Screaming and the snarls of beasts filled the air as black smoke drifted into the night sky. The creatures of Grimm rampaged about the village as the people ran for their lives, a brave few futilely fighting against their fate. As a small group fled from a pack of Beowolves, a young girl in the group tripped and fell. Her mother stopped and turned back, screaming for her child, but there was no hope. The lead Beowolf pounced, its maw opened wide to devour the girl that screamed in terror.

There was a streak of silver and the Beowolf was stopped, a large hole appearing in its torso. Like an avenging angel, a figure clad in blue and white descended from the heavens, his black longsword gleaming in the moonlight as he brought it down to cleave the beast in two. Without hesitating, he plowed through the disappearing remains of the lead Beowolf and lashed out at the others. The villagers could only stare in awe as the man moved with precision, power, and grace; his blade like a fierce gale as he tore through the pack of Beowolves. Their limbs were removed, their dark hearts run through, and their heads severed from their bodies without stop.

It had only been a few moments but the last of the ten Beowolves had already been killed.

Having come to a stop, the villagers could finally get a good look at their savior as he turned towards the still prone girl. He was very young— clearly no older than eighteen— and had short, red hair that framed an angular face with shocking ocher eyes. His garb was similar to that of a knight but it also carried about it an air of regality. All of his armor; from the vambrace on his left arm to the spaulders and rerebraces over his shoulders, his cuirass and faulds, his greaves and sabatons, to even his gauntlets where a silver-white in color that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Beneath his armor, he wore a long sleeve shirt that was a vibrant royal blue with white trimmings and thick, black stripes that ran down the outside of his arms. Strapped to his side at his waist was an equally blue scabbard with gold traceries and across his back was a black quiver.

The man approached the young girl and held out his left hand towards her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice full of calm compassion. The young girl blushed but nodded, not trusting her voice as she grabbed his offered hand and stood up. "Good," he smiled slightly before his expression hardened once more. "All of you, get to the church. I've already cleared the Grimm out of that area and it'll be easier to protect you if you're all together. I need to go see if there are any more survivors." Without waiting for a response, the man turned and took to the rooftops, his work far from finished.

OoOoOoO

Emiya Shirou sighed as he saw yet another corpse being devoured by the Grimm. At one point in time, he would have blamed himself for not having been fast enough or strong enough and he would have bemoaned the fact that his ideal of saving everyone would be forever out of his reach but that had been a lifetime ago. Now he just mourned the loss of life for but an instant before moving on, never paying that corpse another thought.

Spotting three Creeps cornering a young couple, Shirou activated his weapon's transformation and shifted it to his left hand as it quickly turned into a black bow. With practiced ease, he secured the string and knocked an arrow, releasing it a heartbeat later. Two more followed in short order and all three Creeps were struck down before any of them could so much as blink. He wanted to tell the couple about the church but they were too far away to hear if he shouted, even if he strengthened his vocal cords, and he had other, more pressing concerns so he let them be for now.

Shirou knocked another arrow and turned his aim towards the sky at the small Nevermore that was flying around. Shirou held the arrow ready for a moment, its head sparkling with white Dust, before letting it fly. Upon impact, the Nevermore's left wing was encased in a solid block of ice causing it to screech in pain as it plummeted to the ground. It wasn't dead but it also wouldn't be a threat for a while. That seemed to be the only flying Grimm this time around and for that he was thankful. He could shoot them down easily enough but they were still more of a pain than most of their land-bound brethren.

After surveying what he could see of the village from his vantage, Shirou started to move again, trying to find that couple from earlier. There weren't that many Grimm this time around so he could probably declare the village reasonably safe after another half hour or so if he was lucky. It helped that nothing here seemed particularly dangerous, comparatively. He was also glad that Ozpin had been right in guessing that this village was one of three that would likely be subjected to one of the unprovoked Grimm attacks that had been plaguing the Kingdom of Vale for the past three months. With any luck, this would let him figure out what Salem was up to.

Shaking his head to clear it, Shirou focused on the task at hand. The night was still young and a Huntsman's work was never done.

OoOoOoO

"Excellent work, Shirou," Ozpin said over the Scroll after Shirou gave his report. It was now just after seven in the morning and a rather groggy Shirou was leading the survivors to the nearest town. He had been right about how long it would take him to clean up the rest of the Grimm but any thoughts of sleep were pushed from his mind when he entered the church and saw all of the wounded that needed to be tended to. While he was nowhere near a professional, he knew enough about first aid to make sure everyone was properly bandaged and fit for travel. After that had been taken care of, it was already dawn.

"Any idea what she's after?" Shirou said, nodding his head to accept Ozpin's praise.

Ozpin scowled, "Not quite. I have it narrowed down to three possibilities and all three of them just lead to more questions."

Shirou snorted, "Business as usual, then."

Ozpin allowed himself a small smile, "Quite. Anyway, I need you to return to Vale as soon as possible. I have your next mission lined up and it's going to be a long one."

Shirou grunted in response. Pretty much ever since he arrived in Remnant and had fully recovered, Ozpin had been sending him on mission after mission. Not that he could really complain. Even after all of the hell he had been through, Shirou still desired to save people because that is what she would want to do. "What's the job this time?"

"Oh, it's nothing too difficult. I just need you to watch over someone for me."

"Bodyguard duty? That's new. Did you find another one of them?"

"No, not yet. This is someone… I wouldn't say 'unexpected' but they showed up far more dramatically than I thought they would."

"Why me? Don't you normally have Qrow handle these things?"

"Yes but these are special circumstances. Your age is closer, which will be helpful, and no one knows who you are. Besides, your mission isn't necessarily to protect, just to observe and… do whatever comes naturally. The two of you have quite a bit in common."

Shirou gave Ozpin a flat look, "What are you not telling me?"

Ozpin smiled enigmatically as he sipped from his coffee cup, "An airship will arrive for you at the town to pick you up this afternoon. I'll meet you at your apartment to go over the details then."

Shirou nodded, biting back a sigh at his benefactor's mysterious nature. It probably wouldn't be so bad if the jerk didn't enjoy it. "Alright. I'll see you then." As the call was ended and he returned his Scroll to his pocket, Shirou forced himself to brighten up a bit. Despite whatever Ozpin was hiding, the mission sounded straightforward enough and, if he was being honest, he needed something simple after having been running all over Remnant the past few months. This change of pace was probably going to be just the relaxing break he needed.

OoOoOoO

Shirou bit back another curse as he stared at the building before him. This was absolutely not going to be the relaxing break that he needed. He had no idea what had compelled Ozpin to enroll him in his school and assign him to watch over someone called Ruby Rose but this was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. It wasn't a slight against her or anyone else at the school, it was just that the familiar routines and encounters this promised would undoubtedly bring back painful memories that he absolutely didn't want.

Qrow promising to inflict pain unimaginable on him if he did something funny with his niece was also unwanted, for more reasons than one. As if he'd dishonor her memory like that.

Regardless of his personal feelings, it's not like Shirou had a choice in the matter. Ozpin had been gracious enough to take him in after Qrow had found him unconscious in a field somewhere and then had helped him get adjusted to living in a new world. He had even believed him when he told him an abridged version of his story. Shirou owed a great debt to Ozpin and, if for nothing else, he'd do just about whatever was asked of him to try and discharge that debt. It certainly helped that Ozpin had let him in on some of Remnant's secrets which let Shirou fully appreciate the importance of his target.

Shirou's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an explosion going off nearby. The complete lack of reaction from the students milling about around him made him, not for the first time, question the sanity of the people in this world. Not one to leave well enough alone, Shirou pushed his way through the crowd to where the explosion had happened.

He somehow wasn't surprised to find Ruby Rose standing there.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters so… watch where you're going!" A girl with long, white hair done up in a side ponytail was currently berating her. The girl looked vaguely familiar to Shirou but he couldn't place her.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!" Ruby replied, clearly aggravated by the dressing down.

"Is everything okay here?" Shirou asked as he stepped forward. A bit too late, he noticed another girl who had been approaching, one with black hair and curious yellow eyes, stop and close her mouth.

"Everything is perfectly alright, no thanks to this dolt!" the white-haired girl said.

"I'm glad no one's hurt," Shirou said, cutting off Ruby to try and curtail the argument. "What happened?" Shirou posed the question to Ruby first, making sure that it didn't seem like he was ignoring her. He was idly aware of the black-haired girl walking away.

"My sister and I just got here and then she ran off with her friends and I fell down onto her luggage and then she started waving a vial of Dust in my face and it made me sneeze and then everything exploded and she started shouting and me and I said I was sorry but she kept shouting and I was getting mad and I didn't know what to do and–"

"Whoa! Calm down! Deep breaths. Everything's fine," Shirou waved his hands in a placating gesture, trying to stop the younger girl from passing out due to the lack of oxygen. "Well? What's your story?" he turned his attention to the white-haired girl. She folded her arms and raised her head slightly, trying her best to look down on him despite being shorter.

"I was taking my luggage to place it in storage when this dolt crashed into me. It contains a lot of Dust powder obtained directly from the Schnee quarry so I reprimanded her for her carelessness. If it wasn't so well secured, she could have blown this entire area to kingdom come. She seemed to be unaware of these facts so I took it upon myself to educate her. It seems that the vial I was holding had been slightly opened by the crash and some of the Dust became airborne as I moved it. This caused her to sneeze which triggered the explosion."

Shirou blinked a few times. "That's strange. Dust is pretty stable so sneezing shouldn't have set it off like that."

"That's… true. There must have been an error in the refinement process to cause such a reaction."

"Then it sounds to me like this was a happy accident. If you had tried to use that Dust normally, who knows what would have happened."

The white-haired girl huffed even as Ruby looked hopeful. "I suppose you're right." She turned to face Ruby, "You… have my gratitude. This error could have been… problematic if it wasn't discovered until later. I… apologize for acting so harshly."

Ruby beamed at the other girl, "It's okay! I'd probably be upset if someone fell into my stuff, too." She stuck out her hand, "I'm Ruby Rose!"

The white-haired girl stared at the offered hand for a moment before almost reluctantly shaking it, "Weiss Schnee." Shirou had to resist the urge to smack himself. No wonder she seemed so familiar seeing as how Ozpin had made certain that he knew all of the big names on Remnant. "You should still take care to watch where you're going in the future." With that last remark, Weiss turned sharply and left with her luggage.

Ruby watched her walk off for a moment, stunned by the sudden reversal of her last comment, before shaking herself and turning to Shirou, a kind smile on her face. "Thanks for that. I don't know what would have happened if she kept shouting at me."

"No problem. I'm honestly surprised no one else seemed to care that there was an explosion in the middle of the courtyard."

"Well, you know how it is. It's a big day and everyone's super nervous and focused. I know you just heard it but I'm Ruby Rose! What's your name?"

Shirou shook her hand, "Emiya Shirou. You can call me Shirou. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby."

"Likewise!"

OoOoOoO

"Why do you use a bow?" Ruby asked as Shirou finished demonstrating his weapon to her. They were currently slowly walking towards the auditorium where the initiation speech would be held.

"A lot of reasons. The biggest is probably simply because I don't like using guns. The mindset one needs for archery is a lot more suited to me."

"That's cool. Not a lot of people can really appreciate the classics and a bow and sword really fit that knight armor you're wearing. So what's your range on that thing?"

"I don't really know. I did manage to hit a target about seventy meters out once so I can shoot accurately at least that far."

"Seventy meters?"

"Um… That's about seventy-seven yards."

"That's pretty good! The maximum effective range of Crescent Rose is about two thousand yards but I've only managed to go about half that."

Shirou nodded slowly, "That's certainly impressive. It sounds like you'd be really helpful to have around in a fight."

Ruby's eyes lit up as she smiled brightly, "You really think so‽"

"Yeah. You can shoot things from nearly a kilometer away and your melee weapon is a scythe. Those are really dangerous weapons that require a lot of skill to use; I only know of one other person who uses one. Then there's the fact that you managed to get into Beacon, the top Hunter school in Vale, two years early. Given all that, of course you'd be helpful as either long range support or a partner in close combat."

Ruby stared at the ground to hide the massive blush that consumed her entire face. "Thanks, Shirou," she said softly.

"I'm just speaking the truth. Come on. We should pick up the pace so we don't be late."

OoOoOoO

Ruby and Shirou entered Beacon's auditorium only to instantly be assaulted by a wall of noise. Thirty or forty students were almost crammed together, talking excitedly to friends both old and new about what their future held.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" a voice called out from the crowd. Ruby and Shirou looked to see a rather busty woman with extremely long and curly blond hair waving in their direction.

"Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" Ruby said to Shirou before running off.

Shirou raised a hand and waved lazily, "See you later."

Yang Xiao Long crossed her arms as Ruby came to a stop in front of her, "How's your first day going, little sister?"

"It's been crazy! After you ditched me, I tripped over another girl's luggage! She started shouting at me and then I exploded and she shouted some more but then this really nice guy came up and calmed her down!"

"Yikes! You exploded? What did she do that made you so angry?"

"No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! That girl was waving a vial of Dust in my face and some of it came out and it made me sneeze and it exploded!"

"Why did it explode? It shouldn't have done that."

"That's what Shirou said! After he pointed that out, Weiss apologized and took off."

"I take it this Shirou is that guy you walked in with?"

"Yeah, he was super nice. We talked on the way here and he said I'd be really good to have around in a fight."

Yang smiled knowingly at Ruby, "Well, good on ya, sis. Didn't think you'd find one on your first day. And a really good looking one at that. Guess I must have rubbed off on ya."

"Found one wha-" Ruby's look of confusion was instantly replaced with one of horror, a massive blush consuming her face as she realized what her sister was going on about. "It's not like that!"

Yang chuckled, "Calm down, Rubes, I was just messing with ya. Oh, hey, Professor Ozpin's on."

Up on the stage, Professor Ozpin stepped up to the microphone a checked it, a faraway look on his face, "I'll… keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction." A low murmur broke out among the crowd at this. "You assume knowledge will free you of this but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As Ozpin turned to leave, Professor Glynda, who had been standing beside him, stepped up to the mic, "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation test begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Yang and Ruby both frowned. "He seemed kind of… off," Yang said.

"It's almost like he wasn't even there," Ruby added.

Elsewhere in the crowd, Shirou scowled. That had been enigmatic and pessimistic even for Ozpin. 'Something changed but what? Did he figure out something about the attacks? Does it have to do with one of the Maidens? Or is it something else that he's hiding? It seemed like the more I learn about Remnant, the less I know. I just hope that, whatever it is, we can actually do something about it.'

OoOoOoO

That night found all of the first-year students camped out in the ballroom; the hall nearly packed to the brim with sleeping bags and miscellaneous luggage. It was here that Ruby was laying down on her stomach, writing away at a journal.

"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang said as she crashed onto the sleeping bag next to Ruby's.

Ruby didn't even pause in her writing, "I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though."

"I know I do," Yang replied as she purred at the muscular and shirtless guys walking by. Then a rather scraggly looking blond guy in footie pajamas walked by and waved at her which turned that purr into a groan. Of course there'd be duds with the studs. Turning her attention back to Ruby, Yang said, "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back in Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Yang was suddenly knocked back when a supersonic pillow materialized in her face.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!"

"What about Shirou? He seems pretty nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!"

Ruby smiled slightly as she rolled onto her back, "Yeah, you're right. Weiss was also not that bad when she wasn't angry. I could probably be her friend if I don't do something stupid."

"See? You'll be fine! You're surrounded by friends you just haven't made yet!" Yang let her eyes drift over the crowd when she saw someone familiar. "Hey, isn't that Shirou over there?"

Ruby sat up and looked to where Yang was pointing. She saw a familiar mop of red hair and ocher eyes staring down at the Scroll in his hands. It was kinda weird seeing him in pajamas— a white t-shirt and blue cotton pants— since his armor had made such a striking impression but it was definitely him. "Yeah, it is."

"Let's go over and say hi. I want to meet my lil sis' first friend at Beacon."

"C'mon, Yang! You're just going to embarrass me!"

"Now Ruby," Yang said as she hauled her little sister up, her face one of deadly seriousness, "As your elder sister, it's my duty to embarrass you every chance I get. Now let's go!"

Shirou looked up from his Scroll when he heard the sounds of a struggle going on only to have to bite back a sigh at the sight of none other than Ruby Rose being drug in his direction by that blonde girl who had called out to her earlier. 'That girl really knows how to draw attention to herself,' Shirou thought as he put away his Scroll and stood up.

"Hey there! I'm Yang Xiao Long!" Yang said as she held out her hand.

Shirou shook her hand, "Emiya Shirou but you can call me Shirou. Hey Ruby." Ruby shyly waved at him from her spot behind Yang. "I take it you're the big sister Ruby talked about?"

"That's right! I heard you helped my lil sis out so I decided to come meet ya!"

"It was nothing, really. There was an explosion and she seemed to be in trouble so it's only natural to want to help."

Yang smirked, "So you like playing the knight in shining armor? Guess that explains your outfit before."

They both ignored Ruby's indignant exclamation of Yang's name. "I… guess. I like helping people so that's why I'm doing this."

"So you're just like Ruby."

"What do you mean? Actually, wait," Shirou held up a hand to stop Yang from answering before turning to face Ruby. "I'm sorry. I've been talking about you like you aren't here."

"Oh, no, it's okay," Ruby answered somewhat bashfully. "Yang's right, though. When I was little, she used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress! As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books… Someone who fought for what was right and protected people who couldn't protect themselves! I want everyone to be able to live happily ever after."

At the conclusion of her speech, Ruby and Yang were both taken aback. Shirou smiled. It wasn't the act itself that struck them since he usually wore a gentle smile when talking to people but this was completely different from those. This smile was full of joy like a smile should be but also a bitterness, sorrow, and overwhelming loneliness that struck them both dumb. His eyes had become far away, making it clear that he was no longer looking at them but at some distant place not doubt buried deep within his memory, and he just looked so old that neither of them could believe that this was the same guy they had been talking to not a moment before.

When Shirou spoke, it was with a voice that somehow completely lacked all of the emotion that played across his face yet was still completely honest. "So you and I really are alike. I look forward to working with you in the future. I'm sure we'll get along great."

Ruby blinked rapidly as she tried to process what she just saw. Shirou's face had made such a startling transformation for only an instant and was now back to his usual kind smile but it had been so extreme that it had felt like a lifetime. "Uh… yeah. I look forward to it, too. Well, we should probably be getting on to bed. Goodnight, Shirou."

"Goodnight, Ruby, Yang."

Once back at their sleeping bags, Ruby flopped down onto her stomach and returned her attention to the letter she had been writing. After staring at the page for a moment, she shut the book and rolled onto her back, her head still swimming from Shirou's expression.

"So, that's a thing that happened," Yang said as she joined her sister in ceiling gazing.

"What could make a person look like that?" Ruby asked as she laid the back of her hand across her forehead.

"I have no idea, Rubes, but it couldn't have been nice."

Ruby hummed but said nothing as she let her mind work. She didn't know what could have caused Shirou to look like that but she knew that she didn't want him to have that expression ever again. He had been so nice and helpful and people like him deserved to be rewarded and be happy for what they did. She didn't know if it would help any but she decided that she'd be his friend and help him any way she could. Emotional troubles were far beyond her realm of expertise but she could do no less. With that fire of determination burning inside her, Ruby let herself drift off to sleep.

OoOoOoO

Shirou awoke with a start and barely managed to stop himself from screaming. A quick check of his Scroll showed it to be just after four in the morning and, unsurprisingly, everyone was still asleep. He sat up and fought to catch his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow before grimacing and plucking his shirt away from his chest. He was covered in sweat and he had no idea where the showers in Beacon were or even if he'd be allowed access to them. Regardless, he knew that he'd be getting no more sleep that night so he rolled up his bedroll and left it beside his satchel before quietly making his way outside the ballroom.

It was a pretty cool night, being the beginning of Autumn, and Shirou was thankful for the gentle breeze cooling down his overheated body. Ever since he had come to on Remnant, he had never had a full night's sleep. While he had been used to having nightmares for his entire life, the new ones he'd been having were much worse. He always thought that he remembered that fire perfectly, like it had just happened yesterday, but he couldn't have been farther from the truth. He remembered all of the facts, yes, but the years had made him almost forget how it felt. He remembered how it felt, sure, but he had forgotten how it truly felt. With these new nightmares, however, there was no such problem. Even after nearly half a year on Remnant, those feelings were just as clear now as they had been during the events themselves.

To make matters worse, it seemed that Shirou had let emotions show to Ruby and Yang that he really shouldn't have. Their expressions of shock, Ruby's delayed response, and their awkward shuffling off made that abundantly clear. He just hadn't been expecting it. To find someone who was so much like he had been before the end of the Holy Grail War yet completely unbroken and innocent. Shirou knew that Ruby had lost her mother when she was very little and that loss was probably one of the reasons she wanted to be a Huntress but there had been absolutely no pain in her when she talked about her dreams. There was fondness, gentleness, and a little shyness but there were no distortions. She wanted to make sure everyone, including herself, was saved and she fully believed that it was possible.

A part of Shirou wanted to take Ruby aside and yell at her for her foolish ideals, to tell her that her path can only lead her to a Hell unlike any other, yet another part admired her for it. That part wanted to protect her and do everything it could to guide her down her path. It would be a cruel thing to do in the long run but who was he to stand in the way of another's ideals? Especially when those ideals had not only once been his own but had also been hers.

As Shirou walked over to the fountain in the courtyard and splashed his face with the cold water, he made up his mind. Ozpin's orders aside, he was going to do everything in his power to prepare Ruby for the world that lay beyond Beacon's borders. The world was a cruel and terrifying place that would no doubt crush her dreams and ideals but he'd make sure that, when that time came, she'd be able to walk away from it. He could do no less.

A/N: A/N: A few things to know before you carry on:

This is a minor AU. Some things about the RWBYverse have been altered to be more in line with the Nasuverse. You won't have to worry too much about these changes; they'll be explained as they come up and basically everything that the show has explained is still true here. There are also a few other minor tweaks here and there but nothing terribly major.

This Emiya Shirou is not quite the Emiya Shirou you guys are familiar with, assuming that you're familiar with him at all. His Fifth Holy Grail War isn't like any of the ones from the canon routes or even Hollow Ataraxia. More details about Shirou's past will come up as the story progresses but the most important thing to note here is that this Shirou managed to convince Kiritsugu to properly train him in magecraft.

It's also worth noting that the characters from RWBY have all been buffed. If I'm being honest, going by what we've seen, Shirou should be able to curbstomp basically everyone from RWBY so I gave everyone else a power boost to correct for that. Exactly where Shirou lies on the power scale will be made clearer as the story progresses.

For the most part, the story will start off pretty similar to canon. Shirou's presence won't make too much of an impact but things will change more and more because of his influence as the story progresses. I will be diverging from canon at some point in the future but that's a ways off.

I hope you enjoyed what you've read so far. Please drop a review if you did and also if you didn't. I hope to see you next chapter!