Chapter Seven
Yang felt fire burning inside her. The image of Neo brought up thoughts and feelings she hadn't had in a long time. She was sure her irises had turned red, as she glared up at the cheerful looking girl. Neo tilted her head, that faint smirk never leaving her lips. With another twirl of her umbrella she lowered the tip just under Yang's neck. Yang knew a small spring blade would follow, and being that close, would result in being skewered.
And she wasn't going to let that happen.
With strength surprising herself, she launched both the evaporating Grimm and Neo off her, jumping to her feet. Neo let out a startled squeak as she left the ground, only to be slammed back down by a metal hand. Yang held the girl by the neck, staring into her eyes. Typically one pink and one brown, now they were both pink. She looked scared.
Neo shook her head, hands scratching at Yang's. But she was nowhere near strong enough to stop her now. All Yang had to do was squeeze a little more and…
"Yang no!" Merc cried, struggling against his bonds. "You don't understand! She's-"
"I'll deal with you later, Merc." She interrupted. "I knew it was too good to be true, that you might be one of the good guys now."
Neo looked as if she was trying to say something, but Yang's grip had stopped any air coming in. A part of her realized that what she was doing was bordering on torture, but she didn't care. This girl, Merc, all of them had been responsible for so many deaths. Deaths that didn't need to happen, deaths that changed people for the worst.
Yang kept her grip tight, ensuring the girl wouldn't be able to escape. A couple more seconds and…
She grunted as something slammed into her. The blow sent her tumbling, and she lost her grip on Neo, who was taking in big raspy breaths. Yang shot back to her feet, fist flying before she could even get a look at her new attacker. She hit air, her opponent already behind her. Before she could turn she was knocked down again. Her attacker kicked her knee from behind, forcing her to a crouch.
Yang growled, firing her gauntlet and launching an elbow behind her. She made contact and got a pained grunt as a response. She flung herself sideways, launching a kick. Her opponent vanished again, but this time Yang got a look.
She saw rose petals.
She stopped in her tracks. All thoughts of fighting left her even as a boot hit her gut, sending her back down into the mud. With a groan, she pulled herself back up, her attacker once again gone. Before she could hit Yang again, she had to get her attention.
"Sis? Is that you out there?"
Silence reigned. For a second Yang thought she had made an error, but then she heard a faint rush, like a breeze. One second Yang had been alone, the next she wasn't. Yang's eyes widened at the sight of her. Her hair was a little longer than she remembered, and her 'combat' skirt was now adorned with leather armor patches. Her scythe was strapped to her back, her long red cloak torn and dirty at the bottom. Finally Yang looked at her eyes. Or eye. A black patch covered one, faint scars peeping out the sides of the patch. But her one good eye, Yang recognized instantly. Bright silver, unmistakable.
Yang had finally found Ruby.
Ruby blinked, she looked just as shocked as Yang. But there was something else there. She was weary, on guard. Yang looked over her features again. This was definitely Ruby, but not the one she remembered. A lot had happened over the years, just as it had to Yang.
Ruby spoke first. "Yang…it's really you isn't it?"
Yang broke into a smile, she couldn't help herself. "Yeah sis, it's really me. For real."
Ruby paused, before she too was smiling. Yang stepped forward, arms wide as she gripped her sister in a big hug. Ruby returned the gesture gingerly, before the two stepped back. "Yang, what are you doing here? Pretty sure there aren't any people in Vale to hire you."
"Weiss asked me," Yang said honestly. "She was so worried about you, that she came and found me."
"Weiss?" Ruby asked quickly. She suddenly looked a lot more like Yang remembered her, as a worried little kid. "Is she ok? What's wrong?"
"She's fine." Yang quickly assured her. "There was an attack on Atlas, but we pushed them out. Weiss was worried because she couldn't get into contact with you."
Ruby paused, before letting out a little laugh. "Oh, that. Scroll's don't work in this area anymore, as I'm sure you know."
Yang had not known that at all. She now wondered if Weiss had tried contacting her, and how she'd react if she couldn't get ahold of Yang. A cavalry of ships came to mind, and Yang hoped to god that wasn't the case.
She suddenly remembered Neo. She spun around to find the girl now wobbly standing, holding her throat with a wince. Yang balled her fist, getting ready to attack. Neo looked at her, and yet made no move to run or fight back. She just stood there frowning.
"You know sis, I'd appreciate it if you didn't go injuring my team mate anymore." Ruby said, placing a hand on Yang's arm.
The words took a few seconds to register. Yang felt her mouth hang open as she looked at Ruby. She lowered her arms, more out of shock than anything else. Ruby let out a laugh, walking over to Neo. She watched incredibly as Ruby helped the girl stand up straight, lightly running a hand over where Yang had chocked the girl.
"I'm sorry, what?" Yang near shouted. "Team mate? Have you forgotten what she's done to us? To our friends?"
"Nothing more than Mercury did." Ruby shot back, not even looking at her. "People change Yang, and there's no point living in the past if we want to save the future."
"Told you so…"
Yang had almost forgotten about Mercury. She turned to look up at him, still stuck in the Grimm webbing. He sighed. "I don't suppose you could let me down now, boss."
Yang felt a burning sensation in her cheeks, and it wasn't anger. This time. "I think I already have…"
She climbed up the tree and with a huge pull, removed most of the webbing. Merc managed to pull the rest of and they both fell back down to the swampy floor. Ruby and Neo both came and joined them. Neo's neck looked much better, no bruising or damage visible. The girl smiled at Merc, offering a happy wave.
Ruby also smiled at the man. "Hey Merc, how you been?"
"Just hanging around with your sister." He said. "She's got anger management issues."
"She always has."
"Ok!" Yang said, not enjoying the spotlight at all. "As much fun as this is, why don't we leave the swamp and head back to your campsite? I'm assuming you have one."
Neo nodded, pointing in a direction away from the city. Ruby nodded. "Yeah, we have a sight not too far from here. Is it just you and Merc?"
"No, we have two others." Yang said, as the group started walking. "Sun and another. I sent them over near the old shopping complex."
"We'll find them on the way." Ruby said as they ducked through the canopy, eventually emerging back out into the city. The rain persisted, continuing to make everyone's clothing damp and cold. Yang shivered, the storm much stronger than she had thought in the woods.
"Oh finally!" A familiar voiced called. Yang waved Sun over as he jogged toward them. He looked just as wet and miserable as they did, thought he still wore a goofy smile on his face.
"I see you found them!" He commented, offering Ruby a high five. He then looked at Yang, smile faltering. "I lost Saph. One second she was there, and the next she was gone."
Yang groaned. "Dammit, I told her…we need to find her."
Ruby nodded. She turned to Neo, exchanging words she couldn't hear, before looking back at Yang. "We'll head for camp, grab some more gear and come back to find your friend. She couldn't have gotten too far in this storm."
Merc looked around. "You didn't just come here with Neo. Who else is around?"
Ruby fought to be overheard by the storm. "We had four, but lost one to the Grimm. That leaves me, Neo and-"
A fierce explosion rocked them all. Yang lost her balance as she tumbled onto her back, the others in a similar situation. Two figures came flying out of a nearby building, destroying what remained of a wall. The building came down, no longer having the support it needed to stand. A dust cloud enveloped them, combining with the wind and rain. Yang struggled to see or hear anything. She managed to get to her feet when she saw a flash of bright red.
A red energy ball flew past, barely missing them. It collided with a ruined car behind them, melting the rusted metal frame. Yang squinted, making out the two figures from before as the dust cleared. One was small, holding its hands up as red aura formed a barrier. Yang realized it had to be Saphron, but the other she didn't recognize.
She wasn't even sure if it was a human. The large metal suit of armor bore a massive sword, pressing it down against Saph's barrier. She wasn't sure who it was, but she knew she had to protect her team mate. Ruby drew her scythe, the massive weapon crashing to the ground with a crunch.
"Taken." She hissed. "Neo, get ready."
"What?" Yang said, realizing they weren't looking at the armored warrior, but Saph. Too late did she see how Saph looked exactly like the enemy they had probably been fighting around here and elsewhere. Ruby was glaring, and Neo had that look just before she killed.
Yang ran forward, before with either could act. Saph's barrier gave out and she side stepped. The knight tumbled past her, slow in his movements. She gestured with her hand. Its sword glowed red and was pulled out of its grasp. She went to gesture again, but the knight suddenly spun, a massive shield springing from its arm. The shield hit Saph in the head, knocking her down.
Yang got between them just as the Knight tried to bring the shield down on her. Metal collided with metal as Yang fought to hold the massive shield back.
"What are you doing?" Ruby cried out as the others all rushed toward them.
"She's my other team mate!" Yang shouted through gritted teeth. "She's not what you think! She's not like the others!"
The knight pulled the shield away, causing Yang to tumble forward. With a shove, it pushed her away, before turning back on Saph. The girl was groaning, holding her head and she feebly fought to stand. It knocked her back down, before bringing the shield back up. Yang was already on her feet but she knew she couldn't reach them in time. She could only watch as the shield came down.
"Jaune stop!"
The shield stopped inches from Saph's face. The Knight stood there, still as a statue. Yang released she'd been holding her breath and breathed in. Slowly, the Knight stood tall, taking a few steps away from the fallen Saph. Saph herself groaned and lifted herself into a sitting position, wearily eyeing her assailant.
"Wait, Jaune?" Yang said, her mind catching up. "As in, Jaune Arc?"
The Knight turned its head to her. He spoke, his voice more mature and yet still eerily familiar. "Yang. Long time no see right?"
She opened her mouth but struggled to find words. Ruby beat her too it, her eye on the girl on the ground. "Sounds like we both have some explaining to do, we should make for camp."
Without another word Jaune trudged after her, the rest of the team following after them. Yang hung back, offering a hand to Saph. She grumbled, before taking the hand gingerly. Yang hoisted her up, before nodding and heading for the others.
"Yang?"
She looked back. Saph looked tired, she'd probably never had to fight like that. At least, in recent memory. "Hmm?"
"Thanks." The girl said.
Yang knew what she meant, and didn't need any more than that. "Don't mention it."
The storm had cleared, the early night sky beginning to show the stars. Ruby had led them to their makeshift camp, a partially collapsed parking complex on the outskirts of the city. They huddled around a campfire for warmth, forcing everyone to be close together. Yang felt a flare of anger when Neo plopped herself down next to Yang, but the girl just smiled briefly and held her small hands to the fire.
"So," Ruby began, her eye on Yang. "Who wants to explain first?"
Yang didn't give her a chance to begin. "What the hell are you doing here? Vale? This place is a death trap. For once, I agree with Weiss."
Ruby winced at the mention of their friend. "Weiss's judgment is askew. She can't see the value of what we're doing here."
"And what is that, exactly?" Merc said quickly, eyes narrowed. "You dropped contact months ago, you were only meant to scout and report back. What have you been doing?"
Yang threw him a glare but had to agree with him. He'd beaten her to the punchline, though she'd planned on being less civil. "Exactly, what could be so important to risk dying here?"
Ruby sighed, looking down into the fire. She suddenly looked older, as if the years had aged her. Yang realized that she very well may have seen a lot of fighting and war since they were young. She felt a pang of regret for not being there for her sister.
"We were only meant to scout." She said quietly. "But the longer we stayed here, the more I felt we could actually do something. Something to fight off the Grimm permanently. I believe…I believe we can destroy the Dragon at Beacon tower. It's the cause of the local Grimm, like a nest or a hive. If we take it out, we can stop the Grimm in this area."
This time it was Sun who beat her to speaking. "Are you out of your mind? That thing can't be killed, not by a couple of Huntsmen!"
"I think I have a way…" Ruby said, her stare shutting him up. "But in order to do it, I'd have to unfreeze it. Before it was slim, but with you four here…that reminds me."
She turned her eye to Saphron. Saph had been sitting quietly, listening to the conversation without drawing attention to herself. Ruby's eye narrowed slightly, Yang assumed it was a reflex. "What's your story?"
Yang went to answer for her, but Saph looked at her and shook her head. The girl took a breath, before beginning. "I don't have any memory of before I was caught, so if you're looking for a long story I can't give you one."
"Tell me what you do know then." Ruby retorted, her tone commanding. Yang didn't like hearing her sis talk like that, but she got the sense this wasn't a good time to interject.
"Everyone I've met has said the same thing." Saph said slowly. "That I'm the enemy. I must be one of these…Taken things you all go on about. But I'm not. I'm me, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to destroy the world, even with all the people looking at me as a monster."
Ruby was silent a moment. "You can't blame people for that. The Taken are one of the worst things Salem has ever thrown at us. All our friends, family, loved ones. No one's safe. If you die, she can bring you back. And not a single one has come out for the better, trust me. How can we possibly trust you? You could turn on us at any time."
Saph stared at her, looking somewhat appalled. "I couldn't even handle your walking steel wall, how would I beat all of you? Besides, from what I've seen…you all fight still, even if the situation seems hopeless. Even after all the horrors you describe, you're all still fighting. Some of you have shown me what exactly you're fighting for. And that makes me want to fight for it too."
Yang swore she saw Saph's eyes flicker in her direction, but it must have been a trick of the light. Ruby seemed to consider her words a moment, before nodding. "I'll be watching you, but I think you're telling the truth. Or you believe you are."
She looked back to Yang. "Before we can strike at the Dragon, there is one more problem. A Taken Warlord resides near Beacon. Before we have a shot at the Dragon, we need to take him out."
"Warlord?" Yang asked. "You mean, like a bandit leader?"
Ruby shook her head. "No, someone left here by Salem to watch over the ruins. Make sure nobody disrupts her peace here. If we take him out, we'll only have a day at the most before she sends more of them to investigate."
Yang went silent as she mulled it over. This all sounded crazy. She remembered that Dragon monster well, the night of Beacons downfall. It had spawned more Grimm, throwing out endless waves against the small number defending the tower. That had been the night she'd lost her arm, the night that…
"This is nuts." Yang said slowly. "But if you think you have a shot…I'll help."
She looked over to the others. Sun nodded and gave a thumbs up, while Merc just smirked at her. "Whatever you say, Boss."
Ruby smiled, looking more like Yang remembered her. "Thank you guys. We're going to win a major victory here. If we can do it, than that means others can get rid of the Grimm elsewhere. For so long we've thought they were unstoppable. Tomorrow…we'll prove otherwise."
Yang could feel the buzz in the air, the excitement. The look on everyone's faces was full of hope, determination. Yang could feel the optimism too, but a part of her held back. She'd seen way too much of the world to just believe as some people did. She knew how easily things could fall apart.
"Alright, get some rest guys," Ruby said, laying down beside the fire. "Tomorrows a big day."
Everyone moved to find spots to lay down. Some like Sun and Jaune, seemed more content near the fire, down and out before anyone could so much as blink. She noticed Saph and Merc side by side, the girl's eyes already closed as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He noticed her looking and smiled, a little more genuinely than usual.
"Take the second watch?" He mouthed to her. She nodded, walking over to a ruined pillar overlooking the city below. She set herself down, away from the others and the warmth of the fire.
She could hear the howls of Grimm down below, the sting of cold wind that bit her skin. She huddled closer to herself, her eyes eventually falling to Beacon tower, and the monster that clung to it. In a few days, maybe even tomorrow, they would stand together and fight it. Maybe even win. Yang had some doubts though, doubts that persisted…
"Mind if I sit?"
She jumped. She hadn't heard anyone sneak up on her, but more importantly it was a voice she didn't recognize. The voice was high and surprisingly gentle sounding, like the voice of a timid child. She whirled, expecting a stranger. She certainly wasn't expecting Neo to be standing there.
Neo smiled shyly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. Just thought…"
Yang blinked, too shocked to be angry. "Uhh, no, please. Have a seat."
Neo gracefully sat herself down beside Yang, a little too close for her comfort. But she was warm, probably from the fire. So she'd let the girl be, for now.
Yang said the first thing that popped into her head. "I didn't know you could even talk. I always assumed you were…I don't know, a mute maybe?"
Her words sounded insulting, but Neo merely laughed quietly. "I don't like talking often. I only do it with people I'm comfortable around, such as Ruby or Merc."
"Then why are you talking to me?"
Neo went quiet, her mismatched eyes looking down. Yang thought she'd been a little too rude, and merely sighed to herself. The sounds of a Nevermore rung out above, the creature as dark as the sky and hidden from her sight.
"I…wanted to apologies, actually," Neo said quietly, her voice making Yang jump again.
"Huh? What for?"
"For…everything," Neo said, swallowing and looking up at her. "The last times we met, I tried to kill you. I…wanted you to know I don't want that. I never did."
Yang couldn't help her brow coming down. "It wasn't just me, Neo. You hurt all of us, you worked with the enemy. A lot of people died because of that"
"I know…" Neo said. "And I regret every moment of it. I wish…I wish I'd never met Roman. That I'd never have gotten dragged into his world."
The mention of Torchwick surprised her, but she supposed it made sense. He had been the main man working with Cinder, so she didn't see what Neo was saying as much of a stretch. The girl, for whatever reason, was opening up to her, exposing something vulnerable. Yang could understand that feeling, even if she had been on the other side. She'd nearly forgiven Merc, and she understood that then and now were very different times. Not to mention, ten years was a long time…
"Apology accepted." Yang said finally, offering a small smile in peace. The way Neo's face lit up, Yang would have thought she'd just told the girl the best news of her life. Yang shook her head, laughing at her expression. "Alright calm down. It's not like I just told you the code to my bank account or something."
"It…means a lot to me," Neo admitted. "I was worried, back in the clearing, that I'd never hear something like that from you."
Yang was again surprised by how…sincere she was being, but she reminded herself that a lot had changed. A strong gush of wind made her shiver, her exposed legs taking the full brunt of the cold. Her attention was caught again by Neo, who was fumbling with you tiny white coat. When the girl began removing it, Yang realized what she was trying to do.
"Neo, no it's ok, really…"
The girl just smiled, laying her coat over Yang's legs. It barely covered them, tiny in comparison to Yang, but the gesture was surprisingly touching all the same. "Thanks…" She finally said.
Neo nodded, standing up with a flourish. "You don't need to thank me."
She began to walk back to the fire, but one more thing was still bothering Yang. Something she had to ask. "Neo?"
The girl turned back, looking questioningly at her.
"Do you miss him?" She asked. "Roman that is."
Neo didn't answer right away, a mix of emotions on her face. "No, I don't. Besides, we're seeing him tomorrow."
A jolt raced through Yang. "Come again?"
Neo smiled. "Roman Torchwick is the Taken Warlord."
And she left for the fire without saying another word.
