Harmony

The first time that Weiss saw the busker on the street corner, she was thoroughly convinced that the girl was insane. What she doing? The street corner was opposite one of the most prestigious music schools in the world. What could she possibly hope to achieve with a battered, old electric guitar and some second-rate equipment?

Weiss walked past her without so much as a second glance. She had an appointment with her vocal coach, and she couldn't afford to be late. The insanity of some random girl was none of her concern. She was the first person in her family to attempt a career in music, and her family did not tolerate failure.

The second time that Weiss saw the busker on the street corner, she took a discrete look at the dusty hat that the girl was using to collect the money people gave her. Weiss has expected it be empty. It wasn't. In fact, the girl was doing surprisingly well. But since the girl seemed to be on break, Weiss had yet to actually hear her play. Oh well, she couldn't be that good, and a lot of people did walk by. Besides, she couldn't afford to wait around. She had another class to go to.

The third time that Weiss saw the busker on the street corner, she finally heard her play. It was… indescribable. Weiss had always thought of the guitar as a rough instrument, one unsuited for the cultured ears of those who attended her music school. She was wrong. There was something about the way the girl played that made her impossible to ignore.

It was only after listening for a few minutes, lost in the soaring wildness of the busker's music, that Weiss understood. It was passion. Weiss was technically perfect, both vocally and on the piano, but her instructors had always critiqued her lack of passion. She'd never understood what they'd meant until now. This busker – this girl – didn't just play music. She lived it.

Weiss moved to cross the street and then stopped, turning to quickly slip some money into the girl's hat. The girl looked up through a curtain of dark hair, silver eyes twinkling, and continued to play, her electric guitar conjuring up thoughts of star ships soaring through space.

The fourth time that Weiss saw the busker on the street corner, she stopped to talk. The girl was taking another break, and Weiss had, to put it very bluntly, not had a pleasant morning. Her grades had come back, and they had not been as good as she'd hoped. Her father had found out too. He had not been pleased, nor had he been subtle in his displeasure. She wanted – needed – a distraction.

"Do you come here often?" Weiss asked. She was trying, and failing, to act nonchalant.

The girl took another sip of her coffee and took a bite out of big cookie that she'd bought. "As often as I can." She grinned. "I can't exactly afford to stay here all day. I only play when it's busiest. Other than that, I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that to make ends meet."

"Oh?" Weiss raised one eyebrow.

"I'm a mechanic too, at least, for now." The girl smiled wistfully. "I'd like to be a musician though. That's always been my dream."

"You already are," Weiss blurted. She blushed. She hadn't planned on saying that. "I mean… anyone who plays like you… they're already a musician in my eyes." She paused. "And… well… you've actually earned money with your music, right?" She nodded at the music school across the street. "I'm a student there, but I haven't done that. Not yet."

The girl shrugged and gave a nervous laugh. "But that's only because you're studying right now, isn't it? You must be really good to go there." She sighed and looked away. "I tried out once. It didn't go so well."

"What happened?" Weiss prided herself on her judgement, and this girl was good. "Why didn't you get it?"

"Let's just say that I'm mostly self-trained and leave it at that." The girl made a face. "Oh, by the way, I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose." She stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Weiss Schnee." Weiss shook Ruby's hand. The calluses on it could only have come from countless hours of practice. "And it's nice to meet you too."

"Weiss Schnee?" Ruby's eyes widened. "I… I've heard you sing. You're really, really good."

"When did you hear me sing?" Weiss had not performed in public many times, and certainly not at the kind of venues that Ruby was likely to have attended. Her family thought it best to conserve her talent for what they deemed to be worthy occasions, most of which were related to her family's business and political aspirations.

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "Well, I kind of got a gig as a waiter for a political convention once – you performed there."

"Oh." Weiss nodded slowly and then looked at her watch. She was going to be late. "I have to be going, Ruby."

"Sure, sure, I get it. Places to go, important things to do." Ruby grinned and picked her guitar back up. "It's for the best since I've got to start playing soon. The lunchtime rush is about to start."

And so it went.

Weiss ran into Ruby several times a week from then on. The girl always had a smile on her face, and her music was always so rich, so vibrant. Weiss couldn't help but get a bit jealous. All of the training she'd gone through, all of the practice, and she still couldn't put the same kind of feeling into her music that Ruby did every time she picked up her guitar. It was absolutely infuriating – and very humbling.

It was that last part that made Weiss stop and talk more often, at least, that's what she told herself. If she could understand what made Ruby's music so passionate, then perhaps she could improve her own music too. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Ruby was surprisingly good company, always cheerful and had plenty of witty yet adorable insights about all the people she saw passing by. And if Weiss made a habit of buying cookies and coffee each morning, it was simply a coincidence that she almost always ended up giving them to Ruby.

"You'd be surprised by how much I see." Ruby's lips curved up. "People tend to forget about people like me after they get used to seeing me around." She chuckled and pointed to a businessman chatting with a young woman. He had one arm around her shoulders, and the pair was smiling at each other. "See him? He's married – but not to her. And her? She's juggling another guy on the side too. She meets him every other day."

Weiss giggled. "That cannot be true. That sounds like something out of a soap opera."

"I swear it's true." Ruby put one hand over her heart. "I keep wondering what will happen if they get their schedules mixed up."

"You're horrible." But Weiss laughed anyway. Her voice softened. "You know, Ruby, you're very good. You should apply again. I think you'd make it this time."

"I wouldn't," Ruby replied, and her expression was hard to pin down. "I know what schools like that look for. A self-taught street busker who plays the electric guitar isn't exactly top of their list. And I've always wanted to start my own band. I can't do that if I'm at some stuffy music school."

"I suppose. How far have you gotten with your band?" Weiss asked.

"Let's just say that things could be going better." Ruby made a face. "My sister is the drummer, and I know someone who's pretty awesome on the bass guitar. But what I'd really like is someone on the keyboard."

"You don't have a vocalist?" Weiss asked. She couldn't imagine a band without a vocalist.

"I'm… kind of the main vocalist, but we can all sing." Ruby blushed, and Weiss chuckled. "Hey! I'm pretty good you know. But I'm still getting used to singing. I used to just play the guitar, and I get a bit nervous in front of big crowds."

"I'm sure you'll be great." Weiss grinned. Ruby was adorable when she blushed. She glanced at her watch and sighed. "I've got to go. I have another class coming up." Her brows furrowed. "I… I haven't been doing as well as I'd like lately."

"What's the problem? You seem like you'd be really good at music school."

Weiss hesitated. It galled her to admit her own weakness. "It's… I have a problem with putting emotion into my music. I've always been good on a technical level, but people always say that my music sounds cold, like I'm lonely, or like I'm only doing it for applause, not because I care about it. But I do care," Weiss said fiercely. "I really do."

"I believe you." Ruby patted Weiss on the back. "Go get them!"

Weiss did not, in fact, go get them. Instead, her grades only continued to slide.

"Maybe you need to try something different," Ruby suggested. "How about this? My band is going to practice this weekend. You should come over and listen. Maybe it'll inspire you."

"Rub, you don't exactly have a band. And, well, do we actually know each other well enough for you to invite me to your house?" Weiss bit her lip.

"You've been talking to me for almost six months now, and I totally promise you that I'm not a serial killer or anything creepy."

Weiss put on her most stern expression. "That is exactly what a serial killer would say."

"Hey!" Ruby patted Weiss's hand. "But I mean it, Weiss."

"I suppose I could." Weiss knew that her family would have a heart attack, so she'd have to come up with some kind of excuse. There was just something about Ruby's smile that made it impossible to say no. "I would feel quite bad if I simply came over and listened. I can play the keyboard as well. If you like, I could bring one over."

"That would be so awesome!" Ruby leapt to her feet. "I've got some songs written that I need the keyboard for, and I'll finally get to try them."

"I'll see you there then."

The weekend came, and Weiss found herself in Ruby's garage with a tall, busty blonde, and a quiet, reserved Faunus.

"This is your band?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah!" Ruby pointed at the blonde. "That's my sister, Yang! And that's Blake." Ruby paused. "She kind of turned up one day complaining about all the noise, and she sort of just joined the band."

Blake shrugged and turned back to the book she was reading. "I moved in next door about a year ago. They sounded terrible. If they were going to play music, I thought I might as well join in. At least that way, they'd actually sound good."

"Yeah, yeah." Yang threw one arm around Blake. "Admit it, you totally love us now." She pointed at Weiss. "And, Ruby, how on earth did you get Weiss Schnee to come to our garage?"

"I asked her," Ruby said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. She started passing around some music. "Okay, here we go. Read up. I had a burst of inspiration last night, and I want to give it a try."

Weiss glanced over the music quickly. It was very different from what she was used to… "Let's give it a try."

Their first attempt did not go well.

"Weiss, you're screwing everything up." Yang growled. "You're not in charge. We're a band. We play together. And in this song, Ruby's the leader."

Weiss glared. She was not used to being part of such a small group – she normally performed either solo or with an orchestra – but Yang had a point. The lyrics were written for two, with Ruby taking the lead and Weiss providing supporting vocals. But that didn't seem right, not for this particular song. "Ruby," she said. "This song… what's it about?"

The other girl shrugged. "Expectations and stuff, you know, not being able to live up to them and everything. It sounded great in my head."

"Of course it did." Weiss shook her head. "Look, here's what we'll do. I'll sing the lead, and you can support me." Her eyes narrowed. "If there's anything I can understand, it's not living up to expectations."

"I guess." Ruby nodded. "Okay, let's give it another try."

The second attempt went much, much better.

In fact, it went so well that Weiss ended up staying all day and well into the night as Ruby and the others took full advantage of finally having another vocalist and someone on keyboard. She'd never met Yang or Blake before, but Weiss couldn't help but feel that the four of them suited one another musically. Ruby, of course, was overjoyed, and she gleefully hurled as many of her songs at Weiss as she possibly could before Weiss finally had to leave.

Weiss aced her exam the following week. It was absolutely bizarre. She hadn't studied particularly hard – she'd found herself back at Ruby's house the night before – but her instructor seemed impressed. He said that she'd finally found her voice. That is, she'd finally found the emotion and feeling that should have been in her music from the start.

Odd.

But Weiss had a feeling that she hadn't found her voice alone, and trips to Ruby's garage became far more frequent. And the more she looked at it, the more Weiss realised that while Ruby's band had a lot of potential, it was also a bit of a mess. Yang could get wild on the drums, Blake brooded way too much, and Ruby's talent had a way of getting away from her as she went with whatever she felt would be the best. But that didn't matter to Weiss because she realised that maybe, maybe this was what music was supposed to be like. Until she'd met Ruby and the others, music had never made her laugh, cry, frown, smile, and everything in between. It was crazy, and Weiss had never enjoyed music more.

Ruby's songs were an eclectic mix too. She had long, mournful ballads and quick, witty songs that inspired laughter and admiration in equal measure. But Ruby was never more at home than when she was lost in some crazy guitar solo that Weiss was pretty sure no one else in the world could pull off while singing her heart out. Before she knew it, Weiss stopped thinking of the band as just Ruby's. It was her band too.

"You know," Ruby said one day as Weiss sat beside her on the familiar street corner. "I know you're going to be graduating soon. Have you picked out what you'll be doing for your graduating performance?"

Weiss shook her head. "Not yet. Nothing has really caught my attention."

Ruby fidgeted. "I've got something you might like."

"Have you got the lyrics with you?"

"Here."

Weiss pursed her lips as she read over the lyrics and music. "I like this. I like it a lot. Can I use it?"

"If you want." Ruby took a deep breath. "But I wrote it with the band in mind. It'll be okay with just a piano, but it'll be better with the band."

"I see." Weiss smiled faintly. "Technically, I am allowed to have musical accompaniment since this performance is just to celebrate my graduation. I've already completed all of my exams. If you want… you guys could perform it with me."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked. Weiss had never told her exactly how her family felt about people like Ruby, but she had a good idea. The words "not good enough" summed it up pretty nicely. "I don't want to make trouble for you."

"Yes, I'm sure." Weiss's looked at Ruby. "You don't always find music, Ruby. Sometimes, it finds you." She smirked. "Besides, we're a band, aren't we?"

"I guess we are."

"Damn straight." Weiss chuckled. "But you know, we never did come up with a name."

"How about… Team RWBY?"

"Our initials? I suppose that could work. But does it really have to be pronounced like your name?" Weiss laughed.

"Um… yes?"

"Fair enough. You did start the band, after all."

X X X

Three years later…

Weiss took a deep breath and tried to calm down. The curtain was still down, but they could hear – and feel – the crowd on the other side. The Vale Entertainment Centre was sold out – that meant somewhere in the vicinity of ninety thousand screaming fans.

"Are you guys ready?" Ruby turned and gave all of them a smile. "Because I think they're ready for us."

"Sis, I was born ready." Yang smirked. "We'll blow them away."

Blake's lips twitched. "They won't know what hit them."

Weiss took a moment to reply. This wasn't what she'd had in mind when she aimed for a career in music, but she wouldn't trade this band – or anyone in it – for anything in the world. "Let's do this."

Ruby nodded and then gestured at one of the men standing off-stage. A moment later, the curtain began to rise, and the roar of the crowd washed over them.

"Good evening, Vale!" Ruby shouted. The stadium shook with the volume of the crowd's reply. "We are Team RWBY and this is Red Like Roses!"

X X X

Author's Notes

As always, I do not own RWBY. I'm not making any money off of this either.

This actually started off as a snippet that would have gone into A Dose of RWBY, but after going through it again and tinkering with it a little, it became long enough that I wasn't comfortable putting it there with all the other snippets. So, hurray! It got its own story. Anyway, I've always wanted to do a music AU for RWBY, so it was nice to finally get one written down. I don't know if there will be anymore to this story, but it is open-ended, so maybe I'll come back to this at some point. I have to admit that I had to try very, very hard not to slip in any puns about Ruby and Weiss making wonderful music together.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.