Author's Note: As stated in the description, this story uses RWBY V3C12 Redux as a base. You should really read that to get some idea of what's going on. The fics Rekindling, Still Running, and Nothing But Each Other tell the story of what happened between RWBY V3C12 Redux and the start of this story, but if shipping's not your cup of tea, they're not entirely necessary. This story will be action-focused but the ships will still sail.

Chapter 1

It had only been four days since Beacon fell but in that time much had changed. Outside, a previously peaceful world was in chaos. At the Xiao-Long house on Patch there was newfound hope. Ruby had regained consciousness and was already back to living her life, forever changed though it was. Yang had gone from feeling completely hopeless after the loss of her arm to developing a resurgent confidence with the help of a brand new state-of-the-art prosthetic arm and Pyrrha's encouragement. Pyrrha could still not shake the feeling that everything was her fault but with Yang's help she had at least come to terms with the situation.

Taiyang returned home late. He usually cooked fresh meals but tonight dinner would be store-bought, a major step down from his stellar cooking. Still, it was something of an occasion. It was the first time Yang was taking dinner outside her room with everyone else. Previously she had been too depressed by her loss and embarrassed by her clumsiness, but with her new prosthetic she could put that behind her. Just before everyone sat down to eat, Ruby and Qrow returned from Signal where they had spent the day.

"We're home!" Ruby exclaimed.

"We come bearing gifts." Qrow added.

Taiyang, Yang and Pyrrha met the pair in the main room. Ruby reached into the box she had been carrying. "Behold, Ember Celica 2.0." She announced. She picked up the weapon and handed it to Yang. It looked and felt just like the original, but this one had attachment points for mounting it to her prosthetic.

"Wow, you work quick." Yang said. She slid the weapon into position and with a little twist it clicked into place. It would require a few screws to hold for combat situations.

"Well, it is just one of your originals with some slight modifications." Ruby admitted. "It should operate the same way."

"Thanks, I really appreciate this." Yang said. She stepped forward and wrapped Ruby in a crushing embrace. Ruby squirmed in an attempt to escape but with her prosthetic Yang's hugs were even tighter. "This'll go a long way to making things feel normal."

"Don't mention it." Ruby gasped, struggling to breathe. Finally Yang released her and she struggled to catch her breath.

"I got you something too." Qrow said. He handed Yang a box. Yang opened it and inside were several dust crystals. "You're going to need to change the crystal in your arm every once in awhile, so I cut some crystals for you. You're not going to find them in stores."

"Thanks Uncle Qrow, I didn't even think about that." Yang said.

"I'm working on another surprise but I didn't get it finished in time." Ruby said. Whatever it was she was clearly excited about it. "I'll have to go back to Signal tomorrow to wrap it up."

"Oh, sorry kiddo, I can't." Qrow said. "I have some business to attend to in Vale."

"That's okay, I guess it can wait." Ruby sighed.

"I can go with you." Taiyang offered. "I'm sure Pyrrha and Yang will be fine on their own and I don't have any plans."

"Really?" Ruby said. "Awesome!" She literally jumped for joy.

"It's really good to see you all happy like this." Taiyang said. "I wasn't sure I ever would."

"You think they're happy now?" Qrow laughed. "Wait until tomorrow. I'm working on a surprise of my own." Taiyang narrowed his eyes at Qrow. He knew he should be suspicious whenever Qrow said something cryptic like that. Qrow noticed the look but gave nothing away.

"Well, it sounds like it'll be a big day." Taiyang finally said, still eying Qrow. "But for now it's time to eat."

The following day started much as the previous one had. Yang and Pyrrha spent their time working out. Their early morning jog covered more distance and they spent more time sparring. After that Pyrrha did some general exercising while Yang tried out Ember Celica in conjunction with her prosthetic. It felt strange and she would probably have to make some tweaks, but she would get used to it. Everyone else was off somewhere else. Taiyang and Ruby were at Signal and Qrow had his mysterious trip to Vale.

Taiyang and Ruby returned a little after midday, just after Yang and Pyrrha had finished eating lunch. Ruby entered the house carrying a large, flat, roughly square box while Taiyang carried a box that was just as large and unwieldy but elongated in shape. Both had bows wrapped around them, clearly the surprise Ruby had promised.

"What did you get me today?" Yang asked.

"Sorry, they're not for you." Ruby replied. "They're actually for Pyrrha."

"For me?" Pyrrha gasped. "I don't know what to say."

"Just open them." Ruby said. Pyrrha sat down on the couch and Ruby placed her box on the coffee table in front of her. It was bigger than the table. Taiyang leaned his box against the side of the couch. Pyrrha undid the ribbon on Ruby's box and opened the top. Inside was a shield. It looked like her shield but was larger. "Open the other one too!" Ruby exclaimed before Pyrrha could react.

Pyrrha opened the end of the long box and reached inside. She pulled out what looked to be a copy of her recently destroyed weapon. "You made these for me?" She asked. Ruby nodded. "I can't thank you enough. It's really too much. I should have been the one to construct it."

"With all you've done to help me and Yang I wanted to give you a gift." Ruby explained. "At first I was just going to reconstruct your weapon and smooth the dents out of your shield, but I ended up totally redesigning both."

Pyrrha held her new weapon aloft and switched it from its spear form to sword, to rifle and back. It worked just the way she remembered but it felt lighter for some reason. The balance was a little different too. It also appeared to be bored for a larger caliber. "This isn't exactly like the original design." Pyrrha said. "But I like it."

"I'm glad you like the improvements I made." Ruby said. "Qrow brought me what was left of the original. The metal in it wasn't the best quality and the balance was a little off, so I corrected that in the new one. With you shield I used the same lighter alloy so it could be bigger without being heavier. They should still both work with your semblance too."

"I knew Milo and Akouo weren't perfect." Pyrrha said. "I worked with what I had in Mistral. Once they were good enough I just worked on improving my technique to make up for the deficiencies."

"Now you'll be even stronger." Yang said. "Ruby should really make everyone's weapons. She's incredible."

"Incredible doesn't begin to describe this." Pyrrha said. "How can I ever repay you?"

"As good a friend as you've been, you already have." Ruby replied.

"Looks like we can get into some real training now." Yang said. "Things are getting interesting." They were about to get far more interesting than expected.

The trees around the Xiao-Long house were pockmarked with holes and gouges. There were no better target dummies available. Using her full strength, Yang could easily turn the hardiest tree into splinters, but holding back a bit she could test her weapons and practice her technique without obliterating the target. Left-right-left-right, she repeatedly blasted a tree with punch after punch as Ruby watched. Ruby had some ideas on how to improve Ember Celica and watching Yang use her weapons up close was the best way to refine the concepts. Yang also needed to get used to using Ember Celica in conjunction with her prosthetic.

"Phoenix Wing." Yang said after a few punches.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"I think I've got a name for my arm." Yang replied. "Phoenix Wing."

"That's a cool name." Ruby said.

"I need to come up with names for my new weapons." Pyrrha said. She threw her spear at a tree with a target cut into it. It hit dead center. She retrieved her spear using her semblance and threw it again. Another perfect throw. If Ruby's balance changes required adjustment to Pyrrha's technique, she already had it down.

"Why not just call them Milo and Akouo?" Ruby asked. "They're pretty much the same."

"They look the same but they're not." Pyrrha said. "You know that, you made them. They're just a little bit better in every way but it makes them feel like totally new weapons." She swung her spear around as it converted to its rifle form. "Pull." She said. Taiyang rapidly tossed a trio of metal targets into the air. Really they were just soup can lids with circles drawn on them. Crack-crack-crack! Then a split-second later. Ping-ping-ping! The targets landed and Pyrrha collected them with her semblance. Each had perfectly centered bullet hole. "I wish the recoil was a little gentler."

"I can rechamber it for a smaller caliber." Ruby offered.

"No, the stopping power will be important." Pyrrha said. "I'll just have to get used to it." She slipped her weapon onto her back and stood with her shield in front of her. "Ruby, hit me." Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose, slamming the blade into the ground in Pyrrha's direction. Pyrrha crouched behind her shield as Ruby fired a series of shots. With slight adjustments Pyrrha blocked the shots with the center of the shield. "Aegis." Pyrrha said. "I'll call the shield Aegis. It means protection."

"That's a solid name." Yang said. "What about the blade?"

Pyrrha thought for a moment and frowned. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Ruber Mors." She said.

"That doesn't sound like a name you'd use." Ruby said. "It does sound familiar though. What does it mean?"

"Red Death." Pyrrha replied.

"Wait a minute, Jaune's sword was Crocea Mors." Yang said.

"Yellow Death." Pyrrha confirmed. "I think it's a fitting tribute."

"His death wasn't your fault." Yang said.

"Maybe it was and maybe it wasn't." Pyrrha sighed. "He was my teammate and my friend. Every enemy I vanquish will honor his memory."

Yang walked over to Pyrrha and put her hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Are you sure about this?" Yang asked. "You don't need to bring up bad memories whenever you look at your weapon."

"It's fine." Pyrrha assured her. "Whatever the names, whenever I pick up my weapons I'll remember everything that happened."

"I feel like I have to say this way too much." Yang said. "You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened at Beacon." Yang looked her in the eyes. "I'm worried about you."

"I've come to terms with it." Pyrrha said. "And I know what I have to do next."

"What's that?" Yang asked.

"I need to become the hero I wasn't able to be then." Pyrrha replied. "I might have to work at it for the rest of my life, but it's what I need to do."

"I'll be right there with you, every step of the way." Yang promised.

"Me too." Ruby added.

"Don't forget us!" Nora exclaimed.

"Nora?" Pyrrha gasped as she spun around to look. Sure enough there was Nora, along with Ren, Weiss and Blake. Qrow stood a little behind them. "I'm so happy to see all of you!" Nora ran up and hugged Pyrrha, almost knocking her over in the process.

"It's good to see you too." Ren said. He held out his hand and Pyrrha shook it, despite still being trapped in Nora's embrace.

"I told you I'd find them." Qrow said. "Some were easier to track down than others."

Weiss and Blake approached slowly. Ruby lunged forward and hugged Weiss. "I'm so happy you're back!" She yelled.

"Let go of my you dolt!" Weiss protested. She managed to pry Ruby off. "It is nice to be here though."

"Yang I'm sorry...I'm...so sorry." Blake sobbed. She hugged Yang.

Yang draped an arm over Blake's back but there was no enthusiasm. "Yeah, good to have you back." She said. Blake could not see but Yang's eyes flashed red for a moment before fading to their usual violet.

Taiyang pulled Qrow away. It would give the kids the chance to catch up and in any case he and Qrow needed to talk. "What are you doing Qrow?" Taiyang demanded.

"I'm reuniting the teams." Qrow replied. "You want your daughters to be happy. I thought bringing their friends here might help with that."

"You could have left them where they were and had the girls go to them." Taiyang said.

"That wasn't really an option." Qrow said. "They're all homeless right now. Weiss is running from her father, Blake is just running, and for Ren and Nora Beacon was the only home they had."

"So take them to Signal." Taiyang said. "It's closed because of the crisis so it's almost empty."

"Do you really want me to stick them in a big empty dorm?" Qrow asked. "They'll be happier here."

"You keep saying this is about happiness." Taiyang said. "Yang and Ruby's happiness, their friends' happiness, but I don't believe you. You have something else in mind. What is it?"

"I don't care if you believe me or not." Qrow said. "I'm doing what's best for everyone."

"Which everyone are you talking about?" Taiyang asked. "Them, or you and your cabal."

"It doesn't matter." Qrow deflected the question. "They want to be here."

"We don't have the beds." Taiyang protested.

"There are air mattresses in the closet." Qrow said. "The house has plenty of floor space." He took a sip from his flask. "Why did you become a Huntsman?"

"I don't see how that's relevant." Taiyang said.

"Humor me." Qrow said.

"I wanted to help people." Taiyang said. "I assume that's why most people do it."

"Well, here's your chance to help some people." Qrow said. "They're kids and they need a home. They need each other."

"Fine." Taiyang relented. "I still think you're up to something, and I swear, if you put my daughters in danger again I will kill you with my bare hands."

"Don't worry about the girls." Qrow said. "You know I'd never put them at risk."

"So why is my daughter missing an arm?" Taiyang hissed.

"Because Jimmy decided she needed to be put under house arrest and I was ordered to Vale." Qrow said. "I can't be everywhere at once. If they're all here, you can keep an eye on them. Isn't that what you want? To have your girls at home, safe with you?"

Taiyang narrowed his eyes at Qrow. "This isn't over." Taiyang said.

"You're right." Qrow said. "It isn't."

For the most part it had been a joyous reunion. Pyrrha was thrilled to be reunited with what remained of her team. Ruby was ecstatic to see her friends again. She did not even care why Blake had left, just that she was back. Then there was Yang. She had given the warmest of welcomes to Weiss, Ren and Nora but did her best to ignore Blake. She was obviously still angry.

Blake and Weiss were set up in Ruby's room. Ruby volunteered to move to the couch and Pyrrha moved to an air mattress on the floor of Yang's room. Ren and Nora had air mattresses on the floor of a room previously used for storage. It was an acceptable arrangement for all involved and for most of them far better than what they would otherwise have. After dinner they retired to their rooms to sleep. It had been a big day and they were happy to get some rest.

Blake knew she would not be able to sleep. She felt guilty about what had happened to Yang, guilty about running away. She had expected Yang to be angry with her. Instead Yang hardly reacted to her at all. It was somehow worse. It was as if Yang had given up on her. Blake wished she had one of her books to read but as it was all she could do was sit there and think.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked. She was just settling down to go to sleep.

"Nothing." Blake replied. "I'm just not tired."

"The bags under your eyes tell me you're lying." Weiss said. "Talk to me."

"It's Yang." Blake sighed. "I knew she wouldn't be thrilled to see me after what I did, but...I guess I wasn't expecting it to be this bad."

"I know what you mean." Weiss said. "She treated you like you didn't even exist."

"I deserve it." Blake said. "First she lost her arm because of me. Then I ran."

"I don't think she cares much about her arm." Weiss said. "I know that wasn't your fault. She knows it wasn't your fault. She's just angry because you left."

"I know." Blake said. "But what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Tell her why you ran." Weiss answered. "If she knows the reason I'm sure she'll understand. She still won't be happy but it's a start. I felt betrayed when you left but when you told me why I was able to accept it. I'm still annoyed, but hey, here we are."

"I guess it's worth a shot." Blake said. "I'll try to talk to her tomorrow."

"Go now." Weiss suggested. "You're not going to sleep if you keep worrying about it."

"Maybe you're right." Blake sighed. "I'll see if she's still awake."

Pyrrha and Yang were chatting when Blake appeared in the doorway. "Hello Blake." Pyrrha said. "Is something the matter?"

"Hey." Yang said emotionlessly. Pyrrha frowned at Yang's reaction. Seeing the formerly close friends this way hurt her too.

"I need to talk to Yang." Blake said. "In private."

"Of course." Pyrrha said. She got up and headed for the door.

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" Yang said. "What if I just want you to leave?"

"Yang, please." Pyrrha said. "At least hear her out. For me."

"Fine." Yang relented. Pyrrha left the room and closed the door behind her.

"What do you want?" Yang asked. Her face was contorted with anger and her eyes burned red. Her fists were clenched so tightly that the knuckles on her left hand were bleach-white.

"I want to apologize." Blake said.

"I'm sure you do." Yang hissed. "You're good for two things: apologizing and letting me down. The next time you run away, don't come back."

"I'm not going to run again." Blake said.

"That's what you said the last time." Yang said. "I'm sick of it."

"I had to run." Blake protested. "I couldn't put everyone in danger."

"What are you talking about?" Yang asked.

"I'm talking about Adam." Blake replied. "He said he was going to destroy everything I love. That started with you but he wasn't done. If I stayed he would have come back to finish you off. Then he would have gone after Ruby and Weiss too."

"If it's so dangerous, why are you even here?" Yang asked. "Or are you lying to me?"

"I'm here because...I'm not good at hiding." Blake sighed. "Weiss found me. Then Adam found and captured us. The only reason we're not dead is because Qrow showed up to save us. Weiss wouldn't let me leave after that."

"Why do you listen to Weiss but not me?" Yang asked.

"Because I...she...we talked after Qrow rescued us." Blake stammered. She was not quite ready to reveal the full extent of her relationship with Weiss.

"So you two finally admitted how you feel about each other." Yang said. "Good for you. It's about damn time." It may have been the most hostile congratulations Blake had ever experienced. "You've got her. Why do you care about what I think?"

"Because we were friends." Blake replied. "I don't want that to change. You might be the first person I ever really trusted after leaving the White Fang."

"If you're my friend, if you trusted me, you shouldn't have run." Yang said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're not my friend."

"I know." Blake said, tears rolling down her face. "I know I messed up, bad." She tried to compose herself but failed. "I know I don't deserve it, but could you ever forgive me?"

"I'll think about it." Yang conceded. "But it's going to be hard for me to trust you again."

"Thank you." Blake said. She wiped the tears from her face only for them to be immediately replaced by new ones. "I understand." She turned and walked to the door. She looked back but Yang had already turned away and was staring out the window.

Blake met Pyrrha in the hallway. "I'm sure Yang will come around." Pyrrha said, giving Blake a hug. "Just give her time."

"I hope you're right." Blake said. She returned to her room and lay down in her bed.

"How did it go?" Weiss asked.

"It could have been worse." Blake sighed. "I don't deserve her forgiveness, not after everything that's happened."

"If I forgave you, she can forgive you." Weiss said.

"What did you say to her?" Pyrrha asked as she returned to Yang's room.

On seeing Pyrrha, Yang's eyes returned to their usual violet. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"She was crying." Pyrrha said.

"I told her I might forgive her." Yang explained. "But I made it clear that I'm still angry with her and that I can't trust her right now."

"That's understandable, but...just give her a chance." Pyrrha said. "After what happened she's hurting, just like we are. When we're under stress like that, we do things we regret. I know…"

"She should have come to us, her friends." Yang said. "She promised that if something was wrong she would. I don't care how good her excuses are, she lied to us. It makes me wonder what else she's lied to us about."

"She probably blames herself for what happened to you." Pyrrha pointed out. "How could she go to you? You're a constant reminder of her failures."

"I know a little about constant reminders." Yang said. She held her prosthetic arm out toward Pyrrha. "I can't run away from mine."

"But you would if you could." Pyrrha said. "Maybe not now, but that first day. I was there to see how much you were suffering. If there was any running for me, I would have run too, but everything's in my head and I can't run from my memories."

"You've got a point." Yang admitted. "I'll give her a chance." Her eyes briefly flashed red again. "But this is the last time."

Author's Note: I have a few chapters of this written but I'm not sure how long I'll go with this story. I'm just not enjoying writing it all that much. I also haven't figured out what happens in the middle, though I do have the end figured out. It might just come down to me doing a time-skip halfway through and skipping straight to the end. Or maybe it'll become more fun to write as my mood shifts and I'll end up with another epic like Volume 3 of RWBY-YYRN. I suppose only time will tell.