Author's Note

Hi there folks! This is the result of my forays into the Fate Stay/Night Crossover section on FFnet. I will readily admit to never really having liked the RWBY show, but that changed after a number of amazing fanfics I found on this site. I guess it finally got to the point where I couldn't stop myself from trying my hand at my own crossover... *Dramatic sigh*.

The Shirou in this fic originates from an UBW path, although a few years further down the line. The how and why of his transport to Remnant from his own dimension is as of yet unknown to him, but will slowly be revealed later down the line. I really hope you guys like the approach I'm going to take. It's a little different from the 'Blame Zelretch' approach... :)

I will also warn you all in advance that I won't be following the exact same (order of) events as the canon RWBY story. The overarching plotline and tensions will still be there, but I have a number of defining changes in mind for the world of Remnant that throw everything just a little off-balance. Anyways, enough with the teasing! I hope you'll enjoy the first chapter of Shared Ideals!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fate or RWBY.

Chapter 1 - Partners

"Looking forward to your first year at Beacon Academy, Shirou?".

Shirou Emiya found himself sitting opposite the peculiar headmaster of the aforementioned academy, having tea. Clearly seeing Ozpin's amused, barely present smirk, he let out a deep sigh. It had been nearly six months since he unexpectedly woke up in the Emerald Forest near the Academy. Six months of research with Ozpin. And nothing. Nothing to indicate how he got there from his dimension, nothing to indicate how he could possibly get back. If it hadn't been for the freelance hunting contracts he had picked up with Ozpin's help, he'd have gone insane by now...

"I still don't see why you find it necessary for me to attend classes here. I don't have a Semblance, nor am I even capable of using Aura. I only further risk exposing myself. And you seem to think I have already accepted your offer".

Opposite from him, the grey haired Ozpin took a number of infuriatingly slow sips from his Beacon Academy-mug, containing hot cocoa. While he was still somewhat wary of the secretive man, and frequently annoyed by his antics, Shirou couldn't deny that Ozpin did have the best intentions for this world. And with the man being a closet Magus (or magician as he hinted to calling himself), he was most likely his best lead in someday finding a way back to his own world.

"That may be so, although your 'Tracing' as you call it, can easily be interpreted as your own unique Semblance", Ozpin started. "And don't forget, you yourself wished to aid us in our fight against the Grimm and Salem, did you not?".

Grimacing, Shirou realized once more that sharing his ideals with the opportunistic man, however good his intentions may be, was probably a mistake.

"Yes. I can't just stand by and watch... But that's exactly why attending an Academy seems like a waste of time, especially if things are moving as fast as you claim they are".

"I will admit that your magecraft gives you a significant advantage...". Once more Shirou had to reign in his annoyance as the man took a break to take a few more slow sips of his cocoa.

"And yet you alone are no match for an immortal being with an army of billions of Grimm. You're going to need trustworthy and capable allies, Shirou. And what better way to ensure that they're capable than personally having a hand in seeing their potential reached?".

With a frown Shirou held back his comments. Unlimited Blade Works possessed weapons capable of slaying immortals... Immortals of his world, at least. Could they do the trick? Perhaps. He couldn't deny the numbers advantage of the enemy, however. And while he was used to handling things solo, Rin did hammer it into his brain on multiple occasions (with painful Gandr-shots) that he should rely on others too. But tutoring... He had never really taught anyone anything. Save for teaching Sakura how to cook, and it didn't take her long to reach a level equal, if not surpassing, himself.

Having finished the last of his cocoa, Ozpin put down his mug and leaned forward. The amused smirk left his face, being traded in for a more serious expression.

"The coming batch of first years has a number of interesting candidates who I believe will have great parts to play in the coming conflict, Shirou. But there is one in particular I feel would be a good fit for you and who could also benefit greatly from your tutoring...".

Interested, and glad that Ozpin finally decided to stop fooling around, Shirou raised an eyebrow "And who might that be?".

"First, I should tell you a story about legendary warriors. Warriors with silver eyes...".

It was roughly two hours later that Shirou was left sitting in front of Ozpin's desk in a daze. Four years of school... Was that really something he wanted to do? Granted... The girl would need protection and proper training if Ozpin's stories could be trusted, but it would take a long time before they would make any capable allies by attending the school as a Huntsman-in-training.

But then again, he had just been told thousands of years worth of history, which seemed somewhat unbelievable at first. Two brother-deities... Salem being an immortal witch? He had known of the four Maidens due to earlier conversations, up to some extent, but hearing that they were being kept safe and hidden away scattered around the world in the hopes that they could become proficient enough in their powers to make a stand before they were hunted down... It was very grim, pun not intended.

"I will still let you take missions outside of the regular team training missions that start after the first six months, if they don't interfere with your classes at Beacon, of course" the smirking headmaster stated.

Shirou realized he had little reason not to at this point. Six months in this world and he had found no clue as to how he was transported here from his own world, nor any hint as to how to get back. And even if he could get back, what was waiting for him back 'home'? He and Rin broke up, and he had lost contact with Sakura years ago... Coming here had somehow turned back his body into how he looked not too long after leaving Japan. He estimated himself to be about nineteen, biologically speaking. He was somewhat weaker now, he had to admit. Could he still stand up to the inevitable Enforcers trying to claim his Sealing Designate contract if he went back now...? And when it came to his 'solo' efforts in Remnant so far... Sure, he had slayed a few hordes of Grimm all in all, but how much difference does that really make in a world filled with billions of them?

Letting out a deep sigh, already having lost track of how often he had done so during this particular talk, he considered his own terms. It was clear Ozpin wanted, if not needed him to take him up on his offer, so he might as well try to have this deal end up in his favour, right? Another thing Rin had managed to hammer into his head during their time at the Clock Tower. "Don't just do things for the sake of helping people, Shirou! That's how you get taken advantage of you baka!".

He resisted the urge to chuckle as he remembered his tsundere ex-girlfriend - immediately sending a silent prayer to any pantheon willing to listen to never let her know he called her a tsundere in his thoughts. The results would be... far from pleasant. Probably something revolving around a flood of Gandr-curses aimed at his head.

"If I'm going to be living here, I assume I'll be sharing a dorm room of sorts with my eventual team?" he asked calmly, receiving a simple nod in return.

"Then I'm going to need a separate place to conduct my research and work on my magecraft. I didn't exactly come to this world with my workshop in tow, so I'm going to need space to rebuild it and my library from scratch". That was really his most important requirement. A secure, mostly out of the way place to set up a workshop.

Ozpin gave in without so much as sparing it a second to consider. "Very well. One of the older buildings on campus is largely, if not completely unused. Would an empty classroom there suffice? There should be ample furniture left inside the building you can use as you see fit".

Having said that, the illusive headmaster cocked an eyebrow and asked "Come to think of it... Didn't you already have a 'workshop', as you called it, in the city?".

Shirou nodded, doing his best not to show his acceptance to the whole plan now that his one real demand was met. "That's correct. However, you can't expect me to commute back and forth every night between Beacon and the city just to practice and work on my research. That just wouldn't be practical". As expected, with his curiosity sated, Ozpin gave in.

It didn't take them too long to finish up their conversation, with Shirou getting a few more small benefits out of the negotiations. Mostly centered on sponsored research samples of varying Dust crystals and to him foreign types of metals to experiment with. The only concession Ozpin requested was that he shared any beneficial results of said experiments with him if they could be used to further their shared fight against the Grimm. Something Shirou saw no point in arguing against, as it would only help both of them in the end.

As he got up to leave the Headmaster's office, he was halted with a final message from Ozpin. "Oh Shirou, Glynda asked me to give you a message. She said you would know what it meant?".

Glynda Goodwitch. A professor at Beacon Academy and an accomplished Huntress at that. She had been assigned by Ozpin to measure Shirou's skill during his first few contracts, and while she generally held up an icy, emotionless mask, he dared say he had broken through that facade on several occasions as they slaughtered hordes of Grimm together. Interested, he gestured for the man to continue.

It was rare to see the illusive Ozpin, who always seemed to know what one was thinking, genuinely puzzled, so Shirou savoured every splendid moment of it as he relayed the message. Once he was done, he couldn't help but laugh all the way back to the elevator, leaving Ozpin in the dark about the meaning of it.

"Storm of Swords. 8PM sharp. Something new, don't disappoint". In his mind, he was already flicking through suitable blueprints for their meet-up.

Ruby Rose, the youngest student of Beacon Academy since... Well... Youngest, period. As far as she knew at least. She had been so nervous, but glad to be in the same year as her older sister, Yang. Of course Yang left her alone the instant they debarked from the Airship that brought them to Beacon. And of course she had to immediately make a bad impression on someone that, by all accounts, seemed far more impressive than her. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.

As she plopped down on the ground, defeated and close to tears before the day even truly started, she muttered to herself "Welcome to Beacon, Ruby...".

Why did everything have to be against her?! She only wanted to make a good first impression, be a normal girl despite the age difference making sure she knew next to nobody here... Just when she lost all hope, a warm voice sounded from next to her as the bright sunlight was blocked by someone's shadow.

"Need a hand there?".

She was about to complain and mutter something along the lines of 'just leave me alone', when she looked up into two golden eyes looking at her with concern. She couldn't help but be surprised by his appearance for a moment. He couldn't be more than a few years older than her, and yet his hair had turned mostly white already. There remained only a few streaks of what must have been his natural red hair.

"Eh, miss?".

She blinked a few times, her thoughts interrupted. 'Oh right!'. She finally grabbed hold of his outstretched hand and let him pull her back up to her feet with surprising ease. She chuckled nervously as a slight blush took hold of her cheeks.

"S-sorry I must have spaced out there for a second. Thanks!".

After she was standing on her own two feet again she hurriedly added "Oh, I'm Ruby Rose, by the way!". He at least seemed nicer than Weiss... Maybe he could be her first friend here!

He gave her a genuinely warm smile as he replied. "Shirou Emiya. It's nice to meet you, Ruby".

"Likewise!" she chirped back. They soon decided to make their way towards the auditorium (after realizing they were the last ones left outside), while she felt her lips tug into a smile.

As they chatted about this and that, Ruby stealthily glanced across her new friend's equipment. While there were definitely a couple of students that seemed to wear various types of armour, some even wearing metal plate armour sets, most clearly relied more on their respective aura's to mitigate damage - herself included.

Shirou seemed to be part of the group that favoured armour, albeit a lighter kind. He was wearing some type of tight body armour and looser fitting combat pants. Both black with simple, silver detailing. Even his black shoes were outfitted with metal plating that looked more than a little dangerous in a fight.

What truly caught her attention, however, was his long, crimson overcoat that gently fluttered in the soft breeze. It looked almost regal, with its simple, yet eye-catching gold detailing. On the left breast of his coat she could see his symbol, the personal mark of any Huntsman or Huntress; a strung bow, with a sword in place of the expected arrow. And yet, however much she looked, she could find no weapons on his person. Quite odd, especially for someone who was so clearly outfitted for combat.

"Something on your mind?".

Somewhere along their conversation she must have stopped paying attention to what they were talking about and fallen silent, inspecting his equipment. It took her a moment to think of something to say, before she blurted the first thing that popped into her mind.

"CanIseeyourweapons?".

The boy blinked a few times in surprise at her very rapid reply, but chuckled as he caught on.

"Ahh, so that's why you were so intensely looking over my body. Trying to figure out what kinds of weapons I use...".

As Ruby's cheeks started to redden, he gave her a teasing smirk, before he added with a raised eyebrow "For a moment there I thought you were shamelessly checking out my behind, miss Rose".

Shirou did his best to keep himself from chuckling at the girl's flustered, sputtering denial. Really, he had underestimated how susceptible Ruby was to teasing. Maybe Rin had been a bad influence on him...? Yeah, definitely.

Taking pity on the young girl, he reached both hands out of sight underneath the flaps of his overcoat and quietly muttered under his breath.

"Trace on".

As if drawn from mysteriously hidden sheathes, he pulled back his hands and presented Ruby with his two favoured blades; the twin Chinese falchions, Kanshou and Bakuya.

She instantly stopped her sputtering and her gaze locked onto his blades like a hawk. For a moment, he could have sworn her silver eyes took the shape of stars, before she almost as if in a trance slowly started reaching out to them.

Chuckling, and content with her response to the married swords, he held them out for her to hold. With barely concealed awe she took them and was clearly a little surprised by their weight.

"Wow... These are quite heavy" she muttered as she gave them a few simple practice swings. "And so beautiful!".

Shirou had known the girl was a weapons-nut, having gleamed the history of her own unique weapon; Crescent Rose - both a scythe and a high powered sniper rifle. While he could see the benefit of rifles and pistols, part of him would always find it wrong to see traditional weapons intermixed with them. And yet those chimera-like weapons seemed to be the standard, not the exception in Remnant.

"Where did you get these? And do they have names? Did you make them yourself? Can they turn into guns too? Oh! Oh, maybe they snap together and turn into a rifl-".

Which is where he cut her off. Smiling awkwardly he said as calmly as he could "Slow down, Ruby. I won't be able to keep up if you ask so many questions".

He could see she once more looked a little embarrassed, which only caused him to chuckle again. Hoping to calm her down a little, he almost instinctively put a hand on the shorter girl's black hair and gently ruffled it. Everything about her, down to her shy nature when not talking about weapons, just gave off that little sister vibe that strongly reminded him of Sakura.

Due to those stray thoughts, he missed how his ruffling of her hair only darkened her blush even further. Meanwhile, he started answering her questions one by one. Twisting the truth somewhat, he shared their names and decided to state he got them from a previous instructor who taught him how to wield them properly.

While it felt like she twisted a knife in his pride when she seemed saddened that they were just swords, unlike the crazy death traps they called weapons in this world, he did his best not to look too offended. Sadly, she seemed to have noticed the twitch in his calm expression, as she quickly apologized.

"N-n-not that there's anything wrong with that! It's good to find someone that appreciates the classics".

As she looked them over once more she added with her previous awe somewhat returning "And I can tell they were expertly forged, and well maintained ever since! There's not even a scratch on them...".

As Shirou hesitated telling her the legend of how Kanshou and Bakuya were forged, because so far everyone he told the story to had reacted with varying degrees of shock, they reached the auditorium were the introduction speech was to be held. As they passed through the doors, almost immediately both their attention was drawn by a shout.

"Rubes! Over here, I saved you a spot!". The shout seemed to originate from a tall, blonde girl with lilac eyes and... well, Shirou could only describe it as revealing clothing. A brown leather jacket that seemed to be worn in such a fashion it over-accentuated her generous cleavage, while her neck was adorned with an orange scarf. Finishing her outfit, was a short, half-open skirt over black hotpants and high, leather boots.

His trained eyes, however, were not pulled to her obviously flaunted cleavage, but to her bracelets; Ember Celica. Once activated, they would expand to cover her forearms like gauntlets - with built-in shotguns. 'Really though, what is it with this world and their obsession with turning everything into firearms...' he thought to himself disapprovingly. Still, he could gleam from the weapon's history that her fighting style was more than effective. Brutal and simple, but definitely effective.

As the older girl took Ruby in a headlock, to the younger girl's obvious, sputtering disapproval, she smirked towards Shirou and teasingly asked "Hmm handsome, for a moment there I was assuming you were trying to woo my adorable, weapon-crazed, little sister with your swords... But judging by the way you're shamelessly ogling me, it seems you're more interested in me, no?".

Realizing she was obviously trying to get a rise out of him, he just raised an eyebrow. It took some effort to prevent himself from blushing, but while this girl - Ruby's sister apparently - was clearly decent at teasing... She was no Rin Tohsaka. Fairly level-headed, he returned her smirk with his own. "Actually, I'm more interested in those shotgun gauntlets".

She blinked a few times, clearly surprised, before she chuckled. "Well alright then, maybe you're a decent guy after all". As she gave Ruby a nookie, she teasingly added "But if you toy with my little sister's heart I'm still going to break your legs, though!".

"YANG! I-it's not like that, we just met outside that's all" Ruby managed to sputter as she wrested herself free from her older sister's headlock. Her pleading gaze shifted between the two, before she settled on Shirou. More than a little flustered she quietly said "S-sorry Shirou... Yang can be a little... eh, well, Yang".

He just chuckled and ruffled the younger girl's hair, which only served to deepen her blush to an almost unhealthy shade of red. "As expected of an older sister, of course".

Turning to the blonde girl, he gave her a smile and said "Shirou Emiya. It's nice to meet Ruby's sister. Yang, was it?".

She watched on with an amused smile as he ruffled Ruby's hair, before the corners of her lips seemed to twitch into a teasing position, promising little good for her younger sister. "It's a pleasure, Shirou~. Yang Xiao Long. Now... On the matter of my innocent little sister... What do you have to offer that would make you worthy of becoming my brother-in-law? She's quite the catch, you know, so we can't just give her away to the first man trying to claim her precious heart".

Ruby was once more sputtering, but before she could jump her sister in retaliation, Shirou hummed, as if deep in thought and put on his best, serious expression. He had not survived a relationship with Rin without picking up a thing or two... He put a hand to his chin and stared off into the distance in a classical thinking pose.

"I'm not too sure what you're looking for, but I'm not averse to doing household chores. I am also quite proud of my skills as a cook...".

Yang's teasing was ground to a halt by his seemingly serious answer, whereas Ruby was frozen in place like a statue made out of tomatoes. With a small smile, he snapped his fingers, simultaneously dispelling the swords still held by Ruby and projecting new ones in his hands. After a flourish, and a yelp of surprise from the younger girl once she realized what happened, he smiled.

"And I suppose I have a way with weapons".

It was dead silent for a few seconds, as Ruby's mouth was opening and closing like a fish on dry land. A very flustered fish. Yang was staring at him in disbelief, before she started laughing and turned back to her sister.

"Rubes, you flirt! Where did you say you find this catch again?".

The girl was still stunned, shifting her incredulous and flustered gaze between her older sister and Shirou, seemingly looking for help out of the situation. Taking pity on the girl, he smiled and said in a calming voice "Don't worry Ruby, we're just joking".

At that point he looked around, noticing the small crowd that had gathered around them to look at their antics. As he met a few eyes with a raised eyebrow and another fast spin of the falchions in his hands, they quickly turned away. Noticing them for the first time now, Ruby looked around in a panic, nodded to Shirou and quickly pulled up her hood to hide from all the attention. "A-alright, i-if you say so" she managed to sputter out in a soft voice.

Shirou felt a little sorry, seeing the girl so embarrassed, but before he could say anything to apologize, Ozpin and Glynda stepped onto the stage to start the introduction.

Ozpin looked more than a little distracted as he started his speech, something that made Shirou a little wary. Did something happen? Shaking away the thoughts, he instead did his best to listen to the... lackluster speech, which left more than a few of the prospective Huntsmen and Huntresses demotivated.

"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. When you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But when I look at you, all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. 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".

While Shirou did his best to frown disapprovingly at the man for his failure of a motivational speech, he calmly strolled off the stage without so much as sparing anyone present a glance, all the while making a show of leaning on his cane - even if it was clear to everyone with a brain he didn't need to. Goodwitch stepped up to finish the introduction and give some instructions, while Shirou turned back to face the two sisters. They had equally disillusioned looks compared to most of the people present.

"It's like he wasn't even really here..." Ruby muttered, after which Yang just shrugged and pulled her closer by her arm.

"Oh well, never mind him sis. Let's go find some food instead!". That luckily seemed to cheer the younger girl up and Shirou could only chuckle at her rapid mood shift. Before he could walk off, however, Yang turned to him and asked in a teasing voice as she grabbed one of his arm with her remaining one. "You coming, handsome?".

He had actually been planning to go explore Beacon itself a little, pick a classroom in the abandoned building to set up a workshop, considering that despite his regular contract work through Ozpin, he had rarely set foot inside the Academy itself. But when Ruby turned to him too, with those puppy dog eyes and a shy, sweet smile peeking out from underneath her red hood, he could only sigh in defeat and allow the blonde to drag him along - to her loud cheers of victory.

"Whatcha doing, Rubes?". Yang teasingly asked her as she plopped down on the bedroll next to her.

"Just writing a letter to the gang back at Signal" she replied smiling as she thought of her friends back on Patch. "I promised to tell them all about Beacon before I left!".

"Aawww, you're so adorable sis!" Yang cooed, which she quickly cut off by throwing a pillow in her sister's face.

"It's not funny Yang. I didn't get to take all my friends with me, like you. It's bad enough not knowing anyone here..." she complained under her breath. She never had been very good at making friends. Her group back at Signal Academy on their home island had known each other since they were just little kids, which had greatly helped. The thought alone of trying to make new friends here, while she was two years younger than everyone else to boot, was menacing to her.

And yet, her older sister just waved it away. "Don't be so glum! Look around you, potential friends everywhere!".

Ruby looked around as Yang said, but failed to see anyone she had the nerve to walk up to. "I don't know..." she muttered. "I only really need Crescent Rose... That's the best partner I could hope for!" she tried half-heartedly.

Yang just shook her head disapprovingly, before she snapped her fingers and gave her a teasing smile. "Then what about Shirou~? He seemed nice, didn't he?".

She could feel her face start to heat up, so she hid it behind the letter she was only half working on. "W-well... H-he's nice, y-yes...". She had never really been all that interested in boys. They had always been far too childish, even if she herself wasn't all that mature in her opinion. Not to mention her obvious lack of social skills. And yet she couldn't deny how nervous she got whenever Shirou smiled at her...

Either her sister ignored her stuttering, or she simply didn't notice it, something she hoped for but found hard to believe. "See! There you go, your first friend at Beacon. And how hard was it really to meet him?".

She took a moment to consider that... "Well... He kind of just walked up to me when I was lying on the ground outside. So... Not that hard?".

Yang only smiled triumphantly "Told you. So, let's go and find your first friend! The first few days are the most important in a friendship. You've got to claim him before someone else does so you're guaranteed to have a good partner, right?".

With her monstrous strength, her sister proceeded to pull her straight up from her bedroll and into the mass of people having set up camp in the ballroom. She could only stutter out apologies whenever Yang marched them right through what looked like groups of friends, stepping on the occasional leg and arm, before they arrived near the end of the ballroom.

"Hmm, we just missed him. I think he went outside..." Yang muttered, more to herself than to Ruby. "Yes Rubes! Go join him on a moonlit walk, how romantic! Quick, before he gets too far away!".

"W-wait I'm in my pyjamas! YAN-" was all she could sputter out before Yang unceremoniously threw her out the door of the ballroom into the cold of night. She landed on her behind, and immediately jumped up to shoot back inside, but all she did was bump into the large, wooden doors. She had a strong suspicion that Yang was holding them shut for her...

As she tried and tried to push through, she realized it wasn't going to work. Yang and her monstrous strength... Then she nearly jumped when a familiar voice rung out from behind her.

"Ruby? What are you doing outside at night?".

Shirou had just left the ballroom, planning to go find that abandoned building and pick a decent place for his workshop. Contrary to what the girls must have thought, because he had been reinforcing his ears to pick up rumours and such on his way out, he overheard most of their conversation. Really wanting to get started on his workshop, he made haste and hurried out the door.

He only got about twenty meters away from the large, wooden doors, before he heard a familiar yelp, followed by the sound of said doors slamming shut again. For some reason Ruby, the girl he is meant to covertly protect and tutor, was banging on the doors, wearing nothing but a black tank top with a heart-shaped Beowulf design, white pyjama pants with a pink rose motif and slippers.

Het let out a quiet sigh as he looked at the young girl. Clearly not managing to get back inside. 'Yang must be really desperate to get her little sister some friends...' he thought to himself. He had half a mind to just quickly sneak away while she wasn't looking, but then he realized Yang would probably not let her in for a while. And it was a bit cold this late at night. Unlike Ruby, he was still dressed in his combat outfit.

Oh well, he might as well give her an opening to not just awkwardly stand there in the cold. "Ruby? What are you doing outside at night?" he asked as neutrally as he cold.

He had to hold back a chuckle upon seeing her jump up in surprise, as she turned around and dumbly stared at him.

"Ehhhmm... W-well you see.. Eh, I-I eh...".

He hummed in response. "You were... going for a walk, I guess?". The girl happily nodded to that, glad to have gotten an out.

"I see... I guess we had the same idea then" he said with a small smile. "Mind if I accompany you?".

She gave him an adorably happy smile and nodded, to which he could only chuckle and ruffle her hair, which once more served to give her a healthy blush on her cheeks. They proceeded to walk in a random direction, Shirou having pushed aside the thought of setting up his workshop for a later time. They chatted about superficial things, mostly, with Shirou having to hold back a lot of details to not seem out of place in the world of Remnant.

"So, why do you want to become a Huntsman?" she asked him after a while. Hearing a slight stutter in her voice, he looked over, and noticed that she was shivering. Shaking his head as he started taking off his crimson overcoat, he said "You know, if you go out at night, you should remember to bring a coat".

She was a little startled when he gently put it over her shoulders, more like a cape than a coat, seeing how his sleeves would probably be a tad too long for her to wear properly. "T-thanks" she stuttered, giving him a smile as she tried and failed to hide her blush by burying her neck inside the oversized coat. He could only chuckle at her antics. She really did remind him of Sakura.

"To answer your question" he started, causing her to come out of her shell again, once more expectantly looking at him. "I suppose... Ever since I was young I've wanted to become an ally of justice, to save everyone. To become a hero. And I guess that by being a Huntsman, you get the most opportunities to try and do that in this world".

She looked at him with wide eyes and genuine surprise. He had of course long since gotten used to such a response, so he just chuckled. "I know it's a foolish dream. You wouldn't be the first to point out you can't actually save everyone. Saving one often means that someone else needs to die. But still...". He let out a deep sigh as he paused for a moment, lost in memories.

"...it's never wrong to want to help someone".

He had expected many things from the girl walking next to him, wearing his oversized coat, staring at him with her wide eyes and flushed cheeks. He expected her to politely and shyly laugh at his foolish dream, or perhaps for her to point out the flaws in it. But instead, she said something no one else ever had after hearing about his ideals. Something that stunned him for a little while.

"I completely agree".

He stopped walking in surprise, blinking a few times as he inspected her expression. She seemed... completely honest and genuine. Not a trace of doubt anywhere on her face. "You... You do?" he asked her, unable to keep his confusion out of his voice. She just nodded with a warm smile and an honest to god twinkle in her silver eyes.

"Ever since I was little, Yang used to read me stories before bed" she started in a wistful voice. "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 who protected people who couldn't protect themselves".

For a split second, he wondered 'do I sound this naive and idealistic too...?'. But then he realized he really had no right to think that, as yes... He probably does. He's been told as much countless times. He couldn't help but laugh.

"I... I guess we're the same then, in that regard" he said as soon as he managed to calm himself down. Next to him, the girl nodded with a happy smile.

They continued talking for a little while, as they eventually started making their way back. When the large double doors to the ballroom came back in sight, Shirou could tell Ruby wanted to ask him something. Seeing her twiddle her index fingers together and turn to look at him and open her mouth, before closing it and quickly turning away again from the corner of his eyes was a little amusing. Eventually he just gently asked her what was on her mind, causing her to start a little in embarrassment, before she chuckled nervously.

"Ehm... Well..." she started carefully. After an encouraging nod and smile from him, she asked "Well, would you want to be p-partners? W-with me, I mean?".

As they walked through the doors, he chuckled. "Sure, Ruby. I'm not sure if we get to choose freely, but if it's possible, I think I'd like having you for a partner".

The smile the young girl gave him seemed bright enough to light up the night, before she once more got flustered and stuttered a "thanks" and a "goodnight!", before speeding off in a flutter of rose petals.

"My... coat..." was all he could utter, completely unheard by anyone. Letting out a sigh, he shook his head with a smile as he made his way back over to his chosen sleeping spot. "I'm sure it'll come around eventually..." he muttered to himself, still smiling about his future partner's antics. He was, after all, fairly convinced he'd end up with Ruby as his partner, given Ozpin's wish for him to tutor and protect her.

Yang barely blinked upon Ruby's return, long since gotten used to her favoured method of travel. She couldn't help but grin as she looked over her beaming younger sister. "I take it things went well with handsome? You were out for over an hour after all...".

Ruby nodded vigorously, not recognizing the slowly building, dangerously teasing tone her sister was using, as she began to regale the tale of their forced evening walk. Yang couldn't help but show her surprise at hearing that Shirou, who had seemed fairly level-headed, seemingly shared in Ruby's earnest and somewhat naive dream of becoming a hero. And when her sister repeated how she asked him to be her partner for the next four years, she felt her lips curl into their usual, teasing smile. It was almost too perfect a match!

"Say Rubes..." she started with a smirk. "Aren't you afraid you're moving a bit too fast?".

Savouring the innocent, confused expression on her younger sister's face, she teasingly chuckled. "Well... I get he's a perfect match for you and all, but already claiming his clothes... I never thought you'd be so forward".

Ruby's cheeks immediately lit up when she looked down and - too her horror - realized she hadn't given back his crimson overcoat before she sped off. She managed to sputter out something along the lines of an accusation towards her older sister about 'kicking her out into the cold night in her pyjama's' before she managed to catch a glimpse of her first friend at Beacon across the ballroom, passing through a door at the side.

As she watched her sister speed off after what she could only assume was her first crush, Yang chuckled to herself as she shook her head at the girl's antics. "I wonder when she realizes she just sped into the men's changing room...".

What the hell was Ozpin thinking? Launching his first year students off of a cliff into a Grimm-infested forest and pairing them up with a partner for the next four years simply be first sight. How was he supposed to properly do his job under those conditions? The smirk the man had shot him after he glared in his direction was enough to make him realize Ozpin really had a Zelretch-like streak underneath that calm, illusive visage. This was as much entertainment to the man, as it was a challenge to these huntsmen- and huntresses-in-training. And then they had to make their way through hostile territory to find some ruined temple and recover a relic?

Sighing as he soared through the sky, he Reinforced his body to hopefully give him an edge during his landing. Followed by careful Reinforcements to his eyes, in an attempt to spot Ruby somewhere out there. And after a few seconds of scouring the skies and treetops, his efforts were rewarded in the form of a red and black blur not too far ahead of him as it broke through the green leaves of the Emerald Forest. He had to compliment her on her simple, yet effective landing method. By slowing herself down using the considerable recoil of firing the sniper rifle feature of Crescent Rose, and following it up by slinging the scythe blade itself around sturdy branches, he could only assume she was making a safe landing.

Now then, as for how he was going to reach her... He felt himself sighing once more. He really did sigh too much since coming to Remnant. He blamed it all on Zel-, eh... Ozpin. Weird Freudian slip there? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he took two small stones from a hidden, inner pocket of his coat. The first time he had done something like this, Rin had fallen to the ground, laughing about how ridiculous it looked. Still, it was hard to argue with the effectiveness of it. Not having any ability to use traditional, elemental magecraft meant he simply had to improvise to achieve what other magi could often do instinctively.

He grabbed the tails of his overcoat, with one of his Runestones in each hand. He always kept a number of these hidden away on his person, just in case. Each one was inscribed with one or two specific Runes tailored for various effects that could save his skin in a tough situation. Falling to his death after being launched off of a cliff by a psychopathic headmaster definitely counted in his book. He channelled a trickle of Prana into both Runestones, aiming them upwards into his coat.

"Tiwaz, Hagalaz" he muttered, lacing his voice with Prana to aid in focusing his mind towards properly controlling the flow of his Prana. Both stones were inscribed with Tiwaz; Rune of the Sky God and Hagalaz; Rune of 'uncontrolled force' and 'the wrath of nature'. A combination meant to create strong gusts of wind.

By uttering the Runic names he put himself in a state of self-hypnosis to alter his mind to better make use of them. It was a common practice among Magi to do so for their spells, after all. In this specific case, it allowed him to channel only a trickle of Prana into both stones, effectively prolonging the gust of wind from both by sacrificing part of their strength. Resulting in a controlled glide towards where he saw Ruby disappear beneath the dense leaves of the forest as he angled the Runestones to unleash their gusts into the tightly held and spread out overcoat.

Right before he reached the treetops, he felt both Runestones falling apart into dust. That was the most annoying aspect of them; one time use. Never mention there not being enough room on those small stones for more than two Runes at a time, leaving them nothing more than quick, utility-focused tools and wholly unsuitable for most combat-needs. He had even tried experimenting with larger stones, but sadly found after a number of eyebrow-singing explosions, that they simply couldn't handle the energy requirements necessary for more than two Runes. Still, for cases like this... They were almost too perfect.

Not having let up on his bodily Reinforcements, he crashed through the branches with ease, having slowed down enough during his glide not to injure himself in the process. As he was focusing on using the larger, sturdier branches as either stepping stones, or simply evading them all-together, he belatedly noticed a black and red shape. Right beneath him as he came barreling through the last of the branches in his way.

Said shape had just enough time to look up in confusion at the noise coming from above, before her eyes widened and he slammed straight into her. "Oww..." was all that was muttered quietly by the dazed girl he subsequently found himself lying on top of.

He chuckled as he looked at the happily skipping Ruby Rose next to him. After their initial crash and a few apologies from him, which she waved away, he was relieved to find her more than happy to be partners with him.

"I was really worried when the Headmaster said we'd be partners with the first person to make eye contact with us", she chirped sheepishly. "I was afraid I'd end up with someone terrible, but I got you!".

He did his best to look calm and composed, but the girl's happy smile was infectious, as evident by the corners of his lips tugging up into his own smile.

"I'm sure that everyone at Beacon has both good and bad points as a partner..." he tried to reason, before he gave up upon seeing her slight pout. "But I am happy I just managed to spot you before you went below the leaf cover and was close enough to follow after you".

Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as he realized he might have been a bit too precise, he gave her an apologetic glance. "Sorry again for crashing into you, though... The cover was a little denser than I had expected".

She looked genuinely surprised, before he could make out a faint blush as she quickly pulled up her hood and turned her head away.

"S-so you went looking for me specifically?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course" he immediately replied, seemingly to the shock of the younger girl next to him. "You asked me to be partners yesterday, didn't you?". To which she only wordlessly nodded and otherwise stayed quiet.

Rin (and plenty of others) may have often called him dense, or a blockhead - and he would admit he wasn't the best at social interactions... So if even he could clearly make out that the girl next to him wasn't all too sure of herself and severely lacking in confidence, he concluded it must be pretty bad. Seeing the kind and generally bubbly girl with some deep-rooted insecurity issues, he vowed as her partner - nay! Her friend, that he would stamp out those issues whenever he could. Seeing once more how much she reminded him of Sakura only made his desire to help her stronger.

Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, he halted their steady march through the woods. He waited to make sure she was looking up at him from underneath her hood before he spoke with as warm a smile on his face as he could manage.

"No need to be so surprised Ruby", he started. Upon seeing her owlish blinking, he couldn't help but chuckle a little as he ruffled her hair. "You're a lot of fun to be around, you know. And I thought we got along well yesterday, didn't we?".

That seemed to cheer her up a little, as she gave him a beautiful smile he couldn't help but return. After she took a deep breath and seemed to steady herself a little, she turned to a seemingly random direction and said with confidence clear in her voice "Alright then, partner, let's find those relics!", before she strutted off.

Holding back his laughter, he just sighed and shook his head as he quickly made way after her, noting that she went in the opposite direction of where the temple should be. As he stumbled through a denser pack of shrubs and bushes, he found himself at the edge of a clearing. With Ruby standing a few meters in front of him, Scythe at the ready. Surrounded by what seemed to be a little over two dozen Beowolves.

As he jumped forward and landed at her side, he projected his favoured, married blades and turned to her with a smirk. "You take the ones on the left and I'll take the ones on the right?".

She gave him a similar smirk in return. "Race you to the middle?" she teased him. Her sudden confidence took him a little by surprise, but who was he to judge her battle mode? If anything, he could approve of it.

Chuckling as he shook his head, he threw out Kanshou and Bakuya. With an elegant precision they spun through the air like razor blades. Their anti-monster properties letting them slide straight through the bodies of the Grimm in their way like a knife through butter. He thoroughly enjoyed the gobsmacked expression on his partner's face, which only increased when the blades spun back around as he projected a second, identical pair of falchions - seemingly causing the previous ones to defy all laws of gravity.

"You're going to lose if you just keep gaping like a fish out of water" he teased her. A competitive gleam appeared in her silver eyes, as a dangerous smile curled across her face. In a flurry of movement a human without Reinforced eyes would find impossible to track, she swung her scythe around and pulled a trigger on its handle - letting out a high caliber sniper round that cut straight through the skull of one of the Beowolves on his side, while simultaneously propelling her towards the ones on her side. With a swift flurry of her weapon, two more fell to Crescent Rose's blade.

"Now who's falling behind?" she teased right back. He gave it a split second, before he laughed. "Thanks, I guess? I'll only reach the middle faster now". Seeing the shock in her eyes was worth being distracted enough to almost get hit by a larger Beowolf that had enough of their idle banter. 'Alright... Time to show my partner what you can do with the classics...'.

Author's Note

So there we have it! The first chapter of Shared Ideals! Shirou has been in Remnant for a while, working as an unlicensed Huntsman with Ozpin's backing... Hmm... And what's the deal between Shirou and Glynda? With Ruby, who might be developing a little crush, as his partner, who do you think will round out their team? Shirou working with Runes, you might ask? Why yes... But just how many of them does he know? And to what degree does he understand them? What other magecrafts can he use? He has had some more time to study since the Grail War, after all... For those of you worrying, he won't be OP, and he is of course still restricted by his Element and Origin.

The second chapter is as good as finished too! I'm just working out the rough plot a bit further before I'll publish it, just to make sure I won't regret anything in it. Couple of days, maybe?

Any thoughts about Chapter 1? Comments? Critique? Please do let me know! I'll do my best to answer them without spoiling any future plotpoints/developments. I suppose this chapter is a good measure of how many words I aim to put into each one. I will generally aim for 10k, but anywhere over 7k can be enough in my eyes if I come to a point where it makes more sense to pick up in the next chapter.

If you're interested in reading more of my stories, please do check out my profile page! There you can find my 'Fate Salvation' (80k+) WIP fic, which I will be updating again this month (Chapter length aimed at 20k, currently halted on 12k for CH6). On the same day as 'Shared Ideals' debut, however, I will also be publishing chapter 1 of 'Tempered Nerves' - my third 'Fate' fanfic! I will be rotating between these three stories this month, possibly picking up one of my SAO fics again in September.