Prologue: A New Life:

Talion was walking through the Undying Lands, finally free. Free of his servitude to Sauron. Free of his past five lives. He was a Ranger of the Black Gate for Gondor for his living years. Then he became the Gravewalker when Celebrimbor fused to him. Then when the Bright Ring was made he became the Bright Lord and led a huge army of Orcs, Uruk-hai and Olag-hai against the Dark Lord himself. Then with the betrayal of Celebrimbor and his defeat at Sauron's hands, Talion defied death once again and became the Dark Ranger, who had held back the forces of darkness for decades before Isildur's Ring took hold of him and he became one of the Nine Ringwraiths - the Nazgûl. And then... After decades of war, darkness gave way to light.

Death came. Death to Sauron. Death to his dominion. And true death to Talion, who finally walked out of darkness and found freedom.

But as he walked, he was approached by a mysterious figure. He looked like a young man, an Easternling, with his narrow eyes and angled face. But he was glowing and most of his figure was obscured by light. "Talion of the Black Gate. Bright Lord. The Dark Ranger."

Talion stopped and looked at the being. "Who are you?" he asked.

The figure smiled. "I am known as Oum. I come at the behest of your gods, the Valar. They said I can take a champion and bring him to my world. I wish to make you a savior of my world."

Talion was hesitant. "Why me?"

"Because you don't belong here. You are a fighter."

"I'm tired of fighting causes I never chose."

"Will you choose this one?" Oum asked softly. Talion stopped. Not in a long time had he been offered a choice. He then said, "I have no weapons."

"I can help with that." Oum waved an ethereal hand and Talion was clad in a different version of his old Dark Ranger Armor, now silver and blue. He had his old weapons Urfael, Acharn, Azkâr and Aeglos and a new version of the Bright Ring, with the original markings but with a glowing blue crystal on the top, on his left index finger. He felt a new version of his Wraith take a more pure form, silver-blue in color.

He blinked his eyes and his eyes, once blue, changed. One was silver in color and the other was a dark orange. He felt some of the veins around his left eye darken.

He then looked at Oum and said, "So. What do I have to do?"

Have you heard the legend of the Ancient Huntsman?

It was at the most trying time of our race. We were surrounded by darkness and Grimm. We were in danger of extinction. We had no weapons to fight back.

Then, a man, dressed in silver and blue armor with strange weapons came and gave us the gifts that ensured our survival: The Eyes and Dust. He taught our ancestors how to use Dust and gave the Eyes to certain bloodlines, granting them the power to defend us before we could fight the Grimm back with Dust.

He fought with us. The world's first and arguably best battlefield commander. He led the charge and defended our race. He helped us achieve victory.

And then... He vanished. He had done his part. We were safe and thanks to him, we could expand and build. So he vanished. But it is said that he would return at times that we needed him the most. He was the First. He was the Legendary.

He was - and is - the Ancient Huntsman.

"And so, legend says that the Ancient Huntsman will come again when we need him the most. And there have been reports of a man that looked like him saving battles that seemed hopeless," Taiyang said to his daughters, Yang and Ruby, as they listened to the Myth of the Ancient Huntsman. "And there is a prophecy that when things are at their darkest, he will return and help deliver us from absolute destruction of civilization."

Yang was falling asleep but Ruby seemed excited. "Daddy! When will the Ancient Huntsman return?" she asked as her father tucked Yang in and kisses her head softly.

"That's the thing. No one knows," Taiyang said thoughtfully. "But if the prophecy is true, he will return in full. Now sleep, Ruby." As he tucked Ruby in, Ruby asked, "Daddy? Can I become as strong as the Ancient Huntsman one day?"

"One day, my dear. But not today. Good night, Ruby." He kisses her softly and she fell asleep soundly.

Taiyang walked outside his house and saw Qrow standing there. "Any word on Raven? Or Summer?" he asked. When Qrow shook his head, Taiyang sighed. "We could really use some more help."

"Like the Ancient Huntsman?" Qrow asked mockingly. He had always been skeptical of the existence of such a being. But Taiyang knew he did exist. And there was some truth to it all.

"He does exist. The fact that you don't believe isn't my problem. But he does."

"He's a MYTH! If he existed, why hasn't he come out yet?!" Qrow roared at his brother-in-law. "Face it. He was just a story."

"That's what many believed," said a voice in the darkness. "But they always changed their tune when they saw me." And the Ancient Huntsman came out of the shadows, arms crossed and a pissed look on his face, his eyes narrowed. "So. You wanted to see me. Now which one is the brother of the woman who tried to steal my ring?"

So. The Prologue is done. Tell me what you guys think. I think the nod to Monty Oum was a good way to recognize him. But tell me what you think!

EVER

BO