Disclaimer: Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider Black/Black RX belong to the late Shotaro Ishinomori and Toei. Xenoblade Chronicles belong to Nintendo, Monolith Soft, and anyone else whom I may have forgotten to mention.
For a long time, Shania had known this world was cursed. Though Aionios' night sky could be breathtaking as it was tonight, it could never hide the signs of a battle. Shania had seen it all from her other recon missions. The smoke. The wrecked war machines. The bodies.
"It must've hurt," Shania told the corpse by her feet. Her lips thinned, and envy filled her voice. "Still, you're lucky. At least you get to start over again."
Walking away, Shania scanned the area. Under her eyepatch–a necessity as a member of the Lost Numbers–her Iris lit up and covered her vision in data. It was like a screen, analyzing the pattern of scorch marks on the ground. Keves' soldiers and their black armor scattered with the white-clad fighters of Agnus. Some still had their Blades out, becoming either an actual sword or a firearm.
It didn't take long for Shania to find the end of her trail. The fact it had been in a tiny valley was almost poetic. Off to the side was a giant mechanical frame of a machine. A Levnis, and a rugged one at that. Since it was from the Lost Numbers, it had fallen apart like the hunk of junk it was. Keves and Agnus' machines may have been less fragile, but they also laid around in broken heaps.
And there it was, surrounded by broken crates. So surprised, Shania didn't realize how dry her mouth was until she spoke.
"The Ouroboros Stone!" Shania said and ran to get a closer look. What should have been a large metal egg with glowing lines of energy had hatched. The sides had fallen away, and the great cylindrical core popped out. "It's open? But… but…"
Scanning the other bodies, or lack thereof, tipped Shania off to what happened. She recognized their uniforms, similar to the one on her petite body. Still, she couldn't deny the reality. More Lost Numbers lost to this cruel world, never to return. Unlike those from Keves and Agnus. They would return to their home countries in new bodies.
Shania's brown pigtails swung over her eyes with every stomp in the here and now. The Ouroboros Stone's power was gone. How or why didn't matter, only that it was now in another.
"'Only six of us can become Ouroboros.' If you aren't one of those six, you may as well be dead last…"
Aside from her mother's disappointment, the rest faded. There may have been something about her family being the "House of Reid," but Shania had to focus. She had to…
Shania stopped, realizing she stepped on something. It had been another Lost Number uniform, colored black and camouflage. Its wearer had been a larger man, and Shania would've recognized those gloves anywhere. The eyepatch too, which she picked up. Like her own, it had the symbol of the Lost Numbers. This one belonged to its leader. A kind man whose gruff voice cut through the fog of memories.
"Don't worry, kid. Your pa would've been proud of you."
Shania bit back a curse. She didn't need to be reminded of her failures. She certainly didn't need pity from someone of an "upstart family." He was dead. They were all dead. And she… she was–
A voice, soft yet sharp, cut in. "C'mon now… Be true to yourself."
With a gasp and whirl, Shania felt her pale skin had turned cold. The figure in the shadows stared back, red eyes glowing as brightly as the purple orb for a heart. It–no, she stepped forward, silhouette swaying side-to-side. No moonlight had to reveal the familiar cape or red armor of a…
"C-consul!"
A tiny chuckle met Shania's exclamation. "My, aren't you sharp…"
Taking a step back, Shania summoned her Blade. The tiny gun appeared in her arm, each piece forming within milliseconds as she aimed. Not hard to, since the Consul's head was a literal X, formed by her golden faceplate's butterfly-like wings.
Those red eyes rolled. "Ugh, I take it back," the Consul said, disappointed. "Do you really think that would work?"
Shania did and pulled the trigger. The next thing she knew, she was face-to-face with the same face she fired at again. "Gah!" left Shania as she fell.
Like before, the X-shaped target sidestepped the colorful bullet. After hitting the ground, Shania heard the Consul's mocking tone. "Now, now. You, of all people, should know better."
She wished she had. This was no ordinary enemy but the enemy. A Consul. One of many masterminds behind Keves and Agnus' ongoing war. They were always at the top of the cursed world. As short as she was, the Consul before Shania stood tall and proud. Those giant red extensions behind her helmet forming an X added to her magnificence.
"Want another go? Here, I'll make it easier," the same Consul mocked and held her arms wide open.
Shania's green eyes focused on the glowing purple center in the Consul's red armor. A weak spot? Maybe, but she had to shoot it first. Only she couldn't. When she looked down, she found her hand pinned the gun to the grass...
… and to the dead man's clothes right under her.
"Well? I'm waiting."
The words turned Shania's silent defiance into sad acceptance. Then, she unfurled her fingers around the gun.
"Good," she heard the Consul, ever youthful and full of energy. "Now, like I was saying… be honest. Do you want to live like this?"
"I…"
Shania's voice stopped. The Consul had turned away from her and asked, "What is that?"
After some moments, Shania heard her answer. Were those… footsteps? Yes, they were, running and drawing nearer. Shania found it past the Consul: a shadow atop a nearby cliff.
The Consul's red eyes whirled around, having followed Shania's gaze. "Don't you know," the Consul began, "eavesdropping is considered rude?"
By then, the shadow had already jumped off the cliff. As it fell, one word rang out: "HENSHIN!"
"Huh? The hell's a 'hensh–?'"
Shania gasped at the sudden red light bashing the Consul away and taking her place. A dark fist stuck out, emitting smoke. As more light and smoke receded, Shania found before her a figure just as dark from head to toe. There was less skin and more of an exoskeleton that looked insectoid. Shania swore there were two pairs of extra, smaller limbs hugging each side of his torso.
Three red circles shone on the dark figure. One came from the waist, from which the light emerged and to where it returned. The other two, on the serving head and with two antennae in between, stared down.
"Run!"
The hint of a man's voice–coming from the dark figure, no less–sent Shania scurrying back. She was barely off her feet before she ducked under a curved blade of purple energy. "You just had to ruin it!" the Consul shouted, charging with a giant scythe. "And we were having such a nice conversation, too!"
Shania didn't stop, even if the weapon had. Purple flashed in and out of her vision, followed by smoke. The two figures and their red eyes stood out as they both charred the ground from wrestling over the scythe. Dark claws yanked at the long handle, only for it and its owner to vanish in bursting purple particles.
The same particles popped into another corner. In a split-second, Shania skidded away from the Consul who stood atop a Kevesi Levnis. Seeing the scythe cut off a dark-plated arm only made her run faster in the other direction. The arm flew in the corner of her eye, only for it to screech seconds later. So, Shania looked over her shoulder and at the dark figure...
Wait, he caught a Levnis' entire arm?
"HRGH!" The sound left the dark figure as he held the large arm over his head. The sparking thing must've been six times his size!
Shania almost stopped. Almost, since the large arm returned from whence it came. It flung up dirt before knocking over its Levnis in a loud crash. The Consul's purple scythe zipped by Shania's visions, ever growing smaller as it went for its real target again. Shania didn't wonder about him, not even after he backed from the slash and reengaged with the Consul.
So many questions and concerns sped through Shania's mind as she sped by the corpses. "Have to get out," she whispered to herself. "Have to tell–"
The same red flash that saved Shania burned away any words. Scrambling for cover, she almost tripped by the sleek and pale Agnian machine. Its surface cooled her back while hiding behind it, and her fingers gripped the handle of her firearm.
From her hiding place, a peeking Shania saw the two. One in black, as the strange red light now gathered in his fist. The other in red with a purple scythe, cutting her way toward said light.
Again, the strange light flashed but veered off elsewhere. Shania didn't need to be so close, seeing it veer off. The dark figure danced back from the reason why going back and forth through the smoke. Spotting the Consul's red armor in it, Shania aimed and...
The gun wavered. "Come on," Shania told herself, "shoot, dammit!"
Shania didn't. She couldn't. The offer echoed in her mind, more so when she swore the Consul glanced in her direction. At the same time, Shania couldn't go back now. She had to choose.
Black or red.
Black or red.
Black or…
Shania reared from red appearing before her. "I'll take that as a no," said the Consul, scythe held back.
"No!" came from across the battlefield.
The dark figure hit the ground in front of Shania. Dirt flew up, following the Consul. "Too slow!" she sang and swung from above.
The dark figure's cry rang over the erupting sparks and smoke, all louder than Shania's tiny breath. Though a few heads taller, he fell on one knee and clawed at the slash across his chest. Somehow, he still breathed, albeit in shorter gasps. Shania held back any urge to help him, especially when there was someone who wanted them both dead.
That same someone landed and lazily leaned on her scythe. "Ah well, I suppose it wasn't a complete waste," the Consul said. "Y will have fun figuring out what you are. He can get carried away with all those knives and needles. And as for you… well, there's always the easy way."
That piercing red glare sent shivers down Shania's spine. The black figure stood, shielding her from those eyes. His own shone over his shoulder, and his voice left the silver mouth plate: "Close your eyes."
Shania obeyed, having seen another red flash about to form. So bright, it pierced the darkness behind her lids. The minute the Consul cried out, a claw yanked on Shania's arm.
"Hold tight!"
With little choice, Shania obeyed again and clamped her mouth shut when her feet left the ground. She also tried not to shiver from the breeze passing by or the slick so-called skin she grabbed at. Those strange leg-like appendages didn't help, brushing against her tiny body. When Shania opened her eyes at last, she only focused on the legs bouncing off the knocked-over Levnis.
The little valley, filled with smoke and the Consul's curses, grew smaller and smaller. Then, they all fell under the cliff. Pointed feet bounded off one jagged rock for another and another and so on. The sight of grass convinced Shania to keep her legs close to her body until she had some cover.
It came not long after the thought passed. Well, if one could call a giant boulder and some surrounding trees "cover." Shania didn't bother to complain, not when they both landed behind the boulder. Nonetheless, she pushed herself off.
"Just what… what are…?"
Shania clamped her gaping mouth shut, realizing what–or rather who–saved her. The feel of the rigged musculature lingered on her hands. The heat of the red light too, as Shania shielded her eyes from a smaller flash. Not from who knelt before her.
The dark insectoid figure was now a man. Dark-skinned, with short hair, and a little older than herself, but a man all the same. His clothes were definitely not made in Keves or Agnus. Certainly not a Lost Number.
"Guh," left his mouth. He hid it behind the green sleeve of his jacket. His other sleeve went for his chest. "Just… just give me a moment."
Shania did. She also glared at him, unable to ignore her mind screaming at her. The supposed man before her stole her opportunity away. Her one chance to become something more. She didn't care for the smoke leaving said scar, or wonder why it started to close up.
"You," Shania hissed. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"
"I, hrgh... Not a hundred percent."
Shania curled her fingers, but the smoke was already fading, the man's horrible gash with it. Her fists would do little, so she turned. "We have to go," she said through clenched teeth. "We've wasted enough time already."
Something grabbed at Shania's wrist. She almost pulled away, expecting to see a dark claw again. "Wait!" the man said, holding Shania with a human hand. "Can… can they find you?"
"No."
"Then, we should stay. We'll be safe here."
"'Safe?'" Shania said in disbelief. "Are you an idiot? There are more like her out there! If they haven't already, they'll find us through your…"
Shania lost her voice and glare, having a good look at her 'savior.' "What?" he said.
Once more, the words lingered. It took everything Shania had just to let them out again. "Y-your Iris, it's…"
To be sure, she put her finger to her eyepatch. Her Iris flared to life underneath it. Almost every human and humanoid on Aionios had one since the day they were born. But this man…
"... You… you don't have one."
AN: Behold, something somewhat new!
Yeah, kinda been looking at the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise recently and have taken an interest in it (more for its overall story, since I only ever look at videogame cutscenes online than actually play the games themselves). As for this little crossover, I had this idea to first crossover Kamen Rider Black (my favorite KR series) with RWBY, where an OC would be embedded with the powers of Black/Black RX's Kingstone.
Thankfully, Xenoblade Chronicles served as a nice and better-told alternative. Using Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as the source, I thought it tell the story of the OC coming from our world, aka "the world that had been split in twain" as explained within XBC 3 (uh, spoilers). Thanks to his Kingstone allowing him to escape the worst, he would find himself on Aionios and try to understand it all. Of course, his first act would be saving a certain character who would've become a traitor within the game's story (again, spoiler). He would meet with the six main characters of XBC and fight alongside them against the forces controlling Aionios.
That being said, I'm glad I'm stopping right here. Looking at my idea, it's clear my OC would overshadow the established characters in the long run and even the antagonists to a point. It would've given him too much on his plate, veering him too close to become a Gary Stu/Marty Sue. Still, I hope you like what I've written. Who knows? Maybe I'll come back it someday and revised the plot so it balances the KR and XBC aspects (not likely but it's always possible). Until then, take care.
Raika out.