Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Guys, I found another one!”

The group gathered around Young Link’s finding: a jet-black feather, deeply lodged into a tree. Young Link poked it and flinched his hand back, sucking on his finger.

“Sharp like the others?” Samus asked.
“Yup. Whatever had this thing was big, and in a fight of some kind. Let’s keep looking around, maybe it’s still nearby.”

The group walked on, noticing that more feathers dotted the landscape, even splintering some of the thinner trees. As they walked on, subtle dread started to creep in.

“What kind of monster could do this?” Zelda asked.
“I’m not sure.” Robin suggested, hand on his chin. “When Master Hand said a monster had invaded the realm, I thought it would be something from one of our worlds, but I don’t recognize this from anything in the Mansion’s library.”
“Well whatever it is, we should take it out, and fast.”

As soon as the statement was finished, a sharp snap resounded through the area, sending the warriors into guarded positions. They stood back to back in a circular formation, watching the shadows for any sign of danger. A low growl echoed through the trees, causing the fighters to tense. Young Link made out a pair of orange eyes in the darkness, and made to attack; but was too slow. The creature lunged out, grabbing the Child of Time with its teeth and running into the forest.

“Aaagh! Let me go!”

The others ran after Young Link, finding him on the ground, clutching his side and surrounded by more of the dark creatures. They resembled wolves in shape, but had bone-looking protrusions throughout their bodies, focusing on their arms, backs and feet. The creatures licked their lips as they eyed the Child of Time, intending to use the swords-kid as their next meal.

Zelda charged in first, sending a Phantom towards the closest monster. The armor slashed at the beast with its great sword, making its victim scream and lash out, destroying the summoned suit with one strike. Robin sent out an Elthunder strike at another beast. This one paralyzed the beast, but it too quickly recovered, leaping at the sorcerer and slashing with its razor-sharp claws. Samus quickly joined the fray, knocking the monsters off of their feet with her missiles and using their distraction to roll to Young Link and get him to safety.

“What are these things!?”
“I’m not sure,” Robin said as he shot out an Arcfire at another approaching monster, “But whatever they are, they’re tough. Samus, are you having any luck!?”
“Couldn’t. Be. Better!” Samus grunted, holding back and throwing a monster with a blast from her arm cannon. “We gotta find a weakness for these things, and fast!”

The warriors kept fighting, but were making little progress. Even when Young Link joined the fight after healing himself, they only seemed to make the monsters madder. Suddenly, an intense screech filled the air, causing the warriors to cover their ears and the monsters to back away.

“Guys, above us!”

The fighters looked up, seeing a giant bird that looked similar to the wolf monsters in appearance, having a white face plate. The bird screeched again and flapped its wings, sending sharp feathers down towards the group. Samus and Zelda managed to dodge the projectiles with relative ease, but Young Link and Robin struggled to maneuver around the feathers while fighting off the wolf monsters.

Robin was the slowest of the group, being slammed in the stomach by a wolf monster and pinned to the ground by some feathers. He tried to summon a spell to escape, but his hand was crushed by the monster that punched him. Just as the monster was about to finish off its prey, a red streak blazed by, leaving the monster halved and disappearing with a roar.

“Are you okay?”

Robin looked up to see a young girl holding out her hand which he took. She couldn’t have been older than 16 or 17 and wore a red scarf and a red and black skirt with a tan shirt. Robin stopped short when he saw what was in her other hand: a massive red scythe, taller than its wielder, and its blade wider than his arm. Her silver eyes held compassion and innocence, but also a hidden fury to them, one that seemed uniquely pure.

“Y-yes, I’m fine. Thanks to you. Who are y-”
“Ruby! Don’t be running so far ahead!”

A tall, blonde haired woman walked out of the trees. She appeared to be of similar age to the girl in front of him, apparently named Ruby. She wore a brown jacket and black pants. Her left arm held a yellow gauntlet-looking item, and her right appeared to be mechanical, having a similar color scheme.

“But these people needed help! Besides, we found those Beowolves and Nevermore, didn’t we?”
“Maybe,” Another girl emerged behind the golden-haired one, having a simplistic white coat with a black shirt, jet black hair and...cat ears on the top of her head. “but where exactly did they lead us to?”

“We can fill you in later,” Zelda said as she rushed over, “For now, can you help us?”
“Sure thing! Team RWBY at your service!” Ruby said with a smile and salute. Robin couldn’t help but smile himself at the girl’s enthusiasm, seeming odd, yet intriguing when combined with her deadly weapon. “C’mon Weiss!”

“You know, I’d be of more help if you didn’t leave me behind Ruby.” One more girl appeared from the trees, having snow-white hair and wearing a simple gray and white dress with a knee-high skirt. She held a silver rapier, with its base holding several colorful cartridges.

“Ehehe, sorry about that.”
“C’mon Ice Queen, you know you gotta stay ‘frosty’ in these things.”
“Oh hush, you.”

Robin and Zelda shared intrigued but perplexed looks as they observed the group, being replaced with determination upon hearing Young Link shout out a war cry. The group turned to see the Child of Time shove a bomb into a wolf monster’s mouth. The explosion stunned the creature, giving Ruby the chance to finish it off with a headshot, leaving Robin and Zelda stunned.

“What was that? Some sort of hybrid weapon?” Robin asked with wide and analytical eyes.
“Oh, it’s just my baby Crescent Rose; I can tell you later.” Ruby said wistfully. She shifted her scythe into what appeared to be a gun, cradling it against her face like a mother cradling her child.

“Weapon admiration later.” The black-haired girl said as she pulled out her own blade from her back, “For now we have Grimm to kill.”

The group nodded and charged back into the fray. The new guests battled unlike anything the Smashers had seen, using their physical weapons and what appeared to be special powers. Ruby seemed to blaze through the battlefield, stunning the Grimm for Weiss to finish off with rapid jabs and a flourish akin to a ballerina. The black-haired one threw the blond into the air, who then proceeded to shoot the bird in the mouth, bringing it crashing into the ground, crushing its kin. With all of the monsters gone in black puffs of smoke, the group took a moment to catch their breath.

“Wow,” Zelda said, “you guys are something else.”
Ruby blushed while scratching the back of her head. “Thanks, you guys are pretty cool too. What are your names?”
“I’m Princess Zelda of Hyrule.” The princess said with a bow.
“My name is Robin, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The child stepped forward, extending his hand. “People here call me Young Link.”
The orange-armored woman stepped forward with a small smile on her face as she removed her helmet. “Samus.”

The red-clothed girl approached and shook Young Link’s hand. “You guys are so cool! My name is Ruby Rose, and these are my teammates.”
The blond stepped forward. “My name is Yang Xiao Long, and I’m actually Ruby’s older sister.”
“My name is Blake,” The black-haired one said with a bow, “It’s also nice to meet you.”
“Weiss.” The white one said curtly.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” Zelda spoke, “would you please accompany us back to the Mansion? The Master would like to be informed on what happened here.”

The four girls looked at each other with curious eyes. “Mansion...Master?”

“Well,” Blake suggested, “maybe this Master can tell us how we get back home. If the Grimm got to this place, then surely there’s a way back.”
“Alright,” Yang shrugged, “wouldn’t hurt to get a rest.”
Ruby and Weiss simply nodded their agreement. “Let’s go!” Ruby smiled and waved her friends along, eager to meet this mysterious Master.

Chapter Text

The group walked into the mansion’s main hall; team RWBY’s eyes marveled at its size.

“Not even my parents’ house is this big.” Blake whispered.
“Neither was mine,” Weiss looked like she’d seen a whole new world, “just how many people live here?”
The Smashers turned around and looked at each other with sly smirks. “Around 70.”

The girls’ jaws collectively dropped, Ruby herself looking around with eyes that appeared wider than saucers.

“No way! That’s awesome!”
Blake quickly looked around, noticing something...odd.
“With that many people, why aren’t there any around here?”
“Most are probably in fights right now,” Samus said, “Or in their rooms. We can give you a tour after you meet with the Master if you’d like?”
“Sure, I’m game!” Yang said with a smile.

The others gave their own forms of agreement, allowing the Smashers to escort them to the Master’s office. Upon reaching the said office, the girls went silent, Blake growing especially curious and excited at the sight of so many books along the shelves. Weiss looked forward at the ornate desk, looking for an occupant.

“My apologies for being late,” a deep voice said behind them, “I had some business to attend to.”

The girls turned around and were stunned. Instead of a man, they were met with a... giant white glove.
“Okay, we’ve seen some weird stuff in our travels,” Yang said, “But this is kinda taking things out of ‘hand’.”
Weiss groaned at the joke as the others laughed, feeling the strange tension leave their bodies.
“Yes, I am well aware that I may seem...odd to you warriors, but I can assure you that this is perfectly normal. My name is Master Hand, and I thank you for your help in what occurred today.” The hand floated over the warriors, setting himself behind the desk. “Now, would you please tell me what happened, and what those things were?”

“Y-yes sir.” Ruby said with a slight gulp. “Those monsters are known as Grimm. They feed off of negativity and must have somehow found their way here. We’re known as Huntresses, and it’s our job to kill Grimm, so we followed them.”
“You should have seen them Master Hand,” Robin spoke up, “These four were incredible. They fight unlike anything I’ve ever seen, being able to swiftly kill these Grimm when we could hardly make a scratch.”
The Hand made a surprised sound. “I’m impressed. We host some of the greatest fighters in the multiverse here, so you four have certainly gotten high praise today. Though, I am curious about something. If these ‘Grimm’ are as dangerous as my fighters are making them out to be, how are you not injured?”

“I can explain this,” Blake stepped forward, “We’re able to use Aura. It’s basically our soul power, allowing us to heal and block minor wounds. It also allows us to use our Semblances, special powers that these three saw us use.”
“Aura?”
“Yeah, that’s what it’s called. Why?”
“We have someone here who’s a sort of Aura guru,” Samus said, “Master Hand, could we show these four around?”
“You may. Team RWBY, please make yourselves comfortable here for now as a sign of my gratitude. I can get you back to your homes whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Mr. Master Hand. It was nice to meet you.” Ruby said with a wave. She and the other team members followed the Smashers out of the office, enjoying the calm atmosphere.

The Smashers showed Team RWBY around the Mansion, each discovery getting more awe out of the visitors than the last. Blake looked like she’d found paradise when they’d walked into the library, drawing laughs from the others, especially Robin and Yang. Yang herself let out an impressed whistle at the Mansion’s gym and training grounds, seeing equipment that not even her world’s technology could make. Ruby was near tears of joy upon seeing the armory; Samus made a mental note to give Ruby a tour later. Weiss herself just took it all in, enjoying seeing her teammates so happy after a long day when she heard cheers.

“Where’s that coming from?”
“There’s a fight going on nearby. Do you guys wanna watch?”
“Heck yeah, we do!” Yang cheered, running out ahead of the group.

RWBY walked out to see what could only be described as chaos. Several people and even some animal-looking creatures were fighting on what looked like a floating island with small platforms floating just above it. The fighters were sending each other flying in all directions, with some even flying off far into the horizon, leaving behind a star-like twinkle. Suddenly, a floating ball appeared, and the fighters made a mad dash for it, attacking the item until a dragon-esque fighter broke it and started to glow in a rainbow flame.

The combatant transformed, emerging from a purple light looking like what could only be described as a monster. The warrior raised a fist back and launched it at the arena, slamming the other fighters and sending them off the stage; a calling of “GAME!” announced the warrior’s victory, leaving RWBY stunned in awe.

“What was that!?” Ruby said while waving her hands wildly.
“That was Bowser, one of our many guests here. For now, we should get you guys to the loading area.” Samus said with a slight smirk.

The group walked over to a nearby waiting bay, seeing someone waiting for them already. They looked animalistic, like a dog standing upright. The creature had small bone spikes on its hands, feet, and chest, with black skin standing out on its hands, face, and legs from its blue fur. The individual opened its eyes to the approaching group, revealing its fierce red irises, making RWBY slightly shudder.

“Who are you?” Blake asked.
“This is our Aura guru, Lucario.” Robin said as he stepped forward, gesturing to Lucario. “These are the ones Master Hand told you about.”
Lucario stood up and bowed to the team; who offered small bows in return.
“It is a pleasure to meet you all, I have heard some interesting things about you.”

He looked up at the team, his irises softly glowing yellow as the black ends on his head stood up.
“Master Hand’s claims were true; their Aura is truly unique. I look forward to seeing what you four are capable of. Come, the match will begin shortly.”
“Alright, let’s do this!” Yang cheered.
“Wait, isn’t this a bit unfair?” Weiss questioned. “If all four of us are fighting you, you’ll be outnumbered. And what about us hurting each other?”
“That’s why he won’t be alone.” Young Link said with a smirk. “Samus, Robin and I will be with him and will be fighting you four as a team. As far as injury, our wounds are simply transferred into stamina numbers for this match; the first team to get the other to zero wins. Whaddaya say? You in?”
“You better believe we are!” Ruby pumped her fist. “Let’s do this!”

RWBY laughed as the group was transported to the stadium they saw before. The Smashers were in front of them, with Young Link and Samus on the ground and Robin and Lucario on two floating platforms. Ruby looked behind her to see Yang readying her Ember Celicas with a grin, Blake and Weiss each on a platform readying their own weapons. The leader unsheathed her scythe with a flourish, focusing her excited eyes on the Child of Time before her.

“Ready, GO!”

Ruby and Young Link both charged forward, clashing blades. Ruby was impressed with the child’s speed and strength, easily being able to keep up with her, and even throw her off balance, giving him the chance to grab and throw her with a grappling chain. Ruby landed on her feet, swiftly slicing at Young Link with her scythe before shooting him, sending him flying to the other end of the stage.

“Not bad, Ruby! I’ve faced a lot of monsters, though, so you’ll have to do better than that!”
“So have I, so don’t hold back!”

Weiss lunged at Robin only to find herself piercing thin air. Robin had dodged to the side, slashing at the heiress with the Levin Sword and causing her to briefly seize from the electricity. She quickly recovered, summoning a wall of earth to give herself cover. Robin leaped over the wall with Elwind, but was caught off guard by Weiss’ new asset: A giant suit of armor, snow white and softly burning with turquoise flames as it swung its gigantic sword, just narrowly missing the sorcerer.

“Impressive magic, who taught you?”
Weiss hesitated, seeming to hold bitterness and sadness in her eyes as she jumped Robin with her glyphs. “I mostly taught myself, though I did have some help from my sister.”
Robin only nodded. “I know how it is, to have a... daunting destiny placed upon you. But if I learned anything, it’s that my friends helped me more than I could ever thank them for. I’m sure you understand.”
Weiss nodded herself. “I do. I won’t let them down.”
“I have no doubt you’ll hold that promise. Now come on!” And the two dashed forwards.

“Your heart is in the right place, but your mind is clouded.”
“What are you talking about?”
The two warriors stood back, weapons and fists loose but ready.
“Your Aura is chaotic, even more than the blonde’s, and her’s is like that of a dragon’s.”
Blake couldn’t help but softly chuckle at that. “Things have been...tricky.”
Lucario only nodded. “Not all problems need to be spoken. It seems that your friends care for you dearly.”
"I like to think they do. Still...” Blake’s ears drooped. “I can’t help but shake this...doubt that something will go wrong.”
Lucario nodded, sprinting at the Faunus warrior with flaming paws.
“Doubt is something every warrior faces. You have a passionate heart, Blake. Let that, and your friends, give you clarity. They seem more than happy to help.”
Blake only smiled, slashing at Lucario with her blades.

Yang clashed with Samus, the two blond warriors locked at arms against each other.
“Damn, you’re strong!” Yang said with a smirk.
“Same can be said for you, kid. Got some nice weapons, too.”
“Been with them my whole life...mostly.” Yang’s face slightly dropped, her hesitation giving Samus the edge, knocking her back.
“Hey, from one ‘wandering soul’ to another, it’s good to see you’ve kept pushing on, even got yourself some proof.” She nodded to Yang’s metallic arm as she fired some shots from her cannon.
“Eh, I try.” Yang gave a simple shrug, but some hidden anger was in her eyes, turning her purple irises slightly redder as she lept at the bounty hunter.
“I get that. Still, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and good friends to support those shoulders.”
“Yeah, I do.”

Samus fired a barrage of missiles. Yang weaved through them like a true boxer, giving Samus the impression that Little Mac would’ve been proud. Yang delivered a solid blow to Samus’ stomach, sending her near the edge of the stage. Samus wrapped her Grapple Beam around Yang’s prosthetic, nearly yanking her off the stage. However, Yang disconnected the arm just in time, only losing her balance for a moment.

However, this moment was all Samus needed, who grabbed Yang again and threw her over the side. Blake heard Yang scream as she fell, shooting at Lucario to keep it at bay as she lept for her friend. She just barely made it, grabbing Yang’s hand with her own. Only exchanging thankful smiles, the duo threw themselves, quite literally, back into the fray.

The combatants continued to clash, each struggle getting more and more intense. For every shot Ruby fired, Young Link responded with fire arrows and bombs. Robin struck his way through Weiss’ summons, and she twirled around each of his spells, countering with slashes and waves from her weapon. Blake and Lucario seemed to dance with each other, perfectly reacting to each other’s shots and physical strikes. While Samus had Yang beat in maneuverability and firepower, the brawler outmatched the bounty hunter in improvisation and persistence, never backing down.

Robin rolled around Weiss, sending her off the stage with his Levin Sword.

“Player Weiss, defeated!”
“No! C’mon guys, we gotta finish them off!” Ruby yelled.

Yang had just been knocked back by Samus when she heard Weiss and Ruby. This sent her over the edge, turning her eyes a crimson red and lighting her hair in flames. With a newfound ferocity, the Dragon lunged forward, knocking Samus off of her feet before slamming her into the ground with a shot from Ember Celica, leaving the bounty hunter in a minor crater and the wind knocked out of her lungs.

“Player Samus, defeated!”

Yang tried finishing off Young Link, but the Child of Time was quicker, rolling behind Yang and slashing her back. When she turned around with a punch, she grazed Young Link’s face, still sending him a considerable distance. However, the Child landed with grace, distracting Yang with a bomb before slashing across her torso, jumping into the air and slamming her into the void below when Yang tried to recover.

“Player Yang, defeated!”

Blake’s eyes shrunk upon hearing of her friend’s defeat, causing her Aura to spike. Lucario softly gasped at the change, being unable to prepare itself for the Faunus’ barrage of strikes, seeming to come from multiple copies of her at once. Lucario blasted the clones away, only leaving a still enraged Blake in front of it. The two warriors charged forward, their collision causing a shockwave, leaving the arena briefly silent and still. The dust cleared, showing both warriors slowly limp before falling simultaneously.

“Players Blake and Lucario, defeated!”

Ruby, Robin, and Young Link watched as their friends were transported elsewhere. Focusing her attention on the combatants before her, Ruby rushed forward, catching both of them with a wide swing of her scythe. The two warriors pushed her back with arrows and spells, forcing her to rely on Dust-infused shots from her rifle. With minimal cover, Robin found his legs trapped in ice, the distraction giving Ruby the opportunity she needed to slash the sorcerer off the stage, sending him into the abyss below.

“Player Robin, defeated!”

Ruby turned to the Child of Time, who was eyeing her with both intensity and respect.

“You’ve done well so far, Ruby, but now it’s just you and me.”
“I won’t lose.” Ruby grinned before dashing forward.

Ruby and Young Link once again clashed, both panting and straining from exhaustion. Even still, they gave the fight everything they had, dancing around each other with the grace of ancient souls. Ruby jumped back, stopping herself when she felt intensely invigorating energy flow through her body. Young Link stepped back, dreading what could possibly come now that Ruby started to glow and her silver eyes turned a bright yellow.

“I have to protect my friends, whatever the cost.”

Ruby closed her eyes and focused, summoning memories of her and Yang as young children, her time at Beacon Academy food fighting Team JNPR with her fellow teammates. Fighting alongside them when Grimm attacked Vale.

Watching Pyrrha Nikos die at the Fall of Beacon.

Her eyes opened again, unleashing a pure white light that engulfed the stage. Young Link tried to hide behind his shield but was powerless to stop the light. When it faded, Ruby opened her eyes to find her opponent encased in stone. She sighed and wiped unshed tears, focusing her mind and body on the current fight. With one final dash forward, Ruby swung Crescent Rose with all her might, sending her opponent careening into the sky and vanishing with a twinkle.

“GAME!”

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her energy return. She found her team next to her and cheering; Team RWBY gave each other nods and smiles as they cheered, each giving a unique flourish as they celebrated.

“Team RWBY…Wins!!”

The combatants returned to the loading bay, with the Smashers giving Team RWBY generous applause.

“Well done, Team RWBY. You gave us a hell of a fight.” Robin said with a smile.
“What happened with your eyes, Ruby? You looked like you’ve used your Final Smash before.” Young Link asked curiously.

“Oh, uh…it’s my silver eyes. I didn’t think I’d be able to use them so easily.”
“Interesting. Still, all of you did amazing in that fight. I’m certainly jealous of your choreography.” Samus said with a grin.
“Hell yeah!” Yang cheered. “You guys weren’t too bad yourselves you know; gave us a unique fight.”
“Your Auras are certainly powerful,” Lucario spoke, “but you can always use improving. A warrior’s path is an endless one.”
“We understand,” Blake said with an extended hand, “Thank you for this.”
“The pleasure was ours.” Lucario extended its own paw, radiating Blake with a soft warmth as they shook hands.

The other members gave their own gestures of respect and admiration as they walked on, heading to the guest rooms for the night. With a goodnight from all party members, Team RWBY crawled into their beds and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Team RWBY awoke thanks to Ruby’s grumbling stomach. They laughed and reflected on yesterday’s events as they grabbed their gear, walking down to the kitchen. There they found their friends and sparring partners from before, all parties giving each other warm greetings as they ate in relative silence but good cheer.

The group returned to Master Hand, finding him in his office.

“Your four performed wonderfully yesterday, Team RWBY. Your diverse powers and excellent teamwork make you a formidable force.” The god said with praise in his tone.

“Aww, thank you, sir,” Ruby scratched the back of her head, “but these guys aren’t pushovers either. They’re awesome!”
“Master Hand,” Blake stepped forward, “You said you have a way of getting us home?”
“Yes, I do. Please, follow me.”

Master Hand led the group out to the clearing surrounding the mansion. With a snap of his fingers, a portal appeared, through which Team RWBY could see their current home in Argus. With a small cheer, Team RWBY turned and looked at their escorts during their visit.

“Well, guess this is goodbye.” Ruby said with a sort of sad smile.
“You guys fight like crazy. We should spar again sometime!” Yang said with a cheer and raised fist.
“Thank you for your hospitality, and for helping us against the Grimm.” Weiss curtsied.
“And thank you for offering insight and showing us around.” Blake bowed with a small smile.

“You’re welcome for the tour. It was an honor to have you here.” Robin returned a bow.
“You guys have guts, taking on monsters like yesterday’s,” Samus said with a small nod, “You have my respect.”
“And mine. You four are excellent fighters. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of fights.” Young Link gave a thumbs-up.
“Your Auras are strong and fierce,” Lucario gave his own bow with his paws pushed together, “keep walking your path, and you will become great warriors.”
“Team RWBY, we are in your debt.” Master Hand said. “Perhaps you would like to join us in the next tournament?”
“Thank you, sir, but we kinda have to save the world first.” Ruby nodded and gave a smile.

With goodbyes and handshakes exchanged, Team RWBY walked through the portal, breathing in the familiar Argus air. The sky was painted in gray and orange, and snow was slowly falling, giving off a calm but mystical atmosphere. The team walked on, talking about their crazy adventure and new friends, snapping out of their conversation when they heard a familiar scream. Nora had spotted them, Jaune and Ren laughing at Saphron’s doorstep. With calm laughs of their own, Team RWBY walked into the house, their most recent adventure being sure to stand out in their tales for as long as they lived.