Yang

I was alone in one of Beacon's rooftop gardens, gazing up at the night sky. I sat cross-legged on the ground, resting my elbows on my knees. I couldn't get to sleep. Not for lack of trying, I knew I needed rest; I was still feeling exhaustion from my battle with the Beowolf the night before. Not crippling exhaustion, but I definitely hadn't recovered. But try as I might to sleep, I was too worried about Blake. Seeing her get attacked like that…

It had scared me senseless.

At least now I knew that she would survive. That was good news. But the possibility of her not being able to be a Huntress scared me almost as much as her dying. If the worst were to happen, and she lost the ability to use her aura, then she'd never want to be around me. Seeing me, and the team, even being in Vale, would remind her of what she'd lost. Why would she ever want to see me again when it would only bring her pain?

And I'd never try to make her. I'd convinced myself hours ago, when we first arrived from the hospital, that if she wanted to leave, and never see me again, then I'd let her. As much as it would hurt, it'd be for the best. That was what I kept telling myself.

I hung my head, staring at the ground, my hair swinging about my face like veil. I couldn't cry, not while there was still hope. I'd wanted to break down right there in the hospital; I nearly did. But Ruby beat me to it. I'd all but forgotten she was there once Weiss told me what had happened to Blake. Her outburst had reminded me: I couldn't let my baby sister see me like that.

She looked up to me, so I had to be strong for her. That was the promise I'd made a long time ago. Be strong for Ruby, never let her down. Seeing her burst in to tears had stopped my own short. I forced myself to reassure her, to help her through it. I could understand why she'd feel responsible, but it really hadn't been her fault.

And Blake could still come out of this okay. That was one of the things that had popped into my head while I was comforting Ruby. And it was true. There was no point in either of us crying while Blake still had a chance to make it through. So I held my tears, even alone. I wasn't going to give up on Blake, not in a million years. I was going to be strong.

I raised my head as I heard the door behind me open. I watched the stars, wondering who it was, but not turning to check. I heard a scrape behind me and turned to see Weiss sitting down beside me.
"Good evening." She said.
"Hey."
"I got Ruby to sleep, eventually. She's still worried about Blake."
"We all are."

Weiss nodded, turning her gaze to the clear night sky. We sat in silence, watching the stars. A light breeze blew through the garden, sending my hair flitting around my head. I grabbed onto it, pulling it back down before it hit Weiss in the face. I saw a small smile on her face as I turned back.

"How are you Yang?" she asked. I looked at her blankly. Weiss was worried about me? She returned my gaze silently, patiently waiting for an answer. I turned away, looking at the ground again. She didn't ask again, she just sat in silence, waiting. Several minutes passed, still without a word passing between us.

"I'm making do." I replied eventually. There was no response from Weiss, I appreciated that. Words couldn't do anything at this point. All we could do was wait. I glanced at Weiss, who was just watching the stars. I smiled as I looked away. She really wasn't going to talk much.

"That's good." She said after a minute or so. I almost laughed. Maybe she'd just wanted to make me wait for her answer as well.
"Why are you here Weiss?" I asked, turning myself around to face her.
"Ruby's not the only one who cares about Blake." She said, shrugging nonchalantly. I blushed slightly at her words.
"Well… Thanks." I said. She nodded, returning her gaze to the sky. Clearly she considered the matter dealt with. I shook my head, searching for a way to change the subject.

"So what happened while I was away?" I asked her, trying to lighten the mood. The pale skin of Weiss' cheeks turned a bright pink as I asked. That piqued my curiosity, what had happened that would make Weiss blush?
"Not much. We came back, I went to sleep, Ruby clearly didn't, then I put her to sleep for a while when I woke up."
"Really?" I asked slyly, raising an eyebrow. "Is that all that happened?" Her blush deepened.
"Well… No…"
"Well? Are you going to tell me?" I was intrigued now, Weiss was very flustered. That was something I'd never seen before.

"I uh… Do I have to?" she asked. She was hanging her head now, hiding her face.
"Yes."
"Well, when I woke up, I went to have a shower. Ruby hadn't slept all night, and she was sleep-walking; or just wandering around half-asleep. But she uhh… Walked in on me in the shower." I burst out laughing. Weiss was getting so flustered because of that? I felt a tear run down my cheek as I laughed.

"Really? That's all? Come on Weiss, if she was half asleep then she probably can't even remember it." I said, trying to bring my laughter under control.
"Yeah," she replied, still blushing. "She doesn't." I slapped her on the shoulder.
"Well then you've got nothing to worry about right? Just forget it ever happened; she did." I stood up, turning towards the door. It was getting late; it was about time to turn in. I helped Weiss to her feet. She looked like she was deep in thought. I walked towards the door, rolling my eyes. You don't have to think that hard about it, I thought to myself, it's not that big a deal. I didn't know that Weiss was so bashful.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Maybe I should just forget it."
"It's not that big a deal right?" I asked her.
"I suppose not, not if she forgot it."
"Exactly!" We crossed the threshold, stepping into the warmth of Beacon Academy.

We made our way to our dorm in silence, Weiss seemed really hung up on Ruby seeing her in the shower. It surely wasn't worth getting that worked up about. It was an accident, and Ruby had forgotten it anyway. I tutted under my breath as we reached the dorm, she was really thinking too much about this.

I opened the door as quietly as I could, trying to avoid waking Ruby. Weiss and I slipped into our pyjamas before crawling into bed. I lay in the darkness, searching for sleep. Despite my self-assurances, and Weiss' little 'pep-talk', the empty space in the bunk beneath me kept me awake for hours.

I woke up to sunlight creeping its way under my eyelids. I groaned, rolling away from the window, facing the wall.
"Blake, close the curtains." I whined. I couldn't stand being woken up on a weekend. The light was making my head throb. Why was it hurting so much? I put a hand to my hand, moaning with pain. "Blake, please?" There was no response. I raised my head, looking around the dorm, squinting against the light.

No one else was in the room. That was odd, I thought Blake at least would've woken me up before she went anywhere, or waited for me. I sat up, dragging myself upright.
"Blake? Ruby?" I called out. I rubbed my eyes, yawning. I hopped out of my bed, jumping down to the floor. Ruby and Weiss were gone, but their beds still looked slept in. They couldn't be far; they'd have made their beds before going out. I turned to look at Blake's bed, and was surprised to see it made, like it hadn't been slept in in days.

It hasn't been. Everything came back in a rush: the fight with the Beowolf, Blake's injuries, her coma, her possibly losing aura. I felt myself choking up, but managed to catch myself before I could cry. Not while there's hope. I told myself, as I had last night. I sighed, looking for my clothes.

After getting changed I made my way down to the dining hall. As expected, Ruby and Weiss were sitting at a table eating breakfast. Or lunch… I hadn't checked what the time was. None of Team JNPR was with them, so I guess it must be the afternoon. JNPR would all be down at the fair, it was the last day of the holiday after all. Back to classes tomorrow, I grumbled, well, not for me. I'd been told by the doctor that I couldn't attend classes for at least a week, any mental strain like that would only make my concussion worse. No strenuous physical activity either. This was going to be a boring week…

Ruby and Weiss looked up as I approached, waving at me.
"Hey Yang," Ruby said. "We thought we'd let you sleep in. You probably need it."
"Yeah, thanks." I replied, smiling at her. She smiled back before lapsing back into a depressed silence. Blake's condition was clearly still weighing heavily on everyone's minds.

I sat across the table from Ruby, slumping into my chair. Weiss picked at a bowl of salad while Ruby pushed a cookie around on her plate.
"So what time are we going to go visit Blake?" Ruby asked. I glanced at her, wondering how to say what I'd decided on my way to meet them.
"Ruby…" I began, searching for the words. "I uh… I was wondering… Would I be able to go alone? For a while. You can come too, but I just… Want to visit her by myself for a little while…" Ruby looked surprised, confused. She flinched suddenly, straightening in her seat. I glanced at Weiss, who hadn't seemed to have moved. But I could tell something had just happened, Weiss was stealthily urging Ruby on.

"Yeah, sure." Ruby answered, smiling comfortingly. "We'll wait here for a bit after you leave. We'll come down later. Is an hour okay?"
"Uh… Yeah. Thanks sis." I really didn't know what else to say. I knew that it had been a strange request, and I didn't know how she was going to take it. But I hadn't expected her to be this understanding. I smiled my thanks at Weiss as well. I knew she had something to with it. But she merely looked back down at her salad, pointedly ignoring me. I gave Ruby a hug, probably squeezing her a bit too hard, before heading out to see Blake.

I was in somewhat higher spirits when I reached the hospital. I didn't know how Blake would be coping, or if she'd be awake, but I was looking forward to seeing her. I made my way into the hospital, rushing towards the receptionist's desk. No one was at the desk, so I rung the bell on the counter and stood patiently. After a few seconds I rung the bell again, but no one seemed to be coming. That's odd. I glanced around the desk, looking to see if there was anything around to tell me where they went. A "Gone to lunch" sign, anything. But nothing was there.

I noticed a pile of manila folders on the desk. The one on top was labelled "Blake Belladonna – Ward 1-14." Now I know where she is, I thought, but why is her file on top of a pile here? ButI wasn't going to steal it to check and find out, so I just made my way down the hall towards her room.

I nearly got turned around a couple of times; the hallways in hospitals seemed to be really confusing. But within ten minutes I had arrived outside Blake's door. My anxiety was beginning to grow, draining away all the positivity I'd worked up on my way here. I don't know if I can do this. My hand froze on the doorknob, I couldn't move. What if she was awake and didn't want to see me? What if she blamed me? What if seeing her was too painful for me?

Come on Yang, trust in her. She's a strong girl. She'll pull through. You owe her at least this much. I convinced myself - I forced myself - to open the door, the doorknob turning slowly. After a quarter of a turn, the doorknob stopped. The door was locked. That's strange. Why would it be locked? I looked up the hallway and spotted an orderly making his way towards me, eyes on a clipboard in his hands.

"Excuse me!" I called out to him. He looked up, smiling politely.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Can you unlock this door for me?"
"Why?" he asked with a confused expression on his face. "That room's empty." I froze, staring at him silently.
"What?" I asked. "Isn't this Blake Belladonna's ward?" He smiled apologetically.
"Not anymore. She was moved out of the hospital this morning." I couldn't believe what I was hearing, Blake was gone?
"Why? Where is she?"
"I'm afraid I don't know; it was all very hush-hush. I'm very sorry."

I gaped at him, with no idea what to do or say. Blake was gone, and I had no idea where.
"Do you know anyone who could tell me?" I asked, desperately, grasping at straws.
"Mmmm-no. I'm very sorry, but Miss Belladonna's departure from the hospital wasn't really explained to anyone as far as I know. I'm sure someone at the top of the chain of command knows why and approved it, but I don't think anyone in this hospital would know."
"Well could I see whoever would have approved it?"
"There are several people who have the power to approve such a transition, and I couldn't tell you who because I honestly don't know all of their names. It's never really been an important issue for an orderly."
"I see…" I said, dropping my head. I had no idea what to do now, where could she be?

I left the hospital dejected and feeling hopeless. I had no idea where Blake could possibly be, and no one seemed to be able to tell me. I should tell Ruby and Weiss… Those two would be able to search around the city if they had to; I was struggling to walk to the hospital and back. As I made my way through the streets of Vale, my head began to pound. Maybe walking around in the afternoon sun had been too much. I still hadn't recovered from my concussion after all.

Eventually I made it back to Beacon, stumbling towards the front doors. I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and swung my head towards it. As I turned, my head began to spin and my vision blurred. I wiped at my eyes in a stupid attempt to clear them as I peered towards the side of the school. It looked like an ambulance was parked near the side entrance and someone was moving a gurney into the back of it. Was someone hurt? Who's in the infirmary? I turned away, back towards the door and headed into the cool shade of Beacon's inner halls.

My head swam as I wandered down the hall, towards the infirmary. I really needed to get something, anything, to stop my head from splitting in half. I bumped into Ruby and Weiss on my way, they both sounded concerned.
"Yang? What's going on? Are you okay?" Ruby asked. Every word felt like a nail being driven into my skull. I held a hand, stopping her flow of questions.
"Headache. Going to infirmary. Stop talking."
"Do you want-"
"Stop talking."

Ruby closed her mouth, pouting slightly. I forced a smile onto my face as I pushed past them. When they made to follow me I waved them off, signalling that I was capable of going alone. Ruby stopped, looking concerned. Weiss grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.

I staggered into one of the rooms in the infirmary, falling into a chair. The nurse looked at me, somewhat taken aback.
"Headache. Concussion. Help." I mumbled. The nurse seemed to understand my babbling and started digging through her shelves. I hung my head, crossing my arms over my knees. She came over to me, handing me two pills and a glass of water.
"Take these," she said, thankfully keeping her voice low. "And use the bed over there to get some rest. Your headache should be gone by the time you wake up." I nodded my thanks, swallowing the pills and collapsing on the bed. I could feel the pain beginning to fade away as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up to the red light of dusk streaming in the window. I looked around, confused, wondering where I was, until I remembered that I had gone to the infirmary. I sighed, the headache was gone. I could finally think straight - see straight - again. I dragged myself to my feet, making my way out of the room.

As I turned to head towards the dining hall I saw an open door halfway down the hallway. I suddenly remembered the ambulance I'd seen on my way back to Beacon. Maybe that's their room… I headed towards the door, wanting to check on whoever was in there. As I approached the door I slowed down, hearing voices inside.

"There were no signs of this in her transcripts, why would she hide it?" A female voice asked.
"It doesn't matter. It's not important anyway. Put the bow back on." A male voice answered. A bow? Is it Blake? She was the only person I'd seen around Beacon wearing a bow.I edged closer, straining to listen. Hide what? What's going on?
"But Professor Ozpin-" The female voice was cut off.
"If she wanted it hidden, then hidden it will remain. It is not our place to reveal anything that she does not want to be revealed." The male voice replied, I realised it was Professor Ozpin.
"Yes sir."
"We should let her rest, and inform her team. No doubt they're worried about her."
"Yes sir."

I rushed away from the door, dashing into another room to hide. As I peered around the corner I saw Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch leaving the room. I ducked back around the corner, hiding from view for about a minute. Once I was sure they were gone, I headed towards the room they'd left. I glanced around, checking to see if anyone was coming, before creeping into the room.

In the crimson light of the setting sun I saw Blake asleep on the bed. It was her.
"Blake…" I whispered. I glanced at her bow as I walked towards the bed. What were they talking about? What is she hiding? I almost reached out to pull the bow off, to find out. But I stopped myself. I couldn't steal her secrets like that. If she decided that she wanted me to know, then she would tell me. Not before. I told myself. Only when she's ready, not before.

I sat down in the chair next to the bed, taking her hand. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but dashed them away. NOT while there's hope Yang. I smiled as I touched a hand to her cheek, stroking a finger down the line of her jaw. Despite the seriousness of her situation, she was beautiful. I was worried about her—I was terrified for her—but that fact still hit me. She was absolutely beautiful. The light shining through the window cast an orange tinge to her fair skin, casting shadows over half of her face.

"I… I'm sorry Blake." I began. A speech that I hadn't even planned came bursting out of me. "I never meant for it to end up like this. I know that it's stupid, but I'm sorry that this happened. I know we have to be ready to give our lives at any moment, but losing the strength to fight… That's… No, I know that you're strong Blake. I've never met anyone stronger. I know you can pull through, I believe in you. But… If… Something goes wrong… I just want to say that… I… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. And… I… I love you." Tears dripped down my face freely now, and I did nothing to stop them. It wasn't until this moment that I realised the depth of my true feelings. I was in love her. In love with Blake. Madly, deeply, and truly in love with her.

I threw my arms around her, sobbing into her shoulder. I'd realised my feelings, I'd admitted them. But she couldn't hear me. She hadn't heard the first time I'd told her that I loved her. And if she woke up without her aura… And she left me behind… She might never hear it at all. I cried for that. I cried for Blake. I cried for me.

I'd had to suppress my own tears to be a role model for Ruby. I had to be the caring sister, the doting parent, the guiding force, in her life. I could never let her down. But I never had to be strong for Blake. Blake could see this. I could let myself out around Blake, like I couldn't around anybody else. So I did. I let out the tears that I'd held in for Ruby. I let them out for Blake. I broke down my walls, tore down the barriers around my heart. I opened myself up and let myself feel the grief, the despair, the agony and the love. All for Blake. All for the girl that I loved.