Ruby's POV

I opened my eyes slightly and spotted my father across the room, sleeping in a chair. Yawning slightly, I sat up. "Ruby!" Dad went over to me to check on me. "You're awake!" He said, relieved.

"What happened?" I asked.

He sighed before speaking. "Your Uncle Qrow found you unconscious. He got you outta there though; he got you home safe." Dad explained. "Wait! Yang! Is she alright?!" I asked.

"Uh... She's, uh... She's gonna be alright. I think she's just... I think it's just gonna take time for her to get used to things. She's too strong to let this stop her. I'm just glad to have my girls back at home." He said.

"What about Lily? Is she okay?" I asked. "Uh... well..." Dad sighed and looked to his left. I followed his gaze and saw Lily lying in her bed.

"Lily's... She's in a coma," Dad said. "We've had doctors take a look at her, but there was nothing they can do. We don't know when she could wake up."

I sadly hung my head. "But that's not at all that happened. After Qrow found you and your sister, he took you guys home, and... well, this happened,"

Dad went over to the window and pulled back the curtains. Outside were a ton of Grimm, just sitting there and staring at us.

"So far, they haven't attacked or done anything. They've just been sitting there, like they're waiting for something. We tried making them go away, but they wouldn't budge. Qrow said to just leave them be and wait. It's really weird." Dad explained.

I was stunned by how many Grimm there were. "I... I need to see Yang," I said. I went to Yang's room and saw her staring out the window. "Yang?"

She didn't respond. As I turned to walk away, she said my name and looked at me with tears in her eyes.

I ran over to her and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're okay." I said. "But I'm not." She stated. I broke the hug to look at her missing arm.

"It's all gone. The school... Penny... Pyrrha... And... Lily..." She trailed off as she looked at her right arm. "Yang, where are Weiss and Blake?" I asked.

"Weiss's father... came for her." Yang answered.

"What? What do you mean?"

"No one outside of Vale knows what happened here. Before the tower fell... The last thing people saw was Atlesian knights attacking innocent people and Grimm destroying the city. Everyone's scared. No one knows who to trust. So, Weiss's father came to take her back to Atlas, where he thinks it's safe. She's gone."

"What about-"

"And Blake ran! Sun saw her go. After we got to the city, she just... ran!"

"But... why?"

"I don't know. And I don't care."

I stayed quiet for a second. "There has to be a reason she-"

"No, there doesn't! Sometimes, bad things just happen, Ruby!" Yang snapped. "So, what do we do now?" I asked.

"What is there left to do? It's... It's over. Blake and Weiss are gone, Lily's in a coma, and I..." Yang trailed off with a sigh. "You can do whatever you want. I'm gonna lie here."

"Yang..." I said, reaching out to her. "Just leave me alone." She mumbled. I looked at the ground for a moment before walking towards her door. "I love you." I said softly.

When I got back to my room, I gasped and saw Lily's bed empty; She wasn't there. "Dad! Lily's gone!" I called.

Instantly, Dad and Uncle Qrow ran into the room, looking panicked. "She's not the only one gone." Uncle Qrow said, his eyes on the window.

I followed his gaze to see the Grimm had left, too. "I'm going to find her! Wait here!" Dad instructed, then ran out of the house.

I looked at Lily's bed and noticed a note on her pillow. I picked it up and read it out loud.

"Ruby, I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly. I know you told me the fall of Beacon wasn't my fault, but I still can't help but feel guilty. Like I unknowingly played a part in it somehow. Ever since Shadow came into my life, all I wanted was for Grimm to live just as freely as we did. But Ozpin, Glynda, and Ian repeatedly told me how that dream was impossible. From what Ozpin told me, I can tame the Grimm. So until I know how to master the ability fully, I have to leave. I have to say goodbye. Please don't bother looking for me. I promise I'll be fine. You and Yang have done so much to protect me, and now I want to do the same for you. I want to be the one to keep you guys safe this time. I love you.. Lily,"

I looked out the window in worry. "Oh, Lily..." I murmured sadly.

*****

The season of winter arrived and I was feeling better. I planned on traveling to Haven in hopes of finding answers and finding my little sister. I left a note for Dad, then headed out.

Standing near my front door was Jaune, Ren, and Nora. "Hey, Jaune," I greeted, walking over to him. "Haven's a long way to go."

"I know. But it's the only lead we have." He mentioned. "And you sure you wanna come along?" I asked.

"The journey will be perilous, and whether we'll find answers at the end is entirely uncertain." Ren said. "But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it." Nora chimed in. "

Then let's get started." I said with confidence. The four of us walked off, heading to Haven.

Lily... I know you told me not to worry, but you're my little sister. I have to find you and make sure you're okay.

Sequel to this book (Grimm Warrior), will be out soon. Until then, stay awesome, my lovely kitties! Nya nya~!