"Yang. Yang! Yang, wake up!"
Yang Xiao Long started out of her heavy sleep, sitting bolt upright with her fists ready to throw punches. "What's wrong?" she demanded, glancing wildly around the room, searching for a threat.
All she saw were Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, both still in their pajamas, and though they were experienced fighters, Yang didn't really consider them threats.
Yang's racing heart slowed and she crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall from her bed on the top bunk. She glanced out the window where stars glimmered faintly in the violet sky as snow fell. It was much too early for the blonde to be awake. She looked down at her teammates. "Why did you wake me up?"
Weiss and Blake exchanged glances, worry etched on their faces.
Yang's heart dropped. She scanned the room twice, purple eyes flashing. "Where's Ruby?" she demanded. Her younger sister, Ruby Rose, was nowhere in sight.
"That's why we woke you up," Blake said, voice willed with concern.
Yang sighed and tiredly rubbed her face. "What's the date?" she asked.
"Saturday," Weiss automatically responded.
"Date, not day," Yang corrected, forcing away exasperation. It wasn't fair to her team to be snappy, even if it was early.
"December third," Blake supplied.
Yang closed her eyes. Today was not a happy day, especially for Ruby. "I know where she is," Yang said to her teammates, a bit sadly. Before the two girls knew it, Yang was dressed in the most clothing either of them had ever seen her wear. She stood before them, hands on her hips, looking as if she were about to go stand alone against a horde of Alpha Beowolves and she wasn't enjoying the prospect. "Okay." The blonde took a deep breath. "I most likely won't be back until late tonight, early tomorrow. If I'm not back by tomorrow evening, then you can worry, but don't call me until noon on Monday if I'm not back. Don't tell the professors or the Headmaster or even Team JNPR where Ruby and I am. I will call you after I find Ruby and solve the problem, and I'm not sure how long that'll take," Yang continued, "so until Monday just assume I'm with Rubes and we're fine." She glared, eyes flaring red as she leaned toward Blake and Weiss as they both inched back warily. "And if either of you dares call me before Monday," Yang told them in a low, lethal voice, "I will personally shave both of your heads and dye your eyebrows pink."
Weiss gulped, thinking how awful she would look. "Duly noted," she told Yang in a shaky voice.
Blake's amber eyes locked with the abominable Grimm-in-disguise (also known as a hunting corgi named Zwei) that was currently curled up on Weiss's bed, slobbering in his sleep. "Are you taking the dog?" Blake asked, spitting the last word in revulsion.
Yang shrugged, putting on her yellow-orange Aviator sunglasses and grabbing her yellow and black motorcycle helmet from the dresser by the window. "Weiss can keep him company."
Blake glared wrathfully at the blonde as Weiss gasped excitedly, scooping up the formerly-sleeping dog and cooing at him (the heiress had never had a dog of her own before and absolutely adored Zwei, while Blake's instincts prevented the same feeling).
Yang rolled her eyes, a slight fond smile on her face as Weiss swung Zwei around to face Blake, and the faunus sprang back, hissing.
Yang opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, casting a quick, "Later, losers!" over her shoulder, ignoring the barking, hissing, and yelling emanating from the bedroom of Team RWBY.
As quietly as she could, Yang slipped past the few students awake this early. She paused, took a breath, and walked onto the campus of Beacon Academy. Leaving school grounds on weekends was not forbidden (it wasn't even against the rules on school days, as long as you were back before the curfew at ten), Yang just hoped she'd be back before Monday.
Yang crossed the campus, ducking into the secret hidden nook where she kept her beloved motorcycle, Bumblebee, which she loved as much as her dorky, weapon-obsessed sister Ruby loved her scythe, Crescent Rose (at least seeing new motorcycles was actually something swoon-worthy, unlike some collapsible staff or fire sword or trident whip or some other lame tool).
Yang swung her leg over and pulled on her helmet, pushing a button on the side that revealed the pale orange-yellow visor to keep the falling snow out of her eyes.
She revved the engine, speeding off campus and onto the beaten-down snowy road.
Yang knew the way to where Ruby was as well as she knew her own motorcycle. She had traveled it more times than she could count, but none of the visits, as often as they were—or used to be—, were not pleasant memories.
Yang was on the bike for so long, her legs were growing stiff, and her stomach had started to growl. Around noon, she pulled up in front of a little diner for something to eat. The diner was familiar, although not very well known, and was one of the few places to get a ride out to the village island, Patch. The opening of the door was announced by a tinkling bell, and heads turned to the doorway. Yang paused, a little unsure of herself; it had been so long…
There was a gasp, and an older woman with her silver hair tied back in a bun cried, "Yang Xiao Long, is that you?"
Yang laughed hesitantly as the owner of the diner approached her. "It's me, Mrs. Lagoon."
The woman pulled her into a hug, and then held the blonde at arm's length, looking up at her. "You're getting so tall!"
Yang smiled, and soon the entire diner had risen to greet her and ask her questions. The faces she hadn't seen since her childhood pulled her into squeezing hugs and gave proud exclamations on her work as a Huntress as she ate a plate of French toast, on the house.
"Do you want a ride out to Patch? To your house?" one woman asked.
"No, thank you though," Yang replied.
"Your dad's doing a lecture over at Patch Academy," one man told her. "I'm sure he'd love to see you, and I doubt he'd mind the interruption. I can give you a ride if you want it."
Yang kindly declined that offer as well, having finished with her food and just wanting to get to Ruby.
The diner got very quiet, very quickly.
"Are you here to visit your mom?" a man asked softly.
Yang gave a tiny nod and the faces she always associated with comfort, safety, and too many treats backed off, nodding understandingly.
Yang smiled, standing and walking to the door. "It was nice seeing you all!" she called as she left the diner, keeping emotion from breaking her voice. After a cheery collective goodbye, Yang swung her leg over the motorcycle and set out once more, shivering against the cold.
On and on she drove, snow splattering against her visor and the icy wind turning her face red. She pulled to a stop before the turnoff that led to Oka forest, the separation between the road and the edge of the cliff that fell away into the sea.
Yang knew that at the edge of the cliff, she'd find Ruby.
She pulled up to the edge of the tree line and hid Bumblebee in the bushes, careful to prevent it from scratching. Yang would usually much rather have her baby stolen instead of scratched, since she could beat the Dust out of anyone who dared touch her precious and the bike had a tracking chip embedded in the seat so Yang couldn't really lose it, but she didn't have time to worry about hunting some idiot down. Right now, all she cared about was her sister.
Yang ducked around a few bushes and under some low-hanging branches until her feet touched the beginning of the familiar, well-worn path that led to where Yang knew Ruby was.
She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and closing her eyes for a moment, preparing to run down the path, her mind on the woman she had thought was her mother.
Yang's eyes shot open, flaring red, and she sprinted down the path with one thought on her mind.
Ruby.
The fiery blonde slowed as she reached the edge of the trees. She crept slowly out of the shadows of the branches.
She could see Ruby's cloak billowing in the wind, a flash of blood-red against the blinding white snow. Rose petals littered the snow on the edge of the cliff. The waves of the sea rolled far below the rock, crashing against the cliff and sending up cold, grey spay.
Yang's feet crunched on the snow as she approached her half-sister.
Suddenly Ruby spun around, Crescent Rose coming unfolded in the blink of an eye as the younger girl tensed to fight.
Ruby's silver eyes—the ones that matched her mother's—locked with Yang's purple ones and they both froze.
Ruby's shoulders slumped. Without a word, she turned back to the grave marker to a body no one ever found, inscribed with the same rose symbol Ruby wore at her hip and the words:
Summer Rose— Thus Kindly I Scatter
Yang walked up to Ruby and put one hand on her shoulder. "Rubes…" she murmured softly.
Ruby had her hood down in an attempt to hide her face, but Yang could see the tears splashing onto the snow and freezing within seconds.
Yang felt tears forming in her own eyes, tears of anger at Summer for abandoning them, tears of sorrow to see Ruby in such a state, tears of betrayal at the thought of, not one, but two mothers walking out on her. Yang blinked away the tears and habitually donned her mask of calm. She put her arms around Ruby's shoulders and turned her so she could look at her.
"Seven years," Ruby breathed, voice shaking. "It's been seven years…" Her voice shattered into a choked sob as she ducked her head, leaning into Yang's tight embrace. "…and it still hurts…"
Yang held Ruby close to her, trying to comfort her. "Ruby…"
"You know what I realized Yangie?" Ruby asked softly.
"What, baby?" Yang murmured, unable to help the impulsive Mama Ursa mode that came over her wherever Ruby was concerned. She always took on the same tone of voice Summer had used on them, and Ruby had never complained. Ever since the sythe-weilder was six years old, Yang had been the closest thing to a mother either of them had.
"I'm not a baby…" Ruby muttered crossly. "It's only two years…" She shook her head.
Yang smiled. "Of course, Rubes. Now, what did you realize?"
Ruby's face fell sorrowfully. "Everyone—you, Blake, Weiss, Dad, Zwei, my friends from Signal, all the people we know in Patch, Uncle Qrow, team JNPR, Sun and Neptune, you, everyone, Yang! Well… you're all going to leave me…" Ruby finished in a quiet, defeated voice.
Yang gave her a solemn look. "Ruby."
Ruby's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her sister.
"I'm not going to leave you, Ruby," Yang said firmly.
Ruby started to duck her head but Yang tilted her chin back up so she could look her in the eye.
"I promise, Ruby," Yang breathed. "I won't leave you. I won't ever let go. No matter what, baby, I'm staying here, right beside you. I'm not going anywhere. Ever. I'll stay right here, I swear it."
There was a long silence and tears streamed down Ruby's face while Yang fought to keep her own emotions at bay. Ruby gave a strangled sob and the sound of her sister's pain broke Yang's heart.
When Ruby finally spoke, the words killed Yang.
"So did Mom…"