Writing my White Rose oneshot was a lot of fun, so I figured I'd be trying my hand at a serious (read: multi-chaptered) series… so here we are!

Special thanks to my good friend LightZephyr who helped out with ideas as well as proofreading this.

Something worth noting is that this story has been planned and written with only knowledge up to the end of Volume 3 in mind. If you're reading this in the (distant) future and have, as a result, watched Volume 4 and beyond, you will likely see a few differences. Seeing as this is an AU, however, I hope it won't be too big of an issue…

Special thanks to Reiriniverse on Tumblr for making and giving the cover image.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to RWBY. Also, for safety measures: I don't own Inazuma Eleven either (there are some small references here to that series, so…).


As the sun's rays broke through the small crack in the curtains, life was starting to stir and rise in the city of Vale. The sleeping young woman in the room had her reddish black hair cover part of her face, mouth slightly open and breathing slowly but loudly in the otherwise serene bedroom.

A pool of bright sunlight slowly made its way up to the brunette's face, stopping at her face and continued to shine directly on the closed eyes. After a few minutes, the brunette stubbornly pulled her blanket up over her face in a desperate attempt to block out the rays of light and enjoy a few more minutes of blissful slumber. The brunette could feel her consciousness slipping as she embraced both the darkness she was in and the sleep she knew was coming.

"Rise and shineeeee~!"

The cry of the blonde woman who had burst inside the room sounded unusually loud in a place void of any sound, though the owner of the bedroom did not flinch at the older woman's sudden entrance. The brunette under the blanket did, however, curse under her breath as she grabbed a handful of the blanket in both her hands. Holding on to the blanket tightly as she mentally counted down from five… four… three… two… one…

As if on queue, the blonde ripped the blanket out of the brunette's hands and off her head, almost throwing it down on the ground in the process, and poured a bucketful worth of freezing water on the brunette's head without a second of hesitation.

"AAAAAAH!" the brunette yelped, jerking up in an upright position as her drenched bangs dripped on the covers below. A pinch of hurt washed over her as she saw the colors of the covers dilute a bit by the droplets of water coming from her hair. Taking a few seconds to calm down her racing heart and hectic breathing, the brunette carefully pulled her bangs up before glaring at the laughing blonde, "Yaaaaaang! How many times have I asked you to not wake me up like that?"

"Sorry Ruby~" the blonde, Yang, laughed as she ruffled the hair of the shorter and drenched woman in bed. Ruby, understandably, tried to pry Yang's hands off of her head with little success. After having her fill of ruffling the brunette's hair, Yang grinned, "But it's the only way to get you to wake up these days–"

"No it isn't…" Ruby muttered under her breath, soft enough so that the other woman wouldn't hear her.

"And shouldn't a twenty-two-year-old woman like yourself be able to wake up on her own by now?" Yang smirked, looking at the flinched brunette with a glint of mischief and amusement in her eyes, "Come on little sis, you can't expect me to wake you up every day now can you?"

"One: I don't need your help to wake up everyday," Ruby huffed, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest as she looked up at the taller woman, "And two: I'm not little. I. drink. milk!"

"You'll always be my little sister whether you drink milk or not; and you still need to get ready for the day Rubes," Yang chuckled, picking up the alarm on Ruby's bedside nightstand and tossing it onto Ruby's lap, "It's eight thirty and–"

"What?!" Ruby nearly shrieked in horror, looking at the alarm in her lap and, much to her dismay, saw that her sister was telling the truth. Jumping out of her bed, the brunette nearly lost her footing before she began throwing clothes about in a hazardous way, "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!"

"Now now… what happened to your big talk of being all grown up, hm?" Yang smirked, clearly enjoying her sister's panic a bit more than she would have admitted to. Despite her obvious amusement, however, Yang was quick to help the brunette pick out an outfit to wear, "I figured that you would still be emotionally exhausted from the euphoria of the news. Talking about the news… how are you feeling?"

"Great! Just great! Thank you for asking Yang!" Ruby huffed, gathering her clothes in her arms and turning to go to the bathroom to freshen up. Before she stormed off, however, she took a moment to turn to her sister, "I would be feeling a lot better if I wasn't in such a hurry! If you had to wake me up, why couldn't you have done so a bit earlier?!"

Without waiting for a response, Ruby had kicked her bedroom door open and slammed it shut with her heel, leaving a perplexed blonde to sit on the bed's covers inside. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Yang began chuckling which soon turned into wholehearted laughter.

"I should get ready as well." Yang muttered to herself after what could have been several hours of laughing. Picking herself up from the bed, she sauntered out her sister's bedroom and made her way to her own.


"Salutations friend Ruby!"

"Good morning to you too—"

"You're late."

"I know I know! I'm sorry!"

"As punishment, you leave me no choice but to make you pay for our expenses today!"

"Friend Nora, do you not think that is a bit much?"

"It's alright Penny… she's right, I was late…"

"But friend Ruby—"

"I said it is alright," Ruby sighed, slumping down in her chair and resting her chin on the round, wooden table she was sitting at. The young brunette had changed in a long crimson sweater over a black shirt and a long black skirt with a red horizontal line, along with black stockings and black sneakers.

Ruby was currently at her friend's house, which was located a few blocks down hers and Yang's. It was a humble two-story house, large enough to be comfortable but small enough to prevent people from getting lost in it. Along with two orange haired women, Ruby found herself in a room that functioned as both a living and a dining room.

Closing her eyes for a second, the brunette turned to one of the two orange haired women beside her, "Nora, remember: as long as it doesn't go over the usual. Yang and I are kind of short on money right now."

"Can't promise you anything Ruby, you're hanging out with me remember?" the addressed woman, Nora, laughed, causing Ruby to groan even loader. Her orange hair reached just under her collarbone and, appearing to be similar in height to Ruby, she was wearing an outfit that consisted of a light pink long hoodie with an orange t-shirt underneath, blue leggings and purple white sneakers, "I may actually take advantage of the fact that you're paying for us today!"

"Friend Nora!" the other orange haired woman, Penny, exclaimed in shock. Standing at about equal heights as Nora, she was wearing an old-fashioned blouse with short feminine overalls, as well as a black and green collar with a matching pair of stockings, "You should not take advantage of this situation. Friend Ruby already has enough financial problems without your help as it is."

"I was just kidding Penny. She knows I'm kidding, right?" Nora waved Penny's words off nonchalantly, deciding to turn to Ruby instead. The brunette's reply was an irritated but defeated groan, muffled by her sweater's sleeve as she was still hiding her face in it. Hearing Ruby's response, Nora chuckled nervously, "Right…"

"May I suggest turning on the radio to listen to some calming music?" Penny suggested, already making her way to the device before either woman could respond. Her question was responded to by a bored shrug from Nora and silence from Ruby, so the orange haired woman gladly turned the device on.

A few seconds of static…

"Now while most commentators will start off the match's commentaries with some sort of a 'bang!'…" an energetic female voice began, shocking both Penny and Nora. Her voice boomed through the radio so loud that Penny jumped up from her seat and hastily lowered the volume a few levels. At the same time, Nora was muttering curses under her breath as she watched Penny sit back down on her chair.

Ruby, on the other hand, only groaned loudly upon hearing the voice of the commentator, instantly recognizing it. She had effectively grown up hearing that voice on a daily basis, so even without listening to the rest of the commentator's introduction the brunette would still be able to tell who it was. Closing her eyes, the brunette prepared for the worst.

"I like to start my commentaries off… with a 'Yang'!" the commentator continued after a dramatic pause, quickly followed by several more groans. Without missing a beat, she continued her commentary, "Goooooood morning everybody! My name is Yang Xiao Long and today I am here with my good friend Pyrrha Nikos! Pyrrha, say hello."

"Hello everybody!" a cheerful voice picked up after the first woman. Upon fully processing what Yang had said and recognizing the voice of the second commentator, Nora's face lit up.

"That's Pyrrha!" the orange haired woman exclaimed, receiving nods of confirmation from the other two, "What is she doing there?"

"She said something about trying out some new things, and Yang offered to show her the ropes of being a commentator," Ruby shrugged, recalling her sister's words a few days prior. Penny nodded in confirmation and quickly picked up where Ruby had left off.

"I have heard that news as well," Penny added with a nod, rubbing her ears from Yang's explosive voice, "It would appear that friend Ruby's sister Yang helped friend Pyrrha out to get the job. It would seem that she was hoping that friend Pyrrha would work with her."

"Well that's all nice and all, but we're wasting daylight over here!" Nora exclaimed impatiently, standing up so fast that her chair fell down. Pumping her fists in excitement, the orange haired woman continued, "Let's get going already!"

Without waiting for a reply, Nora grabbed her two friends by the wrists and forcefully dragged them out of the house, ignoring the sputtering and resistance that the two were giving in response.


"That was some match!" Yang exclaimed, stretching her arms and hearing the familiar cracking sounds as she walked out into broad daylight. The blonde, despite the cool breeze that struck their skin, was only wearing a short sleeved orange shirt and black pants. Grinning widely, Yang turned around to face the woman behind her, "You did great out there Pyrrha!"

"Thank you," Pyrrha responded, mumbling slightly as she played with her crimson red ponytail a bit. The red head was more conscious of the colder weather, as she was wearing an amber hoodie over a yellow shirt and dark pants. Rubbing her hands in an attempt to generate a little bit of heat for herself, Pyrrha smiled as she faced Yang, "It was an honor to do it with you."

"No need to be so formal, we're friends right?" Yang laughed, slinging an arm over her shoulder before gently guiding her through the streets, "Come on! I know a place that's just a few blocks down here and they got the best drinks! First round is on me!"

"You really don't have to…" Pyrrha trailed off, not wanting to look Yang in the eye. Yang, however, only laughed at Pyrrha's response.

"Nonsense!" the blonde waved her words off. With one hand gripping on to the red head's wrist and the other hand pumping the air in excitement, Yang cheerfully continued to drag her friend along with her, "This calls for a celebration so let's go!"

"Pyrrha! Yang!" a familiar voice behind the two women caused both of them to turn around.

Walking up to them was a young man with jet black hair that he had tied in a low ponytail. Some bangs in front was falling in front of his eyes slightly as well as framing his face. The hair on the back was almost long enough to reach all the way down his back. He wore a simple magenta long-sleeved shirt under a purple shirt and long pants. Like Pyrrha, he was wearing a hoodie to help keep the gusts of cool winds at bay, only his was green in color.

"Hiya Ren, long time no see!" Yang grinned upon recognizing the newcomer, "How have you been?"

"I have been doing fine, thank you for asking Yang," Ren smiled before his gaze turned serious, "Do you mind if I borrow Pyrrha for the day?"

"Huh? Why?" Yang was confused, her gaze shifting between the two of them before realization dawned upon her and a sly smirk formed on her lips, "I see where this going… why didn't you tell me you guys? Hm?"

"It's not like that!" Pyrrha exclaimed hastily, having caught on to what Yang was implying. As Ren sighed, the red head tried to continue, "Ren just asked for help on his project. I thought it could be fun so I offered my help."

"I see, working on a new project again are we?" Yang chuckled, directing the question at the raven haired male. Receiving a nod in response, the blonde grinned, "Well, don't let me hold you guys up! Good luck you two!"

"Thank you," Ren nodded in appreciation, forming a smile on the blonde's face.

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha mumbled, turning to face Yang with an apologetic smile, "I didn't tell you beforehand. It would've been great to see Ruby again, too…"

"Don't worry about it!" Yang waved off Pyrrha's concerns before they could grow, "Besides, even if you were to come with me now she wouldn't be home anyway."

"She is with Nora and Penny, correct?" Ren asked suddenly, catching Yang off guard. When he saw the perplexed look on the blonde's face he shrugged, "Nora told me earlier."

"I see… well, either way, I still need to get some groceries before she comes home!" Yang finally said, Pyrrha and Ren nodding in understanding, "So I'll be seeing you two later!"

"Goodbye." Ren nodded with a smile, turning around and starting to walk off.

"Take care!" Pyrrha waved. About to turn around and follow Ren, the redhead apparently remembered something and shouted out to Yang again, "And tell Ruby that Ren and I said hi!"

"Will do!" Yang grinned. Glad to hear that, Pyrrha turned around and jogged a bit to catch up with Ren, soon falling into step with him.

Deciding that it was time for her to go back home again as well, Yang turned and headed started walking. A single thought made its way into her mind.

"But first thing's first! Food!"


It was late in the afternoon when Ruby, Nora and Penny found themselves downtown, ready to head back home. Having shopped to their heart's content, all of the women were holding several bags in their hands and had a content look on their faces.

"Hey will you look at that!" Ruby exclaimed in both surprise and delight, looking at her phone as she calculated the day's expenses. A bright grin was plastered on Ruby's face before she realized that Nora was trying to peek over her shoulder to see the screen. Ruby wrestled with Nora for a bit to get some free space and to distance her orange haired friend from her phone as much as possible before continuing, "We barely spent two-third of what we usually spent!"

"I did say that I would be extra careful right?" Nora huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest as the three shopping bags that she was holding dangled dangerously in the air. Seeing the looks Ruby and Penny were giving her, Nora dropped her arms back to her sides and brought an expression of mock-shock on her face, "What? You didn't trust me? You didn't trust me? Me of all people?"

"Well friend Nora, it is not like you to hold yourself back at all," Penny noted without missing a beat, causing the addressed woman to gasp.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nora retorted in return, eyes containing a glint of anger as she turned to Penny.

It did not take long for the bickering between Nora and Penny to turn so loud that it started to grab the attention of several passersby, though neither seemed to notice. Ruby, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, shuffled a few steps away from her two friends.

Ruby tuned out the two women and focused on rotating the single rose in her fingers instead, glad to see that its thorns were removed. The petals were of a deep and beautiful shade of red, seeming bright and alive. Tracing the edges of the petals lightly with her thumb, she noted how lucky she was to get such a beautiful rose this time of year. This only helped to further brighten up her mood.

Ruby was brought out of her daydreaming by a gentle shake of the shoulder, causing the brunette to look up in shock.

"Wha?! I'm awake!"

"Ruby, are you feeling alright?" Nora asked, concern suddenly filling her voice. A similar concern could be seen in Penny's eyes as she eyed Ruby critically.

"Yes friend Ruby, could it be that you participated in too much high speed shopping?" Penny wondered out loud, glancing sideways accusingly at Nora to see her shuffle away a few feet.

"I'm fine you two, really," Ruby tried to assure the two with a smile, easing her friends' worries. Turning to leave, Ruby still focused her attention on her two friends as she waved goodbye, "I'll be going to see her before going home, though. I'll see you two around!"

"Alright if you say so, say hi for us alright?" Nora shrugged, looking at Ruby. Content at the nod from the brunette that she received in response, Nora turned on her heel to grab Penny's wrist, "Come on Penny, let's go!"

Surprised at the sudden action but not resisting in the slightest, Penny allowed Nora to drag her away once again. Before they rounded the corner, both women turned around to wave cheerfully at their friend one last time.

With a light giggle, Ruby watched her two friends run off together in the distance, glad that she had them. Sighing deeply, the brunette turned and walked down the block slowly as she slowly lost herself in her own thoughts. It wasn't until she reached a familiar looking building that she finally looked up.

Vale's General Hospital.

Without a moment of hesitation, the brunette walked inside through the glass doors where she was instantly greeted by a strong gust of cool air and a fragrance that reminded her strongly of lemongrass. The first thing that she noticed was that the hospital was almost deserted, which peaked her interest. It was visiting hours after all.

Shrugging her shoulders and attributing it to her coming in at just the right time, Ruby made her way to the elevators in the back. To her surprise, she saw one of the elevator doors close the moment she turned the corner.

"Hold the elevator!" Ruby shouted, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the otherwise quiet area. Whoever was inside the elevator heard Ruby's cry and held the doors open, allowing the brunette to barrel inside, almost slamming into the back. Panting slightly at her short sprint, Ruby turned to the other person and smiled, "Thank you!"

The person who held the door open for her was a woman who looked about Ruby's age, her flowing black hair reaching well under her waist and wrapped itself around her white strapless dress. She didn't move or otherwise even acknowledged Ruby's presence, her pale green eyes instead focused on the papers that she was holding in her arms.

A heavy silence, that was only broken by the occasional sound of paper being flipped over by the silent woman, fell in the small area of the elevator. Ruby was about to open her mouth to break the silence again when the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened again with a ding. Realizing that this was her floor, Ruby slipped out quickly without another word. Taking a quick glance back, she noticed how the mysterious woman still had her gaze locked on her papers.

"Some people…" Ruby huffed as soon as the doors of the elevator had closed. With her right hand in her pocket and her left hand tightening its grip on the rose's stem slightly, the brunette made her way down the corridor that she had traversed countless of times before. The lighting was dim and, since she already knew where she had to go, Ruby felt herself zone out as she let her feet carry her to her destination.

Before she knew it, Ruby found herself in front of a familiar looking door, taking shaky breaths to try and calm herself down. Unlike all the other doors on the floor, this one had a light bulb implanted in it which was currently shining a deep and dark red light. The light bulb was what helped Ruby remember which door she needed to be. That, and the nameplate that was located a bit under the light bulb.

She looked down at herself and gasped at how ruffled up her clothes were. Hastily smoothening her clothes out of wrinkles and holding the rose tightly in her hand behind her back, Ruby finally decided that she would be as ready as she'll ever be. Taking a deep breath, the brunette raised her clenched hand and knocked thrice.

"It's me, Ruby, may I come in?" Ruby asked, leaning forward to the door to try and make her voice audible on the other side. After a few seconds of waiting, the light bulb changed from emanating a deep and dark red light and radiated a bright green one instead. Seeing the change in color, Ruby smiled before gently pushing the door open.

Ruby found herself in a square room that couldn't be larger than twenty-five square meters, the reddish orange light of the sunset seeping in through the open windows and a relatively chill breeze cooled the room down a bit. The room's walls were of a perfect white, void of any signs of dirt, with lime green curtains framing the windows.

The television was on, displaying the highlights of the match Ruby assumed her sister was commentating on earlier that day. Before she could focus on seeing the details of the match, however, the TV screen turned black which brought Ruby back to reality, turning her gaze to the corner of the room.

Ruby's gaze fell on a lone bed that was occupied by a single woman, her empty eyes focused on the TV screen just moments ago. When she heard the door open, she turned off the TV and turned to face Ruby with a bright smile. A smile that was returned in kind by the brunette at the door.

"I'm back!" Ruby announced cheerfully, walking over to the bedridden woman with a spring in her step and sitting down on the chair that was conveniently placed by the bed's head. Fumbling slightly with the rose that she was holding behind her back, Ruby brought it into view fully after taking a deep breath, "I brought you this. I know how much you love flowers, so I brought this one over for you. I had to go through what felt like a million stores but I got lucky when I finally found this! What do you think?"

Upon seeing the woman's face light up at the sight of the rose, Ruby couldn't help but feel the corners of her lips curve up into a smile again. Feel like all that effort actually meant something.


That would be all for now… I know it is shorter than an average chapter of mine, but I wanted to get a good feel for the story before going all out in terms of quantity. It should go without saying that I have a lot planned for this, but I'm trying to hold myself back from exhausting too much for now… even so, who knew writing Ren and Pyrrha was so difficult?

As this is my first time delving into a multi-chaptered RWBY fanfic, please leave a review telling me what you thought and how I can improve, both types of reviews are really appreciated (especially the latter)!

With everything already having been said: until next time!