Welcome everyone to my latest story: Converging Paths! I don't know how, but I managed to think of this while planning through White Like Roses. Honestly, much of my inspiration was taken from the amazing fanart I see throughout Tumblr and Deviantart, so thank you inspiring artists. So through my impassioned loins (I promise to never say that again), I created a planning file containing all my ideas for the entire plot of the story! True, there are still a few empty spaces, but I planned so much out that I can write quite a lot of chapters before going back to the drawing board. In fact, I'm already halfway done with chapter two but it's getting so long I'm considering splitting it in half. I thought I'd post the first chapter now to see where it gets me. Also, wowsers, this first chapter alone is more than 4,000 words. That may be unimpressive compared to most people, but it's amazing for me considering most of what I do is about 2,000 tops.

So, since this story is an AU, let me give you a few reminders before you start reading:
1. None of the main characters fully retain their canon personalities. Blake is shy, Ruby is rather aggressive, etc. I wanted to use this as a starting point for their eventual development throughout the story.

2. Ruby and Yang have no familial relationship. They are not sisters and they do not know each other yet. Instead, Ruby has a different dad and a brother.

3. This AU may look like a high school AU on the surface, but it's far more than that. The story will be told in multiple arcs, each with a different character perspective or perspectives. And don't worry, there will not be an arc completely dedicated to Jaune.

4. This will be a White Rose and Bumblebee story. How I will manage to develop them is up to me, but it's gonna get rather bumpy.

So yeah, that's all you really need to know before reading chapter one. Thanks for taking your time reading this rather lengthy author's note and I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and created by Monty Oum. Thank god I don't own it because I'd butcher it so bad just to make my ships happen.

01. On Stranger Tides (Blake)

The bright summer light shined down upon Blake Belladonna's face, glistening her light olive complexion but thankfully not causing any glare on her glasses. It wasn't a particularly hot day, but it did feel like anyone would rather go outside than stay cooped up indoors. Of course, today being the first day of school, no one really had a choice in the matter. Groans and complaints flew across the room as new seniors wanted the day to end before it even started.

Sighing, the raven-haired girl continued making pencil strokes on her sketchpad. Blake was not the sort of person who was fond of outdoor play. She was the girl who was more likely to be seen reading a good novel or creating a sketch for future use. She was really fond of her bow too, so she would never risk losing it to the vast unknown.

Blake was thankful that she sat in the back of the classroom and near the window. Normally, she would see that as a typical cliché in anime or manga for the main protagonist, but she was glad she didn't stick out like a sore thumb. If this year was going to be anything like last year, Blake could look forward to minimal social contact, artistic inspiration from the outside, and easy hiding space for her sketches from any prying eyes.

It wasn't that Blake didn't want to make friends. She would just… rather keep to herself.

The rustle and bustle of the students calmed down when their homeroom teacher called for them to sit down in their seats. Luckily, Blake managed to sneak in a few more lines on her sketch before she quickly closed the book and put it in her bag.

After affirming her presence when the teacher called for attendance, Blake adjusted her frame as her eyes wandered around the room. Fortunately, her name was early enough in the rollcall so that she could observe who will be her classmates for the next year. She preferred doing this early on in the year so she could determine who she should avoid or at least categorize them from most tolerable to least.

Scanning the room, she saw that her old classmates Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos were sitting side by side near the front. Funnily enough, Jaune wanted to be as close to the wall as possible to avoid getting picked to answer the questions – Blake knew how he worked – while Pyrrha wanted to sit as close to the teacher's desk as possible. The two were so different yet so compatible.

Similar to Blake, Jaune was very socially awkward. She never heard the full details, but Blake knew that Jaune often took social advice from his parents. His mother gave rather sound advice when it came to making friends, but his father… not so much. He also felt rather intimidated being the only boy in a family of eight children, so asking out girls was not one of his few skills he had.

Enter Pyrrha Nikos, the academic and athletic prodigy from Mistral. She had it all. Looks, smarts, leadership skills. Everything anyone would ever need to achieve high social status in a school environment. Boys often clamored over her while others don't even try because they put her on such a high pedestal. However, for reasons unknown, she had taken a liking to Jaune and they became friends over the course of high school.

Blake had no qualms about the scraggly blond and the prodigal red-head. They were nice people as far as she could tell from the few encounters they have had for the past three years.

Behind them were the two inseparable childhood friends – Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. The girl looked like she was egging her companion on about breakfast or something of the sort. It was strange to many of the students, Blake included, how the two managed to stay together for so long, especially considering polar opposite personalities. No one knew how it happened but it soon spread that the two were dating.

Ren was the mellow quiet type. Often times, nothing ever seemed to faze him in the slightest but that was most likely due to having the most hyperactive girl in all of Remnant as a childhood companion. Despite that, he was quite the intellectual and was appointed captain of the kendo club this year.

Nora, on the other hand, practically stole all the energy Ren ever possessed in his lifetime. She was a strange one. She had boundless amounts of enthusiasm and an ironic love of sloths that it was easy to forget that she was actually the star of Beacon's weightlifting team. Nora was a nice girl, but Blake noted to avoid conversations with her assuming that she could even get a word in.

From the looks of it, the infamous bully group of Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark were nowhere to be found. Blake was grateful for that. If she had to hear them say anything idiotic once more for the next year, she would have to tear her ears off.

Around the middle of classroom, Blake could see two people that made her heart nearly stop beating. Hopelessness snagged her heart and she sunk into her desk in exasperation. Of all the people, why did they have to be in this class?

Of course, she was referring to the preppy heiress Weiss Schnee and local jock Yang Xiao Long. As if to show off their status, Weiss wore a cream sweater vest over a short sleeved white button-up shirt and plaid skirt while Yang wore her signature letterman jacket over a t-shirt and denim jeans.

Weiss… well, Blake honestly didn't have a problem with Weiss. As long as Blake had known her, she often kept to herself despite always expressing a want to meet new people. That certainly made her famous among the school populace. It felt contradictory to Blake why she would act in such a way, but it was difficult to understand the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company using a commoner's point of view. Her off-centered ponytail was also quite strange, but Blake couldn't judge when she herself wore a bow over her head.

No, what truly alluded her was the heiress's supposed best friend: Yang Xiao Long. Blake knew from personal experience to avoid this girl at all costs. Yang was the star of the Junior Varsity boxing team last year and was recently appointed to be the head captain of the Varsity team, so if anything, she could quite literally pack a punch. Her fearsome attitude and headstrong demeanor certainly made her a force to be reckoned with. But what made her truly terrifying was the fact that she's one of the school's most well-known bullies.

Even though it was expected of her, Yang rarely ever used brute force to harass students. No, she thought that was too easy. She'd rather use her words to break people down. If that didn't work, she would do things that would get on people's nerves, forcing them to retaliate.

Blake remembered her painful experiences involving the blonde boxer over the course of the years. Blake learned to ignore Yang whenever possible. Like it was often said, a bully couldn't do anything if you didn't give them the power to mess with you.

Unfortunately, the world wasn't some fairy tale.

Bullies would keep going after you, even if you don't give them a reaction. They always want to elicit a response because they want to be the one in power. Blake knew the feeling. Whenever Yang harassed her, she would always pull on her bow and run around with it if she could remove it from the tight knots Blake made to secure it around her head. It became painful, but after a while, Yang had given up on bothering her. She didn't know what made the boxing star to stop, but she was grateful.

Blake flinched at the memories, but felt a wave of relief remembering that they were over. She continued observing her surroundings. No one else in particular caught her eye and she returned her attention towards the front.

Assuming that Yang didn't bother her for the next year, it would be smooth sailing from her.

And of course, things couldn't be that easy.

With a loud burst, a young girl clumsily entered the classroom. At the speed she entered the room with, the girl nearly fell over but managed to recover ungracefully.

"Sorry, Miss Goodwitch! I got lost on the way here." With all eyes on her, the girl gave a sheepish look but her expression soon formed into a sharp glare, causing most of the students to cower in fear.

Miss Goodwitch gave an exasperated sigh. She knew that it was far too early to scold the girl so she ultimately decided to send her into the only empty seat available.

The empty seat next to Blake.

Still somewhat angered by her audience's staring, the girl begrudgingly took the seat. Something rang in Blake's heart that she was all too familiar with.

Fear. Or at least, something akin to it.

While the girl certainly did not look like a bully like Yang or Cardin, she did have a menacing look to her. One that did not demand respect, but at the same time, lamented the message that this girl was not someone you would want to mess with.

Her outfit was nothing special in the least; only a pair of partially ripped black jeans and a crimson red with tinges of black hoodie. She wore mismatched rose earrings, one being red and the other being white, and her glaring silver eyes were as sharp as daggers piercing into your very soul. But from the moment she noticed her hair, Blake knew who this girl was.

"Ruby Rose?" Miss Goodwitch called.

"Here," the girl called out nonchalantly.

This girl was Ruby Rose. A supposed genius in school as she was moved ahead a grade a while back due to excellent grades in various subjects. But that was not why Blake was scared. Rumors often spread in high school and the rumors about Ruby Rose were no different.

Her most notable feature was her unnatural looking hair. It was about shoulder length and its style was not anything to write home about. What was worth noting was its color. From the top was jet black that cascaded downward to a red tint towards the tips of her hair. Some claimed that she dyed her hair to assert dominance over lower life forms. Others believed that her locks were infused with the blood of biker gangs she often beat singlehandedly. But there was one thing everyone agreed on.

Ruby Rose was the most notorious delinquent of Beacon High School.

Blake knew better than to believe silly tall tales about someone, but she couldn't help but feel anxious around the younger girl. Even before she moved up a grade, the older kids avoided her like the plague. There was something about her, about her aura, which gave the impression that this was not a girl to be trifled with.

"What's the matter with you?"

Ruby's curt tone broke Blake out of her trance, causing her to realize that she had been staring at the black-and-red haired girl for a good few minutes. Flushing at the epiphany, Blake looked back towards the chalkboard in the front in embarrassment.

"N-Nothing! I'm sorry!" Blake choked out in a meep. Ruby stared at her quizzically, before shrugging and deciding not to press further on with the matter. She averted her attention to her own backpack and took out a sheet of notebook paper and a pencil.

Still shaking from the encounter, Blake squirmed to get out her sketchbook. In times of emotional turmoil, she often relied on drawing to calm her nerves.

This was going to be a long day after all.

With her first classes of the day over, Blake was on her lunch period. It was a nice day outside – the sun was shining, there was a comfortable breeze in the air, and the cafeteria was far too crowded for her liking. As a result, she elected to eat in the courtyard.

The courtyard was the main hub of the school, so to speak. It was directly connected to the bus loop outside the gates and it lead to the two main buildings of the school, one housing the hallways for the performing arts and electives, the cafeteria, and the gym and auditorium, and the other containing the main core classes such as literature and science. Two large trees stood tall closer to the core class building with benches surrounding them in four directions. Over the years, the school courtyard went through quite a bit of construction, having installed a large awning parallel to the trees, a miniature amphitheater towards the back, and a small three-layered fountain smack dab in the middle.

Blake reflected on the past few class periods since the day started.

Miss Goodwitch was her homeroom and first period teacher, instructing in Art History. She was a very by the books sort of teacher, but Blake loved art enough to enjoy the subject regardless. Miss Goodwitch also had quite the enthusiasm for the job despite her promptness that it wouldn't have matter whether or not Blake appreciated art or not.

Next was Mister Oobleck, teaching World History. The man was far too hyper for his own good. Everyone could tell that he would be a handful by the looks of his half-tucked dress shirt and the five empty mugs of coffee and four large cans of energy drinks. Blake remembered her old senior friend Velvet Scarlatina warning her about him.

Finally was Mister Port, the boisterous and self-absorbed Biology teacher. Granted it being the first day of school, Blake was still bored out of her mind in that class. The large mustached man often talked more about his old exploits in the military and his achievements as a professional boxer back in his day. Looking around, it seemed only Yang Xiao Long was interested at all. Even the academic stars Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos were struggling to keep awake. And Ruby didn't even bother hiding the fact since she spent half of the class writing on her notebook paper and the other half sleeping, using her hoodie as a makeshift pillow.

Overall, Blake didn't know what to make of her early senior experience. Sighing, she sat down on one of the many tables littered throughout the courtyard, opened her lunchbox, and took out a book to read. When it came to her respite, Blake preferred to read than to draw. She loved the work she does in her sketchbook, but she felt like that would be better reserved for when she wanted to pretend she was paying attention in class.

Of course, she also couldn't forget the tuna sandwich she packed.

"Ooh~ What do we got here? Still wearing that old bow of yours, Blakey?" a familiar voice taunted mockingly. "Aren't you a little too old for that?"

Turning towards the source of the voice, Blake attempted to keep a nonchalant attitude and a flat expression. She should have known that the unspoken ceasefire would not have lasted that long. "What do you want, Yang?"

The blonde sneered. Funnily enough, the presence of her lackies Cardin, Russel, Dove, and Sky were all absent. For some strange reason, the blonde had decided to harass Blake alone.

"Why can't I go up to my best bud and ask her how she's been without my motives being questioned?"

"As far as I'm aware, we've never been friends, Yang."

"Oh, don't be like that!" Yang grinned and waved her hand around in exaggeration. "You know I just like messin' with ya!"

"You made fun of me by equating my appearance to a cat for the past three years. You even pulled on my bow even though you knew it was tied tightly around my head."

"It's all in jest, I swea-"

"I heard enough."

Stepping in between the two girls, a third shorter girl glared silver daggers at Yang. The moment they saw the blur of black mixed with crimson, they knew.

Ruby Rose was defending Blake Belladonna from school bully Yang Xiao Long.

"And what's with you, you little punk?" Yang scowled, incredibly ticked off that someone had the gall to oppose her.

"I can't stand people like you." Ruby said brazenly. "You feign friendship just so you can hurt others. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're the punk around here."

Blake and Ruby could practically feel the temperature in the air beginning to rise as they watched the blonde searing in annoyance and irritation. If Blake didn't know any better, she could have sworn that the birds instantly roasted in the presence of heat and that Yang's eyes strangely changed from its standard lilac to fiery red.

"What did you say, you brat?" Yang hissed, cracking her knuckles.

"You heard me." Ruby smirked, knowing she pushed the blonde beyond her limits using words alone.

"Oh, I can't wait to wipe that look off your face!"

Using quite a bit of force, Yang balled her fist and threw a swing towards Ruby's head. The younger girl quickly dodged the strike with a side step and launched a quick jab at Yang's stomach. Luckily, Blake backed up before fists were exchanged, but she saw that Ruby's strike was enough to knock the wind out of Yang.

Eyes turning into slits, Yang spat out the built up saliva and readied an offensive stance. She charged in, throwing punch after punch at the notorious delinquent, but each blow was skillfully dodged as if Ruby could predict where each hit was going to land.

Once her frustration kicked in, Yang decided to throw forceful haymakers and hooks into the mix. "Stand… still… you… little… brat!" She lurched forward with every pause she took, strengthening her blows, but ultimately only hitting air.

Ruby continued to confidently dance around each attack, going for quicker strikes every time the opportunity presented itself. However, before she knew it, Ruby lost her balance due to the uneven flooring of the courtyard. Seizing the newly found chance with a smirk, Yang covered the distance between her and her opponent and delivered a firm strike on Ruby's stomach, right where the younger girl had hit her earlier. Blake had suspected that the attack had sent shockwaves through Ruby's body as she was shaking when she hit the concrete.

Yang grabbed Ruby by her hoodie and glared her down. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Approaching the three girls was Miss Goodwitch. As noted by her expression, she was not happy with what she was seeing. Without any of them noticing, a crowd of students had formed around the two fighters as the bout took place. Many of them were encouraging the violence by chanting, while others looked concerned for both parties. Out of the people they knew, Weiss facepalmed, and Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren attempted to calm the students down. Nora, well, she was ecstatic over the extravagant display between the two combatants.

Miss Goodwitch assessed the situation. There were two girls who were clearly trading blows as indicated by the multiple cuts and bruises, and there was Blake, a girl who had witnessed the brawl from a safe distance, albeit closer than the crowd.

Glaring, Miss Goodwitch pointed at Ruby and Yang. "You two. Principal's office. Now."

With both girls' feet on the ground, they looked down dejectedly. "Yes, ma'am."

She didn't know why, but Blake had a compelling feeling to follow the teacher and her two classmates. She knew Yang all throughout high school, but she remembered that Ruby had only transferred about a year ago. She didn't know the younger girl and something about her intrigued Blake. Something interesting.

Standing outside of Principal Ozpin's office, Blake couldn't help but listen to the conversation. She could hear Miss Goodwitch pacing back and forth and speaking in an exasperated tone. Principal Ozpin, however, spoke much more calmly and leniently.

"Honestly, not even halfway through the first day of school and you two already got into a fight?! Kids these days…"

"She started it!" Yang yelled.

"You were harassing a girl in front of everyone!" Ruby countered.

Miss Goodwitch slammed her hand onto the desk. "Quiet! Both of you!"

"Come now, Glynda," Ozpin chuckled. "I'm sure Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long were just venting their frustrations and pent up energy from over the summer. The first day always seem to be the most stressful for students."

"That doesn't excuse making a commotion in the courtyard during school hours." Miss Goodwitch retorted. "And even if that was the case, there are much healthier ways to relieve stress."

Blake couldn't see it, but she imagined Principal Ozpin lowering his head in defeat. "I suppose so. Besides, I suppose I cannot leave you two without some sort of repercussion. That would make for a bad example. Since it's the first day, you'll leave with Saturday detention." He then switched to a more ominous tone. "Don't expect us to be so generous next time, girls. This is your only warning."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Ruby and Yang exited the office, Yang with clear irritation and Ruby with a rather blank look on her face. The frustration Yang felt was even more evident when she pushed the crimsonette outside the doorframe upon crossing. Hunched over, Ruby sent a glare in Yang's direction, who was stomping off to her next class.

Once fully composed, Ruby began a lazy stroll to her next class, but was interrupted by Blake's nervous voice. Now's my chance!

"U-Um, excuse me?"

"Hmm?" Ruby turned back towards Blake, who was sitting on the bench in front of the principal's office for the past few minutes. Her expression looked very uninterested, but Blake knew it held no malice or any form of annoyance. "Oh, it's you."

"U-Uh, Ruby, right?"

"Yeah?"

"M-My name is Blake Belladonna."

The younger girl cocked her head and raised her eyebrow, analyzing the nervous wreck that was unfolding in front of her. It took her a couple of seconds before finally registering Blake.

"Oh yeah, you're the girl who sits next to me in Goodwitch's class." And just like that, Blake probably became the first person in all of Beacon to witness Ruby soften her expression to a tender smile. "Sorry about earlier. I, uh, I don't like bullies. Getting into fights with people like them was the reason why I transferred to Beacon from Signal a couple years back. I didn't think we'd get into a fist fight in front of you."

Seeing Ruby this way calmed Blake down a tad, seeing that the supposed delinquent was just as human as she was. In response, Blake shook her head. "It's quite alright. In fact, I'm grateful. Not many people would stand up for me, much less stand up against the infamous Yang Xiao Long."

"That's a shame," Ruby lamented. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine. But thank you for your concern. And thank you for defending me." Blake gave a small bow, which caused Ruby to look away and blush a small amount.

"No problem, I guess. I'm just lucky that I had no plans this Saturday. Though telling my mom that might cause some issues…"

Blake chuckled at the comment and offered out her hand. "It was nice meeting you, Ruby. You're quite the interesting character."

Ruby scratched the back of her head in confusion but ultimately accepted the raven-haired girl's friendly gesture. "I'm not really sure if I should take that as a compliment or not, but likewise, Blake."

The two parted ways, leaving on a somewhat happy note. Thinking about the past few hours on her first hectic day of school, Blake could not help but smile.

This year may prove itself to be an interesting one after all.

Oh man, it was so difficult to write Yang like that. She's so precious and I ended up making her the bad guy... But fret not! Even the bullies go through character development, right?

So yeah, I decided to begin with developing a Ladybug friendship before anything else. I think, out of how I planned on using the three other girls, Ruby would bond with Blake the most. And originally during planning, I found it difficult putting Blake into the story because the plot revolves more around Ruby and her family.

So thank you for reading this far! I'm really excited to tackle this project so please leave any reviews you may have or just comment on how I'm doing things!