Yang was never passionate about winter. Warm sunlight was barely present, visibility was severely reduced, and the snow would accumulate everywhere, making it difficult to exit the house and step outside. It had this glum atmosphere that has made her uneasy for as long as she could remember, almost as if a Grimm would spring out of the snow at any moment to attack. And this particular winter made that anxiety more poignant than ever.
It's been a few months since that faithful day, but she still felt dizzy about the events. She has been feeling so tired, even though she hasn't been up to much lately. Her father has been worried sick about her current behavior. She rarely talked, and barely ate. Even leaving the bed in the morning has turned into a challenge. It was so unlike the fiery girl full of life he knew for so long. But she couldn't possibly still be the same after everything that happened that night. After all of the things she lost. Her school. Her friends. Her arm.
She felt incredibly dizzy when she woke up in her bed at her old room in Dad's house after getting knocked out for who knows how long. She initially tried to pin down whatever she could remember from that chaotic night when Beacon was surrounded by flames and Grimm. She could only recollect seeing Blake lying wounded on the ground, beside a man with a mask that concealed his eyes, holding a bloody red sword. The sight of that scene made her blood boil, but what happened next was a completely formless blur in her head.
Reality did not wait for her to catch her breath before crashing on her, as she looked down her lying body, only to find most of her right arm was no longer there. How could that be happening? She had clear memory of her hand and fingers. She could almost feel it, like it was still there, no matter how long she stared at the remaining stump of her limb. How was she supposed to use her Ember Celica or fight as a Huntress without her arm? How was she even supposed to function?
It was hard enough to deal with the shock of such a physical loss, but the bad news had not ended then. When she asked about her friends, she learned that Ruby had also been home unconscious, but Weiss was taken back to Atlas by her family, and Blake had ran away without saying a word, leaving the two sisters behind. That only aggravated her turmoil. She felt abandoned. Like a useless broken person, left behind without what made her special or loved. Above anything else, she was overwhelmed with a deep sense of failure. She had completely and utterly lost.
Taiyang tried to accommodate to her emotional state, by assuring her that she could get through this situation, and that she could take all the time she wanted to get back on her feet. He even said they could try and get a prosthetic arm for her, even though it'd be hard, what with all the means of communication with medical facilities advanced enough for such a procedure being shut down. While she appreciated the gesture, his words hardly made her feel any better. Any words he spoke did very little to alleviate her pain, either physically or psychologically. She felt a void that not even her father could fill.
In a way, her father had also changed. He had always been protective over his two daughters. But ever since she came back home, his eyes and ears would subtly follow her around the house, constantly aware of her every step. And that became worse when her sister left without any warning, leaving only a note behind.
Taiyang had firmly protested against letting her go outside alone in her condition. She understood he only meant to take care of her well-being, but was suffocating. She needed some time to be absolutely by herself, without any walls around her, with the certainty that wasn't being watched. After some insistence, he reluctantly complied. She didn't plan on going far. She just needed some space to be by herself, and maybe collect some thoughts. Problem was, she couldn't think of a place she particularly wanted to visit. There was only one place she had in mind.
Summer Rose
Thus Kindly I Scatter
There she was, standing in front of that familiar altar, now covered in snow.
She didn't come to visit her gravestone as often as Ruby, mostly because she didn't wish to dwell on the grief of losing her forever, preferring to conceal and move on. But a small part of her felt like she didn't have the right to be her child. She didn't quite know what to make of the fact that Summer Rose wasn't her biological mother. It didn't invalidate all the love she had shown to both sisters. They both shared the same cookies, the same kisses, the same pulling of ears; her affection never showed any distinction between Ruby and her. And yet she felt as though she didn't belong as Summer's daughter.
But she was at a complete loss now more than ever, and desperate for any sort of guidance. She was Yang's only mother figure. The only other person that came to mind to fill that void was…
"Looking for answers? Because I highly doubt you'll find anything there."
She was not expecting anyone else to be there, and was understandingly startled by a voice coming from behind her. When she quickly turned to find the source of it, she saw a figure she had only caught a glimpse of before. A woman, dressed in a combination of red and black, with a sword scabbard by her side, and wearing a white mask resembling the face of a Grimm, similar to one she had seen before. Although Yang had no doubts about her identity.
Yang stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. She was once warned about this woman by her uncle Qrow. About how dangerous she was, and how she only came in contact when it suited her. And yet Yang had this urge to seek her out, ever since she learned the truth about her lineage. She did look for answers. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to share, so many ghosts that haunted her. And yet, at this moment, when she was within earshot, she somehow didn't even have the energy to properly react.
"What are you doing here?" Yang broke the silence tightly, barely turning her body to face her. Deep in her heart, she wanted to believe she came to appease her pain, but previous experience pointed otherwise. That puzzle was more frustrating now than ever.
"I was around the area", Raven retorted, "and figured I'd check how things were in this front." Her voice was deadpan and casual. "You seem to be troubled, so I thought it wouldn't hurt if I showed up for a while."
"Well, it's too late", Yang hesitantly dismissed her biological mother. She really didn't want to deal with this issue right now. "I don't care about anything you have to say."
"I see", Raven said nonchalantly. "So it is how I figured. I'm disappointed."
"What?" She was severely taken off guard by that remark.
"You're running away."
"What?" Yang repeated. She could feel the provocation in the woman's voice.
"You feel sorry for yourself, so you are giving up the fight and running away. Acting like a coward."
Yang couldn't believe her words. Was she of all people seriously accusing her of running?
"I don't want to hear that from you!"
"Well, that's too bad, because what you need to hear won't be said by anyone else. Not by Taiyang, not by Qrow" she tilts her masked face in the direction of the gravestone behind Yang "and certainly not by Summer."
"She was a better mother than you could ever hope to be!"
"Then where is she right now?" Raven insisted "Didn't she leave for a mission, never to come back? If you ask me, I'd say she abandoned you, too."
"Leave her out of this!" Yang wouldn't have the woman who raised her be slandered right in front of her grave, no matter by whom.
"Why should I? Isn't that the reason you came here? Because you need your precious mother to hold your hand? You'd have a hard time even reaching for it at your state."
"SHUT UP!"
"Make me." Raven spread her arms defiantly. She was doing more than just provoke her; she was challenging her.
As her hand rolled into a fist, Yang charged towards her. She was finally within an arm's reach, but none of the punches she threw connected. Yang's opponent was quick on her own merits, and she hadn't fought anyone in a long time, so her movements were stiff and sluggish. Additionally, one solitary arm made consecutive attacks difficult.
As Yang threw one final jab, Raven easily dodged and countered by throwing an uppercut into her stomach, making the young Huntress drop to her knees on the snow-covered ground.
Having the wind knocked out of her, Yang clutched her stomach and gasped for air.
As she waited for the young Huntress to catch her breath, Raven spoke "Is that really the best you can do? You're not even close to being ready for the real battle that's coming." Raven said as she took a few steps away from Yang. "On your feet", she then commanded. Yang was slow to comply, but eventually rose completely on a fighting stance, still panting heavily.
Raven didn't continue the fight. Instead, she spoke. "The illusive peace you enjoyed thus far has finally faded away. Remnant is in complete chaos, and we're not even close to figuring out who's responsible for all of this, let alone put an end to it. Your school is crawling with Grimm, and your team has disbanded, leaving you crippled and undertrained." She voice was soft but impervious, as she made an inventory of their current situation. "What happened that night was only the beginning of things to come. And the enemy is still lurking in the shadows, plotting something greater than any of us." Raven looked at her daughter. She was still tense, but had lowered her stance.
"This is the world we live in. And as a Huntress, you must be prepared to face it." Raven resumed, now completely facing Yang once again. "You may have been accepted into Beacon, but your real test has only just begun." Yang tried to no avail read her motives under that mask, but this woman was so cryptic.
"I have a question for you", she proceeded. "Do you have an ambition?" Yang, once again taken aback, had no idea where she was going with this.
When Yang took too long to respond, Raven added. "You don't need to tell me what it is, just answer yes or no." After a short while, she reluctantly said "Yes."
"In that case, I have another question", Raven continued. "Are you willing to endure unimaginable misery in order to achieve it?"
Yang felt completely speechless once again. She felt cornered and disoriented by this woman's every word. This tension felt as though they were still trading blows.
"We have little influence on what comes our way", Raven proceeded, "but our actions are dictated by our choices. It's true that you have suffered a great loss, but you're choosing to let that loss overwhelm you and impede you progress." Raven slowly stepped towards Yang, making her daughter instinctively step back. "This is an unforgiving world, and things will get worse long before they get better. You have only been given a small glimpse of what lies ahead, and your defeat only shows that you're not ready."
"I'm…" Yang kept trying to distance herself from the approaching masked woman, as she tried to form words to defend herself. But this figure, this bestial-looking ghost, left her disoriented with her every questioning. "What am I even supposed to do?" She could feel her eyes start to water up.
"Why should I know?" Raven dismissed her pleas for clarity. "I'm not the one to answer that question. You have to figure it out yourself. Do you really have nothing left, or are you just so busy wallowing in self pity to realize what remains?"
At this point, they two Huntresses were once again within an arm's reach of each other. Yang felt slightly paralyzed by the proximity from the person who's done nothing but insult and belittle her grief, but still had the reflex to guard herself from the right swing thrown at her. They were once again engaged in a fist fight, this time with Raven taking the offense. She only attacked Yang's left side, allowing her to block, but the woman's punches were so heavy that blocking still hurt plenty, and Yang's attempts to gain some space to dodge were for naught.
"Did your team abandon you", Raven gave continuity to her cruel lecture as they fought, "or did you fail to keep them close?" Yang couldn't find an opening to counter either her blows or her accusations, keeping her guard high. "No one is going to chase after you to clarify your doubts or ease your pain!" As Yang could no longer stop the tears from falling down her face, she could feel something building up inside of her with each impact. A heat she was familiar with, but had long been forgotten by winter. Slowly, but surely, her hair started to exhibit a gleam of gold.
"If the world hits you…"
She punctuated with another punch.
"You have to get up and hit it back!"
And another.
"But you'll only succeed if you stop hiding behind your fears…"
And another.
"Face your challenges…"
And another.
"And endure the hit!…"
Before Raven could land the next blow, Yang dodged in a swift movement and extended her left fist at a blinding speed right to her opponent's face, shattering the mask that concealed it and sending her flying to the snow several feet away. As Raven rolled to a stop on the ground, Yang panted heavily, her once lilac eyes having taken a bright shade of red, in contrast to the dark shade coming from her bleeding fist.
None of them moved for a long while, and Yang didn't know what either of their next moves would be. Raven was the first one to get up from her lying position, not visibly shaken up from the impact, her face now on full display. It was perplexing how uncanny the similarity of their features were. Yang had seen her face in a picture before, but looking at it in the flesh was entirely different; it was like looking at a heterochromatic mirror. Her hair was long and wild like Yang's, but pitch black instead of blond. Those eyes imitated her current own, a bright shade of red. Eyes that were just as entrancing and cold as the ones of her mask. Her stare was expressionless, but carried a deep intensity that made Yang hesitant to continue her strike. Nonetheless, those were human eyes. The beast-like figure she's been facing up to now had been dissipated, even if only slightly.
"That is all I can give you, for now." Yang was slightly startled by Raven's sudden words, still feeling the rush from the battle, albeit less intensely. Raven then drew her sword from its sheath, and swung the long red blade through the air, the slash generating a red and black energy field Yang had caught a glimpse of once.
As she took a few steps towards the strange portal, Raven face her child one more time. "If you're looking for answers, you will get then when the time is proper. For now, you may rest and regain your strength. But sooner or later, you'll have to get back on your feet and keep on fighting. Until then, I'll be waiting for you."
Before Yang could react, she stepped into the portal and disappeared.
Alone and surrounded by white, Yang only now realized that the snow had started to slowly fall again. Likewise, she fell to her knees, tears running down her cheeks, as her hair began to shine like fire once more. And she screamed skyward, exploding in a blaze of golden flames, with only the cold snow-covered grave of Summer Rose as her witness.
This is my very first fanfiction ever. I thank you for reading it hope you enjoyed it. There's always room for improvement, so feel free to review or criticize.
RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth Productions