This is my first time posting on this website, but I love reading from here. So I decided to contribute to some of my favorite fandoms. This story is also up on AO3 under my other pen name Kumiko (It has the same name).
This has multiple POVs, but I'll split them up so it won't be confusing. I'll give warnings if a chapter has graphic (descriptive) violence, but that's really all that needs to be warned about.
If there is anything that isn't right grammatically, please tell. This isn't completely canon compliant, and I might or might not use some material from the upcoming new season in October.
Summary: After the fall of Beacon, everyone scatters and breaks apart. A small reprieve is all they're given before things start to escalate from bad to worse. With team RWBY disbanded temporarily, team JNPR seeking revenge, Beacon destroyed, and communication practically gone, their enemies have the biggest head start.
Pairings: Mercury Black/Yang Xiao Long; Weiss Schnee/Neptune Vasilias; Blake Belladonna/Sun Wukong; Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos; Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie; Glynda Goodwitch/Ozpin; Past Blake Belladonna/Adam Taurus
Anyway, RWBY doesn't belong to me.
Beacon fell. That's all that really got a reaction out of Yang these days. Well, that and the elephant in the room. Her arm was gone. Sure, tons of people got prosthetics these days. That sort of technology wasn't new. It was affordable to nearly anyone in need. Taiyang, her father, and Uncle Qrow were polar opposites in their reaction to her glaringly obvious disposition. Her father wanted her home, to forget about ever being at Beacon, fighting grimm, and her friends... Uncle Qrow kept telling her that Ruby was gone, to nab Cinder. He kept saying she needed to get herself together when the world was falling apart.
To be perfectly honest, Yang couldn't care less about the world falling apart. The only thing she could feel was lost and anger. Anger from Weiss was forced back into her father's grasp when she'd finally decided to leave. Anger from Ruby leaving without saying a word. Anger from Cinder taking down Beacon and killinh Pyrrha. Anger from people who kept telling her to get over it or deal. Lost because she didn't know what to do.
Yang valued her fighting skills as everything. Now, she would be bedridden because of prosthetic surgery? Did she even have time? And there was the anger again. Could she even fight anymore? After what Adam did... he took more than her ability to fight. Yang didn't need someone telling her that. She was always confident in her skills. Her consequential defeat only proved that her arrogance and luck had finally run out.
After what Blake did, Yang couldn't decide on how pissed she was. Blake just... ran. She didn't visit, send a letter, drop a call, or anything. Yang lost her arm for Blake, and Blake just left her to sweep up the dust off her dignity. She balled up her fist, wanting to hit something, but that drove a reminder that she lost an arm. And the circle of anger looped again.
There was a knock on the door, but it opened without her approval. It wasn't like she would talk anyway. It was Uncle Qrow. His face looked more drawn lately. He often kept a close eye on Ruby, and his search for Ozpin wasn't going well. He sauntered into the room, looking out the window casually.
"How long are you going to do this to yourself?" He asked in his usual raspy, caustic tone. The words bit harder than they should've. Yang was trying to decide. It wasn't easy when she felt stretched to the point of breaking. Or maybe she already had.
"I don't know." She said softly, turning to the window. She could feel his eyes on her, and they were full of judgment.
"I thought you were going to keep moving forward. I thought you wanted to be a huntress. This? This is a minor hiccup, Yang; and this little pity party of yours is beneath you." Qrow said. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and minor irritation. For some reason, that infuriated her.
"You think I don't know that? I noticed the lack of prosthetics on you, so maybe you don't understand, but this isn't exactly easy adjusting to. I'm tired of picking up the pieces after a loss. I'm tired of adjusting. I just... need a break." She deflated. Qrow wouldn't care about her reasoning. To him, she stopped trying, and maybe he was right.
Yang looked to Qrow, worried about his silence and flinched from the pain on his face. "I understand your problem perfectly, Yang. That's why I need you to get back on your feet. Ruby needs you. I won't sugar coat things, but the world needs more hunters and huntresses. Without the Internet to communicate with other kingdoms, things are worse than ever. Grimm are everywhere. Yang, things aren't going to get better any time soon." He stood up, still looking irritated. "Ruby went to Haven. She's going after Cinder. She's... not 100%, but she's trying. For you, Weiss, Blake, and Jaune."
Yang felt her stomach seize. It was a low blow; telling her the condition of the world and Ruby hiking through it. Yang couldn't stay here. But I can't go either. Missing arm and all that jazz.
Yang's mind flitted towards the only gift her mom conveniently left. A lone sword. It was dark gray with a bronze handle. Yang used to practice sword fighting when she was younger, to feel a connection to the woman called Raven. Raven was a faceless person that Yang desperately wanted to impress. She'd always wanted to impress her mother, even though the woman didn't want to know Yang.
There was no time like the present to re-learn sword fighting. And there were plenty of targets everywhere. Yang needed the thrill of life and death back. The loud thumping of her heart, the roaring, seductive rush of blood in her ears. The siren's call was strong, and she'd never been more thankful for it.
Qrow was right. She was needed. This wouldn't bring her down. Adam wouldn't being her down. She was Yang Xiao Long, daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and Raven Branwen. She would not be so easily defeated. Those two months of a sedentary life were over. Yang needed to be Yang again. That stayed with hunting grimm, and being the best.
Yang felt her semblance stir. A feeling she'd lost for two months. A feeling she wouldn't lose again.
Taiyang was losing his mind. He was doing his best looking for Ruby, taking care of Yang, and killing grimm that were getting too close to his home for comfort. Soon, it wouldn't be safe anywhere. He just wanted his girls safe. It wasn't a crime to be a protective father. Letting them go to Beacon had been a mistake. He couldn't believe he'd let Qrow talk him into it. His eldest had lost an arm and fallen into depression, his youngest was who knows where looking for some monster.
Most days he wanted to strangle Qrow. He still could, and he wouldn't even be wrong. Being a huntress had cost Summer and Raven their life in two different ways. It wasn't wrong of him to want to stay away from the very things that stole his happiness.
Taiyang finished making rabbit stew for Yang. Something she used to enjoy. As he opened the door, he saw her unmade, empty bed. He dropped his tray, feeling a disgusting sense of deja vu. "Qrow!"
Taiyang wanted to stab or shoot something. Qrow was a likely candidate. When the idiot himself showed up, Taiyang glowered at him. "Are you satisfied now?"
"What are you talking about now?" Qrow sighed. He had the audacity to sigh as if Taiyang was the annoyance. "They're gone! Ruby and Yang are both gone! Aren't you satisfied? Or can you not be satisfied until one of them dies this time, like Summer?" He said, voice breaking along with his rage.
Qrow looked like he'd been stabbed repeatedly. Taiyang knew he should apologize, but he wouldn't. Qrow needed to know what his selfishness could cause. "Tai... I'm-"
"You bring my girls back, do you hear me? You bring them back in one piece, or I will kill you this time." He promised. Raven's brother or not, he was done entertaining Qrow's stupidity where his daughters' lives lay. He could only respect their decisions so much. Surely they would forgive him in time, but he was a parent. Their safety would always be more important than anything else.
Taiyang didn't decide to calm down until Qrow was gone. He hoped there were enough grimm outside for him to release his anger.
Ruby followed behind Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Nora talked a mile a minute, inviting Ruby to join her in the rambling, which she did. Ren even spoke a couple of times, but Jaune remained silent. It was frightening how calm he looked. It had only been two months since Ruby failed to save Pyrrha. Two months since everything fell apart.
"Hey, Ruby; you stopped your story." Nora said, bouncing as if her attention was completely invested in the story.
"Oh! Um... silly me. Where was I again?" She couldn't get lost in thought, not with them. Not with Jaune around. Every screw up seemed to magnify around him, even when he wasn't paying attention. She kept thinking of failing him, her team, and everyone at Beacon. She kept reminiscing about her powers.
"You were telling us about how Weiss would shout at you for drooling in class." Right. Why would she tell that embarrassing story? It wasn't anything special, but maybe that was why she missed it so much. It represented a time in her life where she didn't feel like a failure.
All of it stemmed from Cinder. Ruby fantasized about killing the woman, night and day. She envisioned the way she would kill her, and that scared her. It scared her on an instinctual level. Her entire being was against her rage for Cinder. The gravity of murder should scare her, but she had done it before. She helped kill faunus from the White Fang.
She didn't even mourn their death, now that she thought about it. She just... did it. That was when she noticed the silver in her eyes dim. She wanted to call her Uncle Qrow or share her fears with Yang, but things were too hectic.
Ruby was mastering the ability to talk without thinking because Nora's laugh shook her from her mind. "That's hilarious!"
Ruby had no idea what she said, or what story she'd been telling this time. All she knew was that Nora and Ren were losing the tension in their aura. Jaune's remained at a steady calm Ruby envied.
"Where exactly are we going in Haven?" Ruby asked. She knew that, without transportation, it would take them about five more days to reach Haven. There was no guarantee Haven would allow them. They were the students of Beacon.
"Nora and Ren will go to Haven academy, and you and I will look through the slums. There's bound to be rumors somewhere. With the fall of communication between kingdoms, information won't be cheap. So along the way we're going to be collecting info." Jaune said with that easy smile on his face.
Ruby was astonished at the plan. Had Jaune always been so smart? The plan was well thought out, and Ruby felt ashamed. While she'd been on her head, Jaune had been focused on things he could actually do. Another strike went against her, and she couldn't summon the power to look him in the eyes. She was afraid he'd know what a failure she was and how unreliable she is.
Ruby missed Yang. Yang would have an easy smile on her face, and a cheesy joke that would break the ice. She missed the easygoing days. "Ruby?" Jaune asked for what seemed like the third time.
"Yes! I-I'm sorry, Jaune. What'd you say?' She stuttered, trying to regain a sense of calm.
"It's alright. I just asked if it was okay with you to go information hunting with me." Jaune said, looking her in the eyes, stripping her of coherent thoughts.
"Of course!" She nodded. She would do much better. She had to make it up to Jaune; she had to redeem herself to all of them. And if killing Cinder would do it, she would relish killing the woman like a pig.
Weiss was the spoiled, protected princess again. Her father had relegated her to being a doll. She couldn't do anything without being accompanied. After the tragedy of the Vytal festival, her leash had only gotten tighter. Her father wanted to hide her weapons away, but Weiss convinced him that if grimm ever attacked, she'd be defenseless. Playing on her father's heart strings was cruel, but she couldn't let him have everything.
She was Weiss Schnee, and she didn't need her father's money or influence. Especially not now that the world was falling apart. All she heard about her team was that Ruby was unconscious, Yang was incapacitated, and Blake was MIA. Everything was going spectacularly well for the monster who did this. They had striped every hunter and huntress' morale to a miniscule amount of nothing.
Weiss wanted nothing more than to just leave, but she couldn't. Her father would expect her to leave... or stay... UGH! Weiss paced her room quietly. Her father had given her a bed time that he wanted obeyed, and despite all the rebellion she wanted to release, her father was not a man to keep pushing. He was very powerful, and not only money-wise.
Weiss really wanted to know what was going on, but communication between all kingdoms was shut down, courtesy of Beacon's falling. If only she'd been better and faster, maybe her and Ruby could've done something more. Except, Ruby had done something. It was Weiss who failed. Ruby had done something really weird. Qrow, Ms. Goodwitch, and Ironwood all collected Ruby, while Weiss' father collected her.
She couldn't imagine what they all knew. All she knew was that a blinding white light knocked her on her butt and immobolized every grimm around her. At times like these, Weiss missed her friends and Neptune. He had become a source of strength for her.
A quiet knock came to her door. Weiss opened the door to see her sister's small smile. Weiss held in her squeal, but hugged Winter all the same. Winter patted her head and closed the door.
"Father has been trying to pull strings to rope me back to his side." She began, and sat on Weiss' bed patting the area beside her. "What are you going to do? If you stay here, no one will blame you." Winter said quietly.
"I'll blame myself. I have a plan to leave, but..." Weiss began.
"But?"
"I have no idea where to go, Winter. Ruby might be comatose, Yang can't fight right now, and Blake is wherever. I don't know where to go, who to help. Team RWBY is over with."
Winter sighed. "Your team needs you right now, more than ever before. Find them. Put your team back together. We could really use everyone's help at the moment. Weiss you are exceptional. You told me you even used your summon. Hone your skills. Become the huntress you always envisioned. It doesn't get easier from here."
Weiss slowly nodded. She needed them, even if they were in a rough spot. Winter smirked. "I heard from a certain bird that Ruby is with some friends looking for Cinder. She could use her teammate."
"How dare that idiot go without me?" Weiss said, grounding her teeth. Ruby would need her help. She was an idiot for going with a different team. Did Ruby think she could ignore her friends to pursue the very person who ruined everything? No, she needed a firm scolding. She would find Ruby and Blake.
"Do you know where she went?"
"Maybe her father knows. Now that you've got a quest, what will you do?"
"Stop my friend from fighting without her team." Ruby was reckless alone and with unfamiliar settings. Weiss really needed her to be safe. "I'm leaving tonight. I can't waste a single minute."
Winter smirked. "Figured as much. I already packed your stuff. Go before father comes up here."
Weiss closed her eyes. "Thank you so much, Winter. See you." Weiss said, escaping through her window. Her sword rested at her hip, her back pack filled with provisions and dust. She wouldn't fail her team.
Blake was alone. She'd forgotten what being on her own was like. She'd grown too accustomed to having someone at her back; having a peaceful, full sleep. For two months she'd tried to get back into the habit of being on the run, being a shadow.
She went from littered towns, seeing grimm causing absolute destruction. This is all my fault. If she had stopped Adam when she had the chance, no one would be suffering. Yang would still have her arm. Yang suffered because Blake kept her secrets. Blake didn't deserve to be around Yang. Especially not now while Adam had the White Fang searching for her and her friends. The best way to protect them was to stay away from them.
Oh, so that's your brilliant idea, huh? Just leave us alone to the mercy of your ex-boyfriend. Newsflash, Ruby and Weiss don't know what he looks like. And he can just finish me off, but you don't care. You're nothing but a coward! Always getting people hurt, and then running away when things get hard. Yang's voice snarled.
Blake could see Yang as if she were right before her, pissed and, extremely, unamused. Every word drove a sword through Blake's chest. A scar to match the stab wound from Adam, the man she loved and wanted to save. Blake deserved this.
The fake image of Yang scoffed as she rolled her eyes. So you're just going to hide and sulk? You don't get to do that. Not when Adam is killing people looking for you. Take some responsibility!
Blake stood from her crouch in an abandoned building that literally crumbled around her. She wished Yang were really in front of her, giving her those talks about trusting her team. The team was no more, though. Too much happened. Yang would never forgive Blake for getting her hurt.
Just come back to me, baby. Be honest, the whole school thing was excessive. You were relieved when things went south. Come to me, and I won't hurt you. Adam's voice coaxed. It brought tears to Blake's eyes. She would never go back to him, but it made her miss the man he once was. It made her miss when he fought for equality and not dominance. She should've fought to save him instead of running.
The voices berated her, and she fell asleep to them like they were a sonata filling her ears.