There were many things Yang had expected to find upon her return from third period Remnant History, a goodbye note from Blake wasn't one of them. But that is what she found, well what she actually found was Ruby and Weiss sat on Weiss' bed holding the note, tears forming in both of their eyes. Setting down her books, she walked up to them and grabbed the note, ignoring Ruby's protest. Clearing her throat, she began to read aloud.
"Dear Yang, Ruby and Weiss,
I'm sorry that you have to find out like this but I'm leaving Beacon. Not permanently, for I do hope to return one day, however my past appears to have caught up with me. I need to find out what it all means and to do that I need to go back to the world where I grew up, the world beyond Remnant. Please don't come looking for me, this is something I need to do alone.
Weiss, despite our differences, I believe that if our time together had been longer, we could have grown to be lifelong friends. As I write these words I realise that when we first met I judged you based solely on the actions of your father and, while I still find his practises inhuman and unforgivable, I can do nothing but apologise for my assumptions. I hope that one day the Schnee name will be associated with your kind-heartedness and compassion rather than your fathers acts of discrimination and ignorance.
Yang, you are a Huntress through and through. Tough to take down and even harder to make stay down, you are the kind of warrior who's presence will allow people to feel safe in their homes knowing you are watching over them. I hope that when, if, I return their will be stories of the great Yang Xiao Long, defending the people of Vale from the ever-advancing darkness of the Grimm. I wish that we could have become closer and that maybe, just maybe, we could've been partners in more than just combat."
Yang stopped reading and blushed. She had no idea that Blake might have had those kinds of feelings towards her. While she couldn't say her feelings were reciprocated, she was touched beyond words that she had found her way so deep into someone's heart in such a small amount of time. Turning away from the other two, hoping they hand't noticed her blush, she began reading again.
"Ruby, sweet little Ruby. All I can say is that you are the little sister that I never had. Yang should be proud of you and you of her. You have so much of your life left in front of you, use it wisely. Do not make the mistakes I have made for they have the potential to haunt you forever.
In the event that we never meet again, I would just like to say that while brief, our time together has been unforgettable and I pray that you all become the best huntresses you can be. You will all be missed dearly.
Sincerely, Blake."
Setting the note down, silence settled over the room for a few seconds before Ruby spoke up. "Yang, why would Blake just leave?" She asked, confusion and hurt strong in her voice.
"I don't know Ruby, I just don't know." She replied, her voice heavy and her mind largely elsewhere. The three of them all sat together for a few minutes, Ruby began crying again at some point, her quiet sobs summing up the feelings of the group. They were pulled from their collective thoughts by the school bell. Silently standing up, Ruby dried her eyes and grabbed her backpack, Weiss and Yang following suit. Together the three of them headed to class, a cloud of sadness around them so thick it was almost physical.
The class seemed to drag on forever, all throughout Yang would find her gaze wandering to Blake's now vacant seat. After spending the entire class lost in thought, the final bell of the day was a shock to Yang, snapping her back into reality. As she stood up to leave she took one last longing look at Blake's desk and quietly spoke one word.
"Why?"
Sleep didn't come easily to any of the remaining members of Team RWBY that night. Ruby tossed and turned, falling asleep for minutes at a time. She finally embraced sleep at around 7 AM but it was far from peaceful. In her dreams she was in the middle of a snowstorm, she saw Blake kneeling in front of a shadowy figure in the distance. She tried calling out, however the storm stole her words and she was left to watch as Blake stood and began to walk away, following the figure. She ran after them but no matter how hard she tried, she never seemed to get any closer. She was then rudely awoken, along with everyone else, by the clock towers 8 o'clock chimes.
Weiss lay in her bed, quiet and still, her mind racing. At around 2 AM she got up and made coffee, sitting cross-legged on her bed, holding the warm cup in her hands, she thought about what Blake had said in her letter. "Do not make the mistakes I have made for they have the potential to haunt you forever." Taking a sip from her coffee, there was only one thought in her head. "What mistakes could she be talking about?"
Yang gave up on sleep at around 4 AM and decided to make use of the schools 24 hour gym. Tiptoeing out of the door as not to disturb the others, she stalked silently down the empty, dimly lit, corridor until she reached the entrance to the female changing rooms. Walking through them into the gym proper, she saw that someone had left a punch bag hung up in the gyms far corner. Walking up to it, she stood, staring at the bag for before channelling all of her emotions into a single punch and bringing it crashing down, ripping the mounting clean from the roof. Turning on her heel, she stalked back to her room and allowed an uneasy sleep to claim her.
Blake was woken by the sound of water dripping into shack she had called home for the night. Reluctantly opening one sleep-filed eye she saw the culprit, the window - well, the piece of oversized thin plastic nailed to the wall that was called a window - had been blown inward and was allowing rain to run down it and fall onto the shacks hard concrete floor. Sighing, she threw off the covers and pulled herself into a sitting position, shivering as her skin was greeted by cold, moist air.
As she sat there she thought back to her room in Beacon, with its thick, heat-trapping blankets and double-glazed, weather-proof windows. She would never admit to anyone that she missed it, that she missed seeing Weiss' rather impressive shoe collection, lined up with military precision against the wall. That she missed the way Yang would occasionally sneak alcohol into the campus and the two of them would sit atop the dorm building, sharing tales over drinks. Many times Blake had almost let her feelings for Yang slip during these alcohol-fuelled conversations but she had always managed to keep them hidden.
And she missed the air of innocence bought to the team by Ruby, sweet little Ruby. Admitted to Beacon two years early and having been spared the hardships in life endured by Blake, Ruby's innocence had given her hope that she was doing the right thing by becoming a Huntress. That she, and the world, could change given enough time. After allowing these thoughts to stir for a few more seconds, she pulled herself to her feet. Looking around the shacks mostly empty single room, she let out another heavy sigh before pulling a small knife from her backpack and walking over to the shacks thin wooden wall. Inscribed on the wall were names and messages from all of the people who had called it home, some for a single night and others for weeks on end.
"Took shelter from a storm, I thought the rain was gonna collapse the roof." One message read. Another told a long elaborate story involving an unfaithful wife and her angry, body builder lover. Stepping on to her tiptoes in order to reach a relatively unmarked space, Blake added her own name to the hundreds already present. Taking a step back and looking at her handiwork, she felt a slight pang of regret for the shack. Many of the names on the wall claimed it had saved their lives, in some cases literally. It had been the background for some of the most terrifying and most exhilarating moments of people's lives, yet it was allowed to sit here, largely abandoned and forgotten.
Turning her back to the wall and brushing away the tear bought to her eye by these thoughts. Blake donned her black satin shawl (a present from her team on her birthday. She hadn't had a birthday present in so long she had nearly cried when it was presented to her), lifted its hood to protect her from the rain, grabbed her backpack, the once proud logo of Beacon Academy muddied and defaced - a necessary evil - and walked to the shacks door. Placing her hand on the door-frame, she paused for a moment.
"I'll remember you." She spoke softly, the rain and wind stealing her words. With that, she stepped outside and left the shack and its memories behind.
"Miss Belladonna's decisions are ultimately her own. I cannot allow three of my students to venture out beyond the city walls un-accompanied. And besides, even if you manage to find her, what makes you think she even wants to return to the school?" Ozpin questioned, picking up his coffee cup and inspecting its contents.
"But professor, what if she's in trouble out there. Or hurt. We're her friends, we have to at least try to find her!" Ruby protested, her voice growing desperate.
Opine took a sip of his coffee. "Miss Belladonna has seen and done things that have given her an image of the world far beyond what is expected from other girls her age." He set his cup down and stared at the girls. "And I have no illusions about her ability to protect herself. Do not forget that she was one of the White Fangs best warriors. However one thing I do doubt is that she would want her friends to needlessly endanger themselves by going looking for her."
"Professor," Yang began, stepping forward. "Isn't she still technically a student of the Academy? And don't you have a duty of care towards your students?" She put her hands on her hips, awaiting her answer.
"Indeed I do." He replied, leaning back in his chair, crossing his hands in front on him. "However, the moment she decided to run away was the moment she ceased to be a student at Beacon. Students can come and go as they please, not everyone is suited for the life a Huntsman or Huntress." He glanced at his watch. "I'm afraid we've run short of time. I must be going. I have a meeting planned with General Ironwood concerning the upcoming tournament." He rose from his chair, grabbing his cane and walked around the desk.
"But professor…" Ruby began before being silenced by a look from Yang. "Yes sir." She replied forlornly, hanging her head and turning to walk towards the elevator.
"Thank you for your time professor." Weiss added, bowing slightly.
"The same to you Miss Schnee." He replied, bowing his head in return. He turned to Yang. "However, if you do find out any more concerning Miss Belladonna's disappearance, keep me informed." She nodded in acceptance and turned, jogging lightly to meet the others.
Once the three of them were on-board the elevator and it began to descend, Ruby turned to Yang. "Yang, what did he mean when he said Blake had done things that changed her image of the world?" She asked, confused by his rather cryptic wording.
"I don't know Ruby." She paused, concern written on her face. "But I get the feeling we don't want to know because if we did, we might never look at Blake the same way again."