Yang awoke bright and early, sitting up in her bed and punching the ceiling by accident, quickly reminding herself to stretch to the sides rather than above. She let the inevitable yawn escape from her mouth and took a minute to wake up, blinking lazily through half open eyes and the stray yellow hair that somehow managed to cling to her face. It wasn't until she turned her head to the right and saw the familiar black and red attire of a one Ruby Rose sitting on her own bed that Yangs memories started to come through, her brain finally waking up enough to give her the energy to move. She wriggled sluggishly to the edge of her bed and felt around for the ladder with her feet, unaware that she was on the wrong side for the proper means of descent.
Ruby jumped slightly at the thud that interrupted her studying, leaning over the edge of her bed to look at the sprawled yellow mess that lay on the floor between their bunks. The sight was a funny one despite how often she had seen it before, and Ruby couldn't help but snicker at her sisters inability to function as a human being should until she had her morning coffee. She watched with delight as Yang very slowly shifted into a sitting position, gradually standing upright and shuffling her way over to her clothes like a zombie, unkempt golden hair twice as wild as usual.
Entertaining though Yangs morning routine was, Ruby settled back into her reading, going over each sentence three times to make sure she hadn't missed anything. She caught Yang hobbling to the bathroom in the corner of her eye and put her book to one side, instead poking her head under her bed to see if Weiss was here. Ruby had actually been feeling really bad about the whole thing and she knew that Weiss would most likely feel the same way. It was difficult to tell if the heiress was actually being cold or she was just caught up in the moment, she wouldn't consider leaving the team, that's a stupid idea.
Then again, she did seem pretty annoyed...
The bathroom door opened up just in time for Yang to wearily trudge out, holding her pyjamas in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other as she made her way past Rubys bunk to drop her night clothes on her pile. Curiously enough Blake was still asleep, something that neither of the sisters had ever seen before. Blake was almost always the first one awake, followed closely by Weiss but it seemed that this time all her early mornings had caught up with her, it was nearly ten in the morning and she was completely out. On a Saturday, so the schedules were very loose and flexible as they often were of a weekend, but it was still unusual.
Another hour passed normally, with Yang leaving Ruby alone with the sleeping Blake to go wake herself up, half aware that there was no sign of Weiss anywhere. Ruby kept herself busy with her notes, wisely choosing not to worry about her partners whereabouts and instead concentrating her energy on learning things that might come in handy down the line. It didn't stop her passing a sideways glance to Blake every now and then or give brief consideration that Weiss may be crying alone somewhere, but for the most part it worked and she spent very little time fretting.
Twenty minutes later and Yang returned looking rejuvenated moreso than most days. She practically skipped across the room, making a considerable amount of noise as she did so. Ruby raised a suspicious eyebrow as her sister happily scaled the ladder to halt at eye level and grinned.
"Sis, how many coffees did you have this morning?" Ruby asked, guessing the answer to be somewhere in the regions of 'too many'. Yang looked at the ceiling and raised a finger to her chin in thought, though Ruby couldn't be sure if she was faking it or not.
"Six." Came the answer, provoking a somewhat shocked response.
"Six?!" Ruby shouted, quickly catching herself and holding a hand over her mouth. She glanced over Yangs shoulder in time to see Blake stirring and groaned at herself, she hadn't meant to wake her teammate up.
"Mhm-hm!" Yang nodded excitedly, not catching the disbelief in her sisters voice. "I felt like a rock this morning so I had six!" Ruby half expected Yang to bend her head backwards a half circle to stare at the yawning Blake behind them, but instead she just turned her head and practically jumped to the floor.
"Mornin' Blake, early bird gets the worm! Am I right?" Her enthusiastic remarks were met with a distinctly irritated glare, not that this fazed her in the slightest. Throwing personal boundaries to the wind Yang hooked her arms around Blakes shoulders and physically pulled her partner out of the bed, only to be hastily fought off with no resistance as her jaw hung open like her muscles had given up working.
Blake quickly realized her mistake, hurriedly fastening her yukata back into a knot and powerwalking from her bed to the bathroom, hopefully too fast for either of her teammates to see the redness of her cheeks. Yang turned her stare upon Ruby, who was equally surprised at what she had just witnessed. Yang pointed from Blakes bed to the bathroom and then to Ruby, her stunned stare following her arm as she attempted to form a sentence. Ruby came to her senses first, quickly changing the topic to avoid any further embarrassment for Blake.
"Where's Weiss?" She asked, her own face taking on a slightly reddish hue. Yang apparently came to her senses after the question, no doubt remembering the events of last night and more importantly how the heiress had stormed out of the dorm in a rage that belied her appearance. When Yang thought about it, after Jaune had left she didn't remember Weiss nor Blake coming back, so either she hadn't been in here at all or she was up extremely early for whatever reason. Maybe to avoid Ruby, but that didn't really sound like something Weiss would do. Yang assumed that if anything she'd take it head on, but it didn't seem to be the case this time.
She shrugged, instead voicing what she was sure Ruby was thinking.
"Dunno, but I doubt she's gonna be gone for a while. I bet she's just getting breakfast or something, she'll be fine." She softened her expression a little at her sisters words and took a step forward.
"I hope so...didn't you see her when you went down to get yours?" The brief spark of hope in Rubys eyes evaporated over the next few seconds.
"C'mon Ruby, you think I'd pay attention to other people before I wake up? Nora could've been jumping on my head and I wouldn't have noticed." Her own eyes lit up instead, a gleeful grin returning to her face. "But hey, Blake said we could go down to the forest today, got something reaaally cool to show you!" This cheered Ruby up noticeably, and as she nodded and put her studies to one side Yang held her arms out, much to Rubys horror.
"You're not seriously wanting me to jump?!" Lilac eyes rolled once and silver ones narrowed, with Yang receiving a pillow to the face for her joke.
It turned out that Weiss had been keeping herself busy studying, though Yang guessed it was less because she had things to learn and more because it gave her an excuse to be away from her teammates. Blake found her in good time and before midday the four of them were ready to go the Emerald Forest per Rubys insistence. Weiss had given in uncharacteristically easily, while Blake was apparently defeated at seeing the normally resistant heiess put up no defense at all, and so the vote was unanimous. Yang slung Rubys arm over her shoulder and bent her back slightly to support her sisters weight while Weiss remained close behind the two, totally silent. Blake led them slowly through the corridors, silently pleases that for once teacher and student alike gave the four a wide berth.
It took much longer than usual, but as they approached the eastern entrance a familiar figure strode towards them. He stopped dead center in the hallway and regarded them kindly, giving each of them a nod in turn with their formal names. Ruby gave a warm smile that Yang only amplified, and though Weiss smiled with her face and not with her eyes, Blake kept her greeting to a nod.
"Good afternoon ladies, may I ask where you're all going with Miss Rose in a state such as this?" Ozpin inclined his head to Ruby as he took a sip of his beverage, met with an almost overeager response from the girl in question.
"We're going down to the Emerald Forest to see something cool!" Ruby blurted out, and while Yang corrected and elaborated Blake and Weiss shared apprehensive glances.
"To the very beginning of the forest, no more than a few dozen meters from the cliff-face." Yang pointed out, to Ozpins apparent relief.
"Are you sure that's wise? It has not been very long since your incident." His voice was stern, but there was a softness in there too. Ruby felt boosted by his concern, her smile broadening into a grin as her eyes grew brighter.
"I'm feeling fine! And as long as we be very careful and take it slow, nothing could go wrong. Of course if I do start hurting, Yang will probably carry me literally back to the dorm. It won't be any trouble for her at all!" Yang gave an awkward laugh and stroked her hair, flattered by the vague compliment. Ozpin smiled himself, though his eyes remained unamused.
"I see. And what is it that you're investigating?" He inquired, prompting Blake to step in before Yang told him the truth.
"Yang and I discovered a Beowolf skull while we were out hunting Ursii yesterday evening. Ruby and to a lesser extent Weiss have been dying to see it since." She maintained her impassive expression and matched her voice, giving nothing of their true motives away.
She held his gaze for a second longer than comfortable, but much to her - and Weiss's - relief, he stepped aside to let them pass. Ruby and Yang moved first, followed by Weiss and Blake. They kept looking straight ahead, only turning at the sound of the headmasters voice.
"Miss Xiao Long, I'd like to speak with you when you return."
Yang nodded happily, completely unaware of what she may have been in for, and while the sisters carried on moving both Weiss and Blake shared concerned stares as they watched him disappear around a corner. Rubys keen voice brought them back to the present as she called for them to keep up, and while the four of them made it out into the summer air Yang picked up the pace a little. Ruby didn't complain at all, so the blonde deemed their speed to be acceptable. She would slow down when they reached the cliffside path and take it at Rubys own pace, they had the whole day to themselves.
The descent was somewhat more anxious this time around, but the four made it to the forest floor without incident and as Yang eased Ruby onto the closest rock to rest, Weiss gently pulled Blake a safe distance away, out of earshot of their excitable partners. The heiress held Blakes gaze as she spoke, and gave the other girl her full attention as they discussed important matters.
"Do you think he knows?" Weiss asked, no doubt referring to their discoveries. Blake nodded, folding her arms as she spoke.
"He knows more than we do, of that I'm sure. I don't think he knows about what we're going to look at, but it wouldn't surprise me if Yang told him when we get back. She doesn't know what we know."
Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but changed her words to match her thinking.
"We have to warn her at least, I know she has Ruby to worry about but she's healing." The heiress turned to look at her partner, irritation seeping into her voice again. "No matter how reckless she had been to get to that state." Blake quelled the anger before it had a chance to rise, instead focusing Weiss's attention back to the topic at hand.
"I may be able to give her enough warning without letting her know too much, but there's no guarantee she'll keep quiet. As far as she's concerned, I'm acting strangely recently and she doesn't know why. I want to tell her so badly, but I know that I can't. If we tell Yang, she's going to tell Ruby and Ruby will almost certainly tell Ozpin. She idolizes him."
They both furrowed their brows in thought, considering the best course of action.
Meanwhile, Ruby watched her sister perform various warmup exercises that she had taught herself, giggling at the more stupid looking ones as Yang stretched, bended and bounced around. The blonde had excess energy to burn, her coffee buzz now manifesting itself in the form of an irresistible urge to keep moving no matter what. She had kept it under control while handling her fragile sister, but now she was free to sprint the ten miles she felt like she could do. Thrusting one leg in front of her and pushing down on it, she stretched her other leg behind her and tensed her muscles, watching with satisfaction as they made themselves prominent with the strain.
This went on for a few more minutes until finally Yang stopped warming up for an Olympic event and took a seat next to Ruby, kicking her legs out like a ten year old child sitting in a tree. Ruby leant in to her sisters body and rested her head on Yangs shoulder, prompting her to reach up with her arm and gently caress Rubys fringe, playing with the red tinged hair as she had done so many times before. The younger girl kept her eyes open and pointed to their partners, who were discussing something at the opposite end of the clearing.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Ruby asked, her voice full of curiosity, though it was clear she was content to stay this way with Yang for as long as she wanted to. Yang shrugged ever so slightly, only giving the other two girls some thought now that Ruby had brought it up.
"No idea. Could be anything. Could even be you and how much an amazing leader you are!" Yang nuzzled her cheek against Rubys head, eliciting a distinct blush from her leader as she struggled to keep the joy out of her voice.
"I don't think they'd do that..." Ruby trailed off, embarrassed at the praise that she honestly felt she didn't deserve. But Yang was always on hand to turn her mood upside down, and no matter how depressed Ruby thought she was feeling her sister could always make her feel like the most important person in the world. In no small part due to the fact that to Yang, Ruby was the most important person in the world. She gave a small giggle as Yang playfully nudged her shoulder, pulling her in for a hug.
Yang repeated the action back, taking extra care not to squeeze as hard as she usually did. Hugging Ruby was one of the best feelings she had ever had, in no small part due to the fervor with which the young girl hugged back. It was like holding a puppy, excitable and interested in everything, but at the same time terrified that you're going to leave it alone. Her analogy could use some refining, but for the most part it was very accurate to her sister. Ruby wasn't quite helpless if you left her by herself, but it was clear that she much preferred to be with someone else, someone that she was comfortable with.
Which, thinking about it is kind of ironic considering how bad she was with people.
"Can I ask you something?" Ruby spoke quietly, and for a brief second Yang assumed her leg was hurting. Her fears were quickly wiped away tp her relief, and as Yang turned back to look at her teammates she spoke softly.
"Sure you can, what is it?"
"What do you think of Weiss? Be honest."
Yang took a minute or two to ponder her sisters question. The first one was spent wondering just why she was asking such a thing, and the second actually thinking about the question itself. Yang relaxed her shoulders as she felt Ruby sit up, turning her head to speak.
"I'm not going to say that I like her." Yang began, immediately viewing the disappointment in Rubys eyes as a blow to her confidence. "But. She's a good person. I think that underneath all her whining and harsh comments- And now you be honest, she does whine a lot." Ruby gave a hesitant nod, glancing over at her partner. "She can't hear you, and dear dust I wouldn't dare tell her anything like that. You're safe to say what you really think." Yang gave a reassuring wink, glad that she had steered the conversation away from a personal note.
"She could do with some social classes..." Ruby agreed, causing Yang to burst into a laughter that she quickly reigned it in at the glare Ruby gave her.
"Pffft."
"It's not funny!"
"No, you're right. It's absolutely, one hundred percent not funny. At all. In the slightest."
Ruby gave her sister a doubting glare, but continued talking despite Yangs muffled snickers.
"And she is meaner than I'd like, but she has good reason to be!"
Yang raised an eyebrow at this, questioning her sisters reasoning.
"Oh yeah, what's that?"
Ruby immediately shrunk in size, muttering under her breath. Yang caught it with her years of experience listening to Ruby mumble things she wasn't comfortable with saying, but she didn't say anything about it.
"I don't know..."
She could tell that this conversation was starting to bother Ruby and so decided to shift the weight onto herself, despite how bad she was at being honest about people.
"I suppose you want to know what I think about Blake too?" She asked, turning her gaze to her partner. Ruby nodded once, then made a small noise of acknowledgement at realizing Yang wasn't actually paying attention to her. The blonde sighed and puffed out her cheeks, exhaling in a very odd manner that forced a smile onto Rubys face.
"Well, she's very antisocial, and though she is very intelligent I feel like she could wrap me around her little finger if she wanted to. I don't think she's above using other people to get what she wants, and nor do I think she'll hesitate to tell you that you're wrong. Which is annoying, because she's almost always right."
Ruby swallowed nervously, debating whether or not she should ask the question that has been troubling her for a while. She shook her head after a second of debate, and instead came out with another one.
"Is she okay?"
Yang looked back at her sister, confused.
"How do you mean?"
Ruby fidgeted in place, glancing everywhere but Yangs eyes.
"She's always so quiet. She never tells us anything and even though I know she's probably fine...I just can't help but feel sorry for her."
Yang instinctively gave her sister a one-armed hug, her voice warm and reassuring.
"Of course she's fine! If Blake had a problem, she'd tell us about it. We don't keep secrets from eachother, we're a team!"
Though Yang briefly recalled the past week of events and how close to the truth Ruby really was she kept quiet, not wishing to worry her sister about things that she didn't need to know. Ruby was visibly more lively after her fears had been alleviated, and after ten or so minutes of sibling teasing Weiss and Blake made their way back over. Ruby greeted them with a cheery wave, receiving a smile from Blake and a small nod from Weiss, while Yang just grinned. She got up first and began easing Ruby onto her feet, taking immense care not to put any pressure onto her injured leg as she secured her sister in place. Once confident that they were ready to move, she gave a nod to Blake and began to move.
"This way." Blake turned and led them into the trees, worries and doubts gnawing at her mind no matter how much she tried to get rid of them.
She couldn't know that it would only get worse.