CHAPTER 1:
Remnant of a Dream
Ruby Rose dreamt of a broken world.
The hill she stood on gave her a clear view of the near-infinite expanse that lay before her. The sky was cracked in two, one side showing the shattered moon that was so familiar to her. The other side was a twilight on the cusp of sunrise, and both sides bled into each other like ink blots in water; Both sides still clear and distinct, but melding into one existence. The world itself was a green, grassy field covered in melting patches of snow, and a breeze blew from some direction Ruby couldn't pinpoint.
Yet that wasn't what Ruby wished to focus on, because planted into the ground as far as the eye could see was an innumerable amount of weapons. Swords, spears, bows and even shields—They marred the surface of the world with their presence, and yet, there was an odd beauty to it all. The battle junkie and weapon-lover within her tried to soak in as much of it as she could.
Ruby stared at every blade with reverence and awe. Her eyes swept left and right, burning every beautiful weapon she could see into her brain. Even the most chipped and dirtied failure was as valuable as the most beautifully crafted masterpiece to her. The thing was, it felt like she already knew the history and place of each piece. Trying to commit them to memory now was like trying to learn how to walk. As if she knew it all already, but it was something she had never thought of before.
When she moved to grab the hilt of a random sword, two words echoed through the wind, through the earth, through her grip on the sword, through her mind, through her heart–
Trace…On…
–And a searing pain lanced through Ruby's very soul as she nearly collapsed in shock. Her mind reeled from the rush of information that threatened to overwhelm her. She learned how the sword had been forged, who had used it, its kills and triumphs and failures: Its entire history was laid before her, and the moment she let go, the burning faded but didn't completely disappear.
Ruby stumbled backwards. Where her gaze was once filled with wonder, it was now filled with panic as even looking at any one weapon was enough to fill her with a glimpse of its history. Something that she knew she couldn't do before. Something that was both familiar and utterly impossible.
It was then that Ruby finally turned and saw the most amazing weapon she'd ever seen. Radiant and blinding in its beauty, a simple but magnificent sword stood under a tree at the top of the hill she stood on, shining like a beacon over the endless sea of metal behind her. It radiated divinity and hope, and a feeling of triumph so strong that Ruby felt she could achieve anything if she put her mind to it.
Without even realising it, Ruby found herself moving towards the sword. When her newfound power kicked in, only its name came to mind, accompanied by a wave of intense nostalgia.
Excalibur…The Sword of Promised Victory–
Why did Ruby feel this way? Why did looking at this sword named Excalibur cause her such happiness and pain? When she tried to tear her eyes away from the sword, she was filled with even more confusion, and her headache grew even worse.
Caliburn…The Sword of Assured Victory–
Next to Excalibur was another sword just as beautiful and bright in its existence. Again, it filled her with memories and a history that wasn't hers, of a life that wasn't hers, of a boy who just wanted to be a hero. Her skin was getting clammy, she felt like she was burning up, like something was searing its way into her soul.
Avalon…The Everdistant Utopia–!
Ruby's eyes finally fell on the sheath resting against the tree, and her existence exploded. Memories that weren't hers but were his, feelings that weren't hers but were his, a soul that was as much hers as it was his flooded her being. Years of pain, years of practice, years of chasing an impossible dream, of skills and knowledge and instinct–Ruby felt like everything she ever had been, ever was, ever could be, had caught fire.
Her skin was on fire. Her head was on fire. Her eyes and her heart and her brains were on fire. Fire consumed her vision. Fire filled her breaths. She screamed and she screamed as she collapsed before Avalon, her arm reaching for the sheath that she somehow knew could help her, heal her, save her.
Ruby couldn't even think anymore. Only that she was reaching for something. Something important. Something so vital that she would sacrifice herself to obtain it. She screamed one last time as she thrust her hand forward, and her fingers brushed against something cool and comforting to the touch–
I ~m t~e b~ne ~f ~y s~~rd–
–And Ruby's entire world burned before her eyes.
A/N: This was just an idea I had.
After scouring other F/Sn and RWBY crossovers, I've only found two other stories that take the approach of "Ruby is Shirou reincarnated". It might not go anywhere, but I wanted to write some of this out before it never happened.
Also, Ruby will still be Ruby for the most part, just with the added knowledge that she was once Shirou Emiya, and that her UBW is a little more versatile than it was before.
