This is the new story I'm working on. It combines elements from some other RWBY crossovers that are out there. Specifically "A Reward Long Overdue" which hasn't been updated in forever, "Remnant's Phantom Thieves" and "Reading Remnant's Phantom Thieves" which do need another update, and a previous story that I started but never got around to finishing (and ultimately dropped) called "RWBY X JNPR". Please note that I will not be copying and pasting and intend to spin this story in such a way as to make it original. Disclaimer: I don't RWBY, the Persona series, Five Nights at Freddy's, or Devil May Cry.

Volume 1-1: The Bargain

The world of Remnant is one of darkness. Monstrous creatures called Grimm roam the land unchecked, forcing humans back to a handful of cities and scattered settlements. Only five percent of the world is owned by humans, but the Grimm seek to change that. As it is, humanity on Remnant is on the brink of extinction. On Earth, however, humanity has different issues. While the population is vast and healthy, they still need to contend with terrible wars, deadly diseases, and corrupt governments, not to mention the odd natural disasters. But unlike Remnant, humanity on Earth is in no danger of being wiped out anytime soon. If Remnant is a world of darkness, Earth is one of light.

Perhaps it was because of this that a particular deity from Earth decided to visit Remnant to see what he could do to rectify this situation. There are many realities, many versions of Remnant. Some in which it is doomed, others in which it can be saved. The being approached a woman with deathly pale skin, her eyes having jet black sclerae with crimson irises. Her pure white hair done up in a large bun with six offshoots wrapped together, several obsidian ornaments hanging from them. Across her skin were dark purple veins, and in the center of her forehead was a diamond-shaped marking.

She was wearing a long-short-sleeved black robe over her still shapely form, her feet completely obscured so that it was impossible to tell whether or not she was wearing shoes. The collar of the robe was high and curved, and a wide slit in the front exposed her cleavage, the outer edge having a dark red trim. The vertical ellipsis the slit was shaped as reminded the entity of an eye. Over the woman's shoulders was a long shawl emblazoned with three interconnected, maroon-colored vertical elliptical sigils that resembled a trio of eyes, above a series of maroon-colored diamond emblems. Her fingers had long fingernails with jet-black nail polish, almost like claws, and on her right middle finger was a ring resembling a beetle.

She was Salem, Queen of the Grimm. Salem regarded the entity before her. He had a human appearance, but his face was concealed by a mask resembling the right wing of a butterfly, the color a brilliant velvet blue. The eyeholes were so small Salem couldn't see his pupils. He was wearing a suit consisting of a black shirt and tie, with a white blazer and white pants over black dress shoes. His hair was long and black and tied up in a ponytail. "By what name do you go by, stranger?," Salem asked. She normally would have destroyed anyone who trespassed in her domain, but something about this being told her it would be a fruitless endeavor.

The being gave a slight bow. "Permit me, Highness. I am Lord Philemon, a deity of order and creation on a planet called Earth. I was intrigued by the idea that other planets had humans like the ones on Earth, so I choose to see for myself. But I was disheartened to learn that humanity on this planet has been pushed to point of extinction." Salem scoffed. "And will you blame me, as have so many?" Despite the complete coverage of his face his mask provided, Salem could see something of a smirk from the way his jawline moved. "I think we both know the real reason for this is the unfair judgement the gods of this world have placed upon you and your former husband."

For the time in centuries, a tear came to Salem's eyes. "Ozma…" "I realize you miss the family you once had," Philemon said, "Unfortunately, I can't restore all you have lost, but I can help you rebuild. But to do that, the two Brothers must be made to understand how unfair they have been to the planet they have been tasked with protecting." "And you can do this?," Salem asked. "Not personally," Philemon clarified, "One god cannot interfere with another directly. But we can move pieces onto the board. Over time a series of gifted individuals have mastered the greatest of powers on Earth… The power of the mind."

The silhouettes of five young men appeared before him. "These are the leaders of several groups of individuals with the ability to change the world," Philemon explained, "But by far the strongest of them… Is this one." Four of the images disappeared, while the fifth became clearer. Salem raised an eyebrow. He didn't look like much. His hair was black and unkempt, his eyes a dark gray. There was a set of glasses on his face that gave him an ordinary look. He wore an open white button-up shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes. "He doesn't look like much," Salem said.

"That's part of his cover," Philemon said with a chuckle, "He is a skilled Trickster after all." The image took off its glasses, and Salem understood what Philemon was getting at. The far-off look he had before switch to a more intense and focused one. Like someone who knew he was unassuming, and how to use that appearance to his advantage. Philemon caused the image to disappear. "Now, I should mention that it is within my power to resurrect the dead. Including your daughters." Salem gasped, but Philemon raised his hand in a stop symbol before she got too excited.

"Before you start begging," he said, "I should clarify that the longer someone has been dead, the longer it will take to find their soul, assuming it hasn't already reincarnated. The bodies will be no issue. I can simply craft new ones for them, and insure they lose any memories from the day they died. The reason I say all this is because for the Trickster's team to be at its strongest, I may need to resurrect one individual. But I will be doing so here on this planet. And he will be conducting a small trial to see if the situation on this planet is salvageable."

Salem nodded. "I think my daughters would be more comfortable on this planet." She knew exactly what Philemon was offering. If Remnant could be saved, he would send this Trickster on his allies to save it. If not, she, her daughters, and possibly Ozma would be sent to Earth while the Brothers would be released to do with Remnant what they would. And in all likelihood they would destroy the surface and start over. She didn't care about the planet or its people, but she did care about her family. So either way, she would win. It would just be harder to enjoy it if her family was forced to move. She gave a low bow. "I accept your terms."

For those of you who think Salem accepted Philemon's bargain too easily, keep in mind she only thinks it's a win-win for her. What Philemon didn't say was that while he places a good chunk of the blame on the two Brothers, he still thinks Salem was in the wrong for deceiving them. And that if this bargain didn't work out, she'd just be on earth, her daughters aging while she didn't, and her and Ozma's curses still intact. We'll get into meeting the group next chapter. Hope everyone's staying safe and healthy out there. Read and review.