Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters that may appear here. They belong to Monty Oum, who will be missed, and their respective owners.

Also: This is a companion piece to Fate/Zero Hour, one of my other fics. If you haven't read it yet, do so before reading this.

KingofBeasts Productions Presents:

Crescent Rose: A RWBY Crossover Fanfiction

Ruby Rose always had mixed feelings about visiting her mother's grave.

No, it had nothing to do with the Beowolves that attacked her the last time she was there (thought granted, it was the same kind of night). In fact, the young scythe wielder found them to be a welcome diversion. What bothered her the most was that a grave was erected even if no one knew exactly what happened to her. To the world, Summer Rose was long gone. Ruby, however, believed that there was more to the story than that.

"I shouldn't think about that now." The young lass trudged up the snowy hill, her iconic red hood covering her head as it billowed against the wind. She quickly shook her earlier thoughts as she stood face to face with that oh-so-familiar grave.

"Hi Mom." Ruby smiled sadly as she gazed longingly at the tombstone "How have you been?"


It took a while for her to recount all that had occurred since her last visit, but Ruby managed to do so with meticulous detail; her accelerating two years to Beacon Academy to become a huntress and all that followed. She spoke of the friends she made, the battles she had fought, and of the lessons she learned.

"I'm having so much fun at Beacon." Ruby recounted with a smile on her face "Yang, Blake, Weiss...I couldn't ask for better friends. If only you can see me now..."

The red-hooded scythe wielder brushed of a stray tear forming on the corner of her eye, the memories of her Mom overwhelming her for but a few brief seconds.

Yes, she had missed her dearly. Though many people believed that Summer Rose was dead, Ruby just couldn't. After all, they never found the body.

"I know you're out there. At least, I hope you are." The young girl hoped deep in her heart, those such a hope was fleeting.

"Oh? Is this a bad time?"

Startled, Ruby quickly whipped her head around to the source of the baritone voice. To her surprise, it was a man she had never seen before; His white robes, while they blended with the wintry landscape, contrasted with his ebony skin. The young leader of Team RWBY found herself transfixed by his gaze, which had one gold eye filling his right socket.

This strange visitor, however, raised many questions in Ruby's mind: Who was he? And what was he doing visiting her mother's grave.

"Forgive the intrusion." The ebony-skinned man spoke once more as he walked towards the tombstone. He took the time to kneel on one knee, bowing his head in reverence before regarding the young girl. "I only wish to visit an old friend. I must say...the resemblance is uncanny."

"You..." Ruby did not miss the implications of the man's words, her words in "You knew my mother?"

"Hmm...our paths have crossed once or twice, yes." The enigmatic man smiled rather curiously, his lips curling as if he was plotting mischief "But forgive me, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Salem Azal, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ruby Rose."

"You know who I am?"

"Indeed." Salem nodded sagely, his arms folded behind his back "I daresay Summer would be quite proud to see her girls following her path."

"Thanks. It's kinda flattering, actually. But..." Ruby looked down at the ground with a somber, saddened expression "She's gone now. She has been since she disappeared all those years ago."

"Is she really?"

Those three words were enough to get Ruby's undivided attention, something Salem noted with a small smirk. "I see I have your interest now, Miss Rose." He said as he turned his back to the young girl and began walking downhill "If you wish for more answers, then meet me at the base of this hill. We have much to discuss."

A million thoughts were running rampant inside the red-hooded Huntress-in-Training's head as she watched the man leave. She can tell just by looking at him that he was no ordinary man. That he was dangerous. Still, he claimed that he knew of Summer Rose's final fate. She wanted to know what happened, how she disappeared without a trace. Even if her better judgement was telling her to just walk away, she believed that she wouldn't get another chance like this ever again.

With her first step, Ruby Rose made her decision.


"So you've decided to take me up on my offer."

"Yup." Ruby nodded as she stood in front of Salem, the man a good distance away from the girl "You said you'd talk if I met you here." She continued, her demeanor all business as she faced the much taller man. "Well I'm here, so you better have some answers for me, Mr. Azal."

"Of course, of course." The ebony-skinned enigma chuckled as he began pacing around the lass, beginning his tale in earnest "As I have said earlier, my path has crossed with Summer Rose on more than one occasion. Once a foe, another as a friend."

"You fought my Mom before?" The red-hooded girl's eyes widened in wonder. As she had never heard this story before from Yang OR her own father, it was obvious that she was intrigued.

"Yes, though I will admit that she had every right to trounce me the first time we met." He smiled somberly, reminiscing that dark time in his long, long life. "Even then, she possessed that zeal to protect the innocent from the evils of the world. Huntress through and through."

"Wow..." Ruby felt her chest well with pride after hearing more of her mother, her sweet mom, and her exploits. Having gained this tidbit of knowledge, she decided to press her luck. "So..." A lump in her throat formed, thinking about how she was going to inquire...

"I know what you are about to ask, Ms. Rose. Unfortunately, I do not know of her current whereabouts."

"How did you know I was gonna ask that?"

"It was written all over your face." Salem chuckled as he stopped his pacing directly in front of Ruby. He then turned to give the young girl a sad smile "I'm sorry if you wished for a more concrete answer to your many questions."

"Nono! It's fine, really!" Ruby wrung her hands back and forth as if to shake it off before stopping and letting those delicate lips curl into a warm smile "Just knowing that she's out there is a huge reassurance to me. Thank you."

"Anytime." Salem found himself returning the smile, her warmth proving quite infectious "However, seeing as I have told you much about your mother. There is a small favor I wish to ask in return."

"Sure. What is it?"

Once again, the man chuckled as, with a snap of his fingers, his own weapon appeared in his hand; a scythe with a long, gleaming edge. It's shaft was white and had gold trimmings along it was well as on it's other end.

"Wow, nice weapon you have there!" Ruby remarked with a grin.

"Not as spectacular as yours, I'm afraid, but that is besides the point." Salem couldn't help but smile at the younger girl's sudden enthusiasm "If you may indulge me, I wish to engage you in a duel, one scythe wielder against another."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked with a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"I am quite sure. I wish to test your resolve, young huntress. To see if your convictions are true and if you are indeed your mother's daughter."

The serious expression on Salem's face as well as the intensity in his eyes told her that he was not kidding around. While Ruby was usually eager for a friendly spar, she felt apprehensive about fighting this man for some reason. She just couldn't put a finger on what that was.

Still, Ruby felt that this was a chance she could not pass up, that she had to test herself to see how she'll fare in the coming battles she'll have with her team. More importantly, she wanted to see if she has what it takes to become a Huntress.

With that, she slowly brought Crescent Rose to bear, the weapon morphing into the massive red scythe was known for.

"Alright then." She let a small smile appear on her lips, the fire in her silver eyes eager for the challenge "Here I come!"

With an audible bang from Crescent Rose, she closed the distance between her and Salem almost instantly, surprising the man as she was within striking range in seconds. He had little time to react, but he managed to raise his own scythe to deflect a diagonal blow that came from the right, catching her attack by the shaft.

"Not bad." He managed to smile before pushing the smaller girl back. Using this opening, he planted his right foot firmly on the ground and swung in a horizontal arc from the left. To his surprise, Ruby vanished before he could land the hit. Sensing an attack from an unexpected angle, Salem spun his body around, using the momentum to empower his strike as he aimed it upward. His guess proved to correct as he connected just as Ruby was about to land overhead strike, the resounding clang of steel echoing into the night.

Despite her surprise, Ruby didn't waste any time somersaulting backward. Once she landed on her feet, she closed in and began a flurry of attacks from varying angles, pulling the trigger with each strike. Salem met the challenge and met her blow for blow, thus began a furious clash of scythes.

"As I suspected." He grunted as he struggled to keep his defense. "She's using the recoil of each shot to add momentum to her swings, thus increasing their power. Her weapon obviously trumps my own."

"Wow, this guy's good." Ruby thought in return as she kept her relentless assault "He's using a normal scythe compared to mine, but he's not giving me any openings to attack. He really is a master scythe wielder. I wonder what his Semblance is."

The blitzkrieg ended when Salem blocked a particularly powerful strike that caused him to skid along the snow, the sheer impact forcing him to move what would be equivalent to several steps back.

"I must say, I'm impressed." Salem smirked as he planted his scythe on the ground and began dusting himself off with his left hand "Your mastery of the weapon as well as your skill would indeed serve you well on the road to becoming a Huntress. Which begs the question: Why do you want to become one? Surely your mother's legacy has something to do with it?"

"Well...yes and no." Ruby giggled as she planted Crescent Rose's blade on the ground. She took the moment to get her opponent in her sights before pulling the trigger. Of course, she went for non-lethal shots, aiming for his arms and legs hoping to at least incapacitate him.

Imagine her surprise when Salem Azal deflected the bullets with but a gesture of his left hand.

"How..."

"A tale for another day, but back to the topic at hand." Salem gripped this scythe with both hands, taking a moment to measure his opponent before launching himself at her. He began twirling his scythe dexterously, assaulting Ruby's guard with agile and precise strikes meant to break down her defense "What do you mean yes and no?"

"Well," Ruby grunted as she did her best to hold her guard "Being the kind of Huntress Mom was is kinda part of why, but there's more to it than that." She saw an opening and sidestepped and overhead strike from Salem, firing her scythe once more to add momentum as she twirled around behind him and swung the blunt end of her weapon at his back.

"Care to explain?" Salem was sent flying with sheer force of the blow, but was still able to land on his feet just as Ruby rushed forward and began attacking anew.

"Well, my sister used to read bedtime stories to me when I was little." Ruby began to elaborate in between swings. She was beginning to find this experience rather fun, talking as she and her opponent dueled "Stories about heroes fighting monsters. It's one of the main reasons I want to become a Huntress."

"To become a protector of the innocent?"

"Something like that." Ruby giggled as she and Salem were engaged in dance not unlike what Professor Ozpin described to her at the dance "I want to protect those who can't protect themselves, to fight for what's right like those heroes did!"

"A noble cause, to be sure. But if I may ask a question." Salem's voice grew serious as he began to slowly overpower his smaller opponent "What would happen if you couldn't protect everyone? What would happen if you were given an impossible choice?"

"What do you mean?" If Ruby was slightly taken aback by the question, she didn't show it.

"Let's say you were put in a situation where you have to choose between those you care about and the people you've sworn to protect." Salem managed to land a blow that forced her to stagger back a step. He utilized that opening to launch a powerful swing that was meant to disarm her and effectively end the duel "Who would you choose, Ruby Rose?"

Time seemed to slow down as she deliberated on her position. Ruby knew that part of being a Huntress was not making easy decisions, especially since she leads her own team. She knew that there will be times when she'll fail, as all people do. Even so, she would move forward and continue to protect the people no matter what, regardless of her choices or errors.

Thus, she had her answer.

"I'll save them both!"

It all happened so quickly; She vanished just before Salem could connect the blow and reappeared behind him before he could even react. He attempted to swing in defense, but Ruby disarmed him before he could connect. The impact of the blow sent the scythe flying several feet in the air before planting itself on the ground.

"I'll save them both." Ruby reiterated with a cheerful smile "That's why Hunters and Huntress exist: to make things better for everyone."

"...Well said." Salem smiled as he admitted defeat "I admire your resolve, Ruby Rose. You are indeed your mother's daughter in body as well as spirit."

With a snap of his fingers, Salem's scythe disappeared into nothingness. He was about to turn and leave before Ruby stopped him.

"Hey, before you go..." She said meekly as his back was turned to her "If you see Mom again, can you...can you tell her that I'm doing just fine? And that I miss her?"

"...I believe I'll do just that." Salem smiled as he began walking towards the woods, melding with the wilderness with each step as if vanishing into thin air "I wish you luck in all your endeavors, Ruby Rose. Never forget what we have spoken of today."

And with that, he was gone.

"...That guy was definitely strange." Ruby sighed as Crescent Rose retracted into it's sheathed form. She placed both hands on her chest and looked to the stars with a smile "But still, I'm happy that Mom's still out there. I'm sure we'll meet again someday."


"Well, you certainly held back."

Salem had traversed deeper into the woods when he was greeted by a familiar vampire in an elegant black lolita dress and blonde pig-tails, her lips curled in a noble woman's smirk as usual.

"Indeed I did something of the sort." the dark-skinned man chuckled "It would not have been fair otherwise to bring my full power to bear. As you would be well aware, Rachel Alucard."

"I suppose, but that is not the point." Rachel quickly interjected "What I want to know right now is why didn't you tell her the truth, Zasalamel?"

"But I did exactly-"

"The WHOLE truth."

"Because that is not what she needs right now." The man sighed as he folded his arms behind his back once more "With the White Fang as well as the ever present threat of the Grimm, it would not do to tell her of The Counter Force...or the offer Alaya made that Summer Rose accepted."

"I see..." Rachel nodded somberly upon realizing so "I only hope that Ruby Rose is not made that same offer in the future."

As she spoke, both she and Salem had the same chilling image in their heads: A man clad in red, alone and betrayed by his ideals, who stood among a desolate field of swords.

End Story.


A/N: Hey guys! This is the King of Beasts and I'm back with a new fic! Hooray!

Mordred: ABOUT DAMN TIME!

Sorry for the lack of updates, dear readers. Life has kept me preeeeeetty busy as of late. But don't worry, you'll be seeing my old works updated soon, so keep an eye out.

Ruby: Uhm...

Right, of course. For starters, I wrote this fic as my own little tribute to Monty Oum, kick-ass animator and creator of RWBY who died recently. Although I only got into this series fairly recently, I've watched his old 'Dead Fantasy' videos long ago. It's really sad to see him go, but his memory will continue to live on in his loved ones as well as his works. So here's to you, Monty Oum! Thanks for all the hard work!

Ruby: *Smiles warmly* Thanks.

No problem. Also, just to clarify once again: This is a companion piece to Fate/Zero Hour, one of my other fics. Reading it before this one will give you a good clue on who Salem Azal really is. Here's a hint, though:

His Tales is one of Souls and Swords, eternally retold.

Also, if you're familiar with the Fate/Stay Night franchise, you'll know who the man at the end was as well as what REALLY happened to Summer Rose (in THIS canon, anyway).

Well, that's all from me. So keep an eye peeled for my other works and, as always, kindly leave a review when you finish reading. I'm the King of Beasts and see y'all next time!