So in this AU, things are quite a bit... different :)

Things mostly go on like normal RQ, except whenever Sabre and Orange/Rainbow have to fight the villains, they aren't crazy or don't really seem all that evil. All of the villains look remorseful, almost apologetic whenever there was a battle or they had to do something to the heroes (examples are Nightmare not really hurting Sabre and Rainbow once he takes them to his secret lab, or Rainbow Red when hijacking the machine with the Crystals saying 'I'm sorry, but I want to save both of you.'). Sabre and Rainbow find it strange, but don't really question it as they keep being told not to worry about it by the Leaders and their friends in the villages/kingdoms.

However, just before Sabre, Rainbow, and Galaxy go to fight Nightmare much later in the story, something changes.

Instead of being sent to the dimension Nightmare was supposedly waiting in, Sabre appeared inside the volcano lair that Void had built, in a room surrounded by a lot of the 'villains' he had fought... including, somehow, ones that had been killed like Dark and Reverse.

Sabre panics and backs into the wall, seeing as how he's cornered by almost all of the people he knows as evil, but Void (who had been standing in the center of the group) extends a hand towards Sabre and tells him to wait. Confused, and with no other real choice, Sabre listens.

That's when Sabre learns that nothing of this world is really as the Leaders made it seem.

A little before the times of SL, the Chromatics (minus the Red Steves) started becoming corrupted on their own will after the creation of the Crystals, and began trying to take over. No one really knew why. The Biome Steves and others had opposed their plans while they were still on speaking terms, the Chromatics having shared their plans for essentially complete control over all.

This led to the Chromatics starting to use the pawns they had available; Seer and Colle.

During the war against the Demon Steves, a Chromatic was sent to follow Seer into the World below so they could lead him towards where the original source of Darkness was, Seer following them thinking they were a stray enemy. Seer became corrupted by the Darkness, turning into Void, and that made the next part of the plan begin.

Colle had known about the betrayal, because Seer (now Void) was able to warn the Red Steves without the rest of the Chromatics noticing. They were about to confront the other Chromatics, when the Biome, Winter, and Obsidian Steves were attacked, along with the Giants.

The other Chromatics had destroyed all of their kingdoms, then led Darkness (which Void didn't have much control over yet) over to the wrecked debris to try and make it look like Void did it. Genesis was killed when he tried to stop them. The scene was extremely convincing, with bodies lining the once peaceful streets. However, with all of their dying words, the friends that Colle found at their last moments told him the truth.

In fear, the Red Steves did not confront the other Chromatics, not wanting to be erased as well. Although, Colle was still being pulled by their strings, as it was too late for him to go back. He knew this. The other Red Steves knew this. Void knew this.

And so, two best friends were forced to fight against each other, as their true enemy's scripted story had foretold.

Colle had won, Void knowing that far worse would happen to Colle if he didn't, but it was all in vain as Colle still went through the otherworldly portal after essentially being torn apart. The Red Steves, having found a way to separate themselves from their corrupt former friends, hid themselves from the world. Sharp became the Great Librarian due to a curse by the Chromatics, and same about becoming Faceless with Beef. The Elite Captain had become Ghost after trying to stay with Beef through his curse, and got cursed as well. Spark became Rainbow Red after becoming infected and the Professor helping him.

Void had spent many years in that tomb, searching for one possible way to end their game. To avenge all of those the corrupted Chromatics had felled in their warpath. He stayed there, waiting for just one chance...

And then he found Sabre.

"I'm sorry I had to drag you into all of this," Void says as he finishes explaining everything to Sabre. "But it has gone on for far too long."

Sabre sat in shock, Void the only one in front of him as everyone else had moved around the room to give him space so he could process this. A major part of him wanted to deny all of it, but it all made sense now; The Leaders brushing off the strange actions of the 'villains', some of the townsfolk of each Kingdom always seeming on-edge, how the people he thought were the bad guys were never actually causing harm to him or Rainbow. It all made so much more sense than the pretend world he had been believing for so long.

"...W-What about Rainbow? And Galaxy?" Sabre asks. "Did they know? Where are they?"

"They are both innocent in all of this." Void says. "Rainbow had no idea of what was truly happening, having been used as a pawn since the day he was created. Galaxy wanted to oppose the Chromatics as well and not be part of them, but since they already had a grasp on him after he was returned to the Middle World... he couldn't get away."

Sabre looks horrified as Void continues.

"We were able to interfere with your teleportation and bring you here instead, however the other two weren't so lucky." Void says. "Nightmare is watching as we speak; Rainbow has become a prisoner of the Chromatics, and... Galaxy has been separated into two new beings, I guess so he couldn't tell Rainbow what's really going on. Those two beings are being lied to as well, now. I had asked Nightmare to bait all of you into that dimension so we could get you out of the Chromatics' radar, but after only you showed up he went to see where your friends went."

Rainbow had been trapped inside a cell, confused and scared as the Chromatics wouldn't tell him anything, or even speak to him for that matter. All he knows now is that the Chromatics aren't really his friends.

Void and the others give Sabre some time in an empty spare room to try and get a grasp on things, having just been told his life in this world has been a lie. Eventually though, Sabre finally sees through all of the false words he had been repeatedly told and knows the real story of what this war is all about.

Sabre has joined the real rightful side.

He now has the goal of stopping the Chromatics, and getting Rainbow back from the deceitful people. However, he's not alone; There have been traitors in the ranks of the Chromatics for a long time. Mostly just a handful of random people from each color, although there are a few familiar faces.

Happy and Funny Orange Steve have been working with the villains for a long while. They had been giving information about the Orange Leader. The entire 'Dark absorbing Happy' thing was planned, in an attempt to make the Orange Leader and others fall. Later on in the story, Funny could be found out and be held prisoner for execution, which the group hears about and rescues him (maybe Happy could have his own villain form?).

The Yellow Steve with the leather chestplate (LC) had recently joined, after the events of Reverse Steve and Dark becoming Chaos. He had found out about the lies through overhearing the Yellow Leader let his mask slip while talking about plans with a few guards, and filled with grief and a quiet rage, joined the villains' side.

The Blue Steve that was a friend of the Blue Steve that helped Sabre out of the World Beyond. The only reason he had opposed the resurrection was because Sabre would then become a pawn again. He had been pretending to be friends with Blue.

Two Green Steves (which we know of as Therapist and his friend) have been smuggling everyone supplies when no one was looking, hiding it by saying they were trading with a friend that lived very remotely. They also act as the group's healers.

It's later told that the Red Steve that Sabre first met was also a traitor in the ranks, but he was found out a little while before Sabre arrived, so his death was planned so that he wouldn't be taken.

Sabre soon either keeps friendships or makes friends with all of these people, them being the only truthful ones and the last sense of familiarity Sabre has.

Sabre also has new powers, having unlocked them after learning to use Darkness a little bit. Sabre has more control of the shadows, appearing almost like a ghost when using said powers in battle. Grey wisps form around him, and his skin and hair become a muted version of their normal color. He can make himself seem to disappear and reappear in smoke-colored, quick groups of the grey wisps, but is actually teleporting.

Sabre learns to communicate with Rainbow later on in the story by using new powers he had gotten to send a quickly-growing flower into Rainbow's cell, that had a letter within the bloom. Rainbow would reply on the back of the letter, and the flower would seemingly disappear and go back to Sabre.

Now, Sabre has his new goal and a new group of real friends. He only has one true goal in mind, however: Save Rainbow.

Here are some things that would change in the storyline because of everything that's happening:

- Nightmare didn't kill Sabre during that incident. He had led Sabre away from the group of Orange Steves in hope of keeping them from hearing, and tried to tell him that the Orange Leader isn't who Sabre thinks he is. However, the Orange Leader could tell what was going on, and summoned lightning on Sabre before Nightmare could tell him anything, making it look like he killed Sabre.

- Reverse only took Rainbow into the catacombs so he could take him away from the sight of the Chromatics, and meant to go back for Sabre because he could only teleport one person at a time along with himself. However, because he didn't have much control over his new powers, Reverse drained Rainbow by accident as he struggled.

- Dark and other people were resurrected by the Darkness, Void having grabbed their souls before they could pass on and bringing them back quickly. They didn't appear for a while after as they needed to recover.

- The Darkness doesn't actually infect because it wants to destroy everything, it infects in an attempt to show Chromatics the errors they are making and the lies they're being told. Although, it almost always goes wrong as the infected Chromatics try to fight back using lightning, making the Darkness merge with them. Eventually, all that's left of those infected is the Darkness that infected them, which now has an actual body.

- Nightmare is a good dad to Dark, wanting to protect him from the Chromatics. However, he knew sacrifices had to be made. Except with Dark, he was willing to make them as he wanted to make Nightmare proud and to help with the villain group's cause. So Dark is still shy and wholesome boi, just not as traumatized.

- A while after becoming Light, Shy's soul had been torn from his body and sent to the World Beyond, as Shy had always been suspicious of the Chromatics and eventually started helping Happy and Funny with their spy work. He found out what was truly going on, but before he could say anything the Chromatics did that to him and gave the Light Crystal control of his body, it now being like a drone doing whatever it was told. Shy and other allied spirits now help the villain group still through talking to the Blue Steves allies the group has.

Aaand situations because yes:

—

(Sabre is talking with a few of his new friends, Reverse next to him. Void is looking through a bookshelf in the background, and Faceless is nearby as well.)

Sabre: So... you guys really aren't evil?

Reverse: Nope, just said to be. I was infected with Darkness after a Chromatic found me and pushed me into an infected and hit us both with lightning, so I gathered a few colors to keep myself alive... and had help from a friend. You know my real name isn't Rainbow Red?

Sabre: Well, what's your actual name then?

Reverse: (smiles) Spark. Got that name because I worked with electronics a lot.

Faceless: Heh, and you were the hyper one of the group.

Reverse: Oh shush, Beef.

Sabre: (laughing and turning to Faceless) You- You got nicknamed 'Beef'?

Faceless: I was the warrior of the group. I got that a lot from Seer back then too.

Sabre: 'Seer'...?

Void: (sighs) That was me.

—

(Just the villains messing with each other and being best friends/basically found family. Sabre is still a little weirded out, as he never saw this side of them, but Dark and others are helping him adjust.)

—

(Discussing battle plans.)

Void: The Darkness grunts we have are soulless, which also makes them mindless. We need to somehow give them souls so they can be better in battle.

(Silence as everyone tries to think of something.)

Sabre: ...Hey Void? What if I were to tell you that when you took me into this world, you didn't just bring me?

Void: ...What.

(A few minutes later, Sabre showing everyone the Sky People.)

Nightmare: (whispering to Void) Do we even have enough Darkness for this?

Void: (whispering back) I don't have the slightest idea.

—

(Dark and Faceless standing outside of Sabre's room door as they hear Sabre having a bit of a breakdown from inside. They don't know what to do.)

Dark: Do we, like... go in?

Faceless: I dunno, Spark is usually better at this stuff.

Void: (walks in, sees the situation, and sighs... but also remembers past experiences) Move doofuses, I got it.

—

(The villain group introducing Sabre to the Red Steves that are hiding in the kingdom.)

Void: So everyone, this is Sabre, our newest recruit... and the guy we've been trying to get for a while.

Red Leader: Hello.

Prof. Red: Greetings.

Red Apprentice (M): Hi.

Sabre: (waving) Hey.

(Silence for a minute, then Prof. Red goes to ask something, but Void interrupts.)

Void: No, you can't experiment on him, Goggles.

Prof. Red: Darn.

Sabre: What-

—

(Everyone chilling at the volcano base, and the Red Steves are over because yes. Suddenly, Blue Steve (the allied one) walks in with two people behind him.)

Blue: Hey, guess what I-

Sharp (aka Great Librarian): WASSUP DUNCES?!

Elite Captain (that's what he's called right?) (aka Ghost): Yo, we're back.

Void: AY-

Reverse: YOOOOOO!

Faceless: SHARP! BOSS!

Prof. Red: (running into the room and past Dark and Nightmare) MOVE GOOBERS!

(SL squad hype while everyone else is confused.)

—

(Poor Raimbow just sitting in a cell the entire time, waiting for Sabre to come get him TvT)

—

Aaand there we go :3