Tag Archives: fan

RWBY Fan Song: Night at the Grave

Hey all, Kern here. This is a fan song made with love about the trailer that started it all. Taking a moment to reflect does the heart wonders, and there’s so much to think about when it comes to RWBY as a series.

In the release of this one single trailer, we saw hope, inclusion, promise and so much more. Words cannot express my complete gratitude to each and every soul who ever worked on this series with insurmountable effort, dedication, and sure force of gumption alone in order to make the RWBY series a reality. The series creator, Monty Oum, likely had no idea just how far the series would go when he first began brainstorming the idea… we as fans certainly had no idea, that’s for sure.

We really didn’t know what a wild ride this series would be, or the ultimately tragic real-world losses we would have to face (rest in peace, Monty). The highs, the lows, the countless controversies and strife that we as a fandom endured over these long years is something that should never be forgotten.

What culminated as a crushing blow when news came out about Roosterteeth’s closure came with yet another spark of hope from Viz Media who acquired the RWBY rights, and now amazingly, Rooster Teeth is back in action too… in short, we were knocked down as a fandom, but we’re getting back up and eagerly awaiting the news of what’s in store.

In light of that, I really just wanted to take a moment to recall where it all began, the very first true battle we witnessed in all its glory, and the journey we collectively got to have because of this series…. the lyrics are below if you want to read them.

Lyrics: (Verse 1) Ruby stands alone, the winds are light, At her mother’s grave, her heart feels tight. A quiet moment, a whispered prayer, Her thoughts with her mother, lost in the air. She turns to leave, her heart heavy with loss, But the woods grow darker, a sudden cost. The Beowolves come, shadows in the night, Ruby readies herself for the coming fight.

(Pre-Chorus) Swift as a breeze, with deadly grace, Ruby’s ready to set the pace. With Crescent Rose, she fights the night, A huntress rising, full of might.

(Chorus) Ruby Rose, watch her fight, Against the Beowolves, through the night. With Crescent Rose, she’ll take the lead, A warrior’s spirit, a heart that’s freed. Ruby Rose, she stands her ground, With every strike, they all fall down.

(Verse 2) The Beowolves close, their eyes so cold, But Ruby’s courage begins to unfold. Her weapon swings, swift and true, With every slash, they fall anew. She remembers her mother, the strength she showed, Ruby takes her stand, no matter the road. With Crescent Rose, she won’t retreat, Each swing a promise, they won’t defeat.

(Pre-Chorus) Faster than them, she makes her stand, With every swing, she takes command. A rising star, she’s breaking through, Ruby Rose, she’ll see it through.

(Chorus) Ruby Rose, watch her fight, Against the Beowolves, through the night. With Crescent Rose, she’ll take the lead, A warrior’s spirit, a heart that’s freed. Ruby Rose, she stands her ground, With every strike, they all fall down.

(Bridge) The Beowolves fade, the battle’s won, Ruby stands, but the fight’s not done. Her future’s calling, bright and clear, A journey ahead, with nothing to fear. She heads toward Beacon, to find her place, A huntress rising, ready to face.

(Chorus) Ruby Rose, watch her fight, Against the Beowolves, through the night. With Crescent Rose, she’ll take the lead, A warrior’s spirit, a heart that’s freed. Ruby Rose, she stands her ground, With every strike, they all fall down.

(Outro) Ruby Rose, with Crescent Rose, Her journey begins, the world will know. A huntress rising, a future clear, Ruby Rose is ready to persevere.

Fan Fiction – A Love Letter Made By Fans

When I first starting writing fan fiction, I was still just a student in elementary school. I had a bunch of ideas that I wanted to put down on paper, and I wanted it to be about characters I already knew about and loved on the screen. With a bent pen and torn piece of paper I wrote my first scene.

News flash, it was terrible…

I didn’t know about any popular fan fiction websites at the time. I had no idea just how many fan fiction writers were out there. The only thing I knew for certain was that I didn’t want the story to end after the shows I enjoyed had its final episode.

Sailor Moon was my gateway, on a whim I did a google search. I quickly learned that hundreds of thousands of fan fiction already existed online for me to read. All of it at my fingertips. I felt elated, and also overwhelmed.

I didn’t know where to begin, it was an exciting time. Back in those days FanFiction.net , or “FFN” as it’s known nowadays, wasn’t even around. That didn’t come around until 1998, a full two years after I knew what fan fiction was. the Archive of our Own, or Ao3, wasn’t even a twinkle in the eyes of fandom.

The Early Days of Fan Fiction

In the early days, fans made their own websites or posted on forums to publish fan related content to the world. There were hundreds of posts sloppily mixed together. Stories were often tangled with comments. It was a far different world than it is today. Some web pages had no way to contact the author, leave a review, or click a kudos.

To be honest, fans had so few ways to connect at all. As a child I had no way to join in on this fun. I had to sit quietly, watching others write their stories, posting them online… I wished I could do the same.

For a short time I stopped reading actual books. I only read fan fiction. I was enamored with it. Every aspect just seemed so much better to me. I don’t know why. I can’t put my finger on it. I think at the core of it all, I recognized that these people were like me. They loved the same thing that I did.

As a child who’d been bullied in school and teased for a lot of different reasons, this one fact gave me inclusion. I finally felt like I was part of something that mattered. I knew these writers had to be older than me. There were a lot of words I didn’t understand and story plots that were never in the anime.

That didn’t matter to me. All that I cared about was that for once, I fit in.

FanFiction.net launched in October of 1998. I don’t recall much from that time. I still read fan fiction, and scribbled my own messily on paper. However I stuck to the small sites that I knew of. I didn’t venture into the treasure trove of archival sites until much later.

Yes, published books are polished, neatly written works of art. I don’t argue that. I simply see the original source material as the catalyst for something greater. The author can’t attain such an amazing feat on their own. I believe that seeing art through a fan’s lens makes everything so much more beautiful.

Fan fiction binds us together in a way nothing else can. New stories, deeper adventures, and combined inspiration fill so many different voids in our lives. You can’t put a price on that. It isn’t tangible. Spend enough time in a fandom, and you’ll form bonds you never thought possible. Some of those ties can turn into life-long friendships. I have several of my own. I have fan fiction to thank for that.

One such person is Ruka, our artist. Here you can see some of her earliest concept art for “The Demented Ferrets”. Without gaming I would have never met Kreshenne, but without fan fiction, I would have never met Ruka.

Fan Fiction is a Growing Medium

Nowadays fan fiction is very easy to find. A simple search will yield plenty of archives with thousands of fandom to choose from. Countless people gathering in one place to share their works and to celebrate the works of others. We cross over into many communities too, meeting others like ourselves.

Artists who draw fan art often credit fan fiction as their inspiration, and vice-versa. This collaborative effort made by fan communities is what fuels the ever-growing fan fiction population.

Yes, fan fiction can be a sloppy, unfiltered, unedited mess. It will often be riddled with grammatical errors and aggravating tropes. Usually people don’t have an editor, or “beta-reader” to help them out. All they have is a love for the medium and idea to plunk down for other fans to read. Honestly, I think that’s enough.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without fan fiction. I would have lived a far more isolated childhood, feeling as though I had nowhere to belong. Fan fiction is a powerful thing, and one we shouldn’t take for granted. I would strongly encourage anyone who hasn’t tried fan fiction to give it go. Open your browser and do a search.

Find a book, anime, or television series that you like. There will be fan fiction you’ll absolutely adore. I promise you, it’s out there waiting to be discovered. You’ll be glad you did.

This has been Kernook of The Demented Ferrets, where stupidity is at its finest and level grinds are par for the course. I’ll see you next time.

Click to Donate

You can help support us through PayPal or Patreon.

Patreon Supporters:
($1) General Ferret: None
($3) Little Ferrets: None
($5) Demented Minions: Francis Murphy and Andrew Wheal.
($7) Fandom Ferret: None
($14) True Blue Ferret: None.
($25) Premium Ferret: None.
($50) Round Table Ferret/Fluffy Ferret: Josh Sayer