Title: Controlled Burn

Fandom: RWBY

Author: Risa

Disclaimer: everything belongs to RT and Monty.

Warnings/Spoilers: All of V5 is fair game. But here's the deal. Since I refuse to torture myself and re-watch the total clusterfail this volume was-Yang's thoughts/feelings and how she internally reacts to the people and environment around her-are only going to be portrayed through brief snapshot chapters. Sorry folks. Unless Miles and Kerry decide to get their act together and take this hiatus to FIX most of the flaws that has plagued the show since the end of V3, I am approaching V6 with extreme caution. Which is sad, because I enjoy writing fiction for this show. Lazy, cliched writing pisses me off and I know M&K can be SO much better.

Anyway, this is gonna be the third installment in this little yet-to-be named mini-series. Dunno if I'm gonna be going farther due to how terrible V5 was on all levels. I'm only giving them one more volume to turn things around. That's it.

Enjoy, and as always, review!

Summary: Armed with a fresh outlook and determination, Yang hits the road in search of Ruby, her father's lessons ringing in her ears. But her newfound confidence and skills will be put to the ultimate test as she must fight through her trauma and PTSD while confronting the sources of her deepest fear and pain. Sequel to 'Rekindled Spark'.

.

.

The sun beamed down brightly on the ship, warming the wooden deck as a steady, pleasant sea breeze kept things comfortable. Passengers-human and faunus alike-strolled the upper deck of the Pride dressed in loose, summer clothing enjoying the gorgeous day.

Yang hardly noticed, lounging against the steel bulkhead near the stern of the ship, aviators snugly in place as she kept a watchful eye on Bumblebee parked less than two feet from where she stood. Sure, the blonde could've removed her sleek leather jacket due to the heat, but the breeze was stiff enough that she decided to let things be. It was too much of a hassle anyway and she didn't feel like moving.

Lilac eyes hidden by her glasses, Yang gazed out over the ocean. It had been almost a week since she left Patch behind. She knew the second she stepped foot on the Pride there was no running back home when things got dicey. She was on her own. Tai wouldn't be there every day in her ear, encouraging her, strengthening her.

For some weird reason, she briefly wondered if he'd want to come with her, but logic kicked that line of thought to the curb. Vale still needed strong Hunters of her dad's caliber to hold down the defenses. Sure, Glynda and the others might be repairing Beacon, but there was a lot of Grimm to deal with and that Dragon was probably still there. To Yang, reclaiming the school she considered her second home, it was a pointless waste of time. But to each their own.

She glanced down at the object clutched in her left hand. It was a picture of team RWBY taken during a much more carefree, simpler time. A time filled with classes and team projects. A time when they were slowly growing closer as a unit, both on and off the battlefield. A time of school dances and special trips to downtown Vale on their down time.

A time when their team was together, and her body was whole and Pyrrha and Penny were still alive, and their school wasn't in ruins and everyone wasn't scattered to the four corners of Remnant, each with his or her private and very personal battles to fight.

Ruby was smiling from ear to ear. Weiss had a semi-frown on her face. Blake was stiff with Yang's arm thrown around her shoulder, a red heart drawn between them. That heart represented Yang's love for her team and her willingness to protect them from anything and anyone who would dare to harm them.

Now she was warier. More cautious. More emotionally volatile. Her heart had got trampled on in the worst possible way. Blake might've run away almost a year ago, but the wound inflicted by her abandonment still stung fresh. Yang wasn't sure if she was going to forgive the cat faunus for doing that, no matter how hard her sister begged. She tore her gaze away from the photo and its painful memories it dredged up. The fire simmered in her gut, instead of giving into the impulse to turn and leave a huge dent in the wall behind her, Yang tucked the picture back into her jeans pocket. Resumed staring at the waves passing beneath the hull of the ship.

Some wounds ran too deep to fully heal with time.

TBC…