Ruby

I sat in the dining hall, staring out the window at the setting sun. Weiss was sitting next to me, quietly filing her nails. She'd seemed unusual today, more distant than she had the night before. It puzzled me. At the hospital she had been so comforting and close, holding my hand and being there to support me. Ever since this morning she'd reverted to her attitude from before all this mayhem began: colder, snappier, and just further away from me. It felt as if she was still that caring person, still wanted to be there for me, but she was just out of reach.

I sighed as I checked the time. It was nearly six o'clock, we still hadn't heard from Yang. I was beginning to get worried about her. Was her injury getting worse? Weiss stopped filing her nails, peering at me as I fidgeted.

"What's got you all in a jitter?" she asked.

"Yang's still not back." I replied, dropping my head. I flinched as Weiss flicked me on the forehead. I let out a yelp, jumping in my seat. I pouted up at her as I rubbed my forehead, poking my tongue out for good measure.

"Yang will be fine," Weiss said calmly. "She's probably just resting, as well she should be."

"Yeah," I groaned. "You're probably right." I looked around the room, bored. My eyes settled on my tablet, sitting on the table. It was where I'd left it after pulling it out minutes before to read the message we'd both gotten from Professor Ozpin.

"So I wonder why they moved Blake here…" I muttered, half talking to myself. "Wouldn't a hospital be better than the school's infirmary?"

"Maybe," Weiss answered. "Maybe not, maybe Blake's condition is better known amongst Hunters and Huntresses, they might know more about how to treat it."

"But, if that were true, why would they keep it a secret?"

"I don't know Ruby, I'm just guessing, throwing out options."

"I guess so…"

"I'm sure we'll find out in time. And even if we don't find out exactly why, we can be sure that they wouldn't have brought her here if the hospital had a better chance of helping her. Ozpin wouldn't endanger one of his students like that."

That made me feel better about Blake's transfer. Weiss was definitely right on that count. There was no way Professor Ozpin would endanger one of his students like that.

"You're right," I said, smiling up at Weiss. "Thanks Weiss." I saw her cheeks turn pink as she hurriedly turned away, filing her nails again. She's still there, just out of reach.

After we ate our dinner we decided to head to the infirmary to visit Blake.

"We should probably try and find Yang while we're there," I said as we left the dining hall. "At least to make sure she's okay."

We made our way through the tall, winding hallways of Beacon, passing students and teachers alike. Everything seemed so peaceful, so normal. It was like no one even knew that Blake might never be a Huntress. They don't. And if they did, most of them don't have any reason to care. The thought upset me. Only me, Yang and Weiss were close to Blake at all. And only we and Team JNPR would have any reason to be upset if she lost her aura and could never be a Huntress. No one else in the teeming population of Beacon Academy would care.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes at the thought, but I dashed them away. Like Yang said, no crying while there's still hope for her. Be a leader Ruby. I squared my shoulders, leading the way down the hall.

The sun had well and truly set by the time we reached the infirmary, the hallways lit by lamps on the walls. I checked the message we'd gotten from Professor Ozpin, telling us where Blake's room was, and headed off to find it. We'd decided to look for Yang afterwards: it'd give her more time to rest.

But as we walked into Blake's room, we found Yang. She was sitting in a chair next to Blake's bed, holding Blake's hand, her head resting on Blake's arm, sleeping quietly. The fact she was sleeping without snoring really freaked me out. Yang always snored when she slept; in all the years I'd known my big sister, I'd never seen her sleep without snoring.

Weiss and I sat on Blake's other side, as quietly as we could. I watched them both sleeping peacefully, a gentle smile on my face. It was an adorable sight. I was relieved to see that I could make out movement in Blake's chest now, her breathing was getting stronger. I leant forward, picking up Blake's other hand and gently squeezing it. She probably couldn't feel it, but it felt like I was reassuring her.

We sat there silently as Blake and Yang slept, watching them. After a while I let go of Blake's hand and leant back in my seat. I laid my head on Weiss' shoulder, leaning into her. She didn't wrap an arm around me as I'd found myself hoping for, but at least she didn't push me away. After a minute or so I felt her lay her own head down on mine. I couldn't help but smile. She's just here, just within my reach. We stayed like this for about half an hour before Yang groaned, the usual sign that she was waking up. I pulled myself away from Weiss, Weiss straightened her hair. We leant back in our own seats as Yang looked up, squinting, with a drop of drool hanging from the side of her mouth.

"Wha-?" She mumbled. "Ruby? Weiss? What're you two doing here?" I giggled quietly. Yang was always funny when she first woke up.

"We came to visit Blake, and to find you."

"Oh…" She stared at us, my words not quite getting through to her. "Did you find it alright?"

"Just fine Yang. We're here now aren't we?" Yang's eyes widened as her brain caught up with her waking body. She jerked back in her seat, snatching her hand away from Blake's.

"I wasn't doing anything!" She yelled, wiping the drool off her cheek. She panicked, scooting her chair further away from Blake.

"Yang, it's fine." I said. "You're worried about Blake, and you're still recovering. I get it, there's nothing to freak out about." I smiled reassuringly at her, and she began to calm down. She blushed slightly as she scooted her chair back closer to Blake. After gazing at her for a minute or so, she pushed her chair back, getting to her feet.

"Come on," she declared. "We should head back to the dorm." Weiss and I nodded, getting out of our own chairs. Yang headed out into the hallway first, Weiss made to follow her. As Weiss and I approached the door I reached out and took Weiss' hand in my own. I felt a brief pressure on my hand before Weiss pulled away, she'd definitely squeezed my hand back. She still cares, I thought, sighing with relief. I don't know why I was so relieved now: she'd been caring for the last half an hour. I guess that last confirmation settled it for me. I had a smile on my face as we headed back to our dorm.

We passed very few students in the halls: most of the students seemed to have returned to their dorms. Just before we rounded the corner to our dorm, all of our tablets went off. We all looked at each other, confused. I pulled my tablet out, opening the message I'd just received. To the members of Team RWBY, it read, I would like to request your immediate presence in my office. I have something that I feel we need to discuss. Signed, Professor Ozpin.

"I wonder what he wants." I muttered.

"He might tell us why they moved Blake here." Yang replied, peering thoughtfully at her own tablet.

"Probably," Weiss said. "Can you think of anything else he'd want us for?" None of us could, Blake's condition was the only thing worth worrying about at the moment. I glanced regretfully at the door to our dorm, just down the hallway. I had been looking forward to getting some sleep. Weiss and I had to go back to classes tomorrow and I was still not completely recovered from the fight with the Beowolf.

The Beowolf…

"Maybe he wants to talk to us about the Beowolf?" Weiss suggested, beating me to it. I pouted at her. I'd just thought the same thing.

"Yeah," I said, more to Yang than to Weiss. "The people we told at the hospital probably would've told the police, or the Academy, about the Beowolf by now."

"Why haven't we?" Yang asked. That was a good point.

"I guess we were just too worried about you and Blake to think of it." I answered. We all put our tablets away and headed towards Professor Ozpin's office, leaving my warm, comfortable bed behind.

Weiss led us to Ozpin's office. Even with the map of the school on my tablet, the layout seemed too confusing for me to find the office. Eventually we arrived at the door to Ozpin's office. I reached out and knocked tentatively.

"Come in." Ozpin's voice called from within. I turned the doorknob, pushing the door knob.

Ozpin was sitting back in the chair at his desk, his tablet in one, coffee mug in the other. He glanced up as we came in.

"Ah good, you made it." he said. Weiss, Yang and I lined up in front of his desk.

"Yes sir," I said.

"Now, I suppose you want to know why I called you all here this evening."

"Yes sir, we thought it might've had something to do with Blake."

Ozpin smiled over his mug. He gestured for us to sit in the chairs in front of his desk.

"And you were right, partially." He said as we sat down. "I do want to talk about Blake's condition. But I also want to talk to you about the monster that caused it." So it was both, I thought. "I had Blake moved here from the hospital for the simple reason that they can't treat her as well as we can." Weiss, Yang and I exchanged a confused glance. How could a school infirmary be better than a hospital?

"Uh, sir… I'm not sure I understand." I said nervously. Ozpin gave me an amused smile.

"Aura shock is not as uncommon an ailment as the general hospitals think. It's one that we've known about for years, but one we kept secret. It wouldn't do for the general populace to know that we have a weakness. The stronger, the more invulnerable, they see us, the safer they feel. And, contrary to what you may believe, there are those out there who are none too fond of Hunters and Huntresses. Why should we let our enemies know our weakness?" It made sense, I had to admit that. And even if they kept it as secret as possible, eventually it would begin to creep out. So it also made sense that the hospitals were starting to learn about it.

"So, sir," Yang interjected. "Does that mean that we have a way to treat it here? We have a way to make Blake better?" Her voice seemed strangely strained. I looked at her, concerned. She was leaning forward in her chair, gripping the arms of her chair so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

"We can treat it Yang," he replied. "But it's still not perfect. It's better, and it will improve her chances, but it's not a guarantee." Yang slumped back into her chair, looking defeated. "But," Ozpin continued. "We also understand the ailment better, and I can tell you that Blake has a better chance to recover than anyone I've seen suffering it before."

Yang looked up once more, hope returning to her eyes. I felt hope welling up in me as well, but Yang was grasping for it, I could tell.

"What are her chances?" she asked.

"About an eighty percent chance of recovery, at the very least. She should come out of this just fine. I'm not going to promise anything, but she should be okay." Ozpin answered, smiling at Yang's reaction. She slumped back in her chair with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling with a smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile as well, sharing one with Weiss. I felt Weiss pat me on the arm as I turned back to Professor Ozpin.

"So do you know when she's going to wake up?" I asked. "Even a rough guess?"

"That's a more difficult question," Ozpin said reassuringly. "It varies from person to person and we've found that the stronger the aura, the faster they can repair and recover it. So as the strength of her aura increases her chances of recovery, it also decreases her recovery time. I'd say, at a guess, she'll wake up sometime in the next few days, if any of our other patients in the past are anything to go on." I nodded, the thought cheering me up slightly. The thought of her recovering faster brought a smile to my face. That was slightly faster than the nurse at the hospital had told us, but then Ozpin said they knew more about it here. So we had only to wait a few days for her to be okay.

And the news of her increased chances of recovery made me feel a lot better, as if a weight had lifted off me. I could smile easier now, and more naturally. Ozpin had said her chances her eighty percent at the least; which meant, especially knowing how strong Blake was, those odds could only increase. Yang and I shared heartfelt smiles, smiles both filled with joy and relief. Yang must've been thinking the same things I was.

"Now," Professor Ozpin broke in. "You three should get to bed. You all still need to rest and recover from your battle." I nodded, beginning to rise from my chair.

"But sir," Weiss said. "You said we were going to talk about the Beowolf, not just Blake." I looked at him questioningly, realising Weiss was right. Ozpin smiled at Weiss, as if amused that she'd caught it.

"Yes Weiss, I did." He answered. "But it's getting late; I think that particular discussion can wait until tomorrow. Yang doesn't have any classes until she gets the all clear from the nurses, and I believe you and Ruby have a study period tomorrow morning?" Weiss and I nodded. Was it weird that Professor Ozpin knew our timetables that well? Maybe he'd checked them before we came. "Excellent, then you can all meet me here tomorrow morning, during your study period. Yang, if you're feeling unwell at the time, the meeting is optional for you, so feel free to rest longer. But I get the feeling you might want to hear about it anyway." Yang nodded, I'd never thought for a second that Yang would skip the meeting. She'd want to know anything about the monster that hurt Blake.

"Excellent!" he declared. "Now, off you go. I'll speak to you all tomorrow morning." We pushed our chairs back and stood, Yang leading the way out into the hallway.

"I wonder what he has to tell us about it…" I mumbled as the door closed behind me.

"We'll find out tomorrow Ruby," Weiss said, turning to lead the way back to the dorm. "There's no point worrying about it now."

"I guess…" I plodded along behind, curiosity tugging at me. Yang slapped me on the back.

"Come on sis, at least we got some good news tonight." She grinned as she reassured me.

"Yeah, you're right." I said, returning the grin. Yang draped an arm across my shoulders as we followed Weiss down the hallway. As much as I wished it was Weiss, it felt good to have Yang close to me again.

The following morning saw Weiss, Yang and I all standing outside Ozpin's door again. I was getting more and more curious, wondering what he had to say. Yang slapped a hand on my shoulder, pushing down, stopping me from bouncing up and down like I had been all morning.

"Ruby. Chill." She said. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Weiss, why did you let her eat cookies before coming here?"

"I wouldn't say I let her. She just ate them." Weiss replied, in a slightly offended tone. Yang held her hands up in a calming gesture.

"Okay, okay. You chill too Ice Queen." Yang said. Weiss sniffed, knocking on Professor Ozpin's door.

"Come in!" Ozpin called out. We entered the office, taking the seats he offered us. "Glad to see you girls could make it."

"Yes, sir," I said. "I… We were curious about what you wanted to tell us." He gave me another of his slightly amused smiles before answering.

"Good. Well, to begin with, the guards on the outer walls have been investigating the matter. But they have been unable to determine how the Beowolf managed to make its way inside the walls. That being said, the guards can't examine the outside face of the walls, because they're not Hunters. They're merely watchmen. So, because your team was the first to respond to the situation, I've decided that your team should be the ones to finish it."

"And what exactly do you mean by that sir?" I asked, somewhat unsure what to think.

"I mean, Ruby, that I want you and Weiss, and Yang when she's recovered, to find out how that thing got into the city. I want you to examine the outer walls, search for any signs of how it got it, and, if possible, prevent it from happening again." I gaped at him, with no idea what to say. He wanted us to take on the job of a fully-trained team of Huntresses?

"But, sir… Are you sure we can handle a job like that alone?" I asked. "It'll only be Weiss and me for a while. I don't want to get caught in a fight with a pack of monsters without my team." Weiss and I shared a worried look. The two of us—alone—in Forever Fall Forest? That would be incredibly dangerous, that forest was filled with Grimm.

"You'll be right near the wall, examining its exterior. The guards will have ropes hanging down for you should you get overrun. You can choose to stand and fight whatever enemies approach you, or flee and go back down later. It's your mission: I'll leave the choice to you." He said. I felt a little more at ease hearing that, Weiss seemed more confident about it as well. We nodded at each other, each filling the other with more confidence.

"Well," Yang said. "I'll just stay here and look after Blake. You guys be careful. I'll be out there with you as soon as I can." I smiled at Yang, nodding my thanks. Ozpin stood behind his desk, coffee mug in hand.

"You girls had best head back to class. Finish your classes for today, your assignment begins tomorrow."