Chapter 2: Rider

Destiny waits for no man.

All the mistakes people make, the sins they've committed…they remain forever in the fabrics of reality, and none can escape them. And when the consequences of their actions come to avenge themselves upon them, they fall into the raging waters, lost and helpless.

Indeed, mankind is little more than a plaything to a higher force, and those who rebel are doomed to collapse. In the end, all they can do is move forward unto tomorrow…to wait as the gears of fate once again begin their inexorable churn.

That time was now.

The old man gazed into the pool of stars. Who he was and where he stood are irrelevant. He saw, in the centre of the water, a single star that glowed brighter than any other. So it begins anew…the first piece has entered the game.

He looked up at the stars that reflected themselves in the surface of the water. He closed his eyes with a weary smile. Now then, let us see…what awaits those who bear the weight of the worlds on their shoulders?

"Humph, humph…" Ruby grunted, staggering under the weight of her purchases.

When Ruby Rose went outside, it was simply impossible for her to stop at just getting ice cream. Before she knew what had happened, she'd already bought five conductors, another combustion engine to replace the one that had just exploded, and a bunch of other electrical paraphernalia that she didn't even know what they were for. At least it was good exercise.

After what felt like a billion years, she finally dragged herself and her bike back to her apartment. Leaving her bike in the parking lot, she finally ran the final stretch to her room, gasping in relief as she dumped all of her possessions onto the floor with a loud thud. "Hah, hahhh."

Jaune peeked out from inside his room. "Hey, Ruby, you okay?"

"Ahaha, I'm…fine," she laughed, panting. She shivered a bit. "Did you leave the AC on, Jaune? There's a lot of cold air coming from your room."
"O-oh, uh, that's, um…" Jaune stammered a bit, looking nervous. "Yeah, it's just the AC. So, uh, you're gonna keep building your death machine?"

"Sure am!" Ruby nodded energetically. "See ya, Jaune! Good luck with your homework!" Skipping happily, she shut the door.

Ruby's room would have given most neat-freak parents a heart attack. The wall was messily decorated with random schematics of various machinery. Things like lawnmowers, vacuum cleaners and TVs were strewn across the floor, some of them she probably shouldn't have been able to afford. In addition to being an engineering fanatic, Ruby was also a bit of a kleptomaniac.

In the corner of the room, amongst all the impressive technology, was an ugly lump of metal and wires. This was Ruby's favourite thing in the room. She happily went over to it. Thankfully, most of the smoke and stench from before had disappeared. "You alright?" she asked gently, stroking it. "Uh, sorry I blew you up again. But! I think…I'll get you right this time."

Out of all the things little Ruby wanted to build with her limited knowledge of engineering, her biggest priority was a badass electric-powered battle scythe, so one day she could fight criminals and be a hero, "like the chick from Soul Eater."

"Let's see, it needs a conductor…here," she muttered, plugging the device into the machine. A few sparks shot out where it made contact, but thankfully no explosions this time. "Now I need a thruster."

She dismantled the combustion engine and retrieved the parts she needed. She took a deep breath. Okay, let's try this again. She inserted them into the back part of her creation, and flipped the switch. The machine whirred for a few seconds, the gears turning in what resembled a coherent rhythm. It was only alive for a few seconds before it went silent again.

Ruby wasn't disheartened, though. It's a start, she smiled to herself. If it all goes well, I can get it done before Uncle Qrow comes to visit. That thought lifted her spirits.

The gruff, sarcastic Qrow Branwen was one of the most well-known engineers in the Kingdom of Atlas. Though they weren't actually related, Ruby had always affectionately called him "Uncle" and had wanted to become an engineer just like him. Her father hadn't really approved of her friendship with him, but considering Qrow was an old friend of Ruby's late mother, he let it slide. Mostly.

Today, a letter had arrived for her, and the sender was none other than Uncle Qrow. Ruby had been pleasantly surprised; Qrow never wrote letters-whenever he wanted to say something to you, he'd always do it face-to-face whether you liked it or not. Now that she was taking a break from her work, she excitedly tore the envelope open. Inside was a note written in very messy handwriting:

Hey kiddo. How are you doing?

Looking forward to visiting Vale this summer! Can't wait to see you.

Yeah, I know I don't really write to you often. Or ever. But this time…it's something a bit special.

Look, I don't want you to think I'm crazy. Actually, you probably already think that. Point is, I'd like to ask a favour of you.

Attached to this note is a document. What I'm asking you to do is keep it safe for a week or two-at least until I get here. Do NOT touch it, do NOT read it, and for the love of God, do NOT blow it up in one of your goddamn industrial accidents. Knowing you, you're gonna want to open it right up and see what it's all about. Don't do that. Honestly, you're probably the last person I can trust with this kinda thing, but there's no one else I can ask for help. Just trust me, kiddo. I promise I'll explain everything when I arrive. Seriously, there's a lot to talk about.

Cheers,

Uncle Qrow

Attached to the note was an old, yellowing piece of parchment. Ruby frowned at it. Why would her uncle be so worried about something like this?

True to her uncle's fears, all his warnings promptly flew right over her head as she grabbed the parchment and turned it over. On it was a peculiar-looking symbol, drawn in a strange red liquid that seemed to glow. Beneath it was written what appeared to be some sort of prayer.

This is the Holy Scripture That Calls the Servants of Man from the Heavens.

If thou wishes to become the champion of the Holy Grail, recite this prayer to the emblem that connects worlds, and seal thy fate.

I call upon the thrones of the otherworldly,

To serve my cause, to fulfill my ambition, to acquiesce my every command.

I ask of thee, my Servant, to fight by my side in the looming battle.

To obtain the Holy Grail is to obtain the world.

And only the champion and their disciple shall drink of its holy sustenance,

And ascend to the higher realms.

To this goal, I devote my body, my soul, my mind.

Saber. Archer. Lancer. Caster. Rider. Berserker. Assassin.

The fates of men lie in thy capable hands.

Now arise, and Serve.

"What is this…?" Ruby murmured in shock. "Sounds like some sort of…zany religious cult." Is Uncle Qrow into that kinda thing?

The prayer sounded pretty ridiculous. "Holy Grail"? "Thrones of the otherworldly?" It sounded like something from a children's book. Still, if there was one thing to be commended about Ruby Rose, it was her curiosity. And her curiosity had been piqued.

So all I have to do is recite it, huh? Sounds simple enough. Slowly and carefully, Ruby read every line of the prayer exactly how it had been written, while staring at the parchment, hoping for something cool to happen. Nothing did, at least until the end.

"The fates of men lie in thy capable hands…" she murmured. "Now arise, and Serve."

She paused for a moment. Nothing was happening. "Yep. As I thought," she sighed. It was what she'd expected, but she was still a bit disappointed. "Kinda wished there'd be mo-"

Whoosh! Without warning, the parchment burst into flames. "Ahh!" Ruby screamed, falling back onto the floor. The parchment remained levitating in the air, the flames growing into a raging inferno. "Wh-wh-wh…" she stammered.

In a flash, the flames dissipated, leaving a pile of ashes behind. Mercifully, none of Ruby's equipment had been burned up. That wasn't what caught her attention, anyway.

Atop the ashes was perched a yellow, flame-patterned motorcycle. Riding the vehicle was a tall, golden-haired woman wearing shades and a tan vest with gold piping over a yellow top. "Whew, that was a trip," she said cheerfully, taking off her shades. She turned to Ruby, and her eyes widened. "Oh…you're…!"

"Huh?" Ruby stammered, still in shock.

"Ruby!" The girl broke into a huge smile and embraced her tightly, nearly suffocating her. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"Umm…" Ruby whimpered. "Who…who are you?"

"What?" The girl frowned, glancing at her. "Don't you recognize me? I'm Yang, your…" Her eyes widened. "Oh, that's right, wrong world, wrong world," she muttered under her breath.

"What's going on here…?" Ruby muttered, terrified, looking around in confusion. "Why did this weird hot girl just appear out of nowhere in a burst of flame? Why does she know my name?"

The blonde laughed slightly. "Okay, I get that you're freaking out, Ruby. Let me explain things properly, alright?" Ruby nodded nervously.

"Basically, I'm a Servant, of the "Rider" class. I'm a warrior from another world, and you've just summoned me. There are six others like me somewhere out there in Remnant, and to summarize, we're all in the middle of some big war to kill each other and get the Holy Grail, some artifact that grants you any wish you want. Sounds pretty cool, huh?"

"Uhhh…." Ruby laughed. "I'm still pretty confused, but, uh, being able to grant any wish sounds nice. I think."

Yang, the Rider-class Servant, smiled at her. "Well, at least I know you're the same as in my world." She looked around the room. "Yeesh, your place sure is a mess, huh? What's that piece of junk next to your desk?"

"Oh, that's my project," Ruby said. "I'm building my own mechanized scythe. It's not going so well, though."

"That's what Crescent Rose looks like in this world?" Rider stared in horror at the mechanical abomination. "Seriously?"

"Uh…Crescent Rose?"

"Long story," Rider muttered. "Anyway, you said you're having trouble building this thing, huh? I think I have something to help with that." Opening her vest, she retrieved a few vials of strange red liquid. "Looks like Dust isn't as common in this world, huh?"

"Dust? Uh, well, actually, it's everywhere, and-" Ruby began.

"No, no, not that Dust." Rider waved her hand dismissively. "This stuff's some magic substance that can do all sorts of crazy things. Building awesome weapons is a piece of cake with this." She paused, seeing Ruby's blank stare. "Hmm, still confused? I guess that's to be expected…looks like I've got a lot of explaining to do, huh?" she smiled at Ruby. "Come on. Let's build you your scythe."

Ruby grinned. "Now we're talking. Okay, Rider, Yang, or whoever you are, let's get to work!"

And they did.