A Changing World

Act 2

Chapter 17: Moving Forward (Part Two)

A/N: Still confused whether faunus is spelled Faunus or faunus. Also, I gave up waiting for my beta reader to read this, so I'll fix whatever mistakes he finds later.

…

"Ruby?" Yang's voice was heard by the girl in question as she stared at the wall of her room in the safehouse while sitting on her bed. It was now morning, with Hiccup and the others having left the previous night. The door opened and Yang entered uninvited. "C'mon Ruby. Say something," her tone was soft and anxious.

Ruby muttered something under her breath.

"What did you say, Rubes?"

"Why are we doing this, Yang?"

"Uh, not sure what you-"

"The party. Why are we getting ready to have one? What's the point?"

"Well, to cheer you and everyone else up. Didn't you hear me say it yesterday?"

"Why cheer me up? I don't deserve it."

"What do you mean? Of course, you do!"

"Really? I didn't save Pyrrha or Blake or even Weiss's sister. I didn't even try to help Jaune or my mother."

"You're right, but most of those weren't your fault. We've been over this, Rubes."

"Maybe." Ruby fell silent for a minute, making Yang more and more concerned before she finally spoke again. "You know why I wanted to become a huntress, Yang?"

"To help people, right?"

"Right. And you know why I decided to stay at that forge in Vale?"

"Uh…"

"Because I couldn't save Pyrrha. I failed. I never wanted to fight again."

"If you didn't want to fight, then why did you agree to attack that White Fang base here in Mistral? Why not stay in Vale."

"Because you told me that we would have lots of help. Because Uncle Qrow and Dad were coming. They've always won. I mean, they're still here and my mum isn't. I thought with them around, we could easily win. Especially when Jaune's family came to help as well. But we didn't. We lost just as bad as before."

"Did Dad know about this?" Yang muttered, shock lacing her words.

"No. At least he never said anything if he did."

"Why didn't you tell me about this, Ruby? I would have helped you cope like I did when our mum died."

"You weren't there!" Ruby snapped, causing Yang to flinch. "You've been going places with Uncle Qrow and leaving me behind! All so you could avoid Blake!" Ruby's anger subsided then, leaving her voice bitter. "You're the person who could help the least."

"All you had to do was call me. I would have been there for you-"

Ruby let out a bitter laugh. "Like I tried to be there for you when you lost your arm? Back when Hiccup was still in that hospital? Tell me, dear sister, what happened then?"

"I pushed you away," she muttered, head drooping in shame.

"You pushed me away. Exactly. So if you don't mind, go away Yang. I'll come out later to help with the party if I feel like it, but I wouldn't hold my breath."

Nodding sadly, Yang turned and left the room as Ruby resumed staring blankly at the wall.

Not long later, the door opened again, this time Nora being the one to approach her.

"I'd like to be alone, Nora," said Ruby after glancing her way.

Nora silently ignored her words, sitting beside her on her bed. "I heard you and Yang talking just now."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Give me your hand," Nora instructed her.

Curious, Ruby did so, only for Nora to pull her forward and slap her on the back of her head, hard.

"Ow!" Ruby recoiled, rubbing her head. "Nora why-"

Nora crossed her arms. "That was to make you wake up Ruby. You're not the only person who's lost, someone. Are you forgetting Pyrrha?"

"No!" she protested, eyes growing wide.

"Then why are you here moping around? Why are you hurting your sister? She's in pain too, we all are. So you're going to walk upstairs, you're going to hang out with your family, and you're going to have a good time, even if I have to break your legs to do it," Nora added the last part as she took hold of Ruby's hands and pulled her to her feet.

Ruby rolled her eyes at the act. "Let go, Nora, I can walk on my own."

"Nope! I'm not letting you escape me, Ruby!" Ruby smiled at that as she was led out of the room, despite not wanting to be cheered up at all.

…

Qrow and Hiccup were standing outside the large oak door of the town hall of Kuo Kuana, the capital city of Menagerie, waiting on Weiss and the others who were inside, meeting with the council of the town. The building was in the centre of town, affording both of them a visual smorgasbord of Faunus of every variety they could think of, and even a few Qrow had never seen before. Those who gave the pair a second glance had mixed reactions upon seeing a pair of humans in the literal heart of Faunusdom, ranging from a curiously cocked eyebrow to visible disgust. Qrow mentally shrugged off the attention, but Hiccup didn't have the same thick hide as the veteran Huntsman, or possibly the same perpetual semi-inebriation. It was an unquiet feeling, and given what they'd all been through, he was seconds away from unloading on someone.

"Alright Hiccup, what's wrong?" asked Qrow without taking his eyes off of the unconscious forms of Corsac and Fennec on the ground in front of them.

"Nothing's wrong," Hiccup replied curtly.

"Something clearly is." he countered, carefully ignoring the barely concealed anger that he sensed in Hiccup's response, just before his. "You tend to ramble to others or talk to yourself instead of staying completely silent. I've been to your forge before, remember?"

"That was before I found Gobber and Astrid before even team CFVY joined Beacon. People can change. I certainly did."

"Ain't that the truth. But I'm referring to your speech yesterday. Blake's death is clearly eating at you."

"You're mostly right, but it's not what's bothering me the most, Qrow. I killed someone. He was going to kill someone I cared about, so I had to kill him-"

"-but you hate that you did because you feel different. Like you're scared you'll become a killer."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. Exactly."

Qrow took his flask from his breast pocket. After opening it and taking a swig, he continued. "Well as someone who was brought up by a tribe to kill Huntsmen and Huntresses, let me tell you: you're the furthest thing from a killer. Sure, you can fight and kill, but you're still someone who looks for any way of avoiding having to kill someone. Those lightning Dust rounds you have is proof of that."

"But what if I have to kill someone again? What then?"

"It'll hurt, but if it keeps happening, eventually you'll get used to it. I did after a few years of working for Ozpin. But honestly, if I were in your situation, about to become a parent and everything, I'd retire. This world is cruel, as you, my nieces and your friends know very well by now."

Hiccup nodded once again, but Qrow continued without acknowledging it.

"So I say settle down. It's something the Branwen tribe robbed from me, and my fool of a sister gave up, just to lead some idiots in a forest." Qrow shook his head as he said this, muttering something under his breath before continuing. "And when I say settle down, I mean you and Astrid both. You know how Summer went after all, and what it did to Tai."

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"So don't make her mistake. The world shouldn't have another team STRQ or team CBLT, particularly when you're younger than we were when it all went wrong. And before you ask, team CBLT was Oobleck's team."

Hiccup finally looked over at Qrow. "I wasn't going to ask, but I'll keep that in mind Qrow. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just actually do what I said. I'll be watching."

The door behind them started to open before Hiccup could respond further. When it opened fully, Weiss emerged. "We're done here. Time to head back to Mistral."

…

An unimpressed Yang was reclining on one of the three sofas in the room when Ruby was dragged into the room by Nora. Once there, Nora let go and parted ways with Ruby, but not before she sent the younger girl the infamous 'I'm watching you' gesture. Looking over at Yang, Ruby braced herself for trouble before approaching her sister.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me," Yang said shortly as Ruby drew near, sitting beside her.

Ruby winced. "I did," she quietly muttered, watching Jaune, Ren and Nora who were sitting opposite them, while Arslan and Jaune's family were busy decorating the room, with the exclusion of Nicholas, who had been barred from helping and was making small talk with Taiyang.

"So what, you had a change of heart?" Yang growled, looking over at Ruby as her eyes shifted red.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that-"

"Damn right you shouldn't have," Yang snapped. "In fact, you should apologise."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You and Blake never made up. If you had, then maybe you would have been around to listen to her and she wouldn't have died."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Blake died because of you."

The room fell silent at that, and every eye turned their way, especially as Yang's hair started to glow, contrasting her crimson eyes.

Then a punch was thrown, accompanied by an enraged scream, resulting in Ruby being knocked to the green-carpeted floor and Yang quickly turning and storming off. Nobody stood in the enraged brawler's way as she left, though Nora was the first to help Ruby up again.

Breaking out of her hold, Ruby started heading for the door. "I need to go after her. She'll break something and get into trouble."

Nora caught her arm in a vice-like grip before she'd gotten far. "Leave that to someone else, Ruby. Yang doesn't want to see you right now."

"Who should go then?" Ruby asked.

"I will," said Jaune as he rose and crossed the room, heading for the door. "I'll talk to her and bring her back when she's ready."

"You can't! You'll get hurt!" protested Ruby.

"Trust me, Ruby, I won't."

And with that, Jaune left.

…

Yang moved briskly, heading aimlessly down the pavements of Mistral, in what she thought was the rough direction of the heart of town. She moved without stopping for anyone, simply even to avoid barging into fellow pedestrians. Those people would look her way and send an angry response after her, not that she cared in her current emotional state.

I'm saying that Blake died because of you,

The words from Ruby were at the forefront of her mind, fuelling her semblance and the desire to punch something or someone.

Perhaps the person who was tailing her.

He or she had been following her for a couple of blocks at this point, following her even when other streets went by and she tried to shake them as best she could. Even now, she could hear their footsteps following a safe distance behind, walking briskly but always heading her way.

She hadn't looked back, not wanting to do so and let them know she was aware of their presence, but she did take precautions, such as crossing the street without warning and speeding up when among crowds. She had no wish to risk ending up in a safe house belonging to another crazed person like Merlot.

Crossing the street once more, she used the chance to seek out her tail, spying a familiar head of blonde that was a ways off as she did so.

It was Jaune.

Well at least it's not Ruby, though she'd probably have caught up with me if it was, she thought silently.

Coming to a decision, Yang slowed her pace a little, making it easier for him to catch up.

When he still remained behind her after a few minutes of nervous hovering on his part, she turned and barked an order at him, startling the blonde and the pedestrians in the vicinity. "Get over here!"

He quickly complied, aware that eyes were on them, him most of all as he moved into step beside her and they started walking again.

As they did, a tense silence formed between the pair following her outburst. "Not going to say anything?" she almost growled at him after another minute passed.

"Living with seven sisters has taught me that it's always wise to leave a girl alone when they're angry," said Jaune, looking over at her. "I broke that rule obviously, so I'm doing the next best thing."

"Which is?" asked Yang, looking his way.

He gave her the ghost of a smile. "Always let the girl speak first and obey anything they tell you to do."

"Would you obey if I told you to head back to the safe house?" she asked. "I'm feeling like I should put you to the test Jaune."

"I would do it if you were angry. You're not. You're hurting inside."

"I'm a little bit more than that," she said curtly.

"True, so why don't we go somewhere to talk about it?"

"Why? What would that solve?"

Jaune shrugged. "Maybe nothing, but as someone who's also lost someone they cared about, I'm perhaps the only person who knows how you feel. So, what do you say?"

Yang's hair dimmed and her eyes shifted back to their default lilac as she let out a sigh, the subtle reference to Pyrrha calming her down. "C'mon then. I know somewhere we won't be bothered by anyone. When we get there, we'll talk."

"I also know somewhere we could go, where Ruby would never think to look."

"You do huh? Where?"

"My parent's house. Bit of a cliché, but my parents aren't home."

"Sounds like a plan, Arc. But try anything and I'll make sure you regret it."

Jaune stared at her, unimpressed, for a long moment until she grew a little uncomfortable before he rolled his eyes and turned and walked away.

"What? See something you like?" she retorted, trying to save face.

He looked back at her in response. "Are you going to keep standing there and wait for Ruby, team CFVY, my team or our families to try and find us or are you going to come with me and get where they won't think to look at first before they start to wonder why we're taking so long. Your choice Yang."

"Shutting up now," she said as she caught up with him. "Lead the way."