"H-hey…" Ruby smiled bashfully. "Long time no see?"
A long draw out silence fell around them. Mercury and Emerald stood defensively around Ruby while the rest of Team WYBT stared with varying levels of hostility and shock… but Yang noticed exactly none of these things. No, Yang's face was completely blank and her focus was entirely fixed on a small smiling girl before her.
"What are you doing here?!" Thistle broke the quiet with her voice brimming with unbridled rage, her shouting ripping Yang from her stupor.
"What's your problem!?" Mercury growled at Thistle.
"Ruby…" Yang's soft and broken words destroyed the rising anger between the two parties as she stared at her little sister.
"Guys, could you give us a minute alone? I'll catch up later I promise!" Ruby's smile faded as her visage became more confident.
"You sure? I get you're not the best with social cues but they look pretty pissed." Emerald looked back at Ruby with her thumb pointing at the opposing team.
"Yeah, I'm sure. It'll be alright." She gave a warm, reassuring smile before turning to Mercury. "I'll see you both back at our dorm."
"If you say so." Mercury shrugged with no small amount of worry in his dull grey eyes before giving a dark glare to Yang before huffing and turning back to Ruby. "You know our number if you need us."
"Thanks, but it'll be fine." Ruby gave a lighthearted giggled as she nudged Mercury with her elbow.
"See ya then." He put his hands behind his head and started walking off with Emerald close behind them, both giving one last worried look to their small teammate before continuing down the hallway, leaving Ruby with her sister's team.
"So…" Ruby mumbled awkwardly as she rocked back and forth on her heels with her arms folded behind her back. "How have you been?"
"Oh, you mean since you tried to kill us?!" Weiss narrowed her eyes spitefully at the girl.
"I was just doing what I had to… it wasn't personal." Her face darkened with grief and pain as thoughts moved to Roman… and how she couldn't save him.
"Wasn't personal!?" Thistle stomped forward, her eyes burning into Ruby as the air crackled and hissed around her, her Semblance responding to her rage.
"That's right, it wasn't personal!" Ruby glared back at Thistle, stomping her foot with finality. After the two bitterly locked eyes for a long moment… ruby let a go of a stressed exhale and relaxed her body.
"I- I was actually hoping… you and I could talk alone." She looked up to Yang who still looked numb and dazed, however Ruby's gentle and familiar voice finally seemed to get her focus.
"You want to talk to me?" Yang blinked dully.
"Yeah!" Ruby's enthusiasm and bubbly energy bled through before she quickly reigned it in. "Um, I mean, I'd like that. I promise, no fighting. I don't even have Inferno Crescent on me so it's not like I'm a threat."
"I've seen you fight first hand, you're a threat with or without that thing." Thistle spoke in a low growl.
"Hey, I'm not talking to you! I was talking to Yang!" Ruby have a silencing glare before she turned back to her apparent sister. "I just want to talk."
"We are not letting her go anywhere with-"
"It's okay…" Yang's quiet but dark tone cut Thistle short as she stepped forward to her little sister. "I'll catch up with you."
"That's a bad idea and you know it." Thistle said simply as she folded her arms.
"Thistle is right, we all remember what happened last time the two of you talked." Weiss held her icy cold gaze on Ruby.
"Yang, it's up to you, but I don't think you should." Blake's voice was more compassionate than the other two, her worried gaze fixed on her partner.
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. This isn't Mountain Glenn, this is Beacon." Yang turned to her team with a very unconvincing smile. "Please, just let me have some time to talk to my sister."
Another long silence fell over the group Ruby waited tensely for her sister's team to come to a decision. She couldn't help but feel the pressure of their eyes on her and it was making her uncomfortable… still, she stayed silent.
"Alright," Weiss' voice was soft and compassionate as she stared at her blonde teammate with concern and empathy. "But if you're not back in one hour, we'll come find you."
"Where- where will you two be?" Weiss turned to Ruby, trying her hardest to suppress her hostility.
"Well," Ruby tilted her head contemplatively before her eyes lit up and she looked up to Yang with a bright smile. "It's a really nice day, so how about we go have a snack or something outside? I saw some picnic tables next to this big tree so there's shade and it's really pretty out there!"
Again, everyone was struck silent as they stared at the exuberant, childish girl with a brilliant smile… that had tried to kill each and every one of them. Weiss in particular was dumbstruck as she gaped at her. Okay, this is just bizarre! We're spent all this time searching for her, and then fighting her, only for Yang's little sister to just appear in front of us smiling like nothing happened and acting like she wants to be friends? This is just… too bizarre! I mean, she has a point though. She's not armed, this is Beacon, one of the safest places in the world and if they're going out towards the courtyard, that's a pretty public place…
"Yeah… that sounds nice." Yang gave a wistful smile to her sister.
Weiss understood how relieved and hopeful Yang must be… But I feel like she's letting her sentimentality get in the way of her judgement.
"I'll see you guys back at the dorm in an hour."
Without so much as looking back, Yang and Ruby walked off together down the halls, leaving her team with an immense feeling of unease.
Throngs of students meandered around the campus from place to place, and many of them walked by the courtyard on their way to their destinations due to its central location. Still, despite the beautiful day, Ruby and Yang managed to find a quiet and modestly secluded bench next to the big old tree.
The warm mid day sunlight beamed down upon them, the radiant heat pleasantly warming their skin as two sisters sat across from each other enjoying their first meal together for the first time in what Yang felt had been far too long.
"I love strawberries! This is great!" Ruby took a bite out of a particularly large strawberry, it's sweet but somewhat sour flavor making her hum with contentment as she shut her eyes, savoring every nuance of the taste.
"Yeah, I know. They're your favorite, and with this nice weather we're having, it seemed like a good idea." Yang's smile was small and tentative as she watched Ruby indulge in her snack.
"You know, I had strawberries on some ice cream when I was still with Torchwick, it was the first time I'd had them but I just you know, kinda felt like I should have them, I really liked them. I guess now I know why huh?" She gave a bright smile as she discarded the end of the strawberry.
"Yeah…" Yang's expression darkened as her gaze fell to the wooden table. Doubt and sadness swirled around her, she just couldn't bring herself to meet her sister's eyes. I- I knew this wouldn't be easy, but, with how she was acting, I kinda hoped that KO by Thistle had brought her memories back.
"So… your new team, they know about you and Torchwick? Were they in on it too?" It took everything Yang had to force her gaze to rise and meet the Ruby's steady but… somehow cold stare.
"So, I guess we're just jumping right into to all this aren't we?" Ruby's shoulders slumped as she leaned forward, pushing aside her small plastic box still half filled with her favorite food.
"I mean, Ruby, looked at everything that's happened. You went missing, me and Dad were worried sick! Even Uncle Qrow wrote to us and called as often as he could during his mission. Then, when I finally hear anything about it, it's because you tried to kill two of my friends!" Finally, all the rage and pain she's held back for so long was set loose as she stared into her sister's silver eyes.
"Blake, Sun, Penny and Thistle, at the docks you attacked all three of them and put Sun in the hospital. That's the first time anyone had seen you for sure since you disappeared! I- I didn't want to believe it sis…" Her voice was quivering, whether it was with sadness or anger Ruby really couldn't tell. "I told them that it couldn't be possible. You're a sweet and caring person, I told them that! Then, we all went looking for answers, we did everything we could to find you and then, you found us…"
"We had Torchwick down, we could have brought him in and put this whole thing to rest. Then you found us, knocked us all on our asses and then-" Yang gripped the edge of the table with her trembling hands so hard that she felt her fingers compress the wood in her fist. "You… you went to his side. I called for you and you just went to him and he smiled at you."
"After that, even after all of that, my team was still determined to bring you back home." Yang's body relaxed and the rage ebbed from her eyes, leaving only a desolate sadness behind. "They wanted you back home, safe and sound you know? We- we went all the way to Mountain Glenn, fought through hordes of Grimm and then… I got captured."
"When I came to, I was brought to Torchwick. When I told him I was your sister… he got angry, really, really angry, which I could totally understand… but what he said next, that was just… I still don't know what to think about it." She covered her face with both her hand and let out as much anxiety as she could in a long, deep exhale.
"Yang… please, what did he say?" As Ruby spoke, Yang felt anger flare up in her chest… but she forced it down as her eyes met her sister's wide, pleading gaze.
"I-" Her words died on her lips as rage bit into her heart and deep sadness chilled her soul. With a shaky breath, she folded her hands in front of her and looked down from sister's oppressive eyes. Should I really tell her? After all Torchwick has done, after all Ruby has done for him? He's in prison now, it's over, there's no- there's no reason I should tell her… but…
"Sorry Goldie Locks, I can't tell you where she is right now. I'm counting on you though, you're my backup plan kid." Torchwick's words echoed through Yang's mind… painfully. As much as she tried, she couldn't shake those damn words! She gritted her teeth as tight as she could as her fists balled up, turning her knuckles white… and the, her body went almost limp, as though she'd lost some invisible fight. Damn it! Fine!
"After I was captured he- he said "I don't want her ending up in jail or worse. Just keep her safe, whatever it takes.", that's what he said... he was talking about you Ruby." Yang's eyes were a cold purple as she stared almost blankly at Ruby who only looked back at her with shock… until a tiny smile graced her lips, filling Yang with another pang of rage.
Roman said that… about me? The tiny smile had evolved into barely concealed beaming as Ruby closed her eyes and looked to the sky, the radiant beams of sun warming her eyelids as she let those words ruminate within her, thinking them again each time in Roman's voice.
"I think he really cared about you sis." Yang's suddenly gentle and understanding voice shook Ruby from her trance. "I don't think you were ever evil, I think you were just… misguided."
"Yang, I know this may be impossible for you to understand, but I lived with Roman, he has a good heart, I've seen it. When I woke up, I had nothing… I was nothing." Those last words seemed to bear all the terror and loneliness she felt whenever she tried to think to her past. Even Yang's heart broke just a little bit more at how utterly empty Ruby sounded as she spoke.
"I was nothing, but even when I didn't know who I was, Roman saw something in me, he gave me a reason to move forward. I fought for him and yeah, maybe at first it was for completely selfish reasons but, as time went on… I became closer to him and to the people who were loyal to him. W-we became a family Yang. The only family I know." A painful smile formed from her lips, mix of happy nostalgia and melancholy that felt somehow more uncomfortable than just sadness alone.
Yang visibly flinched at Ruby's words as she felt her heart may be torn in two, both from what she said… and just how happy she sounded, talking about a criminal as she would have spoke about her actual sister not all that long ago. Now… I- I don't mean anything to her.
"Oh! No, I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" Ruby bolted up, her voice brimming with guilt and worry as she frantically tried to make the situation better. "It's just, you know, everything before I woke up as Roman's hostage, it's all just… darkness. Every time I try to think back before then I- I just feel so cold and empty."
Tears glistened on the surface of her silver eyes that reflected Yang's face back at her like mirrors before streaming down her cheeks. Her soft lips quivered and her trembling body quaked the table as Ruby's breaths became increasingly rapid and shallow and her heart hammered in her chest. Her mind reached against her will, into the darkness that terrified her, she felt her body go weak as nausea swept over her. I- I won't go back. I won't go back I won't go back I won't go back! There's just nothing there… I don't want to be back in that dark, cold room alone, not again! I- I need to... I need to-
"Ruby!" Yang jumped up as instinct took over her senses and burned away all the anger and sadness she had, leaving her only with the desire to protect her baby sister. Suddenly, Ruby snapped out of her downward spiral, her eyes she didn't even remember closing shot open.
"I- I'm sorry…" She spoke in barely a whisper, her face blank as she fell back to her seat, her arms resting at her sides.
"Ruby what was that?" Yang begged helplessly as she stood over the fragile, shaking girl, Ruby's hands held together softly her face pale as though all the blood had been drained from her small body.
"That," Ruby let out a small, pitiful laugh as her hand weakly fell to her chest in an attempt to calm her still racing heart. "That's what happens, when I try to go back."
"W-what do you mean?" A cold and heavy feeling weight uncomfortably in Yang's stomach as she watched her sister try to regain her composer. Part of her though, a small part, wanted to just… stop, to just leave, because she knew, she may not be able to handle what Ruby said next.
"When I try to think back before I woke up, I get this really bad feeling. It's not like pain, but it kinda hurts at first, but when I think too deep into that darkness… I just feel like nothing. I- I guess, in a way, it's like I'm dead, but I'm also alive. It's really the worst feeling and I can't even really describe it that well." Ruby swallowed back the sobs that were choking her throat and forced herself onward.
"You know, it's actually getting worse? Like, the longer I lived with Roman, the more experiences I had and the more I came to… to love him, the more that darkness hurt. I guess it's because I started building something like a life. Roman was like a father to me and every day brought something new and that darkness, it only seemed to stand out more and more in my memories."
Yeah, Yang was right… she was hurting now… hurting a lot. Ruby's words, all of them, caused her different levels of pain, but what cut deepest was that someone like Torchwick took the place of Taiyang… their real dad and a good man.
"So," Ruby carried on, seemingly oblivious or indifferent to the pain her sister was in. "You kinda get why I've made it my sort of life's mission to never try to recapture my past. Always move forward, that's my thing, I guess."
"I- I understand Ruby." Yang forced herself through every word, she felt as fragile as the thinnest glass, and one more hit… would break her. "I'm so sorry. Everything you've been through, I'm sorry I couldn't have been there for you when you needed me the most."
"Well, you tried to be, I just tried to kill you every time you got close." Ruby giggled, feeling her heart easing a little. This is so weird. I- I was never able to open up like this, even to Roman, I never really told him how… losing my memory made me feel. I barely know this girl but, for some reason, I feel safe enough with her to talk to her like this. I wonder if that's because of who she is as a person or because some kind of lasting connection that still exists between us from before?
"Yeah… that made it kinda hard." Yang grinned at her sister as she leaned casually back, feeling the tension easing in her chest. This is crazy. She's right, she's tried to kill me and my team multiple times and yet, this feels nice, talking to her like this. She's still the same Ruby… maybe what side you're on doesn't really change who you are. Maybe the world really isn't that simple.
"Yang…" Ruby's tone was heavy and dark, her eyes fixed on Yang's her their smiles faded at once. "Roman is… he's part of my past now. He's not coming back, I know that. After he got arrested, I was lost, in a lot of ways. I- I didn't know who I was or what I would do without him… and then Mercury, Emerald and Cinder found me. I was scared and- well, I ended up fighting them. When they saw how good I could fight…"
"They offered me a place at Haven academy." Her voice was serious but Yang could tell there was a hint of hesitation and apology in her tone…
She's… afraid to tell me that? She- she really doesn't want to hurt me.
"They don't know anything about my past, only that I lost my memories and that I knew how to fight. I'm moving forward and, without Roman, this is the way forward… I can feel it." Her silver eyes burned with conviction as she looked to her sister. "Please, I'm just- I'm just trying to make life make sense again. I'm trying to leave my past behind. I have until the end of this tournament to decide if I really want to go to Haven with them. Yang, I think I want to become a Huntress."
"D-did you say Haven?" Yang felt numb and cold again. "But… that's so far away. W-why don't you come to Beacon? You have less than two years until you're old enough to enroll and with how strong you've become, you'll get in no problem! You could stay with dad in Patch and-"
"Yang." Ruby's cold voice cut through Yang's babbling, forcing her to a stop as she looked to her sister. Her cold gaze turned into a gentle and sorrowful frown as she spoke. "I- I know how you feel about me, but you have to understand, I don't know you well enough at all to- to call you my family."
That was it… that did it. The strength Yang had been maintaining to keep herself together… and those words were all it took to destroy any shred of strength she had left. Her heart felt like it had been turned to solid ice and before she even knew what was happening… her cheeks felt wet.
My little sis… she's gone. Everything we've done, our entire lives together and a bump on her head was enough to… oh Ruby! W-why did this happen!? I promised, I've always promised dad I would protect her. Every time we went out somewhere, every time I took her along with me to Vale or just into town, I promised him, every single time… that I'd keep my baby sis safe. After mom passed away when we were little, I stepped up and did everything I could to take her place, to make the hurt as bearable as possible for her. I practically raised her. All of it- all of it's gone…
"Yang…" A tender, warm touch brought Yang from the turmoil in her heart as a gentle hand fell on to her own. As Ruby held her sister's hand, Yang's sobs slowly faded as she looked to Ruby with broken, but hopeful eyes. For a long moment, neither said anything as Ruby gently rubbed her thumb over the side of Yang's fist, over and over as she smiled at her with warmth and compassion.
"R-Ruby…" Her voice was strained through her tight throat as tears kept flowing, the warm drops splashing down onto the back of Ruby's hand,before rolling down onto her own and still… Ruby just smiled.
"I don't remember you, so, I can't call you my sister… but maybe friends, would be a good place to start?" Her warm smile mingled with the hope and caring in her voice as she slowly and gently pulled her hand back. Yang simply stared at her with wide lilac eyes.
"Friends?" Yang blinked, seeming to still be reeling from the blow to her heart.
"Yeah, I mean, after all we've been through, I'd completely understand if you didn't want to." Despite Ruby's unwavering smile, there was a note of sadness in her voice. "Still, I think you and I could still be friends. I- I've never opened up to anyone about what it really feels like… that darkness, not even Roman. You're really easy to talk to and… everything I did, I did to protect the people I cared about!"
"Friends…" Yang echoed again, this time, softly and contemplatively as her eyes drifted up to the sky. I've been dreaming of the day I could have my baby sister back… this might not be perfect, but it's a start. Maybe spending more time with me will- will bring something of her back.
"I think…" Yang took a deep, steadying breath, calming her nerves and relaxing her throat. As her gaze fell back to her sis- no, her friend, she gave a soft but pain filled smile. "I think friends would be a good place to start."
"Really!?" Ruby's eyes lit up with exuberance and excitement and her smile beamed as bright as the sun. "This'll be great! I'm so happy, we're going to have such a good time! I promise I won't try to blow anyone up!"
"Ruby!" Yang gave a scolding look, forcing her new… friend to smile apologetically as she rubbed the back of her head and stuck her tongue out. Even though she still felt a deep longing for the relationship she once had with Ruby… she couldn't help but feel happy.
Friends… it's not nothing.
The two new friends talked, burning away their hour together, smiling the whole time.
"So, how was your playdate?" Mercury grinned as Ruby came through the door into their room.
"Actually… not bad." She smiled, purposefully and completely ignoring Mercury's attempt to tease her.
"You were with her for a while, hope you aren't getting too attached." Mercury's tone softened with worry as he looked over her happy demeanor.
"Well of course I was with her for a while." She gave him a pouting look before turning to a bed pressed against the side of a wall, atop which sat Cinder, look back at her expectantly.
"I mean… that's why you brought me here right? To get into Yang's head and her team's?" Ruby looked questioningly to her new leader with both Mercury and Emerald following her gaze.
"Yes, and I think you're doing a wonderful job. From what I heard, you're quite the actress." She gave Ruby a pleased but devious smile.
"Wait, how did you know?" Ruby cocked her head in confusion.
"She had me keeping an eye on you and come on, like I was really going to miss you trying to charm your way into not getting outed. I thought it would be hilarious to watch awkward little Ruby trying to lie, I guess that'll teach me to judge a book by its cover." Emerald shrugged.
"You sound disappointed. Don't worry, maybe I could give you a lesson sometime." Ruby gave a smug grin as she leaned slightly forward towards Emerald who just scowled playfully at her.
"Anyway," Ruby looked back to Mercury who sat on the floor, playing with his scroll. "I did what I had to and yeah, I had fun, but I never forgot why I was there."
"I think you were just worried about me." Ruby's smile softened as she walked to Mercury and sat on the floor beside him.
"Worried that you'd screw up maybe." He chuckled, right up until a hard elbow from Ruby nearly pushed in off balance and knocking his Scroll from his hand.
"Jerk." She huffed as she crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Real mature." He rolled his eyes and picked up Scroll up off the floor, a small smile brightening his face as soon as he was turned away from the girl beside him.
"Ruby did an excellent job and remember, we have our first match of the tournament tomorrow and I want our little actress to take my spot." Immediately after cinder spoke all eyes immediately rushed to her wide in surprise.
"R-really?" Ruby asked cautiously and dubiously, echoing the feelings of her two other teammates.
"Yes. I'm eager to see what you can do." Her sly grin grew even more devious as her picked up her Scroll and flipped through it. "Tomorrow's match should be easy. Do try not to disappoint me."
