This chapter will be the final chapter before my story splits off from the main series, here goes nothing! I promise Gaara isn't dead! Not really anyway
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Thoughts
Shukaku
Speech
Chapter Ten: Morning After
Yang watched Gaara's lifeless body as it breathed in and out consistently without straying from the pattern. Yang looked down at her missing arm and remembered the face of the demon who took her arm, but the only face she could see was Gaara's.
"Yang?" What're you doing?" Tai asked curiously as he entered the room.
"It's been three weeks and he still hasn't moved a muscle beyond his usual breathing routine"
"I know, I didn't have the heart to tell Ruby. Gaara may never wake up from this" Tai sighed disappointed.
"I'm so confused right now" Yang shook her head in frustration smacking her fist into the table.
"He did sever your arm when he lost control of... whatever that was"
"Did he ever tell you or Qrow anything about that before?"
"No, he only told me that the people of his village were afraid of him. I guess that was why" Yang sat silently waiting for any sign of change.
"I'm not sure if I'm relieved or disappointed that he's still asleep like that" she admitted.
"I know it's going to take some time for you to get over what happened that night, but you can't blame him. From what you told me he didn't even recognize you"
"Gaara would've recognized us... he always put himself in harms way for us even when we asked him not to. You could never change his mind about helping people, he never gave up"
"If I never get to speak to Gaara again, that is the person I want to remember him as. Not the demon that took your arm"
"Me too, Dad. Me too" she agreed pulling him into a hug a stray tear finding its way down her cheek.
Yang awoke from another nightmare, the same recurring dream since the attack on Beacon. Gaara approached her before turning into that thing again and suddenly her arm was gone. Yang sat up at the sound of something crashing onto the floor, walking down the stairs with a broom in hand as a weapon she found her dad cleaning up a glass dish from the floor.
"Dad? Is everything alright?" she called out to him.
"Yes, Yang. I'm sorry I woke you with my clumsiness" he answered as she entered the room.
"It's fine, Dad. It's not like you-" Yang gasped at the sight before her, Gaara was standing in the doorway to the room he had been kept in for the past few weeks.
"Where's Ruby?" he asked still not fully conscious, he dropped to his knees. Tai rushed over to help him up.
"I've got you, don't worry" Tai set him down into a chair around the table.
"Is Yang ok?" he asked as his head collapsed onto the table "There's so much blood" he began whispering over and over again. Gaara sat straight up and looked around the room confused.
"What the hell!" he yelled shocked at his being in the kitchen with Yang and Tai.
"What happened? How are you even conscious right now?" Tai asked curiously.
"What're you talking about? Last thing I remember was being at the tournament to stop- Cinder! Where's Ruby? Is she okay?" he asked frantically.
"Ruby is fine, most everyone got out ok from Beacon. I'm just missing part of me" she shrugged showing her stump. Gaara stared long and hard at it "I'm sorry, Yang"
"For what?"
"I was the one who took off your arm, it's my fault"
"You weren't in control of... whatever that was. I know you didn't do it"
"But I did, I could see the whole thing. It was like being stuck behind a unbreakable window and being forced to watch. If I had trusted you and Ruby enough to tell you about Shukaku then none of this would've happened"
"Shukaku?" Yang raised her eyebrow confused.
"The demon that my father sealed inside me before my birth, it's always there torturing me and trying to convince me to allow it control"
"Why don't you just get rid of it?"
"Were it only that simple, sealing a tailed beast into a human being takes enormous efforts and strains on both the sealer and the host. If I were to remove the tailed beast, I would die" he answered.
"So you're stuck with it"
"Yes, until the day I die I'm afraid so"
"That's terrible" Tai exclaimed looking down at the table "How could someone do that to their own child?"
"The same type of person who'd plan an attack on Beacon, trust me not everyone is as caring as you all have been"
"We do our best" Yang smiled.
"Where's Ruby?" he asked again with concern in his voice.
"She went of to Mistral"
"Mistral?"
"Yes, she wanted to make sure the other schools were properly protected"
"How long ago did she leave?"
"One month ago"
"I've been out for a month?"
"six weeks actually, you were in pretty terrible condition"
"So I've heard" he sighed.
"Speaking of your condition, how're you standing right now?" Tai asked.
"I'm not sure, I know Shukaku said he was keeping me alive somehow, but I don't know what he meant really"
"Hmm... I guess it doesn't really matter, all that matters is your alright. Ruby's gonna be overjoyed to see you"
"Go ahead, Yang. Hit me" he instructed from his position in front of her.
"I really don't want to do this, Gaara"
"Yang, you've been sitting on that couch for a week, I know I can't possibly understand what you're going through right now... but I do know that Yang Xiao Long never backs down just because things get tough. Now just hit me" he urged pushing her backwards.
"I don't want to-"
"Hit me!" he yelled in her face and pushing her harder than before, getting a punch from her robotic arm. Realigning his jaw he smirked "That all you've got?" Gaara swung for her head, ducking she leg swept. Gaara jumped over it twisting in the air he kicked for her shoulder, Yang caught it with her mech arm, she slammed him onto the ground.
"Excellent work... but you're still not quite ready yet"
"What do you mean-" she began as he knocked her off her feet and onto her back.
"You're still thinking with your fist instead of with your head. When you see a problem you don't always have to go through it, and your semblance. You used it like a crutch during the tournament. Try using your head more and you won't have to get anymore of... these" he gestured to her arm.
"I... I'm not sure anymore-"
"I am, and I'm not going to let you mope about all day while those people are still out there and could be hurting our friends. I can't accept that and I sure as hell know you can't" he lectured as he offered his hand out to her.
There was a brief silence between the two as the information sunk in. Yang smiled warmly "So, You're going after Ruby?" she asked as he helped her up.
"Of course I am, I can't let her have all the fun, I'll catch up in no time anyway" he waved off.
"Thank you"
"For what?"
"You've always been a good friend to me, you even stayed behind an extra week to push me back into my groove. I don't think I could've done it without your help"
"Yang Xiao Long can do anything she puts her mind to. Maybe not as stylish as me though" he joked punching her in the shoulder like she use to do to him. Yang laughed pulling him into a small hug.
"Go get my sister"
"I'll make sure she's safe"
Gaara traveled through day and night without stopping to rest for the next two weeks to catch up to Ruby, coming up on an abandoned village he noticed the sounds of battle in the distance. Dropping from his sand platform, he snuck around to a vantage point and looked to find Qrow fighting some scorpion Faunus. Qrow's aura was in bad condition as he fought to defend Ruby and her group. He charged Ruby while Qrow struggled to get back up.
Seconds before his tail hit Ruby, Gaara caught the tail in his hand holding it inches away from Ruby.
"Gaara?" Ruby gasped in shock. Kicking his ankle he tripped the Faunus and triple kicked him in the chest knocking him back. Holding his grip on the tail ha swung him around by it before slamming him into the floor on both sides of him. Pulling him towards himself, Gaara head-butted him knocking him to the floor. Standing back up the Faunus attacked with his blades attempting to regain his tail. Gaara used his tail as a weapon, defending against his attacks and forcing him to stay confined in a small area.
Using this to his advantage, he spun the tail around and forced him to get close. Gaara kicked punched him as hard as he could smashing through his aura and throwing him through a nearby building. A loose wooden beam came out and fell towards Ruby, just before it hit her, Qrow sliced it. Qrow was then stabbed by the tail, the Faunus grinned at the pained look on his face. Ruby placed Crescent Rose on his tail and fired it severing the tail with it's blade.
"Augh! You bitch!" he yelled enraged. Gaara stepped between him and Ruby glaring menacingly at him, with a small whimper he turned around "She'll forgive me" he whispered to himself as he escaped.
"Where the hell have you been?" Jaune asked happily approaching Gaara and grabbing him into a hug, followed shortly by Ren and Nora.
"Apologies, I only woke up about three weeks ago, I've had a long two weeks of travel without hardly making a stop with the exception of the occasional inn to eat at.
"No fair! It took us way longer to get here than you!" Nora yelled exasperated.
"He doesn't sleep if you recall" Ren explained.
"You were dead you know" Ruby said with her fists clenching tightly.
"I know, I'm sorry that I worried-" Ruby interrupted him by grabbing him into a passionate kiss "Don't ever do that again" she ordered as they separated and she pulled his head down to her shoulder, crying into his shirt. Gaara smiled wrapping his arms around her.
"I'm gonna puke" Qrow groaned.
"Qrow isn't going to hold up like this much longer" Ruby said concerned. Gaara's sand kept him elevated on the platform as they walked. Arriving at a completely destroyed village they silently walked though keeping their eyes scanning for anything that shouldn't be there.
"Ren really didn't want to come here did he?" Ruby asked as they made to the town square.
"It seemed that way" Jaune answered.
"Do you know why?"
"I have a pretty good idea, yeah"
"This is where he was born, wasn't it?" Gaara asked curiously. They heard some type of howling in the distance. Gaara and Jaune turned prepared to fight.
"It's far off" Ruby concluded. Gaara crossed his arms in front of is chest.
"I know, but Ren and Nora are still out there" Jaune replied.
"I'm sorry" Ruby said looking at the ground.
"For what?"
"Dragging you all into this, you didn't know about Tyrian or-"
"Ruby, we lost Beacon and Pyrrha and your whole team and your sister in a way. You even lost me for a while. But here you are, still going strong despite everything you've lost and everything at stake you chose to come out here, because you felt like you could make a difference, and I know that you can make all the difference"
"He's right, you didn't drag us along. You gave us the courage to follow you" Jaune added placing his hand onto her shoulder.
"Thank you" she smiled at them both. Gaara suddenly turned but instantly calmed at the sight of Ren and Nora.
"What're you guys doing here?" Ruby asked confused.
"Did you hear that noise? What is that?" Jaune asked looking around. Ren dropped to his knees and kept repeating "No"
There was a Grimm shaped like a horse and a man riding it appeared out of nowhere. Jaune ran and grabbed Qrow, Ren used his semblance to hide them from the Grimm.
"Get him to safety!" he yelled as it changed targets. Jaune returned after dropping him off "Guys run in a circle and don't stop moving!"
"He's right, it isn't smart enough to track us all at once" Gaara agreed as he rolled underneath it. The Grimm began spinning it's arms in circles knocking everyone away. Gaara rolled into his landing standing upright as he came to a stop. The Grimm trapped Nora and Ren against a wall before throwing them to the floor. Ren charged it again and again as it repeatedly knocked him over. Gaara used his sand shield to grab it's back legs and smash it into the ground.
"Ruby, hit it from the front, I'll hit it from the back!" he yelled smashing a sand wall into it as it began to charge knocking it over.
"None of this is working!" Nora yelled standing back up.
"Ruby and Jaune get the arms, Nora and I will hit the horse. Ren finish it off once we're done!" Gaara yelled receiving a crisp nod in return. Ruby used Crescent Rose to trap one of its arms while Jaune did the same with his sword. Gaara used his sand to keep its legs in place while Nora smashed into the horse from above. Ren cut off it's arms and then it's head one by one. Gaara smirked as it dissolved away.
"What happened, Gaara? Shouldn't you should've just crushed that thing in a single move like you always do!" Nora yelled.
"Apologies, after waking up from my... death, I haven't been able to do everything quite as well as I used to" he explained.
"Why not-"
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yelled running off in his direction. He followed after Ruby to check up on Qrow. Finding him still breathing.
"It's so quiet" he said looking at them.
"Guys! I think I found something!" Jaune yelled as two ships came down and landed in the courtyard. The team loaded onto the ship.
"How did you find us out here?" Jaune asked.
"We saw the smoke from town, and decided to come check it out. No one has been out here for a long time"
"What if we don't make it in time?" Ruby asked worried. Gaara placed his hand onto her arm and pointed to the city coming into view.
"We made it" he smiled.
Gaara entered the room as Ruby finished writing a letter to Yang "Hoping she'll come join us?" he asked with a smirk.
"I am... I believe she will"
"Me too, Ruby. Me too" he smiled warmly at her. Ruby pulled him into a backbreaking hug "Woah, not that I don't appreciate it, but what brought this on?" he asked as she let him go.
"I never really got the chance to let you know just how happy I am to have you back, I thought I'd never see you again"
"You don't ever have to worry about me, Ruby. I can't die... who else is gonna keep pulling your asses out of the fire?" he asked smirking. Ruby smacked him on the shoulder with a pout.
"Not nice, we can take care of ourselves" she insisted.
"I know you can, but I won't hurt to have the rest of the team back"
"What about Pyrrha... she'll never be back" Ruby sighed with a tear in her eye.
"Sometimes bad things happen, Ruby. You can't let that stop you from fighting. As long as wee never forget Pyrrha in here" he pointing to her heart "She'll never truly die"
"Come on kids, time to go" Qrow called from the doorway with the rest of the group.
"Coming!" Ruby called after him dragging Gaara along with her.
"The city of Mistral" Qrow said aloud with a small smile.
"Finally! Who's idea was it to walk again?" Nora asked.
"We did face many obstacles" Ren offered.
"if by obstacles you mean monsters and crazy people trying to kill us" Jaune corrected.
"We were fine" Ruby waved off "Besides, only one of us almost died" she mocked Qrow.
"hey now" he warned playfully.
"I've done the whole dying thing, gotta say I'm not a fan of it" Gaara laughed.
"God id hate these boring conversations you force yourself into"
I assure you I could care less what you like or not
"And after I saved you from dying!"
"I still died!" Gaara yelled out causing the others to look at him strangely "Disregard that if you will" he cleared his throat.
Qrow led them through the school "Why isn't there anyone here?" Gaara asked.
"Hello!" Ruby called.
"Maybe try louder?" Nora suggested.
"Something isn't right" Qrow grabbed his weapon, the rest of them followed suit. Reaching the door Qrow kicked the door open as the professor was about to open the door causing everyone involved to scream in surprise with the exception of Qrow and Gaara. Qrow fell over backwards as the head master did the same
"You two old men done having your heart attacks?" Gaara asked shaking his head.
"Qrow! What is wrong with you? You nearly scared me half to death!"
"Me? What about you? Why weren't you at the front gates to meet us?" The headmaster opened his pocket-watch and looked at the time.
"Oh my, time must've gotten away from me I'm afraid. You must be the students"
"Ruby Rose"
"Jaune Arc"
"Nora Valkyrie"
"Lie Ren"
"Gaara" he gave a slight wave.
"Leonard Lionheart, I'm afraid most of my staff are away and won't return until class is back in session-"
"What!? Leonard you can't be serious. Who's guarding the relic?"
"Qrow the children-"
"Already know, I filled them in. What do you mean your staff is away?"
Nora leaned over to Ruby "Soooo, is this not going at all like anyone thought it would?"
"Why is it every time something doesn't go the way you want it to go you always end up getting drunk?" Gaara asked entering the bar.
"I found him" Qrow laughed pointing to a young boy standing next to him.
"I apologize profusely" he directed to the boy as he reached up and grabbed Qrow by the ear "Come on now"
"I found him" he laughed again. The younger boy walked ahead of them knocking on the house they were staying in "You told him where we're staying?" he sighed annoyed.
"Can I help you?" Jaune asked.
"Is Ruby Rose here?"
Nora stood up from the couch "Why?"
"I found him!" Qrow yelled coming inside as Gaara let go of his ear, he fell onto the couch "I found him"
"What is going on out here?! Can't a girl read her comics in piece!?" Ruby yelled coming out into the living room. Ruby stopped at the sight in front of her and smacked her palm against her forehead "Qrow, did you get drunk again?"
"Is that even a question?" Gaara sighed.
"Maybe" he answered.
"Who's that?" she asked pointing to the young boy.
"My name is Oscar Pine"
"Wait for it" Qrow laughed.
"But you probably know me better as Professor Ozpin" he continued. The room sat in shock. Qrow began laughing "I did it!" he yelled before face planting the floor from the couch.
That's Chapter Ten for ya!