Patch, Xiao Long Residence
Twenty-three days since the Battle of Beacon

"You have a visitor, sweetheart."

His voice was gentle. Pillowing. A testament to just how fragile her own father believed she had become. What they all believed. They spoke to her as if she were about to shatter from the sound alone. What he didn't understand, what none of them understood, was that she was already broken. They'd visit her - Sun, Neptune, Velvet, anyone who could sneak away from the city's designated safety camps and convince the ferryman to cross the channel - and waste their breath on hushed sympathies. Always with the useless little tidbits someone might save for a child amidst crisis. They never dared to tell her what was happening beyond Patch's borders. Not to her face. Not to someone so delicate.

Eventually, her friends would realize she wasn't listening to their idle chatter and awkwardly do their best to make it seem as if the conversation hadn't ended before it had ever begun. They'd make a joke or comment on her hair. They were desperate to say something - anything - that might get them a response that was just so very Yang that they'd feel like they had accomplished something. When they inevitably failed, they'd wish her well, close the door with their eyes on the floor, and pass along updates to her father.

"No one is allowed into the city, and the refugee camps are under guard to keep people from wandering off. We're sitting ducks out there."

"Vacuo has closed its borders. They're not even letting their tournament teams go home."

"The Grimm have completely overtaken the school. It's like they're trying to protect that dragon. But why bother if it's dead?"

"Mistral is demanding Atlas answer for trying to incite another Great War. Something about an occupation. Whatever's going on, it's stopped Atlas from sending more ships to help relocate the evacuees."

Such squabbles. She hated it. She hated everything. The Grimm. The school. Hunters. They were taught that if they trained enough, if they learned enough, if they fought enough, that the evils of the world would be vanquished. Humanity could one day live in peace, without fear, because hunters and huntresses could make it so. But with every small victory came a crushing defeat. Penny. Pyrrha. Summer. The only thing humanity had to show for it's efforts was death. The thought of becoming a huntress now? She could taste the bile in her throat.

"Yang? Honey, she came all the way from Atlas. Won't you speak with her?"

It had been a few weeks since Ruby had left with her band of misfits, friends, but Yang hadn't bothered to count just how many. Taiyang had burst from her sister's room in a panic she hadn't seen since Qrow had dragged home two little girls covered in Beowulf blood. He dashed out of the house shouting Ruby's name, and he didn't come home for almost an hour.

Maybe she should've stopped him long enough to tell him she'd seen Ruby leave nearly three hours prior.

When he did come to her, he read Ruby's letter aloud as if the words were something Yang never would have expected. As if she didn't know her sister well enough to know she still believed Remnant was worth fighting for. Worth dying for.

"Dad,

I know you're not going to like this, but I'm going to find the people responsible for everything that happened at Beacon. If I can stop a big, scary dragon, then I can stop them... even if I don't remember how I did it. Yet. I probably shouldn't have written that part down. I'll just figure it out on the way! It can't be that hard, right? Just don't worry! I'm not alone. My friends from school are coming with me. And I remembered to pack extra socks!

Please. Look after Yang and Zwei. I'll be home soon.

Love you always,

Ruby"

By the time he was done reading, Taiyang's eyes were clouded with tears, but he refused to let his anxiety stop him from purposely reassuring Yang that Ruby would come home safe and sound. Then he waited for a response from her that never came. Not a sound, nor a hint of a sniffle. Her gazed remained fixed on the window, as it had been for most of their previous interactions. When he realized she had nothing to say, he kissed the crown of her head and left the room.

Left. Just like the others.

"The only person I know from Atlas is probably locked away in some tower. She won't be coming back."

"I wouldn't put it past my father to do something like that. He might even try once he finds out I'm missing. Try being the key word."

With more energy than she'd exhibited in weeks, Yang immediately turned to see a slightly disheveled Weiss Schnee standing in her doorway. Her peacoat was on her arm, damp from the snow, and her eyes looked so… tired, but her head was held high, Myrtenaster was at her hip, and she was smirking. It was really her.

"I'll let you two catch up. If either of you need anything, I'll be making some tea in the kitchen," Taiyang said. Then he smiled, relieved Weiss of her coat, and closed the door behind him. Weiss quickly wished he hadn't.

The silence that followed after him was deafening. Weiss took it as a cue to move further into the room, but Yang's spiritless eyes were unnerving, increasingly so, and watching her every move. Her smirk faltered, along with her confidence, and she was compelled to look at anything but the other girl. Unfortunately, the dreariness of Yang's bedroom did little to placate her concerns. No color. No light. Not even a poster like the one Yang had absolutely insisted be hung up on the wall of their dorm back at Beacon. And those wilted sunflowers...

"Your flowers could use a little wat-"

"Don't." Weiss nearly jumped. She hadn't expected to get a response, let alone such a harsh one - not after Taiyang had told her about Yang's previous social calls. But it seemed Yang still had some fire left in her after all. A volatile sort. She'd have to tread carefully.

"I'm sorry," she replied, taking a seat in a chair at the foot of the bed.

"How did you even get here?" The distrust in her voice was clear.

"It's a long story. Let's just say my sister doesn't share my father's alienating brand of patriotism." She paused, thinking of Qrow. "Well, most of the time. When I told her I couldn't stay in Atlas, she listened. She pulled a few strings and had me on a military vessel a few days later." Weiss bit her tongue, recognizing she may have said a bit too much on the matter. Even if she trusted Yang, if word got out that a member of the Special Operatives Unit had abused her position, even for something so small, the military would be scrutinized more than it already had been. Atlas couldn't afford anymore negative attention..."But none of that is really important. I saw a few other students when I landed, but not Ruby. Is she here too? Your father didn't mention her."

"No."

Weiss raised a brow. Yang's gaze had hardened. "Excuse me?"

"Ruby. Isn't. Here." That fire again. Thankfully, even if she was irritated, Yang at least had the decency to elaborate. "She's on some mission with Jaune, Nora, and Ren to find the people that attacked the city. That strange woman. Our uncle told her about what happened to the dragon. What she did to it. Now she's convinced she's the only one that can stop them. She's-"

"- a complete dolt!" It was Yang's turn to jump. Weiss had lost herself. "How could she just run off like that? What if there are more dragons? And she went with… Jaune doesn't even know how to manifest his own semblance and they expect to take down someone that Ozpin couldn't?! That Pyrrha- Please tell me you know where she is. I'm not going to stay here and let her get herself kill-"

Weiss went wide-eyed; her regret, instantaneous. The accusation wasn't intended, but it was there. And it had struck a chord.

"You think I want her to die?!"

"Yang, no-"

"I may have watched her leave, but how was I supposed to know she wasn't just going to the city?" The question silenced Weiss' protests immediately, as did the strain in Yang's voice. "I didn't know she was about to go on some cross-continent adventure to fight a crazy witch. And even if I did, what was I supposed to do? Wave my stump at her?!"

She cringed. So they both felt guilty. Immensely so, even. However, Yang's first question still left Weiss with a heavy feeling in her stomach.

"She didn't ask you to go with her? She didn't… tell you?"

There was a long pause that followed - one Weiss was beginning to believe had marked the end of her welcome. After all, it seemed as if her presence had only succeeded in worsening Yang's state of mind. But just when Weiss was about make her exit, Yang spoke.

"Dad's tried to contact her. Still does. She never answers. With the CCT down, inner-kingdom communications are spotty at best. By now, it's likely that she's made it out of the kingdom altogether. There's no way of finding her. There's nothing we can do."

Her despondency was palpable; the fire was nowhere to be found. It was all too much for Weiss to bear. With a bold step forward, Weiss gripped Myrtenaster's pommel with one hand and clenched a fist with the other. Her confidence was back, and with it, a purpose.

"If Ruby insists on throwing herself into battle, there is something we can do. We can help the city. Even if it's something as simple as keeping the refugees company. She has to have a world left to fight for, right? To come back to? What better place than her home?"

Yang didn't respond. She did manage to hold Weiss' gaze long enough for her to notice how glossy her eyes looked. The realization was striking. She's terrified.

"Y-you don't have to come with me. I'd understand if you didn't. But I need to do right by Ruby. By Penny and Pyrrha." A sniffle. "This is the only way I know how to do that. This is what I came back to Vale for. And for you. Just because we're not in school anymore doesn't mean we stopped being teammates."

Teammates. Another stone settled in her stomach. Blake. No one had said anything about Blake. Before she could stop herself, Weiss said as much.

The dam broke.