Disclaimer I: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.

Disclaimer II: There are some allusions to mature content in this chapter.

Author's Notes: Unfortunately, my editor Maple is sick (again), but somehow he still managed to get this chapter back to me in a timely fashion.

Weiss stared at her phone, lying in her lap and hidden from the view of her history teacher, feigning taking notes. Her brows were furrowed in worry, her eyes glancing between the whiteboard and the inanimate device that sat on her thigh, anxiously waiting for a message. Any message. Had she said something wrong?

Yesterday, she had kissed Yang. It had felt warm and blissful, like standing in summer sunlight, and just thinking about it was enough to set her heart fluttering. The blonde had sent her an unending amount of text messages throughout the rest of the afternoon, talking about her day and the homework she didn't want to do and the Malachite twins' reactions when she flicked them off, and Weiss had enjoyed it. She hadn't at first; having her phone explode with notifications in the middle of a science test was not ideal, but slowly it began to feel good to talk to someone. Someone she knew wanted to talk to her just to talk to her. It was a relief not to have to guard herself all the time anymore.

But, sometime late in the evening, the messages had stopped. She had been confused; maybe Yang's phone died? Maybe she'd gone to bed? A tiny, nagging thought had sent ice through her veins: What if this had all been a set-up, and Yang was bullying her? After sending multiple inquiries, Weiss gave up and started her homework, hoping to find a message waiting for her in the morning. There hadn't been one.

The blank, black screen of her phone stared back at her, and Weiss wished that it would change, start glowing white with a notification from the blonde that would quell her doubts. She set her pencil on her desk and started typing a message of her own, her fingers tapping against the screen in rapid, practiced motions. "Ms. Schnee, would you please put that thing away and pay attention to the lesson?" Weiss jolted up straight and snapped her hands over her phone, her eyes wide with surprise at the sound of Mr. Oobleck's fast-paced voice. "There we go, girl. Now please refrain from doing it again!"

"Sorry, Mr. Oobleck-"

"That's Doctor Oobleck, young lady. Back to the lesson!" He whipped around with a squeak of his heel, readjusting his large, round glasses and taking a sip from his mug. "Now, who can tell me the major results of the Mistralian embargo? Mr. Arc! You look like you've been paying attention!"

Weiss relaxed as Oobleck started interrogating the unfortunate Jaune, opening her hands and searching the face of her phone for any new messages. There were none. Breathing a heavy sigh, she slumped over in her chair and resigned herself to copying notes, hoping Oobleck's endless droning wouldn't put her to sleep. She just wanted to know that Yang wasn't mad at her. She reopened the message she'd been typing, hovering her finger over send.

The deafening chime of the school's public address system nearly gave her a heart attack, the screeching beep silencing her teacher's lecture on Mistralian economics and drawing the entire classroom's attention to the loudspeaker set into the ceiling. "Weiss Schnee, please report to the principal's office. Weiss Schnee, to the principal's office." Vice Principal Goodwitch's voice echoed off the walls. Every face in the class turned to look at hers, a low wailing 'ooooooooooh' rising from the back of the class. Her mouth hung open in shock, her cheeks glowing a dull red as she turned to Dr. Oobleck for instruction.

The green-haired teacher shrugged, careful not to spill any of his coffee. "Well then, Ms. Schnee, come by after school to pick up tonight's assignment. You'll have to copy the notes from one of your classmates. Be off, then." He zipped to the door, holding it open and nodding for her to leave.

Her mouth still half open, Weiss stood and collected her papers into her backpack, heaving it over her shoulder and pocketing her phone as she walked into the hall. Why was she being called to the principal's office? Had she done something wrong? Was it a family emergency? Thousands of confused thoughts swirled in her head as she strode down the hallway, her nerves rising as she neared the front of the school.

She gulped as she reached the door to the principal's office, a tall, menacing piece of rosewood without a window, decorated only with a faded motivational poster and a polished-silver handle. Just before her knuckles tapped against the varnished wood, the handle turned and the door opened, revealing the vice principal holding a clipboard. "Ah. Ms. Schnee. Very prompt." Ms. Goodwitch pushed her glasses further up her nose and held the door open for Weiss to enter, closing it gently behind her. The room felt heavy, as though the air had been thoroughly disciplined against moving, and smelled faintly of lavender. A wide desk dominated the room, bordered on three sides with towering bookcases overflowing with manila folders, a high-backed chair hiding behind two dust-free computer monitors. A potted plant wilted in the corner, its leaves yellowing from lack of sunlight. "This way, please." The vice principal beckoned with a tilt of her head, making sure Weiss was paying attention before stepping through a doorway into another office.

Following behind the older woman, Weiss looked around as she entered the back room, her heart still pounding fearfully in her chest. This office was larger, likely twice the size of the cramped outer room, with large windows facing out into the rain. Stacks of drawers lined one wall, two paintings hanging just above their tops, another obscured by a small refrigerator with a shelf above it holding up a microwave and coffeemaker. Along the third wall ran a long corner desk the same rich color as the door, covered with monitors and papers, behind which sat a thin man with bright gray hair and brown glasses, happily sipping from a steaming mug. Principal Ozpin set down his cup with a satisfied sigh, waving in the two women. "Thank you, Glynda. Weiss, please, come sit." He stood slightly out of his seat, gesturing to a comfy-looking chair that rested across from a relatively empty section of his desk.

Weiss whispered a polite 'Thanks', sitting and lowering her backpack to the ground. The room seemed to absorb her speech, the oppressive feeling of authority swallowing all sound. Ozpin shuffled some papers and moved them to another part of the table, resetting his glasses to the top of his nose and linking his fingers. "Now, Ms. Schnee," he intoned, fixing the white-haired girl with hard brown eyes, "you need to relax." He smiled, his lips pulling back and a twinkle of laughter shining in his eyes. Weiss audibly exhaled, but remained stiff. Ozpin licked his lips. "Ms. Schnee, you are not in trouble," This caused Weiss to sag in relief, sliding downward in her chair. The principal's smile grew. "I called you here because of your recent association with Yang Xiao Long."

A tightness gripped Weiss' chest, and she pushed herself up. "Y-Yes?" Why was that important? Was he going to warn her that Yang was a bully? Why did their relationship compel a visit to the principal's office? Had she made a mistake and confided in the wrong person? Did this have anything to do with-

"We received a call this morning," Ozpin interrupted her frightened thoughts, "from Yang's father, asking if her sister Ruby has been present in class either today or yesterday." He leaned back and sighed, his smile fading into a thoughtful frown. "I must admit that I am very sorry that I had to say no. You see," He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "he says that neither he nor Yang have heard from Ruby since Tuesday evening."

Weiss gasped, holding a hand to her mouth and leaning forward. "Really? Oh no!"

"Oh yes, I'm afraid." He gazed at his fingers, solemnly twiddling his thumbs before glancing back up. "So, Weiss, I have to ask if you have any idea where Ruby is. Can you think of any place she'd go besides her home? A friend's house perhaps?" His eyebrows raised, and he watched her eyes as they flicked around the desk.

If Weiss had guessed correctly, Ozpin was asking if Ruby was staying with her. "I can't think of anywhere. She's never talked to me about any of her friends."

Ozpin sighed and leaned back, dragging a hand across his clean-shaven face. "Hm." Weiss watched as his eyes glanced above her, and then he dipped his head, moving to stand. "Very well. Thank you for coming down, Ms. Schnee. I apologize for interrupting your education." He gestured to the door, a brief, joyless smile creasing his mouth. "Please return to your class."

Escorted out by an equally cheerless Goodwitch, Weiss stood motionless in the hallway as the heavy door closed behind her, her eyes staring straight ahead and her hands hanging limply by her sides. Her mind was on fire. Ruby was missing? She had just seen her two days ago! Where could she have gone? Was this why Yang had stopped texting her? Even though she knew the answer, she searched through her phone's contact list hoping to see Ruby's name. She grimaced and stomped when there wasn't even an entry under 'R', and slowly made her way back to Oobleck's class.

…

Slipping off her shoes as she closed the door behind her, she dropped her backpack on the floor and started toward the staircase, gnawing on her lip. "Hi honey!" She was suddenly squished between a pair of arms and a warm chest, her vision obscured by her mother's shoulder. "How was school today? How was Yang?" Her mother's voice was filled with excited glee, dripping with anticipation. The older woman held her daughter at arm's length, grinning and brushing Weiss' hair back. "Did you two do any-..." Her brows furrowed and the grin vanished. "What's the matter, dear?"

"Ruby is missing." Weiss whispered, keeping her eyes on the floor. "No one's seen her since Tuesday."

"Oh no!" Her mother clapped a hand to her mouth, taking a step back. "That's terrible! Who's Ruby? Is she another one of your friends?"

Weiss nodded. "She's Yang's sister. She came on the camping trip, and-"

"Then WHAT are you doing here? Get in the car!" The older woman dashed away, leaving Weiss standing stunned, trying to reason through what just happened. Her mother reappeared, hopping on one foot as she tried to slide her shoes on, holding her wallet in her teeth. "What are you doing?" she gasped, spitting her wallet into her hand and glaring at her daughter. "Get ready to leave!"

"Where are we going?"

"You're going to give me directions to Yang's house. Honestly!" She rolled her eyes before haranguing Weiss some more, clapping her hands and urging 'Faster! Faster!' as if she were training a race horse.

Thirty minutes of driving through torrential rain in stressed silence found the pair of women standing on Yang's porch, protected from the downpour by a long, sloped roof with glass skylights that spilled wavering cloudy light across a pair of deck chairs. Weiss pressed the doorbell then stepped back, tapping her foot more in nervousness than in impatience. As an afterthought, she ran her hands through her hair, rearranging it so it lay more evenly. Half a minute later, there was a clicking noise as the latch was unlocked, and the door pulled away to reveal a tall man with wispy tan hair. His eyes, a familiar light purple, were half-lidded and dull, with deep shadows underneath. "Yes?" he asked, his voice sounding exhausted and frail.

At her mother's prodding, Weiss stepped forward. "Hello, Mr. Xiao Long. My name is Weiss Schnee, this is my mother," She gestured back with a practiced motion, then continued, "and we're here to-"

"Weiss?" a wobbly voice called from the back of the house. Slow footsteps preceded Yang, the normally lively blonde looking a mess. Her hair was frazzled and awry, and long wet streaks traced down her cheeks from red, puffy eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Weiss was saved from having to answer by a gentle push from her mother, Yang's father stepping aside to let the pair inside. "Why don't you two go chat while I talk with Mr. Xiao Long, hmm?" Weiss passed a grateful look over her shoulder as she followed Yang up the stairs.

Yang led her around the upper floor and into her room at the far end of the hall, falling onto her bed. Weiss stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, twisting her fingers in front of her stomach and looking around. She hadn't been in here on the 'date;' it was interesting to see what Yang decorated her room with. She shook her head clear; she wasn't here to hang out. "Yang," She whispered as she joined Yang on the bed, tentatively laying a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I know about Ruby. They called me, and Pyrrha and Nora, into the office to see if we knew where she was. Are... are you okay?"

Yang sniffled as she turned over, rising with a groan to sit beside Weiss. She rubbed her eyes before sighing and letting her hands drop into her lap, her shoulders and head drooping. "No..." She leaned over and rested her head on Weiss' shoulder, too deep in misery to notice the girl's sudden flush. "The police think she ran away from home."

"What? Why would she do that?"

Yang shrugged. "They say sometimes teenagers do that when they're depressed. Sure, Dad and I knew that she was sad, maybe depressed, but why would she... without saying something to us first?" Weiss stroked her fingers through Yang's hair, the blonde nuzzling closer. "I know why she ran away." Tears leaked from her eyes onto Weiss' sweatshirt. "She ran away because I kept yelling at her! I kept screaming at her about my mistakes, and made her so sad she ran away!"

Weiss hugged the blonde, pulling her tightly against her chest and laying her head on top of Yang's. "No, that's not it, Yang. That can't be it." It was a struggle to keep her mind focused on Ruby and not the fragrant mop of yellow hair that tickled her chin, or the sun-tanned skin that brushed against her sides.

Yang threw her arms around Weiss', gripping her shirt in impotent fists, her body shivering with sobs as she cried against the white-haired girl's neck. "I just want her to come home. I just want her back." Yang croaked, her voice distorted by her grief. "Where are you Ruby? Please come home..."

A ceiling of dark gray rock greeted Ruby's slowly opening eyes, grimy tendrils of moisture crawling across its surface as rain leaked through cracks in the dried-mud waterproofing, the perfume of wet earth laying heavy in the air. She blinked away the remnants of her sleepiness, taking a moment to observe her surroundings. She was fully clothed, lying on top of a torn-up and ragged white sheet, underneath which was a cushioning layer of dry pine needles adding their musky, spicy accent to the room's aroma. A warm, heavy blanket the color of butter was draped over her body, pulled up to her neck and scratchy against her skin. Rolling onto her side, Ruby put her ear against her 'pillow,' which was a familiar red sweatshirt bunched up and stuffed under her head. The stone wall beside her was half covered with stacks upon stacks of books, piled high in uneven and wobbling heaps, their pages yellow, well-thumbed, and crinkled from use. Above the books, the rock was chipped and scratched, pockmarked with red-black old bloodstains. By her feet were her boots and a mountain of mismatched rags, dangling threads rubbing against her toes through a hole in her leggings.

Ruby pushed herself onto her other side, sighing and squinting into the relatively bright light that poured in through a curtain of dripping green moss, splaying soft black shadows against the hard rock. Her eyes went wide and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a yelp of fear when she spotted a crouching figure at the mouth of the cave, the creature's large black ears upright and pointed outward. The beast still held her captive, probably waiting for its last meal to digest before devouring her. Staring in terrified fascination, Ruby watched as the monster lifted its hands to its mouth, the black-haired head bobbing as it feasted. She must be dessert, Ruby thought with surprising detachment.

There was nothing to do; the creature guarded the only exit, so Ruby settled back to await her death. It would've been nice to say goodbye to Yang and Dad, she thought as she leaned against the cold, stony wall, dirt and mud getting caught in her hair. Shuffling below her blanket, her elbow struck against the floor, jostling her shoulder. "Ah!" She cried as pain swelled in her arm, biting into her lip and clutching her arm to her chest. The sound of skin sliding across stone made her head jerk back to the cave's entrance, where two shining golden discs stared back at her.

Ruby's mouth flopped open and closed, an involuntary series of shivers shaking her body as she watched the monster rise to its feet, a menacing black silhouette against the illuminated green of the mossy drape, and start walking towards her, its feet gently depressing the carpet of needles. The blanket bucked as Ruby shoved herself away from the advancing figure, backing into a corner and trying to hide behind a stack of books that rose over her head. As the beast approached, and Ruby's eyes grew more accustomed to the dim light that spread through the cave, she inspected her would-be murderer.

The monster was barefoot, dressed only in a pair of frayed black shorts and a dilapidated black shirt, polka dots of pale skin showing through the numerous holes. In its right hand it carried the bleeding carcass of a squirrel, shreds of fur falling to leave a trail of fuzz that lead back to the front of the cave. The beast kneeled down across the sheet from her, the face contorted in worry as it rested its elbows on its knees and examined her quivering form. "Are you okay?" It asked, its blood-smeared mouth parting to reveal gleaming white fangs stained red. As an afterthought, it added, "Are you hungry?" then held out the corpse. When Ruby squirmed away and hid her face, the monster quickly tucked the squirrel behind its back, seeming embarrassed. "Sorry."

Ruby pushed herself as far into the corner and as far away from the creature as she could, the pain in her shoulder forgotten as a fearful sweat drenched her skin. "W-What do you want?" Her voice was quiet and weak, almost inaudible over the echo of the rain outside.

"You're hurt..." A hand stretched toward her, but retreated when Ruby shrank away. "Sorry. Are you thirsty? Cold?" The monster searched the cave, picking up the blanket and holding it out to Ruby.

"What do you want?!" Ruby screamed with desperate horror, her voice breaking and going thin as she kicked at the offered blanket, her foot contacting the monster's fingers. The beast winced with pain, its eyebrows drawing down and the furry ears going flat as it pulled its hand to its chest. "What do you want?!"

"Sorry..." The creature pouted and peeked at its bruised fingers, settling back and crossing its legs. It glanced up at her, the ears remaining pressed tight against its head. "I just wanted to help you..."

"Leave me alone! Go away!" Tears broke from Ruby's eyes, rolling down her cheek as she sobbed and buried her face in her hands. "Go away!" She huddled in the corner, her knees tucked all the way in, and cried. "Go away! Go away! Go away!" Squeezing her eyes shut, she pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head. "This is just a dream. This is just a dream. This is just a dream."

Without a sound, the monster clambered to its feet and trudged with heavy, regret-filled footsteps back to its perch by the hollow's entrance, plucking absently at the squirrel corpse. With a sigh of defeat, it tossed the body out into the rain, thumping its chin onto its wrist and sulking while the girl in the back of the cavern wailed.

…

Ruby cried until no more tears came and her body was too tired to shiver anymore, staring listlessly with red, puffy eyes at the gloomy outline of her captor, inert and unmoving by the den's mouth. Exhaustion, coupled with a grim curiosity, eroded down the cage of fear that silenced her tongue, and she called out, "What are you?" A black ear flicked up and towards her, and she flinched as the penetrating golden eyes transfixed her with their gaze. The monster's mouth quirked upwards, but it didn't respond. "Are you a werewolf?" Ruby asked, remembering Ren and Nora's bet. The former seemed to be the victor.

The monster touched a hand to its mouth as it giggled quietly, the lips spreading into a wider smile. It slowly swiveled to face her, its eyes glimmering with laughter. "No," It answered with a shake of its head, "I'm not a werewolf." It stood and started walking towards her, but paused when she cringed. "I'm... I'm a faunus."

"Oh." Staring at the ground, Ruby gave a little nod. "I don't know what that is."

The faunus smiled a sad smile which quickly shrank into a sunken, solemn frown. It padded to the edge of the blanket and sat on its knees, laying its hands in plain view on its thighs. "I think a werewolf is a close guess, but I don't transform. This is how I look all the time." It clawed nervously through its hair, glancing between the wall and Ruby's inspecting look. "He always said that humans were scared of us because we were different, but I don't think we're that different. I just have fuzzy ears on my head." The appendages wiggled, and the faunus smiled at Ruby's unsure giggle. "It's like if you could hear through your bow."

"My bow?" The growing grin dropped from Ruby's face, her eyes widening as she reached up and patted the top of her head, her heart seizing in her chest when she felt the soft, damp fabric. She screamed, frightening the faunus, ripping the bow out of her hair and throwing it away from her. It bounced off the wall and landed by the creature's foot, the beast raising a confused eyebrow.

"You don't like your bow? I thought it looked, um..." It swallowed whatever word it had been chewing on. "...good."

Ruby shuddered. "No! I hate it! It's not mine, it's hers!" She glared at the motionless black band, wishing it would disintegrate under her wrathful scowl. "She made me wear it! I hate it I hate it I hate it!"

"Who is 'she?'"

"Ms. Fall, my teacher! She makes me wear things, things she says look good on me, and then she-" Ruby slapped both hands over her mouth.

The faunus looked concerned. "What?"

Ruby violently shook her head, hugging her arms around her chest and hiding her face in the crook of an elbow. "No! I can't tell anyone! It'll get worse! She'll punish me!"

A gentle touch on her arm coaxed her head up, and her tearful silver eyes met kind, warm amber. It amazed her, how different those eyes looked compared to minutes before. "You can tell me, Strawberry Girl," The faunus whispered, "and no one else will know."

Ruby sniffled, breathed deep, then settled back against the wall and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, staring at her feet. There was a constant, but dull, ache in her shoulder. "She... she... she kisses me. And... touches me. Everywhere. She asks if it feels good, but it never does. It never feels good. She... she makes me get on the desk, naked, and then she..." A fresh stream of tears streaked across her skin, her voice clogged with sobs. "But sometimes she gets on the desk, and... and she makes me... she makes me touch her or kiss her. She says things like 'It's so good, Ruby,' and 'You're so good at this, Ruby.'" Ruby rolled onto her side, covering her head with her arms. "I know it's wrong, I know what she's doing is... but if I try to leave or stop she hits me! Look!" Thrusting out an arm and rolling back her sleeve, Ruby revealed a trail of dark purple bruises that wrapped across her skin from the bottom of her elbow up to her shoulder. "She says that if I tell anyone no one will believe me. Who would believe a stupid little kid like me over her? Nobody!"

"I believe you, Strawberry Girl." Ruby shied away from a soft touch on her side, but forced herself to relax when it came again. "I believe you. This woman is bad. Is that why you asked for help? Is that why you asked to go far away?"

"Y-Yeah..." Her fingers plucked at the hem of the blanket, pulling threads apart and dropping them into the needles. "I wanted to disappear. I wanted to forget about everything that she does to me."

"She won't find you here. He brought me here so that humans wouldn't find me. And no one has… but you, so I guess he was right."

Ruby sat up, no longer afraid of the dark-haired faunus that was kneeling beside her. The yellow eyes weren't cold, evil, or frightening; at the moment, they wandered the ceiling, occupied with thought. The claws that twisted a lock of black hair weren't dangerous. The fangs that gnawed anxiously on the faunus' lip weren't threatening. The faunus looked strikingly human. "Is this your home?"

The faunus nodded. "Yes. He and I stole it from a bear, a long time ago. It gives me a place to keep my books, and it keeps me dry!" It cast an annoyed scowl over its shoulder at the rain.

"He?"

It turned back to face her, it's eyebrows raised. They fell down into a frown, and the thin lips pinched tight. "He. Um, yes. He."

Ruby scooted closer. "Who is he? Is he like you?"

"Yes. No. Yes." The faunus tilted its head toward the ground and traced a finger through the needles in a circle. Its voice was quiet as it said, "You wouldn't like him. Well, he wouldn't like you. He didn't like humans." Ruby watched silently, hugging her knees to her chest. "He was nice to me though. He gave me food and clothes, and taught me. He gave me my first book." It pointed to a novel crammed into the middle of one of the stacks, Ruby unable to determine exactly which. "I think about him a lot. About how he would feel."

"What happened to him?"

It glanced up, the fire burning in its eyes reigniting a knot of fear in Ruby's chest. "Humans. They caught him stealing, and shot him. He was trying to get me a coat." It wiped its eyes before the tears could fully form, the fire dying out into an ocean of sadness. "I miss him."

"I'm sorry." Ruby mumbled into her sleeve. "What was his name?"

"Adam." The faunus sniffled, glanced up, sighed, then looked at Ruby. "What's yours, Strawberry Girl?"

"I'm Ruby." She shifted onto her knees, grunting through the uncomfortable stress on her shoulder, and held out a hand. The faunus stretched out its own, and the two shook. Its hand was warm and soft, and felt as menacing as a teddy bear.

"That's a pretty name, Ruby." It smiled, happy wrinkles creasing by its eyes.

Ruby couldn't help smiling back. "Thanks! What's yours?" The faunus blushed, drawing its hand back and brushing it through its hair.

"I'm... I'm Blake."

Author's Notes: If everything goes according to plan, the story could end as soon as next chapter. There will be an epilogue, so that means at least two more updates before it's all done. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

P.S. - Putting this chapter out late in the day. Observing the effect of time of release on viewer count.

Thank you for reading!

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