The Romance Tower

A/N: Hello hunters and huntresses and welcome to my first fanfic. This came to me while I was dreaming (both daydreaming and real dreaming).

Now, I will change a few things from the actual canon happenings, especially the end of Volume 3. Some changes will be that Beacon does not fall but it is attacked, Emerald and Mercury change their minds (you'll see), and well, you can guess what the main pairings are. One more thing is that there are some OCs who are pretty important to this fic.

I hope you all enjoy and don't forget to review and leave some constructive criticism. I do want to get better.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of its characters. The only thing I own are my OCs. Trust me, if I did own RWBY, so much White Rose and Bumblebee

Ch. 1

Ruby's POV

No, no, no! Why would this happen?! Not… Penny. I was sitting in the arena. It was supposed to be a friendly competition, just to see who would win. Then everything went wrong. Yang shot Mercury, getting herself disqualified, and now… Penny. Why was the only thing that went through my mind. There were Grimm all over Beacon now, being the monsters that they are, attacking everything in sight. I'm not cut out to be a huntress. I couldn't stop Mercury and I can't stop the Grimm. I couldn't help Penny… I'm a failure. Then a new, familiar voice cut through my self loathing.

"You're a huntress, whether you failed to help me or not doesn't matter. There are still people who need help."

"Penny?" I whispered, afraid.

"If you leave the people of Vale to die, then you're no better than Cinder and her goons."

"B-But, I failed" I said, shaking from crying so much. "Everyone fails some time. That doesn't make you a failure, it makes you human. What makes you better is picking yourself up and continuing to try. The Ruby I know would never give up, no matter what. Are you still the Ruby I knew?"

These words lit a small fire, but it wasn't enough "How can I stop this? I'm not strong enough."

"That's what your friends are for" my thoughts went to Yang, the stubborn, hotheaded, yet caring brawler that I'm proud to call my sister. She's helped me so much throughout my years. Then Blake, the mysterious and quiet faunus. Sure I don't know her the best, but she is an amazing teammate who will always have my back. And then… Weiss, the beautiful "Ice Queen", as many people had become accustomed to calling her, especially Yang. God, she's so beautiful, her white locks flowing, her long pale legs. Her jagged scar is her only imperfection, yet it just adds to her beauty.

"Whether she knows it or not, she needs you. You're her light in the darkness, the rose in a lifeless meadow, the Beacon in a Dark world." This surprised me at first, but I remembered that she is just a voice in my head. My subconscious trying to talk to me. Still, it spurred me into action. The one thing that I will always fight for no matter what. Weiss Schnee.

"I will fight… for her." I leapt into the arena to call my weapons in. "always for her."

Unknown POV

"Humph!" I grunted as I lifted the huge tree. "Gonna need more than this to last the winter." As I went through the forest, I let my mind wander while dragging the tree back. I can't believe I'm turning 17 in a couple weeks. These past couple years have gone by so fast. Soon, I'll be out of my mom's house and exploring the world. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but sometimes she can get kinda restricting, especially when it comes to exploring.

Flashback

"Hunter, don't go in that forest."

"But mom, why not?" I asked with a frown. I want to explore new places and discover new things. Plus I'm fifteen, I can handle myself.

"There are Grimm in that forest and I don't want you to get hurt." She said with a serious look, but also with the hints of something else. Is it sadness, anger? I can't tell.

"Mom, I can handle myself. You know how much I train every day." I said, getting a little angry.

"You cannot go in there and that's final."

After a little bit of thought, I said with determination "No, that's not final. I've gone into Grimm-infested areas before with your permission, places much more dangerous than that forest. Why are you so afraid? Do you think I'm just naïve and don't know about life? Do you think that I can't-"

"Hunter!" I stopped talking. I raised my voice a little too much. Well a lot actually, without realizing it. I gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry." I said with regret.

"No, I should be sorry." She sighed. I looked surprised and was about to ask why, before she cut me off by putting her hand up. "Let's go inside." I didn't question it as I followed her back to our house. When we got inside, she looked very weary, adding about 10 or 20 years to how she looked. "Your father was a great Hunter. Going to Beacon, getting trained and saving people was his dream since he was 10." I wasn't surprised by the information, but by the fact that we were talking about my father. We haven't talked about him since he died when I was 6. At the time, I did understand the concept of death. I matured a lot faster than other people my age and so, when my mom was bawling her eyes out and I saw the hunters that I knew were friends of my dad, I knew what had happened. "that's one reason he named you Hunter, he wanted you to be a hunter just like him, saving people and putting your skills to the test for the greater good. When I was told he died, I couldn't believe it and… broke down, as you know. I told you I didn't know exactly where he died, but it was somewhere far away on a mission. Well, that's not the whole truth." I blinked in surprise. I can't believe she didn't tell me, but I'll listen. I nodded at her to indicate for her to continue. "He died in the Oum forest… the forest that you want to explore so badly." I… I can't believe it. All this time I thought that my father died nowhere near us, when in reality, he was right there. "he was on his way back from a mission and decided to cut through the Oum forest to get home faster… when he was ambushed by the Grimm." She started to cry and I did as well.

"Oh my God, I-I can't believe it. Why didn't you tell me before now?" I asked in a calm, but breaking voice, a couple tears starting to fall.

"I didn't want you to think that it was our fault he died. I wanted you to think he died a hero, on a mission trying to save people. I wanted to protect you from that guilt."

I could tell from the way she said it, that she held that guilt. She truly thought it was our fault. "Mom, it's not your fault, nor is it mine. Yes, he died trying to get home early, but that wasn't the reason. He could've been ambushed at any time anywhere. We live in the middle of nowhere, no main protected roads lead here. It wasn't our fault." We both started to cry together.

End of flashback

We talked for a while and came to the agreement that I can handle myself, but I'm not allowed to be out there for more than a couple hours. If I am, then my mom will come, with some hunters, to find me. It's a reasonable rule and I haven't broken it yet. I wonder how Beacon is doing nowadays, I heard they got a whole bunch of new recruits and that they're amazing. "Should I join up? It might be a good thing. I could learn a lot and hone my skills more, though they don't need a lot. I've been training for years, I'm so observa- ahhh!" *thud* "Goddammit… ow. That hurt, ironic as well. Figures, with my luck I would do something embarrassing like that while praising myself" I sigh, but then start chuckling. "Ah well, just gotta keep moving." I pick the tree up again and start heading back home. "Something else I wonder, why do I talk to myself so much? I'm literally in the middle of nowhere talking to myself. You know what, Imma just stop talking and focus on not embarrassing myself this time."

After about 30 minutes, I'm finally back home. I drop the tree down next to our log cabin. It's pretty small, with two bedrooms, one bath and our living room… which is also our kitchen and our dining room. Yeah, it's not a lot but it's enough. I walk in the door, making a ruckus as always. God I hate growth spurts, so clumsy afterwards. "Welcome home sweetie. How was it?"

"Eh, it was fine. I mean, carrying a huge tree for a half hour isn't the exactly a fun fest, but it was quiet." I say beaming my signature smile. Well, I say smile when most people would actually consider it more of a smirk.

"Well that's nice. Dinner's almost ready so go ahead and get comfortable." She says, smiling brightly. I go over to the couch… and basically flop on it, bouncing a few inches up. Guess I'm more tired than I thought. "Don't do that, I don't want the couch to break… again. Remember what happened last year?" she said with a knowing look.

"Sorry." Last year, I was so tired I tripped over my own feet and tried to catch myself using the couch… only for a part of the couch to rip as I grabbed them.

After a little while, I begin to smell something. "Hey mom, did you burn dinner again?"

"What? No, don't be ridiculous. However, I do smell something." She decides to look outside and I hear a sharp gasp.

"What's wrong?" I ask with concern etched onto my face. She wouldn't answer, because of shock I think. Now I'm really worried. I look outside and now I understand why. Beacon… on fire, Grimm everywhere, people running and screaming. "What the hell?!" I look at my mom and give her an apologetic look. She looks confused and then it dawns on her.

"NO! No, no, no, absolutely not! I will not allow you to put yourself into danger!" She screams, her eyes already starting to water.

I look at her with understanding and start to calmly say "Mom, I have to help. People are in danger and I would never forgive myself if Beacon falls and I know I could've done something about it. This is what being a hunter is about, helping those in need and never turning a blind eye. I have to try. Isn't this what dad always wanted? He always helped people and I want to do the same. Please mom, let me do this." I started out very steady and almost matter-of-factly, but as I went, I noticed my eyes getting foggy and tears going down my cheeks.

She looked at me with worry, concern, and love, but most importantly, she looked at me with understanding. She slowly nodded her head and said "Ok. Just, try to be careful and please come back alive."

I nodded "I'll try" I walk out the door, with determination and fire in my eyes. "Whoever did this, will pay." I say as I begin to run full speed to my father's school.