Finally, it's time for my Equestrian AU!

Now let me just say a few things right off the bat. One is that I have no real experience with riding/caring for horses, so please excuse any inconsistencies you may see in this story in those regards.

Secondly, I wrote this over half a year ago, and before we knew Winter's canon personality. As I've gone over and revised this fic, I've tried my best to tweak what I've written to get her character right.

Thirdly, this entire concept started as just a few ideas thrown around between friends, and I just so happened to make it into a full-fledged fic. Just please understand it might not be of the highest quality, though.

With all that said, please enjoy this new AU and fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Beyond The Stables

Chapter 1. The Stablehand

Vale was composed of several blocks' worth of business buildings, marketplaces, schools, and a police station – all the essentials for a relatively small, rural town.

On the outskirts to the east side of town was a vast expanse of open farmland and fields, over one hundred acres of it. All of which belonged to a single family.

Weiss' father had inherited the ranch from his father, a family tradition going back several generations now. It had started out as a farm in old times, complete with fields of wheat and crops to harvest, as well as pigs, cows, and sheep.

But her great-grandfather's generation had encountered tough financial times, demanding he sell all of his livestock. However, he'd kept the horses, and decided to breed his best ones, focusing on producing the fastest race horses possible.

His actions in selling the other animals had granted him a fine fortune, and selling his best horses to the derbies hadn't hurt either. It had undoubtedly ensured his family's wealth for generations to come.

Now, Weiss' nuclear family ran a farm that was meant exclusively for horses.

Their business had expanded over the years, selling, trading, and buying various horses with other persons in this field. They owned about forty horses at the present time, half of which were used for breeding race horses, and the other half of which were used for riding lessons.

Weiss' father had started his own equestrian school about ten years ago, and many local teenagers and young adults came by to pay for lessons on a weekly basis. He had hired several instructors to teach said lessons, and many stablehands were also on the premises.

The corrals were lined by the stables, with miles of fences stretched around various fields and pastures to let the animals run freely.

The Schnee mansion overlooked all of the property, and Weiss could see the riding lessons from the window in her room right beside her desk.

She'd always wanted to ride. Her father could ride, and so had every other adult in her family.

But Weiss wasn't allowed to.

Her father demanded she focus on her studies, get into a good college, and learn the business aspects of the family ranch.

Weiss had argued with him many times that while the business was important, it was just as important to learn about the horses themselves.

She wanted to ride them more than just the pony rides she'd been on a few times as a child. She wanted to learn how to care for them, how to fasten a saddle on their backs and reins on their heads. She wanted to be hands-on with the animals, wanted to know how to take care of them if one got injured, wanted to learn how to brush them...

But her father had her entire life planned out for her, it seemed.

Her elder sister Winter was allowed to do everything Weiss ever wanted with the horses simply because she was older, and therefore got a privilege of sorts.

But being the youngest of the two, Weiss was forced to learn the ropes of the business, the finances, and everything else she had little interest in.

Every day, she'd come up to her room from her home-schooling lessons. She'd sit down at her desk and begin on her assignments with vigilance.

But it was never long before she'd get distracted by the corral below, where she could see the trainers teaching groups of local teens how to ride. Weiss would've gladly paid extra for such lessons if her father would have allowed her to participate, but that wasn't the case.

Weiss didn't think it ever would be.

Whenever she finished her work, she tended to sit at the window and gaze down, watching the horses jump over small hurdles and lap the course. She was mesmerized by the ways they moved, strong, sleek muscles rolling beneath taut, pristine fur.

Most of the horses were chestnut or other shades of brown.

But there was one stallion who was purely white - mane, tail and all.

His name was Zuri, and he was Weiss' favorite.

Her father had purchased him from a buyer when he was a foal, and he had soon grown into a fine yearling. He had been purchased to be one of the riding horses, not to be bred for producing racing offspring.

But Zuri had a nasty habit of throwing off saddles every now and again, and occasionally, he would buck whenever someone tried to ride him. He hadn't caused any injuries or damages yet, but Weiss feared it was only a matter of time; once he did cause harm, her father would have no choice but to re-sell him.

Weiss wanted to ride Zuri just one time, but she knew it wasn't something she'd be allowed to do.

She had to study, after all. She wasn't permitted to become a jockey or even just an amateur rider.

She was forced to live life behind a desk as quite literally everyone else around her was able to live her dream.

It was more than a little upsetting, more than a little stressful. She cried about it often, always in the solace of her own room, her mind harboring thoughts such as, I can't believe I'm going to be the only one to grow up on this property who's never once ridden a horse.

It was very disheartening, especially since riding had been her dream from a very young age.

But her father had made it very clear to her that Weiss' own dreams didn't matter.

Since she couldn't ride them, she would observe the horses from her window every afternoon after her lessons, and if she finished her work early, she'd sometimes venture downstairs and out the mansion's back doors. She'd walk the five minutes it took to get to the stables, and then to the corral to where the riding students were training and having lessons.

Weiss would lean herself onto one of the fences, listen with keen interest to the instructors' words, and watch the animals with wonder in her eyes.

The horses never ceased to amaze her, even after eighteen years. She'd seen them jump a million times before, seen them trot and gallop and prance about, but she never got sick of it.

Every horse was unique and had its own way of moving that was slightly different from the others around it. She loved watching them move, loved watching them toss their heads and whinny, loved watching them paw at the dust to make a unique mark.

She envied the riders, and was mostly jealous of the chemistry they each had built up with their horses.

The students who came for daily or weekly lessons often chose their favorite horses to ride. Sometimes they were required to swap steeds, simply in order to understand different animals better.

But it was when they were with their favorite animals when they all worked best, both horse and rider. A particularly skilled pair could best even the toughest course in record time if they had the right connection with one another.

Weiss wanted that. She wanted to feel that connection to a horse someday.

She always thought that, perhaps after she'd made her father happy and gotten the degree he'd wanted her to get, maybe then he would let her ride.

But that was a long way off, and Weiss was a bit of an impatient girl, and had been for eighteen years already.

She could only hold off for so long.

It was one evening after a particularly harsh day when Weiss came to her decision.

She'd just been at her business, language, and mathematics lessons all day, and had barely even gotten a moment to breathe in between her studies and completing her homework assignments. She'd closed the door to her room hours ago in a silent plea for privacy and had even skipped supper in order to complete her work in a timely fashion.

It was nearly midnight at present, and all of the staff and jockeys had gone home hours ago. The horses had been put back into their paddocks, and Weiss hadn't even gotten to spare a second to see them at all today due to her work.

She put all of her papers aside on her desk – completed.

With a long sigh, she wiped her sleeve over her face, resting her elbows on her desk and her face in her hands. She'd have to shower in the morning, as she hadn't even had the time to take her hair out of its ponytail yet today. The pants at her waist seemed loose, and her stomach growled for something to satiate it.

The only comfort was the cool, springtime breeze that slipped in through the open window, quiet and calming and carrying the presence of night. It was tranquil outside, and dark, save from the few lights that lit up the paddocks every dozen or so feet. Nearby places, such as the first aid unit's trailer and the worker's cabin, also had lights on outside, as they always did in case their services were required at any point in time.

In addition to all of those things, there were several guards with flashlights patrolling the premises at all hours of the nights, ensuring the safety and health of the horses and their equipment from degenerate teenagers.

Years ago, there had been an incident when a group of rambunctious boys had broken in one night to harass the horses and made an effort to steal various saddles and crops to sell for profit. But they had swiftly been apprehended and charged, and there hadn't been such an incident since.

Which was why Weiss didn't need to think twice about grabbing her jacket and pulling it on over her blouse.

She slipped out of her room and headed down the stairs, knowing her father and sister were already in their rooms and likely sleeping.

Weiss paused at the kitchen and found herself a granola bar and a bottle of water to satisfy her hunger with. She also grabbed a carrot from the refrigerator; they had buckets of food specifically for the horses in a feeding station to either side of the paddocks, but Weiss didn't have the energy to make such a trip at this hour.

She stuffed the carrot into her pants pocket and took a gulp of the water, making quick work of the granola bar before tossing away the wrapper in the trash.

There were a few maids up at this hour, and Weiss greeted them as she passed by.

"Why, Ms. Schnee," they said. "Where are you going at such an hour?"

"Just for a walk," she informed them. "I'd like to clear my head."

The maids nodded.

"Please enjoy yourself, and hurry back."

Weiss flashed them a smile before slipping out the back doors of the mansion.

Her boots scraped over the dust trail of earth that led a path down to the corral and the stables beside it. Her vision was guided by the few scattered lights around the property as well as the silver moonlight from above.

The night was cool, still possessing remnants from the recently-finished winter. But the chill was refreshing and even welcoming to the girl who had spent the past two days and nights locked away in a stuffy mansion.

Weiss took her time, walking slowly as she savored every minute.

Despite the hour, she wasn't all that tired – the thoughts of what she planned to do gave her a boost in energy.

She'd never snuck out at night before; she'd never suffered through such a stressful day before that gave her the desire to do so. So it was a bit frightening and a bit thrilling all at once.

And yet, her father had never officially forbidden her from doing such a thing. She was allowed to wander around during the daytime hours so long as she'd finished her work, so why not at night?

As she walked, she passed several guards who politely inquired as to her intentions.

"I'm simply taking a walk," she told them, too. "I want to clear my head."

She was their boss' youngest daughter, and presumably their future boss, and they had no qualms with letting her do as she pleased.

Weiss soon made it to the corral where riding lessons were taught.

During the daytime, it was filled with horses and riders along with jumps and hurdles for them to conquer. But now it was quiet, empty, as though it were resting in preparation for another busy day tomorrow.

It was a peaceful night, the silence interrupted only occasionally by the distant songs of crickets, or the snort of a stirring horse.

She followed the latter sounds, heading for the stables and slipping through the doorway with ease. The scents of manure and hay instantly collided with her nostrils and filled her lungs, but it was nothing she wasn't used to.

There were horses to either side of her, all of which had large pens where the animals could comfortably turn around and move about. Most of them were asleep where they stood, though her presence roused a few of them, confused as to why a human would be here at this hour of the night. Some nickered at her and nosed their food trays, but she could only smile sheepishly and refuse them.

"Sorry. Not until dawn."

Of course, the carrot in her pocket was intended for one horse in particular.

Zuri's stable was near the center of them all, and Weiss paused outside of it, peering in.

The young stallion was asleep, his tail flicking on occasion to swat away insects.

Weiss clicked her tongue softly at him, watching as those long, dark eyelashes lifted as he roused himself. He could smell the carrot even before Weiss revealed it, and he gave a loud, excited whinny.

"Oh, shh!" Weiss quickly flailed her hands in an effort to silence him; if a guard walked in on her now, she'd have a lot of explaining to do.

But it wasn't a guard who would find her...

. . .

Ruby Rose worked as a stablehand for the Schnee's horse ranch.

She'd landed this job just two years ago, when debt had struck her family hard, forcing every member – parents and daughters – to go out job-hunting.

Ruby had gotten this job simply because Mr. Schnee had been hiring at the time, and the only reason she'd kept the job was because she'd gotten good at it. He probably didn't even know her name, but he always saw her working and doing her job, so at the end of every month, she always received her paycheck fair and square. She would venture home on her first day off after being paid to give the money to her parents, and would only stay at home for a few days before returning to the ranch.

The Schnee ranch had its own cabin for stablehands and workers to sleep in if they so desired or had nowhere else to go.

Truthfully, this place was everything Ruby could ever ask for. Spending the nights and days here more often than she did at her own home ensured using less electricity and wasting less of her parents' money on food and water. They fed her three meals a day at the ranch simply because Mr. Schnee could afford to pay for meals for his workers who needed it.

But rather than the worker's cabin, Ruby often slept in the stables.

She'd started doing this on a whim about a year ago, simply because the cabin got too crowded. She'd only sleep there every other season, in the extreme cold of winter or the extreme heat of summer.

But during spring and fall nights when the air was a comfortable mixture of cool and warm, she'd sleep in the stables in a vacant horse pen, using bails of hay as her mattress. She did have a small blanket, however, and she used that as a pillow or cover when necessary.

Her changes of clothes and other supplies were back in her cabin, and in the mornings she'd always shower and change and do her laundry there.

But she enjoyed the nights out here, alone with the horses she worked with every day.

Plus, her presence was a bit of added security, and she liked the idea of having someone here with the animals even at night.

She'd grown quite close to the horses over the months since she'd arrived here, and Ruby was proud to think she might be closer to them than anyone else. After all, no one else slept out here in the stables like she did.

On the present night, she'd only been asleep for about an hour, slumbering atop her bed of hay, her soft red blanket just beneath her cheek to keep prickling straws away from her skin.

It was a seemingly-displaced whinny that had her eyes flying open, pools of silver like the moonlight instantly alert. She stood swiftly, glancing around and focusing for a moment to listen.

The light bulbs in the main walkway of the stables remained on all night, so she didn't bother grabbing her flashlight. But she did pick up one of the riding crops from a nearby hook on the wall. She didn't know what she could do against an intruder that the guards themselves couldn't do, but if push came to shove, Ruby would fight if she had to. She'd do anything to defend these horses and keep them safe.

With great caution, she stepped out of the pen and peered down the stables. Almost instantly, she found the source of the commotion.

About a dozen yards away stood a figure in front of one of the stables. The person was standing in a shadowed section, so Ruby couldn't make them out very well.

But she could see that they were reaching into one of the pens, muttering in a low voice to whichever horse it was.

Ruby knew right away it was Zuri's pen.

She could see why someone might want to kidnap the pure-white stallion, but she had to question the thief's intelligence.

They might've been able to sneak in past the guards somehow, but do they really think they'll get out of here unnoticed with a horse?

Or perhaps they were merely trying to steal equipment or feed to re-sell?

Either way, Ruby wasn't going to allow it.

Crop in hand, she treaded quietly as she neared the other person.

She could tell that the door to the horse's pen had been opened, meaning this person must've known where the keys had been hidden.

The person was reaching inside, and Ruby felt a shiver go up her spine. Maybe they weren't trying to steal the stallion, but perhaps poison him or worse. They'd never had someone from a competing stable go that far before.

With the horrifying thoughts in mind, Ruby didn't waste another second. She charged forward, skidding to a halt just behind the other person.

"Hey!" she shouted, crop at the ready. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The other person jumped and shrieked instantly, informing Ruby they were female. She'd had a hand on the stallion's muzzle until Ruby had interjected, and the stablehand's sudden presence and shouting startled the animal.

He snorted and jerked forward, knocking his head into the other girl and sending her flying backward onto the floor with a gasp and a thud. She'd fallen into a swath of light, and Ruby instantly realized this was no crook or person of questionable background.

It was none other than her own boss' daughter.

She'd never formally met her before, but Ruby knew her name all the same.

"M-Miss, Weiss?!"

The white-haired girl moaned where she'd fallen, putting a hand to her head in pain. The door to the pen was still ajar, and Zuri snorted again, clearly flustered.

Agitated, the stallion reared up slightly, his two massive front hooves aimed directly at Weiss.

"Whoa!"

Ruby quickly jumped in front of him, putting her arms up in front of his eyes to throw off his aim. Luckily, his hooves came down on solid ground rather than Weiss' shins, missing her by mere inches.

Ruby clicked her tongue and spoke softly to him.

"Hey, hey big guy. It's okay. Sorry about all the commotion. It's okay."

Glancing down, she noticed a carrot on the floor, likely brought in and dropped by Weiss just a minute ago when he'd lunged at her. Ruby quickly scooped it up and coaxed the stallion back into his pen with it.

"There. 'Atta boy."

The horse snorted, but reached his muzzle forward towards the end of the vegetable, his dark lips puckering as Ruby let him have it. As he chewed away, she closed the door and locked it, hanging up the key on a hidden hook above the rim of the doorframe.

Ruby exhaled, relieved that the horse wasn't in any danger.

But there was someone else who might've been.

"Ahhh! M-Miss Weiss!"

Ruby just seemed to remember the other girl present with her, lying on her back winded and frazzled. Ruby dropped her crop and knelt down beside her, reaching out to help her sit up.

"I-I'm so sorry!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

Weiss felt herself being straightened up by the stablehand girl. She coughed several times, bumping a fist to her chest to regain her bearings.

Ruby could feel her shaking a little, understandable considering she'd nearly just been trampled. Ruby knew she was to blame for it. Weiss was still gasping, and the stablehand bit her lip nervously.

"Sh-Should I take you to the first aid unit's trailer?" she fretted.

Weiss snorted and shook her head.

"No... I'm fine..."

Besides, she didn't want to be making any more of a fuss than she already had. If her father found out, there'd definitely be shouting, and Weiss would rather avoid that if at all possible.

Weiss appreciated the supportive hand on her back, but the other one that had come to rest atop her thigh wasn't necessary.

With a huff, she pushed herself up, staggering to her feet.

Ruby grabbed her crop and quickly followed suit.

"M-Miss Weiss," she began. "I'm so sorry-"

"First of all," Weiss snapped. "What's with that?"

"Uh, p-pardon?"

"You don't need the 'Miss', for heaven's sake. Just call me Weiss."

"Uh, o-okay... Weiss..." Ruby mumbled. "Sorry, y-you're the boss' daughter, s-so I just-"

"Second of all, what are you doing here at such an hour of the night?" Weiss demanded. "Shouldn't you be asleep in the worker's cabin?"

Ruby kicked a foot sheepishly on the floor.

"I like sleeping in the stables," she confessed. "I mean, you dad never said that I couldn't so... when it's not too hot or too cold, that's what I do."

"That's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Ruby flinched at Weiss' harsh tone and words, and she shrunk back a pace. Weiss continued sternly.

"I've seen you around before and I've got to wonder if you're even old enough to be working here."

"I-I'm seventeen, ma'am!" Ruby squeaked. "I started when I'd just turned fifteen, which was the minimal age requirement to work here!"

Weiss huffed again.

"I see..." She dusted off her clothes a bit and fixed her knotted hair, then crossed her arms over her chest, glaring a bit down at Ruby.

The brunette was about to apologize again and beg to be able to keep her job. But she was surprised to hear Weiss speaking rather softly now.

"You're a good person to have around here," she said. "It's quite clear how good you are with the horses, as you just demonstrated. And you even brought a weapon to confront me."

"A-Ah!" Ruby hid the crop behind her back. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Well, you didn't end up hitting me with it, so it's fine."

Ruby gulped.

"S-So... you won't tell you dad to fire me?" she asked hopefully.

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Now why in the world would I ever do that? You just displayed quite a bit of heroism. It's clear you're willing to defend my father's horses with your life, even if you are a bit reckless. But I suppose that's a part of your nature and it can't be helped. You prevented Zuri from going into a fit and even communicated with him to calm him down. That's quite an admirable skill."

Ruby blinked, a little dumbfounded.

"You... r-really think so?"

"Of course! Or else I wouldn't have said it!"

"Oh! Right," Ruby chuckled. "So, Miss- uh, no, I mean Weiss... Why were you out here so late at night? Did you need something?"

She thought Weiss might have been about to smile, but Ruby's question erased that curve to her lips.

"No reason," she said curtly. "I merely wanted to go for a walk. I brought a carrot along to feed Zuri because I wanted to visit him. That's all."

Ruby had half a mind to ask why Weiss had decided to open the door rather than just feed the stallion through the small window if that was the case, but she didn't press any further questions on the matter.

"So then, are you sure you're not hurt? You didn't hit your head when you fell?"

"It's nothing of concern," Weiss reassured her stiffly.

"But-"

"I said it's nothing," Weiss snapped.

"Right! Sorry."

The older girl looked her over, then sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just..."

A bit stressed...

She didn't need to speak the words for Ruby to be able to interpret them.

"I get it," she said. "I guess it's not easy being Mr. Schnee's daughter, right?"

Weiss said nothing, not confirming nor denying her words. Ruby smiled faintly and went on.

"Well then, I hope you have a good rest of the night, Weiss."

The white-haired girl sighed, then offered the faintest of nods.

"You, too. Keep up the good work."

Weiss turned away from the horses and the girl, heading back the way she'd come. She heard the brunette following after her, likely returning to her sleeping area. With a sudden realization, Weiss paused and called softly out to her.

"I don't believe I caught your name."

The girl perked up and looked back at her with a grin.

"It's Ruby!"

Weiss nodded once; somehow, the name was perfectly fitting for her.

"Ruby... Thank you for your assistance tonight."

"Y-Yeah!" Ruby said. "No problem at all!"

Weiss dipped her head to the girl, then turned away.

Tonight hadn't exactly gone as planned, and now she knew she'd have one more person to slip by unnoticed if she wanted to go through with her plans of night-riding.

But that wouldn't stop her from trying.

Nothing would.

A/N: Off to a good start, wouldn't you say?

If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!

Please review!