Chapter 1: That Fateful Day

A/N: Welcome all to my new fanfic~

I'm trying to keep these notes to a minimum for your reading pleasure, but this is important.

Just so you know, every chapter will contain one diary entry from Yang's POV, marked by a dividing line. The rest is the actual story.

Now, I hope you all enjoy! Onto the first chapter.

Day 1: 27th of July

I woke up in hospital today.

My name is Yang Xiao Long. I'm now 18 years old and I am apparently a Huntress in training at the prestigious Beacon Academy. I have three other teammates- Ruby Rose, my little sister, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna. Alongside all the doctors here, they told me I have a case of amnesia.

I'm not going to doubt them, since I don't remember a thing. My mind's like a clean slate, completely void of any memory, or even emotion at this very time. I don't recognise anybody around me, though they seem to know me so well. Seeing me at such a loss makes them look so disappointed.

I have no idea what kind of person I was before getting this condition, so I don't know where to start. Putting that aside though, seeing everyone so down really is hard to take. I want to change it as soon as I possibly can, since I know their sadness is all my fault.

That's why I have this diary. This is where I'll be keeping all my thoughts, and this is what I can turn to if I can't speak to anybody else. If I remember anything important, I can also write it all down here. Surely, I can reclaim my old life soon through these means. For now though, I'll have to reset everything, and restart to a new life.

Today marks the start of my journey.

Earlier that day..

"Yang...!" Ruby Rose, the younger sister of the female sitting in the hospital bed rushed into the room without a second thought. She didn't care for the doctors eyeing her from the corridors she had dashed through, or the hushed protests of her teammates following behind her. Her eyes were focused on Yang- her role model, her family, her precious teammate, who was blankly gazing out of the window.

"Yang, Yang.." she continued through shallow breaths of air, catching her breath as she slowed her pace and approached by the blonde's bedside. As the red head approached closer, the other's attention was caught and her curiosity rose.

'Who.. on earth could be so loud and disruptive..?' She wondered as she met the worried gaze of the other girl. Her questioning eyes were nothing compared to the shining, panicking ones of the younger girl, who still held a smile on her face- a single smile that held all of her hope together. However, as soon as their eyes connected, that smile wavered for a split moment as she swallowed.

"How.. are you actually feeling, though?" she questioned, cutting the thick atmosphere once more. Her legs were beginning to quiver from underneath her, and although she didn't want to admit it herself, she was scared. She was scared of how her sister would react, what she would say. Ruby knew that she had to stay strong though, for the sake of both of them. After all, if the doctors were lying about the report they had given, there was nothing to worry about anyway.

"..okay." was Yang's breathy, blank response. She didn't know what else to say to this stranger, who seemed like she already knew her. The situation was awfully awkward for the blonde girl, but she decided not to question it for the other's sake.

"That's good to hear, Yang.." the other responded with a small nod of her head. Already directing her full attention on her sister, the red head didn't notice her other two teammates standing by the entrance of the hospital room.

And at that comment, the blonde finally found her curiosity taking over. She didn't want to hurt the other in the room, but she couldn't pretend any longer. Eyes dulling and losing their usual bright shine, the girl gave tilt of her head, giving the other an almost sympathetic look. "..who's... Yang..?"

"What is it, Blake?" Weiss spat in a whisper, trying to yank her sleeve out of the other's tight grasp- but to no avail.

"Weiss, you know this is a fragile situation. Just let Ruby deal with and confirm it on her own for now, okay..?" The dark haired other tried to reason with her teammate, but that didn't seem to be working either. Finally letting go of the other's arm, Blake let her eyes trail to the floor.

"What if she doesn't take it well, huh? What if it's true? She's the least likely of all of us to accept it this early. We need to be there to step in." she retorted fiercely, giving a captivating glare before turning around. Knowing she was defeated, the faunas girl let it slide, following behind the other as they too entered the hospital room.

Ruby's eyes were wide and full of dread at the words she heard. Everything was coming together and made sense- but she didn't want to accept it. She couldn't accept it. Not now, not ever. She didn't want to believe it. Surely, this was all an elaborate joke strung together by everyone behind her back, and there was nothing to worry about. Surely, her sister didn't really have amnesia..

But the look in Yang's eyes felt so real- too real to ever be a joke.

Tears had begun welling up in Ruby's eyes by the time she noticed the other two beside her, worry present in their faces just as her's was earlier. They knew instantly that they had stepped into a dark atmosphere and a tricky situation, but there was no time to turn back now.

"Hey.." was Blake's casual greeting to the girl sitting up in bed. Unlike the leader of the team, she had precisely avoided using the other's name, just in case this situation turned out more real than they had expected. Though she tried her best to remain 'normal', relaxed and calm, her tone faltered from it's usual confidence once she saw the lowered gaze of the blonde before her.

Staring at her hands, Yang gave a small nod in response. She wasn't sure what to say any more after she had clearly hurt the red headed girl. She didn't want to make these two new girls look that torn apart, especially with the concern they showed.

"How are you feeling..?" Weiss innocently questioned, finding it hard to direct her gaze away from her partner. Though she felt terrible just seeing Ruby in such a state, she knew she needed to address the owner of the hospital room first. That was who they were visiting after all.

"Alright." Yang nonchalantly responded, voice void of all emotion. The mere tone of it coming from Yang's voice sent chills up Weiss and Blake's spines. It was wrong. Yang was meant to speak with complete emotion, power, happiness.. not in a weak way that showed nothing but sadness.

With Ruby's increased sniffling, Weiss felt like she was going to burst. Exhaling deeply, she finally gave in to her urges, placing a comforting hand on her partner's back. She wanted to do even more- say even more- but she knew it wasn't the time or place for it. Yang was watching over them after all, and if the report had indeed been correct, it would end up awkward for all of them.

The doubt and hope that lay in all of their heart's was what drove the Schnee heiress to finally speak up once more. She knew that the response she received could possibly damage her leader's state and disappoint herself further than she already was, but she also knew she was the only one capable of doing it. Ruby was too broken to speak up, and she was afraid Blake would be too, since they were conversing to her partner. Weiss had to be strong, for their team..

"So.. I hate to be this upfront about it, but is it true..?" she slowly began, using the most gentle tone she had. She had to be careful as to not make things worse, and deepen their sadness. She had to be strong. Had to be strong, she reminded herself over and over. Strong..

"Is what true?" the blonde asked back, looking over at the white-haired girl. While the confusion showed in her gaze, she surveyed the other girl entirely. She had a scar over one eye, was dressed quite clean and formally, and seemed to have sharp eyes- eyes almost unfit for the soft tone she was using. Yang knew looks weren't everything, but she couldn't help noticing these things, and having her curiosity deepen.

"Is it true that.." But she stumbled. The words were hanging on her tongue, she was so close, and yet, they still didn't come out. It was almost as if they were shocking through her entire system, causing her to pause and falter. She swallowed, and took deep breaths. 'Strong, come on.. for everyone's sake..!' Those were the words to finally recollect her. "..that you don't remember anything...?"

Yang paused. It was true- her mind recalled nothing, and it was almost disturbing her bland her world was with no memories. The doctors and nurses had informed her of her condition earlier as well, and given the situation, it seemed very real. There was no doubt about it. Although something inside her fast-beating heart urged her to lie, and to pretend like she hadn't lost her memories, she knew it wouldn't last long. If these people ever exposed her lie, they would be even more torn.

And that was something that she couldn't have.

Letting out a breath, her lilac eyes drifted to the window before running back to the white-haired girl who had spoken to her. "..all of you seem so close to me.. and so concerned for me already.. so I hate to be a bringer of bad news." she began in a hushed tone, unaware of how the other's were hanging onto every word she said. "But.. Yeah.. I guess it's true."

And at her truth-filled response, the room fell into an unbearable silence.

Although Weiss' gaze dimmed and her hand stayed on her partner's back, and Blake could feel her heart sinking into a loss of hope and disappointment, Ruby was the one who took the news the hardest. The tears that had pooled up were now falling from her eyes and wetting her cheeks, unable to stop flowing as the truth made itself clear in her head.

Yang has amnesia. She doesn't remember you. All those memories you spent with your older sister have been lost to her, and you're nothing more than a stranger.

She felt horrible for acting in such a manner in front of her teammates, or in front of her sister- if she could even be called that anymore- but she couldn't stop herself. No matter how much she wanted to desperately escape reality, the truth was still there, haunting her, reminding her of what she had lost.

"..no.. way.." she choked through her sniffling and tears, internally appreciating her partner's comforting and silence.

The real Yang has been lost. That person you know it now gone.

"..i-it can't be... true.."

You, her, all of you are going to have to start over. That old Yang who always wears a smile and is always there for you isn't here anymore. Everything you hoped for in life has been restarted.

The more words that flashed through her head, the more her body shook uncontrollably. It wasn't long before she reached a breaking point, and couldn't hold herself back any longer. Trying to forget about the presence of this new Yang in the room, the red head sobbed out loud, crying out as she clutched onto Weiss. Unable to protest, her partner merely hugged the other close, keeping as calm as possible.

The sight only made an indescribable amount of guilt and confusion well up inside Yang's chest. It was strange caring for strangers like this, especially when they seemed to know you so well. She couldn't help feeling responsible, and so a quiet, "..I'm sorry.." escaped her dry lips.

Just as she thought the words fell upon deaf ears, Blake shook her head, her face showing a dull sadness. "There's nothing to be sorry for.." she responded, bottling up all of her feelings behind a calm, collected expression. From the looks of it, she seemed to be taking the news the best, however this was far from true. Internally, she felt like all she had worked for during this last year at Beacon had been lost. Her partner had been lost, her light had been lost- so what was there to continue on for?

However, she couldn't accept giving up as an option, no matter how difficult it was to push on. "Really.. it can't be helped, I suppose." she continued, glancing over at the other two before returning her unreadable gaze to the blonde.

"I was... really special to you all.. wasn't I..? And yet, I'm bringing you down like this.." Yang voiced, looking over everyone with dull eyes. Though the words seemed to be true in all of their minds, it didn't mean the blonde deserved to think that way.

"You still are." Blake continued, knowing Weiss wasn't about to speak up at such a time. "It's just that.. we'll have to start over again.." The whole idea of starting over wasn't something the girl enjoyed thinking about or saying at the very least, but there was no avoiding it. Yang needed to be informed and told everything she had forgotten, even if things wouldn't return to normal ever again.

"Okay then.." The blonde casually responded with a nod, keeping her tone as soft as possible. While she didn't have anything else to say, she took this time to observe the dark-haired girl before her as well. She was going to have to familiarise herself with their faces sometime soon anyway, since they all seemed close.

Yang couldn't tell all that much just by looking at the girl, unlike the other. She had bright, almost sly looking yellow eyes and pale skin, along with flowing, black hair. She found it strange that the first thought that ran through her mind was that she was pretty and lucky to know someone this attractive, but she didn't dwell on it.

The room went silence for a few moments, before Weiss brought about the courage to speak up once more, still holding onto her partner. "Say.. I know this might not be the best time for you, but we'll come back in a few minutes, okay..?"

Though it was clear the girl had more to say, Yang decided to cut in, knowing full well of what was to come. "If you need a moment to collect yourselves, then that's fine by me. Take as long as you need, I'll still be here." And for some reason, she found herself wearing a smile.

Weiss seemed to stare at Yang's expression with shocked eyes, nodding her head. She hadn't been awake in the hospital for that long at all, and yet she was already able to smile for the sake of the rest of them. 'Maybe.. the Yang we knew.. isn't completely lost after all..?' The thought ran through her head, but with all the stress, it was clouded by other thoughts and discarded. "Alright. Thanks.. we'll see you soon then."

And with those words and a sympathetic glance, the trio left the room, gazes lingering on the blonde for as long as they could. As soon as the door closed behind them and they trailed down the corridors, Yang immediately turned to the window beside her with a deep breath.

".. 'Yang', was it..?" she repeated to herself, recalling what the red headed girl had shouted upon entering the room. "Maybe.. that might be my name."

. . .

By this point in time, it had been roughly an hour or more since the RWB trio had left their final member's hospital room. Ruby had finally dried her eyes and was more comfortable with accepting the truth, but they were all still quite unnerved. They had all hit rock bottom in their thoughts, each either shedding tears or close to it during their time of silence and small talk. Sitting quietly in the hospital lobby, they thought in their own worlds, trying to make sense and truly accept with it all. Dealing with it was going to be much harder than they expected.

The light that guided Team RWBY had been extinguished and replaced with nothing but a dim flicker surrounded by darkness- of course they were going to feel lost.

It was only when Blake suddenly shot up from her chair, alerting the attention of her other two teammates when they were pulled from their dazed states. A shadow fell over her eyes, and with her fists clenched by her sides, it was hard to tell exactly what she was feeling beneath that mask of hers. "..what are we sitting around for?" she muttered, as the other two glanced around room, wearing the same shameful expression. "Sure, those memories, those days might be lost.. the Yang we used to know might be gone forever, but she isn't dead yet.." she continued, calming her shaking body. "..so there's nothing to be mourning about, right..? She needs help more than we do.. so we can't sit here all day while she's waiting.."

She wasn't one for motivational or moving speeches, but she did want to at least bring up the hopes of those close to her. Glancing over her shoulder to look at the other two, she gave a sorrowful smile. "..don't you want to bring back your teammate.. your friend.. your sister?"

The words definitely sent a jolt of shock through Ruby's body. Yang was still there in her room, waiting for her. And although she wasn't aware of it, it was only her memories that had changed- they were still sisters. That was something no injury or condition could ever change.

Her widened eyes found the floor beneath her feet as she stared blankly, letting the words come from her mouth without a thought. "..she's.. waiting for me.. huh..?" she murmured, unaware of Blake's questioning look. "..you're right, Blake.. you're right.." Although there was a dark mist in the back of her head, not wanting to take things optimistically or move on at all, Ruby wasn't about to let it control her. There wasn't a point in weeping when they weren't the ones in need of help, anyway.

"I'm sorry for being so.. so dramatic earlier.." she began to apologise, still not finding the courage to look up. "I.. I don't know what I was thinking, really, I just-"

"No point dwelling on it now, Ruby. It's in the past after all, and we can't go back." Weiss stepped in, also standing from her seat to join Blake. She wasn't wearing the same hopeful smile the other was, but it was easy to tell that she was looking at things the exact same way.

Struck by the double meaning of her partner's words, Ruby's gaze immediately flickered from the floor to meet those icy blue eyes. Almost as if they were the things leading her, the red head slowly rose from her seat, finding hope welling up within her chest once more. "R-Right.." she responded, firmly nodding her head.

"Now.. where were we..?" Blake began, looking around the bustling hospital once more. "We have a teammate to visit. Hopefully she hasn't fallen asleep on us.." And with that harmless joke, the group headed back through the hallways, on their way to Yang's room.

Luckily enough, when they arrived, the blonde was not actually asleep. She looked more awake than their earlier visit actually, curious eyes blinking about the white-walled hospital room. Though their usual, positive burning light was no where to be found, the darkness that plagued them earlier wasn't present either. She looked more dull than anything else, but seeing the other in such a blank state was still hard to bare.

Feeling her heart pound in her chest, Ruby was the first one to step back into the thick atmosphere. The smile on her face faltered once her gaze met her sister's- for a moment she considered turning and leaving the room altogether- but she shook her head and widened it. She couldn't back out anymore. Yang needed her more than she had ever had before, after all.

The other two teammates followed suit behind her, joining by Yang's bedside and taking the chairs stationed there. Though their expressions weren't completely despair-filled, they weren't hopeful either, merely a balance that could be described as calm.

"Hey, we're back, just like we said." Ruby greeted, giving her older sibling an innocent smile.

"Yeah, I can see that.." the other replied casually, trying not to be offensive or cold as she did so. It seemed it wasn't taken that way either, thankfully enough, and the atmosphere was a lot lighter than earlier on. There was still a sense of awkward interactions between them all, but that was something that would take getting used to.

"Before we get to anything though, I just wanted to apologise for before.. I ah, I kinda overreacted, that's all. I know it must have been hard or awkward for you and all, so.. yeah.. sorry about that.." she continued, gaze lowering to find the floor. The blonde just stared at the other, blinking as she nodded her head.

"Oh.. that's okay.. it's only natural, after all. Hopefully.. hopefully you're okay now though.." She still cares about me. Those were the words that ran through Ruby's head at the response she received, head lifting from the floor immediately. She felt her eyes burning and tears beginning to form already, as she was clearly unprepared for what responses the other would give, but blinked them away. She wasn't about to seem weak in front of Yang again.

"Ah, yes, I'm fine, really. Thanks for.. asking." And just like that, their conversation stilled, and the team found themselves in another awkward silence already. A minute or so passed before one of them spoke up again, pushing their conversation forward and to the point they originally came for.

"So anyway.. you don't remember anything at all, correct..?" Blake asked innocently, in a calming manner. The patient was thankful for how much they all had collected themselves in the time that passed, saving more awkward moments on her end. She let out a deep breath of relief.

"I guess not." was her blunt response. She couldn't find much else to say or explain, so she simply waited for more questions. She was sure they would have many they wanted to ask anyway, and if she could, she was more than happy to answer them.

"..nothing about yourself..? Us? Or memories?" the faunas continued, trying to wrap her head aroung things also.

"Nothing. It's like.. like my mind was wiped clean." she explained, trying to find the words to piece it all together. "I.. still have knowledge on most things though.. so I won't need to go through school again or anything."

"I'd sure hope not." Weiss chimed in, trying to remove the stiffness of everyone in the room. It was a strange role for the girl to be filling, but the other two didn't seem to be doing a good enough job at it. "But anyway, that means we'll just have to inform you on everything you've forgotten, isn't that right?"

"Yeah, I.. guess so." she responded, eyes lowering to her arms sitting on her lap. "You can.. take however long you need to think about and explain things. I'll.. do my best to listen and relearn everything.." Yang's willingness and consideration for the group was really fascinating to say the least, especially with how calm and nonchalant she was acting. The trio decided to make the most of it, and try to relax themselves out as much as possible.

"Alright then.. well, I guess an appropriate place to start would be on yourself." Ruby decided, earning nods from the other two. The blonde's curiosity was only heightened at the words, eyes widened as she stared at the red head. She happened to notice her shining, silver eyes and dyed hair, and her youthful face, but didn't speak a word of it.

"I'm all ears.." she confirmed.

And with a deep breath, she began to explain everything the group felt they needed to tell their lost team member.

Everything they needed to finally restart.