Chapter 7
"Preparations (Part 4)"

Village of Patch, the Xiao Long home

Outside the house, Yang had just wrapped up her training for the day. She wasn't sure what to make of her progress, but she knew she was going to need to throw herself into it with nothing less than one hundred percent. While she was extremely sore, worn out, and frustrated over how sloppy she was, there was a part of her that was excited to actually be training and moving around again, despite the fact that it was for a serious reason.

Yang was sitting on a log outside her home when she eventually saw Blake walking over. She quickly saw that her friend was wearing some of the new clothing that her uncle had picked out. Giving her a thumbs up, Yang said, "Looking good! I'd say that's a pretty big improvement." Blake seemed to blush slightly as she sat to the left of Yang. "Thanks" she told Yang. "No offense, but I couldn't really do another day in your clothes or Ruby's." Yang chuckled a little at that. "At least you're close enough to Rubes size. You could at least pull it off in a pinch. Me on the other hand?" Rather than wait for a reply, Yang just glanced down. For a moment, Blake wasn't entirely sure what Yang was looking at. She followed Yang's gaze downward, then following a couple of seconds, the sudden realization of what she was staring at hit her. The faunus quickly looked away as she turned a very deep shade of red. Meanwhile, Yang couldn't control her laughter. "Made you look, you perv!" she managed to eventually say as she did her best to not fall over.

Blake's thoughts were racing at a mile a minute as her friend did this. She wasn't mad at Yang, but she wished she hadn't done that. If there were several things Yang always had at the ready, it was a terrible joke, a horrible pun, or a situation designed to playfully poke fun at her teammates. Part of her just wanted to blurt out what she was thinking, but another part felt the timing was terrible.

Then, Yang somehow managed to make things worse.

"Blake, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were falling for me!"

It took everything she had to not admit everything right there. Blake just groaned as she looked down at the ground. She felt that if she looked into Yang's eyes at that moment, there would be no denying it. Somehow, she managed to eventually get out her own laugh in an attempt to mask what she was really thinking. She felt the attempt was weak, however it seemed to convince Yang. Patting her on the back, she told Blake, "It's good to see you laughing. In fact, it almost makes things seem normal again."

At that point, Blake felt she was composed enough to look at Yang once more. Her last comment about 'normality' was actually a perfect opening for Blake to get away from the last subject. She knew that Yang was just trying to get her to cheer up, but Blake could clearly see that deep down, Yang felt those words were hollow. Blake knew what Yang was trying to say. It was in reference to simpler times, back when laughter came easier to them. However, when the subject of the past came up, it more often than not reminded both women of just how much things changed on that day.

After a few moments of silence, Blake was the first to speak. "Well, I think normal is subjective" Blake said as she motioned towards Yang's artificial arm. "We can't change what happened at Beacon, and I can't change what happened to me. But, at the same time, we shouldn't let it change the two of us to an extreme degree. At our core, we're still the same people, aren't we?" Yang appeared to be contemplating what Blake just said. Finally, she said, "I suppose you're right Blake. Granted, I look back and I see moments where I've been a bit more serious and to the point." Stopping for a moment, Yang then proceeded to grin. "But, there have also been moments where I've said something crazy and had people wanting to slap me." Blake saw a perfect opportunity for her own chance to make fun of Yang.

"So, for you it's always Tuesday?"

Yang playfully punched Blake's shoulder, but instantly wished she hadn't once she saw her wince. While the wound Blake received had healed up fairly well, the area itself was still a bit tender. She was about to apologize, but Blake shook her head and waved her off, knowing full well that hurting her was not Yang's intent. It did however draw Blake's mind towards thinking about her injuries.

"How do you deal with it?"

Yang blinked for a moment, unsure what Blake was talking about. Eventually, she pointed at Yang's arm once again. "How do you deal with everyone just staring at you?" she asked. Yang realized where Blake was going with the question, but she wasn't entirely sure her answer would help her friend. She looked at the arm and moved it around a bit as she spoke. "Honestly, I haven't given it much thought. I've seen the looks I get, but it's not something I worry about. The transition hasn't been easy, but having people stare at me is the least of my concerns. In fact, the only reason I started covering it up is for a tactical advantage. Adam would obviously know, but I don't want anyone else I might have to fight knowing about it too early."

Looking at Blake now, Yang asked, "This is about your scars, isn't it?" Blake nodded as she spoke. "Yeah. I haven't worried about most of them. However, for the first couple of days following my blinding, all I noticed were the people just looking at me. It's been a couple of months since it happened, but even now I can't help but notice once people start to stare. For someone who specializes in blending in, it's very unsettling." Blake stopped talking for a moment. She saw a questioning look in Yang's eyes and could tell she was hesitant to ask her next question. With a sigh, she decided it was best to get it over with. "I suppose this conversation was inevitable. You want to know about what happened to me." Yang seemed to pause for a moment, but she eventually nodded. Blake then said something that totally caught Yang off guard.

"Once I'm done, it'll be your turn. I need to know about the Four Maidens. I already told you I'm done running, but I need to know about everything that's happened on your end."

Yang completely froze. She had a feeling that Blake may had overheard some of their discussions. Part of her still worried that Blake wouldn't want any part of things if she knew the truth about the world. Another part didn't want to put her in danger. While no one knew what Cinder's endgame was, Yang at least knew the risks. Since learning everything, not a day went by where she didn't worry about Ruby. While she supposed that no news was a good thing in a way, she knew she wouldn't relax until she was face to face with her sister once more. Even then, there would still be the worry that one or both of them could be killed. As much as she didn't like to think about that outcome, Yang had already steeled herself for it. If the worst was going to happen, then she at least wanted to be there. That way, she could at least die trying to make a difference, rather than hearing about Ruby dying, or even worse, never hearing about any trace at all.

Yang studied Blake's face for a moment. She could see it in her eye. After everything she had experienced, nothing was going to make Blake run or abandon her team ever again. Yang was prepared to die for Ruby if she had to. Both her and Blake had bled for each other. Yang could see that Blake was ready to put her life on the line as well.

"Ok then. It's a deal."

AN: After much debate on the matter, I felt it was important to cover Blake's last few months sooner rather than later. As I've previously stated, these flashback chapters won't be nearly as long as Yang's. The first one will likely be the exception, as that one will mainly set the tone. The rest that follow will cover small pieces of her horrific six month ordeal. Be prepared: a couple of these might not be easy reading.

Since the bulk of the coming chapters will be slightly shorter, it's possible that I may get these out a bit quicker. No promises however. Work and life have been slightly crazy. The last thing I want to do is promise a couple chapters in a week, then be unable to deliver.

Keep your eyes peeled. Remember to add BWBS to your favorites if you like what you've read so far.

*looks at the acronym for his story*

Huh...I swear that was not intentional. It's quite literally the first time I noticed how that looks. Maybe I can work that to my advantage...

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