A/N: Thank you so much for deciding to read Windows to the Soul; an AU "reboot" of the entire RWBY plot-line, starting from the premise of how the Grimm have affected mankind's way of life. Many of the differences between this universe and RWBY canon will be shown as the story progresses.

As you probably already guessed, it's no coincidence that I'm posting this on Halloween. With so many of RWBY's characters alluding to folk tale, and the not-quite-titular character's birthday being today, it just felt appropriate. Please take the time to review this story and let me know what you think. I value all feedback, and Happy Halloween everyone!

"Once upon a time…in the Deep Dark Woods, there lived a dangerous monster. A creature with skin as black as night and eyes that glowed blood red. It was known to never leave it's home, but instead lure early man into it's den with sweet words and empty promises. Those caught by this felt as if they were under a spell and were compelled to listen to the voice- thus the law was placed that the Deep Dark Woods were strictly forbidden- for anyone foolish enough to walk into the Deep Dark Woods were soon gobbled up by the monster.

As time went on, rumors of the monster having left his home started becoming more common. None who whispered these tales had seen the monster with their own eyes however, and so these rumors remained just rumors….That is, until more and more people started to go missing without a trace. All blamed the monster but were perplexed by how it could be possible. The monster had never gone from it's home in the Deep Dark Woods and many of the missing victims were last sighted near civilization.

Man had its first encounter with a people that looked almost identical to themselves except for one noticeable trait. A pair of hands that looked like they belonged to a bear, a tail that looked very much like a monkey's, an extra set of ears that no human had- no matter the feature they all had this in common- an extra appendage that was found in other mammals.

'They're the culprits!', early man thought. So sure were they that the monster had not left it's home that the only conclusion that they came up with was that this new people group were actually spawned from the monster's witchcraft, sent to steal unsuspecting victims and bring them back to their master. 'Give our children back!', they cried. 'Begone demons!', they howled. These people were eventually given the name "faunas", as they were seen as more beast than man. The fights between these two people groups escalated until it became an all out war. Soon, the rumors of the monster leaving it's den had become facts but not in the way that mankind had originally thought. Creatures that looked identical to the monster roamed the battlefield, attacking both human and faunas alike. Even with this discovery of how people were disappearing, the battle between the two races raged on.

One day, an elderly man came to an old and run-down village. He spoke tales of him going into the Deep Dark Woods and fighting the monster- who had now been called Grimm to distinguish it from it's creations, the Creatures of Grimm- to a standstill. No one believed him of course. That is until the man stepped on top of a hill, witnessing one of the biggest battlefields that had been ragged since the start of this war, with man, faunas and the Creatures of Grimm doing everything they could to wipe each other out. With four magical artifacts raised the old man summoned a spell so great that all of the monsters were destroyed in an instance.

Everyone left paused and looked on to witnessed the wizard that had done this. 'Cease 'tis pointless fighting!' he shouted, 'For 'tis exactly what thy enemy wants! The display that thou hast shown may be given unto thee, if thou werst listen to thy teachings and slay the beast responsible!'

With knowledge of how man and faunus were not each other's enemies and the teachings of magic that the old wizard had bestowed unto them, both man and faunus banded together to end the threat that had plagued them once and for all….

Unfortunately, once inside Grimm's den it was discovered that the monster truly did leave it's home. No one knows where it ran off to but one thing's for certain, the monster was still out there plotting it's revenge.

Thanks to the wizard's teachings, both humans and faunus learned to work together and be unified to face their enemy when it returned, and they all lived happily ever after…."

"Again! Again!" A young girl with red highlights shouted with excitement as she bounced up and down her mother's bed. The woman that looked almost identical to the girl giggled at her daughter's excitement as she closed the book she was reading.

"I don't think that's how bedtime stories work, my little rosebud. You're supposed to be sleeping when it's done, not asking for another one." The young woman rubbed her tired eyes. "Besides, mamma could go for a nap herself."

"Aaaaaaaaah", the young girl cried, "please mamma? Just one more. Pleaaaase? Please, please, please, pleaaaase?"

The young woman sighed and put on her best smile, "Alright then, just one more. Let's see here…", she mumbled to herself as she skimmed over the book she was holding, "A Girl in the Tower? No. The Man with Two Souls? Nah, too boring. Tales of the Four Maidens? No, too long….Aha!". She closed the book and placed it on the desk next to the lamp. "How about The Symbol of Peace?"

The young girl tilted her head. "The Symbol of Peace? Never heard of that."

Her mother giggled. "I suppose not. It's still relatively new, it hasn't even been made into a book yet." The young woman sighed. "Maybe one day it'll be written down."

The young girl gave her mother a confused look as it seemed that she was staring off into the distance. What her expression meant and what her mother was thinking about the young girl couldn't quite grasp.

The young woman coughed and brought her attention back to the matter at hand. "Right, well, here's how the story goes:

Long ago, in a distant land-"

"Wait, if this is new than how did the story happen a long time ago?"

"Ruby, who's the narrator here?"

"Oh, sorry mama."

The young woman coughed again. "Long ago, there lived a young girl. She wanted nothing more than to be a hero. Someone who fought for what was right and protected those who couldn't protect themselves.

For in the world she lived in, the Creatures of Grimm ran more rampant than ever. Due to the war, mankind had learned that these beings of pure evil were drawn to negativity like moths to a flame. Hate. Fear. Despair. All these feelings were what these malevolent beings subsisted on. Even with this knowledge, mankind was finding newer ways to destroy itself. With the teachings of unity by the old wizard and the threat of impending doom by Grimm having all been lost to the sands of time, mankind abused the powers that were bestowed upon them and waged war with one another once more. Even the Creatures of Grimm could not damper mankind's nature of violence, for the magic that they had was simply too great...that is, for awhile.

As time went on mankind's magic started getting weaker and weaker, to the point that the Grimm once again ruled most of the world and had brought mankind to near extinction. This is why the young girl had sought her ambition. She didn't just want to be a hero. She wanted to be the pillar that mankind could stand on to one day push the Grimm back and retake the world that was there's. The young girl had lived through and seen much sadness in her life and in the lives of her loved ones. Thus she made a promise to herself that she would always been seen with a big smile on her face. For in this world, those who can smile are always the strongest. So no matter how scary things got, she would always have a smile as if to say, 'Everything's okay. Why? Because I am here!'-

"Wow. The Symbol of Peace sounds amazing! When I grow up I'm gonna be just as cool as her!" Ruby laughed as she bounced up and down the bed once more. She stopped when she noticed her mother's complete and total silence. She gave her mother a confused look as she finally turned around to face her.

The young woman's silver eyes started at her daughter's scarlet eyes with tears almost running down her face. The young woman pushed back the tears as she gave her daughter the biggest smile that she could muster. "Yeah. You do that kiddo."

Ruby staggered as she tried to calm her breath. It's over, she thought. She could clearly see her breath in the frigid air. No matter how much her hands shook from the cold she kept a firm, almost desperate grasp on her axe. Her axe which had black "blood" dripping down from it. Her own blood from the various wounds on her body dripped onto the otherwise white snow as well. However, she was still standing. The same could not be said to the things that had done this to her.

Behind her were five creatures with skin as black as night and not a single visible bone on their body. They were all lying on the snow, not moving. They all had the same looks as that of wolves and most were 'evaporating'. One was almost completely gone.

Ruby staggered once more before getting a firm feet on the ground. She stood up as tall as she could facing a gravestone on top of the snowy cliff. 'Summer Rose: Thus Kindly I Scatter' it read with the symbol of a rose etched onto it. A gust of wind blew past the cliff, knocking the hood off of Ruby's face revealing a pair of silver eyes that seemed devoid of life staring at the gravestone.