RWBY: Different Soul

Hello, I'm...

In the peaceful tranquility of dawn, Oscar Pine stirred from his slumber, hazel eyes wide with momentary panic before exhaling a relieved sigh as he assessed his surroundings. Emerging from the cozy loft of the barn, he descended a creaking ladder, his patched khaki pants and white shirt contrasting with the vibrant orange suspenders and gloves adorning his frame. Tucked into his pocket was a vibrant, multi-colored cloth, a splash of brightness against the rustic backdrop.

Pushing open the barn door, Oscar stepped into a scene straight out of a pastoral painting. The rising sun cast a golden glow over the serene countryside, where birds chirped merrily, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. In the distance, white-capped mountains stood sentinel against the azure sky, framing the picturesque landscape.

With a soft smile, Oscar approached a green water pump, its handle worn from years of use. As he worked the pump, filling a blue bucket with crystal-clear water, his gaze drifted across the idyllic scenery. Lost in reverie, he failed to notice the water overflowing the bucket until a quiet sound of surprise escaped his lips, his shoulders slumping with a resigned sigh.

The scene transitioned seamlessly to Oscar tending to a green compost tumbler, marked with a yellow crown bearing the initials CK. With practiced hands, he shut and turned the tumbler, the earthy scent of decaying organic matter mingling with the crisp morning air.

As he moved on to hoe rows in a nearby garden, Oscar suddenly straightened up, his attention drawn to something in the distance. With a furrowed brow, he squinted into the horizon, watching the sun.

With his chores completed, Oscar Pine made his way back to the barn, the weight of exhaustion heavy on his shoulders. Setting down his pitchfork with a tired sigh, he cast a glance around the dimly lit interior, his gaze lingering on a dusty mirror tucked into a corner. Approaching it, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

As he scrutinized his reflection, searching for any sign of what might be wrong, a voice shattered the silence, causing him to jump in alarm. 'Oh, I know,' it chimed, sending a chill down his spine. 'A patch of hair is uncombed on the left side of your head.'

Oscar's heart leaped into his throat. With a strangled cry, Oscar stumbled backward, his legs giving way beneath him as he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Later

Oscar sat perched on his bed, engrossed in the pages of his book, until the sound of his aunt's voice pierced through his concentration. "Oscar, supper's almost ready," she called out from the kitchen.

Without looking up from his book, Oscar inquired, "What are we having?"

"Doesn't matter, you're eating it," his aunt retorted matter-of-factly.

"I never agreed to this," Oscar said aloud.

"It's part of the living-under-my-roof contract. Read the fine print and wash up."

Sighing resignedly, Oscar closed his book and rose from the bed, his thoughts momentarily interrupted by a strange voice echoing inside his head. 'We need to leave, something is off, and I'm stuck in your body,' it whispered urgently.

Oscar paused, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I'm not listening to a voice in my head," he muttered to himself, trying to dismiss the intrusive thoughts.

'Yeah, me neither,' the voice replied, its tone tinged with uncertainty. 'But back when I had a body before I fell into a portal, I'd also have trouble with my intrusive thoughts. Like cheating on a test or really wanting to smack a bitch. It's tempting, but I never did it. Anyways, we should get going.'

"Why should I trust a voice in my head?!" Oscar demanded, his voice tinged with frustration and disbelief.

'Good point, I wouldn't either, but here we are. But I've got something to change your mind,' the voice responded cryptically.

Oscar's confusion only deepened as a strange image flickered through his mind, accompanied by the voice's explanation. "What's a 'taco' and what is 'Taco Bell'?" he asked, perplexed.

'First, my bad, I meant to show you something else, not a Taco Bell commercial. Sorry, I was hungry,' the voice admitted sheepishly. 'And second, you don't have tacos here?' it questioned incredulously.

"Sorry, I don't think we do," Oscar replied, feeling a pang of sympathy for the voice's apparent disappointment.

'I'm devastated. A world without tacos, it's horrible,' the voice lamented, its despondency echoing through Oscar's mind.

'Anyways, here,' the voice said, and more images flashed in Oscar's head, showing him engaged in combat with Grimm, wielding a cane with surprising skill.

"I-Is that me?" Oscar asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as he observed the scene unfolding in his mind's eye. He couldn't shake the surreal feeling of seeing himself dressed in green and battling Grimm with a cane.

'It's you, a version of you,' the voice confirmed. 'As I said before, I watched this world like a TV show. To me, it's become real. But in that version, the voice in your head was supposed to be someone else – an old wizard with a bad divorce and a crazy ex-wife. She's also immortal, and the wizard could reincarnate.' Oscar's mind reeled at the revelation of another version of himself with a wizard inhabiting his thoughts. 'But now you're stuck with me, a non-reincarnating voice. However, I do have knowledge of the future, so that's a plus.'

Oscar pondered for a moment, his gaze shifting to the mirror as he contemplated the implications of trusting the voice in his head. "How do I know you're even real or if those images aren't just my imagination and I'm not just going crazy!?," he quieslty yelled to himself.

'Oscar, I don't have much proof to give you, but all I can offer are visions of an alternate version of your life,' the voice said, sounding somewhat defeated. It didn't know how to convince Oscar that it was real and not simply a sign that he was losing his mind.

"Well, that isn't enough. Maybe those visions are just dreams, or maybe they're related to me becoming a Huntsman. You're going to need some solid proof," Oscar said sternly to the voice in his head, hoping it was all fake.

A long silence followed. For a moment, Oscar wondered if it really had all been in his head...

Until suddenly—

Waves of images flooded his mind.

He saw things he had never seen before: a world filled with buildings taller than anything in Atlas, a world populated by billions of humans, a world whose scientific knowledge surpassed even the wildest dreams of Remnant's greatest scientists. Then he saw something impossible.

Humans walking on the moon.

Not Remnant's shattered moon, but a whole moon, hanging peacefully in the sky as people stood upon its surface, looking back at a blue-and-green planet.

Oscar stood frozen in amazement. Of everything he had witnessed, the sight of people walking on an unbroken moon left him the most stunned.

He clutched his head for a moment, trying to process everything he had seen and understand what had just happened.

Then the voice spoke.

'That's my world. And there's no way you could've imagined any of that, huh, farmboy?' the voice said with a hint of amusement.

Oscar took a long time to compose himself.

"...Fine. I believe you're real. So... what now?" Oscar replied, finally accepting that the voice in his head was real.

'Great, now go eat before your Aunt gets mad, and be ready to leave in the morning. While you're doing that, I'll be brainstorming why I'm here and not Ozpin,' the voice replied, a hint of determination in its tone.

With newfound clarity and a sense of purpose, Oscar turned away from the mirror and made his way to the kitchen, ready to face whatever adventures awaited him with the enigmatic voice by his side.

Before the voice could begin pondering its predicament, Oscar interjected with a question. "Since you'll be in my head, what's your name?"

'Oh, yeah, I forgot to introduce myself,' the voice responded warmly. 'Hello, Oscar. I'm Orion.'