2

Piece by Piece


Yang took the oncoming strike to her left and jabbed out with her right. She did not expect her father to twist his torso to both avoid her fist and bring him inside her guard. There he stuck his heel into the back of her knee and drove an elbow to her temple. With a grunt she ended up on her hands and knees. She scrambled over and back onto her feet before Taiyang could finish the combo with an axe kick where her head used to be. The young brawler rushed back in, determined not to let up for a moment.

Taiyang let his hand roll along her wrist, flowing with her first straight, gripping it and pulling his daughter into another elbow strike which she barely managed to catch with her free hand. He gave her a quick smirk and headbutted her onto her rear, "You like it down there, daughter of mine?"

With a harrumph the younger blond sprawled out on the grass they had been training on. They were both covered in a sheen of sweat after having been sparring for a good half hour already. She had yet to get any decent hit on her father and that had frustrated her to no end. She had thought that after everything that had happened at Beacon maybe she could really beat her dad. But the reality is far more humbling because even though Taiyang was a retired huntsman he was still a teacher at Signal. Being a combat instructor had its perks and it was by far and away incredibly aggravating that he saw through her every move. He knew it too, judging by the shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

A towel interrupted her thoughts as it impacted her face revealing a pleased looking Zwei when she removed it to dry herself. After sitting up her father handed her a water bottle as he pulled gulps from his own. He continued studying her curiously as she hastily drank from hers.

"You're predictable Yang." He finally said with a hand stroking his stubble.

"Dad, you taught me how to fight." Her annoyance at him grew. He had just been toying with her for half an hour and now he was poking at her pride. She knew how to fight, there was a large amount of bruised egos in Vale to attest to that.

"No I mean even to someone else you're predictable. I told you last week that when I watched you in the tournament that you used your semblance to win every fight. You aren't that hard to figure out when you lean into hits like that. Just because you get energy from being hit doesn't mean you should get in the habit of taking them. I didn't teach you that. Also you keep relying on your fists but forget that your whole body can be a weapon, even your mind."

Yang just grumbled in response, not willing to listen to his advice. That was fine though since Taiyang was used to dealing with adolescents, his daughter in particular. He supposed he would just have to beat these lessons into her until they stuck, however long that took. His sunny dragon was no fool, she knew he was right and just needed some time to think about it. He stole a quick glance up to the second floor of the house and saw his other daughter watching. He offered a quick smile and wave, which was a mistake because Yang chose that moment to resume their spar by throwing an uppercut at him.

He just backed up a half-step letting the fist by by a hairbreadth and rolled his eyes. Predictable.


Ruby was busy cleaning Crescent Rose, which was a much greater challenge with one hand. Winter had arrived, the days getting shorter, colder, and more drab. The young girl pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Maybe she should have done this downstairs in the living room near the fireplace. Their dad always made sure they had a fire going in the house because he loved the mood it gave off. Even though she was a little on the cold side Ruby dared not touch the cabin's thermostat. If she did not know any better she would have said that thermostat sense was his semblance. How else did he always know?

Finally finishing the maintenance the young cloaked girl closed and bolted Crescent Rose back together. Standing up she holstered the weapon at the small of her back, the weight a familiar companion she had had since designing the scythe. A quick look outside showed that although it was cloudy, it had yet to actually start raining, or snowing. Also, the backyard was devoid of her father or sister, which she was thankful for. If things did not go to plan, Ruby didn't want them seeing it. I just don't want them to worry too much about me. That was appropriate right?

She was glad that they weren't having their daily beat-down in the yard right now, though she supposed it was a morning routine now. They must have finished while Ruby had been preoccupied with Crescent Rose's maintenance. It had been weeks since they had started and Yang was definitely getting better from what her younger sister cou;d tell. Their dad was finally coming out of it with a lot of bruises and just the other day Yang had managed to win one.

Ruby pulled her hood closer over her head against the cold afternoon air as her breath turned white when she stepped out the back door. She had been careful to sneak past the living room where Yand and her dad were watching a movie, some action movie they had owned for years, where the protagonist got beat up while saving the day from some villain. Following the trail for a few minutes to the small clearing she liked to use whenever she came home. None in her family knew about this spot she used to practice by herself or just when she wanted to be alone.

Set up around the area, pinned to trees, were old and used target boards with sloppy circles painted on them. Holes riddled some of them to the point some were merely a few pieces of wood. Ruby hefted Crescent Rose into scythe form, resting it on her shoulder. After looking for a moment she spotted a relatively untouched target that was a good hundred feet away. With a one-handed twirl she stuck the tip of her scythe's blade into the ground. Pulling back the bolt she chambered a dust round into the rifle before using the same hand to grip the part of the haft where the firing mechanism sat. After taking aim she triggered her weapon to fire.

The shot disappeared past the tree trunk, whizzing into the darkness. With a small scowl Ruby chambered another round and fired again. The same result. The hooded girl kept firing over and over, only hitting the target a few times by the final click that signified an empty magazine. With a sigh she shouldered Cresent Rose and walked up to inspect the target. There were only four hits. Her magazines held ten rounds and she used to be able to land every shot at this distance. She considered herself a sniper for a reason and this was just way to low.

A feeling of irritation welled up inside of her and she spun about on her heel, slicing into the trunk of the tree the target was attached to with her weapon. Rather than cutting clean through it got buried halfway into the trunk. Ruby just stared at the point of contact, wide-eyed as frustrated tears welled up in her eyes. With a loud cry she pulled hard and freed Crescent Rose from the wood, falling on her behind as a result from the exertion. Unwilling to get up, Ruby just sobbed into her hands.

This was so unfair. Her fighting style relied on a two handed weapon. Now, reduced to only one, she could not swing with enough force to cut down a tree much less steady Crescent Rose enough to aim properly and forget about using it in rifle mode unless she was prone. Slowly the crushing realization dawned on the young girl as she sat there in the clearing, sobbing uncontrollably with her hand no longer over her mouth but rather clutching her whole head. She had to face the facts, she was a liability in a fight. She couldn't be a hunter anymore, could no longer be the hero in a fairytale that saved the world.

Not that she believed in fairytales anymore, anyways. No one ever died in those. Not like Pyyrha, or Penny…. Or her mother, Summer. Over the next few minutes Ruby struggled to get her tears under control. A deep breath in and then she got up, putting Crescent Rose back in it's holster at her back. Even if she could not wield it properly anymore it was still her baby and she still treasured it as the her first weapon. She meandered in a specific direction, one she knew only too well.

After another ten or fifteen minutes of walking the edge of a cliff came into view. It was almost like she had just been here and in a sense she had. The last time she had visited this spot was just before the start of the new term and the Vytal Festival. She and her dad had both visited this spot that was precious to their family. Approached the cliff face and settled onto her knees just before the piece of square stone just in front of her. On it were carved the words Summer Rose: Thus Kindly I Scatter. It was her mother's grave marker and one she visited every time she came back to Patch.

"Hey Mom. It's me, Ruby. Just in case you didn't recognize me, with one arm and all." She let out a bitter laugh at the incredibly inept humor before taking a deep breath, "Even though I just came to see you, a lot has happened. A lot of bad things. I told you last time about a lot of friends I made, way more than at Signal, but now… two of them are dead. They were Penny and Pyyrha."

Her voice choked on the last name and her throat threatened to clamp down on her words but she muscled past the feeling, "Penny was killed in an accident and Pyyrha… Pyyrha was murdered. Mom, believe me I tried to be like you. To help people. She was right there and I could have saved her but…" Ruby looked down at where she no longer had a limb, cut off just before the elbow. She had received a cap for it, to keep it clean and such, but now it was hidden under the long sleeve of her outfit and her cloak.

"I failed and everyone else paid the price. Heck I got off easy because at least I'm alive." Her hand clutched over her left shoulder, "What do I do Mom? I can't fight anymore. I can't save people. I failed and I can't even get back up to try again!" The last part rose to a crescendo that echoed out over the still forest. All that was left in the silence was the sound of Ruby's labored breathing, the vapor forming white clouds in front of her face. With no answer to her cries she just sat the for who knows how long until she heard footsteps from behind her.

She made no move to see who it was, she didn't care. A weight pressed against her back as she felt whoever it was hug her from behind, their arms coming around her shoulders to embrace her tightly. Yang's face came into view as she rested her chin on her sister's shoulder, her breath joining the younger sibling's as white mist in the air. Nothing was said as they stayed like that for the next few minutes until Ruby reached up and put her hand on the other's.

She caught a small 'I love you' as her elder sister helped her stand up. When Ruby finally looked at the other girl there was a smile bright as day staring back at her. Her sister was a constant comfort in her life, a veritable sun shining on her darkness. She could not love her family any more. They held hands on the way back to the house nothing really passing between them and nothing needing to. She knew what Yang wanted to say. That's all there was to it, a bond beyond words. That's why she was surprised when her sister spoke up.

"We've got a surprise waiting for you at home Rubes." A surprise? Like what? Ruby couldn't help but be incredibly curious. It had felt great to cry everything out to her mother like that and although the grief was there it was a lot more manageable now. No longer would she be a walking party pooper, she promised herself. No, she had her sister and together there was nothing they could not overcome.


Ruby stopped dead in her tracks, blocking the middle of the entrance way to their cabin. Her brain stopped functioning as she looked at what her sister's "surprise" was in the middle of their living room. It really was the last thing she expected and an excellent surprise, and Yang knew it from the shit-eating grin that was plastered all over her face. An awkward cough brought her halted brain back into fifth gear.

"Ren! Nora!" She squealed her friend's names as she rushed into an embrace with the ginger in a shower of rose petals, the black haired youth joining in not quite as reluctantly as he would have had others believe. Even though Ruby tried, a one armed hug was an arduous affair, luckily Nora made up for that, bringing everyone into a huge group hug with her crushing strength. The boy let out a sigh that was at odds with the small smile on his face.

"What are you guys even doing here!" The young girl seemed to have lost the ability to control the volume of her voice in her excitement but it seems Nora was not one to be out done in either volume or excitement.

"We had nowhere to stay!" she shouted out, "So Yang told us before your dad came and picked everyone up to come hang out!"

Ren must have noticed the red dressed girls confusion because he stepped in to elaborate, "Nora and I, being orphans, don't really have a family to go back to. We stayed in Vale a while to help the Beacon faculty where we could before deciding to come to Patch to see how you were doing. It was Yang who both invited us and gave us directions. "

It was then that Taiyang entered the room with a tray of drinks and snacks which he put on the coffee table. Nora let out an excited 'ooh' and descended upon the food leaving the two she had just been bear hugging.

"Any friends of yours, girls, is welcome to stay here for however long." Their father spoke up, offering the two a place to stay but Ruby couldn't help but think that this had been premeditated by her father and sister, if the knowing looks they shared was anything to go on. They were really bad at surprised so they seemed really pleased that this one had gone so well.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mr. Xiao-Long." Ren bowed to their father earning an awkward smile from the retired huntsman and Nora yelled something about gratitude from around the mouth-full of cookies she had. The young one armed huntress wiped a tear away as she smiled at her friends, a weight she did not even know she had been carrying lessened on her shoulders. She loved her friends dearly and that would never change, she would do anything for them, especially her team.

Yang threw an arm around her sister and affectionately ruffled her hair. They all all started catching up, even though it had only been a couple months since they had seen one another so much had happened. Ren told them that their leader had gone back to his village but would come visit himself after a time. Nora started telling tales of Pyyrha, with Ren providing corrections, about her attempts to get Jaune to notice her. Even though she felt a twinge of sadness every time she came up it felt good to remember her too.

As the day wore on the sun went down and they retired to the guest rooms, reunion party still in full swing. By now Yang had started telling stories of her sister which cause Ruby to retaliate with the story of when Yang set the house on fire with her semblance. The blonde froze when even Ren chuckled at the telling and all hell broke loose as the two sisters started wrestling around which only ended as Nora jumped into the fray.

Eventually the party died down at the midnight hour, Ruby had fallen asleep in her sister's arms and finally the blonde looked to the other two.

"It's gonna be painful to leave her here." Yang finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper as she locked eyes with the other two. Even Nora looked serious, for Nora at least.

"I know. But this is something we have to do. I cannot sit idly by while that woman gets away with what she has done. We will bring her to just." Ren's eyes steeled and a rare gleam of anger could be seen within.

"We have a lot of legs to break." Nora smiled viciously. Her and her obsession with legs, Yang almost felt sorry for Cinder. Okay not even close. She'd hold the woman down while Nora did it.

"Once Jaune gets here we'll head for Haven Academy. Once there we will do what we can to pick up Cinder's trail. It's the only lead we have so it better pan out." Her eyes turned red in anticipation of what was to come. The journey would be long and difficult but if it meant protecting her baby sister then there wasn't anything she would not do, "I'mma get to bed guys, see you in the morning."

The blonde picked up her sleeping sister and gently carried her down the upstairs hall and tucked her into her bed. Her eyes back to lilac as she looked at the small form in the bed, focusing on the left side, or where there should have been something. With a sigh she turned the lights off and quietly closed the door to the room.

As soon as the door close Ruby opened her eyes and put her hand on her forehead. She had heard everything. Yang and her friends were planning on leaving for Haven without her. Her hand came away from her face and a new look settled in her eyes. Getting up she padded to her light and turned it on before going to the underside of her bed and pulling out some drawing utensils and a notepad long with her own tool-kit.


A/N: Hi guys, Yeti here. Thanks for reading, if you're reading this. So some of you might notice a couple key difference from the show and yeah that stuff is important, I never intended this to be something where it's just a retelling of the original story. There will be similarities but this is mainly a butterfly effect storry with some other things to change around because this story really wouldn't be possible without changing them but I do try and make them minor.

Speaking of not minor, how about Ren and Nora. Bet none of you were expecting that eh? Honestly I kinda wondered where they were and what they were doing this entire time. I mean in V2 Nora says they're orphans and have nowhere to go if not Beacon so where were they in the months before they left at the end of V3? Anyways just something that bugged me that I ended up putting into this story.

I never realized how little and vague the ending of V3 is until I started trying to write about it. So little info is given about how much time passes and everything but hey at least it gives me leeway to do what I want right?

Yeah so I'd love to hear from you guys n gals if you are so inclined to leave a message or review. I'm taking on this project to improve myself and hopefully make something I can maybe be proud of. It means a lot to me this got any views at all, I was stoked when I saw this was getting viewed. I do plan on doing weekly updates every Saturday for those of you that are curious.