A/N: Hello, Fanfiction community! This fanfic here was inspired by Nemesis Astraea's DRK crossover story. FFXIV is near and dear to my heart, both story and gameplay wise, and RWBY, despite not being highest quality stuff, is one of my recent obsessions. Have a story combining the two! The story starts off at the end of the 3.5 storyline, so if you haven't finished up to that point, beware of spoilers! I wasn't planning to release this story this soon, but the Stormblood trailer really got me riled up.

I really wanted to write this in an attempt to humanize the WoL. Most of what we know is from cutscenes, and in Heavensward he shows plenty of emotion. I mainly wanna see our character emote more and be more personally involved with more characters, so this story is an attempt to give my take on things, as well as fanboy a bit about the character. The WoL in this story looks a bit like the Midlander Hyur we see in the trailers, with similar hair, but black in color. He's got a similar body type too. I'll get around to uploading a cover image that shows him properly, in his story attire, but for now imagine him as looking similar to the "trailer WoL" and Warrior of Darkness.

Chapter 1

The Warrior of Light hardly considered himself a hero. He thought that he had failed too many to be considered something so grand. Yet with all of Eorzea clamoring around him, singing his praises he couldn't help but feel irked. Especially with what happened to Papalymo... He took another swing with his axe, Bravura. A few minutes had passed and the dummy was now tantamount to firewood before he knew it. He cast his eyes down before he felt a soft pat on his lower back. He turned around and saw a short, adolescent Elezen. A friend.

"Ah, Alphinaud. What's the matter?" The Warrior smiled down at the boy. Ever since their journey to Ishgard they'd been much closer.

"Well, the Scions were wondering where you've been as of late. And," Alphinaud gestured to the stack of maimed dummies, "I suppose I have my answer. Are you well?" Alphinaud looked concerned.

"I suppose." Though he said that, he knew the boy had a keen eye for his mannerisms. He looked away, supposing a lecture was about to occur.

"I know that's a lie. If the poor dummies weren't enough indication, you haven't treated the wound from a few days prior." The Elezen gestured to the slight bruise that Papalymo's spell had left on the Warrior. "Well knowing you, it is near healed anyways," he continued.

"You don't need to spare concern for me, Yda is the one…" The Warrior let this thought trail. Though he had been flung onto the ship rather forcefully by their departed friend, he hardly remembered the pain from the spell. If anything, the pain felt by the girl was much greater.

"Well, enough of that. Won't you rest for now? You have been at this for long enough. Cid has found something you might be interested in, at the Dravanian Hinterlands. Why don't you see what it is?" Alphinaud said, trying to get his friend's death grip on his axe relaxed.

"I suppose you are right. My thanks, Alphi." The Warrior said with a hearty laugh. He patted the boy's back roughly, before activating his Teleport spell despite the boy's protests at the nickname.

Idyllshire – Aetheryte

"Ah, there you are my boy!" Cid's gruff voice resounded, alerting the Warrior to his presence immediately. "It's about the remains of Alexander that were left behind." Cid immediately switched into a more serious tone.

"Is it the Illuminati?" The Warrior narrowed his eyes at the thought.

"Actually, no. It's an anomaly. A portal into another world, or at least an unknown region! It's truly amazing. We've also confirmed that linkshells will work from Eorzea to the new world as well." Cid looked excited. "That said, it might be too dangerous for machine-loving folk like ourselves."The bearded man gestured to Biggs and Wedge, currently repairing The Enterprise.

"Really? Let me see this portal." The Warrior eyes widened, and he could feel a certain wanderlust inside him beginning to stir. Thoughts of more daunting issues suddenly were pushed to the back of his mind.

The Dravanian Hinterlands

The portal was much, much smaller than the Warrior had thought it would be. He thought it would be at least a fraction of Alexander's massive size. In fact, it looked to only fit one person at a time, maybe 3 yalms high and 2 wide. However, from the outside of the portal he could see a vast landscape, currently looking unoccupied. He wanted to see more, and to explore this unnamed world. He longed to be enveloped in environments unknown, and explore new places. He was reminded of his first days as an adventurer, how everything had seemed so breathtaking and frozen for him alone. He truly wanted to experience that again. Maybe he could experience that again with this, he wondered to himself. He silently changed his Fighter Armor to a more casual, red Eastern togi and black trousers, putting on his comfortable Moonfire Caligae and Hyuran gloves.

"Now, we obviously can't bring our ships through this. But maybe a certain adventurer would be interested in exploring this new land?" Cid grinned from ear to eat, knowing of the Warrior's wanderlust. "Now that said, we can't just send you in there all of the s- OI! Let me finish! Ah, blast it!" Cid was cut off by the Warrior breaking off into a sprint, enchanted by the opportunities of the new world. He was jolted by the sudden shout into his linkshell.

"Let the Scions know of my location, please! As for her, apologize to her for me, will you? I'll return soon! My thanks!" The Warrior's voice boomed into the linkshell, and Cid shook his head. "Same as ever, aren't you?" Cid sighed and wondered how he would explain the situation to the Scions, especially a certainly worried woman. He activated his linkshell to Alphinaud and prepared himself for a long lecture.

Kuroyuri – Lie Ren

"Ren, knock it off!" Jaune screamed, but his voice reached deaf ears.

Things had taken a turn for the worse. Ren was panting, one knee on the floor, aura almost completely exhausted. Nora, his best friend, was knocked unconscious by the hideous Grimm, Ruby and Jaune were as exhausted as he. However, instead of pulling back and assessing the Grimm as per usual, he continued his desperate assault. The Grimm assaulted him with its long arms, extending to try and land a hit but he weaved in between each incoming blow. One strike came directly for his head, but he ducked under it, not noticing the Grimm's real aim. He looked down, and realized his mistake too late.

The Grimm's second arm was wrapping around his legs. He jumped, but the Grimm grabbed at his legs and smashed him into the ground, over and over. Jaune leaped into the air and struck the Grimm from behind, but this only angered the Grimm further. With its other arm that wasn't trying to smash the martial artist, it swung at Jaune, still in the middle of another swing aimed at its legs. The swordsman was flung back into an abandoned building, breaking the walls and exhausting his aura.

Kuroyuri - Ruby

"Jaune!" Ruby cried out, but while she was distracted the Grimm swung at her, and her fragile frame was sent flying in the same direction as her Uncle Qrow, now barely conscious.

"Kid…get out of here." The poisoned man muttered, but Ruby shook her head violently.

"I can't!" She stood up with the help of Crescent Rose. "They need me!" Now on the verge of tears, she crumpled, her Aura at its limits. She reloaded Crescent Rose, and prepared to use the recoil to do something to that monstrous Grimm. She fired once to propel herself into the air, twice to gain speed, charging straight at the Grimm and finally used her semblance to slash at the Grimm with lightning speed. The Grimm uttered an ear piercing scream, and let go of Ren while focusing its attention onto Ruby, flailing its arms wildly. The girl was knocked into a wall, now slumped onto her scythe and breathing unevenly.

Surprisingly, Ren got up again. His eyes full of hatred, he screamed the loudest Ruby had ever heard the boy, all while charging into the Grimm despite his weapons being knocked away from him. He drew a knife, similar in design to StormFlower.

"GET AWAY, REN!" Ruby screamed as she opened fire on the Grimm, though it did little to stop the Grimm from once again setting its sights on Ren. However, everything seemed to stop for just a moment when an unknown voice spoke up from where Qrow lay.

"Seven HELLS!" The voice came from a man in a sleeveless, red eastern garb. His face had a few scars, and his hair was black, short and messy. And his eyes were on the monstrous Grimm standing in the center of the ruined city. Where Qrow once was, the man stood, with what looked like medicine bottles scattered about Qrow's lying body. From what Ruby could see, the wounded man looked much healthier, probably because of whatever medicine the unknown man used. Maybe he was a traveling doctor. Whatever he was, it didn't matter right now.

"Who are you? Get away from here!" The girl shouted, once again firing shots into the huge Grimm. The man, instead of running like a traveling doctor should, instead walks forward calmly, straight at the Grimm.

"Who am I? An adventurer, what else?" The unknown man draws an absolutely massive axe from nowhere, shocking Ruby and Ren. The Grimm, still enraged, swings at the adventurer from both sides, intending another grab. The adventurer grunts, and readies his axe. As if in slow-motion, he looked carefully at both arms, and instead of choosing to avoid them, both arms were blown back with a loud smashing noise. From a Heavy Swing of his axe, the Grimm was sent reeling back, almost seeming surprised. The adventurer turned to Ren. "I assume you have a personal stake in this battle?" Ren, still surprised, nodded silently. "Vengeance, hm? Then I'll leave the finishing of this beast to you. I suggest not letting your emotions consume you. I assume you see the results now." The axe wielder noted the destruction and downed comrades everywhere.

"I know." Ren, now calm, readied himself. He clutched the knife to his chest and looked at the still unconscious Nora. "I won't let it end. Not like this. I can do this." Instead of the fragile, small girl he saw so many years ago, he saw a strong, fierce Nora. Even knocked out, she still had a death grip on Maghnhild.

"Alright then. Steel yourself boy, the fight begins anew!" The warrior charged at the Grimm with a confident grin on his face.

Chapter 1 - An adventurer, what else?

A/N: So how did you like it? I planned this to be two chapters, but I just shortened a bit of each and slapped them together. Please let me know how you felt, this story is for the fans of both series after all!