Summary: Ruby grew up and trained in Atlas along with Winter Schnee. She is sent to Beacon to spy on Ozpin because General Ironwood does not trust him any longer. Along the way, she makes friends and even tries her hand at dating! How will her relationships affect the current events unfolding around her? Read and find out! (detailed ship list at the start of each chapter)

Ships: Hummingbird (Summer x Qrow), Phoenix (Raven x Tai), Quicksilver (Ruby x Mercury), Emberald (Emerald x Cinder), Arkos (Jaune x Pyrrha), Renora (Ren x Nora), Gelato (Neo x Roman), Sunnybees (Sun x Blake x Yang), former Tauradonna (Adam x Blake), tentative Snowbird (Qrow x Winter), and Fair Game (Qrow x Clover), and if Qrow, Winter, and Clover happen to end up in a threesome I'll ask for your guys' opinions on ships names for that as well.

A/N: Alrighty, this is first chapter of a new RWBY story I'm working. Updates will be random af cuz I have no idea where I'm going with this story lol. But yeah, more in the A/N at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

Frozen Roses: Chapter One

Summer Rose scooped up the tiny bundle from the bed and ran out the door, panic evident on her face. "Summer, what's going on?" asked the blond-haired, blue-eyed man in the kitchen his face etched with worry.

"Tai, I have to hide her. Salem is hunting me because of my eyes, which means Ruby is next. Qrow is taking her to Atlas because I don't trust Ozpin. He's hiding things from us, so we're gonna hide things from him."

"You're taking her to Ironwood? Are you sure that's wise?"

Summer sighed. "No, but it's better than leaving her here where Ozpin is near-by."

"Will we ever see her again?" came Tai Yang's soft question.

"Of course," Summer replied, her eyes softening a bit. "You'll be able to go visit her whenever you want, Yang too. I don't want Ruby to lose any more family because of Salem."

Tai Yang nodded, eyes full of sorrow. "Let me know when you get to Atlas please."

"Of course, Tai. And please, call Raven. She needs to know what's going on, if only for the tribe's safety."

Tai nodded once more and quickly gave Ruby and Summer a hug before ushering them out the door. As he watched Summer quickly rush off, he saw two birds, a crow and a raven, flying after. "Come home to us, Summer." Tai turned and went to the kitchen and was stopped dead in his tracks by a blonde-haired, lilac eyed young girl. "Daddy, where are Aunty Summer and Ruby going?"

Tai Yang sighed and scooped up the girl and slowly started walking up the worn wooden steps. "Summer and Ruby are going up to Atlas for a while. Bad people are after Summer and she's scared they may want to hurt Ruby too. But don't worry, Yang. We'll be able to visit them soon. But first, you have to get some sleep so that you can be big and strong too."

Yang nodded and crawled into bed, clutching her beowolf plushie tightly to her chest. "They'll be okay. Uncle Qrow is with them and Aunt Summer is a really good fighter. They will be okay, right?"

"Yes, they'll be fine." Tai Yang knelt down and kissed his daughter on the forehead and then pulled the soft, lilac-colored quilt up and tucked her in. "Good night, little dragon."

"Night daddy!"

Frozen Roses

The transport slowed to a stop outside the main doors to Atlas Academy, a grand building towering above most other buildings on Atlas. School was starting soon, and previous students, as well as staff members were bustling about getting things ready for initiation in two days. They all gave Ruby a wide berth, knowing that you never get between a special operative and their current mission, whatever that may be. She nodded to Pietro Polendina as he made his way to his airship that would take him down to his private practice in Mantel. Along the way, she saw Special Operative Schnee and nodded to her, her eyes sparkling with fondness. As she approached Winter, Ruby stayed back to avoid eavesdropping, only catching Winter's final statement. "You are dismissed. I want a report on the General's desk tomorrow morning."

"Special Operative Schnee," came Ruby's formal greeting.

"Special Operative Rose, how have you been?"

"I've been well, and yourself?" Ruby snickered slightly, knowing that Winter was only doing this to show off to the students.

"I've been busy. I hear your last mission went well."

"Of course it did. That pack of Ursa had nothing on me."

Winter scoffed. "Don't be modest, it doesn't suit you. There was more than one pack of Ursa. Last I heard there were four packs, including at least one Alpha."

Ruby giggled at the startled look of the students. "It's good to see you again, Winter. I hear the General has another mission for me. This doesn't have anything to do with the stuff going on in Vale, does it?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. He wants to brief us both at the same time. Shall we go up now?"

Ruby shrugged, rolling her eyes slightly. "Sure, might as well get it over with."

Winter and Ruby walked along the corridors in relative silence, nodding to different members of the Atlesian Military. Soon they were in Ironwood's office, along with Clover Ebi, a younger huntsman and member of the Atlesian Military. "Thank you for coming. I'm going to get right into this so you can get prepared," General Ironwood began. "Ruby, I'm sending you to Beacon, you'll be posing as a student. With the recent dust robberies in Vale, plus the information from our informant I believe there is something more going on. I'll expect weekly reports back. You'll have no issue being accepted early, I've staged a fight between you and our informant to take place in a few days. I'm sure you won't mind spending time with your family as well."

Ruby nodded before tilting her head in thought. "I assume you want me to gather information on Ozpin as well?"

General Ironwood smirked, a look that would send most people running for the nearest Grimm filled cave. "Yes, I don't trust him, not with the attack on Amber. Which leads me into my next point. Winter, Clover, there is some information that I am sharing with you in confidence. This is level 10 clearance, meaning only those in this room and a select few others know about it. I don't know how to sum this up very well, but I'll try my best because that's all we have time for," Ironwood sighed before continuing. "You've all heard the story of the Four Maidens. This might seem crazy, but it's true. There are four maidens, one for each season. The Fall Maiden, Amber, was attacked and part of her power was stolen by an unknown assailant. She is in critical condition and is being housed in a vault under Beacon. These Maidens also are Keys to certain vaults that contain ancient and powerful relics. There is one for each school, Atlas itself houses the Staff of Creation which is keeping the city of Atlas suspended in the air. The Winter Maiden can open the vault here, the Fall Maiden opens Beacon's vault, the Spring Maiden opens Haven's vault, and the Summer Maiden opens Shade's vault. All the Headmasters of the school know the importance of the vaults. Ozpin is… a complicated man, with a complicated story to go along with. Every time he dies he reincarnates, sharing a body with a compatible soul. However, within a few years the original soul is absorbed into Ozpin's own, along with all the memories and knowledge of each soul. As of right now, he's the one with the most information but he is reluctant to share anything with the rest of us, which is why I don't particularly trust him," General Ironwood finished, a cold but longing look in his eyes.

There was silence in the office, you could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet. Clover stood still, the only sign that he wasn't carved out of stone was the slight tick of his jaw as he thought. It was Winter that spoke up first. "Sir, while I understand the issues this information presents, what does this have to do with myself and Clover?"

"Because I need to make a team of people that I can trust. I already have Pietro Pollendia creating a prototype of Penny, I'm hoping that she can be used to help Amber. Her first test shall be the Vytal Festival tournament. Ruby, I'd like for you to keep an eye on her for me."

Ruby nodded and smiled, excited at the prospect of a new friend. General Ironwood sat down at his desk and pulled out his scroll, a folder titled "Ace Ops" popped up on the holographic projection. "Clover, your task is to find yourself four teammates that you trust and work well with. Once I approve of your choices you will be the leader of the Ace Operatives, the Elite group of huntsmen loyal to myself and the people of Atlas and Mantel."

"Yes, Sir." Clover nodded.

"Winter, I have a proposal for you as well. The current Winter Maiden, Fria, is getting up there in age. We don't expect her to last more than a year in her condition. She has severe memory loss issues, plus a laundry list of other health conditions. All we can do for her now is keep her protected and comfortable until she passes. Luckily, she doesn't need much in the way of assistance. I would like you to get close to her, as it's likely that if you do, you'll receive the Winter Maiden's powers when she passes. With the Spring Maiden lost and now Amber being injured and in a coma, we may need an able-bodied Maiden sooner than we want."

Winter gasped quietly, the only sign of her surprise that she gave. "It would be an honor, Sir."

General Ironwood smiled and let out a sigh he didn't know he had been holding in. "Very well, that is all for now. I'll leave you all to think about this for a bit. Ruby, your airship to Vale will be leaving in a few hours. Taiyang will meet you and Qrow in Vale when you arrive. Please be safe," General Ironwood finished, only showing his concern for Ruby at the very end, worry clouding his eyes slightly.

"I promise I will be safe, Sir. But not too safe, I've gotta try to give Ozpin a few heart attacks," Ruby snickered, her eyes lighting up with mischief as her lips curled into a smirk.

"I suppose you do," Ironwood laughed as he walked forward and drew Ruby into one of his rare hugs. "Now, go get ready, Special Operative Rose. We wouldn't want you missing your flight."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at him before standing to attention, a cheeky smile still gracing her lips. "Yes, Sir!"

Frozen Roses

Ruby stood on the platform in the airfield, waiting for her airship to land and take her back home. Home had always been an issue for her. She was born and raised on Patch, same as her mother, and it's where her family lives. But she grew up in Atlas Academy and in various different houses in Mantel. So while Patch was where her heart was (and after all, home is where the heart is, right?) she felt more at home in Atlas Academy, surrounded by military personnel, students, and her other family. Sighing in slight agitation, her fingers drummed out a quiet rhythm on the collapsed form of her scythe. Crescent Rose, a collapsible scythe that was also a fully customizable, high impact sniper rifle, was her baby. And every rose has its thorns, which is why she had two identical daggers named Thorne, one in her right boot, and the other tucked away on her belt. Her bright red hood stood out in stark contrast to the pale whites and blues of her combat uniform. Once a special op, always a special op. She liked the way the whites and blues made her dark red hair pop, and in turn, practically hid her silver eyes.

Her silver eyes were another touchy subject she didn't like talking about much. Shortly after she moved to Atlas, her mom was killed. When she asked her dad about it, he didn't waste time lying to her. He was honest. While Summer Rose was an exceptional huntress, it was her silver eyes that got her killed. Silver eyes that she passed onto her child. Those silver eyes were the reason she was torn away from her family, the reason she lost her mom. So while Ruby knew that her eyes were like a superweapon that could vaporize grimm, she knew that if she used them she'd have a target painted on her back for the rest of her life.

Snapping out her thoughts when someone touched her shoulder she jumped, her hand automatically reaching for her dagger on her belt. "Ruby, it's just me," came the voice of Winter. Slowly, Ruby let go of her dagger.

"Sorry Winter, I was stuck in my head again. Did you come to see me off, or are you here to flirt with my dad some more?" Ruby giggled at the blush forming on Winter's cheeks.

"I… uh… Nevermind Qrow. I came here to ask you something!" Winter stuttered out, flustered.

"Ah, okay. Shoot," Ruby prompted, laughter still shining in her eyes.

"My sister, Weiss, is attending Beacon this year as well. I'm worried that she'll be on her own there. I know she can handle herself, it's her potential teammates that I'm worried about. She can be a lot to handle at first, especially with all the nonsense Jaque has been filling her head with. Can you make sure she doesn't alienate herself by being a stuck-up princess?" Winter asked concern etched on her face.

"Of course. Anything for my favorite spec op!" Ruby replied cheerfully. "Oh look, here comes my dad, great… I'll just be over here listening to music so I don't have to bleach my ears later," Ruby deadpanned as she pulled her wireless headphones out of her bag and slipped them on her ears.

Frozen Rose

By the time the airship had left Atlas, Ruby was just plain bored. It would be at least five hours before they landed so she decided to go through the list of new students enrolling at Beacon. "Hey dad, wanna help me go through this list of students so I can choose a team?"

Qrow sighed and rolled his eyes fondly. "Sure thing kiddo. First on the list, Blake Belladonna. Hmm, ex-White Fang huh? Well, at least she'll be good in a fight, but her loyalty or rather lack thereof might be an issue."

Ruby nodded and sorted Blake into the 'Maybe' folder. "Alright, next up. Cardin Winchester. Graduated from Signal in the top third of his class, not bad. Seems like a bit of a tank and has no ranged capabilities. Honestly seems to be more brawn than brains. Semblance is strange to say the least, and could cause problems." Ruby paused, then winced. "Ouch, a known bully, particularly of the faunus. That's a no." And so Cardin was sorted into the 'Nope' folder.

"Up next, Pyrrha Nikos. Top graduate at Sanctum Academy, won the Mistral Regional Tournament 5 years in a row… She's pretty powerful. Hmm, a spear that can be a sword and a shotgun, plus a shield. That's an interesting setup. She seems pretty humble, given her fame. I'd definitely say that's a 'yes'."

Ruby sorted Pyrrha into the 'Totally' folder. "Next we have Jaune Arc. And wow, these transcripts have to be totally forged. No ranged capabilities, heck the only cool thing his weapon does is his shield can double as a scabbard for the sword. I don't even know why Ozpin let him in! There has to be a reason, I'll put him in 'Maybe' just to see what he's capable of."

"Smart thinking kiddo. Okay, next is Weiss Schnee…" And so Ruby and Qrow went back and forth discussing the different students until all were sorted. In the 'Totally' folder were Pyrrha Nikos, Yang Xiao Long, and Lie Ren. In the 'Maybe' folder were Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Nora Valkyrie, and Jaune Arc. In the 'Nope' folder were Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. All in all, Ruby had a good idea of who she'd like on her team, and who would be a better, more strategic team.

Finally, the airship landed and as Ruby stepped off the ramp of the airship, she was crushed by a yellow and orange mass. "Ruby! I've missed you so much!" came the excited yell of her sister/cousin Yang.

"I've missed you too, Yang," Ruby smiled, and waved at Tai. "We need to get home though. I'm tired as heck and there are some things we need to talk about."

Yang pulled back and started walking with Ruby, behind Qrow and Tai. "It's nice to hear you call this place home," Yang said softly.

A/N: And that's it for the first chapter of Frozen Roses! I hope you all enjoyed it! As far as teams go, I haven't decided if I'm going to leave things the same or if I'm going to shake things up a bit. What do you guys think? Also, I would looooove if someone could sketch what Ruby would look like in a more Atlesian Military type combat outfit instead of the one she normally wears. I'm not the most artistic person ever, so Ruby would probably look more like a stick figure with random triangles and squares on her than an actual person.

Also, I'm going to try to keep this as close to canon as I can. With new volumes coming out, things could change. I won't be adding information about Vacuo or the Summer Maiden until we actually know that information, including the name of the headmaster/headmistress of Shade. I'm sure you've also noted the lack of a ship for Weiss. That's because I'm not sure if I'll have a ship for her or if I'm going to ship her with Neptune. I loved watching her interactions with Neptune, but I'm also not 100% sure what I'm going to do about the Fall of Beacon and how Ruby might change things. Yes, Beacon is still going to fall. Yes, characters are going to die. My rule is that if I save a character from canon, another has to take their place. OCs do not count, obviously. So yeah…. Sorry in advance if I happen to kill off your favorite character.

Anyway, please favorite/follow/review! Love y'all!