"Everyone..."

He really wished they had retreated when he gave them the chance. But stubbornness had been one of their key qualities, unfortunately. Now every time he closed his eyes...he could see their blood on his hands. He had sacrificed his comrades, his friends, and the one person who stood by him all this time...

"...Asahi..."

'Let's go, Nanashi!'

'I shall be coming with you, no buts!'

'I'll be tagging along, in case things get rowdy.'

'I guess I'll call you Leader, then!'

'Indeed. I am Captain Gaston.'

'This is merely a temporary alliance.'

'You really are something, Nanashi...'

"...Dammit..." He closed his eyes and balled his hands into tight fists. When he had nothing, he was blessed with a family and friends...but he threw it all away to side with Dagda. From his Godslayer's smartphone, the deity sighed, soon vanishing from his screen.

"We're adopting him."

Those were the first words that fell out of Summer Rose's mouth as soon as she closed the door and turned to face her husband. The blonde brawler blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly before responding. "...I'm sorry," he said. "But, what did you just say, Summer?"

"I said," the white reaper said firmly. "We are adopting him."

"...Okay..." Taiyang closed his eyes. "I've been on the same team as you for about ten years now...and while your suggestions, theories, and plans may sound crazy...you always knew how to explain it in a way for others to accept it." He then opened them again. "So can you please explain why in this case...?"

"Tai...you should know if you saw the look in his eyes."

"His eyes...?"

"Mmhm..." Summer nodded. "Those eyes...they were the eyes of someone who had lost everything..."

Tai knew what she was talking about. He had seen it reflected in Nanashi's eyes when he laid eyes on the boy. It was not the look of a child...it was the look of someone who had been through hell. Those eyes should never...ever...be seen on a child. "...okay, maybe you have a point," he conceded. "But what about Yang, or Ruby?" A frown marred the father's face, glancing at the door to Nanashi's room. "Ever since Raven disappeared, Yang has always wondered if we would just up and abandon her, even though it would never happen. If we brought Nanashi home with us, think about what it might do to her. She might think we're replacing her."

Summer agreed with that idea. Yang, despite putting up the 'tough guy' act, was actually quite emotional. She was sensitive about a lot of things, mostly involving Rub's safety. There was the possibility that Nanashi's presence there might affect her greatly, though she wanted to think positive. "I have faith that Yang will get along fine," she said with a smile before she paused, suddenly realizing something. "...of course, before that, I need to ask if he's okay with this. I mean, we're basically asking if he wants to live with a couple of strangers."

"Sometimes, Summer..." Taiyang sighed. "I think you've been hanging around my brother-in-law too much."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

-Ten Years Later-

The streets of Vale were quiet and dark as several men, all dressed in black and red, marched through them. Any bystander with their wits about them recognized the threat they seemingly possessed, and were quick to retreat. All of them wore black suits with traces of red, namely their shirts or the red sunglasses they wore over their eyes. The one leading the group, however, was dressed differently than them. He bore slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. He wore a black bowler hat with a red band and a small feather, and black eyeliner. He was dressed in a red-lined white suit and a small gray scarf, complete with black gloves with rounded sleeves, as well as long black pants and black shoes. In his hand was a black cane with red highlights.

Their destination was a simple shop, which was not far from them, as it was directly across the street: Dust till Dawn. They ignored the bystanders yelps and cries as they were quick to flee, and entered the store. At the front desk was an old man wearing a brown apron, his gray hair slicked back, and his form rather somewhat frail. When the man saw the group of men, his body became tense, especially as the orange-haired man waltzed up to the front desk. He took a swift drag of the cigarette present in his mouth, before pulling it away, and gave the man a level stare.

"...do you know how hard it is to find an open Dust shop, this late at night?"

"Please, just take my lien and leave." The old man begged, his hands in the air.

"Sh, sh, sh...Relax. We don't want your money." He then turned to his goons. "Grab the Dust."

The men nodded. They immediately turned their attention to the tubes on the left side of the room, which ran up to the ceiling. They removed the locks on their cases, revealing large canisters. They took the canisters, and then placed them to the tubes. As they did this, the man with the cane tapped his fingers against the glass casing. "Open it." The old man didn't need to be told twice, nodding frantically as he popped it open, allowing the men to grab the various colored crystals lined up.

Some of the men scoured the store for more Dust. But one of them found a red hooded figure in the back corner.

The man instantly frowned, seeing them apparently reading a magazine. "Hey!" he shouted. "Put your hands in the air!" The figure made no response. They simply continued reading the magazine. This caused him to scowl, and march over to the them. "I said, hands in the air!" Again, there was no response. He grabbed them by the shoulder, and turned them to face him, pulling down their hood in the process.

It was a girl, no older than fifteen. She was a silver-eyed girl dressed in a black blouse, a black waist cincher with red lacing and a skirt with red trimmings, completed by a red, hooded cloak. Her entire outfit is made up of various shades of red and black with black as the primary color on the main suit and red on the cloak. Even her shoulder-length hair was black with a red tint to it. She had cross-shaped pins holding her cloak to her shirt. Around her waist was a belt which holds large cartridges in individual loops, as well as a magazine pouch. She has a silver rose emblem on her belt. Around her ears were a pair of dark red headphones.

The girl's face was laced in confusion with music blaring in her ears. The man's irritation was growing by the second, tapping his ears. The girl understood the gesture, and pulled down her headphones. "Can I help you?"

"I said," the thug said, for the third time. "Put your hands in the air!"

This caused the girl to tilt her head. "Are you..." she said slowly in realization. "Mugging me?"

"Oh, for the love of-YES!"

The girl's eyes widened, and let out an 'ah' of understanding.

A second later, that same thug was sent flying, straight past the leader of the muggers, and smashed straight through the window, shattering in the process, and tumbled out into the streets.

Along with him, the same red haired girl landed on the asphalt crouched down. The other thugs drew their weapons and peered through the broken window to see all the commotion. As the girl rose to her feet, a red rectangle on her back unfolded into a large, mechanical scythe. As the transformation finished, she looked back and the thugs, smirked at them, and twirled her massive weapon, the blade stabbing into the ground. As soon as the blade was left stabbed into the concrete, the girl grinned, shutting off the music playing in her headphones.

The leader of the muggers looked at the sight slowly, holding his cigarette in his hand before flicking out to the ground. "Well?" he turned to his lackies. "Get her!"

Rather than jumping through the open window, the thugs ran out through the door and rushed the young girl. One of the them took a swing at her, only to jump over the blade using the handle of her weapon as support. She swung her body around and kicked him in the face. The thug's shades flew off as he was thrown back. The girl then jumped off with her scythe and landed on her feet. The remaining goons surrounded her. She held her weapon behind her back, one hand located near the base of the shaft, the other near the base of the blade. Her index finger pressed on the trigger on the shaft. The result was her scythe firing a bullet from the top of the blade, and her using the recoil to swing her weapon and hit another thug into the air. She then spun around and slammed the flat end of her weapon on top of another thug.

However, this served as an opportunity, as another thug came rushing at her with a night stick. One hit to the head would be all that was needed to knock her down, and leave her defenseless for them to take their leave, and perhaps beat the shit out of her for payback. However, he was thrown back, his body crashing into a wall. The force of the impact was enough to render him unconscious, seemingly stuck to the wall for a few seconds before falling to the ground.

"Seriously, Ruby? I leave you alone for ten minutes and you get caught up into some sort of commotion." A young male sighed in annoyance. A boy around the same age as the girl stood with a black katana in his hand. He had a light complexion and messy black hair combed to the right. The left side of his head was shaved save for a small tuft of hair that resembled a short horn. A red stud was found on his left earlobe. A green jumpsuit with badges of various symbols pinned to the left side covered his lithe frame. A dark green belt with twin holsters was wrapped around his waist. Metal knee pads were strapped around his legs. The left leg of his jumpsuit was cut off just above his calf, revealing his skin and orange sock. A black fingerless glove was seen covering his right hand, and a strap that held his smartphone was wrapped around his left forearm. But the most striking features of this individual were his green eyes, the green scar on his right cheek, and the green markings on his left hand.

The girl, identified as Ruby, pouted. "Hey, not my fault they decided to jump me," she said as he turned her gaze to the orange-haired man. The man sighed as he shook his head, tossing his cigar to the ground and snuffing it out with his cane, looking on with disappointment of his group.

"Worthy every cent," he muttered sarcastically. "Truly, you were." He then turned his attention to the two teenagers, swinging his cane around. "Well, Red and Green, I'd love to say that this has been an eventful evening, but this..." He threw his cane up, the butt end popping open to reveal a barrel inside, with the flat revealed to be a cross hair. "Is where we part ways."

He opened fire, shooting off a blast at the two. The girl used her scythe to throw herself up into the air, shooting off a bullet to use the recoil to throw her upwards, whereas the boy simply leaped away, which was impressive, given that he fell back quite a bit away from where the blast struck, obliterating the ground where they stood on. The two landed back to the street, and looked at where the man was, only to find the store owner standing at the front door, shaking slightly from the recent events. The boy scowled as he looked around, and found the man they were looking for, climbing up a ladder to the rooftop of a nearby building. Ruby saw the criminal, and turned to the store owner.

"Mind if we go after him?"

The old man only nodded, giving the two the answer they needed. Without another word, the two teens broke off into a sprint after the robber. Once they got close to the building, Ruby used her weapon again to propel herself off the ground and onto the rooftop. The teen clad in green however, resorted to a simpler method.

He jumped.

Like with his leap from before, it was incredible, as he had reached the roof in seconds. "Hey!" The girl called out to the man walking away.

The man in white ceased his walk and clicked his tongue without even turning. "Tch. Persistent little bunch."

The boy and girl readied themselves to rush at him. But the whirring of an airship grabbed took them off guard.

The boy frowned as, sure enough, and true to the sound, a silver aircraft appeared just behind the man, rising up from below. The orange-haired man tipped his hat to the two, a smug grin on his face as the carrier's hatch opened up, allowing him to jump inside. "End of the line, Red and Green!" he said with a smirk as he tossed something at their feet, and then took aim. It only took a second for the boy to realize what was at their feet before he scowled, and made a move to get the girl out of the way.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The man took aim, and fired off another round, going straight for the red Dust crystal that laid at their feet. A second later, a loud "BOOM!" echoed into the air, followed by a red burst of flames and cloud that rose into the air. "Whoa-ho-ho!" the man whooped in joy, grinning at his handiwork before he frowned in confusion, seeing something off.

As the smoke cleared, the two were shown to be unharmed. In front of them was a middle-aged woman with light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes were bright green and she wore thin ovular glasses. She had teal hanging earrings with a small bead identical to her earrings on her collar. She wore white long-sleeved suit that exposed part of her chest, and tight puffy sleeves near the wrist before spreading back out near her hands. Her lower attire was a black business skirt with buttons running in a vertical line up the front of it and lighter black-brown stockings. She also had black boots with brown heels, and a tattered purple cape with black on the outside, decorated by a row of diamond-shaped brown beads going horizontally across it. Above this was a line of beads appears an emblem of a tiara. In her hands was what appeared to be a riding crop.

In front of her were dancing, purple runes in the form of a circle.

"...Ah shit." The man cursed. He then moved further into the airship. "We got a huntress!" He called out to the pilot.

The woman pushed up her glasses as the runes faded away. With a swing of her riding crop, streams of light launched forward, dancing and curling around in the air as they struck into the carrier, causing the man to tumble slightly, losing his cane in the process. The apparent pilot was quick to leave the cockpit, leaving the man to jump in. The woman did not let up, however, as another runic circle danced above them, creating violet, black clouds. The man looked around in confusion. "The hell...?" With another swing of the crop, shards of ice came raining down, several of them striking into the carrier, though none had truly damaged it. One had nearly hit the man in the head as he quickly ducked underneath it, instead piercing metal rather than flesh and bone.

The pilot of the carrier stepped into open view. Their form was relatively obscured to the three on the roof, however, as the shadows hid the upper part of their body. They were obviously female, evident by the red dress and heels they were. They were slightly illuminated by the fierce, glowering light reflected in her eyes, as well as the markings that danced along her arms. Flames seemed to dance around her hands as she launched a ball of flame at the blonde. In retaliation, she swung her crop, dispersing the flame, though small embers pierced into the ground. The woman in red flicked her hands up, causing the embers around the blonde woman's feet to burn brightly. A high-pitched whistling sound pierced into the air as the Huntress seemed to recognize the danger, and jumped back. The ground she once stood on exploded, leaving behind shattered remains of debris.

Using this, the woman flicked her crop once again. A purple light danced around the debris as they began to lift and gather together, creating a spear. She aimed her riding crop at the woman in red, and sent it flying. Her opponent was quick to retaliate as she launched smaller flames at the spear, which caused the sharp pieces to disperse, only to gather again once more and continue it's assault. The man, recognizing the danger of what would happen if it hit, tilted the carrier. The stream of debris instead scraped along the roof. With a wave of the riding crop, the Huntress dispersed the spear, and formed three streams of sharp debris, which served to dance all around the carrier with the intent of skewering it from all sides.

The woman in red's eyes flared along with the markings as she crossed her arms, flames dancing around her. She swung her arms, and the flames were released. In seconds, all three streams of debris were destroyed instantly, left only to be mere flecks of embers. The Huntress scowled, seeing that her efforts were seemingly futile, but the two children beside her weren't about to let them get away so easily. Ruby rammed the scythe into the ground, and began to open fire. The green-clad boy simply took out a pistol from his holster, taking aim and shooting off bullets. Each and every bullet was knocked away by the woman in red before she aimed her palm at the three. A red light began to dance beneath their feet as the same sound from before echoed. The Huntress, as well as the boy, recognized the danger, and moved. The blonde leaped away while the boy grabbed the girl, pulling her by the arm as they ran, knocked to their feet as the ground exploded. They could only watch as the woman in red disappeared as the hatch closed, and the carrier flying away. The blonde glared at the retreating form, clearly not pleased with the fact that two criminals had been allowed to escape. Oh well, she supposed it didn't matter. After all, they had the hired scum down below to get all the answers she needed.

"You're a Huntress!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly as the woman then turned her attention to the two. The boy merely sighed, apparently recognizing what kind of trouble they were in, and promptly face-palmed as the girl stared at the woman with absolute awe and admiration. "Can I have your autograph?!"

The woman gave her a flat look.

"...Ruby Rose, and Nanashi Xiao Long, both age 15. The two of you are students at Signal Academy, is that correct?"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

"You have an older sister named Yang Xiao Long, and your parents' names are Taiyang Xiao Long, and Summer Rose. Is that correct as well?"

"Y-yes, but Nanashi was adopted."

"I see...according to this, the two of you are recorded as being among the best students at Signal in terms of combat, despite that one of you has...Aura Deficiency, was it?"

"Yeah, but it hasn't stopped me yet."

The woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she paced around the teenagers. The girl and boy were currently seated at a metal table in a small interrogation room with only a single overhead lamp illuminating the space. "I hope you two realize that your actions tonight will NOT be taken lightly," she said sternly. "You put yourselves and others in great danger."

"But they started it!" Ruby argued

The woman went around the table carrying a scroll in her hand, apparently reading some sort of report. "If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back..." The girl suddenly looked slightly hopeful while the boy kept an even expression. The woman returned her attention to them with a glare. "...and a slap on the wrist." As if to emphasize, she smacked the table with her riding crop, causing the girl to recoil. "But," she continued. "There is someone here who would like to meet you both." The girl raised her eyebrow in confusion, wondering who would want to talk to her, while the boy looked up in interest. As the Huntress moved away, someone else entered the room. It was a middle-aged man with tousled gray hair and thin brown eyes. He had a light complexion and sharp facial features, and wore shaded glass spectacles and a dark-green scarf with a small, purple, cross-shaped emblem on it. His outfit mainly consisted of an unzipped black suit over a buttoned vest and green undershirt. He also wore black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants. In one hand was a plate of cookies, and in the other was a white mug with an emblem inscribed on it.

The two immediately recognized him, and apparently, he recognized them in turn.

"Ruby Rose..." The man begun speaking. He leaned in to get a closer look. "You have...silver eyes..."

"U-um..."

Ozpin then turned to Nanashi. "And you..." The boy stared back at him evenly. "You have...green eyes..."

Nanashi merely shrugged. "Like Ruby said, I'm adopted," he replied before he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head.

Ozpin seemed to let the matter drop, and then turned his attention back to Ruby. "So," he leaned back as he set the plate of cookies down while the blonde-haired woman held up her scroll, revealing the two's battle with the orange-haired criminal from before. "Where did the two of you learn to do this?"

"Signal Academy." Nanashi answered.

This, of course, caused the man to look both curious, amused, and also slightly amazed. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" he asked, looking specifically at Ruby, referring to the fact that he wielded the scythe like a master meister.

"W-well," Ruby cut in. "One teacher in particular."

"I see..." He smiled, amusingly so, as he watched Ruby slowly reach out for one of the cookies, taking a slow bite. As soon as she did, however, she hastily began to devour every cookie on the plate, while Nanashi rolled his eyes at the sight. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before." He chuckled fondly. "A dusty old crow."

"Mmm!" Ruby hummed with food still present in her mouth. "Thash muh unkul!"

The blonde haired woman gave her a critical glare, causing her to squirm underneath her gaze while Nanashi translated. "That's our uncle, Qrow." he stated. "He's a teacher at Signal."

Ruby gulped down the food in her mouth, wiping away the crumbs on her face as she smiled. "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing." she told the man. "But, now I'm all like HOOOWAAAH!" she made exaggerated, kung-fu sounds as she swung her arms like a cheesy martial artist. "WAATAAH!

The man chuckled. "So I've noticed." he said as he set his mug of coffee down. "And what is an adorable girl and a young man like yourselves doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"Well...I want to become a Huntress..." Ruby answered honestly.

"I also want to be a Huntsman like my parents and uncle." Nanashi added.

"So you want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded. "Nanashi and I only have two more years of training left at Signal. Then we're going to apply to Beacon. See, our sister's started this year and she's trying to become a Huntress and I'm trying to become a Huntress and Nanashi is trying to become a Huntsman because we wanna help people. And our parents always taught us to help others so we thought, 'Oh well, might as well make a career outta it'. I mean the police are alight. But Huntresses and Huntsmen are so much more romantic and exciting and cool and just...Kyah! You know?!"

Glynda's face remained cold and stoic, whereas Ozpin looked quite amused, clasping his hands together. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're professor Ozpin." Ruby said with complete awe in her voice, staring at the man with complete and utter admiration, for in front of her and her adopted brother was the man who founded a school that trained the very warrior she aspired to be. "You're the headmaster of Beacon."

Ozpin smiled. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you." Ruby bowed her head.

Nanashi nodded back respectfully. "A pleasure to meet you."

Ozpin rested his hands on the metal table top and leaned forward. "You want to come to my school?"

"More then anything." Ruby nodded. The green-eyed boy bobbed his head in agreement.

Ozpin glanced over at Glynda, who turned away, but gave a small grunt of approval. He then turned to face the two once more. "Well, okay."

The two teens' eyes widened. Was...was he saying what they thought he was saying? Ruby's jaw dropped while Nanashi looked surprised. "...seriously?" he asked, dumbfounded. "That's it? No punchline?"

"That is correct, Mr. Xiao Long."

"...well, got to hand it to the man," a voice emanating from Nanashi's smartphone said, though the voice could only be heard by the young teen. "He certainly knows how to make a girl's day. The lass is utterly dazed."

A sigh escaped Nanashi. "Yeah...seems like."

"...so," Taiyang said as he stood outside of the police station, leaning against his car with his arms folded. "Do I even want to know why I just got a call from Ozpin of all people?"

"Uh...probably not?" Ruby offered weakly.

"Well...on the plus side...Ozpin offered us places at Beacon." Nanashi offered.

The blonde haired brawler sighed, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised..." he muttered before he pushed himself off the car, popping open one of the doors. "Well, come on...if we don't get home, Yang's likely to eat dinner without us." The two teens nodded, and hopped inside. As they buckled up, the man hopped inside the driver's seat, fashioned his seatbelt, and started the engine. As soon as it roared to life, the car was driving onto the road, and away from the police station. "Honestly, I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Qrow is rubbing off the two of you," Taiyang said, keeping his eyes on the road while Nanashi remained quiet in the passenger side seat, deciding to take a nap while Ruby fidgeted in the back seat, fiddling with her fingers. "I damned near panicked when I heard you two were at the police station." A sigh escaped him. "I know you want to be like your mom, Ruby, but seriously, you need to learn how to pick your battles."

"S-sorry, Dad..."

"Well, at least your okay," the father said. "After all, you had Ashi with you."

Nanashi felt his eyebrow twitch. "...I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me that, Tai." he growled, referring to his adoptive father by name. Taiyang, in response, grinned like a madman.

"Well...since you call me by my own nickname, thought it be fair for me to do the same."

"Keep it up, old man, and I'll kick your ass."

"Curse!" Ruby yelped with a disapproving glare.

"Like that ever stops me." Nanashi quipped.

"It should," Taiyang said. "Yang was only allowed to curse when she turned 17, whereas you are two years younger."

"Well excuse me for not being an innocent child. I didn't exactly have a sheltered childhood before I met you and Summer."

Dagda laughed at that. "That's putting it mildly, kid!"

"Well you were partially responsible for that, Dagda..." Nanashi commented blandly as he stared at the screen of his smartphone.

Nanashi's words were true, however. After all, were it not for Dagda, he would have remained dead, and Asahi would have joined him shortly afterwards. Perhaps the war would still continue, and Flynn would save Tokyo and liberate it from Merkabah and Lucifer. Or, perhaps, another fate would befall Tokyo. Regardless, because of Dagda, his life had taken quite the interesting turn, one of those turns being his current situation.

And to think...it had been ten years since the day he came into the care of the people who he would see as his family. It reminded him of the old life he used to lead...

"...hey, Nanashi?" Ruby called out from the backseat. "D-do you think...I'm really qualified for Beacon?" Nanashi broke away from his musings, and looked over his shoulder to see the silver-eyed girl fidgeting. "I mean, t-this is, like two years ahead of everyone else! Wh-what if, I dunno, people think we're something special, a-and we..."

The boy smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. If it comes down to it, I'll introduce them to my Kamikira."

Kamikira. God Killer. That was the name of his weapon. The extension of himself. It was something he was quite proud of, having forged it when he began his first year at Signal. Unlike most students, he designed his weapon to be rather simple, yet quite durable. He had help from Ruby regarding the metal to use, as well as the molding process to fashion the sharp edge of the sword. Surprisingly, it had been Tenkai who offered up the suggestion. "Kami," was the word for "god," whereas "kira" was derived from the English word "killer." He found it surprisingly fitting, and kept it with him ever since.

Ruby seemed to appreciate his words, as she had managed a smile. Tai, for his part, smiled at Nanashi's way of comforting Ruby. His mind went back to the day when Nanashi, after having debated the pros and cons of being adopted by two total strangers, was brought to their home.

It was...amusing, to say the least. The girls of course had to get used to having a brother. Ruby was ecstatic for it. Yang, as he expected, was reluctant at first...but she slowly warmed up to him. In the beginning, she didn't really want to have anything to do with him. She kept her distance, and only interacted with him when she absolutely had to. Nanashi, likewise, kept his distance. Ruby, however, had been so adorable, as she had been quite small and childish at the time...and by that, he meant extremely childish. She clung to him as if he were some kind of lifeline, often following him wherever he went. She had even tried to get Yang to go with her at the times Nanashi went to train by himself. Most of the time, Yang was reluctant to comply. But sometimes, she would give in to her sister's cuteness. Surprisingly, Nanashi had not even once tried to reject her. Instead, he joked that she was whipped by her own younger sister. Yang heavily denied that she wasn't whipped, but that comment had been the ice breaker to their future relationship. Although, to Tai and Summer, there was a bit of truth to those words. Yang had always done whatever it had taken to make her little sister happy, though there were a few times when recalled that she would do anything her sister asked...provided that they were within reason. Regardless, the man was happy that the three children got along.

They all grew closer to one another as siblings. After a while, they became pretty much inseparable. Although...there were a few complications here and there, namely when they grew older. Apparently, since Nanashi was considered adopted and not a blood sibling, Yang, as she started to hit puberty, had started to become a bit more...affectionate than he felt comfortable with. Now, don't get him wrong, he was happy that Yang might have found someone that she liked, but the idea of her hitting on her brother, adopted or no, brought forth conflicted feelings for the man. He couldn't help but let out another tired sigh, earning confused looks from Nanashi and Ruby.

"I'm getting too old for this."

"...I'm beginning to question your sanity, Headmaster," Glynda stated as she and Ozpin sat in the elevator, waiting to reach their intended destination. "True, their combat capability is something to be taken noticed of, but they are still children. Even if Ruby does have the Silver Eyes...she's not ready for this."

Ozpin merely took a sip of his coffee before giving his friend a mysterious smile. "Perhaps...but if given the push she needs, that can easily be overlooked. After all, victory can sometimes be found in simple, honest souls, don't you think?"

"Why do I even bother?" the woman muttered under her breath. She had thought that, after working with the man for as long as she did, she would have known his antics. "And what of the boy? Nanashi?"

"He is an unusual soul as well..." He responded.

"But sir, he doesn't even have Aura. While his skills say otherwise, he really could get hurt, or worse."

"That may be, but something about him feels...different from most people," Ozpin said. The elevator reached it's destination, as the doors slid open to let the two teachers exit and enter the lobby of the police station. "His skills are far beyond what any normal student would be able to accomplish in their lifespan. There's also the manner of how he fights that is especially interesting."

Glynda frowned. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"What I mean is...it's as if he's in possession of decades worth of experience despite his young age."

The woman quirked an eyebrow. "I will admit that his skills are beyond that of his peers," she said as Ozpin held the door out for her, letting her exit the building. "Though that is something of an exaggeration, don't you think, Headmaster?"

"On the contrary, Glynda," Opzin smiled curiously, closing the door behind him. "I believe it's something...more than that. Additionally, there's something else about young Nanashi."

"Something...else?"

"From what I noticed...it wasn't simply the fact he had aura deficiency...it was as if...he lacked a soul entirely..."

Glynda's eyes narrowed at this. "...you do realize that such a thing is impossible for a human, right, Ozpin?" she said to the headmaster. "The only creatures who do not hold a soul of their own are the Creatures of Grimm, and that boy is certainly not a Grimm."

"I know. That is what is most unusual..." Ozpin stated as he took a sip from his mug. "He is a human...yet he lacks the one thing that separates us from the Grimm."

The witch was uncertain what the man was getting at. A human lacking a soul was impossible. All living beings possess a soul. It was a simple fact. The only thing that did not was the Creatures of Grimm, fro they were the darkness that consumed the light. She still felt that this was a mistake. Ruby Rose had potential, as she had expected from the daughter of the famed White Reaper of Vale, but she was still so young. Nanashi Xiao Long was the same, though his was a worse disadvantage: Aura Deficiency. While scientists have yet to learn the cause behind it, this was a rare disease that left an individual with little to no Aura at all. From what she read, his adopted parents tried to unlock his Aura, but strangely, they had learned that it was useless. It was when they visited the local doctor that they learned why. She was amazed by the fact that he was able to fight to such an amazing degree, even with such a major disadvantage, but it was still something that was a cause of concern.

As much as she hated to do so, she would follow Ozpin's lead. After all, despite his crazy ideas, he had yet to lead her astray.

"I hope you know what your doing, Ozpin."

"Oooh, I can't believe my baby sister and bro are coming to Beacon with me!" The girl, Yang Xiao Long, exclaimed with an exuberant grin. "This is the best day EVER!"

"Please stop..." Ruby wheezed, due to being trapped in the woman's infamous death hug. Nanashi, for his part, had wisely chosen to part ways as soon as he saw their sister coming toward them.

The older girl let the girl go, much to Ruby's relief. "But I'm sooo proud of you guys!"

"Really sis...It was nothing."

"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you two are the Bee's Knees."

Yang Xiao Long was two years older than them, being a teenage girl wearing a tan vest with gold piping over a yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest that resembles a burning heart. The vest she had bore puffy cap sleeves with black cuffs. On the sides of the cuffs, there are two small golden buttons. She wore a brown belt with a buckle, a pouch, and a small banner-like object. The same burning heart crest appeared on this banner, except golden in color. She wore black shorts under her belt, which resembled a pleated skirt in the back. Over the short shorts but under the belt was a white asymmetrical back skirt, with an orange infinity scarf around her neck. She wore brown knee-high platform boots that looked to be made of leather, with orange socks of different lengths. Her left leg also had a gray bandanna-like object wrapped around the top of her boot. She also had on black finger-less gloves. Her defining, and most valued trait, was her blonde hair, which is lighter in color at the tips and flowed in a loose and messy manner, with a few locks sticking out and a small cowlick on top of her head. She had a pale complexion, like the two of them, and lilac eyes.

Another thing to know was that she was rather...gifted...in the chest department, much to Ruby's ire. Seriously, what did you have to eat to even get that big? Part of the reason she asked was because she had noticed Nanashi sometimes looking at Yang, though maybe it was partially because he was being weary, due to her often trying to flirt with him, despite their relationship. Ruby, for her part, didn't really understand why it was considered incestuous, despite that Nanashi was not even remotely related.

"I don't want to be the 'bee's knees', okay?" Ruby whined. "I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just wanna be a normal girl with normal knees!"

"What's with you?" Yang asked, still overjoyed by the fact that her two younger siblings were getting to go with her to Beacon. Seriously, how cool was that?! "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited..." Ruby sighed. "I just... We got moved ahead two years. I don't want people think we're special or anything."

"But you ARE special, you two. I mean, you are the top of your year back at Signal. Heck, you could even give the top of the upperclassmen a run for their money." She answered happily.

Ruby sighed. "That's more like Nanashi's style, though," she answered. "I mean, when it comes to fighting, he's way more skilled than I am."

"You're selling yourself short, sis." Yang shook her head. "While it's true Nanashi is a pretty good fighter. You're just as every bit as good as him."

"...you think so?"

She grinned widely. "I know so!" she said before she noticed the absence of her adopted brother. "Hey, where is he, anyway?"

Ruby giggled. "He took off running when he saw you coming this way."

"Aw man...!" She pouted. "He always does this!"

'Well, I don't blame him...' If she were in Nanashi's position, she would run too for the sake of oxygen. Seriously...no matter what anyone said, those bear hugs were lethal!

"...the robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continued to evade authorities." the newscaster stated via holoscreen, which was visible on the lobby area of the Bulk Head. Rub immediately recognized the person who was shown on the screen,holding a mugshot. It was the man from the other day, only he was lacking his bowler hat. He had a cocky grin plastered across his face with a bruise on his left cheek, and a bandage on the right side of his jaw. "If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa."

The screen changed to the main news image, which showed a woman with gold eyes and white hair; the news anchor Lisa Lavender. "Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Right's protests turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony." Beside the news anchor was the image of various individuals, all of which sharing some form of animalistic feature to them, some of them holding up protests signs. It later changed to the image of a marker, a bloody red wolf with three marks behind it.

The White Fang. A terrorist organization formed for Faunus Equal Rights. It was originally a peaceful protest organization...until the change of leadership not too long ago. However, the news ended there, as the blonde-haired Huntress that had saved his and Ruby's life appeared in place of the news. "Hello," she greeted to all of the newcomers. "and welcome to Beacon."

Yang looked to Ruby, as she immediately recognized her. "Who's that?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

The woman continued to speak, the three listened intently. "You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. Now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

With that, her image disappeared. What greeted them was nothing short but an breath-taking sight. Far off in the distance, they were able to see a castle-like structure with a bright light glowing at the apex center tower, almost like a beacon.

They were approaching Beacon Academy.

It was an amazing experience. They were seeing where they were going to be for the next four years...Yang and Ruby marveled at the sight while a blonde teen clad in a hoodie and armor turned away from the window looking sick. He ran past the two, clutching his mouth and nearly staggering. Yang giggled. "Guess the view isn't for everyone...I wonder what kind of people we're gonna meet?"

"I just hope they're better than vomit boy...ew, Yang! You've got puke all over your shoes!"

"What!? Gross!"

"...so that's Beacon, eh?" Dagda said, seeing the large structure from Nanashi's smarphone. "Not bad...for a prison."

Nanashi sighed. "Why is it that you think schools are prisons?"

"Kid, they lock you up for hours on end, and make you do pointless tasks that have no use whatsoever. Therefore, prison."

"You're just saying that because you are stuck with me when it happens and don't have anything else to do." Nanashi stated blandly. "Besides...this is a combat school. It will probably have less boring lectures and more actual fighting."

The demon scoffed. "Which is utterly pointless...after all, what use is mere spars to a Godslayer who fought with the Creator God himself?"

"While that may be true...I had to retrain my body because it was regressed. And school was actually useful for that."

"...Well, I can't argue with that," Dagda said. "Still, at least you have your demons with you. Speaking of that, you haven't told anyone that you can summon demons, right?"

Nanashi nodded. "Of course not," he said. "Last thing I need is a witch hunt on my ass. If people found out I could summon demons, who knows what they would do to me?"

"...Nanashi?" a voice called out from the side. The green-eyed boy turned away from his screen, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Is that you?"

"Weiss?"

The boy couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing before him was a young woman two years older than him with an alabaster complexion. She had long, snow-white hair that fell to her knees tied up into a side ponytail. She was garbed in a white dress cut off mid thigh with a black lace on her chest. She wore a white long-sleeved top with a red interior and white boots that went up halfway up her shins. She wore a pair of line earrings and a silver pendant. Her icy-blue eyes were wide in surprise.

"It is you!" the girl, Weiss Schnee, said in both surprise and delight. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still at Signal?"

Nanashi managed to put on a smile as he shrugged. "Well, a lot happened, and I wound up two years ahead of everyone else," he told her. "Same with my sister. How about you? I thought your old man wouldn't allow you to do something like this?" Before she could answer, the boy suddenly noticed the small scar next to her eye, causing him to stare back in shock. He was left stunned for a moment before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "...Weiss, where did you get that scar?"

Immediately the girl pressed a hand to her scarred eye. "I-It's nothing...just a ...training accident. Nothing major..." She tried to wave it off.

"Weiss...if it was 'nothing major' then your aura would've healed it already." The boy shook his head. "What. Happened?"

The girl still looked reluctant to tell him, but Nanashi's gaze was certainly a frightening one. For a moment, one could notice both his eyes, the scar on his cheek, and the markings on his hand glowing, as if responding to his own rage. "...my father wasn't entirely supportive of my decision," Weiss relented. "So he wanted me to prove it."

Nanashi's mouth curled into a disgusted scowl. "He had you fight a Grimm, didn't he?"

"Y-Yeah...it was one of the company's latest experiments...it was a Grimm that possessed a giant suit of armor."

His scowl grew by the second. "And you didn't think to tell me about this?"

"Nanashi," Weiss retorted as she managed to put back on the face she had worn for nearly all of her life; the face of the haughty, yet noble heiress of the Schnee Dust Corporation. "If I had, chances are, you would have tried to kill my father. Despite the fact that I do not like him as much as you do, he is still my father. Besides, you and I both know you wouldn't get away with trying to kill one of the most influential people in Atlas."

"That doesn't make it any less worse, Weiss! Your his daughter for crying out loud!" Nanashi snapped back. He knew from experience that a true father would NEVER do that type of shit to his children. His mind recalled Asahi's father, Boss. While the man may have been rough with his daughter, it was only because he was looking out for her. He never truly approved of the idea of her becoming an actual Hunter, since she treated it much like a game, but he still supported her when he had little choice in the matter, since they were both praised by Flynn, the Liberator of Tokyo himself.

It angered him to know that someone like that was Weiss' father, someone who didn't care about her at all. What kind of father throws his daughter to the wolves?!

"Relax, Nanashi," Weiss said with a smug grin as she flipped her hair. "All I got was a scar, didn't I? Besides, when I become a Huntress, I won't have to listen to him prattle on anymore. I'll be able to live my own life, like my sister!"

Nanashi was still angry, but he allowed it to disperse, leaving it behind with a sigh. "If you say so."

Seeing that the matter was now closed, Weiss decided to change the subject. "So...how did you manage to get here two years early?"

"Long story short?" Nanashi smiled. "My dorky sister tried to stop a robbery by one Roman Torchwick, and our actions got recognized by Ozpin of all people."

Weiss' eyes widened. "Ozpin?!" she cried. "You're joking, right?!"

"Nope."

"That's...That's amazing! You got scouted by the Headmaster of Beacon himself!" Weiss exclaimed in amazement.

Nanashi shrugged. "Eh, wasn't all that." He blinked momentarily, realizing that he had said something similar before in the past.

[Attention, Passengers,] the pilot's voice rung out from the PA. [We will be arriving at Beacon shortly. Please gather all your belongings before exiting.]

"Looks like we're just a few minutes away from a new chapter in our lives..." He mused.

Weiss nodded. "Indeed."

"...gah, this is one hell of a boring wait! Remind me again, why did I come here?"

"You were the one who said you wanted the thrill of adventure, Walter."

"Yes, I did, but this is not what I had in mind!" A young man with spiky black hair ran a hand down his face. Really...this REALLY wasn't what he meant...

Meanwhile, the one he spoke with, a teen his age with curly black hair that fell to his shoulders, had a peaceful smile. "Now now, Walter...I'm sure things will start to liven up."

"I hope so, Jonathan..." Walter muttered. "Otherwise, I'm gonna regret deciding to come with you."

Jonathan chuckled. "Didn't you come with me because it got you away from the General?"

"You can't prove that." Walter turned away.

"But I'm right, aren't I?" The rough-looking boy scowled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, meanwhile the more noble-looking of the two laughed lightly as he turned to the academy, which sat on the cliff. "This is going to the beginning of a new story, you know," he said. "I'm curious to see where this story takes us."

"Che, you and your weird metaphors..." Walter scoffed before a grin formed across his face. "Me? I'm just here for the fun of it. Fighting Grimm, exploring the world...it's good sport!"

"That may be true, but I am more interested in the aspect of helping others in the rest of the world. A Huntsman's job is not only slaying Grimm, but to uphold the will of the people and help them." Johnathan stated.

Walter sighed. "You and your family's ideals...remind me again, how in the holy hell are you related to Jaune?"

"While I can see what you are getting at, I take offense to that remark." Johnathan frowned. "He may be a bit wet behind the ears, but he is still family.."

"Wet behind the ears? The guy doesn't even know how to hold a sword right! He's our age and he still doesn't have any combat experience."

While Jonathan wanted to refute it, Walter had a compelling argument. Jaune, while an Arc, still lacked any talent of combat. The closest he had ever gotten to holding a sword, much less fighting with it, was the one time he and Jonathan sparred. He had offered to teach him, but Jaune had turned him down, in favor of studying. A sigh escaped Jonathan as he shook his head. "Fair point," he conceded. "But regardless, he is still my brother, so I would appreciate it if you didn't speak of him in such a manner."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Walter waved it off. It's not like he disliked Jaune...he was a cool guy. But he was pretty much dead meat if he ever encountered a Grimm.

Jonathan sighed again, and looked back at Beacon. His amber eyes narrowed, and his hand clenched into a fist. "This is where it all begins..."

"Looks like they're all arriving," Ozpin noted from his desk, looking out past the window to his office as he took a swift drink of his mug. "Our latest arrivals."

"Indeed." Glynda nodded. "Based on the entrance forms, it seems like James' son is also among the new students."

Ozpin paused briefly, looking over his shoulder, and stared at Glynda with bewilderment. "...James' boy?" he asked, completely dumbfounded. "Your certain?"

"Hard not to recognize that wild look of his, I'm afraid," Glynda sighed as she showed the young man in question on her Scroll. The student, Walter Ironwood, was seventeen years old, and as she described, he had a wild look to him, possessing spiky black hair and a feral-like grin on his face, wearing a blue choker around his neck. His buttoned shirt was left nearly undone, sans the last couple of buttons near the hem, and wore worn out and faded jeans with several tears, complete with mud-splattered boots. Strapped to his waist was a large scimitar, made of black steel with a dark red edge. "And to be frank, I'm not surprised he decided to attend Beacon."

Ozpin nodded solemnly. "Neither am I," he replied. "I understand we have someone from the Arc family here as well?"

"Yes. Jonathan Arc, the Class Valedictorian," Glynda answered. Instantly, his face was now on the screen, revealing a well-dressed young man with black hair that fell to his shoulders, done in a curly fashion, and possessed orange eyes. He had a yellow ascot, followed by a dark navy blue jacket with white trims, along with a bracer on his left arm, accompanied by a black fingerless glove on his right hand, and had on black trousers, complete with black boots that had dark blue accents and white soles, reaching up to his knees. Attached to the belt on his hip was a long sword, easily as long as his arm by the blade alone, held in place with a black sheathe. "He graduated at the top of his class. I've seen his combat records...he's quite extraordinary."

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. "From what I heard, he is the heir to the Arc Legacy. He may be skilled, but that is a lot of weight to put on the shoulders on a boy."

"It also says here that he is a close companion of Walter Ironwood. They have been friends since childhood." Glynda read more from his profile.

The Headmaster took in this information, taking another drink of his coffee. "Also," Glynda continued, moving on to another student's profile, this one being that of Nanashi Xiao Long. "Regarding Taiyang's adopted son..."

Ozpin turned to see his assistant, raising an eyebrow as a glare became reflected in her glass. "...there are no records of there ever being a young boy named Nanashi from anything past ten years ago."

The Headmaster maintained even eye contact with her for a moment. Then he took another sip from his mug. "I see..."

No records of him existing beyond the time he was taken in by Summer and Taiyang...a curious detail. Just who is Nanashi Xiao Long? He has no aura. He has no records past a decade ago...he is the most unusual boy indeed...

Unknown to the two, there was someone listening to their conversation from behind the door. "Fufufu..." the figure chuckled. "So, they're aware that Bhagavaan Kalki is not truly from here. I suppose I'll report to Dagda then."

"Hsss..."

"Now now, Shesha...you know what our Bhagavaan desires. Besides...this could be interesting, if the ones who became Lucifer and Merkabah are in this world."

With that said, the voices ceased, and the figure vanished.

-Of Godslayers and Dust: END-

Preview:

"You dolt! What are you doing?!"

"I see you've met my dorky sister..."

"Long time no see, Jonathan."

"Hoy there! I guess we're partners now. I'm Walter Ironwood. Good to meet you!"

Next Time: Initiation and Revelation