The Golden Room (ch1)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!! THANK YOU!

So! Azure-zer0 and I got the idea to do an art/story collab for Weiss and Yang a while back, and now it's finally happening! There will be accompanying art to each chapter from Azure! We hope you enjoy!

This is gonna be set in a High School AU!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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															The Golden Room

															   Chapter 1.

Beacon High School was the largest public school in all of Vale. It offered a wide range of classes and activities for its diverse students, catering to humans and Faunus alike.

The school was renown for its successful college prep courses, which allowed students to get a few extra credits onto their records before graduating and moving on to a university.

Along with academics, the high school also offered programs on theatre, the arts, and many sports.

The property was very large, with the main building having four floors' worth of classrooms, gymnasiums, and auditoriums.

On such a large campus, it was no surprise that most students would only ever encounter the classmates who shared the same interests and ended up in the same areas at the same times as their schedules demanded.

With nearly one thousand students attending, it was safe to say that any one individual could go through their high school years at Beacon High without even knowing a good fraction of their own graduation class even existed.

But sometimes, the best of friends could meet in the strangest of ways, be it by accident, mere coincidence, or even a bit of luck.

Everyone had a different interpretation of such an event, and depending on how things turned out in the end, they could deem the meeting as having been for better or for worse.

At eighteen years old, Weiss Schnee was one of Beacon High's most successful seniors.

She was one of the few examples where just about everyone else knew her. If they hadn't seen her give a small speech here or there, or sing one of the best solos out of any choir concert, at the very least they'd heard her name being called over the loudspeaker to commend her on such performances.

Her name was mentioned on the announcements at least once a week, and it was always for the best of reasons.

Weiss was a hardworking girl who wouldn't let anyone or anything get in the way of her academic excellence. She'd received the perfect attendance award for her freshman, sophomore, and junior years thus far, and wasn't about to lose it in her final year as a senior.

This particular award was one that had existed for many decades now on Beacon's campus, but one that no one had received yet. Students had won the award for perhaps one year out of the four, but the entire four-year award had yet to be claimed.

And Weiss intended to have it, no matter the cost.

Of course, that wasn't the only award she was striving for.

Like her sister before her, she was determined to be crowned the valedictorian of her class, as well as receive the superlative "Most Likely to Succeed." She was also confident that she might be given another award for her exceptional singing performances and her superior grades.

She'd never received anything lower than an A-. She'd never missed an assignment.

Not one sheet of homework had she missed, nor a single pop quiz had she flunked.

By this point in her life, she knew that if she didn't bring home a report card of all A's to her father, there would be unpleasant repercussions.

But she didn't have any hobbies or anything else she wanted to do other than focus on school and her studies. She didn't go out to the movies or have sleepovers with people or go out on dates or day trips.

In fact, despite all her accomplishments inside the school, Weiss really didn't have much to do after the final bell rang. She didn't really have any friends, only acquaintances at best. They were people who she was forced to work on group projects with, where she ended up doing most - if not all - of the work anyway. But she had no one to enjoy herself with on the weekends or to stay out past curfew with on a school night.

Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder what it might be like to live life as that kind of teenager.

But her father had assured her time and again that the lack of socialization would be more than worth it.

"Friendships don't last," he'd once told her. "But superior grades and a prestigious reputation will."

And after so many years of hearing that, Weiss had come to believe it.

So she drowned herself in schoolwork and studying, even on weekends and during her free time. Once she'd run out of assignments to do, she would go online to find other topics to study, or participate in online practice exams in order to enhance her skills and knowledge on various topics.

She just wanted to survive her final year of high school without upsetting her father in any way. Once her senior year was over, she could head off to university right away and finally start life on her own, without her father constantly looking down over her shoulder.

And because of all her hard work thus far, she knew she was almost guaranteed to get accepted into any college she applied to.

But for now, she just wanted to focus on graduating at the top of her class, and making achievements no one else had ever accomplished before.

She wasn't about to start shirking her responsibilities now just because she was already standing on such a high pedestal. She was going to succeed, and even if that meant making some personal sacrifices along the way, she'd do it.

Even if she had to do it alone.

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Yang Rose-Xiao Long was a very free spirit.

Anyone who knew her would say the same thing about her, and arguably, even the people who didn't know her probably would as well.

She came from what some people might call a "broken family."

Her little sister Ruby was actually only her half-sister. Ruby's mother had passed away in Ruby's infancy, and Yang's own mother had simply walked out of the house one day and never come back.

For most years of Yang's life, it had just been Ruby, their father, Zwei, and herself.

But Yang would never think to call her family "broken."

They might not have been whole, but they certainly weren't damaged beyond repair. They were mending, healing, and perfect just as they were.

Yang was in her senior year now, and Ruby was finally in the same school as her as a freshman. Though they didn't have any classes together, they did luck out in having their lunch block together, along with Yang's best friend Blake.

Yang was one of those people who knew everybody somehow. If she didn't know a person directly, she probably knew somebody else who knew them. She was a social butterfly to say the least, but she did have a few deep-rooted friendships as well, mainly the one she had with Blake.

While her Faunus friend was typically quieter by nature, that didn't stop her from attending just about every single one of Yang's sporting events.

Ever since they'd first met in their younger years, Blake had always been drawn to Ruby and Yang's outgoing and fun-loving personalities. She'd quickly become a part of the family, in the most basic sense. Wherever Ruby and Yang went, Blake was usually there with them, too.

And Yang was always there for her too, mainly to defend Blake against misguided classmates or the few who were still racist towards Faunus, even in this day and age. But luckily, those instances were few and far between.

She got to enjoy her friend's and sister's company during and after school, as well as on weekends. Yang hardly ever went anywhere without at least one of them by her side.

But in her senior year, Yang ended up losing a bit of time with them, but only after school.

Ruby and Blake had decided to join a book club together, which just so happened to be at the same time as Yang's sports' practices. But she was glad to know the two of them were off enjoying themselves in the library instead of sitting in the bleachers, probably being bored to death by her routine, even if they'd never show it.

Yang was a little lonely initially, having no one to cheer her on during her volleyball practices.

But luckily, it wouldn't be like that for long.

. . .

Yang had tried out all different sports over her years at Beacon High. She'd played soccer, softball, football, and field hockey, and in a few instances, she'd played two or three sports a year.

But during her final year, she had decided to only play one sport per one season, and use the rest of her free time to enjoy herself with her friends and her sister.

Yang really liked volleyball for several reasons. The workout routines were invigorating and high-intensity, which was right up her alley. But the sport itself also required a lot of focus and patience.

Those were two things she might arguably have to work on as a person.

She tended to be a bit impulsive, or could get easily distracted at times, like during a lecture when the topic didn't interest her in the slightest.

But volleyball helped keep her engaged, focused on the ball and the players around her, and helped her control her somewhat more impulsive behaviors.

It also helped a bit with her self-control, because she'd been told time and again that she didn't know her own strength. She needed to wait until just the perfect time to make a move, needed to position herself at just the right angle and use the proper amount of force – nothing more and nothing less.

In addition to all of these things, she found volleyball to just be fun in general.

Her fellow players were very amiable and good-natured, and she had a lot of fun playing with them, making jokes when someone missed a hit, or cheering and complimenting someone when they scored a point.

Overall, the sport just gave off a very positive, energetic atmosphere, one that Yang needed in her life. It fueled her to keep trying her best - and most importantly, to have fun.

Plus, the uniform was really cute, too.

The short-sleeved shirt and mini-skirt shorts were a welcome change to the usual blazer and skirt she was made to wear during the day, especially during the warmer months.

Today had been another one of those hotter days, even when practicing indoors. The coach had just dismissed them all, and Yang headed to the locker room, sweaty and satisfied. She went to the sinks to splash water onto her face and took an extra second to admire her reflection.

With the high ponytail, flattering uniform, and bit of sweat beading on her skin, she looked positively sporty.

She commended all of the other girls who'd practiced with her today, giving them little reminders about how good their hits or strikes were as she started to change out of her sports uniform and into the usual school one.

She tugged the dark blue skirt up onto her hips and slipped into the white button-up undershirt. But rather than put the long-sleeved blazer on over all that when she was still heated up from practice, she tied it around her waist instead.

She kept her hair in its ponytail for now so as to keep any excess weight and sweat off the back of her neck. After exchanging her sneakers for indoor shoes, she grabbed her backpack and wished everyone goodbye for the day as she headed out.

A glance at the clock on the wall told her practice had ended a little early today. Usually, she'd have to hurry to the library to meet with Blake and Ruby as their book club ended, but today Yang was content to take her time.

Rather than exhaust her, practice had seemed to give her even more energy today. She was still itching to move her feet a bit and keep her heart rate up.

So instead of sauntering through the hallways and up the stairs to the fourth floor library, she decided to take the long way.

The hallways that were usually so congested with students during the daytime were now almost vacant, save for a few stragglers getting let out from club activities, and other sports players like herself. Yang passed by the principal's office as well as the nurse's on her way to the staircase.

But instead of going directly there, she stopped at the nearby restroom first, which was arguably a bit cleaner than the one in the gym locker room. She dabbed a wet paper towel over her forehead again, wiping away the last of the sweat. From inside her backpack, she dug out a small bottle of perfume and spritzed on a bit, then took the time to brush through her ponytail for a minute.

By the time she was finished, she'd hoped it would be time to go fetch Ruby and Blake, but she found she still had a good fifteen minutes or so.

Deciding she'd just wait outside in the hallway until they were ready, Yang exited the bathroom and made for the staircase again.

But just before she could reach it, something reached her.

More specifically, a small sound carried through the air and reached her ears.

It was distant, but she could very clearly tell it was the tune of a piano, muffled by various doors and walls.

And accompanying it was the faintest voice, but the decreased volume didn't prevent her from determining just how lovely the sound was.

Yang had stayed after school dozens of times for her practices, but never before had she heard those sound before. Her curiosity won her over, and she decided to turn away from the staircase and head down the hall towards the music room.

I didn't know they had practice after school this late... Maybe there are auditions for something?

But as she drew closer and closer to the source of the music, she didn't see any other people. No students lining the halls, practicing lines, or acting out skits for some potential part.

Puzzled, Yang couldn't help but advance toward the room, wondering what was going on. With every step, the music got stronger, though she couldn't exactly classify the tinkling piano keys and soft clear voice as being "loud."

But it was obvious to Yang that whomever was singing was no amateur. The words were crisp and articulate, the tune on the piano was flawless and sounded professional.

Yang paused outside of the room and leaned back against the wall, and for a minute, she simply listened to that beautiful voice.

It was clear the singer was female, and judging by her tone and pronunciation, it was a fellow student, even though the skill level seemed to suggest she was a trained music teacher.

To put it simply, Yang was mesmerized.

The lovely voice and calming music alone were captivating enough, but on top of that, the late-afternoon sunlight was coming in through the windows and down the hall at just the perfect angle, giving the pale, off-white walls a golden glow.

Yang felt indescribably warm, and she knew it wasn't all to do with her just getting out of practice. She closed her eyes, though the glow of the sunlight still gave a yellowish-orange hue to the backs of her eyelids.

For as long as she could, she savored those beautiful sounds of the trained voice and tinkling piano. She wondered if this girl sang like this after school every day, but Yang had always missed out on it because of her practices always ending later. She thought that was a waste, to have missed hearing so many days' worth of this beautiful melody. She wanted to listen forever...

But of course, the song eventually came to an end.

The singer's voice lingered on the air for a moment, still echoing down the golden hallways as the final notes of the piano rang out and faded off.

Yang hung onto that final moment for as long as she could until everything fell silent.

Only then did she open her eyes and remember to take a breath. She'd been so focused on the music all this time that she hadn't really concentrated on anything else that much.

Wow... Holy crap, that was incredible. I should say something...

Even though it would reveal the fact that she'd kind of been eavesdropping, she wanted the singer to have her hard work recognized, even if it was just in a few kind words from a passing stranger.

So Yang steeled herself, running a hand back through her hair as she stepped away from the wall. Quietly, she treaded into the open door of the music room. There were rows of seats lining the floor, divided into separate sections for concert choir and band.

But Yang directed her gaze towards the black piano positioned several yards away.

Seated at the bench was a girl with long white hair pulled back into a ponytail. Along with the blue colors of the school uniform, it gave Yang a refreshing chill to see her after all the sweating she'd done this afternoon.

The other girl hadn't noticed her entrance; she seemed to be preparing to start playing another song. But before Yang could stop herself, she ended up breaking the silence by blurting out.

"Oh! I know you!"

She was just so excited since she recognized the girl at the piano.

But the singer was clearly surprised by the unexpected outburst. With a small yelp, she jolted and twisted around, very nearly falling off the bench in the process. One of her hands flew to her chest as her eyes went wide in shock.

"W-Who are you?" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, sorry!" Yang made her way over, putting a hand behind her head with a sheepish grin on her lips. "Didn't mean to scare ya. It's just that I heard you singing and playing and I'd thought you sounded familiar. But now that I'm seeing your face, I totally recognize you! You're the girl who always sings the solos at the choir concerts! My little sister's in the band, so when I go to see her performance, I usually see the choir's, too. You're amazing!"

She'd said so much so quickly that the other girl hadn't even had the time to recover from Yang's barging in yet. She sat there looking up at her, still perplexed.

"I... Well, thank you." She wasn't about to let genuine praise of herself go without grateful recognition. "Now, would you mind telling me what exactly it is you're doing here?"

She wasn't trying to sound mean or accusatory, but her natural voice might've made it sound that way.

But Yang didn't take any offense at all.

"Oh! I just got outta volleyball practice early. I was heading up to the library to pick up my sister and our friend, but I had some time to kill so I let myself wander a bit. That's when I heard you singin' and I came over just to listen for a minute. And well... I didn't wanna just leave without telling you how great you are, so I decided to come in and chat!" She put her hands on her hips and smiled, satisfied with her explanation.

The other girl still looked puzzled, but now she was starting to relax a little bit.

"I see..."

Judging by the blonde girl's ruffled uniform and the way she'd tied her blazer around her waist rather than worn it properly over her shoulders, it indicated she'd just gotten changed after sports practice.

"Well then, thank you for stopping in to tell me as much. I appreciate it...?" She left it open-ended.

The blonde girl quickly filled it in.

"Yang! My name's Yang! You're um... ah gosh, they announce you as the soloist all the time! Why can't I remember?"

"Weiss Schnee."

"Right! Weiss! The prodigy singer! Nice to officially meet you, though it's a little weird that it's in an empty music room after school like this."

She reached out her hand in the usual, amiable fashion.

But Weiss ignored it, standing on her own and avoiding eye contact.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

Her voice sounded a little tighter, and Yang frowned.

"H-Hey, um... sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

"Not at all. I've got to go now. It's almost time for my father to come pick me up."

She brushed past Yang and headed for the only chair that wasn't empty. It was were Weiss had left her bag, and she retrieved it now.

But Yang still couldn't help feeling guilty, as if she'd made their casual little encounter awkward somehow.

"H-Hey, wait a sec!" She jogged over to Weiss, pausing in front of her. Weiss stopped and upturned a serious gaze on her.

"I told you, my father's coming to pick me up. I've got to go-"

"B-But! Okay, then at least um... let me walk with you? I can't help feelin' I made you upset just now, and I'm sorry."

"That's not necessary."

Weiss stepped around her and headed for the door.

But Yang didn't want things to end like this.

"U-Um! Then, would you mind if... maybe in the future I came by to listen to you sing again? Would that be okay?"

Weiss paused, and even from this distance, Yang could see the girl's grip on her bag tighten a little bit. Weiss didn't turn around to face her, but she did respond.

"That's fine. I wouldn't mind."

Relief spread over Yang from her head to her toes, and the usual grin found its way back onto her lips.

"Really? That's great! Maybe I'll swing by again sometime! And I'll try not to scare you next time."

"That would be nice."

Weiss' voice was still tight, but Yang thought she might've heard a smile in it. She couldn't be sure though.

All Yang could do was watch as Weiss left the room, moving at a rather brisk pace. In the warm glow of the sunlight streaming in, she looked like a nymph or an angel, and disappeared just as mysteriously as one might've.

For a moment, Yang stared after her, wondering if she'd even been real at all.

But the song Weiss had sung was still playing in Yang's mind and in her heart.

She didn't know what to make of their first encounter. She felt she'd both made Weiss happy and upset somehow, but at the very least, she'd agreed to let Yang come by in the future if she wanted to. Hopefully then, Yang could right whatever wrongs she'd been responsible for, and perhaps even find out more about Weiss.

After all, she must've gotten lonely sitting here after school all by herself for hours.

Yang wasn't quite sure what she'd do when she saw Weiss next, but she knew for sure that she wanted to see her again.

But for now, she needed to get to the library to pick up Ruby and Blake.

So she left the golden music room behind herself.

But it wouldn't be for the last time.

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A/N: In all honesty, I wrote this entire fic over a year ago, and Azure has been working on art for it recently. Since I haven't touched it in so long, I'd more or less forgotten what I'd written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!