What's up, restless spirits that you have found your way here, it's SorrowfulReincarnation.
So, what is it exactly that you're currently looking at, you may wonder. Well, it's my newest project – obviously – but I feel like I need to explain a few things, anyway.
First off, to be perfectly honest with you, this is a mere side-project that I've decided to start now that Volume 5 is on the way, but my main focus will remain my RWBY Dreams Crushed AU. Every now and then though, I feel like I need to write something different (with that, I don't mean that I will update this story only occasionally, don't get me wrong, this is going to be a regular thing now), and this is where this project comes in. Have been setting this up a bit in the background ever since the end of Volume 4, and I liked where it was headed enough that I've decided to actually write it and share it with you.
Chronologically, it is set after Volume 4, and quite obviously will differ from wherever Volume 5 is headed. It'll follow Yang for the most part, but other familiar characters will show up soon. It will be somewhat more light-hearted in nature than Dreams Crushed, for those who know it, thus allowing different scenarios that I can explore. Also, quite obviously, the relationships will be different than in Dreams Crushed, as this story here will be based on canon up to V4.
As you'll see, chapters for it are way shorter than for Dreams Crushed, meaning that I'll be able to update more often, something I haven't really been able to do. It's a nice change, I guess.
Speaking of changes, I probably won't always include an A/N with every chapter of this project, only if I feel that it's important. And probably not as detailed as with other projects. Nonetheless, I'm happy to answer questions should any arise, so don't be shy, I don't bite. Much.
I think that is all that I need to mention right now, more will follow as we progress. Don't really have a schedule set for this project yet, I estimate an update every two weeks, considering the size – don't want to say weekly updates, cause I think that it may be somewhat unrealistic with the other stuff I'm working on and real life and things, and I feel like someone would call me out on it every time I won't manage. So bi-weekly it is. Estimated right now. More info on my profile as we progress, as usual.
Anyway, if I think of anything else, I'll mention it with the next update. So, hope you enjoy this little introduction, and I'll see you soon! So long!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or its characters. They belong to Rooster Teeth.
Chapter 1: Gone Home
"We will be reaching port in the next few minutes! Passengers, please get ready to disembark!"
A heavy sigh escaped the blonde as the female voice echoed from the ship's speakers, all but tearing her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Momentarily disoriented, she closed her eyes behind her dark shades and growled to herself, relishing the soft and salty sea breeze for as long as she could – soon, it'd be over, and she'd be back onshore.
Eventually opening them again, she cast a glance to her left to where her bike stood, its bright yellow and orange colors resembling the flames they were designed after so much more in the late afternoon sun, the dark orange of the twilight leading to the illusion that the metallic design was flickering. Burning. Searing.
Searing, like the pain in her right arm where the golden and black prosthesis connected to the stump of where her limb had once been. Unconsciously, she tightened her metallic fist, the near lack of any sensation igniting her anger. To think that this was what her life had come down to. She was a cripple, abandoned by her own mother from birth on, lost the stepmother she had loved, was abandoned by her own partner for which she had sacrificed her arm, and separated from everyone else that meant anything to her. And heck, as if it wasn't already enough shit, her semblance not only feed on rage, it also made her angry. And was out of control ever since the fall of Beacon.
So where did that leave her? As what did it leave her? A lone wolf. A berserker. A crippled one, too.
At least, and that was the one thing she had learned from her father, it could only get better from there on. Once you had hit rock bottom, you had two choices – stay there and let it drag you to an early grave, or get on your feet again and fight your way back up. It wouldn't be easy, the cliff you had to climb was a steep one, and you would undeniably learn that it wasn't sturdy in the slightest – you would find the ground breaking beneath your feet again and again, sending you back closer to the bottom of the cliff that you started from and tried to escape, and that for the rest of your life – but it wasn't impossible. You just had to hold on and continue, never broken. Return from the dead.
She pushed herself off the wall she'd been resting against for the past hour or so, approaching the railing to lean onto it. As her arms came to rest on it, she turned her head and glanced the way the ship was headed, watching the shore draw closer. Found herself glad that she was wearing the new long coat and her black pants as the full force of the cold winds hit her, tearing at her long golden mane.
So here she was, on this ship, starting to climb the cliff back into the life that had been taken from her. Along with her arm, along with her partner, along with everything else. For months, she'd been at rock bottom. But there, in Mistral, she'd start. Find Ruby and what had remained of JNPR, return to the fight, then worry about what to do about Blake and Weiss.
Heck, if she could, if she had even the slightest idea of where she was, any remote clue, she would've gone after Blake first. Of course she was worried about Ruby, sickeningly so, but growing up with the girl, she had also come to trust her and learn what she was capable of. And Ruby wasn't alone, she had Ren and Nora to back her up, both of which were more than capable. Jaune? Yeah, as if.
First and foremost, though, it was Blake that needed her, and it was Blake that Yang needed. Needed answers from. Why she left. Who that fucking guy was that she had to 'thank' for the prosthetic arm she was now stuck with. For the phantom pain that kept her awake at night when the itching of the missing limb started. The insecurities and doubts she was now stuck with, returning with every nightmare she woke from.
But, alas, she had no idea where her partner had ran off to, and with the CCT down and no means of contacting Blake herself or anyone that could potentially know where the black cat was – Sun and the rest of SSSN came to mind – or find out for her relatively quick – namely, Junior, but she doubted that he'd be fond of seeing her right now, business was probably bad enough as it was with Vale gone to hell, and as cute as they were, she didn't really want to tango with the twins again just then – that only left her with the other two choices. Ruby and the rest of JNPR, or Weiss.
Weiss was out of question, back in Atlas after her father had taken her there, and hell, even Yang wasn't as insane and stupid as to try and infiltrate Atlas, basically the incarnation of military force, and attempt to break the ice queen out. A basically impossible task. Would've loved to, but had a feeling that Weiss was fine on her own, anyway. Cause although she and the heiress didn't always see eye to eye, she had to admit that not only had Weiss always been just fine standing her own ground, she had also grown from the snobby girl controlled by her own family name into something way more. Someone independent.
They all had grown in the past months ever since coming to know each other better, Weiss perhaps most of them all. Ruby had managed to overcome most of her insecurities and social awkwardness, Weiss had become more independent and learned to trust her own judgment before that of others, Blake had started to open up and trust others again, and she – Yang herself – had calmed down a bit, relying on others more rather than storming in solo. Among other things, things she had to thank Blake for the most, her polar opposite.
Blake, who was now – as far as the brawler knew – out there someone, alone, once again isolating herself. With all her problems and own insecurities, all the things she had meant to keep bottled up on the inside, assured that they were hers to deal with and hers alone. And just when Yang thought she had managed to get through to her, getting her to open up and share these things.
So, Ruby and RNJR it was. At least she knew where they were. Mistral, headed for the capital on foot. Had possibly reached it by now, but having Bumblebee with her, it would only be a matter of three, maybe four days on the road until she'd catch up to them.
For the sake of what had remained of JNPR, Ruby was better alright and unscathed.
As the ship slowly entered the harbor, gliding along the shore, the blonde let her gaze trail through the streets of the small port town. Gilded in the orange glow of the twilight, only a handful of people were still out. A woman carrying bags of groceries, a group of kids playing tag near the water, an elderly couple walking down to the beach and staring out into the horizon, where the sheer endless vastness of sky and ocean met in a loving embrace, soon to be consumed by nightfall.
After everything she'd been through lately, after the fall of Beacon and the state that Vale was now in, this was an odd and yet so welcome sight. That there were still places where all was right with the world and life was calm and peaceful. Where you didn't have to worry about betrayal and abandonment, where Grimm were the biggest threat you had. To think that, only a month or two ago, she would've thought the same.
Sighing, she stepped back from the railing, approaching her bike – it was time to disembark and find a place to stay for the night, since it was too late to get a move on. There had to be somewhere she could retreat to for the night, get some food, and start her journey in the early morning.
Still, wasn't it some kind of irony that she was here now? In Mistral? The thought just wouldn't leave her alone as she grabbed the handlebar of Bumblebee and started to shove it towards the end of the ship. Wasn't she, technically, in some twisted way, 'coming home'?
After all, she was of Mistralian heritage, both the Xiao Long and the Branwen families hailed from this kingdom, although she had no idea of how long ago that actually was – while family meant a lot to her, it was more the present incarnation of it than the history that she believed in. Not tradition or past expectations. Hell, if she was being honest, family had nothing to do with genetics or relations by blood, not to her. Not when her own mother couldn't give less of a damn about her, and not when she considered Weiss and Blake practically family at this point.
Maybe Weiss would one day actually be part of it, if she had been reading the little signs between her half-sister and the heiress right. At least Ruby seemed to be open to the idea. It wasn't like she was exactly subtle about it or anything, and even Weiss must've noticed the scythe-wielding girl's infatuation with her.
Ignoring it as the female voice blasted out of the ship's speakers again, announcing their arrival, Yang continued her path over to the plank currently being lowered, serving as means of boarding and disembarking the ship.
Her fingers curled around the bike's handlebar tighter, thumbs gently massaging it – more for herself and her nerves, rather than the bike, of course – as she reached the plank as one of the first few, allowing an elderly couple and a pregnant woman to disembark first before she and her heavy bike followed. Fortunately, there was one thing that couldn't be taken from her, that even the prosthetic arm didn't change, and it was her strength – despite the steep angle, she didn't even break a sweat as the full weight of her vehicle kicked in. Didn't even need to adjust to it.
To think that this would be the thing to always stay the same, the one absolute term in the vast sea of ever changing factors.
But this kind of thought, it wouldn't drag her down again. She couldn't let it, couldn't disappoint her father now, not after he had helped her back on her feet and to regain confidence in herself. He had let her go, despite being worried she wasn't ready, and only because she had talked him into it. Into trusting her.
No, she wouldn't disappoint him. He and Ruby, they were all she had left when it came to actual family in this world. Cause although her mother was out there, somewhere, she didn't have any illusions about her. Especially not after Qrow's words.
This woman that, supposedly, was her biological mother, she wouldn't welcome her with open arms should they ever cross paths. Wasn't looking and certainly wasn't waiting for her. It wouldn't be a happy family reunion, there would be no hugs and kind words.
It would be passing blame back and forth, it would be loud and it would be nasty.
Nothing like the woman that the young brawler saw in her recurring dreams ever since that day on that train where she had lost against Roman's sadistic madwoman of a partner. 'Yang, we have a lot to talk about' – yeah, right. A mother that couldn't love her, what could she possibly have to say for herself other than empty, and most likely hurtful, words?
It just showed that dreams had nothing to do with reality. Were like glass, like the semblance of Torchwick's lunatic partner – one touch, ever so fleeting, and they shattered. One blink of an eye, and your dreams were crushed.
The brawler closed her eyes again, not even sighing this time. Having stepped off the plank and off to the side to allow the other passengers to disembark, she leaned against her bike and reached up to massage the bridge of her nose and her eyes. Why had life to be so complicated? When had it become so complicated?
"You alright, Miss?"
Suppressing a gasp, she opened her eyes and flinched, almost taking a step back in surprise. This kind of reaction elicited a chuckle from the elderly man – almost a head smaller than her – that had approached her, his bushy white eyebrows lowering and nearly obscuring his eyes as he closed the latter and leaned onto his walking cane. Looked more like a single thick curled root taken from some tree in Yang's eyes, but she knew better than to address this.
"I'm sorry, lass, didn't mean to scare you. Forgive the concern of this old man, but you looked slightly out of it, hence my worry." snickered the elder Mistralian, smiling good-naturedly at her as he tilted his head a little, "Is everything alright? A frown like yours does not belong on the face of someone as young as you." His steel-gray eyes trailed down her right arm, "Even if she's been through a lot."
The brawler unconsciously wriggled her prosthetic digits, feeling the itch of the fingers no longer there. No movement or touch of the fake mechanic limb could ever get rid of it. She knew it was all in her head. Knowing it didn't change it, however, no awareness ever could.
"Oh, it's alright. I was... merely in thoughts." She forced a smile, weak and fading, a mere ghost of the radiant glow it had once been, able to change the mood of an entire room. "Glad to see that someone cares, though. It's been a while since I saw someone genuinely care for a complete stranger."
"Hard times in Vale at the moment. I've heard. Everyone has." mused the elderly man. She watched as he began to nod to himself, the prominent bushy eyebrows once again lowering, although this time, he added to this image of an elderly man as he lifted a hand and began to stroke the long white beard close to his chin. "Still, dwelling in thoughts is no thing for lass of your age, who still has her entire life ahead of her. Leave regret and trips down the memory lane to the elderly, who have their prime behind them. For some of us, it is everything we've left, the most we can move."
Surprised by his words, she blinked and frowned. Only then noticed that the man in front of her shared one ailment with her, his left leg replaced by an old silver pole from the knee down, the reason he was carrying a cane to begin with. Unable to hold it back, the brawler let out a gasp, once again sending the man into deep chuckles.
"I seem to have a talent of catching you off guard." he guffawed, and Yang felt her face heat up in a notable blush, "Don't worry, I've grown used to it, happened a few years ago – young woman, younger than you are right now, saved me from a fate much worse. Not a huntress, like you are now, but could've easily been one. Seeing as it could've been my life, I don't mind the leg."
She didn't have the heart to correct him, she was no more than a huntress-in-training, and even that was questionable now that Beacon was gone and Vale in ruins. Instead, she kept silent as the old man set into motion, wincing silently as she watched him limp past her and towards the bench closest to them, along the basin of the harbor.
Wordlessly, she followed as he dropped down onto the bench, standing by his side as he looked out into the distance.
"Even if I could afford a new leg, I'm not sure I would even want it. Undoubtedly how you felt about your arm, right?" he inquired, but never expected an answer, already knowing it when Yang remained quiet, "I'm content with my life at the moment, even though it took a long time to adjust. First my leg, then my wife – I've lost things, and I feel that you can relate. And yet, I don't mind where I am now."
Meeting his gaze as he turned his head, she saw the sincerity in his eyes – he wasn't lying. Although he had experienced loss, much like she had, he hadn't lost his will to live, nor his happiness. Not all of it.
"Every evening, I come out here and watch the ocean as the sun sets, like I used to with my late wife. Makes her feel closer, although she's gone. It makes me content, it's so calm and quiet. Here, I can reminisce about all the time we had in peace." he hummed quietly, nodded to himself and smiled. "We all need a place like this."
Turning his head, he smiled her way, although he only got a concerned stare in return. He didn't mind, having expected it, and his smile grew as he turned back to the ocean.
"Life is a fleeting thing, lass. Temporary and fragile, gone in the blink of an eye, lasting no longer than we breathe." he continued, leaning forward to rest some of his weight against the cane still in his hands, "All the more of a reason to cherish every little moment that we have. Look not for what you're missing, cling not to the bad, but to what you have. Like I said before, you can always look back and regret and reminisce when you're old and wrinkled, and your body has become but another burden to hold you down."
Quietly, not sure how else to react to this, she slowly nodded. To say that this wasn't what she had expected immediately upon arriving was an understatement, but it was a welcome change to what her life had become. Still, hearing all of this, she had a question that didn't stop bothering her, and after an eternity of silence, of watching the sun slowly sink, she finally dared to ask.
"Forgive me for asking, but don't you have any family left? I mean...?"
"I'm not all alone, lass, don't worry. This here, this village, they're like my family. We take care of each other like one, always have. Ever since I was a child, and longer. It's like a tradition of sorts, y'see?" he smiled her way and ran a hand over his balding head, through the thinning white hair, "I do have a son, though. Foolish boy, but always cared a lot for his old folks. Wish he would've settled down with the girl he fell in love with in his teens, but fate had other plans. It's a shame my late wife never got to have grandchildren... He's like us, you know?"
Loss, that was the word he was avoiding. Death had claimed someone else. So he was right, life was but a fleeting thing, so easily wiped out, so easily gone. You'd never knew when it was over. It had been the same with Summer Rose, the woman who had been more like a mother to her than her own. It had taken her dad years to recover from that. She felt a bit of sympathy for this old man's son although she had never met him, she had to admit that.
"Don't mind me asking, lass, but do you have any idea where you're staying for the night yet?" he inquired eventually, glancing her way until she shook her head, "Would love to offer you a place to retreat to for the night, but my abode is small and only has the things most necessary for a lone man of my age. I could afford more, my son assures that, but I never felt like I needed more with my wife gone."
"No sweat, it's fine." The blonde offered him a smile, this time a genuine one, "To be honest, you've already done so much for me."
"What, just by talking a bit?" he laughed, "Just the musings of an old man, lass."
"Does that mean they're worth anything less? If anything, I'd say it's the opposite. Experience means a lot, even today, in this age."
He began to guffaw again at that, his whole body shaking with laughter as he leaned back into the bench. She couldn't blame him and actually began to smile wider as well. For an old man, he wasn't half as boring. In fact, she'd say that a lot people her own age were way worse than him.
"Got to say, I like you, lass. You're an interesting one." The old man waved his hand into her direction, but remained facing the ocean, "Anyway, you should try the local tavern, it's a bit further down the main road. You can't miss it. They should have a room for you, and the food is outstanding. And it's not too expensive, either."
Money wouldn't have been a problem, her father had given her quite a bit for the journey, but she didn't have to mention that. Actually, he had given her more than she had deemed necessary, mostly out of concern, saying that 'it was better if you had a bit more on you, you never knew when you needed it, like for medical expenses', which she trusted. He was an experienced hunter, after all, and had been on his fair share of journeys. And had received his fair share of wounds on them – Qrow wasn't the only one with scars. Hell, even Summer Rose must have had some.
"Heh. Alright..." With a small groan, the old man rose from his seat, momentarily struggling for balance but waving Yang off when she attempted to come for help, ultimately using his cane to set into motion, "...I feel like retiring a little earlier tonight, it's going to rain soon."
The brawler frowned towards the sky, unable to spot any cloud in the endless orange glow, but didn't question it either. For all she knew, the weather in Mistral could change faster than that in Vale due to the different climate, and why should she doubt the words of a man who had lived there all his life?
"Let me accompany you home." she offered, feeling bad when she saw him hobble away from the bench. He stopped for a second to glance her way, at first seeming to be surprised by her words, but ultimately offering her a wide smile.
"It's quite alright. I appreciate the offer, trust me, it's days like these that my leg gets worse. But you can relate." Yeah, she could, considering that her own stump of an arm was itching as well. Happened from time to time. "If you insist, though, I won't turn the offer down."
"I do. It's the least I can do after you cheered me up like this, and shared your story with me."
"Like you said earlier – No sweat." he repeated with a chuckle, and she couldn't help but join him as she approached and offered him a hand, "I live close by, just over there." He pointed down the street, to a small old-looking house with a few colorful flowers and a small bench on the porch. Didn't stand out too much, but it did look quite cozy from the outside, and the flowers did look like someone was taking care of them rather well.
"Should you ever be around again, lass, I wouldn't mind if you'd drop by for a visit. If you feel comfortable with it, maybe repay the favor and share your story with this old man. I'd love to hear it."
"It's not a happy one."
"They seldom are." he offered in return and, as if to add to his point and remind her of how he lost his limb, stopped to raise his leg a bit. The blonde brawler glanced at it for a moment, but then nodded in silent agreement, and they continued their short trek down the street. "Out of sheer curiosity, lass, do you like tea?"
"It's Yang, actually. Yang Xiao Long." she finally introduced herself, but then grimaced, "Uh... I'm not really fond of tea. My friend, Weiss, maybe, but me..."
"That's fine, was just curious. Anyway, feel free to drop by should you ever be in the area, Yang. I'm always happy to have visitors. Most of them are from the area though, it's rare that I meet someone not from here. Sad thing, really, I love a good story or two." he mused, "And my son is a very busy person and doesn't find the time to visit often, either."
"That's too bad." she agreed, almost felt like a hypocrite as she continued, "Family is an important thing, is it not? Most of us take them for granted, when actually, it is..." She couldn't finish the sentence, lump in her throat growing as she was reminded of her own dysfunctional family, especially her abandonment by her own physical mother, but much more so the recent separation of her team.
In a way, she had long come to terms with Raven abandoning her, only searching for answers nowadays, but the end of RWBY, which was still fresh on her mind? Pyrrha's death? Penny's death? She bit down on her tongue so hard she almost drew blood.
"Feel like there is a story there." commented the old man, glancing her way as she suddenly fell silent, "But that's for another time."
She nodded silently, not reciprocating his gaze, and kept walking. The old man's abode was coming closer, she could almost smell the flowers by the bench in the soft evening breeze by then, and she felt like she was going to get lost in her thoughts again any moment. Not that she wanted, but she already felt the thoughts returning, the insecurities. It always started like that, a stray thought, a doubt that soon turned to regret, then the 'what if' and 'if only' questions started.
"You know, lass..." the old man started and, which she was very thankful for, pulled her out of her thoughts before they really started – it was bad enough that, merely with them starting, she had missed a good bit of the remaining path to his house, "You remind me a bit of him. Of my son. Not that I consider you foolish, and he is a good chunk older than you, of course, but..."
"No offense taken... I consider myself a bit of a fool at times, too." she interrupted him, and felt his inquisitive stare on her, especially as they finally reached his house and she gently pulled her arm back to allow him to move on his own, "I'm not stupid, but I'm not the brightest out there, either, especially when my emotions get the better of me I just tend to shut my brain off completely and listen only to my instincts. I know that I'm stubborn and hotheaded, often rush in without thinking. I get agitated easily and have been baited with that more often than I can imagine, often walking right into traps. It's what cost me this arm." She rose her prosthetic arm and scowled down at it, curled her hand into a fist, "It's why I'm here now."
"You talk about it like it's a weakness."
She rose her gaze so fast she wondered how she didn't snap her own neck, frowning incredulously at the Mistralian man that, meanwhile, had pulled his keys out of his pocket and was in the middle of unlocking the front door to his house. Turning the old key in the lock, he pushed the door open just a bit, before turning to glance over his shoulder at her.
"I'm not saying that it's a strength, either, but a weakness is nothing more than something you don't know how to use. Wasted potential. So what if you are controlled by your anger? What if you are the one that rushes ahead? Learn to use it! Let your enemy think they know how you work, how to manipulate you! Let them believe that they got into your head!" insisted her new acquaintance, and for the first time since she'd met him, was not wearing that kind smile on his lips, "Become the bastion at the front that defends those behind her! Become the battering ram that breaks through the enemies defense and leaves them in disarray, open for others to follow up! It's not about what you are, but what you can be, never forget that!"
Still in disbelief over his reaction, Yang remained quiet and simply stared, which the old man took as a sign that he had gotten through to her. Slowly turning back to his house, the smile returned to his lips, ever so faint.
"I stand by what I said, you remind me of my son. He used to be just like you when he was younger. Still retained some of it, actually, but he found his calling away from the battlefield, away from all that. Some of us are born fighters, but they change. Sometimes, through loss." slowly, he began hobbling inside, leaving the speechless Yang outside, "It's hard for someone born a fighter to find their place in this world, and it's even harder to settle down for them, to abandon the war. Not all manage. If you can, if you even want to – that's all up to you."
He turned, offering her a last reassuring smile, and began to close his door.
"It was nice meeting you, Yang. Come visit me some time, I'll have something other than tea ready for the occasion."
"I, uh..." she began, slowly finding words again, "I will."
His smile grew a bit and he nodded a last time before ultimately closing the door and locking it, no doubt to soon retire to bed. Which she should soon, too, considering she wanted to hit the road as early as possible.
Still shook and attempting to process what she had just witnessed, assessing the conversation she had with this strange old man, the blonde remained where she was, standing outside his house, for a few more minutes.
Ultimately none the wiser, she turned back to where her bike stood, and decided to follow the man's advice and try the local tavern.
Somehow, she knew she wouldn't get any sleep that night.
Immediately upon entering the old building, Yang found herself hit with a plethora of odors. Old wood, mixed with strong alcohol, the warmth of the nearby fireplace and something delicious that had her mouth watering in mere seconds, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since leaving her father's house that morning, save for that cheap gooey energy bar that had lacked any kind of taste, which she had purchased aboard the ship from a vending machine. Had probably been way past its expiration date, she hadn't dared to actually check after she had forced that dry thing down her throat.
Whatever was being cooked in there, it smelled delicious. Some kind of meat, if she had to guess, probably some Mistralian animal that she hadn't heard of in her entire life. Academies tended to skip that part about other kingdoms, sticking to geography, Dust resources, some culture and history, and the Grimm common in them. As far as she was concerned, Mistral was completely new territory.
Slowly removing her shades and pulling on her scarf a bit – it was warm inside, comfortably so, no need to cover up her entire neck – she began to make her way through the tavern's main room towards the bar, having spotted an unoccupied stool by it that stood a little further from the rest. She didn't exactly feel like having some company right then, so it was just perfect.
She was well aware that she had drawn some attention to her upon entering, a few people casting curious glances her way as she walked, but it didn't really bother her that much. Was used to turn a few heads whenever she entered a room – sometimes with how she entered, 'Junior' probably dreaded hearing her 'knock' on his doors already – even before she lost her arm and had it replaced with the, not exactly subtly colored, black and golden prosthesis that was now replacing Ember Celica on that arm. Which probably was one of the reasons she got some odd glances this time, the others being that she was a total stranger and – well, even though she didn't really like to boast – a bombshell.
Despite the hour and how full it was, it was surprisingly quiet in the tavern, the loudest being a group of men playing a card game in the far corner of the room. Other than them, most of the current patrons were either talking at a fairly pleasant volume, the only ones not actually being completely quiet as they ate their food.
Five steps in and she already liked the place, that was a rare thing.
The woman working at the bar – just a tad older than her, maybe in the middle of her twenties, brunette hair she wore in a long ponytail thanks to a green hair tie, a long strand on either side of her face – looked up when she dropped herself onto the stool she had been heading for, the keys to Bumblebee clinking melodically on her belt. A smile was on the young woman's face, although she seemed a bit surprised by her most recent customer, something that didn't escape Yang – she played it off well, but for the slightest second, her eye twitched in a weird way. Betrayed most people, Yang had learned that when asking Blake one day as to how the Faunus always managed to know how to react to people.
"Good evening, sugar. What can I do for you?"
"Evening. I need a room for the night, and a friend recommended your place." replied the brawler after a few seconds in which she looked around, offering the woman behind the bar a smile as to show that she wouldn't cause any trouble. Didn't plan to, at least, she only wanted to retreat for the night and continue her journey in the morning. "And I could do with some dinner, I guess. It's been a long boat trip."
"Of course." offered the proprietress with a bit of a curtsy – weird gesture in Yang's eyes, but who was she to complain? Not that it did anything for her, but her uncle would've probably reacted a lot different than her – and turned around to reach for a small cupboard with a window at the front, through which the brawler could easily spot the two rows of almost identical keys. That some of the hooks that the keys were on were empty hinted at some rooms already being booked, but that was more of an observation than actually interesting information she might need again. In a way, she was just glad that she wasn't the only one looking for a place to stay the night.
"So you're a huntress passing through then?" inquired the woman as she returned with one of the keys, putting it down on the bar between them and sliding it towards the blonde, "Room 4, just up the stairs. If you want a more quiet one, just say so, there are a few further in the back of the building that I..."
"It's fine, I'm used to noise, been sharing a room for the past year or so. Don't plan to stay too long, anyway, got to leave early in the morning." muttered Yang quietly as she reached for the key and pulled it closer, exchanging it for a small stack of Lien, "Also, huntress? Yeah." Her voice lacked confidence as she glanced up to the small balcony above them, on which the door to her room was located, "Yeah, something like that."
"Been a lot of you passing through lately, headed for the capital." chatted the innkeeper as she counted the Lien, hummed in content when she found that it was enough for the room and dinner, along with a drink as the movement of the brawler's hand told her, stepped back and approached a cabinet from which she pulled a plate, some cutlery and a glass for the blonde, "Hasn't been too long since the last one was here. Maybe two weeks or so. Asked for a room to stay as well. Interesting man, probably twice your age, but still very charming. If he'd been a bit younger, I..."
"Bit immature for his age? Indulging in alcohol just a bit too much? Immediately smitten by you?" interrupted the brawler – and seeing the woman nod in confusion, let out a long sigh and sunk down onto the bar, "Dammit, Qrow..."
"You know him? Friend of yours?" inquired the woman, still in surprise, but a small smile found its way back onto her lips, "Well, I figured that you hunters all knew another, but I didn't think it was that extreme. Small world, huh?"
"Let's put it that way, yes." she growled around the arm she was resting her head on. As much as she liked her uncle, he was a hopeless case. But at least she had a bit of a lead now, Qrow had been passing through the harbor town, no doubt quietly following Ruby to watch over her. Not that she had expected to hear of anyone so soon, but it wasn't a completely unwelcome occurrence.
For a moment, Yang just remained like that, forehead resting on her arms, face mere inches away from the wooden bar that, guessing by the smell, had been stained with some spilled alcohol only recently. She wasn't entirely sure if it was that or just the circumstances, but she felt the hint of a headache approaching, something she really didn't need at that moment.
She only rose her head again when her food was placed in front of her. True to her earlier suspicions, it was some kind of beef with some Mistralian vegetables, and the sight and the smell alone reminded her of just how hungry she really was. Not that she knew what any of it was, but it looked delicious, and she was always eager to try new dishes, anyway. And she didn't have any allergies that she knew of, either, so it was fine.
The innkeeper returned with her silverware, which the blonde huntress-in-training took with a nod of gratitude, digging in with gusto. Not only had it been too long since she had eaten properly – entirely her fault, she had turned down a lot of food her father had made for her during the time she had spent in depression, and even afterwards she had barely felt any appetite, which of course now came back around to bite her in the ass – but there was also no telling when she'd be able to eat like this again during the next few days. She didn't exactly know the area, if there were any villages she could stop in for the nights or if she – and she definitely would at least once – would have to set up camp somewhere and sleep under the open sky, eating whatever she had around.
The latter, of course, with one eye open, considering that she would be alone and Grimm could attack at any moment. It would be lonely and it would suck, but the only alternative was to never stop driving until she reached a settlement, and for all she knew, that could take a day or two straight.
As she cut off a piece of the beef and began to chew on it, her mind trailed back to the old man she had met. First and foremost, he had been right about the food, it was simply outstanding, but more importantly, she only realized then that she had never caught his name. Had he mentioned it, to begin with? How had she noticed only then?
She'd have to ask him the next time she met him – there was going to be a next time, no doubt about it, she still had a lot of questions, and she felt like she owed him her story either way.
Continuing her meal in silence – the innkeeper had moved further down the bar to tend to other customers, a group of friends that had entered after her and obviously had something to celebrate, based on their volume and the amount of alcohol they ordered – the blonde leaned further over the bar.
It could be worse. Probably. At least she was out of bed and doing something, anything, to get her team back together. No longer moping and mourning after what she'd lost. The tavern seemed nice enough, the food was great, and she wouldn't spend her first night out in the open. All in all, not too bad of a start of her first solo journey, so things definitely were looking up.
Or so she thought, until she heard the commotion from the other side of the tavern, somewhere behind her.
At first, she didn't really pay any attention too it – if the time she had spent searching clues for her mother's whereabouts and all the countless visits to some shady bars had taught her anything, then it was that things like that happened in places like this.
Besides, it wasn't her business, not unless she made it hers.
As the situation continued, however, and it began to annoy her, she dared to look up from her dinner, after all. Following the gaze of the innkeeper to one of the darker corners of the room, closer to the entrance, she spotted the source of the noise – two men, one of them lanky and his face scarred, the other a bit shorter and more muscular, both wearing the same reddish segmented shoulder pieces and the dark ragged clothes, slightly torn and dirty, almost as if they'd moved through the forest with them a lot. The twigs and leaves she spotted on the lanky guy's clothes seemed to support that theory.
She had half a mind to turn back to her food now that she knew where the sound was coming from, but that was when she spotted just what had the two guys so irritated to begin with – it was the young Faunus boy that they had cornered, and, under the slowly narrowing eyes of a certain brawler, took a small pouch from, the shorter man threatening the boy with a knife.
Immediately, Yang felt her blood pressure sent soaring, hands both organic and fake curling tighter around the silverware she'd been given. Still adjusting to the prosthetic limb and learning the true extent of its strength, the result was that the hilt of the knife was bent out of shape – and that was the object she was holding in her left hand. Poor fork.
And yet, she didn't get up.
Quite the contrary, she went back to her food, turning her back to the situation on the other side of the room like everyone else was. In the past, she would've jumped and rushed over to help – but that wasn't her. Not anymore. That was the hotheaded and powerful Yang, the brawler that didn't hate anything more than injustice and the exploitation of the weak. The one that stood up for people that couldn't, the one that would've gladly taken a bullet for any friend and most strangers if it meant that she changed something.
Just look where that had got her – a one-armed freak, abandoned by nearly everyone – of course, not all by choice, and technically she was at fault for it as well, having thought of herself as a burden to everyone – and sitting in some tavern in a kingdom she couldn't know less about.
The last time she had done it, thoughtlessly rushing in to save someone else, it had cost her an arm, her strength, and a lot of herself. She still saw the situation again and again, most often in her nightmares, Blake cowering on the ground, bleeding, and that weird freak with the sword standing over her.
In a way, this situation reminded her of it. A Faunus, unable to defend itself, threatened by someone with a blade. She wanted to help, wanted to interfere, she would rush in – so what would it be this time? The other arm? A leg? Perhaps an eye? Maybe it would be something simple, a scar, which she didn't mind, or it would turn out in her favor and she'd remain unscathed. But she wouldn't be able to run from it forever. It would happen again. She still hadn't regained her balance, both literally, as her movements in battle were off with the different weight and her aura wasn't working like it had used to either, and figuratively, still shaken even with how long ago it had happened.
Leaned over her food, but not actually returning to it, she bit down on her lower lip and stared at the beef, watching a drop of the sauce running down its side. Begged that someone would already do something, that someone would be brave – or perhaps stupid – enough to walk over and start a fight with the two guys that were robbing the poor Faunus boy in the middle of a crowded room with everyone watching.
But no one did.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, played with the thought of heading to her room early and skip dinner after all, just to escape this situation, but the memory of that White Fang freak stabbing Blake to get to her played out in front of her inner eye, in the darkness. Even in her own mind, she didn't get the peace she wanted. That she fucking deserved.
And then, a gasp from the Faunus boy reached her eyes just at the same time that Blake, in her memory, cried out as her own past self jumped right into the blade with her arm now gone reaching back.
Her eyes shot open. Her stool screeched as it was moved over the ground, the brawler suddenly standing over her dinner, fingers digging into the wooden bar. She couldn't endure it any longer. She pushed her food away from her.
"Never again."
"Come on, now, do you really want us to believe that this is all?" sneered the lanky guy with his scratchy voice, waving the pouch that the boy had given them in his face. He watched as the boy cowered further into the corner, his whole body shaking in fear as the lanky guy's partner waved his knife a bit closer to his face, and his grin grew as the boy finally shook his head.
"See, this little rat here has been hiding something from us, after all! I told you!" huffed the muscular guy towards his partner, his own voice deep and husky, and moved his knife back a bit. The lanky one rolled his eyes and groaned, but didn't feel like correcting his numbskull of a comrade that it had been exactly the other way around and he had insisted that this couldn't be all – no point in it. Wouldn't change a thing with that idiot.
The loud sound of a chair being pushed over the wooden floor in the otherwise silent tavern had him turn his head to see what it was about, but spotting the young blonde woman – obviously not from Mistral – on the other side of the room leaving the bar and heading for the stairs just had him roll his eyes again. No interference, after all.
Then again, no one in the room would be so stupid as to actually do that, not with how afraid they were of their boss.
"What made you think you can cross us, huh? Think we're stupid?"
The lanky one rolled his eyes at his partner yet again – sometimes, he felt like he wasn't doing anything else when they were sent on a mission together – mentally commenting that, yes, there was at least one idiot among them, but left it at that.
"It's always the same with you newbies." he began himself, actually leaning forward and placing a hand against the wall above the Faunus boy, smirk growing as the boy did the impossible and actually shrunk away even further. "You're sent on your first retrieval mission, you grab as much as you can carry, and then think you can keep some of it for yourself – or, like you did, just take off by yourself and try to hide with all of. You haven't learned yet, have you? You don't gather for your own good, but for that of us all."
"You don't know how glad you should be that they sent us to remind you to come back home, punk!" scowled the muscular guy and moved his knife back towards the Faunus, "We're nice. Friendly, aren't we? Have mercy. We were gatherers once as well."
Sadly back then a team already, the lanky one thought, remembering just too well which of them did all the work, while the other just used his muscles to carry all the stuff back home.
"The boss wasn't. The boss doesn't care. You're a real lucky fellow that we're here now and not the boss. Is in the area, too, y'know? Bit busy, but thought about showing up in person, just for you. 's always willing to remind the newbies how we work. Never is your lucky day if that happens."
Sighing at the 'eloquence' of the moron with the knife, the lanky guy shook his head, but figured that he had got the point across. He pulled his hand back, but just enough to ball it to a fist and hammer it against the wall again, actually scaring the Faunus boy enough that he lost his balance and fell onto his butt, sliding down the wall until he was sitting at the foot of it.
"Alright, bud, where's the rest of it? Scouts told us that there was more to get, and the other gatherers all returned with their stuff, we're just missing what you...Hm?"
Feeling someone tap him on the shoulder, firm and powerful, he turned his head ever so slightly to glance over his shoulder. Paled at the sight of who it was, opened his mouth – and shut it. Unwillingly, as a fist hit his jaw hard enough to sent him spinning around, stumbling over his own feet as the full force of nausea hit him, and ultimately sprawling across the closest table.
At his defeat, his partner spun around to face their aggressor, flipping his knife around to use it in combat. Spotting the attacker, he frowned at the sight of the blonde woman with the bright red eyes, thinking she looked uncannily familiar, but that was before he suddenly found his legs being kicked out from underneath him and was falling forwards.
A hand curled around the back of his neck, colder and harder than any normal limb should be, and it pushed him, accelerating his fall, slamming him face first into and through an old wooden tabletop. He didn't see the other side of the wood anymore, out cold by that time, hanging from the remains of the furniture in an almost comical way.
Yang let out a deep and powerful huff, pulling her mechanical hand back and curling it to a fist. She rolled her shoulder – almost as much of the arm that had remained – and scowled at the muscular guy she had put through the table. All muscle, no brain, no challenge.
The lanky one was an entirely different thing, though, recovering faster than she had expected and pushing himself back up onto his feet. Proving he was smarter, he kept his distance as he saw that the brawler was glaring his way, instead reaching behind his back and pulling his weapons on her – two Sai, piercing melee weapons that always reminded Yang of oversized deformed forks, thought that was completely subjective. They didn't even look that much like them.
Spinning the Sai around his fingers – show-off, didn't serve any real purpose – he scowled at her before he actually struck, jumping forward and attempting to stab her in the stomach, but she took a step back and out of his reach, bringing her normal fist down on his. Though he grunted in pain and was forced to let go of the weapon, hand going limp, he did a 180 and swung his Sai backwards to stab her, missing only when the young huntress-in-training leaned out of the way.
With her still in reach, he twirled around in hope to get her this time – and his eyes went wide when the brawler not only caught the weapon, the sharp tip of the Sai sliding harmlessly along her palm before she twisted her wrist and curled her fingers around the prong, but actually yanked on it with such force that he was pulled towards her.
The lanky guy opened his mouth to gasp, but it was drowned out by the screeching of metal on metal, the blonde bending the Sai with almost no effort required at all – and then did a 180 towards him herself, her left elbow at the height of his head. That was the last thing he saw before he joined his partner in unconsciousness, collapsing.
Snorting, Yang let go of the bent Sai, letting it fall to the ground next to its defeated owner, chuckling to herself as it thrummed on the old wooden floor. Amateurs. To believe that she had hesitated for a second. Even Torchwick could've stood more hits.
Bending down next to the table she had sent the lanky guy with the scratchy voice falling onto with the first hit, the blonde brawler picked up the pouch that the two guys had taken from the Faunus boy. Brown leather, probably made by hand. Whatever it contained, it was heavy, but she figured it was most likely money.
A sigh – less out of exasperation or exhaustion than simply because she felt like it – escaped her as she rose, shaking her head at the two poor morons she had just taken care of, and with the Faunus' pouch in hand she turned towards him. And watched him flinch as he noticed that her attention was on him, trying his best to scurry back into the corner.
"I'm not going to hurt you." she informed him, even though it didn't seem to calm him in the slightest. Not until she tossed his pouch onto his lap, a move that was actually met with confusion. "These guys took that from you, right?"
For a short moment, the Faunus boy – some kind of Wolf Faunus, as she could tell now that she was closer to him, his hair and tail black as the night, kind of reminded her of Ruby in a way – simply stared at her, then at the pouch on his lap, then back at her like she had just grown a second head right in front of him. Seemed he didn't get to experience a lot of kindness if that was his reaction to it, at least in Yang's eyes.
"No need to thank me, just make sure these guys don't corner you like that again, okay? Can't stand bullies." Or racists, she added mentally, reminded of all the torment that Blake and, as she knew from Coco, Velvet had gone through in their lives.
Seeing as the young Wolf Faunus wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, and that she still had her dinner waiting for her, the blonde nodded to the boy a last time before she turned away from him and began to make her way back to the bar. It was dead silent in the room, everyone was staring. She couldn't care less.
"T-thanks. But..."
Hearing the meek voice behind her, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder to the Faunus still resting at the bottom of the wall, who was still looking at her but avoiding to meet her gaze directly. Gently, she rose an eyebrow to urge him to continue, he looked like he had something important to say, and he slowly gnawed on his lower lip. He didn't say anything for another minute, hesitating with whatever he had to say.
Instead, she watched as he slowly pushed himself up and rose to his feet – he didn't stand any taller than Ruby or Weiss – while holding the pouch with both of his hands. He still looked nervous and intimidated, but at least he seemed to be okay, which was a bit of comfort for the brawler.
"B-be careful. These two, you don't know their boss, she's a real scary one. Real powerful, carries a big club. She'll come after you now, I'm sure of it!"
The blonde merely rose her eyebrow a bit higher, her eyes wandering to the two unconscious guys. Considering that the young Faunus had been scared of them, too, and she had defeated them easily, she didn't find herself too bothered. Plus, she had fought a club-wielding foe before, namely Hei 'Junior' Xiong, and had taken him down as well. Was sure she could take him even now, one-handed. Couldn't say the same thing about his two bodyguards, the Malachite Twins, who had been actually been nice challenge even with both arms, which didn't happen too often.
Hadn't they been so goddamn snobby, she would've considered meeting with them more often for the one or other sparring. Maybe they could've even become friends, she felt like they made decent ones. Plus, not many people could say they were friends with mercenaries, right?
"I think I can take her, kiddo, don't worry about me, but I appreciate the warning. I'm just glad you're fine."
She didn't wait for him to say anything, doubted he would anyway, and actually made her way back to the bar this time. The innkeeper was more or less already awaiting her there, baffled much like everyone else in the room was, which Yang merely appreciated with an amused snort. Good to see that the old Yang wasn't completely gone, that some of her was still in her.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out another wad of Lien, more then necessary, and tossed it onto the bar in front of the innkeeper, the only reaction she was eliciting with that being that the woman cringed.
"For the damages and inconveniences I caused." she clarified and reached for her plate, picking it up, "And for a new fork. Do you mind if I take this to my room?"
Mouth still open, the innkeeper slowly shook her head and, with shaking hands, placed a new set of cutlery in front of the blonde huntress-in-training. With a nod, Yang reached for it and picked it up as well, placing it on her plate aside the beef.
"Thanks. Keep the rest. I'll leave the plate on the bar in the morning before I leave."
With that, she made for the stairs again, climbing them slowly, every wooden step creaking loudly, all eyes still on her. Couldn't say that this was how she had meant for her journey to start – hell, ever since leaving the ship, nothing had been how she had expected it, starting with meeting that old man and ending with the fight – but knew that there was nothing she could do about it. Had never been able to. This wasn't the first time she got into trouble like this, after all.
At the top of the stairs, she remembered something and stopped, turning her head again to glare over her shoulder at the silent room. Quite a few people flinched when she suddenly turned, but she couldn't care less about that.
"Before I forget..." she called out, sure that everyone could hear her with how silent it was, then nodded to the corner that she had left the guys in, one still hanging in that table and the other lying motionless on the floor, "...someone throw these two clowns out. I'm sick of them already, they dampen the mood, and now they're getting the floor filthy."
With dinner in hand, she left for the room she had rented. She hadn't even really started her journey, and she needed all the rest she could get. She'd ask for directions to where she could head next, whatever settlement she could reach before nightfall, but figured that she hadn't really made the best impression on the townsfolk and it was for the better if she left without causing another ruckus or something. Maybe she could stop in the next village or city along the way and ask there, or just grab a map from somewhere. Scrolls still weren't exactly working right, after all.
As she unlocked the door to her room, pushing it open with her shoulder, she stopped a last time to take a deep breath. This wasn't what she had expected at all, but maybe what she had needed to kick this off. Only time would tell.
Finally, she entered the comfy looking room and closed the door behind her, one final thought on her mind. It was the same thought that had passed through her mind as she had stood up at the bar to help the young Faunus.
"Never again. Never again will I fail someone who needs me."