Hi mortals and immortals alike. Welcome back to The Yang Before Christmas. Here we last saw Yang entering a grave.
SaurusRock625: Yup! And there's going to be a long time skip in this chapter. This starts when Yang is in Beacon, and the events of the Vytal Festival are ignored. Cinder and her gang are NOT the enemy in this story, but hidden allies. Now, I just have the need to do this for Yang… SHE CAN WIN! SHE FEELS GREAT! SHE! CAN! DO! THIS!
Yang: Oh, HA HA! REAL MATURE OF YOU.
SaurusRock625: Thank you!
*WE STILL DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS!*
This is Halloween! - Events Set Into Motion!
In the space between dimensions, we find ourselves in a dark room that seems to be a mix of a futuristic laboratory and a witch doctor's hut. Some of the most prominent items in the room were a chess board with red and black chess pieces, a large cauldron filled with an odd brew, some robots that were working around the place to repair a hole in the wall and two comfy chairs situated near the cauldron with the chess board between them.
Seated in one of the chairs was a mysterious man who was clothed in the pelts of dark pink Vulpimancers. He wears a blindfold and has six 'gills' on each side of his neck. On his left wrist is a black wristwatch with a mark that looks like an open mouth with sharp teeth. The teeth are white and the inside of the mouth is red.
"Paul, remind me again why you had me brew that potion when we didn't have all the ingredients we needed. You should've LISTENED to me when I told you it would be incredibly unstable without Caterpillar Hairs and Glow Berries!" he growled.
"And you should've listened to me when I told you not to eat the Glow Berries because we needed them. Besides, at least the potion only destroyed the wall." Paul said as he sat in the other chair.
He had messy black hair with neon purple streaks, a neon green eye, gloves, and boots, white belt with green gemstone on the buckle, black shirt with two scythes crossed together with a symbol on top, and chain necklace with three pendants: the symbol of a guild, a symbol, and a small blocky phone like device. On his left wrist was a slim gold and purple wristwatch with a pair of wings between white teeth on a purple background. He had a scar on his right eye that was currently covered with a purple eye-patch with a golden dragon surrounding the symbol on the watch. He also has a bushy black tail.
"Gentlemen, please! Now is not the time for one of your scuffles! Besides, Paul has a fair point in regards to you consuming the Glow Berries." A holographic mixture of Ahsoka and Bulma said.
"Well of course YOU'D take his side, Gladys!" Yami growled.
"She is my invention." Paul said
"Anyway, the time for the prophecy to be fulfilled is nearly upon us. Soon, those two holidays will meet and send the Holiday Worlds either spiraling into chaos, or into a time of great peace and prosperity." Yami said.
Yami waved his hand over the cauldron's brew, his watch glowing bright red as he did. An image of seventeen year old Yang hanging out with her teammates Jaune Arc, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, appeared within it. But it also showed Yang hiding her pain behind a false smile as she was mocked by her 'sister' and her team.
But it also showed Yang walking towards the Graveyard in Vale, checking every now and again as she looked for a specific Grave.
It also flashed to an area that was shrouded in the blackest of darkness, infested with Grimm. And in those shadows we can see deeply buried memories of Yang's. Her finding and being cared for in secret by her real mother, Raven Branwen. Even memories of her laughing and smiling as she embraced a pale woman with white hair, red eyes with black sclera, and black veiny lines running down her eyes.
She even made a few friends among some children taken in by this group. A little girl with black hair and amber yellow eyes, a girl with brown skin, mint green hair and red eyes, an older girl with an ice cream theme to her looks who seems to be a bit short for her age (a minor growing disability, perhaps?) and a boy with metal legs, silver hair and a slightly lazy attitude.
All memories that were buried due to so much pain and negligence caused by her 'family'.
"Such a sad, sad thing it is that's happened to our young charge. Why did things have to progress like they did?" Yami asked. "And is Shawn absolutely certain he can't see the future for this particular universe?"
"You forget. Shawn doesn't see the futures of universes, he sees what's going on in the present." Paul said.
Yami sighed at that response and looked to the chessboard. The first pieces have made their move. Yang was the black queen piece and Jaune was a black knight. They symbolized that something very epic was about to go down.
Let's see just what's about to happen, shall we?
*Vale Cemetery: Same Time…*
Yang's POV.
FINALLY! I thought professor Port would NEVER stop his useless rambling! I mean, really, how are we supposed to learn how to kill Grimm from that fat man if he won't stop his useless ramblings about his glory days?! WHO THE HELL CARES IF HE SLAYED THE JABOWOKEE AND WENT ON TO SAVE NARNIA?! WHO?! JUST… WHO?!
...Whew! Okay, sorry. I just had to get that out of my system. I mean, it's hard enough to focus in class when Ruby's teammate, Yoruichi, won't stop shooting spitballs at the back of my head. At least the professors don't tolerate that kind of behavior in or out of classes, but I have come TOO CLOSE to just punching that stupid cat's lights out for ruining my hair! I had to get so much of it cut off just to save what was left!
Lucky for me, my glorious leader Jaune learned how to style hair thanks to his seven sisters. Now my hair kinda looks like Android #18's from the Android Saga of Dragon Ball Z, only wavier. Let it be known that I shall not trust ANYONE ELSE to do my hair.
Anyway, as I walked through the cemetery, I thought back on how shitty my life turned out. Ruby has been spoiled rotten by my so called 'family', and they do NOTHING to stop it! Honestly, I stopped thinking of them as family before I turned eleven, but their treatment and indifference still hurt me a lot.
If only my REAL mom were still around… Maybe SHE could set them straight.
Yeah, wishful thinking. So, as I make my way to the grave entrance to my favorite place in the entire world, I make sure to double check that I'm not being followed.
Looks like I'm in the clear.
I cut my thumb using a small knife I keep on me and smeared the blood on the Jack o' Lantern lock before opening the grave to reveal the secret staircase. I immediately start running down the stairs as the grave doors close behind me. It's time for my absolute favorite time of the year!
Third Person POV.
"YANG, NO!" cried Jaune as he and the rest of his team ran out from their hiding place.
And now that they have, we can see the costumes they're wearing.
Jaune is dressed as Wizardmon from the Digimon franchise, complete with the big wizard's hat and Wizardmon's signature staff.
Ren decided to go as Cheetor from Transformers Beast Wars. Although Jaune was certain that Tigatron would've been a much better choice, as both he and Ren are the strong silent type.
As for Nora? Well, she was dressed as a velociraptor from the Jurassic Park movies. Only this one was colored grey with a few pink streaks here and there, and her face was sticking out of the mouth.
Anyway, they immediately ran to the grave and tried to open it up and get Yang out, but the doors wouldn't budge. Even with Nora's immense strength they just wouldn't open! Stopping to catch their breath, they began to wonder just how Yang was able to open the grave so easily.
"Just what did she do to get this thing to open?!" Jaune asked.
"I don't know, Jaune. But it seems kind of hopeless to open this thing at this point." Ren said, panting as he tried to get his second wind.
"No energy…! Need… pancakes…!" Nora panted dramatically as she laid on the ground holding up a hand.
"We have to find a way in." Jaune said as he tried to get the door open again.
As the blonde boy and only son of the Arc Family tried to open the grave again, Nora noticed something carved into the back of the tomb. Being the curious girl that she is, she crawled towards that part of the tomb to get a closer look.
"Hey guys, check it out! There's a poem written on this tomb! I mean, a literal poem!" Nora reported.
That got Jaune and Ren to stop what they were doing and walk over to their orange haired teammate. And upon close inspection, they saw that Nora was right. There is indeed a poem carved into the stone tomb of this grave.
"What's it say?" Jaune asked.
"Hold on, let me put on my reading glasses." Nora said, pulling out a pair of reading glasses from… somewhere.
"I still can't believe she needs those things." Jaune said to Ren.
"Understandable, considering she only really needs them when reading very small print." Ren replied.
"Hush!" Nora ordered.
Placing the glasses over her eyes, Nora leaned in to get a better look at the poem. She cleared her throat and began to read in a bit of an exaggerated narrator's voice.
Nora: Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems.
In a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams.
For the story that you are about to be told began with the holiday worlds of old.
Now, you've probably wondered where holidays come from.
"Actually, I never really thought about it. I was too busy trying to stay sane from my seven sisters driving me up the wall every holiday. Particularly Halloween." Jaune said.
He crossed his arms and pouted like a child as he added "They always took so much of my candy before mom and dad finally put a stop to it when I was eight."
"I pity you, fearless leader." Nora said honestly. "And when we go trick or treating next year, I'll be sure we hit lots of houses so we can get lots and lots of yummy stuff!"
Jaune smiled in appreciation at Nora's words. He then gestured for her to finish reading the poem, which she did while slipping back into character amazingly well.
Nora: If you haven't, I'd say it's time you begun!
For the holidays are the result of much fuss and hard work for the worlds that create them for us!
Well, you see now, quite simply that's all that they do!
Making one unique holiday especially for you!
But once, a calamity ever so great occurred…
When two holidays met by mistake!
That poem left the remaining members of Team JRNY stumped. It was far more cryptic than any of them really thought possible. Why was it like that? And what does it mean?
They were jolted from their thoughts when they heard a loud thud. Looking back at the front of the grave, they saw that the doors to the tomb were wide open… and they weren't that way before!
"Nora… Ren… please tell me it was one of you that opened that grave." Jaune begged, cowering in fright.
"That was not me…! Ren replied with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Not me! I was standing here with you guys!" Nora added, actually quivering rather than putting up a brave front.
"Well, it wasn't me, so… who opened that grave?!" Jaune asked.
Just as he asked however, a great big wind began to blow in from the grave. Not that anyone could tell, as they were all too busy clinging to the ground for dear life.
"The forecast only called for a light breeze this evening!" Ren yelled over the wind.
"If this is supposed to be a LIGHT breeze, then I'd hate to be caught in a twister!" Jaune yelled back.
"RUN FOR THE HILLS, BOYS! THE GODS OF ASGARD HAVE BEEN ENRAGED! IT'S THE END OF THE SCRIPT!" screamed Nora.
Eventually, the wind became too much for our hunters in training and they screamed as they were sucked up into the grave like a slushy through a drinking straw. As they plummeted into the dark abyss of the grave, the doors to said grave slammed shut. And if I know team JRNY like I do, then this means there's trouble a brewin'.
In a forest of dead trees, the sound of two boys and one girl screaming in terror filled the air. Jaune was the first to land on the cold, hard merciless ground. Just as he was about to get up, Ren landed on him. And finally, Nora landed on both of them… although she landed knees first on a VERY painful spot on Ren's body. As proven by the sickening cracking sounds followed by a very high pitched scream that, for once, didn't come from Jaune.
"OMYGAWD, RENNY! Are you okay?!" Nora asked in worry as she got off of Ren.
The boy was currently holding his groin, wincing in pain from the impact. When he spoke again, it seems like his voice went up a few octaves.
"Nora… you landed… on my dick…! Why? Why did you land on my dick?!"
"Not so funny NOW, is it Ren?" Jaune asked.
He's been hit there quite a few times, so he knows the pain. Especially since most of those hits have been received from White Fang members, Grimm and a strange girl with an ice cream theme to her wardrobe. Although she admitted to that one being an accident whilst using sign language. She was aiming for his stomach that time, but her height makes it difficult to hit her intended targets.
*In the World Between Dimensions…*
Watching how the three remaining members of Team JRNY ended up, both Paul and Yami winced and covered their own groins in sympathy for the magenta eyed boy. But how Yami saw this while blindfolded remains shrouded in mystery.
"Owwww…! That's gotta hurt!" Yami said, cringing a bit.
"Should've worn a cup." Paul said.
*Meanwhile, with Team JRNY…*
After taking a moment to recover, and promising to get Ren an ice pack when this was all over, team JRNY took a look at their surroundings. So far, it was nothing but dead trees as far as the eye could see.
"Where are we?" Nora asked.
"I don't know. I've never seen a forest like this one before." Jaune replied.
He picked his staff up off the ground and looked up at the sky. He was idly wondering how they fell from the sky if they were sucked into a grave.
"But one thing's for sure. We can't go back the way we came." Jaune said. "Let's try to find a way out of these woods and see if we can't get some help from the locals."
Nora and Ren nodded in acceptance of that plan and followed their leader as he started walking along a dirt road. His plan made sense. If they followed this road, they might eventually happen upon a Town of some sort. Albeit, it's more likely they'll come across Grimm infested ruins instead, but it'd at least be a good discovery if they found ruins of a long lost civilization.
It didn't take long for our crew to make it out of the dead woods and into a Town. But something about the town was quite different from any other place on Remnant. It seemed to have this kind of Halloween vibe to it.
"This place is incredible, guys! Just look at all the people and their costumes!" Jaune said with a big grin.
"I know, right! I mean, they look sooooo realistic!" Nora added, practically vibrating from excitement.
But as his friends went over to the Town square to check out a fountain filled with green water, Ren stopped to look at a pair of scarecrows that each had a Jack o' Lantern for a head. It was at that moment that he noticed a sign on the taller of the two.
"Halloween Town? Is that what this place is called?" Ren asked himself.
As he walked over to his team, he began to hear something ringing through the air. Something that sounded like…
"Hey, does anyone else hear music?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah, but where's it coming from?" Nora answered while asking her own question.
"I don't know, but I've got the strangest feeling that someone is about to sing." Ren added.
And sing, the people did begin to do.
SHADOW: Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
SIAMESE SHADOW: Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
PUMPKIN PATCH CHORUS: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
GHOSTS: This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of Fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween
As the citizens sang their song and marched/danced into the town square, team JRNY saw several of the monsters that haunted their nightmares as children. For Jaune, it was the monster he always suspected was under his bed. In Nora and Ren's case, it was a creature that made scary sounds under the stairs.
CREATURE UNDER BED: I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
MAN UNDER THE STAIRS: I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
CORPSE CHORUS: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
The next creatures to show up were a quartet of vampires that very well could be brothers. There was also the mayor who could pass off as a human… if his body didn't turn all the way around while his head faced the viewers.
VAMPIRE QUARTET: In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
MAYOR: In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise
CORPSE CHORUS: Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting now to pounce, and howl, you'll scream!
WEREWOLF: This is Halloween
HARLEQUIN: Red 'n' black,
MELTING MAN: And slimy green
WEREWOLF: Aren't you scared?
"Um… yes?" Nora replied, shivering in fright.
That was when two witches, a tall one and a short one, flew up out of the well as they sang the next verse of the song.
WITCHES: Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take the chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
HANGING TREE: Everybody scream, everybody scream
HANGED MEN: In our town of Halloween
Ren was doing his best to remain calm despite the situation, as the song was actually quite catchy. But then he saw something that made him leap into Nora's arms like they were doing a perfect impression of Shaggy and Scooby-Doo.
"AAAAHHH! CLOWN!" he screamed.
CLOWN: I am the clown with the tear-away face
(rips his face off) Here in a flash and gone without a trace
FIRST GHOUL: I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
SECOND GHOUL: I am the wind blowing through your hair
BOOGIE MAN SHADOW: I am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright
CORPSE CHORUS: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
That was when Team JRNY saw something peculiar. A giant of a man with an axe stuck in his head was walking through the gates towing a pair of straw horses. Each one had one of the scarecrows that Ren saw before riding on them. And something was telling him that there was a reason why these monsters looked so real.
"Uh… guys?"
"Not now, Ren! I am seriously having so much fun here!" Jaune said as he danced around, showing off his very impressive dance moves.
"I know, right! This is just so awesome!" Nora added.
Ren just sighed. He'd tell them later. A guillotine dropped down and sliced a Jack o' Lantern in half before a zombie child, a bat demon kid and a mummy child continued the song.
CHILD CORPSE TRIO: Tender lumplings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare
CORPSE DAD: That's our job,
CORPSE MOM: But we're not mean
in our town of Halloween
CORPSE CHORUS: In this town
MAYOR: Don't we love it now?
MAYOR WITH CORPSE CHORUS: Everyone's waiting for the next surprise
Jaune, Nora and Ren instantly perked up when they heard the next lyrics. And for good reason, too.
CORPSE CHORUS: Yang and Jack might catch you in the back
And scream like banshees
Make you jump out of your skin!
This is Halloween, everybody scream
The two scarecrows sprang to life and each grabbed a lit torch from one of the townsfolk.
HANGING TREE AND HANGED MEN: Won't ya please make way for a special gal and guy
Now Ren wasn't entirely sure what caused this, but the two scarecrows swallowed their respective torches and began to do an incredibly scary and highly flexible dance on their straw horses. Ren just chalked it up to the straw that made up the bodies of the scarecrows being old and dead.
Yang and Jack, king and queen of the pumpkin patch
Everyone hail to the Queen and King now
EVERYONE: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Once the horses reached the fountain, the two scarecrows stopped dancing and swan dived into the green waters of the fountain. Everyone gathered around to watch as two figures rose up from the waters. One of which shocked team JRNY to their very cores.
CORPSE CHILD TRIO: In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
EVERYONE: La, la, la, la-la la, la, la, la-la la, la, la, la-la la, la-la la, Wheeeeeee!
The townspeople clapped and cheered loudly as their town's idols rose up from the waters of the fountain. One of them was Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween. He's seven feet tall and wears a black and white pinstripe suit with long tails and a bat bowtie. But it was the second figure that caught team JRNY's attention.
It was YANG! But she's dressed differently than when she entered the grave.
Now she was wearing a long flowing black dress with white pinstripes similar to Jack's suit. The dress stops below her knees, and the skirt looks like it was designed for both function and fashion so as to not restrict movement while looking good. She also wore black tights and red high heels, and a pair of white gloves that were fingerless, showing that her nails were painted red with black Jack o' Lanterns. And to complete the ensemble, her hair was done up in a bun with a pair of bangs framing her face, a sharp eye mask that resembles a bat, and around her neck was a black widow spider that acted like a tie.
That's right, folks. This is definitely Yang Xiao Long: apprentice to Jack Skellington and the future Pumpkin Queen of Halloween. And she looks genuinely happy to be surrounded by all of her friends in Halloween Town.
'What the heck is going on here?!' team JRNY thought in unison.
*Elsewhere…*
In the darkness of the Grimmlands, a woman with white skin and hair, red eyes with black sclera and black veins running down her face was watching the events unfold from her trusty crystal ball. She smiled upon seeing Yang in her current 'Pumpkin Princess' outfit, having anonymously designed it for Yang before giving the designs to Jack to have the outfit made.
"You are truly becoming a true Pumpkin Queen of Halloween, my precious granddaughter. I only wish I could be there with you and your mother… to hold you and take away your pain." the woman said to herself.
This woman is Salem Crucible, the creator of the Grimm and grandmother of Yang Xiao Long. And despite being over 15,000 years old, she still looks and sounds like she's about twenty five.
And she hated Summer Rose and her family with a passion. She and her daughter Raven are well aware of how Yang was treated and have plans to put a stop to them. And that plan is slowly coming together. Looking away from the crystal ball, Salem looked at the room she was in. It was filled to the brim with torture devices that looked more like gambling games like slot machines, blackjack, gambling wheels, tarot cards and things like that.
It seemed cliche, but Salem had to admit one thing. Oogie Boogie has great taste.
Reaching over to a nearby table, she picked up a wine goblet that looked to be made out of bones. She took a sip of the ectoplasmic green liquid inside and began to ponder. This drink of hers was missing something. Something important…
Ah! Now she knows what it needs; blood! And she knows just who's blood to use.
"Soon, my precious granddaughter… we will set you free! And bring judgement upon those who dared to hurt you so!" Salem said to herself.
She began to laugh rather darkly as the scene shifted to a family portrait of Ruby and her family (minus Yang) pinned to a dart board. But there are also pictures of the rest of team RWBY. Weiss Schnee the heiress of the SDC, Blake Belladonna formerly of the White Fang, and Yoruichi, a cat Faunus who specializes in speed over power. Clearly, things are about to take a dark turn for Beacon and it's students.
"Mother," inquired Raven as she walked into the viewing room. "Are you plotting our vengeance against my baby girl's tormentors again? Without me?!"
"But of course not, Raven. I was merely getting everything ready for when you arrived." Salem replied while pulling out the plans. "Now, let's review our plan a few more times…"
*To Be Continued…*
Well, that was something. It's awesome that we have this. Well, I gotta pause it. Thanks for reading. If you liked it, PUNCH that Favorite/Follow button in the face, LIKE A BOSS! And I'll see all you dudes and dudettes IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!