It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible.
Yang blinked once, twice and could only gape as she – the one who had run away all those months ago, the one who had left her like so many others before – stepped into view.
This had to be some sort of sick joke.
From the corner of her eye, Yang glanced at Emerald to see if this was her doing, but found the trickster frozen in place as well. A storm of emotions raged within the blonde bruiser – anger, fear, confusion and disbelief. Yet something else entirely rose up to quell the brewing anxiety.
Hope. Hope that she was truly here, that someone had actually come back to her for the first time in her shitty life.
Her arm pulsed angrily, unwanted memories dragging themselves up from the dark depths of her consciousness. She knew she was shaking and trembling like a leaf blown and tossed through the wind. Her lungs burned as her brain suddenly forgot how to breathe properly and before she could really process it, a startled amber gaze met Yang's, as if drawn together magnetically.
"Yang?"
A whooshing breath left Yang's lips as strangled gasps desperately tried to pull in more air. Her eyes stung and the brawler fought everything inside of her to keep the tears from falling. Her heart screamed at her, and the thing inside of her thrashed violently as it demanded Yang to reach out to Blake – to protect and to hold her close.
But then, Ruby was there, and the rational part of her brain drowned out the possessive howls of anguish and told her to go and retrieve the relic. That was her first and only priority now. If she couldn't do that much, the world – and Blake, her mind argued – would all be lost. The beast snarled in defeat, hunkering down once more in the shadows of Yang's mind, and then she was off, running to the open hole and jumping feet first down into it.
As she fell, Yang had only one thought running through her veins –
For Blake.
XXX
Blake did not sign up for this shit.
Yes, she did intend to take back the White Fang and yes, she did intend to stop Adam, but there was always a limit, but sometimes, things could break the limit unintentionally.
Like finding out another group entirely was fighting for the world's sake not even one hundred feet away from where they were.
Yeah, Blake did not sign up for this.
The large, hulking man with dust in his arms was never an issue concerning her, but when her fight was over and she saw something large, blue and icy impale him and drag him away, she couldn't help but follow.
Blake never regretted that choice.
As she peered through the hole in the wall, similar sights, sounds and smells bombarded her senses all at once. She shook her head to ease the onslaught from the groups inside, but not even that could help the crushing feeling that attacked her when she recognized the people fighting.
Ruby, older and taller but still cape-wearing Ruby Rose. Weiss, covered in blood and flanked by a massive Queen Lancer made of ice. There was also JNR, Qrow and another, much younger boy. Someone flinched in the corner of her eye, and Blake turned and froze.
Blonde hair, lilac eyes. Yang.
Yang Xiao Long, the one she had left to protect, the one who had saved her, the one whom she loved, was here. Immediately, her eyes zeroed in the robot prosthetic that was painted yellow and black. Her stomach churned and a feeling akin to that of a punch to the gut flooded all of her systems.
Yang was here, in the place where Blake had wanted her least. Adam could have found her here and–
Blake did not finish that thought.
Traitorous tears sprung to her eyes and fighting through the daze and confusion Blake managed to choke out a single, feeble word.
"Yang?"
Her voice broke, and was heavily saturated by her tears. She took one, two hesitant steps forward before pausing, seeing as Yang remained motionless, save for her body-wracking shivers.
A moment of silence, so engulfing that a pin dropping could be heard, ensued as all parties remained still. Then, as if she hadn't just spent the last few minutes as a living statue, Yang flipped around and raced towards an exposed hole in the floor near a conjoined staircase, before leaping into the pit, and disappearing from view.
Some part of her mourned the loss of visual sight of Yang, but the rest of Blake was torn, an inner turmoil between following her and going back to her family tugging her heart in two.
Then Ruby – wonderful, sweet Ruby – nodded to her in that special way only the silver-eyed girl could, and Blake nodded back unconsciously. It was a plan – their plan, and she should trust their judgment. Despite wanting to run up and aid her friends, Blake turned and ran back to her own fight.
She remembered the look in Yang's eyes; the sheer disbelief that shone in them was palpable. Blake ran faster, a new fire festering in her heart at the silent promise that she would return to the blonde.
XXX
Weiss was by no means a pushover. She could take whatever was thrown at her and still keep going. But after… today, the heiress accepted the fact that rest was necessary. It's not every day you get impaled with a fire spear and then suddenly reunited with your long-lost teammate. Said teammate stood a ways off from where Yang, Ruby and herself were sitting, shrinking in on her self and looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. Or kitten, she supposed.
The running joke about how the Ice Queen was 'thawing out' was originally just that – a joke, but when her heart and soul began pleading with her to comfort Blake, she couldn't help but feel as if it was becoming reality.
Well, there were worse realities in life.
Laying one arm across Ruby's shoulders, Weiss extended her hand out to Blake in invitation. Her eyes widened in surprise, before melting into want. Blake rushed forward, nearly sliding into them as she wrapped her arms over Yang's broad shoulders and Weiss' narrow frame as tight as she could.
A wave of comfort and familiarity encompassed all four girls as a missing kink slowly shifted back into place. Each of them were smiling, even if they were crying and shaking like babies. That didn't matter though, because they were finally together – finally home, in each other's embrace.
They slowly pulled away, but kept firm grasps on each other as if to make sure they wouldn't disappear. For the first time in her life, Weiss felt at home with her friends. Her family.
However, there were matters that needed to be dealt with.
Gently, she tugged herself away from Blake and slowly led Ruby away. The change was instantaneous. Blake folded in on herself and Yang tensed, arms twitching forward as a maternal instinct urged her on, but was halted by uncertainty.
Weiss sighed softly before sitting down next to Jaune. Ruby dropped down next to her and turned to look at her, a silent question was asked.
Weiss huffed, before nodding at the two in question.
"Just look at them. They need this so much." Ruby blinked before offering a soft smile in realization.
Looking back at the two, Weiss smile sincerely as Yang moved forward to embrace Blake, her flesh hand slowly rubbing soothing circles on her back as Blake wept. The taller girl tucked the Faunus' head under her chin and into the crook of her neck before laying her head atop dark tresses She couldn't quite hear their hushed words, but she had a pretty good idea as to what they were saying.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. You're fine. You're safe. You're here, and that's all that matters."
XXX
Yang gently took Blake's chin in her hands and slowly lifted to meet a watery and hurting honey gaze. Yang gently laid her forehead against Blake's as she hummed softly, an old lullaby Summer had once sung to her. Blake shuddered with every breath, hiccupping sobs slowly to sniffling tears.
Ever so delicately, Yang raised both hands to wipe away tear tracks that ran down warm cheeks. Hesitantly, she used her prosthetic to tuck an errant strand of hair behind Blake's human ear, and she in turn gently grasped the cool metal of her forearm, clinging to it like a lifeline.
A soft, airy chuckle escaped Yang as she cradled Blake close to her once more, content to hear her breathe, to feel her heart beat strongly. She rocked them slowly, to some unknown rhythm.
She was here, and they were going to be fine.
There, in that embrace, was the warm feeling of home.