Leader Change

Chapter 1: A Wish Granted

Ruby Rose, the leader of team RWBY, was someone who had broken through all expectations people had for her. Not only had she done well in her training to become a Huntress, but she had done so well that she was recognized for her skills by Ozpin himself, who let the redheaded girl join Beacon Academy two years early. As if this hadn't been amazing enough, Ruby broke through even more expectations by not only becoming the leader of team RWBY, but by being a very good leader. The scythe-wielder was truly a person to be admired and respected.

However, there was a certain someone who didn't see things this way, and that was none other than Ruby's own partner, Weiss Schnee. No matter how well the redhead performed in tests or training exercises, the heiress would always find something to complain about. The girl born in nobility expected nothing but perfection, and nothing else would be good enough.

If it wasn't bad enough that Weiss felt the need to nitpick on every little mistake her partner did, whether it was a wrong answer or even not keeping her school uniform looking perfect, the heiress also had a bad habit of making things seem far worse than they really were. Even when the team members of RWBY were simply trying to have a good time somewhere in Vale, Weiss felt the need to point out things Ruby seemed to do wrong, saying that a leader needs to carry herself in a respectable manner, and that it would look bad for all Huntsmen and Huntresses for one to not act properly.

Their teammates, Blake and Yang, obviously didn't see things the same way their white-haired teammate did. In fact, they often felt the need to step in to defend their leader, thinking that Weiss often went too far. However, no matter how much they stood up for Ruby, the heiress wouldn't back down from her criticism of her partner. She was determined of making her opinion known, even if she was being unreasonable.

Little did the older girls of team RWBY know, especially Weiss, that their leader was slowly reaching her boiling point, and that she was about to blow up. It would only take a bit more before the redhead was going to unleash all of her pent up anger and frustration at her partner.

And that time was now.

Team RWBY was heading back to their dorm from their last class for the day, which had been combat practice under Glynda Goodwitch. During the class, their team had been put in a sparring match against team CRDL, which they won. The victory was mostly thanks to Ruby, as she directed her teammates with great skill, earning them almost a perfect victory. The only problem had come when Yang had gotten a bit too heated up, which led to her getting lured by Russel into fighting two opponents at the same time. Luckily, Ruby had been quick to act and had stepped in to assist her sister, thus resulting in Yang losing only a bit of her Aura. The four girls had performed so well that even Professor Goodwitch had praised them.

Unfortunately, an almost perfect victory wasn't good enough for Weiss, who made her opinion very clear once they got out of the class. It seemed like even with an almost perfect victory, the heiress felt the need to criticize her partner.

"Honestly, Ruby, you're way too careless!" Weiss complained. "Thanks to your decisions during battle, Yang could have gotten taken out! It was your fault that she ended up fighting both Russel and Cardin at the same time!"

"Hey, would you give her a break, princess?" Yang asked with a hint of anger in her voice, not liking the way her white-haired teammate was talking to her sister. "Not only did I get saved by her, we also won in the end. Besides, it was my fault that I got lured in by Russel's taunts, so I think it's unfair to blame Rubes."

"Even if we did win, we cannot ignore the risks we faced during our match!" the heiress argued. "Had this been an actual battle, things could have gotten far worse for us! It's the leader's duty to make sure her team stays safe during missions!"

"While I do understand your point, I also think you're being too unfair against Ruby," Blake said. "So far, she has been doing a great job at being a leader, far better than most others in this entire school. Not to mention, she is getting better with each day. While criticism can be useful, we should leave that to the teachers. Not to mention, you're being way too harsh."

"It's only through being harsh that Ruby will learn!" Weiss yelled.

While the three older girls were arguing with each other, they failed to notice how their team leader was reacting to all of this. Since Ruby's back was turned towards her teammates, they couldn't see the look of pure anger that was on the younger girl's face. Ruby's whole face was completely red from rage, she was gritting her teeth and her expression was one of fury. Just one little push and she would unleash all of her aggression in one go.

"Hey, Ruby, are you ignoring me!?" Weiss asked angrily, having not heard a word from her partner. "I'm trying to make you realize your mistakes, so you can-!"

"ENOUGH! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" Ruby yelled as loudly as she could, shocking her teammates. The redhead turned to face her partner, looking absolutely livid. "I have had enough of all of your damn complaining, Weiss! I know I need to improve my skills and that I'm not perfect, but I don't need YOU breathing down my neck about EVERY SINGLE THING I DO! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FRUSTRATING THAT IS!?"

The three older girls could only stare with wide eyes at their team leader. Never could they have imagined that Ruby was even remotely capable of such anger. In all honesty, it actually scared them. Weiss was especially starting to fear her partner, as she was the target of her rage.

"Every single day! Every. Single. Freaking! DAY! I have to listen to you complain about something I do! Why is it that you have to always find something to complain about!? Is that the only thing you enjoy doing!?" Ruby ranted with her anger not calming down even a bit. "I'm actually trying my best to not only become a good Huntress, but to fulfill my duties as a team leader and be a good friend to you all! And what do I get for my efforts!? Nothing but nagging and complaints every day! Why is that there is nothing I can do to make you satisfied!?"

"N-Now listen here, Ruby," Weiss said after managing to compose herself somewhat. "I do recognize your efforts, but your work still has a lot of need for improvement! I am just trying my best to point out your errors, so that-"

The young team leader didn't even let her partner finish speaking, as she grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her closer. Now that she was staring Ruby straight in the eyes, Weiss was truly frightened by the anger she saw in the younger girl's silver orbs.

"I CAN TAKE HELPFUL CRITICISM, BUT CONSTANT NAGGING AND MICROMANAGING IS SOMETHING NO ONE IS WILLING TO TAKE!" Ruby yelled straight at Weiss' face. "It's not bad enough that you have to complain about every little thing I get wrong in school, but you even have to make comments on my personal life as well! Yesterday, you complained about the way I was drinking my hot chocolate! DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO THAT FAR!?"

"Rubes, calm down!" Yang called out to her sister in a panic, fearing what might happen if this went on. "I know Weiss can be a pain to deal with, but you shouldn't-"

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, YANG!" the redhead yelled at her sister, scaring the older girl so badly that she actually hid behind Blake. "I am tired of the way Weiss keeps nitpicking literally everything I do! She doesn't even realize all the things I have to do and go through as a team leader!"

"W-Well, how could I know anything about being a team leader!?" Weiss yelled in a desperate panic as she tried to somehow save herself. "Since I wasn't made team leader, how could I know what it's like to be one!?"

Silence fell over team RWBY, as the three older girls waited nervously for Ruby's response. Weiss silently cursed herself for what she had just blurted out, as she was certain that it only managed to anger her partner further. However, the three older girls were surprised, when Ruby simply turned to look at the heiress with a completely neutral expression that didn't have any signs of her previous anger and rage left on it. It was almost like she had never gotten angry at all.

"Would you like to switch places with me then?" Ruby asked her partner calmly. "Since you don't know what it's like to be a leader, this could be a good experience for you."

"...Huh?" the three older girls all said in unison.

Moments later, the members of team RWBY were in Ozpin's office, talking about their latest issue. Ruby had explained the situation fully to the headmaster and asked if it would be possible for their team's leader to be changed for some time. The redhead even went so far as to explain that it would be a good learning experience for Weiss and that she herself was ready to permanently step down as leader, if the rest of their team felt like it was for the best.

Most of the people in the office were expecting Ozpin to deny such a request. After all, it was such a sudden change and had such big consequences that it would be crazy for them to go through with it.

However, all of those people were in for a surprise.

"That sounds not only reasonable, but also interesting," Ozpin said with a small smile. "Your request is granted. Starting from tomorrow, Weiss Schnee shall be the leader of team RWBY. I will inform the other professors about this change."

"WHAT!?" came the surprised scream from not only the WBY, but from Glynda Goodwitch as well, who had been in the office when team RWBY came there.

"Professor Ozpin, you can't be serious!" Glynda yelled at the headmaster in shock. "Changing the leader of a team like this can't be a good idea! Not only do we have to make all the necessary preparations at once, but there is also the problem of the other teams! What if this gives other students the idea that they can switch leaders suddenly!?"

"I am well aware of the problems, but I feel like this is a necessary experience for team RWBY," Ozpin said calmly. "For some time now, I have been receiving reports about Ms. Schnee seemingly questioning her leader's skills. Getting put on the leader's position for a change might give her a new perspective on not only her partner's position, but also on the position of a team leader as a whole. And as the teachers of this school, isn't it our duty to help our students grow in the best possible way?"

"Wait, is this really happening?" Weiss asked carefully, not able to fully believe what was happening. "Am I really going to be the leader of team RWBY from now on?"

"Indeed you are, Ms. Schnee," the headmaster answered with a smile. "You are finally going to get the position you wanted so badly when you first came here."

"Not only that, but I'll be willing to step down as leader permanently, if you prove to be better suited for the job than I am," Ruby added. "So, what do you say? Want to give it a shot?"

"Oh, absolutely!" the heiress replied happily. "I have always wanted to be the team leader, so there's no question if I want to do this!"

While Weiss was happy about the idea of getting the position of team leader, Yang and Blake were having their doubts about the whole thing. The idea of someone else taking the role of their leader felt like such an alien idea that they couldn't help but be bothered by it. The blonde was especially uncomfortable with the whole thing, since it felt like Weiss was stealing her little sister's position.

"Rubes, are you sure about this?" Yang asked the younger girl. "I think we can still back out of this, if you have any doubts."

"I'm more than willing to go through with this, Yang. In fact, I think it's for the best of our team," Ruby answered. "Not only has Weiss' constant complaining been putting a lot of strain between me and her, but I feel like she should learn what it's like to be in my position. Not to mention, if it turns out that Weiss truly is the better leader, it should be natural for her to take that position. I even kind of want her to, when I think about it."

"Don't you think that this is still a bit too extreme?" Blake asked. "While I do agree that Weiss should stop with her constant complaining, aren't you essentially just giving in to the demands of a spoiled child? I just fear what might happen from this."

"Don't worry. This will only be for a short while and I will personally do my best to make sure that nothing too bad happens," the redhead reassured the faunus girl. "Other than that, it's up to Weiss herself to make the right decisions."

Seeing as there seemed to be no possibility to change Ruby's mind, the two girls decided to let the whole thing be. They still couldn't help but feel that things wouldn't end well.

With everyone convinced to let the change happen, Ozpin began to explain Weiss some of the things she needed to look after as a leader. The white-haired girl listened happily to the headmaster's instructions, eager to start in her position as team leader. Meanwhile, Yang, Blake and Glynda were talking with each other about this new change. The blonde teacher tried her best to convince her two students that everything would be fine, although she herself couldn't help but have her doubts as well.

However, no one in the room managed to notice the smile on Ruby's face, which made her look like a scheming villain.

Later that night, team RWBY was starting to go to bed, hoping to get some rest before tomorrow's classes. Before the lights got switched off, Ruby had one more thing to say to her partner.

"Remember, Weiss, you're going to be the leader tomorrow," the redhead called out to the heiress. "That means you will have to fulfill all the duties and responsibilities I used to do. Don't take your new position lightly."

"Oh, trust me. I'll do my absolute best as the new leader," Weiss said with a cocky smile on her face. "Instead of worrying about how well I'm going to do, you should worry about your own position as team leader. I might just go and take it from you, since you personally made it possible."

"Well, tomorrow we will see just how good of a leader you truly are, Weiss," Ruby said with a small smirk. "And believe me when I say that I am excited to see it."

With their last words for the day said, the team went to sleep, wondering what tomorrow would bring to them. However, unknown to the three older girls of the team, Ruby had some sort of an idea and had a smile on her face while thinking about it.

Author's notes: Hope you guys like the start of my new story. I got this idea after thinking about how often people write Weiss in such a way that she is somewhat demanding to get the position of team leader from Ruby. This got me thinking about a scenario, where Ruby actually lets her partner take the role of leader, only for Weiss to find out what it truly is like to be the leader.

This story won't be a long one, as I think it will be at best seven chapters long, if even that. Of course, I can never truly tell what kind of crazy ideas I get that make their way to my stories, so one can never truly tell. However, at the moment, I am not planning for this to be especially long. I doubt making this story a long one would even work for it. Also, there won't be any pairings in this story.

Anyways, tell me whether you want to see me continue this story or not. It always depends on your feedback, if I'm going to continue or not.

Until next time.

RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.