Hello Readers, and welcome back to….
SKYWARD REMNANTS!
Comments
PlopPrince: Glad you enjoyed it, hope to see you in future chapters!
OccasionallyCompetent: Well here it is, I hope you enjoy!
Darkmist111: Indeed, Ozpin is someone who tries to save as many lives as possible through as many means as he can. Link on the other hand, has a goal he has to accomplish first. As for the Brothers, I can't reveal that as that would be considered a spoiler. I hope you understand.
And yes, Game Mechanics come before everything! XD
Eliphas-Chaos: Glad you like it, hope to see you again.
SupremeFever: Well it seems that this story will now be written in a third person narrative.
6tailedninja: Glad you like the change, hope to see you in future chapters!
Johanson132: Glad you like it, I'll try to be more vigilant!
Guest: Thanks!
Alexkellar: *Maniacally* Good… let the hate flow! XD
Seriously, glad you like it!
Chapter 5
A Quest of Friendship
Yang Xiao Long
It was early in the morning, the sun had just peak over the far off horizon. Many of the students of Beacon Academy were still asleep, enjoying the blissful moments that only sleep can give you. They enjoyed the dreams they had, enjoying the seemingly everlasting utopia of dreams.
That is, until a certain Huntress in red woke up her fellow team.
*WHISTLE*!
The WBY of team RWBY all jumped out of their respective beds, as did other students from their own rooms.
"Rise and Shine team! We've got a big day ahead of us!" Exclaimed the excitable Rose of the group, rushing around as if she were a bullet.
"Wha-?" Started a confused Blake, looking around with a dazed expression. She wore her black sleepwear, the same ones she had on the night they slept in the ballroom. She was going to ask more questions, but was interrupted from an angry, red faced Weiss.
"You dolt!" She shouted, trying to stop Ruby from rushing around the compact room, her light blue night dress following the sudden rush of wind.. "Why on Remnant would-"
"No time for arguing!" Ruby spoke, shoving a cookie into Weiss's mouth as she did so. "We need to eat, shower and go!" She disappeared, only to reappear with a rush of rose petals in front of her elder sister.
"Yang, you get in the shower first, you always take a long time!" She told her, trying to rush the still half asleep girl. Which was understandable, as Yang had never been forced to get up this early. Especially after a late night.
"Wha-?" She asked, trying to comprehend what was going on. She turned to her little sister, who currently had started to push her elder sister off of the bed. "Ruby, what are you-?"
"No time!" The girl shouted, as she used her Semblance to force her half dressed sister into the bathroom. She came out a millisecond later, with rose petals still behind her, and shut the door with a quick slam.
"What the-!" Yang exclaimed from in the bathroom, completely awake from the rush that came with moving so fast. "Ruby!" The eldest of the sisters shouted, opening the bathroom door as she did. "What are you-?" Only for her to mouth to filled with cookies.
"No time!" The young rose told her sister, as she moved to forcefully shove cookies in the now startled Blake. "If you're not taking a shower now, make way for Weiss!"
"Now hold on a min-" The short white haired girl started, only for Ruby to place her in the bathroom using her Semblance again. "Hey!" Weiss said from within the bathroom, but before she could open the door, Ruby put a chair under the door knob. The knob jiggled, but the door remained closed. "Open this door now!"
"Augh." Yang sighed, as she stretched her hand to the side. She grabbed at the air, just as the young girl passed by her sister.
Before Ruby knew what was happening, she was hanging in the air by her hood, unable to escape.
Though it wasn't for a lack of trying.
"Nonononononono!" Ruby said repeatedly, as she tried to get herself out of her sister's grasp. She was kicking in the air, moving her arms in pinwheels, she even tried bite her sister's arm. All was met failure and fatigue.
"You done?" Yang asked, completely unfazed by her sisters efforts.
"Never!" The hyperactive girl shouted, as she put more effort into escaping. She kept on going, but Yang ignored her and went to open the bathroom door. With her left arm, she grabbed the chair and took it out from under the doorknob. As soon as she did, Weiss (who was still in the bathroom slamming on the door.) came out of the bathroom like a glowing red hurricane.
"YOU DOLT!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, waking all those in the school that weren't awake before. "What in the name of Dust were you thinking!?" She asked the hyperactive girl, trying to get her to answer
She didn't get one however, as Ruby was still trying to escape from Yang's grasp.
"What time is it?" Blake asked, after she had eaten all the cookies Ruby shoved in her mouth. She looked around, trying to find the clock that the dorms hung on the wall. Yang saw her eyes widen, only to close them and shake her head.
Curious she looked over to see what time it was, Ruby still struggling but tiring in her grasp. Her eyes twitched as she saw where the clocks hands lay.
5:30
"Ruby…" She started, turning her head to glare at her sister. "Why the hell would you wake us up at five in the morning, especially after everything that happe-" It was then, in that moment of relative silence, that she was actually allowed to process the events of yesterday.
'Right, can't believe I forgot.' She thought to herself, still unable to believe everything that happened recently was real. 'I almost thought it was a dream,' She thought as she shook her head, sorting through the memories. 'After all, everything that happened yesterday could be turned into a fairytale. Where the handsome hero saves the pure maidens and their squires.' She thought to herself, definitely not blushing over the fact she called Link handsome. 'Wait a minute…''
She chuckled slightly, as an idea popped into her head on how to get back at her sister.
"Ohhhhh, are you that excited to see your boyfriend little sis?" Yang asked with a teasing grin, as Ruby froze up so fast, she could've sworn she actually turned into ice.
"W-w-w-w-w-hat?!" She exclaimed, her blush brighter than the sun in the middle of July.
"Well, why else would you be up this early?" she asked her sister, still grinning mischievously. "But to think you would be so forward, going on a date after you had just met!" She sighed, as if moved by their 'love'. "Ahh, young love…."
"Wha-, bu-, huh?" She muttered, trying to make sense of the conversation, her blush still extraordinary bright.
'Now to add a little more oil to the fire.' Yang thought to herself, still grinning like a crazed psycho.
"But be sure to tell me when you're going to kiss your prince charming, ok?" She told her little sister, watching as the young girl continued to lit up like a Christmas tree. "I want to get a few pictures."
"Wha-, no I, but-" The small girl was sputtering out words, confused and unable to speak. "But-, no, I." She continued to mutter words, as if she were possessed. That is until...
She passed out from embarrassment, falling limp in Yang's grip with her head hung back.
The WBY of team RWBY all stared at Ruby, all of them in surprise. Then Weiss and Blake turned towards Yang.
"What?" She asked, feeling guilty under all both of their stares. They didn't say anything, but Yang understood that they didn't have to. "Okay, I'll be honest, I may have taken that a little too far." She told them, emphasising on 'little'."
"A little?" Blake asked, not quite glaring at the blonde, but was very close.
"Okay, way too far." Sher told them honestly, as she placed Ruby down on her bed. "But I didn't think it would knock her out cold!"
"Aughhh." Weiss groaned, bringing her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I was teamed up with you three, of all people" She shook her head as she said this, as she went to grab one of her many suitcases.
"Where are you going?" Yang asked, as Weiss pulled out a small, waterproof bag. She turned to her, hands on her hips.
"To take a shower." he said simply, moving to the bathroom door. "Since we're already up, we might as well go see him." She told the two girls, as she put her hand on the knob. "He deserves that much."
"Aww." Yang cued, as she she brought her hands to her above average chest. "The Hero was thawed the Ice Queen's frozen heart."
Weiss's head shot towards Yang, her expression showing anger and embarrassment. However, instead of yelling or shouting in outrage like Yang had expected, Weiss shook her head.
"Yang, even someone like you can't annoy me as you are now." She said simply, crossing her arms and turned to walk into the bathroom. She didn't say anything else after that, only the noise of the shower and humming came out of the bathroom.
Leaving behind a very confused Yang Xiao Long.
"Huh?" Came the confused response, as she turned towards the only conscious person in the room." What did she mean by t-, whoa, Blake you ok?" She asked her partner for the next four years of school. "You're really red…"
Indeed she was, Blake Belladonna was as red as red can get. She was looking away from Yang, who had kept trying to get her attention.
"Blake, seriously is there something wrong? If you're not feeling, we can move straight to-"
"Yang," She interrupted, still looking away from the busty blonde. "I am fine, you should be more concerned about you at the moment."
"Wait, wha-" She started, unable to understand what she was talking about. "What are you talking abou-"
"Yang jus-"She started, raising her voice, only to bring it down to her usual. "Just look at yourself…"
"Wha-" She replied, shocked at what Blake said. "What're are yo-." She looked down, trying to find the reason for Blake was avoiding her sight.
She saw the reason as soon as she looked down.
"Oh." That was the only thing she could say, as she realized that during that whole confrontation…
She had been in her underwear, the whole time.
Yang's face grew hot, but she didn't make any moves to cover up her revealing state of attire. After all, her usual clothes had never been on the 'decent side' of the clothing spectrum. 'I must've been really tired last night.' She thought to herself, as she tried to recall the events before sleeping. 'I remember putting Ruby in her bed, and getting out of my clothes to put on my usual pajamas. You know…' She thought, as she brought her hand to her chin. 'I don't think I ever put those on.'
She to her bed, and looked across the floor, until she saw them. They were lying there, in a heap on the floor next to her sheets. 'Well, that explains that… I guess.'
With that, she put her clothes on, teased Blake, and waited to get ready to see the man who saved her new teammates lives.
After an hour of showering, getting dressed, and doing whatever they needed to do to get ready for their day, team RWBY left their dorm, with the young rose in Yang's arms.
At 6:30 in the morning, the three conscious members of team RWBY were surprised at how many people were up and about. Although there weren't many students, there were quite a few guards and scientists. They all seemed really busy, and excited to be doing whatever they were doing.
The team walked in silence, quietly walking towards the care ward of the school.
That is, until their leader shot up in her sister's arms.
"I-it's not that, I swear, I-!" She said loudly, almost jumping out of Yang's hold. "Huh?" She asked, looking around at her new surroundings.
"Well, good morning to you to sis." Yang said simply, as she placed her sister down on your feet. "I was wondering when you would get up."
The young rose, who was still blushing, turned to her sister with a glare. A small, very adorable glare.
"Yang!" She whined, as she rushed her big sister to confront her on what she had been saying. "I am not in love, Link is not my boyfriend, and I will not kiss him!" She told her outright, as she banged her hands against her stomach.
"Oh really?" Yang asked, unconvinced at her little sister's words.
"Yes really!" Ruby shouted, showing how angry she was by puffing out her cheeks, almost causing Yang to laugh.
"Alright, alright, I believe you." Yang said, crossing her fingers behind her back and giving Ruby a small smile.
"Good." She said, her eyes closed and her blushing going down. Suddenly, she started to grin and grabbed her by her hand. "Than let's go!"
However, before Ruby could use her Semblance and rush them to the Care-Ward, Yang once again grabbed her by the hood.
"Whoa there." She said, pulling her sister back by the edge of her cloak. "We don't want to leave our team-mates behind, now do we."
When she heard that, Yang watched as Ruby looked behind her, seeing the Ice Queen and Blake. "Oh… hey guys…" She said, giving them a little wave.
Blake didn't say anything, she only returned the small wave in kind. Weiss on the other hand…
'Damn, she looks pretty pissed.' Yang thought, as the Ice Queen showed off the full power of her glare. However, instead of starting anything like they had expected, all she did was ignore the wave and walk ahead.
Given the opportunity, Yang couldn't pass up on a good old pun.
"Wow, that was quite the cold shoulder. Eh, anybody?" She joked, looking around for the laughing faces of her friend and sister.
All she got in return were grimaces.
"Ughhh…" Groaned Ruby, as she turned around to walk in the direction of the Careward. "You're just as bad as dad." She said, never turning to look back at her.
"Oh come on, it was funny!" Yang tried to tell, but she was ignored. She watched Blake walk past, shaking her head as she did. "It was!" She tried again, but she was only met with the same response.
"Jeez, tough crowd." Yang said out loud, as she followed after her fellow teammates.
After walking for a few minutes in silence, they had finally reached the Careward. As team RWBY walked up towards the front desk, Yang eyes were pulled toward a man being interviewed by one of Beacons Guards. The man being interviewed was a doctor, if his coat was anything to go by, who seemed pissed.
"Never, in my entire career, have I met such an unappreciative young man!" The doctor said, as he shook his head. "I take care of his wounds, I save his life, and what does he do? He locks me in his own care room and runs off, leaving me and two others in there for an entire hour!"
"I see…" The guard stated with a bored tone, writing all of this down on his scroll. "Any other statement you would like to add?"
"Yeah, here's one!" The doctor said, as he raised his voice, causing many others to turn their heads. "The second they find this guy, they better arrest him! Otherwise, I might have to do something myself!"
"What's all that about?" Blake asked, turning to Yang as she did.
"Apparently, some guy locked him and others in a room and left." She told Blake, making sure they were still in pace with Weiss and Ruby. "He wants the man responsible arrested."
"Hmm…" Was all she said, as she kept pace with the excitable Rose.
The second they had made it to the front desk, despite her social awkwardness, she spoke with an excited grin.
"Hello!" She said with an obvious excitement, getting the attention of the man at the front desk. "We're here to visit someone!"
The man, who caught some of Ruby's contagious excitement, smiled back and asked. "Alright then, name please."
"Link!" Ruby stated, practically jumping up and down. Weiss groaned at the younger girl's excitement, while both Blake and Yang smiled at it. 'She definitely has a crush.' Yang thought as she gazed at her sister.
However, that excitement didn't last. In fact, you can say it was grinded to dust in a single sentence.
"Unfortunately girls, you will be unable to see him today." Said a voice behind them, leaving them shocked. They all turned, some faster than others, to meet the owner of the voice.
"Professor Ozpin?!" Team RWBY said in unison, their voices raised in shock.
Professor Ozpin, despite being seen as someone quite serious, smiled at the color coordinated team. "Come now, is it really that surprising that I would turn up in my own schools Careward?"
However, despite the question being rhetorical, the leader answered hesitantly.
"Umm…. No….?" Ruby told and asked him at the same time, while she shrugged her shoulders.
Weiss, completely ignoring her leaders question/answer, asked the obvious question. "What do you mean we can't see Link, Headmaster?" She asked, looking as if she were trying to be the symbol of politeness in Yang's opinion.
"That question is best answered elsewhere." He told them, as he turned to the exit of the Careward. He turned his head, looking at them with what could only be called a calm expression. "If you would follow me please."
The walk to Professor Ozpin's office was as uncomfortable as it was silent. At least, that was what Yang thought to herself.
No one bothered to try and create conversation, for they knew that whatever would be asked would go ignored. Not intentionally, but ignored no-the-less. After all, if what she was thinking was on everyone else's mind, their thoughts weren't here. The thought that plagued team RWBY was as simple as it was complicated.
What happened to Link?
Of course, the worst possibility came to mind quickly, but was just as quickly retracted. 'Snap out of it Yang.' She thought to herself, trying to physically and mentally shake the thoughts out of her head. 'This was the same guy who took on an Omega Beowulf and lived for god's sake. There's no way he would've been-' She stopped herself before she could even think that.
She thought of many other possibilities, each one less likely to have happened than the last. It was than that Yang saw Ruby from the corner of her eye.
Although slightly upset over the fact she couldn't see Link, Ruby still seemed like her usual, joyful self. 'Still as optimistic as always, huh Rubes?' She mentally, grinning at the pure little rose that was her sister. 'You probably think that Link is still asleep, and that Ozpin doesn't want us to bother him while he's recovering.'
In the end, they reached the Headmaster's office in a couple of minutes. They rode the elevator up, and came into the intricately decorated office.
When Ozpin sat down on, in Yang's opinion, his ridiculous looking chair, she started the conversation the best way she knew how.
Blunt and to the point.
"So why can't we see Link?" Yang asked, crossing her arms under her chest.
"Wha-?" Weiss asked, with a look of shock that quickly shifted to anger. "Yang, you can't just talk to one of the most influential people on the planet like that! Have you no cl-" She would've continued, had Ozpin not raise his hand, requesting a moment of silence.
"It is alright Ms. Schnee." Ozpin told the Ice Queen, who shut up the second he rose his hand. The professor dropped his hand back on his desk, and turned to the busty blonde. "As for your question Ms. Xiao Long, I'm afraid that Link is nowhere to be found."
You could practically hear a pin drop within the office, even with the loud, turning gears above them. That silence was broken however, when Blake asked the obvious question.
"What do you mean he's nowhere to be found?" She asked, her eyes wide in surprise over this fact.
With a sigh that said he was expecting this question, Ozpin began to explain. "Late last night, perhaps an hour after we had left the boy alone in his room, he managed to escape the care ward." As he said this, he used the hologram program on his desk, and projected an image in the middle of the room.
Yang turned around, along with the rest of team RWBY, and saw what looked like a security camera feed.
It showed Link, in his strange green attire, walking through the halls, looking as lost as any man could be.
From behind, Yang could hear Ozpin continue his explanation. "Despite being lost, he found his way to my office, after meeting some confrontation from the guards." As he began to skip through the footage.
"We have guards?" Asked Ruby, who whispered the question to Ice Queen. Said Ice Queen said nothing, only glared at their team leader.
"Yes we do ," Ozpin told her, as he continued playing the security. "Unfortunately…"
However, before Ozpin could continue, the five of them watched as Link hit the guard with his shield. Hard.
"Damn, that had to hurt…" Yang said, watching as the guard sprawled across the ground.
"Is he okay?" Ruby asked Professor Ozpin, the girl wondering how the guard turned out after Link's wicked punch.
"Other than a shattered jaw, he's fine." He told the girls, as all of their eyes widened in shock. "We were able to get to him before any permanent damage could be made, and his Aura was able to set the bone fragments back into their proper place." He told them as he tapped away on his computer desk.
"Link shattered his jaw?" Blake asked Ozpin, who seemed to be searching for something. "Why would he need to do something like that? In fact," She stated, turning to the video of Link, who happened to be running from the other guard. "Why is he even trying to leave? What reason could he have to just… disappear?"
Yang watched as Blake searched through the footage of Link, as if it would give her the answers she seeked. She continued, even as Ozpin began to speak.
"More than likely, it has to do with the reason why he came to here in the first place." The Headmaster told them, as he looked at all who had his attention.
"Reason? We already know the reason, he was dying." Yang told Professor Ozpin, her patience was wearing thin.
"Indeed, that was the reason we brought him to Beacon," The Headmaster told the blonde, taking another sip of the coffee in his hand. "But what was his reason for coming here?" He asked them, looking around for an expected answer.
He was met with confused looks from all around however, and an annoyed one from Yang.'Why can't he just give a straight answer?' She thought to herself, tapping her fingers against her arm.
However, much to the annoyance of Yang, instead of giving them answers, he gave them a question.
"Ms. Schnee," He started to ask, as he turned to the heiress in white. "Do you happen to remember the description Link gave of his home?" He asked her, even though Yang was sure he didn't need to ask.
"He described it as 'A paradise, untainted by Demons.', Professor." She told the Headmaster, an almost smug sort of grin upon her face.
"As well as a place 'blessed by the Goddess Hylia.'" Blake added, who glared at the image of Link getting shot at by the guard menacingly. In fact, if Yang's eyes weren't deceiving her, she could've sworn that Blake was glaring directly at the guard.
"Indeed," He told the two, as he leaned back in his chair. "So answer me this…
"Why would someone leave a place like that?"
Yang could only stare at the Headmaster, as his question began to dawn on her.
Link, who describe his home as basically Heaven on Remnant, came down to a place he knew was crawling with 'Demons'. No matter how it looked, Link didn't come down here just to be a Ruby's 'Guardian Angel'. He must have had a reason for coming to Remnant, a big one if she had to guess.
'So, why did he decide to come down?' No matter how many times she asked this question, she couldn't come up with an answer. The lack of such an answer frustrated the blonde, who wanted answers not questions.
However, surprising her and everyone else in the room, one person did have the answer.
"He's looking for someone!" Ruby Rose exclaimed, slapping her fist against her open palm.
"Oh?" Professor Ozpin asked, his eyes wide at her sister's answer. He took a sip of his coffee, about to continue with his sentence. He would have, if Ice Queen hadn't started rejecting Ruby's line of thought.
"Oh please," Weiss said to no in particular, as she turned to their team leader. "You can't possibly know that for certain." She stated, crossing her arms as she did so.
"Huh?!" Ruby asked, more than likely confused at Weiss's sudden rejection. That confusion did not last long however, as Ruby tried to defend her claim. "O-of c-course I know!" She told Ice Queen, quite loudly in fact.
"Oh really?" She asked, using a 'holier than I' tone of voice that annoyed Yang to no end. "Than he must have told you he was looking for someone, right?" She asked the young rose, crossing her arms as she did so.
"Umm…" Ruby said, as she suddenly became very sheepish. "W-well, not exactly…" She told the girl in white honestly, looking down at the ground as she did so.
"Oh?" The Ice Queen exclaimed, feigning surprise as she brought a hand to her mouth. "Than he must've, oh I don't know, asked for someone by name?" She asked the girl, as Yang could feel her hand tighten into a fist.
"N-no, b-but he-" She wasn't able to continue, as the Ice Witch interrupted her.
"Well than he must've shown you a picture, asking you if 'you've seen this person?', right?" She asked with more than a little hostility, as Yang's hand squeezed hard enough to crack her knuckles.
"T-t-that's n-not w-wha-" Once again, before she could get any word in, the Ice Bitch interrupted her little sister.
"Than you don't know for certain, do you?" She asked the almost cowering girl, glaring at her as she did. "You know as much as the rest of us, which in other words, is nothing!" She told her sister, as said girl now had those large, vulnerable eyes, filled with pain.
Before she even knew it, Yang felt her violet eyes turn red and her hair glow. Without thinking, she activated her Ember Celica, feeling the familiar, cool metal across her wrathful fists. With a step, she pulled her right arm back faster than any bullet, and went for a brutal haymaker.
The angry blonde watched through clouded eyes, as the Ice Bitch turned to meet her maker. She watched as the Ice Bitch's eyes shrunk to the size of thumb-tacks. Before she could even react, Yang went in for the kill, hoping to hurt the Heiress like she did her sister.
However, her punch never made it to its intended target. Before she could connect the hit with Weiss's face, something blocked her attack.
It was a black cane, that wouldn't budge no matter how hard she tried. She tried attack the heiress again, this time with a left uppercut, only for that to be blocked too.
"I believe that's enough Ms. Xiao Long." Professor Ozpin told her, keeping his weapon in front of her Ember Celica.
She looked over at the Professor, glaring at him, before turning off her Semblance and returning the Ember Celica back into their bracelet form. As she did, she turned towards the Ice Witch, ignoring the surprised looks she was given.
To say she was shocked would be the understatement of the year. Weiss's eyes were wide, but her pupils were shrunk from the unexpected reaction from Yang. She was paler than usual, which was saying something, and was covered in a thin sheet of sweat. Hell, she looked so shocked, she probably forgot to be mad at Yang for almost hitting her.
"Ms. Schnee," Professor Ozpin started, getting the attention of the young Heiress. "While I understand you haven't had much sleep since last night, I will not tolerate any more of this behavior. From either of you." He told the white haired girl, and gave a pointed glance to Yang. "Am I understood?"
"Y-yes Headmaster." She responded, still paler than she usually is.
Yang only gave a single nod, still glaring at the white heiress.
"Good." He stated, as he turned to the her sister. "Now, why don't we have Ms. Rose tell us how she came to the right answer."
'Finally,' Yang thought to herself, turning to look at her little sister. 'Now we can finally listen to Ruby's…' It was than that Ozpin's words caught up to her, as she whized around to see the Headmaster grinning.
"Wait, you already know the reason?!" She asked him, her eyes wide in shock.
"Of course," He told her simply, not even bothering to turn his head toward her. "He left a note."
"Wha-?!" She exclaimed in utter shock, as her jaw dropped. "You mean you had a message from him this whole time?!" She asked, her voice rising as she did. Her sister tried to calm her down, but to no avail.
"If that's the case, can't we just see that?" Blake asked, joining the conversation. "Wouldn't be easier to read his reasoning rather than trying to find it from a secondary source." She stated, gesturing towards Ruby, who looked confused
The Headmaster didn't respond immediately, as he looked around at the team. He gave a sigh, as he turned off the hologram and made to grab something out of his desk.
"Unfortunately," He told them, as he brought out a sheet of paper. "That may be a little… difficult Ms. Belladonna." That was all he said, as he flattened the sheet down on his desk. As soon as he did, Blake grabbed the sheet of paper and made to read it.
Only for her eyes to widen in shock, then shrink in disappointment.
"What does it say?" Asked a curious Ruby, who tried to peak over the taller girls shoulder. Instead of answering, Blake wordlessly passed the sheet to her, bringing a hand to her shaking head. As soon as Ruby tried to read the note, she gave a confused "uhh". She tried turning the pages in different ways, but still looked confused about what she was seeing.
"Give me that." The still pale Heiress stated, who seemed to be back to her usual haughty self. Though she was giving the adventurous blonde a quick glance, glare, every so often. As she snatched the paper away from the young Roses hands, she quickly glanced across the papers surface.
Only for her to seem appalled at what she was looking at.
Tired of all the suspense, Yang grabbed the sheet of paper from Weiss's loose grip. She looked down at the piece of paper that was causing so much trouble, wondering what all the fuss was about.
Only to turn and practically slammed the 'note' down on the professor's desk a second later.
"Please tell me your joking." That was all she could hope for, that this was some bad joke.
Giving a sigh that said he expected this, he took a long sip of his coffee. As soon as he did, he met her gaze with one of steel. "This isn't a joke," He told her seriously, trying to get his point across, as he himself stared down at the note. "And if it is, I can assure you that it isn't one of mine."
She followed his gaze, looking at the sheet once again.
Upon the paper, was what could only be described as none other than a hastily rushed picture book. Each picture (If you could call them that.) was hastily drawn, as if written in a second.
The first one appeared to be a Link bowing in apology. She could tell it was Link, because he was "kind" enough to draw his ridiculous hat on it.
The second was just a bunch of trees being pointed out by an arrow, with the Link stick figure walking towards them.
The third and final picture showed a stick figure with long hair, and another Link stick figure looking around.
However, the strangest thing, in Yang's opinion, was the strange writing across the top of the paper.
It was, without a better word, bizarre. Some of the symbols were insane shapes that looked difficult to write in. Others were rather simple and clean. However, the last letter of the message looked… looked as if someone stopped right in the middle of writing.
"So…" Ruby spoke up, trying to start a conversation in her own little way. "He's sorry, he's going into the woods, and he is looking for someone." She said, summarizing what the pictures represent.
"It would seem so, Ms. Rose." Professor Ozpin told the young girl, taking another sip out of his seemingly bottomless cup of coffee.
Ruby nodded at his answer, only to freeze in the middle of doing so. She had a confused expression on her face, one that Yang knew quite well. It was a face that Ruby would put on when she was either going to ask a simple or complicated question.
"Why didn't he ask for help?" She asked, as everyone raised an eyebrow and stared at the young girl. Suddenly self-conscious, her little sister begun to reevaluate her question. "W-why didn't he ask us to help look for his friend? He was injured, and without his weapon. So why did he go through all of this, instead of just asking us to help?"
That question gnawed at them, as they thought in the silence Ruby created. The first to answer, unsurprisingly, was the wisest of them.
"Unfortunately Ms. Rose," Professor Ozpin began, setting his coffee down his desk as he did. "That questions answer remains with Link, and Link alone." He spoke cryptically, despite only having to say 'I don't know'.
"Now," The professor spoke up, leaning back into his chair with a stoic expression. "I believe you all have classes to attend to." Before Yang could even ask, the still stoic Professor turned to her. "No, you cannot skip today's class."
In response, Yang could only groan in her misfortune of attending classes in one of the most prestigious schools on Remnant.
"Then we shall be on our way, Professor." Weiss said with a curtsy('of all things' thought Yang), before turning towards the elevator. Blake and Ruby followed soon after, along with Yang.
"Oh, and Ms. Xiao Long," The professor called, as Yang turned around upon hearing her name. "Be sure to place your weapons in your locker, just as Ms. Goodwitch had asked you to yesterday." He told her with a small grin, as Yang gave a small nervous laugh.
With that said, she stepped into the elevator with her teammates(and Weiss), and waited for the doors to close.
Pretending she didn't see the look of unease upon the Headmasters face as they did.
Link
He was walking, he was aware of that before anything else.
He knew he was dreaming, he had enough experience with sleeping to know that. However, despite the importance of his mission, he continued to sleep, watching his dream play out through his eyes.
He was surrounded by trees, their leaves like a canopy above him as he strolled through. He walked carefully and quietly, wishing to somehow remain hidden out in the open.
He looked around, searching for any enemies within the army of trees. He continues to search for a way through, wanting to continue forward.
That was, until something got in his way.
He couldn't see what it was, nor the shape of it's form. It was like a shadow, but all you knew was that it was there, coming out from behind one of the many trees.
And, unfortunately, there was more than one.
He stood still in fear, his arms tightening around the object clutched to his chest. He looked around, trying to find a way to escape these things.
As he looked around, he saw it. A clearing within the army of trees, an area he could escape to.
Without thinking, he ran. He ignored the grunts and cries of the creatures behind him, running towards the bright clearing without hesitation. He kept on running, the object in his arms straining against his chest.
His feet pounded against the grass, his boots feeling strange as he did. That didn't matter though, as he reached the clearing with a relative ease.
He could still hear those creatures chasing him, but they were far behind him. Since he had a head start, they wouldn't catch him unless he stopped.
Luckily, he was fast enough to escape their clutches. So he continued to run, moving towards the bright clearing. The bright light that came from the clearing swept across him, as he-
"Master."
-felt his surroundings start to melt away, meaning that he was waking from his dream.
Waking up had always been slow for Link, even when Zelda and her Loftwing Aqua came to help him.
So he was quite surprised when the second Fi woke him up , his eyes shot open and he was wide awake. As soon as he did, what met him was the sight of a certain Sword Spirit.
Who was in fact, unnervingly close to him.
"What th-!" Link immediately jumped up, unintentionally grabbing his sword and shield as he did so. As soon as he got over his surprise, all he could do was sigh and strap his weapons on his back. "Good morning, Fi." He told her simply, tightening all the loose belts that hold his sword and shield.
"Good morning, Master." She responded simply, floating only an inch above the ground. "I assume your rest was sufficient." She stated, floating over to him as she did so.
He smiled, as he finished tightening the last belt, testing if everything was okay. "Could have been better," He told her honestly, placing his hat on his head. "I could have been sleeping on a real bed."
After Link had made his 'escape' from Beacon, Fi had stated he would require rest if he were to continue with his journey. Tired, and a lover of sleep, he agreed and slept under a tree, as Fi kept watch. They were lucky to have met no confrontations.
Remembering Beacon, Link couldn't help but feel guilty for his actions. Not only did he injure a few guards and trap people in a room, he also broke into Ozpin's office as well as his safe. He didn't even explain himself, he just left a terribly drawn note, (As they couldn't read Hylian.) and jumped off the tower safely with the help of Zelda's Sailcloth.
He could only hope they understood the importance of his quest through the note.
"Master," Fi spoke, pulling him out of his daze. "If you are ready, I can begin to guide you to your intended location." She told him, as Link raised an eyebrow at the word 'your' instead of 'our'. "Unless you wish to rest longer, in which case I can check on your wound."
Link involuntarily went to touch his right shoulder, running my fingertips under his tunic to feel the large, dry scab. While he was confident in the doctors who patched him up, despite knowing them for only two seconds, he couldn't risk any sort of problems holding him back. However…
Thoughts of Zelda in danger flew inside his head, making him want to just run through these trees at a breakneck pace. He didn't want to even think about her being in danger, but down on the Surface it was a large possibility
As if feeling Link's distress, Fi started to try and relieve him of his worry.
"Master, the diagnosis should only take a few minutes. Afterwards, if you so wish, a light jog should be able to place you within the exact timeframe as it would if you were to depart now." She told him, the emotionless tone of voice she used throwing any semblance of comfort out the window.
Link turned to his… partner from here on, mulling over what he was just told. If she found anything wrong, he was certain she could easily tell him how to fix it on the road. If she didn't, he wouldn't have to worry about aggravating the wound.
There was simply no reason to refuse her offer.
So, with quiet steps, he moved to a nearby tree stump. As he sat down, he looked towards the emotionless sword spirit, who remained were she was, awaiting his orders.
"..." He sat there, uncomfortable with the silence between them. Yet, for the life of him he couldn't break it. Why?
Because he was afraid to.
Yesterday, he fought an unknown monster the size of a house, yet he was afraid to use his words. No, it was more that…
He was afraid of the effects of his words on her.
He was being silly, he knew he was. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more the fear in his gut solidified.
'If you wish Master, you may punish me in any way you see f- '
Fi was loyal to a fault, he couldn't deny this, her words the night prior revealing this.
Yet it was these same words that caused his fear. He could ask her anything, and she would comply without a second of hesitation. For her, his words held a weight he never thought they could have.
And that scared him.
"Master?" Her voice, which remained emotionless despite the question, brought him out of his thought. "Is something troubling you?"
"No!" He answered a little too quickly, shaking off all his negative thoughts. "Nothing at all!" He said, trying to convince himself more than her.
She nodded, instantly taking my words as the truth, as she spoke once again. "Then would you like to me begin with your diagnosis?"
He took a second to compose himself, before speaking carefully. "I would appreciate that." He told the sword spirit simply, giving her a small nod in thanks.
She gave a nod in return, before gliding towards his shoulder. He gazed over said shoulder, watching as the strange spirit ran her strange wings through his clothes.
He shivered, feeling as if his shoulder were being brushed by warm, delicate fingers. There was no pain however, signifying no actual physical contact.
As he watched her examine his wounds, he couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
'How could he save Zelda, if he was afraid of talking to his own guide.'
Ozpin
He couldn't help but sigh, as he recalled the events of today.
He was in his office, in the exact same spot as when the newly dubbed Team RWBY left only an hour ago.
He stared at what felt like his hundredth coffee that day, before setting it down to the side. He sighed once again, as he gazed at the message the scrolled across his desk.
'Subject nowhere to be found, searching around the premise.~Dr. Oobleck'
With hands folded over his mouth, Ozpin did nothing but stare at the message. Despite his seemingly calm exterior, he was anything but underneath. He was upset, which is quite understandable with all that has happened. Yet, he still held it all in with a perfect poker face, one that would take a lifetime to achieve.
A simple feat for him, who had more than just one.
However, despite the effort he put into hiding these emotions, there was one person who could see through it.
"If your not too upset at the moment, I need you to fill these out." The voice of Glynda Goodwitch echoed through his silent office, as a pile of papers filled his vision. He looked up, gazing upon his long-time friend and assistant.
He sighed once again, this time with a small smile. "Unfortunately, there is no such condition to stop one from having to do paperwork." He told her, as he took his pen and began to read said paperwork.
A comfortable silence filled the room, only interrupted by the scratching of a pen on paper. He knew it would not last however, as instead of going to her class, Glynda stayed where she was.
Taking the initiative, he decided to end the silence himself.
"What is it you wish to ask Glynda?" He asked, turning his attention to his good friend. Despite talking to her, he kept his eyes on the paperwork in front of him.
She didn't answer immediately, perhaps attempting to return to silence. Instead of rushing her, he waited patiently for her question. Moments later, she asked the question I was asking myself.
"Do you think she did this?"Glynda asked him, as his pen paused in the middle of signing his own name.
He knew what she was talking about, after all it could only be her. Only she and her pawns could, no, would find the Grimm and kill it. Only she had anything to gain by killing the soulless creature and keeping it from our study.
Salem, The Queen of Grimm
With a sigh, he set down his pen and turned his gaze to Glynda.
"No doubt in mind." He told Glynda, his tone holding a sense of finality. Instead of returning to his paperwork, he kept gazing at his assistant. He was still waiting for the rest of the questions he knew she had.
As if on cue, she began the assault of questions.
But not on a subject he thought she would bring up.
"What about Link?" She asked, crossing her arms under her chest. "Couldn't he have…?"
"No, he couldn't have." He told her, his eyes remaining on her. "I had placed countless drones around the Omega Beowulf, all of which were destroyed." As he spoke, he stood from his chair, and turned to gaze out his window.
"In the dark of the night, they were practically impossible to detect, yet they were found nonetheless. Unless someone was explicitly looking for them they should have remained unfound. Link, who hasn't even a clue that such a thing exists, would be unable to find them."
Once again, the sound of silence echoed within the spacious room. Within this silence, he was attentive to the sound of Glynda's heels clicking on the marble floor. Still looking at the wide expanse of land in front of him, he the elevator ding and the doors open.
He was not surprised by this, as he knew she had a class to attend to at this time. When the doors closed, he made no effort of shattering the rare silence he gets as Headmaster.
The man sighed, still gazing out the window in his office. He always enjoyed the view from the CCT, looking out at the cliffs and the wild expanse forest. Despite that, the wonderful now held a bitter taste to it.
A taste of a string mistakes and failures he still creates, even after thousands of years of living.
Suddenly, his Scroll chimed in a short tune, signalling someone sent him something. Taking it out, he gazed down at the notification on the translucent screen.
'1st Period Attendance sheet added to files.'~ Professor Port
Without another word, he sat down at his desk to review the sent file. Moving his unwanted paperwork to side, he brought the sheet up on his holographic desk.
Only to feel something to drop within his stomach at what was written down on said sheet.
He quickly brought up school camera footage, almost in a panic, as he reviewed the last two hours of footage. Quickly scrolling through, he found what he was looking for, near the Emerald Forest.
The pit in his stomach solidified, as he dashed towards the elevator in a slight panic.
As the elevator opened, he stepped inside, quickly pressing the main floor. As he did , he gazed back at what startled him so, determined not to let this become one of his many mistakes.
For one the one the sheet that Port had sent, there were three words that he never thought could shake him so.
Team RWBY: Absent
Dedicated to our Pop-op
Who laughed at our jokes, and was there when We'd cry
Who loved to watch sports, and Cartoons alike
Who cared for his dogs, just as much as his family
Who loved that we're writing stories, even when he didn't understand a word we wrote.
Who no one could hate, but could only love
Who was there our entire lives, even when We weren't around
Who's laugh We can still hear, despite the distance between
Who rests in heaven, watching us wherever he may be
Thank You
Thank you so much