A.N: Alright, let's see how badly this flopped and HOOOLY SHIT. We're BAREY 200+ views in, but this is the FASTEST I've ever seen a story of mine grow... from the first goddamn chapter. So, needless to say, I'll feed the beast and keep updating this, see what's in store, y'know? Onto Reviews!

Omniscient Tree: Ayyyeee good to see you here as well man! Not to mention, I'm surprised you actually managed to more or less pin down how I'm basing Ruby's style, with speed being her main source of damage. Stick around, shit's gonna get interesting!

merendinoemiliano: Glad you liked what you saw man, no comment on Whiterose... yet ;P

Genesis Apocalypse: Thanks man, shit actually gives me HOPE that this won't flop XD

KHARAKI TAKAN: Happy I managed to catch your interest man!

lovecrazyhedgehog: This is a genuinely interesting question, and I thank you for your honesty. So, Imma say it now: Crescent Rose does not exist in this story. WAIT DON'T GO XD. I completely understand the desire to see Ruby overall improve as a combatant WITH Crescent Rose, that's fine. Only problem with that is that she in turn doesn't really change as a character. However, with her style, focus and most importantly MINDSET having changed, the changes to the canon story along with Ruby herself are gonna be cool as HELL, and I hope you give this story benefit of the doubt to find out what's in store dude.

101: Glad you're excited dude, I'm honestly a lot more confident moving forward with this now that I've got people's attention. She still is interested in weapons, don't get me wrong, but as for the kick at the end... no comment ;D.

x7porkchop123w: Happy you loved it too, and I'm pleased that you picked up on how tactical she was here. Gonna more on that later down the line, so stick around!

Alucard45: Make sure you stay behind (or keep up?) for more dude, and I'm happy that my fight-scene choreography is still pretty good! Had a lot of practice over the years, so I'm glad it's payed off.

kept123: Always happy to put out a chapter, especially one that's received well.

That being said, this is the day you've been waiting for! Let's open up the door!

Fighting Rose

Chapter 2

I seek power!

"Do you have any idea what damage you might have caused?" Glynda Goodwitch said sharply, expecting a panicked or urgent response. To her surprise, she got neither.

"You mean aside from some broken bones and cracked concrete?" She said back calmly, an honest-to-gods smirk on her face. "To be fair, the fact that there's been several dust-robberies over the past few months and both police and huntsmen haven't been doing their job, you should change your question to a 'you're welcome', miss Goodwitch."

Glynda was taken aback by the girl's bluntness, almost infuriated by her little grin. "Excuse me? Who are you, a child, to criticize the effort of the Huntsmen and Huntresses?"

"Easy. I'm training to be one," She replied, the smirk dropping off her face. "And I'm also the child that's come the closest to getting Torchwick, who's apparently been escaping your grasp ever since he rose to prominence in the criminal underworld several years ago. Oh, and uh, you're also welcome for me revealing that he's got backing from someone who seems to very dangerous."

"…well, if it were up to me, I'd send you home with a pat on the back for your courage," Glynda said sweetly before smacking her crop on the table hard, hoping to back her jump, "And a severe slap in the wrist for your recklessness." No reaction, aside from a raised eyebrow. "In spite of that… there's someone who would like to see you."

Ruby's eyes flicked to the door right before it opened, her eyes widening slightly, something that Glynda did not miss. 'Did she… sense that he was coming?' In walked a fairly tall man with silver hair and emerald eyes, small and circular glasses resting on a well-shaped nose. He was dressed, oddly enough, in a dark green suit from head to ankle, his dress-shirt underneath a lighter emerald green. What truly caught her attention though was the giant plate of chocolate-chip cookies in his right hand and a glass of milk in his left. From the way the cookies were slightly bent or drooping in places, she knew that they were fresh out of the oven.

'Does a police-station even have an oven?'

"Ruby Rose…" The man said, curiosity in his voice. Her eyes snapped back to him, gaze hardening. "You… have silver eyes."

If Ruby wasn't on edge before, she certainly was now, looking almost as if she was an animal trapped in a corner, something both the man and Glynda took note of in surprise. 'Does she know?' They both thought, though the man was quick to file that information away and had Glynda pull up some footage of Ruby's tussle with the Torchwick posse.

"So, where did you learn to fight like this?"

"Signal Academy, among other places," She said quickly. A bit too quickly.

"So they taught you how to fight using your aura in such a manner?"

"…It was sort of one teacher, and someone who's stood by me along the way. Though I kinda put in a lot of work and... experimented."

"I see…" The man hummed before he put down the plate in front of Ruby. Her hardened expression cracked, eyes flicking to the plate as her body trembled. Almost too fast for anyone to see, her hand shot out and she devoured an entire cookie whole. And then three more followed in a moment's notice, a gleeful look on her stuffed face.

"It's just that, I've only ever seem another person with a similar skill-set and battle-prowess to yours. An old, dull dragon…"

"My father, Taiyang," She said, her stony expression back on her face as only a couple of cookies remained. "… though I'm pretty sure you already knew that… Headmaster Ozpin." The man, Ozpin, chuckled. This girl was simply ticking all the right boxes in his mind.

"Fair enough. I must ask, what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

She leaned forward, the sudden (metaphorical) silver fire in her eyes almost startling Ozpin and Glynda. "Couple of reasons, Headmaster. First and foremost… I want to become the huntress."

"…Don't you mean 'a' huntress?"

"I didn't stutter," She said sharply, her hand clenching into a fist, baring knuckles that were rough and calloused. "It isn't for glory or fame or anything like that. I want to become the strongest huntress in the world. I want power. The power to never lose, either against monster or man, and the power to save whoever is in front of me, to help whoever needs it." The genuine honesty and unbridled determination in her voice was utterly flooring to the two adults in the room. Here was a little girl, fifteen years old, who was dead serious with her words and goals. This wasn't something recent, this was an idea that had been deeply ingrained into her at a very young age.

"Second," She started, looking directly at Ozpin, "… I want to know what happened to my mother, Summer Rose." Not even Ozpin could hide the change in his eyes, a sad look buried deep within, but not deep enough. "She taught me to be strong, to be a hero, to help others. When I surpass her, I'll find her. Finally… I want to surpass my sister."

"Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin supplied, Ruby nodding.

"If my mom gave me strength of heart and my dad sharpened my mind, then Yang was the one who opened the path for me. She's strong, strong enough to enter Beacon and breeze through the entrance exam. It sucks that I have to wait two more years until I graduate from Signal, but I will do it, and I will enter Beacon."

"…So you wish to come to my school?" He asked slowly. Ruby leaned forward, the fire in her eyes almost desperate.

"More than anything."

Ruby was instantly confused at the cheeky look that Ozpin shot at Glynda, the blonde woman rolling her eyes in exasperation, knowing was what coming next even if the girl did not. Ozpin sighed and leaned back, a lopsided smile on his face as he casually looked back at Ruby, the next words from his mouth guaranteed to change her life forever.

"Well, okay then."

Her eyes went wide and her jaw hung open. "…W-wait, are you…?"

"The entrance exam starts within the next two weeks," He said, still as casual as ever as he stood up and made for the door. "Lucky for you, we needed one more applicant to fill in an empty slot. I very much look forward to seeing you there, Ruby Rose."

The door closed and Ruby was left there, raw excitement and joy bubbling up in her until she –

...

–Was tackled by her sister in a massive hug, Ruby returning it with equal excitement.

"Little-sis going to Bea~con, little-sis going to Bea~con!" Yang sang happily, twirling Ruby around with ease.

"Yang staaaaaaahp!" She giggled, blushing as she noticed the eyes going to their display, some surprised at just how young Ruby looked in comparison to the rest of the people on the airship. Even as Yang put her down, the beaming smile and shining joy only added to Ruby's current happiness.

"Ruby, how can I stop being excited, my little sis is going to Beacon with me! Do you know how crazy it is that you got in at fifteen?"

"I meaaaan…" She giggled again before she calmed down slightly, her eyes darting around the room. It was common knowledge at this point to the examinees that there was someone who had got in early, and it didn't take long for them to figure out that it was Ruby. She could see the expressions of surprise and curiosity, interest, but most importantly… anger. That one made her grin. Of course people would be upset that someone managed to get in so early, skipping two years at the favour of the Headmaster himself.

Still, she could sense that there was one gaze in particular that surprised her. It was curious and equal-parts excited, cautious yet slightly... angry at Ruby? No, this feeling wasn't quite like the smouldering embers of anger. Her eyes darted around, attempting it find it and briefly locking eyes with something startlingly familiar: emerald green and a flash of crimson hair, both pairs of eyes locking in on each other as if they were predators that saw potential prey.

"Something caught your sights?" Yang asked lowly, knowing exactly was Ruby was doing. Distracted for a split second, glancing at Yang and nodding, only to look back and find that those eyes were gone.

"…I think so, yeah. Wasn't able to get a clear look because of someone," She nagged, pinching Yang's cheek, a yelp coming from the older girl at the sharp squeeze as both of them almost got into a small tussle, though were stopped by the news report on the ship's holographic screen.

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. However, this robbery was unsuccessful thanks to the efforts of a Huntress and an unknown combatant, the only picture that we have of this unknown hero was this picture taken by a faraway bystander," The image was of a red streak racing towards Roman, his cane pointed at it with a shocked expression on his face. Yang looked at Ruby with a raised eyebrow and a grin, the latter looking down in embarrassment. "If you have any information on him, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you Lisa."

"Thank you Cyril. In other news…"

"Looks like someone was a bit slow on the starting-gun," Yang teased, much to Ruby's embarrassment.

"Look, I was tired that night after training in the morning," She sighed, "Wasn't really expecting the Roman Torchwick to appear out of nowhere."

"Told you that intense training day after day was gonna bite you in the ass sooner or later~!"

"Yeah-yeah now shut up," She grumbled, pulling her hood over her eyes. The hologram changed from the news report of a Faunus protest to the familiar image of a blonde with jade eyes.

"Oh, isn't that…" Yang stated.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon, I am Glynda Goodwitch."

"Yeah, her."

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honour of being selected to attend this prestigious Academy. Our world is experiencing an incredibly time of peace," Both Ruby and Yang snorted at that, "and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and it is now our duty at Beacon to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world." The hologram of Goodwitch disappeared, Ruby and many others instinctively going to the window to see the view of Vale below, looking fondly at the visage of Signal Academy below.

"Kinda sad," Yang sighed, "Gonna miss the old stomping-grounds."

"Same here," Ruby chuckled, "But… Beacon's our home now. Not like I have friends to miss at Signal anyway."

Despite how casually Ruby said it, Yang still gently pat her little sister on that back, smiling a bit sadly at her. The quiet moment was somewhat ruined as a blond boy rushed past, his face green as he attempted to find a trashcan or bathroom. Ruby was quick to pull Yang away from a small droplet of puke, both of their faces twisting in disgust.

"… moment ruined?" Yang asked.

"Absolutely ruined," Ruby agreed, both of them chuckling.

It wasn't long before the airship landed, the potential students walking out and all of them staring in awe at the grand entrance of Beacon Academy: white bricks, towering buildings, green-metal roofing and an almost medieval vibe mixed with the futuristic technology of today's world made it something truly special.

"Wow…" Ruby said, her eyes roaming across the buildings of the Academy. This was when it really sunk in, the pressure of her being here now full on her mind. The overwhelming feeling, the weight of responsibility bearing down. She loved it. There was nothing that Ruby Rose loved more than overcoming impossible odds, regardless of the unavoidable failure, and winning. Her eyes were more keenly darting across all the potential people she would have to overcome, including Yang herself.

"Keep it in your pants Ruby," Yang chuckled, seeing the grin that her split across her face. "We'll settle things soon. That's a promise." She held out a fist, knuckled pointed at Ruby.

"Better be." Ruby promptly bumped her knuckles to Yang's own, some of Yang's friends from Signal walking towards them. "Your pals are here by the way."

"Yup," She laughed, "Call me in case anything comes up, okay?!" Ruby nodded and waved at them as they went off, all of them quite happy around her. It was understandable: Yang was the Dragon Queen of Signal, near-untouchable on her worst days and invincible on her best when it came to combat classes. In addition to that, her naturally outgoing persona and charisma attracted a great deal of friends. She was bound to make herself a famous Huntress, even if that wasn't her goal. Humming, Ruby just opted to stand there for a moment, basking in the feeling of the moment before something metallic bumped into her, startling her as something else dropped onto the floor and the owner peeking from behind it with a snooty and pissy expression on her rather beautiful face. Ice-blue eyes were framed by snow-white hair, the girl's dress consisting of a similarly icy-blue combat dress and bolero jacket, the orange-red on the inside adding a lovely contrast in colour.

"Hey, watch where you're-!"

She was immediately cut off as Ruby whirled around into a fighting stance, teeth bared almost savagely and eyebrows creased together. The sight immediately shut her up and made her freeze (ironically), those silver eyes honed in on her and burning into her vision. There was a moment of stillness before Ruby's expression softened and her face turned red with embarrassment, immediately kneeling to pick up the suitcase that had dropped off the trolley.

"Sorry, wasn't really paying attention," Ruby sighed.

The girl, Weiss Schnee, was about to open her mouth and berate the girl in red, only for her to realize that it was herself who hadn't been paying attention to where she was pushing her luggage, knocking into the girl from behind.

"… no, that's quite alright," She sighed, kneeling to help pick up another suitcase. "I was the one who surprised you from behind."

"Then I was being careless," Ruby said, the deep scowl on her face not directed at Weiss, but nonetheless a bit frightening. Still, the younger girl reined herself in and shot a sheepish grin at Weiss as soon as they were done, holding out an open hand. "Ruby Rose is the name, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Weiss Schnee."

"Well, Ruby, thank you for your help, I'm – … how do you know who I…?"

"C'mon, dressed in all white and icy blue, snow-white hair, a giant snowflake symbol on all of your luggage? I'd have to be blind not to know who you are," She giggled. Weiss preened a bit at that, unable to hide her innate pride at being recognized.

"Thank y-!"

"The same Schnee who's the heiress to one of the most morally questionable companies in the world, hmm? Don't go bragging about having a tainted name." Both girls snapped to look at a new person in the fray: a tall girl with wavy black hair, golden eyes and a black bow sitting right on top of her head. Weiss was flustered and incensed at the (unfortunately true) accusation.

"I-I, wha- how dare you-!?"

"I mean, tall dark and broody here ain't wrong," Ruby muttered, Weiss turning on her.

"Excuse me!? We were just-!"

"But that doesn't give you the right to judge her, now doesn't it?" Ruby immediately turned to the dark-haired girl. Despite being taller, she was surprised by the level-headed look she was getting from the smaller and younger girl before anger bubbled up.

"She's Weiss Schnee, and Heiress to the company." She pointed out.

"Exactly," Ruby countered, much to their surprise, "Not CEO, not the founder, not even a member of staff. Just Weiss Schnee, someone who has no sway on the choices of the company, or her father. Right?" Weiss deftly nodded, hiding a scowl at the conjured image of a man with white hair and seedy moustache.

"So basically, stop judging people so quickly based on affiliations," Ruby said to the dark-haired girl, "And don't snap at people for telling the truth," She finished to Weiss. The black-haired girl was about to snap back, only to pause and internally realize something: she of all people knew that she really shouldn't be judging others when it came to affiliations. After all, her bow was a symbol of her shame in that. Still, her innate hatred for the Schnees and all they had done was too deeply ingrained, and she opted to stay silent.

Yet again, Weiss was caught off guard by just how strange this girl was. Clearly younger than the required age of seventeen, and she did seem childishly aloof at times. But the maturity of this girl that was just displayed made her undoubtedly curious about her.

"Now, I'm gonna do some sightseeing and try to take this all in. You're welcome to join me, but if you don't, that's fine. Just don't go for each other's throats. Pretty please?" Both older girls sighed and conceded with simple nods, Ruby promptly walking towards the direction of who appeared to be the same boy who nearly threw up all over the ship's floor earlier. Weiss and the dark-haired girl stared at each other for a moment, tension palpable but not overbearing. It was Weiss who bowed her head slightly first, much to dark-hair's surprise.

"Apologies for snapping at you so quickly. I just want to change the company that my grandfather built with good intent. It has devolved into less than reputable practices, it's just… hard to come to terms with that."

"…hm… there's hope for you yet," She joked, Weiss pouting at her. "Blake's the name. Maybe I'll see more of you around… Weiss." She sauntered off, leaving Weiss to stir in her thoughts for a moment. Seeing that some of her servants her taking care of her luggage, she looked to the retreating figure of Ruby. There was a memory that flashed through the forefront of her mind, a recent one to boot.

'Take care of yourself, be strong, be unshakable… but most importantly, don't be alone Wiess. Make friends, forge bonds, surround yourself people you can be yourself around and grow. Okay?'

'Friends, huh?' Weiss thought, her eyes still on the red cape of Ruby. 'She's an odd one, but… I'll give it a try, Winter.'

It was there that Weiss Schnee took her first step forward, a step that she would never regret.

(TWBY Continued...)

A.N: A daunting part about this project is the amount of characterisation that goes into each character now that the scenario had changed: not every episode about RWBY is solely focused on fighting, so you'll be seeing a healthy dose of characters' different reactions to this new Ruby. Also, kinda funny how she's more knowledgeable this time around, hmm? Let's see what you guys think of that. Peace out!