Unlike her sister Ruby who wanted to spend her whole life being as normal as possible and better yet, unnoticed; Yang Xiao Long was the complete opposite. She wanted people to see her, she liked making new friends, she liked thrilling adventures, and she liked being the center of attention. Perhaps that was the reason she enrolled in underground kick boxing.
It was illegal, but Yang couldn't care less. The income was nice, and she got to use moves that were normally prohibited in the legal ones. Plus, there were no age restriction; she was the youngest boxer in the arena, at the age of only seventeen, but also the deadliest due to her powerful semblance.
The rules were pretty simple.
There wasn't any time limit or restrictions, as long as one got thrown out the ring, or one's aura had drained below fifteen points, he or she would be knocked out. The winner would get twenty percent of extra pocket money taken from the bets that the audience did, and this part was Yang's favorite.
Bet on me babe. I'm gonna win every single fight.
#
'Yang, are you going to the arena again?' Ruby looked at her big sister with concerned eyes.
'Yeah Rubes. Why?' Yang didn't dare to look back at the girl. She knew exactly what Ruby was going to say.
'It's…nothing.' Ruby swallowed her sentence and just continued doing her homework.
Yang stopped grabbing her boxing gloves. She felt bad seeing her sister like this. Slowly, she sat down on her bed which was located just beside Ruby's writing table.
'Ruby, are you still…not liking me going to the arena?' Yang's tone was gentle; a tone that she would only use when she talked about sensible things with her close friends and family.
Ruby stopped writing and turned to face the brawler.
'Yang, you know I do.'
'I…'
'No, listen to me Yang. I know how much you like thrills and adventures and I respect that. But you have to understand that it hurts to see you coming home all black and blue.'
'I'm sorry Rubes.'
'Just…take care, okay?'
'Sure, my cute little baby sis.' Yang gave her sister a tight hug, took her boxing gloves which she named Ember Celica and went out for work.
#
Their mother, Summer Rose passed away when they were still kids. Their father, Taiyang Xiao Long did too in a car accident, trying to protect them both. Yang was fifteen and Ruby was two years younger that time. Both almost shut down until their uncle, Qrow went through a lot of trouble pulling them out.
Qrow was the best uncle in the world. He took Yang and Ruby in and kept them fed while supporting Ruby's education. Yang, for her part had declined and insisted on working for more income.
It wasn't easy. Yang was underage and many places turned her down, avoiding unnecessary trouble with the authorities.
Qrow was a special agent in FBI; he often had to travel around the world to investigate cases. His salary was barely enough to keep both of them alive and Ruby going to school. The sisters felt really guilty when their uncle stopped buying his favorite alcohol just to keep their stomach full.
It didn't take long until Yang found that underground arena. She simply told Qrow that she found a work and that he could once again be united with the liquors. The latter did not question much and both sisters had agreed to keep it a secret from their uncle.
Yang opened her eyes, trying to stop her brain from thinking about her past and sighed.
At least we're happy now.
Deciding not to go to work tonight, she simply spent the night by walking along the street, enjoying the cool breeze as they brush against her face.
Yang had already started boxing at an early age, due to the influence from her dad Taiyang who was also a professional boxer. Since she was a child, she trained under Taiyang.
She was gifted – she mastered everything in a really short time, and her dad even allowed her to spar with experienced opponent in the gym, simply stating that she was talented and that he trusted in her.
It was a good thing I learned boxing.
She glanced around, looking at people in suit hurrying back home; some were drunk and were mumbling nonsense; some kept looking at their watch as they walked pass her.
It was a moonless night. The sky was dark, but thanks to the lights coming from the shops, Yang could easily see her path - until two men stood in front of her, blocking her way. She groaned and let out a heavy sigh.
Great, here it comes again.
'Hello hot stuff. Wanna hang out?' a tall man with orange hair said.
'Yeah, your girls seemed to be a little bit lonely.' the shorter man with a green Mohawk said as he stared at her breasts.
Yang sighed again.
Really? In the middle of the street?
'Hey!' the three of them heard a shout coming from a few feet away and it was so loud that they all got startled.
'What do you want?' the orange haired man turned around only to see nothing.
'What the hell?' the other man shouted.
It was at that moment that they saw a figure broke out of a jewelry shop, followed by a bunch of security guards shouting for her to stop.
'Russel, let's bring this blondie to the club and hang out.' the taller man ignored the incident and looked at the man he called 'Russel' and smirked.
'Sure, Cardin.'
Yang did not pay any attention to the duo; instead, she kept looking at the chasing and shouting just a few feet in front of her.
That figure was a petite girl who did not even bother to cover her face.
What a daredevil. I would've covered my face if I were to rob a shop.
Yang was drowned in many thoughts and assumptions of that tiny girl who wore a confident smile as she ran off into one of the dark alleys behind the shops.
A violent tap on the shoulder had brought her back to reality.
'Hey babe, we do not like to be ignored.' Cardin said as he crossed his arms.
'You're still going on with your plan on bringing me to the club huh?' Yang tilted her head and smirked.
'Yes.' Russel imitated Cardin's action.
'Welp, I will have to refuse. I'm pretty busy you see.' Yang simply tried to walk pass them while giving them a lazy wave.
'Hey! Don't look down on us!' Cardin's temper was fiery. He grabbed her shoulder and to Yang's surprise, this man had a rather strong grip.
'Stop, will ya.' however, Yang brushed off his hand with ease. She then kept walking away from them, straight towards the shop that just got robbed.
She stopped when she felt an even stronger grip on her left wrist.
Stubborn little thugs.
Without a warning, she turned around and gave the guy a surprise punch. Cardin was startled but was quick enough to dodge it by moving to the side.
'Heh, good reflexes.' Yang said, 'However, if you don't stop bugging me, it's not gonna be just one single punch.'
'Wanna fight eh woman?' Cardin said, posing in a battle stance. The man was extremely confident with his aura level that was exceedingly high compared to a normal person.
She grinned and decided that if the guy wanted to be beaten up so badly then she would delightedly grant him his wish.
Cardin aggressively threw a straight punch without waiting for Yang to get ready. The latter simply dodged to the side while wearing Ember Celica, preparing to counter him. He braked and turned around only to find a yellow object moving extremely fast towards his face. Grunting, he knelt down and used his legs to swipe towards Yang so that she would trip and fall.
The blonde had already expected this, as she jumped and kicked back at Cardin instead. The man took a direct hit to his chest and fell to the ground. A crowd started to gather around them as Russel cheered for his friend.
'Geez, you can't even hit the broad side of a ba…' Yang stopped when she saw a tiny, yellow strand of hair falling elegantly in front of her.
'You…' she looked down, her golden bangs covering her eyes, hiding her expression from the people around.
But Cardin knew he screwed up – the intensity of the aura that the girl was emitting was enough to melt a mountain of steel.
With a loud groan, Yang charged towards the man with blood red eyes, landing furious punches on his chest, face, shoulders, legs – practically any place that she could reach. She finished her last attack with a beautiful uppercut as she sent the man flying a few feet into the air.
She then turned around to see a scared Russel staring at her.
'What, you want some too?' the girl shouted and walked slowly towards the short man.
The man knew he didn't stand a chance. He shook his head and held up both his shaking hands to surrender.
'Next time, do not mess with – what the hell?' she stopped her step when she felt a sharp object pointing at her spine.
'Hey, stop!' the security guards who were panting suddenly appeared in front of her. The crowd got scared and ran away, leaving only Yang and the assailant whom she could not see.
She felt a tiny hand grabbing her waist and violently turned her around. It was that petite girl.
She had brown and pink-colored hair with white streak, wearing a confident smile and a fearless pair of heterochromia eyes.
'Hey…' Yang said while the girl pointed that sharp slim sword precisely against her throat. Although she didn't speak, Yang knew the message she was trying to convey.
Move and you'll die.
Yang smirked. She knew she could struggle out of the situation with ease, but part of her wanted to know more about this ice cream themed girl. Those pair of mysterious eyes had deeply attracted her; they were like two pools of bottomless ocean that contains a lot of lives that Yang wanted to just dive in and explore. And thus, she made a decision.
She pretended to be afraid, looking at the security guards with a pair of puppy eyes that her sister had always used on her.
That girl grinned, seemingly understood Yang's intention. She used her free hand to point towards a car, the other grabbing tight at her sword.
'Do you think we will let you do that?' A security guard shouted when sirens could be heard from far, telling them that the police were on their way.
Yang peeked at the girl while keeping her head lifted just in case. Who knew if that girl would really stab her?
She panicked when she felt something.
Crap, she really did!
The girl stabbed Yang's neck a bit so that it would bleed. Yang immediately understood the girl's plan. She cried and shouted, 'Ouch!'
The guards had started to panic. The girl grinned and proceeded to stab even further in.
Oh no, she didn't really plan to kill me is she?
The girl then stopped and pulled out the sword, sliding it back into her parasol while dragging Yang towards the car. Strange though, they moved really slow walking to the car, but all the guards was still staring at them without…moving?
What the hell is that thing?!
She saw exactly two statues of them still standing at the previous spot, the sword still stabbing her neck and she wore a painful expression.
The girl poked her waist and winked at her.
'Was that your semblance?' she asked.
The girl simply nodded and opened the door while inviting her in.
'You expect me to run with a criminal?' she raised her eyebrow.
Both the girl's eyes switched to pink and she grinned.
'Make me.' Yang smirked.
The girl took her scroll and typed something really quick.
The name is Neo. Want an adventure, little dragon?
'Neo as in…the ice cream, Neopolitan?'
The girl simply smiled and nodded her head.
'Well, I'm not convinced.' Yang took off her boxing gloves, threw them in her bag and crossed her arms.
Neo then suddenly put her arms around the blonde's neck and pulled her in, gazing into the lilac orbs of Yang's with her own, currently pink colored irises. Yang was flustered as she tried to shift away from their current position but Neo's grip was rock solid.
She could feel the ice cream girl's breath on her face and it made her heart raced.
'F…fine.' she said as Neo showed a victorious grin.
They both got in the car with Neo driving. She clicked her fingers and the illusions scattered, leaving the dumbfounded guards. The police who just arrived however had noticed them as they sped off.
'There they are, save that blonde! Don't let her get away!' a cop shouted.
Buckle up, pretty.
Neo showed her scroll to Yang. Yang simply responded with her trademark smirk.
As they sped towards a particular direction, Yang started to clear her mind.
She sure was crazy, helping a criminal who just robbed a jewelry shop to escape.
Well she was half threatened to, but deep down she knew that she followed Neo with her own will. If she was found out, she would've end up in jail. But her thrill seeking nature and curiosity both gradually overpowered her as she found this exciting and somehow she wanted to know more about this crazy little ice cream.
Neo Politan's driving skill was insane. She could even use her semblance to create illusions to misguide the police who was chasing them into wrong ways. After half an hour or so, they were finally free and was enjoying the cool wind of the night as they rolled down their windows.
'So~you're…are you mute, Neo?' Yang asked, trying to sound polite so that she would not offend the girl.
The latter nodded.
'I see. My name is Yang, by the way.'
Neo's eyes switched colors again, this time the left eye became pink and the other one became brown. Yang was rather surprised at the fact that she knew what the girl just said.
'Nice to meet you too!'
Neo grinned while she took her scroll and typed a message to Yang while she slowed down the vehicle.
Why did you agree to come with me?
'Well…I supposed I…y'know…want to know more about you?' Yang scratched the back of her head.
Are you interested in me?
'Well…ha…I…uh…' Yang was blushing madly as she struggled to form a sentence.
She could feel Neo chuckling at the sight.
'Do you think it's disgusting?' Yang said with a slow voice as she played with that golden mane she was always proud of.
Neo tilted her head.
'Well. I didn't tell anyone about it but I like both girls and boys. Girls…especially.' she twisted her sentence a little bit before blurting out what she wanted to say initially. Girls like you especially.
Neo stopped the car as she parked beside a silent road. The place was quiet and dark as she turned off the car engine, with only the shattered moon being the light source.
'Neo? I'm sorry.' Yang was silenced by a finger on her lips before she could finish her sentence. She glanced at Neo and found that both the girl's eyes turned pink.
She had a strong feeling at the moment; she could see through those magnificent eyes and the desire behind it. Slowly, she leaned towards the petite girl, still feeling uneasy.
Neo simply grinned and leaned forward to close the gaps between them. Both lips met and Yang shivered a bit from those pair of ice cold lips.
There was a sweet taste on the girl's lips. Yang closed her eyes as Neo went a little rougher with the kiss. The blonde tried nibbling Neo's lower lips, asking for permission to stick her tongue in.
With a smirk, Neo broke the kiss, leaving a panting Yang behind. She then sat back on the seat while turning on the car engine once again, speeding off to a particular direction.
Playing hard to get, huh?
Yang felt like her heart was about to burst out of excitement. She turned facing the window and used her hand to cover her smile.
She couldn't stop herself from smiling and she didn't want Neo to see that. The girl would tease her for sure.
'Where are we going?' Yang asked as the sight became somewhat unfamiliar. She didn't really have time and money to go out of the town and this was her first time being so far away from Ruby. She started to worry about her little sister being alone in their house.
Sensing a bit of insecurity from Yang, Neo typed another message and showed it to her.
What is it?
'Just worried about my little sister.' Yang frowned after reading the message.
Let me take you back home. Show me the direction.
'I can get back myself. Don't wanna risk, you might…y'know, being arrested by the police. Just drop me somewhere I can catch a bus.' Yang said, turning her body so she could see the backseat.
Eh?
There wasn't anything shiny there, only a couple of police uniform.
Yang heard the sound of Neo typing and quickly turned back, facing the lady.
You thought I was a robber?
'Welp, what would you be doing in a jewelry shop that caused a bunch of security guards and police chasing after you?'
Robbing is boring.
'What? Then what were you doing there?'
Killing someone.
Yang was surprised. She wasn't aiding a criminal to get away from authority. She was aiding a killer.
Scared, little dragon?
'You…won't kill me and throw me somewhere, will you?'
What if I will?
Neo didn't give Yang the time to react. She gracefully withdrew the slim sword from her parasol and pointed it at Yang's throat before the blonde could jump out of the car.
'Heh, you're kidding aren't…uh…?' Yang groaned and both her eyes turned red when she felt the ice cream girl stabbed the sword into her lap all of a sudden, causing it to bleed.
Neo stopped the car in the middle of the road and used her free hand to type a message while slowly pulling the sword out of the blonde's lap, licking the blood on it. She grinned upon tasting the dragon's flavor.
I could kill you. Or I could eat you. What do you say, pretty dragon?
Yang smirked.