Chapter Text
{...}
The blazing sun shone brightly in the sky, while a stifling heat afflicted the inhabitants of Vacuo.
— ... AHHHHHHHHHHH! — Ruby jumped on the winged Grimm, firing at him and sending him plummeting.
Yang shot against the ground to gain momentum and reach her sister, using her feet to slow her descent. — Gotcha! — Yang smiled broadly as he placed his sister on the ground.
— Let's put an end to this! — Ruby shouted, drawing Crescent Rose and firing at the flying grimms, while Yang took on the beowolf.
— I'm coming! — announced Weiss, gliding confidently across an ice surface towards her teammates. She pirouetted and positioned herself next to Yang, erecting an ice barrier under the beowolf, knocking them away.
— Well done, Ice Queen! — Yang commented, lightly punching her arm. — Now only one more to go. — The blonde said, preparing to shoot, when suddenly they heard Blake's voice.
— I'll take care of it! — said the fauna, as she threw her gun and tried to catch the last Grimm in the air. However, the weapon got tangled in the being's wing, pulling it along. Yang gasped, watching his girlfriend being carried higher and higher.
Blake pulled the tape, climbing the Grimm and shooting him in the head, taking his life. Yang ran towards where Blake was in free fall.
— Weiss! — Ruby exclaimed.
— I've got it! — Weiss spun on his own two feet, knelt on one leg and drove the tip of his sword into the ground, creating an ice ramp that Yang used to reach Blake.
— Are you all right? — Ruby asked as they approached.
— Yes, yes. Thanks for your help. — Blake replied, still hugging Yang. The blonde had a tense look on her face and put her girlfriend down, turning her gaze back to the hot desert.
— I think we can finish here. — Ruby said, holding her sister's shoulder, managing to soften her countenance.
{...}
— Remnant! — Ruby exclaimed enthusiastically as she stood up and raised her glass higher.
— For remnant! — They all exclaimed together, toasting with excitement.
— Sis, how long are we going to do this? We're toasting every day. — Yang commented, returning to her sitting position.
— Let's keep going until I get tired! — she said, knocking her glass against Yang's, provoking a laugh from the blonde.
— It's gratifying to see how excited you are. Despite the decrease in grimms' attacks, we still have a lot of work to do. — Qrow commented.
— Oh, Uncle Qrow! Let's enjoy the evening and discuss professional matters tomorrow! — Ruby murmured, mockingly.
Everyone laughed, enjoying each other's company and talking about various topics. On Jaune's side was Oscar; now no longer Ozpin. After the gods had given him the opportunity to live an authentic life, Oscar was happier and more motivated to become an outstanding hunter.
— Oscar, pass me the cookies, please. — Weiss asked, and the boy promptly stretched his arms across the table, handing him the plate full of dumplings.
— Oscar, how was the patrol today? — Jaune asked.
— It was easy! Although I still can't completely control my aura, it's becoming easier as time goes by. — he commented, a little embarrassed.
— Hey, kid, relax a bit. You'll get there. — Qrow declared, adding juice to his glass.
— Yes, you'll get used to it soon. — Jaune smiled, giving the young man a warm look.
— Oscar, tell me. Do you miss Professor Ozpin possessing you? — Sun asked, shaking his tail from side to side. Neptune kicked him under the table.
Oscar noticed Neptune's action and let out a sigh, looking down at his plate on the table. He took a deep breath and looked up at his colleagues.
— Despite Ozpin's failings, I know his intentions were to protect us all. He bore many burdens alone. He trusted only himself with the truth, when he could have done as... Ruby! — The young man exclaimed, causing Ruby to look at him with a full mouth and raised eyebrows. — He recognized his mistake and accepted that you were what Remnant needed.
— Look, even though Ozpin's gone, there's still a bit of him in you, kid. — Qrow let out a soft laugh, staring at the white lock of the boy's hair. Qrow sighed and got up from the table. — I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we have a meeting with the principal, so no delays.
— Fine. Then try not to sleep more than your own bed! — Yang replied, provoking laughter from the others. Qrow just shrugged as he left the kitchen.
— Well, I guess we'll be leaving too. — Sun commented, looking at Mercury and Emerald, who were sitting on the other side of the table.
— Finally! — muttered Mercury, getting up first.
— I thought they'd finished their patrol for the day. — said Weiss, looking at the group.
— We're not going on patrol. We're going to train in the combat room. I want to see what those toothpick legs are capable of! — laughed Sun, teasing Mercury.
— I'll wipe that smug grin off your face! — he retorted, frowning, with a cornered smile on his lips.
— Do you want to bet? Let's do it! — Sun clapped his hands on the table, grinning widely, until Neptune intervened.
— Heh, they mean they're going to train peacefully! — commented the boy, looking seriously at both of them and making them stop. Oscar let out a sigh and stood up too.
— Don't worry. I'm going with them. — he said, joining the group.
After organizing the kitchen, the teams headed out into the courtyard for a breath of fresh air. Ruby was the first to take the lead and break the silence.
— How about we have a slumber party? — she proposed, flashing her infectious smile.
— That sounds childish to me. — replied Weiss, throwing a bucket of cold water on the leader's idea.
As they debated what to do next, Weiss watched Blake and Yang closely. Both of them had been acting strangely for some time, and this made her increasingly intrigued.
— So, let's get an ice cream and head to the weapons room. — said Ruby, and everyone agreed.
— Sorry, everyone. I'm feeling a bit tired. See you tomorrow. — Blake announced, saying goodbye and heading for his rooms.
— I'm going to bed too. My back hurts a lot. See you, guys! — Yang said hurriedly, picking up the pace to join Blake.
Everyone watched as the two girls went back to their dormitories, when Nora, with one hand on her waist and the other on her chin, took on a thoughtful expression.
— Hmm... Those two are getting very close lately. — commented Nora, observing the situation carefully.
— They're dating, wouldn't that be normal? — Jaune asked, and Nora nodded.
— That's not it. They're acting strange!
— Yes! — exclaimed Weiss, raising his hands. — I've already warned Ruby that something's wrong, but she doesn't believe me. — Ruby let out a sigh as she was stared at.
— How can you not notice? They have a secret! — said Nora, holding Ruby's face and squeezing her cheeks.
— Look, no one is more curious than me. But if they really do have a secret, prying would be wrong, wouldn't it? — Ruby retorted, freeing herself from Nora's grip.
— I agree with Ruby. This is their business. — Ren declared, crossing his arms.
— Right, but what if it has to do with us too? Wouldn't we have a right to know? — Weiss asked, putting his hands on his waist and looking at Ruby.
— Let's vote. Whoever wants to find out what those two are hiding, raise your hand! — Nora was the first to raise her hand, followed by Weiss, Jaune and Ren.
— Ren! I thought you were on my side! — Ruby exclaimed, disappointed.
— I'm sorry, Ruby. I value privacy, but those two are hiding a big secret. I can see that. — He replied, keeping his hand up.
— Well done! Let's find out what they're hiding. But please, no pressure! Is everyone in agreement? — she asked, and everyone nodded in agreement.
The days went by and the plan to uncover Yang and Blake's secret became more and more complicated. They didn't want to admit it, but the two were skillful at evading them.
~A week later~
Nora was walking around the school and nibbling on an apple when she heard noises coming from the training room. With a discreet glance, she peeked through the door and spotted Yang in action.
— Hum! I see with my little eyes a great opportunity. — she whispered, with a wide smile and a mischievous look on her face. Nora entered the room, stopping a few meters away from Yang. — Hey, Yang!
— Oh... Hi, Nora. — Yang stopped punching the punching bag and turned to her. — Did you come by train too? — asked the blonde, wiping the sweat from her brow.
— Actually, I was thinking that it's been a while since we trained together. And if I'm not mistaken... you lost your last fight. — Nora commented with a provocative and challenging tone, causing the blonde to frown.
— I think you're wrong, Nora. I won that fight! — Yang replied seriously.
— Hehe! Then let's find out who the real champion is. Right here, right now! — Nora took out her weapon and adopted a combat stance.
— Be careful what you wish for, Nora! — exclaimed the blonde, ready to fight, when suddenly the door opened.
— Yang? Oh, I found you! — Blake said as soon as their eyes met. — Hi, Nora. Honey, I need you. — she said to Yang as Nora waved to her.
— I'm coming, love! — Yang announced, picking up his bag. — Sorry, Nora, we'll leave that for another day. — She quickly passed Nora, who stood alone in the room with a perplexed expression.
— WHAT THE...!
~A few weeks later~
— Ah...! I really needed that. — said Weiss, as he took another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. After a five-hour patrol under the scorching sun, they decided to enjoy the city a little, since the last few days had been spent working or training. Ruby and Jaune were with Weiss, enjoying an ice cream, as the heat of Vacuo was not easy to bear.
Jaune fiddled with his cup, looking for the hidden chocolate chips; when he found one, he popped it into his mouth and smiled with satisfaction. He looked at the street and frowned.
— Hey, isn't that Yang? — Ruby and Weiss turned in the direction Jaune was pointing, spotting Yang walking among the people, holding a piece of paper and with a confused expression.
— That's her. — Weiss said, bringing another spoonful to her mouth.
— I thought she'd be spending the day with Blake today. — Ruby remembered when her sister had said that she would stay in the room with her girlfriend, because she was exhausted from patrolling.
— Let's go talk to her. — Weiss was the first to get up, followed by Ruby and Jaune.
— Hi, Yang! — Ruby said excitedly, waving to her sister, who turned to them in surprise.
— Ah, what's up, guys! W-What are you guys doing here? — asked the blonde, putting the piece of paper behind her back.
— We're the ones who should be asking you that. — Weiss began, staring at the blonde with a raised eyebrow, then quickly glancing at the blonde's robotic arm hidden behind his back. — Weren't you going to stay with Blake today? You've been complaining all month about not spending much time with her, and now you're here.
— Um... I was just doing some shopping for her. — Yang smiled and showed the paper to his friends, without giving any more details. — She's not feeling very well, but we'd already agreed to do some shopping, so I came to cover for her. Nothing out of the ordinary! — Yang rolled up the paper and put it in his pocket.
— Do you need our help? — Jaune asked cordially.
— No, you don't! I'll be a while, and some things on the list are just food. So you don't have to worry about me. I'll see you guys later! Bye! — Yang waved to his friends as he walked away, resuming his route to the stores. Oscar appeared to follow Jaune into the gym, leaving only Ruby and Weiss behind.
— Okay, now we're going to find out what she's up to! — Weiss commented with a determined expression.
— Wait, are you sure? — Ruby looked away from Weiss, who had an arched eyebrow and a hand on her waist. — All right! Let's go!
...
Yang left a store carrying bags full of fruit, took the paper out of her pocket and checked her next destination. Yang was barely aware that she was being watched.
— Report: Yang is heading to another specific location. Yang has full bags, and that's a fact. Yang is...
— Oh gods, have mercy on me! — Weiss exclaimed, lowering the menu he was using to cover his face, leaving it on the table and staring at Ruby. — Please, Ruby, we're just observing what she's doing, not reporting on a top-secret mission. — Weiss complained, finishing his drink.
— I know, but following her around is so BORING! She's just shopping; just like she said she would. So why are we still here? — asked the young woman, settling more comfortably into her chair.
— Well, let's examine the circumstance. Yang says she's doing this for Blake, so we'll start from that point. I've realized that Yang has been doing things for Blake for some time. Whenever we want to help Blake, Yang stops us. But for what reason? Why is she making these purchases? Ruby, we need to look into all these questions. — Weiss commented, while Ruby kept her hand on her chin, struggling to think.
— Okay, we've established a direction, and we're going to follow it. Initially, we need to understand what all this shopping is about. Secondly, why isn't Blake making these purchases on his own? Thirdly, why does Yang always find a pretext to push us away? — Ruby questioned, picking up a piece of paper and a pen, recording everything.
— Exactly. Then let's question them! — Sun said, surprising both of them.
— Sun! What are you doing here? — Weiss asked, seeing the boy hanging upside down by his tail.
— From my detective acumen, I've learned that you're investigating Yang and Blake, right? — Sun asked, and they both nodded. — Well, we've already found out a few things, and after reflection, we're going to allow you to get involved in our investigation. — He said, touching his fake mustache. Weiss and Ruby exchanged glances, staring at the young blond and grimacing. — Hey, stop making expressions! — Sun scolded, pulling up a chair and settling down at the table.
— So, Mr. Investigator, here's what we're going to do: you tell us what you know, and we'll share everything we know. — Weiss declared, and Sun grimaced, curling his false mustache around his finger in thought.
— Neptune, what do you think? — Sun asked, and Weiss and Ruby exchanged perplexed glances.
— Is Neptune here? — Ruby asked, and as she looked around, she found someone sitting at a distance, with a menu covering their face. The blue-haired young man slid the menu away, revealing himself, and approached to sit at the table with them.
— I think we should accept. Since you're on the same team, you may have valuable information about this enigma. — He spoke softly, leaning forward, and the blond replied in a whisper.
— What if they're tricking us?
— Um, you two know we're right here, right? — Weiss asked, looking at them both with a raised eyebrow.
The two exchanged glances, settling into their chairs. — Indeed, indeed! — Neptune exclaimed, straightening his mustache, provoking Weiss to slap himself lightly on the forehead.
Then Weiss exclaimed, out of patience: — Tell me what you two know!
— Yang always follows the same route, from the academy to the markets, passing the camp where Blake's family is helping the refugees, and ending up at the city infirmary. — Neptune placed a simple map on the table, improvised and with barely legible letters, which showed all the places Yang and Blake had passed through in recent weeks.
Weiss looked at the paper and remained contemplative. Ruby didn't say anything, just watched her companion's countenance and let out a sigh, beginning a period of reflection.
After all, what was really going on with her teammates? Why so much mystery? Was it something negative that they didn't want to share with their friends? Or are they planning something that will make everyone happy? Could there be a surprise?
Ruby could only think about that, she didn't want to focus on negative events. However, when she heard Neptune talking about the infirmary, Ruby began to think about how Blake had been complaining of pain, fatigue and other problems that kept her away from the rest of the group.
— Could it be that... Blake is sick? — Ruby asked, coming out of her thoughts and drawing the attention of the three of them.
— Sick? Surely that's a beginner's guess! — Sun exclaimed, and Weiss threw the menu in his face.
— Why do you think that is? — she asked Ruby.
— Well, what else could it be? — Ruby replied, looking at Weiss uneasily.