To anyone who finds this story, this is an introductory chapter to my third RWBY/Remnant Story,

This story is not going to see much of any attention until Well this is Different!? is completed.

I'm simply posting it as a way to show anyone interested in my work what comes next.

The Scoundrel stood on the cliff overlooking the Forest of trails, remembering not so fondly his own less than pleasant trip through the forest decades ago. When he passed through the forest it had changed his life forever, the forest had that effect on everyone well not the forest in some cases but what came after.

The time limit given to the challengers was rapidly dwindling to its final few minutes, so far the maze-like forest had expelled all but eight challengers as failures, Those expelled ranged from novices attempting for the first time ever to grizzled veterans who have attempted the forest multiple years in a row some of the challengers were even older than the Wizard who crafted and maintained the spell for the selection process.

With the time about to finish the Scoundrel turned to a magical window that only the five figures occupying the cliff could see, the window displayed the information of those still in the forest, pertinent stats, abilities, age, class, level you name it the Wizards spell would display it.

Normally this information is reserved only to one's self but during the trial, the five instructors could see everything with the exception of one window labeled Backstory/History, no matter how powerful a spell things locked in a person's mind were still exempt.

Looking to his right he looked at the other four members of his group to right in order stood his last remaining partner from his days as a hero as the populous calls him The Dragon Monk, next stood the Wizard his cane floating before himself and deep in a trance, then there was the Wizards student the only women to occupy this cliff the one titled as The Witch, and lastly stood the White General.

He felt terribly out of place he wore his tattered cloak over his grey/white leather armor and strapped to his back was his blade, he looked ready for combat and the other four looked ready to have a picnic.

Ignoring the others he took one last look at the window hoping to see a few more names disappear so that he would have a reason to leave like the others who occupied the cliff previously.

When the day began over twenty people stood on the cliff the exact amount needed if everyone participating in the Forest trial completed it, every four participants expelled from the forest the number on the cliff would diminish by one, the best year ever had had five instructors left and that had been the beginning of the most prosperous time in history though that was long before his life even began.

One instructor was all they had needed the past few generations for each year, more people than ever flooded to the yearly trial but more than ever they were eliminated.

His hopes of one more year's gap before he became the first instructor was dashed when the magical timer ended and eight figures still occupied the forest.

There was no fanfare with the completion of the Forest the occupants were simply removed from the forest by the Wizard magically and deposited unceremoniously on the Cliff.

The Scoundrel winced at the memory that came to him as he remembered the trip himself and turning he found the memory matched up quite well with what has happening behind himself.

Eight figures, no correction seven figures were in a pile on the ground, while the tangled heap slowly untangled themselves the final figure a Red haired female wearing half plate armor dyed to appear bronze stood off to the side, he didn't may much or really any attention to the character windows but he did remember this one he had been shocked by her stats and combat abilities, he hadn't investigated deeply aside from that first glance but he didn't find it hard to believe that this one could easily escape such a minor fall unphased.

The other seven managed to extract themselves he got a good look at the group and growled in frustration as he recognized two as family, he inwardly cursed in frustration as he looked at the pair his Niece's both were old enough to participate in the trials both had actually attempted multiple times the older this was her seventh year and her younger sister was her fifth.

This being the last year their father was eligible to be their mentor must have pushed them both to try harder than ever before and the sisters looked quite pleased with themselves.

Well, I won't have to worry about being their mentor next year they are are going to pick their Father.

The Wizard began to speak explaining the long process of what they had to go through with in the coming months and explaining the Mentorship and the choosing of the mentor.

Ignoring the speech entirely he looked over the others, two nieces and the Redhead in half plate next was a girl of small stature when he first saw her this morning through the window he had assumed she was a first year applicant which he guess was true she had never taken part of the Trial before but the age displayed was twenty-two same as his older niece the petite girl had a small facial scar and wore her white hair in a ponytail.

Next was an odd pair an older man early forties and a wanted felon, if he had failed the Trail he would have been incarcerated for his crimes but the Trial circumvents the kingdom's laws if successfully passed, at the criminals side stood a girl in her late twenties hair two distinct colors and standing close to the felon, the two were obviously a pair yet no one present understood their connection as the young woman had never been seen before.

Next stood two more figures that had apparently become friends in the forest, a blonde haired man in full plate who looked shocked to have completed the trail and the other was a beast man or more specifically a beast woman, black hair covered most of her exposed flesh, that if that wasn't obvious enough as most half-breeds had more hair then they knew what to with this one was a full blood given that she didn't have just the hair but other features as well, the oddly shaped iris's being a strong hint but the defining characteristic that made all present certain she was a full blooded Beastman was the second set of ears proudly displayed from the top of her head.

Having given everyone present at least a cursory glance he turned his attention back to The Wizard who was just finishing his speech.

More formal introductions were held and it eventually came to the selection process, if there was some order present in which each applicant was allowed to choose their mentor no one aside from the Wizard and maybe the Witch knew it.

"First up, uh... Neopolitan? Dear lady do you have a last name?"

The young woman with pink and brown hair shook her head in a negative fashion.

"Then please go ahead and pick your Mentor."

With no hesitation, she moved to stand beside the Scoundrel.

Everyone present was surprised with the gesture as the Dragon Monk was considered to be the choice preference to have as a Mentor, being lauded as one of the greatest champions to ever complete the forest. That is unless you spent half your life traveling with the man then you would happily choose to be as far away from the man as possible at all times.

Still, the surprise faded fast as the Wizard calmly announced the next to select.

"Blake Belladonna."

Without so much as a word or comment, a second figure appeared beside the Scoundrel as another applicant chose him over the much more prestigious choice.

"Jaune Arc"

The sound of his name caused the blonde male to jump slightly, after a moment's indecision where he looked to want to go towards the Dragon Monk with a glance at the female Beastman he made to stand beside her and be the third member of the group.

Two members of the gathering eyes grew wide in concern, Neopolitan chose the obvious less desirable mentor to guaranty that she would have the best possible chance to be paired with her own personal Mentor the felon with the shockingly Orange hair. The man in question frowned when the third person joined the same team as his Ward, not expecting the Scoundrel's group to be the more popular one.

"Weiss Schnee"

The Dragon Monk had his first member as the petite girl glared at the three who chose the inferior choice in her opinion and joined the dashing Blonde's side.

"Pyrrha Nikos"

The cliff fell into dead silence, the girl's name was unknown to everyone even the four who shared the cliff with the Wizard watching the trial. the Nikos name held commanding respect as it spoke of a survivor of the Mistral Kingdom that had been overrun a decade prior much the same as the Vacuo and Atlas Kingdoms had fallen the only difference is some of the Mistral people survived the annihilation of their kingdom and made their way to Vale.

The Red haired woman took a long look at the Scoundrels group giving it more regard than she had previously before making her choice and moving to stand beside the Dragon Monk.

"Yang Branwen"

To those watching closely, they would have noticed both Mentor's flinch at the mention of the name Branwen, both for starkly different reasons. However, no one was looking at the men and instead looked at the girl whose name had just been called.

The Young woman that looked like the sister he remembered except with golden blonde hair with a single raven black streak mixed in over her left eye and cascading through the mess of hair until it reached the end.

With an apologetic look to the other girl remaining waiting to pick her mentor, she moved to stand with the Scoundrel, completing his team.

"Ruby Xiao Long and Roman Torchwick, you two will be the remaining members of the Dragon Monks team."

Some odd teams I made their.

No real story as of yet, just some fucked up teams and knowledge that Vale is the last Kingdom remaining.