The Multiverse in a Nutshell

by Pennington Inkwell

It's Also A Gun

"You ready, Sunset?" Missy's voice chimed through the earpiece Isis had given her.

"There was no need to change your name for enrollment, but remember, your history had to be altered greatly to stand up to scrutiny. I will remind you when necessary of your fabricated backstory."

Sunset nodded to herself, looking around the courtyard. It was practically brimming with students of every shape and size. Not all of them were even entirely human, sporting animal features like ears and tails. What stood out to her the most, however, was the presence of the weapons. Literally more weapons than she could count, equipped to every student. Some were smaller, easily sitting in sheathes or attached to belts, while others were massive, having to be carried in cases or strapped to their backs. She placed her hand on her lightsaber, feeling slightly self-conscious with only an empty handle clipped to her belt. They were chatting and mingling, just like regular high school students, but they were clearly ready to do battle at the drop of a hat.

Still, it was a school, and Sunset knew school. The first thing she needed to do was prevent herself from putting her foot in her mouth and making a spectacle of herself. A bad first impression on the other students would be irreversible. She needed a guide.

Sure would be nice if my USUAL guide was here... What I wouldn't give for one of Penn's exposition dumps! She rolled her eyes. It's usually too much information at once, but I always get what I need to-

"Oh!" Her thoughts were cut off as she bumped into another student from behind. "Sorry, got a little lost in my own thoughts."

"That's alright. We're all a bit nervous," the girl replied, not sounding nervous at all. She was dressed all in black and white, with a pair of black thigh-high leggings and a sleeveless black tailcoat over a white shirt and pair of white shorts. The ensemble was complimented by her long black hair and a black bow on top of her head. With the accident addressed, the girl began to walk away.

Sunset had a choice. She was alone in a world she didn't know, at a brand-new school where she couldn't be sure any of her prior knowledge would be any use to her. However, if Penn was right, then lives hung in the balance, so she couldn't afford to be passive. She certainly couldn't bully her way to what she wanted, which left one other option:

She needed friends.

"H-hey! Wait up!" she called, jogging to catch up to the girl. She held out her hand. "I'm Sunset Shimmer."

The other girl gave her a sideways glance, but didn't shake her hand. "I'm Blake."

Sunset knew THAT look. That was the look of someone who wasn't looking for friendship. Who only wanted quiet and space. It was the same look Rarity would give people when they walked in on her while she was too deep in her work to even be bothered to yell at them.

"I don't really know my way around here. Do you mind if I tag along with you, Blake?"

"Can I stop you?" she replied, somewhat irritated.

Sunset hesitated for a moment, starting to fall behind again. "Well, yeah. If that's a no, then... I'll just-"

"It's fine." The other girl cut her off before letting go of a long sigh. "Just don't expect a tour. I'm just as new here as you are."

Sunset nodded. "Thanks. Not having to tackle the unknown alone feels a lot better, you know?"

"I don't."

Well, she's just a ray of sunshine, isn't she?

"Don't feel better or... don't know what it's like not to tackle the unknown on your own?" That question actually seemed to throw Blake for a loop, causing them to stop for a moment. "Because either way, that sounds pretty lousy."

"I-"

Whatever Blake's response was going to be, it was cut off by the sound of a small explosion, followed by the crackling of ice rapidly forming and melting and electricity arcing through the air. A glass bottle filled with red power came flying through the air before landing at their feet. The two of them looked in the direction that the explosion had come from, seeing two girls covered in soot. One was dressed in shades of white and blue and the other seemed to have chosen red and black. Even their hair matched their outfits, something Sunset hadn't seen since she left Canterlot High.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" the girl in the white dress shouted, shaking off the majority of the soot as she stamped her foot.

"I'm really, REALLY sorry!" the other girl replied, anxiously pressing the tips of her fingers together.

Did SHE cause that explosion? Sunset wondered. To her surprise, Blake didn't shy away from the confrontation, picking up the bottle and walking towards them. She followed closely behind. Maybe I can help defuse this whole thing... literally.

"Ugh, you complete DOLT! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little YOUNG to be attending Beacon?" the white-haired girl continued.

"Um, well, I-"

"This ISN'T your ordinary combat school! It's not just sparring and practicing, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so watch where you're going!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!" the red-haired girl replied, clearly reaching the end of her patience. If someone didn't do something soon, Sunset worried a fight was about to start. However, before she could intervene Blake finally spoke up.

"It's 'heiress,' actually. Weiss Schnee: heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

Sunset made a mental note of the information. Clearly, this Weiss girl had connections. Connections could come in handy in trying to stop whatever disaster was coming.

"Finally, some recognition!"

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

"Wha- How DARE-" Weiss stuttered, ignoring the other girl beginning to snicker behind her. Unable to come up with a retort, she snatched the bottle from Blake's hand and stormed away towards the school. The red girl waved fruitlessly at her as she left.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" She let out a frustrated sigh as her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day..."

Without a word, Blake began to walk away again. Sunset was torn. Should she follow Blake, or stay with this girl? For a moment, she considered leaving. Out of reflex, her hand brushed against her geode for comfort.

Suddenly, she wasn't at Beacon Academy. She was back at CHS. It was the Friendship Games, and she was watching the relay course. She could see Twilight struggling with the archery course, tears brimming in her eyes. Just as she was about to lose hope, Applejack had leaped from CHS's platform and onto Crystal Prep's, refusing to stay on the sidelines any longer.

And it was over. She was back at Beacon Academy, watching Blake walk away. Sunset sighed and shook her head with a smile. Even if her friends weren't here, she was still getting help from them.

"So, what's-" The girl in red cut herself off as she saw Blake walking away. Sunset picked up the conversation where Blake had left it, holding out her hand to the girl.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer."

She looked at Sunset's hand for a moment before grabbing it and giving it an enthusiastic shake. "I'm Ruby! Ruby Rose! Nice to meet you!"

"Uhm, hello?" a third voice chimed in. Both of them turned to see a boy with bright blonde hair had walked up to join them. "Sorry, I couldn't really help seeing what happened. Not cool..."

"W-well, I guess I started it by knocking over her stuff..." Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "And causing the explosion by sneezing on all that dust..."

"Still, that's no reason to have gotten so mad." Sunset argued. "It's the first day! Everyone's going to be nervous, and nerves can make you a little clumsy!"

"Yeah!" the boy joined in, holding out his hand to the two of them. "I'm Jaune Arc, by the way."

Ruby paused for a moment as she shook his hand, recognition appearing on her face. "Wait... weren't you the boy who threw up on the ship?"

"Y-yeah..." Jaune sighed with resignation.

As the three of them began to laugh, Sunset could already feel the beginnings of friendship starting to plant roots. She took one last look around, but Blake was long gone. If she had one regret, she had to admit she felt bad for leaving Blake alone again.

I guess she seems to prefer it that way, though...

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Just as she had thought, the three of them became fast friends. Jaune hadn't taken too well to Ruby's nickname for him being "Vomit Boy," but had responded in kind with his own jab at her, "Crater Face." Sunset had found both of them hilarious until she had bumped into them at least three more times and earned herself the nickname "Sleepwalker."

in her defense, it was hard NOT to stare at her surroundings. It didn't feel like she was at a school, it felt like she was in some kind of fantasy city. Not only was the architecture on par with Canterlot Castle, but there were signs of futuristic tech everywhere. She didn't dare to take her phone out of her pocket after she caught sight of Ruby's "scroll." It was like a cell phone made out of pure glass capped with metal on either end, and it could somehow shrink down to a third of its size until only the metal caps remained.

"So... I've got this thing!" Ruby announced. With a series of clanks and whirs, the weapon she had been keeping strapped to her belt unfolded and expanded until it was a scythe nearly twice her size.

"WHOA!" Jaune shouted, jumping slightly as the tip of the scythe embedded itself several inches in the ground. Even Sunset was caught off-guard by the sudden change, her hand reaching for her saber. When the shock had worn off, though, her curiosity came back with a vengeance, and she began inspecting it as closely as she dared, trying to spot the mechanisms of how it worked. "Is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby declared.

"Huh?"

"It's also a gun."

Sunset was nearly speechless. Nearly.

"That's INCREDIBLE! It has so much more volume once it expands, how did you do that without compromising the structural integrity? How do you use it without being just as dangerous to yourself, isn't the sharp part of the blade pointed towards you? How do you deal with the recoil of the sniper rifle? Is it heavy? Where did you get it?"

"Careful design, lots of training with my uncle, I usually anchor the blade in something, I'm used to it, and I built it myself!" Ruby was practically blushing at how much attention her weapon was getting. "What about you guys?"

"Well, uh, I've got this sword!" Jaune declared, drawing a long broadsword from his side.

"Oooo..." Ruby whispered.

"Yeah, a shield, too!" He reached down and took the sheathe from his belt. With a popping sound, it expanded into a full shield.

"Cool!" Sunset glanced closely at the sword. "So, what does it turn into?"

"Well, the sword is a sword, and the shield folds down! That way when I get tired of holding it, I can just make it smaller!"

Sunset and Ruby glanced at one another, clearly thinking the same thing. "But... doesn't it weigh the same?"

Jaune looked down. "Y-yeah."

"Well, I think they're pretty great!" Ruby chimed in. "Not many people have an appreciation for the classics!"

"Yeah!" Sunset added. "I mean, the sword and shield are timeless for a reason, right? Ultimate utility!"

"Besides, I'm kind of a weapons dork. I guess I did go a little overboard designing mine..." the two of them turned to look at Sunset expectantly. "What about you?"

"O-oh! Well, mine's more like Jaune's, it doesn't really transform at all." Sunset reached down for her lightsaber. The three of them all stared at the empty handle for a moment. Just as they opened their mouths to ask her for clarification, Sunset flicked the switch.

FSSSH! With the hiss of the air boiling, the blade of red light emerged, still bright even in the midday sun. Ruby and Jaune both stepped back, their jaws dropping at the sight. For a moment, she wondered if she had accidentally given away the fact that she wasn't from this world, and her entire body tensed up.

"That. Is. AMAAAAZING!" Ruby cried, mimicking Sunset's earlier excitement. "Is that some kind of plasma blade? Is it powered by dust? What kind of dust do you use? Does the blade have weight to it? How does it hold up against physical objects? How did you make it?" With her final question, Ruby grabbed Sunset's shoulders and shook her, demanding answers.

Sunset suddenly found herself on the receiving end of several questions she couldn't answer.

"I-I didn't make it, actually. I'm not even sure how it works! I'm still learning about it, to be honest..." she looked down at the blade, feeling somewhat intimidated by her own lack of knowledge. In all of the insanity of the Dalek invasion immediately followed by their kidnapping to Aperture, she'd hardly bothered to question it much. It was just there at her side, and that was all that mattered. "I... was with a friend, and we were being attacked. He picked up a sledgehammer, and I grabbed this without knowing what it was. It just... felt right. Like it was meant for me." She gave it an experimental swing, the hum of it passing through the air calming her nerves again. "I know it can cut through just about anything, and I used to to reflect an energy blast that would have killed him! But other than that, as far as I know it's just a sword with some really crazy cutting power." She shook her head. "He probably knows more about it than I do, to be honest! I wish he was here..."

"Oh... I'm sorry." Ruby muttered, stepping back. "I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories."

"What?"

"Your friend... If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him?" Jaune asked.

Sunset paused, the meaning sinking in. She switched off the lightsaber before stifling a laugh. "Pfft, he's not DEAD! Sorry, I guess I made that sound pretty dark! No, he just... didn't agree with me coming here, so he stayed behind. I miss him, but I'm sure he's fine!"

Both of her new friends sighed with relief.

"Well, being a Huntress has a lot of risk to it!" Ruby shrugged. "You're choosing to put other people before your own life! If he's your friend, I guess it makes sense he'd worry when you said you wanted to be one."

"Hmmph..." Sunset huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "I wish it was me he'd been worried about... It would be better than the stupid reasons he REALLY stayed behind."

"Well, you know... Guys can be weird about showing when they're worried about you." Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "If someone thinks they need to look tough, they'll usually say they're worried about everything EXCEPT what they're REALLY afraid of." He shook his head slightly and smiled. "I mean, I'd NEVER admit to my sister how much I worried about her when she left home, I'd never hear the end of it!"

"Hey, sorry to get off-topic, but..." Ruby took a moment to glance at their surroundings. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know, I was following you!"

"I was following Sunset!"

"I was following Ruby..."

The three of them paused to ponder their predicament.

"You think there might be a directory?" Jaune asked, putting his hand over his eyes and pretending to peer into the distance. "Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?"

Both girls snickered a little at his antics.

"Let's just go THAT way, it seems to be where most people are headed." Ruby declared, pointing towards the largest of the school's buildings.

Comments

[Zapper Frost]

Once again, I was reading a different RWBY fanfic when this came out

[Blue68]

10022222
yes, rest in peace Monty Oum you will be remembered.

[Venerable Ro]

No worries Sunset, lightsabers are almost always useful.

[Raistlin]

10013114

Penn must be aware even if he doesn´t go back for Sunset and Missy (and he will) the multiverse will force him to get involved and screw things up anyway, as predicted by The Rincewind Theory.

[alfonso_rd_33]

10022732
I'd guess he's kinda sorta aware, how he'll act on it is anypone's guess

[Violet_Rose]

Eeeeeeee this whole chapter had me so excited it was amazing

[JOEBLACK]

10022732
Isn't that that powerful mage who hides under bookshelves?

[Bluebottle27]

10159164
Hahaha, Rincewind is anything but powerful, he's a failed wizard from Unseen University with even less spine than a jellyfish. That being said, he does continuously wind up in situations where he somehow winds up saving the day although he will try and run away first. The thing is, no matter how much running away he does, it always leads him to where he will need to be to save the day or the world. He used to be employed by Unseen University as an assistant Librarian, he is currently employed as Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography.

[Jlan]

10218142
And I remember a point-and-click adventure game where he was a substitute Grim Reaper for a while. Now that was a weird one.