Hello everyone! I wanted to clear up something I noticed there was confusion in regards to my story. I had not intended this to be an epic encompassing the entirety of the RWBY universe at this time. I certainly hope to undertake such a project in the future, however I started this story for a contest which will be relatively short and just detail Shirou and Velvet's search for Gilgamesh. My hope is that the ideas and rules for the crossing over of these two franchises can be used to facilitate even grander stories later on. And on that note…let us continue… :D

Shirou and Velvet enter the land of Forever Fall, the next step in their journey to locate the King of Heroes…

The trio blazed through the forest, Yang had held the impressive speed on her motorcycle ever since they left the city limits. The three had been riding all morning and into the afternoon when they finally came upon the forest of Forever Fall. Shirou could certainly see where it got the name.

Every tree for as far as he could see was covered with red leaves, even the grass shared the color. At a first glance it appeared that the entire forest was in the middle of autumn despite his knowledge that summer was still lingering. It was one of the most beautiful things he had seen, yet had no time to enjoy it; he was still concluding his explanation of what they would be facing to Velvet. The words of keeping the secrecy of magic from Kiritsugu echoed in Shirou's mind, but he had to tell her, if she was to have a chance of surviving against him.

He had tried to keep it simple; avoiding the point that he was from another world. He focused on the basics, his status as a magus, and the Holy Grail War along with his and Gilgamesh's place in it. He purposefully left out Saber and Rin from his tale, though wasn't entirely certain why he was hesitant to tell Velvet about them. He drove home how savage Gilgamesh could be, but he didn't have the heart to tell her of how he had killed a little girl without a second thought.

"So…" Velvet started, trying to keep up with everything he had explained. She seemed more shocked at the existence of magic than anything else. "This Gilgamesh is one of these...heroic spirits with unlimited weapons, who hates humans?"

Boy that's oversimplifying it…could she describe me so basically too?

"Essentially speaking, yes!" Shirou shouted back, trying to be heard over the engine and wind. "He is ruthless and strong, if we face him, DO NOT try to fight him alone."

"A heroic spirit..." Velvet considered his explanation. An individual who had lives fulfilling such grand deeds that they were admired and worshiped even after death. What accomplishments must one achieve in order to be granted such a noble status?

If only such a thing were possible for me...

"I still think you're insane," Yang shouted back from the front. "A war over a cup that grants wishes? It sounds like the fairy tales my sister and I grew up on." Their yellow-haired chauffeur laughed as she recalled the tale of her youth. "I'm pretty sure that's the one of the Cursed Golden Chalice, did he have an army in a marble he kept in his pocket too? And are you sure he didn't wander out of an institution somewhere?"

I almost wish I had, Shirou mused. Then, at least everyone would be safe.

"You…could have told me," Velvet squeezed Shirou tighter.

"Would you really have honestly believed me?" Shirou glanced back, locking eyes with Velvet seriously. Her ears flattened down as she lowered her face…uncertain of her answer.

"But, you said you lost last time," she muttered, barely loud enough for Shirou to hear over the engine. "If you face him again…you won't be alone."

Shirou just stared forward having heard every word, uncertain how to respond. He didn't want her to get hurt, yet seemed powerless to stop her from following him to an uncertain end. Despite how he felt about getting others involved, especially Velvet, he was convincing himself less and less that he wouldn't need help. He still didn't have enough od or aura to summon Unlimited Blade Works except for the briefest of moments, and without that, he'd stand as little chance as her. Then there was the worry of Gilgamesh taking him serious from the outset this time...

"There she goes!" Yang shouted, drawing their attention. Directly ahead, they spotted a long set of tracks stretching far into the distance. Just entering their field of view, the tail end of a long locomotive was visible. No doubt that it was the industrial train. "Hang on!"

Somehow pushing her bike even harder, they sped up. The train was faster but had to pass through winding routes to follow the tracks around the topography, while Yang was not so restricted. With expert skill, she maneuvered through trees; hopping down a cliff face and even leaping a river…she knew where she was going. Shirou and Velvet held on, uncertain if they could survive her driving style.

"The tracks are elevated!" She shouted back. "Either you have to clear the jump up yourselves or we need an airborne approach!"

"Did you have one in mind?" The mischievous grin on her face was all the answer he needed.

Velvet held on as Yang made a sharp turn, heading up a steep incline that took them atop a ledge overlooking the tracks. In her insane, suicidal path choices, Yang had somehow pulled ahead of the train but it was fast approaching. As it neared, she revved the engine again, taking off for the edge.

"She's not…" Velvet started before realizing the error of her words.

Yang leapt the gap just as the train passed underneath. Shirou released his hold on her waist and stood atop his seat.

"You don't have to follow me," were his last words to Velvet before he leapt, plummeting for the moving vehicle below.

"Go get em!" Yang called down after him.

His aura served him well as he impacted the train at an angle, rolling to cushion his landing. Tracing a simple sword quickly, he lodged it in the roof, stopping his slide. Even once down, the train was moving incredibly fast and required absolute focus to remain standing. He saw the tail end of Yang's motorcycle disappear over the trees, the spunky driver throwing him a final grin and thumbs up of good luck before she vanished from sight.

At least the jump discouraged Velvet from following, with any luck Yang can get her safely back to Vale before…

Once again, Shirou was proven wrong once again as his Faunus partner slammed into the train roof a few feet away, burying her own sword for support to prevent any chance of being thrown off. Motioning forward with her hands, as the wind was far too loud to speak over; Velvet pointed out a nearby hatch leading down…it was already open. Under the cover of the raging wind, the two students dropped down into the dark train car within…

On the Train…

It was obvious they had missed the start of the battle, Shirou let out silent thanks that the guards on the train were simply robots. Mangled parts and smashed mechanical limbs were spread throughout the car; they had not fared well against the attackers. The assailants must have been numerous or incredibly skilled to defeat so many, there had to be dozens of robots based on the scattered parts.

The two inched their way forward, Velvet suddenly breaking away to check several long, imposing black containers.

"These all belong to the Schnee Dust Company," she informed, running her hands over the clock-shaped snowflake design stamped on each chest. "But everything is still here, why wouldn't they have taken them?"

The train shook at her words, an explosion from further ahead; Shirou muttered the answer as he pressed forward.

"Because they are still onboard." Shirou threw open the door to the next car. The explosion had clearly come from several up from where they had landed. Making their way through the cars, he opened the last door, his eyes suddenly blinded by the unexpected light.

The next segment was a large flatcar without walls or roof and was wide open to the sky. Enormous tarps dotted its surface, no doubt covering further cargo being transported to Atlas. Looking to the center of the car he spotted the source of the commotion.

A gargantuan robot more akin to a tank was rampaging, firing cannons and otherwise attempting to catch the shape darting back and forth beneath it. The color scheme of the mechanical monstrosity caused Shirou to recall the Grimm in the Emerald Forest more than anything else. Its sleek metal casing was dark gray bordering on black, across its body shimmered bright red…no doubt caused by the dust crystals implanted inside acting as a power source. It had four legs and crawled like a crab, cannons mounted on either arm that dented the floor of the car with each failed attack.

Below the hulking droid was a woman, based on her appearance she had to be even younger than Shirou or Velvet. She was fair-skinned, long black hair with yellow eyes. As was becoming par for the course in Remnant; Shirou did not know what to make of her ensemble. She wore a sleeveless white undershirt, a black button-up vest overtop clasped shut at her stomach with a single button complete with coattails. Stockings covered her slender legs that started black at the top but became purple before reaching her ankles.

Velvet could not help but smile at the adorable black bow sitting atop her head. She was fighting against the large robot with a unique-looking sword. The weapon in her right hand reminded him of an unusual katana, yet the sheath in her left was much thicker, allowing her to utilize both in desperate strikes to do what damage she could.

Gambol Shroud…Shirou thought as he read the details of her weapon.

"She's in trouble!" Velvet cried out, darting forward ahead of Shirou. She did not even seem to consider the notion that the girl was part of the group that had attacked the train; it was a life to her…she didn't care.

The raven-haired beauty unwrapped a black cord around her left arm, using it to latch onto her opponent, bounding high into the air majestically before crashing back down. Her blade rang out, slashing at several key points on the spider-like robot's body. Despite her precision strikes, her blade skittered off the armor, scraping but not piercing.

Velvet leapt into the air herself, the familiar, jagged axe-blade of Berserker forming in her hand. With a two-handed slash she brought it down upon one of the mech's four legs. The copy did not cleave the appendage so much as ripped through it, sending the decapitated limb tumbling over the side to the forest floor below.

The targeting sensors zeroed in on the new foe, spotting Velvet behind it as the remaining three legs rotated to compensate, keeping the droid on its feet. A single cannon rotated and took aim, firing a concentrated burst of pale energy straight at the recovering Faunus-girl.

Shirou leapt from overhead, a new weapon in his hands. It was as simple yet extraordinary as many found in his repertoire. The handle had a white gem in the pommel; the hilt was an old-fashioned cross-guard with gold and black designs leading to a deep gray blade, the unbreakable sword Durandal, holy sword of Roland.

The sword lived up to its name as he split the beam of energy vertically, causing each half to bend, barely missing them both as they tore matching holes through the train car floor. Velvet bounded over Shirou's head, cracking the robot in the still-recharging cannon, tearing it from its arm in a brutal shower of parts, wires and electricity. Berserker's mountainous weapon faded from her grip with that blow, kicking the construct in the face, she bounced to a safe distance.

Their fellow combatant clung to the machine's backside, her sword contorting before their eyes into a small pistol. With a grunt, she rammed the pistol into an exposed control box, unloading the entire magazine into it. Sparks flew from the damaged spider-droid, yet it still was able to swing back, catching the girl in the chest and sending her flying. Unseen by Velvet and Shirou, she was caught by a second combatant who had been holding back until that point.

Shirou saw his opening, gripping his new weapon with two hands he darted forward underneath the droid's remaining legs. While it was still seeking out the girl, he slashed upward, severing another leg. As expected, the last two rotated once more in preparation to support greater weight. Shirou did not give it the chance, as its torso turned once more; he flipped the sword over expertly, driving it upward into the mech's vital internal circuitry. At the same time, Velvet created replicas of Kanshou and Bakuya. Throwing her hands outward, she tossed both spinning blade over hilt towards the jittering, malfunctioning enemy.

Shirou's eyes widened as he saw it…they were flying as one. He had long ago told her about the ability of the blades to be drawn to one another due to their "married" status…a terminology that had sent waves of heat to the young girl's cheeks. But for the two weapons to be so linked that even hard-light copies retained this inexorable pull, Shirou had never even considered or thought to test it as none of her other replicas seemed to retain the mystical properties of the original.

The twin blades collided with the droid as Shirou leapt to safety, setting off an explosion that took its entire torso clean off. The legs and remaining bottom twitched and skittered sporadically for several seconds before collapsing on their sides…finally dead.

Shirou let out a sigh of relief, leaning back to catch his breath. Not far ahead he saw the girl approaching…and there was someone beside her. It was a man, tall, wearing an all-black suit with a sword at his hip. He had blazing red hair and wore a white mask that was reminiscent of the Grimm. From what Velvet had told him of the White Fang this was standard among their members. He was clearly a Faunus, a pair of black bull horns protruded from his head.

He certainly matches Junior's description…

"Why didn't he help out?" Velvet whispered as they neared, Shirou could only shrug.

"What brings you here, and who do we have the," the newcomer paused as he looked the two of them up and down," pleasure of thanking?" Despite the fact they had just saved his ally, Shirou could not help but notice he had yet to take his hand off his weapon.

"My name is Shirou, this is Velvet," he replied simply. "And I am pretty sure you are the very man we were looking for."

The girl with a bow in her hair glanced between them confused; her hand fell to her weapon. Apparently, people who sought them out were not often friendly.

"And what business could you possibly have with me?"

Shirou raised Durandal, allowing it to scatter now that he was finished with it. Instead a new weapon shimmered into life before the shocked pair. He had recreated Crocea Mors, the very sword that started his hunt.

"I was told you were in possession of this weapon until recently," he explained. "I am looking for where you procured it from."

The bull-Faunus just stared at him, his gaze completely unreadable beneath his mask. His partner seemed to guess his mind as she stepped forward.

"Adam…"

He raised a hand sternly to silence her, stopping her advance. Lowering his hand, he looked directly at Shirou.

"You saved my beloved's life…for that I will give you ONE chance to leave now. You may be in good company," he motioned towards Velvet behind him. "But I don't make deals with humans, and I certainly would never tell one where to procure powerful weapons. Your companion may stay and join us if she wishes…but you must go."

Velvet stood there shocked; she certainly could see why so many distrusted the White Fang. They had just saved the life of someone he called 'beloved,' and yet not a moment later, he was threatening Shirou. She could already tell that her teammate wouldn't back down, if he left now the trail would be cold and they'd have to start over.

"I just…need to know…where you go the sword." He repeated, standing to his full height, fists clenching out of frustration, first Junior had withheld information...and now him. Velvet and the White Fang girl could both sense the tension in the air as they stepped back, hands falling to their respective weapons.

Shirou reacted the moment the bull-Faunus named Adam tightened the grip on his sword. Swinging Crocea Mors he aptly deflected the powerful first swing. He had read the black sword as soon as he'd laid eyes on it and was fully aware of the bolt-action drawing mechanism allowing it to fire the blade as if it were a firearm. With his first-strike advantage lost, Adam rushed in as he and Shirou clashed blades.

The two women similarly bounded after one another, Adam's beloved fled to the neighboring car as Velvet gave chase. As light shimmered from her box, a familiar pair of gauntlets appeared on her wrists, courtesy of a certain blonde brawler. With her new weapons, Velvet parried a swipe from her weapon, countering with a savage punch to the ground with an accompanying explosion that surprised and forced her back. Despite the early advantage, the agile White Fang member succeeded in evading most of Velvet's attacks. Her replica of Ember Celica ran out, forcing her to fall back to Yatsuhashi's sword…a reliable choice of which she had plenty of copies to utilize.

Racing forward, she stared in surprise as her opponent sheathed her weapon, holding out a hand requesting her to stop.

"Please," she started. "Just let me speak…"

In the Previous Train Car…

Shirou and Adam clashed again and again. The bull-swordsman seemed to be getting quite frustrated, if Shirou had to guess it was due to Crocea Mors withstanding his blows. Based on the design of Adam's blade, it was made for ending battles quickly…in the first swing if possible. He had lost sight of Velvet, but was sure she'd be fine; with the arsenal at her disposal she could hold her own at the very least.

She'll be quite the fighter once she gets some experience under her belt. How many lives will she be able to protect then?

"You don't understand!" Shirou tried to reason with him as they blocked and parried each other's strikes. Adam was vastly superior to anyone he had faced in Remnant thus far. While he was able to hold him at bay, at the rate they were going he would have to use stronger, more effective weapons. "I need to find the original owner to…"

His warnings were silenced as Adam slid his sword down the length of Crocea Mors to the handle. With a quick flourish he scraped his blade up Shirou's hands, forcing him to drop the weapon in pain. His aura shimmered at his palms and was the only reason he hadn't nearly lost his hands. With the incredible speed of the train car they found themselves on, the weapon bounced away, falling over the side and out of reach. The midnight-clad swordsman stepped forward, performing an uppercut slash diagonally across Shirou's chest.

His blade echoed as it collided with another…one of identical make and build to his own.

"How did you…?" Adam muttered in confusion as he was confronted by his own weapon minus the sheath.

Shirou did not answer, he was done trying to talk; instead he pressed his advantage now fighting in a style identical to Adam's. The change in tactics clearly threw the Faunus off-balance as Shirou succeeded in knocking his blade to the side, cracking him in the chest with the hilt. Adam stumbled backwards with a flicker of his aura; ducking low he avoided the follow-up. Shirou brought up a foot, catching him in the chest with a backflip and knocking him towards the end of the room. With a great leap, Shirou positioned himself between the next car where Velvet and Adam's accomplice were fighting. He would not let him get past or escape.

Sheathing his weapon, Adam stepped forward in a flash, firing his sword like a gun as he drew forward. The attack was meant to break his copy, but instead it clashed evenly. A red shimmer of spider-vein light ran up the length of the black steel, signifying the reinforcement as Shirou improved upon the design. Taking advantage of his surprise, Shirou rotated with a high kick, forcing Adam to dodge and retreat.

He's good, Shirou admitted as he decided his next tactic. He'd have to incapacitate him if he hoped to get the information he sought.

As Adam righted himself several feet away, he found himself staring down the length of an arrow, albeit one made of aura currently situated in an intimidating black bow. Shirou had replaced his new forgery with the weapon of Archer, a solemn reminder of the future that potentially awaited him. He could not pull it back to its full capacity…and firing a Noble Phantasm would be too much even for Adam. Instead, he settled on arrows formed from his aura, which should be sufficient. Shirou pulled back as far as his muscles would allow before releasing the shot.

Surprisingly, Adam instead elected to sheath his sword once again, was he planning to parry the arrow?

The Faunus swordsman was fast as ever, partially drawing his blade, he caught the blast, however did not parry. Instead, his weapon seemed absorb the arrow, devouring it until nothing remained. As the arrow grew dimmer, the red in his blade, hair, mask and clothes began to glow a sinister bright shade of crimson. An equally menacing smile spread across his lips with a laugh.

The sword can't do that, Shirou realized, knowing precisely how it was designed. Nothing in its schematics allowed for energy-absorption, but the history of the weapon revealed to him the source. His semblance allowed him to absorb energy and utilize it in a devastating counter attack. It was a sure-fire kill move with a single flaw. Once he used it, he would be tired and have a brief window to counter attack, if he could get him in that moment…

"Shirou!" He heard behind him, his blood froze. Velvet and the Adam's love were rushing towards him from the next car. The strike that Adam was preparing had an extensive range. Without him standing in the way it would surely hit both of the girls.

"What are you doing?" Shirou shouted over the wind. "If you swing now you'll hit…"

The White Fang Commander was not listening, already winding up to swing, he had no time to warn them to move.

"I am…the bone of my sword."

Adam drew his sword, combining his own strength, the bolt action of his sheath along with all of the energy he had absorbed from Shirou's attack building to a tremendous swing. Refusing to move, Shirou took the attack head on as it cleaved clean through his imperfect copy of Archer's bow and caught him square in the chest. His aura collapsed in an instant under the pressure, slashing through his skin and bone and forcing all of the air out of his lungs.

Shirou's was sent sailing backwards from the force of the hit, his partner backing up in horror as she aimed to catch him before he hit the ground. The young man flew clear onto the next car ahead, Velvet leaping up to catch him. Pulling him close, Velvet dropped to the ground as softly as she could; rolling so she took the brunt of the impact.

"Shirou…SHIROU!" She cried, his white undershirt was stained with a spreading pool of blood. He was still breathing, albeit barely. Adam turned slowly in the far car, clearly confident in his victory. With sure steps he started making his way to finish him off and deal with Velvet.

He did not get the chance, before he could get close enough; his accomplice who had introduced herself to Velvet as Blake stepped forward, drawing Gambol Shroud from her back. In a single swing she cut the connection between cars, separating them from one another.

Adam raced forward at the realization of what she'd done, but it was too late. The engine was behind Blake; her half picked up speed as his lost it. He could never reach her in time, a look of rage and confusion swept across his masked face as he watched her go. She was leaving him...HIM? And with a human of all things, he would hunt her down, find her and...

The Faunus swordsman glanced at his own weapon; cracks had formed across the entire length of the blade where he had struck the boy. It made no sense, he had shattered the bow with no effort…yet when he'd impacted his chest it felt like he was clashing with a new, unbreakable sword.

Industrial Train: Front Section…

"Goodbye Adam," Blake muttered solemnly as he disappeared far into the distance with the rear half of the Industrial Train.

With a quick turn she made her way over to Velvet, still cradling Shirou. His eyes were glazed over, his skin cold from the blood loss; she didn't know what to do. "SHIROU! Please don't die! Hold on! You have to live! We need to get him somewhere! Try to find a…"

Velvet's words of concern were cut off as a golden light blinded her; still holding his body she covered her eyes with her free hand. The light was emanating from Shirou's ugly wound stretching across the length of his body. Forcing herself, despite the blinding flash, she stared into it, awe and wonder enchanting her to the sight happening before her very eyes.

Through the golden light, she could see blue tendrils, like stitches weaving in and out of his skin, sealing the fatal injury. It was impossible…he should have been dead, that was all she could think despite her desire for what she was looking at to be true. She and Blake watched on as the tendrils covered the wound, sealing it with a final burst of radiance that neither could look upon. As the light dimmed, they beheld Shirou again. His shirt was still shredded and stained with blood…yet beneath he did not even have a scar.

It was like magic, just like Shirou had said. What else was possible that she had never even imagined?

Slowly with a groan, Shirou's eyes focused, blinking to clear the haze from them. The first thing he saw was Velvet looking over him and the first thing he felt was her tear on his cheek. The same force his father, Kiritsugu, had used to save him…the same that had aided him in his ideological struggle with Archer, had pulled through once more.

Whatever it was, it used od, he mused as he got his bearings. I guess it isn't compatible with aura.

"Velvet…" He gasped, his strength starting to return. "Are you alr…"

His Lepus partner silenced him with a hug, pulling him close. Shirou's eyes went wide in shock but thought it was best to remain still…lest he incur her wrath again.

"You don't have to try and do everything on your own," she whispered again. "That's what partners are there for. Please, just stop, this isn't worth you getting yourself killed."

Shirou noticed Blake's presence behind her, he raised his hand to point her out, but Velvet grabbed it, forcing him to lay it back down.

"She's okay," she explained. "She was trying to get away from him too. Apparently he's as bad as he seemed."

"He wasn't always," Blake replied with a sigh. "At least, I'd like to think he wasn't, but that's behind us now. I believe you were asking about that sword we sold to Junior?"

Velvet scowled at her, no doubt having hoped the trail could die and free Shirou to return to Beacon. It seemed such an option was impossible now.

"Where did it come from?" Shirou finally stirred, sitting up and flexing his muscles again.

"It was an offering for an audience. Two women and a man wanted to meet with Adam this morning. The weapon was sent to us weeks ago with a message…incentivizing our allowing them to speak with him."

"What did they want?"

"An alliance it would seem, but all three of them were humans. As you can see, Adam is…against agreements with your kind. He only accepted the offering for the meeting, the alliance was declined and the three departed."

"Where?"

"They tried to keep their travels hidden," Blake concluded. "But we spotted them staying at an inn in Northern Vale. The train will be passing relatively close to there again in a couple of miles. If you want to pursue them, that would be your best chance."

Shirou glanced at Velvet who was shaking her head again and again, he wished he could comply and return to Beacon…but he couldn't. Not just yet.

"Do you know who they are?"

"Only that they are very dangerous, even Adam was wary about being alone with them. I don't know the other two…but the one in charge referred to herself as Cinder."

Shirou and Velvet near the end of their journey, the next clue leading to the most terrifying of the stray blade of Gilgamesh's former owners. What clues and revelations will they find in the Vale countryside? As always Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy!