A gentle breeze rolled over the cold, deep blue waters off the shores of Vale, lightly ruffling the hair of the young girl that relaxed on the bench. She leaned forward, hands trembling as they tightly gripped the park bench to keep herself balanced. A soft smile played at her lips while her eyes remained closed, likely picturing herself in a far off place.
An older blond leaned against a nearby tree, watching her sister and the waves in equal turns. A smile of her own crossed her lips, spurred on by the look of pure joy that the younger girl wore. It was rare for the two of them to have so pure a moment these days. Only one day remained before she would be joining Beacon and staying in the dorms, no longer able to take care of her younger sibling.
Ruby sighed as the breeze began to die down once more, and leaned back on the bench to ease the weight off her aching forearms. A pair of silver eyes turned to Yang with that same smile, though now it had turned slightly sheepish, "Yaaang…?"
Yang returned the smiled dotingly, "Where to next, Rubes?"
Ruby's eyes lit up, and she pointed off in the distance towards a point where the land jutted out further into the ocean, "Can we try over there…? The breeze isn't very strong over here…"
Yang chuckled quietly and moved to grab her sister's wheelchair from where it had been leaning against the bench, "Sure thing, sis," she folded the wheelchair back open and moved it up next to the bench, watching as Ruby slowly struggled to work her way into it, "Do you want help?"
"N-no, I'm fine," Ruby replied weakly. She positioned her hands, one on the bench and one on the chair in order to spin herself around. Yang held it tightly in place, providing a solid foundation for Ruby to use. After a few seconds and some slight labored breathing, the younger girl managed to inch her way on to the wheelchair.
Yang backed it up out of the grass slowly and back on to the long path winding down the shoreline, "This is the last stop, alright? We both know we're already pressing our luck. If dad gets back to the hotel before we do…"
"I-I know!" Ruby stammered worriedly, turning to look over her shoulder and give Yang a pair of large silver eyes, "Last one, I promise!"
Yang grinned and leaned forward to plop a wet kiss on her sister's forehead, eliciting an immediate 'ew gross!' from the younger girl, "One of these days I'll work up an immunity to those eyes of yours, Ruby Rose. Then what will you do?" She began pushing her along the path towards their chosen destination.
Ruby giggled, "Use them on Dad instead?"
Yang laughed. Their old man and uncle had never been able to deny Ruby anything… 'Not when she was already denied a normal life…' Her sister had been paralyzed from the waist down since birth, the rest of her body too feeble to get around on her own for long, even with a wheelchair.
Ruby nervously played with her fingers in her lap, a sign that Yang was all too familiar with when it came to her little sister. She had always been afraid of asking for things, feeling as if she was a burden on the rest of them. No matter how hard Yang tried to convince her that there wasn't a resentful bone in her body, Ruby had never outlived that fear.
With a hand falling to lightly rest on her sister's shoulder, Yang kept her voice soothing as she spoke, "What's wrong, Rubes? Get it off your chest."
Ruby's hand raised to hold Yang's in place, fingers unnaturally cold from poor circulation, "Y-you… you're going to call, right…? Once you pass the exam and make it into Beacon? You won't… forget about me…?"
Yang stopped the wheelchair in place and lowered herself across the back to hug Ruby from behind, squeezing her as tightly as she dared, "I'll never forget you, Ruby. I'll call every night, okay? Not just voice, either. Video and everything. And if I make any new friends, I'll bring them home first chance I get so they can meet my awesome little sister."
Though Ruby refused to turn around, Yang felt a tear fall on top of her arm, and hugged her just a little bit tighter, "And once I'm a big shot Hero, when everyone knows my name, I'll make sure they know exactly who it was that inspired me."
Ruby's chest shook, and Yang could hear the tremble in her throat as she drew breath. Her hands raised to wrap around Yang's, leaning forward to rest her head against them, "You really mean t-that?"
Yang chuckled, "Of course! Where would I be without your constant encouragement? I would have given up years ago!"
Ruby slapped Yang's hand playfully, letting out a choked laugh, "Don't say that! You would have been fine without me!"
Yang's eyes narrowed, hearing the unspoken words, the truth that her sister wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to, 'You would have been better without me.'
It was Yang's turn to give a gentle slap, this one on top of the younger girl's head, "Ruby. Rose... I would be nowhere without you, and don't you forget that," she resumed pushing the wheelchair, realizing as the sun's rays began to fall beneath the waves that the hour was getting late, "For what is a poet without their muse? A beginning without an end? A guitar without its strings?"
"A B.L.T. without bacon?"
Yang snorted, "Hah! Good one, sis~"
As they neared the cape, Yang spared a glance to their surroundings. The strip of land jutting out over the water appeared safe enough, the waves crashing against the cliff face not reaching anywhere near the top. Aside from them, a dozen others stood on the cape, many simply looking out to sea while others took photos.
With no benches to speak of, Yang pushed the wheelchair a few feet from the edge. From here, the breeze held much more force behind it, and Ruby was already leaning forward happily. She enjoyed the wind above all else, always imagining herself moving at incredible speeds. In contrast to the debilitating life Ruby was forced to live, Yang could understand her desire perfectly.
Yang locked the breaks and relaxed, crossing her arms to smile at Ruby while she basked in the breeze. She felt a small stab of sorrow in her heart, knowing that she wouldn't be able to see Ruby for months. Not in person, anyway. They had grown up in a small town off the coast of Vale called Patch. The only form of transportation there was the ferry, an eight hour trip that she simply wouldn't have the time for.
'And there's no way I can afford a roundtrip on a Bullhead…'
Ruby broke Yang away from her thoughts by turning to look back with a small, sheepish grin, "Yaaaang…?"
"Yes, Ruby?"
The young girl poked her index fingers together nervously, silver eyes darting past Yang into the distance, "Do you think… you could… maaaaaybe… buy us some ice cream cones?"
Yang followed her gaze, off the cape and across the park to the streets beyond. There, outside walls splashed in a colorful display and imagery depicting what lay within, sat an ice cream shop. Yang smirked and checked her wallet, counting out the lien she had left for the week, 'Five… ten… eleven...' It would leave her short for a few days if she paid for both of them, but considering the occasion...
"Yeah, we can get some."
Yang leaned down to begin unlocking the brakes on the wheelchair when Ruby's frail hand stopped her, "C… Can I stay here while you do…? Patch doesn't have a shore as nice as this one…"
Yang frowned and recrossed her arms, "You want me to leave you here all alone? What if-"
"There hasn't been a Grimm attack in weeks, Yang!" Ruby pleaded, reverting to her silver eyes once more, "I'll be fine, really. We don't have much time left, and… I just wanna enjoy this while it lasts…"
Yang huffed, biting her lip while her eyes went back and forth a few times between Ruby and the shop. Indecision eating away at her, the desire to protect Ruby and make her happy conflicting with each other.
'It… it has been a few weeks, hasn't it?' While that was no guarantee that the Grimm weren't going to appear, it did add some small bit of merit to Ruby's proposal. Yang sighed and leaned forward, planting another kiss on top of her head, "Alright, you win. What flavor do you want?"
Ruby beamed, "Strawberry!"
"One strawberry comin' up!" Yang took a moment to double check that the locks were tightly secured, then promised she'd return shortly.
Yang set off, heading away from the cape and across the park to the ice cream shop in the distance. The street was busy, both traffic and other pedestrians alike between her and the shop. Yang waited until it was clear to cross, and stepped into the ice cream parlor to the sound of a small jingling bell.
'Great…' the shop was packed with dozens of families that filled the interior to the brim, the line itself nearly continuing out the door. With a resigned sigh, Yang took her place and pulled out her scroll to check the time, 'I don't know what else I expected on a Saturday.'
Yang nervously tapped her foot while she waited, checking her scroll every few minutes. The line moved forward painstakingly slow, the thought of Ruby out near the cliff all alone causing Yang's mind to think of all manner of accidents that might befall the fragile girl. It only served to have her on the edge of bolting out the door to check on her by the time her turn rolled around.
"What can I get for you, miss?"
Yang was startled for a moment, realizing she was the one being spoken to while her eyes had been glued on the door, "O-oh! A strawberry cone, please…" she breathed out, aware that she'd forgotten to choose a flavor for herself while she waited. Yang just picked one at random, far too concerned with her sister's wellbeing to care what she got, "Um, and one of that. Rocky Road or whatever."
"Certainly," the server pulled out a scoop and began filling up both the cones, then stacked the globes of frozen, sugary cream three tall on each.
Yang followed along the countertop to the register and pulled out her wallet, waiting for the man to add up her total before pulling out the necessary lien. She slid the bills across with a distracted, "Keep the change," then reached out for the cones.
A cacophony of high pitched screams erupted from outside the shop, and Yang's heart dropped in her chest. The ice cream splattered against the counter as she let it fall, already halfway out the door before anyone else within the small shop could even react. She burst out on to the sidewalk and was immediately caught in the throng of panicked citizens.
An earth shattering roar deafened their cries, echoing across the city as the wind itself began to buffet those on the street. Powerful wings flapped one last time before a beam of verdant green energy sliced through powerful muscles and bone. The draconic Grimm plummeted out of the air, tail slamming into the nearby rooftops and scattering tons of cement down upon helpless civilians. The ground shook as the dragon made contact, huge furrows of dirt and trees plowed up in its wake.
Yang fought to cross the sidewalk, battered from every direction by those screaming in panic. The street itself was another matter. Cars flew past, ushered on by the behemoth that had so recently landed in their midst. Yang's eyes scoured past them, through the park and towards the cliff. With the hulking mass of black flesh and white bone now between her and Ruby though, she couldn't see hide nor hair of her little sister.
'Why didn't I bring my weapons!?' A couple shots of gravity dust would get her clear of the busy street in moments, but Yang had left her gauntlets back at the hotel, thinking they wouldn't be necessary today of all days, 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!'
Yang's eyes darted back and forth, looking for an opening while the battle continued a hundred feet ahead of her. A speck of green and orange flew about the creature's head, firing down upon it with those same verdant blasts. The dragon fought for its life, thrashing towards the sky with three foot long talons, and snapping powerful jaws into the air. Each snap sounded like hundreds of coffins shutting at once, booming out across the surrounding landscape.
Seeing an opening, Yang summoned her courage and sprinted across the street. She managed to narrowly avoid the first car, but wasn't quick enough to evade the second. It clipped her leg at the last moment, sending her careening into the crowd on the opposite side. Pain flashed through Yang's body, but she knew her aura had taken the brunt of the damage. Gritting her teeth, she stood on her bruised leg and began to jog into the park.
Yang kept a wary eye on the fight ahead. Everyone else had fled the area, leaving the park a desolate landscape in which the behemoth fought. Great globs of blood fell to the ground, pooling in the furrows it had created and steaming with a pungent stench. Yang skirted around those as best she could.
The green figure in the sky appeared intent on leading the beast away from the city. Yang's blood turned to ice when she realized where exactly they were headed. Adrenaline surging into her system, she increased her pace until she was sprinting around trees and leaping over holes in the ground.
The Grimm was bleeding heavily, the pools now spaced in much smaller intervals. It's movements had slowed, though it still fought for its life with everything it had. The fight had moved to the beginning of the cape, and Yang's heart dropped with the sudden realization that she was cut off from Ruby. The monster's body extended too far in either direction, and the fight moved further still.
In desperation, Yang cupped her hands together and screamed into the sky, hoping that the Hero could hear her cries from so far below. She waved her arms high, jumping up and down on her injured leg. As far as she could tell... they hadn't noticed her.
"No, no, no, no!" Yang ran along the side of the shore, trying to get sight on the end of the cape. Maybe, just maybe, one of the other people had taken Ruby to safety. Nothing else could distract Yang's mind aside from that one, singular hope.
'Please!' she begged whatever gods existed one final time as she stopped to turn, certain that her unasked question would be answered, one way or the other.
…
A wheelchair tipped on its side. Her little sister helplessly dragging herself away from the behemoth bearing down on her.
Yang screamed, even as the cliff itself gave way…
And Ruby was lost to sight beneath both waves and rubble.
The scream continued as she woke, body tense and eyes wet, to be greeted by the familiar darkness of her dorm room. Immediately, a pair of hands reached out from nearby to wrap her in a hug, a voice making soft, soothing noises that helped pull Yang back from her nightmare.
"Shhhhh, it's okay. It's okay," Blake whispered quietly, pulling Yang back down into her embrace. Yang accepted, tucking her tear stained face into the nape of her girlfriend's neck and clutching her tightly, violent sobs racking her body.
"Why!?" Yang gasped, struggling to come to terms with the nightmare that still managed to haunt her so many months later. It had been two full years since her sister had tragically passed away, but even now she could remember it as if it had happened only yesterday.
"We both know why, Yang," Blake whispered, hands gently rubbing across the blond's back in an attempt to sooth her, "It… it was today, right? This is the anniversary?"
Yang could only nod weakly, rubbing her tear-stained face against Blake. The other girl understood the gesture well enough, and laid a delicate kiss against the blond's forehead, "I'm here for you, Yang. You don't have to go through it alone. Not this year."
Doing her best to bring her emotions back under control, Yang pulled away enough to wipe a forearm across her face and gaze blearily into Blake's amber eyes. She struggled to bring the briefest hint of a smile to her lips before leaning back down and planting them on Blake's for a small, tender moment.
"Thanks, Blake…"
Blake sighed wistfully when their lips parted and nuzzled her forehead against Yang's, staring straight back, "It's the least I could do after everything you've done for me…"
Yang returned to her previous position, allowing the overwhelming guilt and pain to be washed away by Blake's loving embrace. They lay there for quite some time, Blake content with simply holding her to her heart's content. Yang knew she was lucky to have ever even met the girl, let alone date her for the past six months. She might have issues of her own, but then again… who didn't?
With one final tight squeeze, Yang breathed out deeply and relaxed, pulling away from Blake to sit on the edge of their bed. A dim reddish glow lit the room, the sunrise managing to peek its way through a crack in the blinds. Yang stood and stretched, feeling some of the tension leave her body.
"Do you want to head into town for some breakfast? I need to visit… where it happened…" Yang smelled the cold sweat she had worked up while in the throes of her nightmares and wrinkled her nose, glancing off to the bathroom then back to Blake, a small glimmer in her eye, "But… maybe a shower first?"
Blake grinned and hopped up, fingers lightly trailing up Yang's back in passing, "How could I refuse?"
Yang stared at her girlfriend's swaying hips for only a moment before following after.
'What better way to take my mind off things?'
The sun had risen fully and burnt away the chill morning air by the time Yang and Blake both exited the small diner they had visited. They were both dressed in casual clothes, unwilling to be recognized while out and about on a day off. While both were still students, each had managed to make a name for themselves in the previous year's Vytal Tournament. They weren't as popular as most of the well known Heroes that patrolled the city, but it wasn't an unusual occurrence to find either of them taking a picture with a doting fan.
Yang had made sure her signature hair was hidden in her orange hoodie before they left, a ponytail being the best means of guaranteeing that no strands fell free. Lilac eyes scoured the streets around them, hand searching out Blake's for comfort as she set her sights on the all too familiar cliff.
Blake took her hand immediately, warm fingers entwining with Yang's own as she bumped up against her. The raven-haired girl followed Yang's eyes into the distance, seeing the cracked and weathered cliff face ahead. Her voice was quiet, carrying with it the hint of sorrow, "Is that it? Is that… where it happened?"
Yang's grip tightened, and she nodded numbly, "That's it. The last place I ever…" her voice choked up, tears falling unbidden across slowly paling cheeks.
Blake lightly pressed forward, ushering Yang to do the same as the blond moved painstakingly closer to the place where her life had changed forever. The park's trees had been replanted, soil leveled once more. After two years, you couldn't tell that a battle had taken place there, let alone one of such epic proportions. The only sign was the cliff itself, now much shorter than it had been before.
Yang's eyes fell on the small stone spire that had been built along the cliff's edge, a monument to those that had died that day. Ruby hadn't been the only one to perish at the hands of the Grimm, the battle having lasted much longer than the brief few minutes before its eventual end. The monument itself had one smooth face, the names of the deceased inscribed upon it. As Yang approached, she averted her gaze, fearing to find her own sister's name among them, fearing the knowledge of how many others had lost as much as she had.
Aside from the two of them, a few others could be seen dotting the area. Yang spotted an older man kneeling near the monument. He held a bouquet in his hands, and gently lowered it to lie before the stone spire. A mother and father, both weeping silently while they stared at one of the many names that decorated its surface. Lastly, a girl in a white cloak stood near the edge of the cliff, though her gender was all that Yang could make out. It was in a similar style to what a student from Atlas might wear, and the most out of place among those gathered.
Yang averted her gaze back to the monument as the older man and the couple left, leaving the area mostly free for herself and Blake. She moved to stand before it, finally working up the courage to scour its surface for what she sought. Her heart fell in her chest, and her eyes brimmed anew.
'Ruby Rose' had been etched into the stone's surface, one out of dozens of others. Blake's support around her shoulders was the only thing that kept the blond from falling to her knees, from losing herself to the wave of misery that crashed over her like the waves below.
"I-... I'm so sorry, Ruby. I was supposed to protect you... Dad trusted me to take care of you and… and I failed," Yang couldn't keep the anguish from her voice, eyes locked on to the name that had been etched in stone. Tears began to pour more steadily down her cheeks, brought on more fiercely as she allowed herself to succumb to her emotions, "All the times you were sad, and I had to fight so hard just to make you laugh or smile… I would do anything to get that back! Y-... you never believed it… but you really were the best thing in my life…"
Blake pulled Yang into her chest as the blond broke down, letting Yang once more cry to her heart's content as she had that morning. Yang's fingers gripped the fabric of her clothes tightly, holding on to the last thing in her life that she had to believe would never leave her, would never judge her on her past mistakes.
Yang felt Blake's arms tighten around her, felt the hand drift up until it pressed against the back of her head, helping to hide her shame against the other girl's chest. They remained there for several minutes, Yang allowing the grief to run its course, yet glad she was fortunate enough to have someone to share the moment with. 'If only we'd found each other sooner…'
After everything that happened, her own father had dropped contact with her, leaving Yang both scared and alone in an imperfect world. She'd been forced to throw herself head first into training, struggling for all she was worth to keep her mind off her guilt, while also fulfilling the promise she had made.
Two years had gone by, and while the guilt had never quite dissipated, Yang was on the fast track to becoming what Ruby herself had always wanted to be… a Hero that others could look up to.
'She wouldn't want to see you like this…'
Yang wiped away her tears, taking a few final moments to get herself back under control. With Blake's assistance, she stood on trembling legs to once more face the monument, and find Ruby's name among the others. Yang raised a hand to it, trailing her finger overtop the letters that had been engraved there. The stone itself was slightly damp, the salty ocean breeze carrying enough moisture with it to coat the monument. It was almost fitting… as if the stone itself was crying for those lost.
The pair sat silently in their room, Blake atop the bed with her back to the headboard, reading one of the many books that decorated their shared shelf. Yang had wiled away quite a few hours with her girlfriend that way, both reading in a companionable silence, enjoying each other's presence despite the lack of interaction. It was calming, simply knowing the other person was there with you.
At the moment though, Yang's hands were busy with her tools. Ember Celica lay before her, pulled apart to allow access to its inner workings. She didn't allow a week to go by without making sure her babies were cleaned of any dirt or grime, and could never be seen without them. She had paid much to learn that lesson... a lesson that she wouldn't forget until the day she died.
'Always be prepared.'
Yang heard Blake let out a contented sigh before she placed a bookmark between the pages of her book and set it aside.
"Good read?"
Blake made a small 'hmm' in her throat, eyes trailing back down to it, "It's… alright, I suppose. Jaune recommended it to me, but the story is basically just wish fulfillment. The character is dull and bland, yet somehow manages to catch the eye of so many girls…" she shrugged, "Can't say I mind that too much, though~"
Yang pretended to be offended, setting aside her screwdriver to place a hand to her chest, "Are you… cheating on me with paper!?"
Blake scoffed lightly, a delicate smirk playing at her lips, "Oh, please. If anything, I'm cheating on paper with you~"
Yang put a hand to her chin, eyes sparkling in amusement, "Is that so? I don't really mind being the mistress…"
Blake sighed wistfully, "Books just don't have the curves you do. It's a pity, really," she got off the bed to move over to Yang, wrapping her arms around the other girl's back from behind and placing a warm cheek against hers, "The words on a page can manage to get me all riled up, but they can't quite satiate that need they create…"
Yang's heart beat quickly, breath coming out in shallow pants while Blake continued to nuzzle against her, "W-weren't you reading that in Oobleck's class? I had no idea you could be so naughty…"
Blake giggled and pulled back slightly to whisper in her ear, "That is my favorite word…~" before nipping at her earlobe.
Yang spun her chair around to grab Blake by the waist and pull her forward, forcing her girlfriend to straddle her. Yang didn't care how awkward the position was. She was too busy enjoying the feeling of their lips pressing together, of the way Blake's knee grinded between her thighs while looking for purchase.
In their momentary struggle, Yang leaned back in the chair to help Blake find a more comfortable position. In doing so, the back of the chair collided against the desk behind her, causing the screwdriver to roll free and clatter to the ground. Immediately reminded of the state her weapon was in, Yang gloomily pulled away, leaving Blake to groan at the sudden loss of contact.
Yang raised her hand to gently hold Blake back, eyes off to the side in guilt, "Wait… I… I need to put Ember Celica back together…"
Blake breathed heavily, eyes narrowing in confusion for a few moments before Yang's words finally clicked in her mind. She sighed, lowering her head to avert her eyes from Yang's before nodding minutely, "Alright, I understand." Blake raised her head back up and used a hand on Yang's chin to turn the other girl's eyes back to herself. She gave Yang one final peck on the lips before climbing off, content to allow her to finish with her weapon.
"Sorry-" Yang began but was cut off as Blake quickly shook her head.
"No, no. I should have known better. There's no need to apologize, Yang," Blake smiled warmly and retreated to the bed, pulling out her scroll instead of returning to the book, "Feel free to join me over here when you're ready~"
Yang smiled in return, "Thanks. Shouldn't take me too long."
"Oh, I'm counting on it," Blake winked then made herself comfortable on the bed, lying down on her side while lightly trailing a finger across her hip and staring seductively back at Yang, "If it does, then I'll just have to make due with my book~"
Blake grinned at the heat in Yang's cheeks and turned her eyes to her scroll, allowing the moment to pass while the blond struggled internally to turn around and finish piecing her weapons back together. With a monumental force of will, she managed to pull her eyes away from her girlfriend's tightly clad leggings and back to the desk, quickly bending down to retrieve the screwdriver from where it had fallen.
"Hmm…" Blake made the small noise in her throat while Yang got to work, hands furiously working to piece together the pair of gauntlets correctly, "They released the class schedules finally. I was wondering what was taking them so long."
"Really?" Yang asked distractedly, allowing a portion of her attention to pick up on what Blake was saying, "It did take them a while. We had them almost two months in advance last year."
Blake let out another 'hmm' while apparently reading over the news, "Looks like mostly the same line up. Oobleck for Public Relations, Port for Hero Studies, Peach for Semblance Control… hold on…"
Yang heard the uncertainty in Blake's voice and paused what she was doing, turning her head to give her girlfriend a quizzical glance, "What's up?"
Blake's eyes darted between the scroll and Yang, her breath catching as she struggled to speak, "U-umm… so, Miss Goodwitch won't be our combat instructor this year. It looks like she's taken over the role of Assistant Headmaster…"
Yang frowned, "Who's going to teach us to fight, then?"
"W-well… it says here…" Blake tugged at the collar of her tank top, "Our combat instructor is going to be… Qrow Branwen…"
'...'
'...'
'... What…?'
"Here," Blake climbed off the bed to hand Yang her scroll, letting the blond confirm for herself the name that was being displayed on screen. 'Qrow Branwen' was listed next to the field for combat instructor, his name's very existence sprouting a hundred questions in Yang's mind.
'Where has he been for the past two years? Does he… know about Ruby…?' Her uncle had gone on a mission only a week before the events had transpired on that fateful day, and Yang had had even less luck tracking him down than she had finding information on her mother. Qrow simply vanished off the face of Remnant, presumed dead, though Yang had always hoped otherwise.
"Can you… give him a call…?" Blake asked tentatively.
Yang handed her scroll back and nodded numbly, pulling her own scroll out from her jean pocket, "I… still have his number… It hasn't worked all this time, though. Just gave me a busy signal…"
'Will this time be any different?'
Yang navigated to her contacts and found the entry she was looking for. Her finger hesitated over the name, long since changed from the playful nickname it had been set as before. Fear clutched at Yang's heart. Fear of rejection, fear of the unknown… 'What if he blames me…?'
Yang already blamed herself enough…
The blond flinched as Blake's hand fell on her shoulder, eyes flickering up to see the soothing smile her girlfriend gave, "Whatever happens, I'll still be here for you."
Yang nodded, brought her hand up to lay overtop Blake's, took a deep breath… and pressed the call button.
The room remained completely silent aside from the ring tone that began to play, both Yang and Blake holding their breath as they waited in the dimly lit room. Yang's heart dropped with each passing second, what little hope she had shriveling inside her chest. She began to hesitantly project her wishes out onto the universe, trying to keep alive what few embers remained.
'Please… Come on, Qrow… Pick up…'
'Click!'
"Hello? Miss Xiao Long?"
Yang's momentary hopes were dashed as she paused in confusion, eyes darting to Blake before returning to the scroll in her hand, "Umm… is that you, Headmaster?"
"Yes. I'm glad you called. I was hoping if you might be so kind as to head over to my office. I'm sure you have many questions, considering the circumstances…"
"That's… putting it lightly."
"Well then, I'll be expecting you soon. You may bring Miss Belladonna with you if you wish. She is more than welcome."
Blake's eyes widened, and she looked to Yang for confirmation before speaking up, "Y-yeah. I'll come with," her eyes fell on the currently dismantled Ember Celicas, "Give us... like... fifteen minutes?"
"Of course. See you then!" the call ended abruptly, a dull click announcing that their conversation was finished. Yang sat staring at the scroll, uncertain what to make of anything that had just transpired.
"I… guess I'll get ready?" Blake said uncertainly, giving Yang's shoulder a tight squeeze before heading over to her dresser.
Yang tucked her scroll back into her pocket and nervously began piecing her weapons back together once more, her mind buzzing a million miles a minute. She couldn't make sense of it. Headmaster Ozpin had been the last person she was expecting to speak with once the call went through, if it was even going to in the first place.
It took Yang a few more minutes than it might have otherwise, but eventually she managed to return her weapons to their proper state. With one final check, Yang slipped the gauntlets onto her own wrists in their compact form. They could easily be mistaken for a pair of bulky, yellow bracelets unless the person already knew otherwise.
Yang stood and double checked what she was wearing, making sure it was suitable for meeting with the Headmaster. Blake noticed the motion and gave a small laugh, moving to push her towards the door, "You look great."
"Are you sure I shouldn't-"
"Yang. We can't keep the Headmaster waiting," Blake cut her off, speaking seriously. She lightened the mood a moment later, giving Yang a once over before smiling, "And seeing as I consider myself a professional in all things Yang, I'll have you know that you look damn fine right now."
The statement did serve to chip away at Yang's reservations, and though she wouldn't have minded making the Headmaster wait a few minutes more, she begrudgingly allowed herself to be pulled along by Blake's hand in hers.
It was a lengthy walk to get from the third years' dorms to the faculty building. All the while, Yang's mind searched for some answer to the questions she had, trying to make sense of it all. After a minute, she gave up with a huff, realizing that the answer would hopefully become clear once they arrived at the Headmaster's office.
Once they had found their way to it, Blake and Yang used the student credentials on their scrolls to scan into the front office, unlocking the door and returning the cursory glance that the security detail gave them from behind the counter. One man gave a tight nod, reaching over to buzz them in past the second set of doors. The two girls swept past into the long hallway, but immediately turned to the side in order to climb the stairs to the second floor.
Once there, they continued on down the hallway to the very end. The Headmaster's office was situated in a place that gave him a grand view over the rest of the campus. Yang held Blake back for a moment, pausing with her knuckles raised and ready to rap against the back of the large oak doors.
Blake tightened her grip on Yang's hand reassuringly, and gave her a small nod towards the door. Yang let out a deep breath, glad that the Headmaster had allowed her to come with, and knocked three times against the wood. The sound echoed down the hall, surprisingly loud compared to the near silence that had weighed on them before.
"Come in!" the Headmaster's voice could be heard through the door. It was followed by a small click that announced the lock coming undone.
Yang pushed the door open and began to step inside, but froze as she immediately found herself looking into a pair of crimson eyes. Blake stumbled into her, not expecting the blond to have stopped so suddenly. She knocked her off balance and further into the room. Yang righted herself a moment later, bringing her free hand down to smooth her clothes back out nervously.
Yang's eyes returned to Qrow's. He gave her a somber smile, and stood up from his chair to raise his arms welcomingly.
"...Hey, Firecracker…"
Yang let go of Blake's hand to rush forward. Qrow accepted her embrace, wrapping both of his arms around her back in a hug that left her completely breathless.
"W-where were you? Why didn't you come b-back?" Yang managed to ask the two most prominent questions on her mind, pulling back slightly to look up into her uncle's eyes.
"I'm sorry," Qrow's voice rasped, sounding for all the world like he was just as devastated as Yang, "My mission took longer than I thought it would, and then… well…" Qrow's eyes fell off to the side, no longer capable of looking into Yang's own, "Ruby…"
"Do… do you…?" Yang couldn't bring herself to ask the question.
Qrow seemed to understand regardless, and shook his head roughly, "No, Yang. I don't blame you. Ruby is…" he struggled to speak, searching for a way to convey his thoughts, "You'll… you'll see for yourself…"
'What…?' Yang frowned in confusion, staring up at the troubled look on Qrow's face, "What do you mean? I'll see what for myself?"
The door clicked open once more, and Qrow broke away from Yang. His eyes remained glued to the floor, clearly ashamed of something that he couldn't bring himself to say. Yang turned, eyes darting to see whoever this newcomer was.
A white Atlas cloak, the hood pulled up to obscure the face completely. Yang recognized her from the cliff side, though even now she had no clue who this girl was. Blake stepped to the side, allowing her further entry. The girl hesitantly accepted, walking a few more paces into the room before standing a few feet from Yang.
The girl's hands trembled, one tightly clutching the fabric of her cloak while the other slowly raised, finding its way to the edge of her hood. Painfully slow, the hood was pulled back, revealing a soft smile, pale cheeks, and a pair of watery silver eyes.
"R…"
"Ruby…?"
In a sweet voice that Yang had never believed she would hear again, the girl replied quietly...
"Hey… Yang…"
This will be an AU, more along the lines of MHA in the sense that its a Hero and Villain driven society, while the Grimm are mysterious entities unto themselves. I wanted to create an AU for this instead of once again generally following canon, so expect many changes to come!
Hopefully chapter 2 will help to further set up the world. I'll likely be updating this less frequently than my other fics, though only time will tell. I have a commitment to them and those that have followed their stories up until now. None of them are exactly finishing any time soon.
Thanks for reading,
- Sybaen
A few notes from this chapter:
Atlas, Haven, and Shade are all schools within cities on the same continent as Vale. None of them are a world apart like in canon. Each is known for being the best in their own particular city (Mantle is the name of the city that Atlas Academy resides in, instead of sharing the name with the city).
Aura and Semblances still exist, as does Dust.
Faunus do not exist.
That's it for now. Much more will surely follow!