Red like Roses

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, Kingdom Hearts, or the characters associated with them as they are the property of Monty Oum, Rooster Teeth, Tetsuya Nomura, and Square Enix in respect to who they are associated with.

"Talking"

Thoughts

Ch. 5

Riding an airship, Ruby pressed her hands against the glass as she was looking out the window. She was both extremely excited and quite nervous about being admitted into Beacon academy. After all she had skipped two grades to get there making her stand out. Ever since she had received a keyblade she had promised her uncle and father to try her best to remain under the radar.

Yet that wasn't quite the case for a certain someone.

Popping up right behind her was Yang. "I'm so happy to have my little sister coming to the same school with me!" as she hugged Ruby lifting her off the ground before setting her back down again.

"It's just a little weird as I feel out of place like this . . . ." as little red scratched her cheek.

"Nonsense!" Yang exclaimed with gusto. "You're easily the strongest student at Signal academy. Well . . . . Besides me that is" she then grinned. "So I don't see a problem of you coming to Beacon".

During their time at Signal, her big sister was considered a prodigy of prodigies as she simply excelled at everything she did. The very idol everyone adored as the pinnacle of beauty and strength as you couldn't find anyone who didn't like or respect her. Of course she had the option of skipping grades. However she just enjoyed living her own life on her own terms doing whatever she felt was fun.

Though Ruby did worry about Yang's over-confidence. Her keyblade was the reason why. Initially in the beginning her semblance was young as she only absorbed attacks through her key. But upon discovering the extent of her abilities so did her daring as her body was able to convert damage directly when supported by her aura. At the start she could still get hurt. But as she continued to train and experiment ultimately her semblance had reached it's maturity. Now she was able to convert most attacks into energy for her body amplifying her strength, stamina, and resilience. Due this there has not been a fight she has ever lost.

From her reputation she had earned quite a few nicknames.

Yet there was one she was most known by.

"That's easy for you to say Yang 'the ultimate shield'. Of course you wouldn't think anything of it" Ruby smiled softly.

Smiling back she wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulder while giving a warm chuckle. "We're going to be great. Let's make this an awesome school year!" But as far as she was concerned things would have to be a little different. With all the abilities and skills her little sister possessed she was always holding herself back when it came to assessments. Sometimes when she showed off a little and got praised for it she would end up getting shy and not know what to do. In a way it kind of stunted her ability to properly socialize. Ruby was friendly once you got her to open up. She just needed a little push to get her there.

Thus contrary to what her father and uncle said she felt her little sister needed to start expanding her wings and do things her own way for once. Hence she decided to throw her on the deep end to help her get out of her shell.

Once the airship had landed, "Hey Yang, wait! Where are you going?!" Ruby shouted as her big sister seemed to have been running off.

"Sorry! Something I need to see too with some of my friends!" as Yang disappeared into the crowd of students.

Now alone little red wasn't sure what to do. On one hand it felt like an amusement park with the variety of weapons around her. However she was dead petrified being surrounded by people she didn't know. Yet remembering a saying that had been passed down by keybladers since the beginning as she placed her hands on her chest, "let your heart be your guiding key". Taking a deep breath feeling herself relax a bit, "everything begins with the first step". Walking along the path she looked around to where her new life was about to start.

She had made plenty of friends back at Signal. But now it was like starting all over again here at Beacon. "But I'll definitely make friends here for sure!" as Ruby tried to pump herself up. Creating powerful bonds with others was what made the heart stronger. That was the source of a keybladers power.

Though she did feel a little strange as of late. Ever since she defeated the woman in the red dress she has been feeling this pulling sensation at the very edge of her heart. But upon arriving in Beacon the feeling only got stronger. Not enough to be uncomfortable but just enough to be curious like a sense of longing. However she quickly pushed this aside as she had more pressing problems of what she was supposed to do now.

Yet unbeknownst to her she was about to have a fated encounter or rather bump into it.

Looking at the massive towers of Beacon academy Ruby was a little dazed about it all as she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Before she knew it she ended up tripping knocking over something as it cluttered behind her.

"What are you doing?!"

Sitting up, Ruby saw a girl who looked like the very essence of snow as she was angrily glaring at her. Realizing her blunder, "sorry" as she picked up one of the cases she knocked over.

"Sorry?! Do you have any idea the kind of damage you could have caused!"

A little overwhelmed, Ruby wasn't sure how to respond as the said girl took the case from her checking the contents.

"This is dust! Mined and purified from the Schnee quarry". Seeing the still unresponsive klutz she continued with her rant. "What are you? Brain dead? Dust! Fire! Water! Lightning! Energy! Are you even listening to me?! Is any of this sinking in?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Gathering herself before things could escalate further Ruby used telekinesis quickly reorganizing the angry girls stuff as she just wanted to get out of it as soon as possible. "I've already apologized. No harm, no foul right?"

Looking her over, she still wasn't done venting her frustration over the near disastrous event. "What are you even doing here anyways? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well actually . . . ." as Ruby tried to answer.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring or practicing you know. We're here to fight monsters. So watch where you're going!"

Now getting a little irritated at her behavior, "I said I was sorry princess".

"It's heiress actually" as a girl with black hair approached as she seemed to give off an air of mystery about herself. Noticing the quarrel she could not stand aside any longer as she intervened. "Weiss Schnee. Heiress to the Schnee dust company. One of the largest company's of energy propellant in the world".

"Finally some recognition" as Weiss took pride in it.

"But the same company with it's controversial labor forces and questionable business partners" the dark haired girl then finished with a certain sense of smugness to her tone.

Being tripped up, the Schnee heiress could not think of a good rebuttal as she then stomped off angrily.

"Ohh . . . . What a rough start" as Ruby turned to try to thank the girl who helped her only to see she too was now walking away. "Ugh, the first day of the rest of my life".

~ Beacon academy ~

As the day progressed it had it's ups and downs.

After the angry and mystery girl left she then met Jaune. He was a nice guy and easy to talk too as they soon hit it off as friends. Though they ended up getting lost together for a little while longer till they then found there way to the auditorium.

There she met up with her sister hoping she had made some friends. However she ended up running into Weiss again only to get chewed out some more about her carelessness. As the opening ceremony started, Ozpin gave a brief run down of what to expect for the coming year. Tomorrow they would then undergo the initiation test to determine their skills.

But for tonight all the newly admitted would share an open area like a giant sleep over.

As Ruby conveyed her first day to her older sister, Yang could not accept things as they were and thus decided to give another push. Thus Yang dragged Ruby to the first person she saw. For little red it just happened to be the mystery girl from before.

At first impression she was certainly the stoic silent type. But after a bit of talking or rather Ruby chatting away with the mystery girl listening she just needed to find the right topic to connect with. She then introduced herself as Blake Belladonna. They would have continued talking if not for a certain angry girl showing up.

Weiss had immediately come over to them telling them to keep it down as she was trying to sleep. Giving her an annoyed look, Blake then blew out the candle.

So to sum up her first day at Beacon, "I really should avoid Weiss from now on".

By the next day it was time for the initiation test. As all applicants gathered on the hill Ozpin and Glynda were there to greet them as they were all instructed to stand along the hill in a straight line on a platform.

"For years you have trained to become warriors" as Ozpin started his speech. "Today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest".

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard the assignment of teams" Glynda continued. "Well allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates today".

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon" Ozpin followed up. "So it's in your best interest to pair up with someone you can work well with. That being said the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years. After you've partnered up make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything along your path or you will die" which caused a few mix reactions among the group. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that relic as well as your standing as you will graded accordingly. Are there any questions?"

"Ugh, yeah umm sir . . . ." as Jaune looked very close to fainting at any minute now.

"Good!" Ozpin interrupted. "Now take your positions".

As Jaune tried to squeeze in a few more questions about the 'landing', Ruby was eager to begin. One after another they were all catapulted into the forest.

As each of them landed into their designated spots, Ruby had stopped mid-fall converting Crescent Rose into roller blades as she was floating in the air above the forest.

Being spotted, "huh, she's flying" said Glynda in a stupor. If Qrow's report was right then she could expect many great things from Ruby and Yang as she was truly excited for the fantastical things they will show them.

"Well I would expect this test to be more of a formality for them" as Ozpin sipped his coffee. "I wonder how the keyblade will shape the fates of those around them".

As the roller blades continued to spin beside her feet, Ruby was in deep thought about what her next move should be. She could see the temple in the distance and easily fly there bypassing the forest altogether. "But what's the fun in that?" as she did enjoy a good fight.

Besides that Yang had also decided to travel through as well. She knew how much her big sister loved her keyblade glider which took the form of a speeder. Upon discovering this ability she fell completely in love with it being able to travel anywhere in the world without limitation. But in relation to this test they did need to find a partner.

"Probably what Yang thought too". However she really wanted to get to the finish line first. "Well I guess I can pair up with the first person I see" as she started to fly towards the temple. Yet of all the people that she could have seen, fate just liked to be funny like that. After a bit of flying she had spotted Weiss. Frankly she would have happily ignored her and partnered up with the next person she saw. However that would not be so easy.

At the moment the Schnee heiress had found herself completely surrounded by beowulf grimm as she was having a tough time fighting them off as there was simply too many of them.

Hanging in the air for a moment, "oh she can take care of herself . . . . She definitely got this . . . . Yeah she's fine . . . . Totally . . . . Ugh . . . ." As much as Ruby tried to convince herself it only fell flat looking at the odds she was up against. Though she wanted to avoid her she couldn't leave her like this either. "OK, so long as I don't make eye contact it should be alright". Dropping down from the air her key reappeared in her hand as she was ready to intervene.

But just a bit earlier, "where the heck did they all come from?!" as Weiss was in a desperate battle against the grimm. "Damn! I must have wandered into their nesting area" as she cut down every grimm that approached her. But for everyone she destroyed another one took it's place. With how bad things looked, the Schnee heiress could only cringe at how she got here.

Of all the participants this year she had her eye on Pyrrha Nikos. With all the information she was able to gather she was easily the most accomplished student in their year attaining so much fame in her short time from her intellect and skills. Combined with her talent and resources, they would be an unstoppable pair. The other two people to join their team would be a toss up. But so long as she could pair up with Pyrrha then she would make due for the rest of her time in Beacon.

Having a relative idea of her landing spot she moved quickly trying to find her before anyone else did. However it was a gamble. The longer she remained without a partner then the more dangerous it would be to travel through the forest alone.

As great as her sense of self-worth was she was still a complete rookie. Even with the best dust money could buy and her sister Winter training her day in and day out she lacked real combat experience. However she was always expected to be perfect as she had her own complicated childhood.

But letting her mind wander like that, she soon found herself in a dangerous situation walking right into a large gathering of grimm as she was fighting them off one at a time. The only thing keeping her alive till now was her glyph semblance which just allowed her to stave them off. But otherwise she had found herself at a dead end as these monsters would win by attrition alone. As hopeless as it all seemed the sky above her began to darken as she then heard a scream from the air.

"Thundaga!"

With a clap of lightening several bolts of electricity fired down from the sky wiping out nearly all of the grimm around her. "What in the . . . . ?!" Weiss shouted as she wasn't sure what had happened. Yet in the next instant a young girl wearing black and red had dropped down in front of her.

"You alright?"

Recovering from her earlier shock the Schnee heiress recognized who it was."Ruby? What are you doing here? Where did you even come from?"

"Fight first, talk later" as she then exploded into rose petals.

In next moment the grimm were being completely annihilated. Weiss couldn't even keep track of what was going on as Ruby would appear for just a moment cutting a monster in half before disappearing and moving onto the next.

If more grimm started to show up, "thundaga!" little red would call out as more bolts of lightening would rain down from the skies.

"How in the world is she so strong?" as Weiss was stunned. These grimm were one of the most feared creatures in the world. Yet this young girl treated them as mere nuisances as she cleaved through them at blinding speed. At first sight she honestly believed Ruby had only gotten in to Beacon with either dumb luck or had someone pull some strings so she could skip ahead. But now seeing her strength with her own eyes it defied her own comprehension.

However what really got her attention were her lightening attacks. With the way she was using them she should have easily exhausted all her dust by now. Yet that didn't seem to be the case as she used one large energy attack after another as their potency was simply too high to be just shards. "How could this be possible?"

By the time she was done processing all this information the battle was already over as all the beowulf grimm were exterminated. "That was a nice work out" smiled Ruby. "Are you alright?" as she then walked towards the Schnee heiress avoiding eye contact.

Although it was customary to thank someone for saving your life, Weiss couldn't help herself as years of being conceited was part of who she was. So folding her arms and looking away, "I have no idea why you had to but in like that. I had it covered. So don't expect me to reimburse you for any of the dust you used as that was totally on you".

". . . . Umm, OK?" as Ruby rubbed the back of head as she just wanted to leave now. She didn't want to stick around for another one of her angry rants.

Peeking her eyes back, the Schnee heiress glanced at Ruby's weapon as it was an unusual sword. But that was the unusual thing about it. It looked like just a sword regardless of how oddly shaped it was. There didn't seem to be any slots for dust to be put into it. So then how was she able to produce so much energy? Deciding to take a closer look she snatched it right out of her hands.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing to my keyblade?"

"Keyblade?" as Weiss appraised it. "A weird weapon suited only for someone like you. Where did you get it from? Who made this? The dust you used earlier was clearly not a Schnee company product. It had to have come from one of our rival companies. Where did you get your dust from anyways? Hmm? Why are you waving your hand at me?" as Ruby had her arm outstretched. But after a moment she seemed solemn as a surprised look entered her eyes. Before long she was giving her a warm smile. "You're acting creepy. Why are you doing that?"

However the feelings that overcame Ruby was profound as she took Weiss's hand into her own. "She's definitely a lot more then what she seems" she happily thought. Regardless of how she was on the outside the keyblade was never wrong about who it let's hold them. Only those with a strong and pure heart were allowed to wield a keyblade. So whatever harsh exterior Weiss showed to others she was truly a good person underneath it all. More then that this wasn't the first time someone had accidentally touched her key. After all this time there has never been an occurrence. But for all the possibilities and chances life had to offer she then looked Weiss in the eyes as her smile grew deeper. "It must truly have been destiny for the two of us to meet".

"Huh?!" as Weiss was feeling dumbfounded at how strange Ruby was acting now.

Shaking her head, "never mind. It's something you wouldn't understand anyways. That can wait till later. But for now I would be most honored to be your partner for the rest of our time here".

Weiss could only give a complicated look. Her original intention was to meet up with Pyrrha. With how much time had passed it was unlikely she would be able to reach her. Though it turned out Ruby was quite the unexpected gem. She still considered her a bit of a knucklehead. But after her display, how could she refuse such a powerful and promising partner? Yet in true Weiss fashion folding her arms while looking away, "well you aren't my first pick. But I suppose you wouldn't be such a bad person to work with. Just know that I'm compromising by lowering my standards here. So you better be grateful".

Giving a strained chuckle Ruby softened her eyes as she reached out her hand. "Let's start over then" with a warm smile. "My name is Ruby Rose. I'll be in your care from now on".

Stumbling a bit with how honest and pure she was the Schnee heiress took her hand as her expression softened as well. "Weiss Schnee. I'm going to expect many things from you so you better be ready".

To be continued . . . .

Author's notes: Been a bit busy. But here is the next chapter as I hope you like it. Now on to some commentary.

Since Ruby has been living with magic all her life the side effects of having the incomplete Fall Maiden's power would be inconsequential.

Weiss is really rough around the edges. But she had a really complicated childhood growing up. Once she was old enough she decided to leave the Schnee house to seek out her own life similar to what her big sister Winter did by joining the military. Although she comes off as cold and shallow at the start her time with team RWBY really sanded down her rough edges. As personality tropes go she seems pretty tsundere coming off as hostile and always needing to go the long way around when it comes to connecting with people.

Since Yang's vehicle of choice was a motorcycle it seemed fitting her keyglade glider be a speeder. Essentially it's like Terra's keyblade glider but more with Yang's colors and aesthetics.

As for Yang's semblance it's what I imagine its mature form will take. As with Sebastian Shaw from 'X-men First Class' as he is able to absorb all forms of attacks against him turning it into energy boosting his strength, stamina, and resilience. Of course it's not a perfect defense as there are ways around it. That will be made clear later in the story.

Blake's official introduction will be next chapter.

I'm not going to go into detail for everyone else like Jaune, Pyrrha, Lie Ren, Nora, and etc till they become integrated along team RWBY journey through the story. Otherwise they are still following the same path as their canon counterparts. So till then brief mentions will be fine for now.

If there are any questions or concerns feel free to ask as I'll try to answer them.

So thank you for reading and I further extend my gratitude for reading as well.