Chapter 1: The Girl from the Stars

Hey everyone.

So, to begin with, this new story will likely be replacing "Fibers of the Universe." I was initially reluctant to make this decision simply due to the fact that FotU was my very first story, but I honestly no longer feel any passion towards it. A passionless story is not something I want to continue, and you all deserve far better. So, with that being the case, if someone would like to potentially adopt "Fibers of the Universe" from me, feel free to message me about it. However, keep in mind that I will only let you adopt it if I feel as though you can do the story real justice.

Proper grammar and longer chapters are definitely necessary. If you only pump out a thousand words per chapter, I will ignore you. Seven thousand words is my minimum requirement for FotU. Additionally, I would still like to provide creative feedback for whoever decides to adopt it.

Now, let's talk about this new story…

This will be the first fic I have written that will be largely told from a female character's point of view. Pyrrha is the main character of this story, and I will be doing my absolute best to properly portray her transition and adjustment to life in the "Bleach" universe. I feel like I should go ahead and say that Pyrrha is easily one of my favorite characters from "RWBY", and her death honestly pissed me off for quite some time. However, from a storytelling standpoint, I can now see why it was necessary.

Still, RoosterTeeth Studios is not a place brimming with good creative decisions.

I'll likely open that can of worms in the ending Author's Notes.

I hope you all enjoy this first chapter!

AlucardsBro OUT!

"Do you believe in destiny?"

Even now, as Cinder's arrow pierced her chest and lodged itself in her heart, Pyrrha wasn't quite sure why she had been compelled to ask such a question. Perhaps it was an act of desperation, to determine whether or not her murderer was actually doing all of this for a reason. To ensure that all of this death and destruction was not just aimless and without purpose. Either way, it wouldn't matter in a few short moments…

Pyrrha knew she was about to die, but oddly enough she wasn't afraid.

She didn't want her life to end, of course, but she was confident that her death wouldn't be meaningless. At the back of her mind, her subconscious assured her that Ruby, Jaune and the others would carry on in her place. They would beat Cinder, save Vale, and bring peace to all of Remnant.

That had been Ruby's dream, after all.

She was just sad that she wouldn't be there to see it come to fruition…

Falling to her knees, Pyrrha gasped breathlessly as the pain in her chest amplified. Every inhale felt like it was driving the arrow deeper into her flesh. Across the roof, Cinder allowed her glass bow to dissipate as she calmly began to walk forward. The raven-haired woman's heels clicked across the concrete, and her approach only halted once she was standing directly in front of Pyrrha's kneeling form.

A hand was outstretched, and placed against her forehead.

A rush of searing heat filled Pyrrha's body, and then she felt absolutely nothing. A numb sensation travelled up her arms and legs, racing through her entire body towards her neck and shoulders. Once it reached under her jawline, she closed her emerald eyes and allowed herself to fade away. There was nothing she could do to stop it; she had fought hard, and with every ounce of strength she possessed, but Cinder had simply been far more experienced.

Just before her senses abandoned her completely, she heard an anguished scream.

And then there was nothing.

For several moments, Pyrrha felt herself drift in a void of absolute emptiness. Complete silence encompassed her, and it felt as though she was floating in a thick sea of tar.

Then, oddly enough, she felt her knees touch solid ground.

A gentle wind blew against her face, and the sound of a hundred rustling leaves met her ears. Grass tickled the exposed skin on her legs, and she finally grew curious enough to open her eyes again. A startled gasp escaped her as she took in her new surroundings. Whereas she had previously been on the very top of Beacon Tower, it now appeared as though she was standing on what appeared to be a small island in the middle of a positively enormous ocean. Pink cherry blossoms floated across the water's surface for as far as the eye could see, and the water underneath was absolutely crystal clear.

Rising to her feet, Pyrrha turned around and took note of the impossibly gigantic tree situated directly in the center of the island. Its yellowish-gold leaves rustled in a nonexistent wind, and it seemed to give off a strange type of energy that she couldn't properly identify.

This… this didn't make any sense…

She had died. She remembered dying.

Was this supposed to be the afterlife…?

"Calm you mind, child. I will soon make everything become clear."

Pyrrha startled at the deep, booming voice. Looking around frantically, she attempted to locate the source. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

Rich chuckling echoed all around her, and she turned her eyes skyward just in time to witness the golden clouds part, allowing her a breathtaking glance at what lay beyond. As impossible as it seemed, it honestly looked like the entirety of the universe lay beyond those clouds. Pyrrha could see dozens upon dozens of planets, which were accompanied by a breathtaking myriad of stars. It was easily the most beautiful thing she had ever seen…

"Amazing…"

"Indeed," the voice said again, sounding more than a little amused at her astonishment.

Up above, a bright ball of light removed itself from a small cluster of stars. Floating around in the sky, it slowly began to descend through the clouds at a very leisurely pace. As it gradually grew closer to the ground, the intensity it was giving off steadily increased. Pyrrha was eventually forced to shield her eyes with her arms to avoid falling victim to blindness.

Suddenly, without warning, the light inexplicably disappeared.

The redhead cautiously lowered her arms, and quickly beheld a sight that was without a doubt one of the strangest yet most incredible things she had ever seen. Standing several feet in front of her was a bright gold humanoid figure. It possessed no determinable facial features, but Pyrrha could still easily tell that the being was looking directly at her. It easily stood twenty or so feet in height, and a pair of spiraling, stag-like antlers curled up from atop it's head.

Taking an involuntary step backward, Pyrrha stumbled slightly and landed on her rear.

The golden being chuckled, and slowly began to shrink in size until it was no larger than the average man. Once it was around the height of Professor Ozpin, it stepped forward and extended a hand.

Pyrrha regarded the offered limb with a fair mixture of curiosity and hesitance.

"I will not hurt you, child. I give you my word."

Cautiously, Pyrrha reached out and accepted the outstretched appendage. The being gently pulled her to her feet, and thankfully took a step back to give her enough room to breathe. Dusting herself off, yet refusing to look away, Pyrrha straightened up and looked at the odd figure where she assumed its eyes would be. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"The answer to your first question is far easier than the second," the being replied. "To be honest, I have been called many things over the course of this eternity. However, more recently, I have become fond of the name 'Lux.' As for where you are… first you must understand what I am as well."

"Very well."

"I am the overseer of All. An Ancient Spirit of Harmony, if you will. I keep watch over the various galaxies and cosmos across the expanse of reality. This place where we now stand is more or less what you might call my home. You see this tree, yes? Each of its branches represents a different world, and your own is among them as well," Lux explained carefully. "Each of the leaves on the individual branches represents one of the individuals that lives there, and when I examine the leaves, I am able to glimpse into the ultimate destiny of whomever said leaf represents. Does that make any sense?"

Pyrrha's brow furrowed slightly. "I believe so. You can essentially tell what the future of every individual in existence is just by touching their leaf, right?"

Lux nodded in evident satisfaction. "Yes, that is correct."

"That is very interesting, but it still does not explain why I am here."

"I was getting to that. To mortal eyes, every single leaf on this tree might appear to be the same simple shade of gold, but I can easily see that all of the leaves growing from different branches are a slightly different color. For example, there is a world out there that is mostly occupied by beings that practice the art of Ninjutsu; their leaves are a slightly darker shade of gold than the leaves representing your own world. There is also a world overrun by human-animal hybrids who fight using gigantic humanoid machines, and their leaves are much brighter than yours. Still following?"

Pyrrha nodded.

"Good. Well, imagine my surprise when I first examined your leaf seventeen years ago, only to discover that it was multicolored…"

"What does that mean…?"

"It means, dear girl, that your ultimate destiny is not supposed to take place on the world of Remnant. You were forever destined to perish at the hands of Cinder Fall, and therefore your time on your homeward has now come to an end. The rest of your future resides on a different world," Lux explained.

Pyrrha's eyes widened incredulously.

Part of her wanted to deny that any of this was even happening, and that she was simply experiencing trauma-induced hallucinations before her death. However, there was no denying that the wind blowing against her face was very real. As was the grass beneath her feet.

She had always believed that her destiny was to become a licensed Huntress, and to protect the people of Remnant from the Creatures of the Grimm. To hear otherwise felt like a rather violent punch to the gut. She had only been okay with dying because she knew her friends would remain behind to carry on where she had failed, but she didn't want to abandon them in this way. Dying was out of her hands, but going to a different world while her friends were still fighting just felt wrong.

"I… I can't…"

"You can't? Or do you simply not wish to do so?"

"I…"

"Fear not, Pyrrha Nikos. Your allies on Remnant are stubborn little humans, and I foresee that their ultimate future will be filled with victory and happiness. They will experience hardships along the way, but most of them shall emerge from the coming war with their heads held high."

Pyrrha swallowed, nodding rigidly. It would take an enormous weight off of her shoulders to simply believe that Lux was telling the truth, but a large part of her brain was screaming that the situation still wasn't fair. She wanted to be present to help her friends fight against Cinder and her minions.

She wanted to watch Ruby develop into an official Huntress.

She wanted to see if Sun's advances towards Blake would pay off.

She wanted to witness Weiss change the SDC.

She wanted to…

Pyrrha tensed, fighting against the tears that threatened to trail down her cheeks.

She wanted to go back to Jaune…

The poor, clueless boy who had made her feel like an ordinary girl for the first time in years. His ignorance to her title had been endearing, and his awkwardness even more so. More than anything, she regretted not being able to pursue her feelings for him further.

"I understand your sorrow, child." Lux's sudden comment startled her, and Pyrrha looked back up towards the golden being. "You do not wish to leave behind everything you have ever known, but I assure you that you will find happiness again in the future."

"How?" she asked, hiccupping. "How can you say that? Everything I have ever loved is back on Remnant. My family, Team JNPR, Team RWBY… and Jaune. I don't want to leave them…"

"I know… but destiny is not something that you can simply choose to deny." Without warning, Lux flicked one of his fingers upwards, and both he and Pyrrha began to ascend through the air towards the gigantic branches of the tree above them. As they approached one of the branches in particular, Lux placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Friendship is a universal absolute, my dear. You will meet new people, forge new bonds, and find your own place within this new world. I cannot reveal too much, but I give you my word that you will be happy."

She wanted to argue, but Pyrrha knew it would be pointless.

Lux was a deity, and fighting against him would likely amount to absolutely nothing. If he wanted something to happen, then there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Breathing out heavily, she swallowed the words of desperation she wanted to scream out so badly. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to trust in what she was being told. She still didn't believe it all, but she desperately hoped it was true.

Hope was all she really had left.

Lux's hand left her shoulder, and moved to the middle of her back. She was gently pushed forward, and Pyrrha felt her stomach collide with the branch. Instantaneously, she was engulfed in a bright golden light, and the world around her faded away before completely disappearing altogether.

As she vanished, Lux released a pleased sigh and turned his gaze skyward.

"Good luck my friend… and may you yet again find a loving family…"

(Karakura Town, Japan)

Familiar sounds met her ears.

She could hear cars, chattering people, and other auditory clues that let her know she was in a city. Her head pounded painfully, and Pyrrha brought a hand up to massage her temples as she opened her eyes. It quickly became apparent that she was in some kind of rundown alleyway.

Oddly enough, she was actually grateful for that.

She would much rather be in a dirty alley than in some forsaken jungle crawling with potentially dangerous animals. Raising her face to the sky, she silently thanked Lux for at least being kind enough to drop her off in a civilized location. As her headache finally started to fade away, Pyrrha shakily rose to her feet. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was forced to lean most of her weight against the nearest wall for support. Hobbling along, she made her way towards the end of the alley that was evidently closest to an active street.

Bright light briefly assaulted her eyes as she finally exited the alleyway, but thankfully her vision adjusted rather quickly. As it did, she found herself somewhat shocked with how her new surroundings seemed both strange and familiar. As she'd already discerned, she was in a heavily populated area, and there quite a few people walking along the sidewalk around her.

A group of young women caught her eye, and Pyrrha watched as they meandered along. They paused in their conversations to look at her as well, and the redhead actually felt herself grow somewhat self-conscious when they giggled amongst themselves condescendingly before moving on. Looking down at herself, the redhead frowned in frustration.

She was still wearing her combat attire, which consisted of a brown overbust corset and an A-line mini skirt. Her boots and gloves also covered her arms and her legs, and her golden jewelry was still in place as well.

Was there something wrong with how she was dressed…?

Shaking her head, she resolved to solve that dilemma at a later date. For now, she simply needed to figure out where exactly she was. Picking a random direction, Pyrrha began to walk along the sidewalk as she continued to observe her surroundings. Quaint little shops lined both sides of the street, and the silhouettes of much larger buildings were visible in the background. All in all, it was incredibly similar to Vale as far as the general cityscape was concerned. Sure, the individual buildings were much different, but a city was still a city.

After several minutes of walking, and after receiving several more judgmental looks from strangers, Pyrrha froze in her tracks as a sudden thought occurred to her…

Where in the world was she going to live?!

How would she pay for food?!

How was she going to be able to buy another set of clothes?!

She wanted to curse very badly, but her mother had raised her far too well. Swallowing the foul words she was heavily tempted to say, Pyrrha attempted to compose herself as best she could. It wouldn't do her any good to cause a scene in public… especially when all of the people around her already seemed put off by her appearance.

Honestly… had they never seen a combat uniform before?

She was no stranger to attention, but she still felt uncomfortable with all of the looks she was receiving. Most of the women that walked by simply looked at her judgmentally, but quite a few men fixed her with disturbingly hungry gazes. And most of them appeared to be double her own age!

Shivering in repulsion, Pyrrha shook her head and continued her march forward.

Eventually, after traversing the city for what felt like an eternity, the redhead came to what appeared to be a small park. Medium-sized trees occupied most of the immediate space, and a cobblestone patch carved through the vegetation. Walking along the pathway, Pyrrha quickly spotted an elderly woman sitting on an old wooden bench. The woman was surrounded by a small flock of birds, and she seemed to be feeding them handfuls of seeds.

Smiling slightly at the sight, Pyrrha cautiously approached. The woman looked kindly enough, and hopefully she would be able to provide some useful information. "E-Excuse me…?"

The woman glanced up, and smiled upon meeting Pyrrha's inquisitive emerald eyes. If she was at all intrigued by her outfit, then she did a very good job of hiding her curiosity. "Hello dear. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid that I'm not quite sure where I am… might you be able to help me?"

"You don't know where you are? Are you new to the area?"

Fishing around in her brain for a believable white lie, Pyrrha nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'm visiting a family member, but I've never actually been to the city before."

"You poor thing. Your parents really should have been more considerate…"

She wanted to point out that her parents actually loved her very much, but she forced the argument down. "Y-Yes. They can be very forgetful at times."

"Well, welcome to Karakura Town, dearie. Where do you need to go?"

Karakura Town, eh? The name slightly reminded her of some of the settlements that had been erected outside of the main walls of the Four Great Kingdoms. It was simple, and oddly homey. Of course, that was darkly ironic given most of the outer settlements eventually fell prey to the Grimm. "I'm actually looking for the local library. My aunt told me she would be meeting me there."

"Well, you're in luck," the woman smiled, pointing down a narrow street on the other side of the park. "Just follow that road for a few blocks, and it'll be on the left side. There's a big sign right out front, so it'll be impossible for you to miss."

"Thank you very much," Pyrrha replied gratefully, nodding politely. With a new spring in her step, she hurried in the aforementioned direction. The idea to seek out a library had come to her randomly, but now that she knew the name of the town she was in, it would make sense for her to do just a bit of research. Bustling around like a clueless idiot wouldn't do her any good, and reading up on this world's history would help her pass the time while she figured out what she would be doing about sleeping and eating arrangements.

As if on cue, her stomach grumbled irritably.

Pyrrha sighed pitifully.

Her hurried walk quickly became a slow trudge.

(Two Hours Later)

The book in her hands clattered to the tabletop.

Placing her elbows on the wooden surface, Pyrrha allowed her face to fall into her hands. Initially, based on appearances alone, she had assumed that this new world was not all that different from her own. The people all looked the same, and so did most aspects of the city. However, after spending the last couple of hours immersed in over a dozen history books, she'd finally acknowledged that Earth and Remnant were definitely not the same.

Whereas her homeland had experienced the Faunus Wars, as well as the separation of Mantle and Atlas, Earth had been subjected to at least two major wars that had apparently encompassed the entire planet. Just the scale of such a thing left a sickly sensation pooling in her gut.

However, despite the fact that the people of Earth had obviously fallen to great lows, they had also risen to absolutely astounding heights. When she had picked up a book titled 'Space Exploration,' Pyrrha had been absolutely floored to learn that one of Earth's countries had actually managed to travel beyond the planet's atmosphere and land on the moon itself.

The moon!

Remnant had achieved many technological and scientific accomplishments throughout its recorded history, but nothing even came close to being as impressive as sending men to the moon. Granted, Remnant's moon had been shattered centuries ago, but still…

As a whole, it seemed as though Earth was far more advanced as society than Remnant had ever been.

However, the people of Earth did not have access to resources made available through Dust. Additionally, it seemed as though the concepts of Aura and Semblances were completely exclusive to Remnant alone. Nearly half an hour ago, Pyrrha had thought to test whether or not she still had access to her own Semblance, and her experiment had thankfully proven successful. She still possessed her Aura as well, which she had tested by attempting to drive a sharpened pencil into her hand.

Her research had also suggested that Earth lacked Huntsman and Huntresses, and its individual countries instead defended themselves through the aid of their respective militaries. In that regard, she was reminded heavily of the Kingdom of Atlas.

Speaking of Atlas, there were also no Faunus on Earth.

Scowling briefly, Pyrrha concluded that Cardin Winchester would be right at home here…

Shaking her head to clear away any thoughts of Jaune's bully, the redhead delicately closed her current book and added it to the pile of those which she had already read. Preparing to reach for a new one, she paused upon registering the sensation that she was being watched. Calmly glancing over her right shoulder, Pyrrha internally sighed upon seeing that the boy who had been monitoring the front desk was now standing several feet away, silently staring at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked politely, doing her best to keep the irritation out of her voice.

The dark-haired young man grinned lopsidedly, apparently taking her acknowledgement as permission to approach. The way he carried himself spoke of arrogance, but Pyrrha could not determine any real reason why he should be so confident. He was not very muscular, nor was he very handsome. Even Jaune had been more physically defined, and he had been much leaner than the rest of the male students at Beacon.

The boy came to a stop directly next to her table, and Pyrrha instinctively scooted back in her seat at the blatant lack of respect for her personal space. "The library is about to close. As much as I don't want to, I need to ask you to leave."

"Very well," she replied. Standing up, she reached out to collect the books she had borrowed. "Just let me put all of these back before I-"

Her mouth fell open when the boy reached out and caught her wrist.

"That's okay," he said, still smiling. "I can do that before I lock up for the night. You need a ride home, or something?"

Blinking away her shock, Pyrrha shook her head and forcefully pulled away from him. "N-No, that is quite alright. I only live a few blocks away from here… there's no need to trouble yourself."

His expression fell briefly, but he quickly hid his obvious disappointment under another smile. "Are you sure? I really don't mind. Besides, what kind of guy would I be if I let a pretty girl walk home all by herself in the dark?"

Pyrrha wanted to point out that he was already coming across as very creepy, but years of being used to this kind of behavior prevented her from doing so. Many of her fans had approached her in a similar manner over the years, thinking they could win her heart if they acted confident enough. If anything, their overconfidence was annoying, and their unwanted persistence had always been a little unnerving. Still, Pyrrha knew she could handle herself well enough if push came to shove.

Still, she never liked being in this type of confrontation.

Swiftly moving away, she backpedalled towards the main entrance. She kept her movements calm, but added a little speed to her steps when the young man moved to follow her. "No, I insist… please don't let me trouble you. I'll be fine."

The boy opened his mouth to respond, but Pyrrha tuned him out and turned around to push through the library's front doors. Once she was out of his field of vision, she bolted down the sidewalk in a randomly picked direction and attempted to put as much distance between herself and the building as possible. Her jog became a sprint when she heard doors open again.

Turning around a corner and throwing herself behind a wooden picket fence, she crouched down and attempted to steady her breathing. There was no doubt in her mind that she could have fought the boy off if his advances had become too aggressive, but she honestly didn't want it to come to that. She was stronger, and an experienced fighter, but fighting against civilians had been hardwired into her brain as a very negative thing to do. Better to simply get away from the situation before it could actually escalate into anything too serious.

"My goodness, little missy. You sure do look flustered."

Nearly leaping out of her skin, Pyrrha bit back a surprised scream. Turning around, she finally realized that there was a small building situated in the lot where she had chosen to hide. In her hurry to get away from the library, such a thing must have escaped her notice. On the front porch of the little establishment, an oddly-dressed man was seated in a rocking chair.

He had messy blond hair, which fell down into his grey eyes. A white and green bucket hat was situated on the top of his head, which matched the rest of his similarly-colored attire. His clothing consisted of what looked like a dark green kimono, which in turn was covered by a black and white jacket of some sort. Wooden sandals adorned his feet, and a fan was held in his right hand.

The man regarded her with a lazy smile, and he slowly moved his fan back and forth through the air in front of his face. "You okay there, young lady? I didn't mean to startle you."

Pyrrha breathed out a large exhale, and shook her head as she rose to her feet. "N-No, no… please don't apologize, Sir. I didn't realize that I was intruding on your property."

"Don't worry about it. May I ask what had you so worked up?"

"I… I was trying to get away from a boy who was following me."

"Really now?" the man frowned. Snapping his fan shut, he rose from his chair and gestured towards the building. "I'll tell you what. How about you come in and get something to eat while you wait for the little weirdo to give up? There aren't many good hiding spots around here, so he'll probably find you if you stay where you are."

Pyrrha bit her lip.

On one hand, there was a very good chance that the man could attempt to take advantage of her. However, there was an equally good chance that he was being genuine with his offer. She considered herself to be a fairly good judge of character, and the man wasn't giving her the same uncomfortable vibe the boy had been. Besides, she was positively starving…

She hadn't eaten since she'd arrived in this world, and her stomach was beginning to punish her. If her new host made any kind of bad move, she would simply have to make a hasty retreat. Sucking in a deep breath, Pyrrha nodded and made up her mind. Walking across the lot and towards the building, she ascended the wooden steps leading up to the porch. "Thank you very much for the offer. I appreciate it, Mister…?"

The man grinned, removing his hat and bowing extravagantly. "My name is Kisuke Urahara. Welcome to my humble little candy shop. Might I ask for your name?"

"I'm Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos."

"Quite puculiar," Kisuke replied, placing his hat back on his head as he walked into the shop. "You wouldn't happen to be Greek, would you?"

Thanks to her earlier research, Pyrrha knew that Greece was part of Earth's European continent. Amusingly enough, she could understand why Mister Urahara would jump to such a conclusion. Remnant and Earth were completely different, but Mistralian culture was oddly similar to that of the Greco-Romans.

"My grandmother was from Greece," she lied quickly, following him into the shop. Eyes roving over the shelves packed to the brim with various candies, the redhead felt her mouth begin to water. Candy wasn't a full meal, but at this point she was willing to take anything she could get. "She moved to Japan and met my grandfather sixty years ago. My family has lived here ever since."

Kisuke nodded wordlessly, and maneuvered around a large desk near the back wall of the room. Peeking around the piece of furniture without physically following, Pyrrha watched as the blond man opened up a small cabinet and pulled out a small plastic case. Turning back towards her, he held it up and smiled proudly. "Never underestimate the wonders of instant ramen. I'll go fill this up with water and stick it in the microwave for a bit. Feel free to help yourself to a few pieces of candy while I'm gone."

With that, he turned away once again and disappeared through a white curtain that Pyrrha assumed led into the more restricted parts of the shop.

Not about to pass up the invitation, the redhead quickly bounced over to one of the shelves and began to sift through what was available. After a moment of searching, she selected a few chocolate bars and rapidly freed one of them from its wrapper. As soon as the sugary treat touched her tongue, Pyrrha released a rather undignified moan of pleasure. She wasn't sure if the two Brothers could hear her, but she still offered up a silent prayer to thank them for allowing her to travel to a world that still possessed the incredible gift that was chocolate.

Nibbling on the candy bar, she curiously began to walk around the rest of the shop. Aside from the various shelves that held the candy, she could also see that there were additional strange items that were situated in neat rows. Reaching out inquisitively, Pyrrha picked up what looked like an odd wooden badge of some sort, which was attached to a leather band. Flipping it over in her hand, she curiously studied the intricate, skull-shaped design etched onto the front of the medallion.

"You have a very good eye."

Pyrrha turned around, and saw that Kisuke had already returned. A bowl of steaming noodles was held in his left hand, and she felt her stomach gurgle at the sight. Her host released a laugh, prompting her to blush. Still chuckling, he walked forward and held out the bowl. "What do you say we make a trade?"

Nodding graciously, she handed him the medallion and accepted the bowl in its place. Kisuke's hand found her right shoulder, and she flinched on reflex. However, she relaxed upon realizing that he was merely guiding her behind the main counter. Sitting on a simple wooden stool, Pyrrha immediately began to wolf down the ramen like a ravenous Ursa.

Kisuke chuckled, tucking the medallion into his Shihakushō. Leaning his weight against the countertop, he folded his arms over his chest and watched her tear into the meal. "So, where exactly did you say you were from, Miss Nikos?"

Cheeks bulging with noodles, she took a moment to properly chew and swallow before raising her gaze. "I'm from here. I'm from Karakura Town."

"Right. But which district? Which neighborhood? If you're worried about walking home by yourself, I can call your parents to come pick you up."

She tensed, chopsticks halfway up to her mouth. Wracking her brain for a believable answer, Pyrrha tapped the edge of her boot against the hardwood floor nervously. "I…"

Kisuke arched a brow.

"I'm… well, I…"

"Miss Nikos."

"A-Ah, yes…?"

"You're not really from around here, are you?"

She wanted to lie. She wanted to blurt out that she'd lived here all her life. However, if she was being completely honest with herself, she was already tired of lying. She had been raised to be an honest and virtuous girl, and she still felt bad about lying to the old woman from earlier. Fibbing constantly was not in her nature, and as such, she merely let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

"No. No Sir, I'm not…"

"I didn't think so," Kisuke said. Thankfully, his tone was far from being accusatory. "Just so you know, your outfit is a pretty big giveaway. I was going to ask if it was part of some Spartan cosplay, but it looks like it's actually built to withstand combat. Am I right?"

Very perceptive.

Pyrrha acknowledged his correct deduction with a small nod.

"I thought so. Tell me, why would a girl your age need to wear such protective armor?"

She sighed again, allowing her chopsticks to fall into the half-empty bowl. "I highly doubt you'd believe me even if I told you…"

"You might be surprised," Kisuke replied cryptically.

Raising an eyebrow of her own at his words, Pyrrha offered him a curious look. When he didn't say anything further, she turned her gaze back down to the bowl of ramen and weighed her options.

On one hand, she could reveal everything, and potentially be branded an absolute nutcase. On the other, she could simply reveal partial truths. Mister Urahara was already aware of her status as a foreigner, but she sincerely doubted he would accept that she actually came from a world populated by soulless monsters. Even more, she doubted he would believe that the people from her world fought against the aforementioned monsters using superhuman abilities.

It was ordinary for her, but the people of Earth would likely regard such a thing as nothing more than a fantasy.

To be on the safe side, it would probably be best to only reveal what was absolutely necessary. With that in mind, she sucked in a deep breath and straightened her posture, meeting her host's expectant gaze once again. "You're right, I'm not from around here. I'm actually from a place where young people such as myself are taught to fight against those who would attempt to threaten the general populace."

Internally, she released a scream.

Even that little bit of information sounded absolutely bonkers by Earth's standards when said out loud…

For the briefest of moments, Kisuke smiled. Oddly enough, it didn't look like the kind of smile that made it seem like he thought she was crazy. Instead, it looked like the kind of smile one might adopt when they were privy to some sort of inside joke. More than once, Pyrrha had seen Professor Ozpin with the exact same expression on his face.

"You don't look like part of any military I've ever seen," the blond man finally replied. "However, I can sense that you're telling the truth. But that still begs the question… what exactly are you doing in Karakura Town, if this isn't where you're from?"

"I didn't come by choice. I was sent here with only the briefest of warnings."

"I see… so you're telling me you don't have anywhere to stay?"

Pyrrha shook her head regretfully.

To her surprise, Kisuke leapt to his feet. "Well, that simply won't do at all. We'll have to figure out some proper arrangements for you while you're in town."

"I… wait, why are you helping me so willingly? Why go to so much trouble to aid a stranger who tried to deceive you?"

Her host grinned, reaching into his Shihakusō and pulling out his fan. Snapping it open, he waved it in front of his face. "Let's just say that I've had quite a bit of experience providing help to some strange clientele. You aren't the first mysterious stranger to walk into this shop, and I highly doubt you'll end up being the last. Besides, I consider myself to be a good judge of character, and you seem like a pretty good kid."

Pyrrha smiled. It was a small one, but it was still very genuine. "Thank you very much, Mister Urahara. You are too kind."

"Oh stop it, you'll make me blush." Reaching into one of the pockets of his Shihakushō, Kisuke fished around for a moment before pulling out a small device that looked like a very outdated scroll. Flipping it open, he pressed several buttons before holding it up to his ear.

"What are you doing?" Pyrrha asked.

"Calling an old friend," Kisuke said, continuing to fan himself. "If I know him like I think I do, he'll be more than happy to give you a place to stay. I'll warn you… he can be a bit odd, but his heart is definitely in the right place."

She nodded, smile growing.

Trusting strangers was definitely risky, and she acknowledged that, but Mister Urahara seemed like a very genuine individual. He was certainly eccentric, but his kindness was greatly appreciated. He also didn't prod her for more information regarding her background, and that was a relief more than anything else. Turning back to her bowl of ramen, Pyrrha continued to eat as Kisuke began to talk into his handheld device.

Things were beginning to look up.

(Fifteen Minutes Later)

It was very obvious that she wasn't telling him everything.

Still, as a man of mystery himself, Kisuke couldn't fault Pyrrha for wanting to keep some information to herself. Thankfully, just as he'd hoped, Isshin had been more than willing to provide the redhead with a warm bed to sleep in for the foreseeable future. In addition to that, having Pyrrha stay at the Kurosaki household would allow them to keep an eye on her just in case.

It wouldn't be obvious to the ordinary person, but the oddly-dressed girl was absolutely bathed in concentrated Reishi. That being the case, Kisuke had immediately recognized that she had recently passed through some kind of dimensional barrier. However, he could also tell that she had not passed through the Dangai; the Precipice World possessed its own unique energy signature, and those who crossed through it temporarily emitted the exact same energy for several hours after doing so.

The energy surrounding Pyrrha was completely different.

In fact, it was unlike anything he had ever seen.

It was evident that she was still alive, so she wasn't from the Soul Society nor Hueco Mundo.

Further investigation was definitely required…

For now, however, he wouldn't interrogate her for further answers. Pyrrha was definitely not a threat of any kind— her Spiritual Energy was far to placid for that. Even people who attempted to hide their maliciousness gave off a slightly putrid aura. Sosuke Aizen had hidden his own foul energy very well, but Kisuke had never fully trusted him.

"Mister Urahara…?"

Blinking, the blond shopkeeper was startled out of his thoughts. Glancing towards his right, where Pyrrha was walking down the sidewalk alongside him, he noted that her expression was filled with concern. Smiling brightly, Kisuke attempted to alleviate her worry. "Ah, my apologies Miss Nikos. I tend to get lost in thought sometimes."

Her worry quickly faded away, and was replaced by a small smile. "I understand. I have a- I mean, I used to have a friend back home who would often find himself in the same situation."

Sympathy rushed through him as the redhead's expression suddenly turned crestfallen. Sighing, Kisuke turned his gaze back towards the sidewalk in front of them. They were only a little over a block away from the Kurosaki Clinic, and a good portion of him hoped that Isshin's twins would be able to drag Pyrrha out of her funk. Ichigo would be utterly useless in cheering her up— the orange-haired dolt possessed just as much tact as a rotting log. Still, the boy's heart was one of gold, and Kisuke had a feeling that he'd be able to help in some small way.

The next few minutes were walked in silence.

Pyrrha continued to brood, and Kisuke continued to guide her through the now empty sheets of Karakura Town. Turning a corner, and making sure she was still following, the blond shopkeeper threw his arms out wide and finally came to a stop. Gesturing with a hand, he pointed towards the medium-sized home in front of them. "This is where you'll be staying until we can make further arrangements. I hope you'll be satisfied with everything until then."

"It looks very lovely."

Her reply was forced and wooden, and Kisuke shook his head lightly. Walking forward and crossing the street, he approached the front door and raised his hand to knock. Pyrrha followed along dutifully behind him, and they both waited for a few moments in silence for someone to answer the door. Footsteps gradually echoed from within the house, and eventually the door was opened.

Isshin Kurosaki's goofy smile greeted them.

"Kisuke! You hardly ever come over anymore! We need to arrange another card match with Tessai and Yoruichi before too long."

The shopkeeper chuckled. "I think we both know who would win that."

Isshin snickered as well, before turning his attention to Pyrrha. Kisuke did the same, and sympathetically noted that she looked incredibly awkward. Her face was red, and she couldn't seem to figure out where she should look. Taking a step back so that he was slightly behind her, he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Isshin, this is Pyrrha Nikos. She's the poor young lady I told you about on the phone."

The dark-haired man's goofy grin morphed into a gentle smile. Extending a hand, he nodded his head politely in greeting. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear. I know this must all be a little overwhelming, but I assure you that we'll make a place for you in our home."

Pyrrha, still a little flustered, accepted Isshin's outstretched hand and gave it a shake. "It is nice to meet you as well. I am very grateful for your kindness."

"Think nothing of it! It's been quite some time since we've had another young lady in the Kurosaki household. As of now, I hereby dub thee as my third daughter!"

"I… um, thank you?"

Nodding proudly, Isshin cast a glance over his shoulder back into the house. "Karin! Yuzu! Would you please come show our guest to her new room?"

In a matter of moments, the twins appeared in the doorway next to their father. Both were smiling, but Yuzu's expression was for more excited than her sister's. Pyrrha was subsequently dragged into the house by the young pair, and up the stairs to the second floor.

"You gave her Ichigo's room, didn't you?" Kisuke snorted.

"Right on the money, old friend," Isshin grinned. However, his expression quickly sobered. "Tell me you sensed it too…"

"Of course I did. She's practically dripping with Spiritual Energy indicative of cross-dimensional travel. But you know as well as I do that she didn't cross through the Dangai; the Reishi coating her body is way too foreign."

"Agreed. She isn't from Soul Society, is she? That gear she was wearing didn't look like anything I've ever seen a Shinigami wear."

"Highly doubtful, but I'll still have Yoruichi ask around to see if there is anyone from the Seireitei or Rukongai who matches her description. Pyrrha told me that she comes from a place where most of the kids her age are taught how to fight, and her attire also tells me that she's accustomed to rather intense combat. She's definitely a human, but she isn't like any ordinary human I've ever come across before. She doesn't feel like a Quincy, though, so we can go ahead and rule out that possibility."

"Very curious…" Isshin mused, reaching up to idly search at his stubble.

Kisuke snorted. "That's putting it lightly. She also said that she was forced to come here against her own will. I don't really know what to make of that, but I plan on doing some more personal investigating."

"Sounds good. Keep me in the loop, will you?"

"Of course."

And there we have it.

I hope this first chapter was enough to get some of you interested.

As I said earlier, most of this will be told from Pyrrha's point of view, but Ichigo will serve as a deuteragonist. He didn't make a physical appearance in this particular chapter, but that was only because I wanted to properly set the stage and introduce Pyrrha to Earth.

While I'm on the topic of Pyrrha, I'd like to mention that although she might seem quite composed, I intend on expanding on her personal trauma. She was just ripped from Remnant against her will, and it wouldn't make sense for things to be all fine and dandy for her for the rest of the story. It will take time for her to properly adjust, but she is the type of person who would try to put on a brave face to mask her true feelings. She was also murdered by Cinder, and I plan on mentioning that trauma as well.

I'd also like to talk about Kisuke for a moment.

Why did I have him help Pyrrha so readily?

Well, I honestly feel like that's what he'd do. He already knows that she isn't telling the entire truth, but I feel like Kisuke is the kind of character who would approach the situation with a sense of calm and understanding. He can tell that Pyrrha doesn't mean any harm and therefore there is no good reason for him to grill her for complete answers. However, knowing Kisuke, he will still get those answers eventually.

And yes, Lux is the God of Light.

On another note, since I mentioned that I'd be voicing my grievances with RoosterTeeth in the beginning Author's Notes, I'm going to go ahead and do exactly that. Before anyone has a chance to get too defensive, let me say that I am still a very big fan of "RWBY." It definitely has its faults, but I still find it to be a very entertaining series. However, I have noticed that the people behind the series cannot seem to accept any form of criticism.

Most of the villains are very poorly written. Tyrian, Neo and Torchwick are fun, but one of them was killed off quite some time ago. Adam had major potential, but he was inexplicably killed off as well for literally no damn reason. Well, there was a reason, but it was an incredibly stupid one.

Cinder is garbage as well. She wants power, but we are never given a reason why. So yeah, there's that…? Emerald and Mercury are just kind of there, and I feel like they don't make any real impression on the audience.

Salem is okay, I guess. Her backstory makes sense, and I can appreciate that.

Hazel is just a horrible character. The fact that he blames his sister's death on Ozpin feels incredibly lazy.

As a whole, the show is fine, but the writing isn't perfect. Neither is mine, but I'm always willing to accept feedback and listen to constructive suggestions that can help me improve. The fanbase is a little rabid too, and no one can seem to accept that not everyone will share their personal preferences when it comes to pairings.

I'm looking at you, Bumbleby…

So yeah, there's my brief rant.

Thanks for reading.

AlucardsBro OUT!