A/N: Everyone hyped for RWBY V4 tomorrow? No? THEN GET HYPED!

Book II: Corruption's End

Chapter 58: A Hand Outstretched

"An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded." - Blood Ravens Librarians' maxim

"The universe is tripartite: the sunlight of the material plane, the darkness of the spirit plane, and the twilight of the spaces betwixt the two." - Spiritseer Iyanna Arienal

"This is… surprising," Garnet mused. Yang looked up at him. "You know that prostrating yourself like that is unnecessary… right?"

Yang sniffed and wiped her eyes. Gave a weak chuckle as she unfolded herself and stood up. "I didn't," she replied. Given all that Amat had told her and her own observations, she assumed nothing less than total deference would win over an eldar.

Pyrrha's son or not, she was too desperate to gamble.

"You can help me… right?" She asked.

"Of course," he replied, a disarming smile spreading across his thin lips. "Anything for Ruby's sister, the great Yang Xiao Long." He paused to scratch at his chin thoughtfully. "Though I have never had a human pupil before. Did Weiss not teach you?"

"She tried," Yang allowed, running a hand through her hair. "I learned how to open a connection to the warp, but I struggled a lot. And when I used it in battle for the first time, it really fucked with my head."

"I see," Garnet said. He stood as well, tucking a strand of hair of red-black hair behind his ear. Turning his back to Yang, his hand caressed the pulsing red stone that sat in the center of the room. At his touch, it glowed, bathing the warlock in a sea of red light. A red like roses.

"I…" Yang tried, words failing her. Admitting it again was almost too painful. "I'm scared. Weiss is probably the best psychic teacher for me in the entire Imperium, and her… her lessons don't work. I don't think I can last forever against… it."

"It?"

"The warp," Yang said, kicking at the polished floor. "Weiss' glyphs help a little, and so does thinking about Ruby… but there's nothing permanent. I haven't slept well in months. Always with these horrible nightmares… and the… the red."

Garnet raised an eyebrow. "The red?"

Yang's fists balled, and she forced her eyes shut, forced a steady breath into her lungs. "I was never the most restrained Huntress, even on Remnant. You know that. But here… here, it's never enough. I just want to kill and kill and kill, and sometimes I'm almost overcome. I want to cut loose so bad, but I bite down the urges each time." She pinched the bridge of her nose, a pretext to wipe away another brewing tear. "And I almost fell. If it wasn't for Amat, I would have. I've... seen what lies on the other side. And the worst part is that a part of me doesn't care."

The eldar straightened, purple cloak rippling over his shoulders. "I see," he said.

"I just want it to stop," Yang said. "I just want it to end."

Garnet looked over his shoulder, a wide, familiar grin on his face. "You came to the right place Yang Xiao Long."

"Thank you. I don't have any other choice," she said simply.

"My mother had the uncanny fortune to appear on Il-Kaithe," Garnet said. "A human child that eclipsed some warlocks in raw psychic talent. A child merely fifteen passes old, more adept at war than most exarchs. And she spoke not a word of gothic. The ruling council at the time believed their only choice was to banish her. They saw only a mon'keigh, where father saw something different. A human."

Yang scratched her head. "Aren't they the same thing?"

Garnet only smiled. "My first lesson," he said. "Nothing is as it first seems. Ever."

Yang was a bit confused, but she was too relieved to care. "I'll take it to heart."

"I'm glad," Garnet said, his grin widening. "It will be my honor to teach you."

"So... " Yang said, scratching at her neck. "We good to start now?"

"Momentarily. For now, have a seat. Meditate. Calm yourself. It will make everything much easier. And safer."

"Safer?" Yang asked. "Should I get Amat?"

"That won't be necessary," Garnet said. "But for humans, accessing the warp is risky, no matter who attends you or how you do it."

Yang nodded. "If you say so."

With a swish of his cloak, Garnet departed from the chamber, striding past Yang with simplistic grace. It still unnerved her how... easily they moved. Like the world moved around them, rather than them forging a path through the world.

There were no places to sit. Nothing but warm and polished metal. Sighing, Yang rested upon the floor. A good as place as any.

In Garnet's absence, the central stone seemed to dim and darken. Like a torch without its fuel. Breathing deep, she tried to calm herself, bring herself back to center. She hadn't planned to get so emotional. To open up like that.

Especially to a xenos, a part of her thought before she could strangle it into silence. No. It's Pyrrha's kids we're talking about here. I can trust them. Garnet's going to help me. I'm going to get myself under control.

Weiss needs to know that I'm not some naive kid straight out of Signal.

But then, the question becomes... who am I? What do I want? How am I going to fix the Imperium if I'm barely surviving in it?

Do I even want to fix it?

What happens after Josephus? Abaddon?

Deep breath. Hold, hold, hold. Release. A breathing exercise Amat showed her, for whatever good it did. The man had an ugodly amount of patience, something Yang sorely lacked. But patience could be learned. Psykery could be learned.

I am a danger to my friends and allies if I don't endeavor to learn them both.

Garnet returned.

"I apologize," he started. "The mariners require their directions, and I, their humble guide, must abide them. Shall we begin?"

Yang nodded, and with her assent, Garnet killed the lights. Even the central stone dimmed, fading until blackness enveloped them.

And then there were stars.

Stars by the hundreds, stars by the hundred of thousands, little points of light that filled the room with a gentle, ethereal glow.

Yang gaped, reaching out for a collection of familiar suns. "This constellation," she said. "That's Reinhardt, the Templar Triumphant!"

"You recognize it?" Garnet asked, with a note of surprise.

"Ruby and me used to stargaze a lot when we were little," Yang replied, cradling the constellation. At her touch, the stars glowed, sending out a searing white line that connected each point. Upon completion, an image of Reinhardt flared into existence, proudly wielding his hammer-pistols.

"On Patch, the nights were so clear," Yang whispered. "Ruby taught me a lot of them. I forgot most of them, but this one was her favorite. That one and..." Yang reached out once more, caressing a cluster of stars. They did not glow like Reinhardt's.

"Mother did not know that constellation," Garnet admitted, eyebrow arching. "Though she spent many nights looking up at the sky."

"Ruby made it up when we were kids," Yang whispered. "Summer Rose, the Missing Huntress."

At her words, the constellation burst into being, and an image of Summer Rose in her white cloak appeared, a beatific smile on her lips.

Mom.

"I see," Garnet said. He beamed and bowed his head in appreciation. "I thank you for your contribution."

"How'd you make this?" Yang asked, turning to face the warlock.

"I built it from Mother's memories," Garnet replied, his smile marred by a moment of grief. "A small project that fills my spare time. You are welcome to a copy, of course"

Yang gaped for a second before speaking. "I... thank you. This... it means a lot."

Garnet extended his arm, and a device similar to Maion's tumbled into his fingers. Yang reached for it, but the eldar flicked it away from her at the last second.

"Of course, there are limits to my gracious magnanimity. Unfortunately, I have been lying to you - I only ask one thing of you in exchange for the gift of training and the stars of your homeworld."

"What's that?" Yang asked.

"Memories." Garnet replied. "Your memories, to be precise. Only my Mother's past remains to the Tou'Her. Though she was remarkably well-traveled, there are gaps. I simply ask you to contribute, so that we may better understand our heritage."

"What should I add?" Yang asked, accepting the disk. "I remember that you were a big fan of my sister," she said, wearing a half-smile.

Garnet laughed. It sounded like music, filling Yang's head with a lilting, intoxicating melody.

"Do not worry about me," he said. "Add whatever you wish."

"I will."

Clapping his hands, Garnet sat, settling into a meditative position. "Now, let us begin. You said Weiss attempted to educate you in matters of the warp?"

"She did," Yang said, mirroring Garnet's position. "I was never very good at it," she added ruefully.

"Please, enlighten me on your previous lessons. I will have a better understanding of your education."

So Yang told him. She recalled the details as best she could, and her glyphs brightened a few times, but were otherwise still.

When she finished, Garnet scratched his chin, brow furrowing in thought.

"As I suspected," he finally sighed. "Unfortunately, Weiss has polluted her knowledge of the warp with... mon'keigh coloring," he said, speaking each word with great care. "Though she was correct in many aspects, her understanding of the craft is mired in dogma and fear."

"What do you mean?"

"More than anything else," Garnet replied, "the Imperium teaches its citizens to be fearful of the warp and those that can access it. While caution is always prudent in matters regarding the Immaterium, the scale of the Imperium renders a more thorough -and more effective- method of instruction completely impractical... not to mention actively dangerous. The eldar approach things much differently."

Yang nodded. It made sense. There were a quintillion people in the Imperium, after all. "I suppose the eldar method is preferable, then?" She asked.

"Naturally. However, every eldar that has ever existed can wield psychic powers. We have had millions of years to perfect our craft."

"S-So what now?" Yang asked, trying to swallow the millions of years comment and having it stick in her craw. Millions of years? Holy Terra on fucking rollerskates! The eldar are ancient!

"We begin with a dangerous step," Garnet said. "Defense against the horrors of the warp is quite simple for an eldar. Most eldar make use of soulstones, precious relics that shield us from the glare of our most potent foe. In the Tou'Her, we have our prodigious auras to thank, as well as an adamant dedication to duty and family that shields our mind. Since you are human, you must take a different path."

"But I have both of those things," Yang protested. "My aura has been swollen ever since I got here, and I've been loyal to both Weiss and the Guard." No matter how much it chafed.

"True, but loyalty and dedication are different beasts," Garnet said. "They are meaningless without the whole of your soul behind them. You must start elsewhere. You must learn of what lurks in the warp."

"Weiss said that was some dangerous shit," Yang said, a chill crawling up the ladder of her spine. "And... I already know what's there. I've heard the whispers." I've seen.

"They are but unwhole slivers of your true enemies, mere aspects of the warp's true horror. What do you know of the dark gods?"

Warning bells erupted in Yang's head, clanging and clamoring for her to either flee or finish the work she'd started on Garnet's face.

"Do not worry Yang," Garnet said carefully. "I only ask you so that you may better protect yourself."

"I don't know much," Yang allowed, "just that there's a couple of them. Heard their names once or twice... I think."

Garnet nodded, solemn and understanding. "I see. You should know that there are four - and two of them have an interest in you."

Yang couldn't stop herself from blanching. Her throat was beset by a sudden drought, and her lips worked, unable to form coherent words.

"They... they know about me?" She demanded. "Actual gods?"

"They do," Garnet said. "On some level, at least. Any soul that burns as bright as yours invariably attracts unwanted attention." Taking note of her discomfort, Garnet breathed deep. The stars that surrounded them pulsed in time with his breaths, a soothing, luminescent rhythm. He indicated for Yang to copy him. She did so, and felt her nerves settle, her focus returning.

"Yes. From what you have told me, it is clear two of the dark gods court your attentions. I shall not speak their names, for even though we Tou'Her are resilient creatures, we are not invincible." He paused, as if gathering his strength. "The first and most dangerous to you is the Blood God."

Yang shuddered at Garnets words.

Khorne.

She didn't know how the word surfaced, but it was persistent, pumping like an artery and thrumming like the skin of a war-drum.

"You know his name," Garnet said sadly.

"Did you read my mind?" Yang asked. It was already enough that Weiss violated her mind, she didn't know if she could stomach someone else doing it.

Garnet shook his head. "No, your reaction was enough. Anyways, I shall continue. The Blood God is your primary concern. Even now, I can feel his terrible presence licking at the edges of your perception. Your aura keeps him at bay, but in moments of weakness, it will not always be so."

"I know," Yang said.

"The Blood God is fed by wanton slaughter. He is repulsed by restraint and peace-of-mind. There are moments when you will begin to lose yourself in bloodshed, when the red mist descends and you seek nothing else but a worthy opponent to break and bring low. In these times, remember that all violence has consequence, and that each action one takes must be carefully considered. In the long-term, one must reflect on what it means to take a life. Did each mon'keigh claimed by the Dark Gods surrender their soul of their own volition? Were they coerced? Deceived? Did they spend so long fighting against the dark that they lost the battle to keep themselves separate from it?"

Yang blinked. She… actually hadn't thought too much about that before. Every cultist she'd mulched, every heretic that she'd killed had always seemed driven to utter madness, deserving of neither pity nor mercy.

Had the endless droning sermons on the Ascendant Dawn gotten to her?

The thought soured her augmented stomach.

"I'll do that," she replied.

"You must also know that the Dark Gods are not inherently evil - once, millions of years ago, the warp was a peaceful realm, and the Blood God stood for more palatable concepts - honorable combat, self-defense against the those who mean you harm. But the War in Heaven twisted him into what he is today. However, even in these ancient traditions, you will do service to the Skull Throne. Judicious and selective use of force will limit his influence on your soul."

Yang's mind reeled. "So… you're saying he can't be stopped?"

"He has no goals but death, no thirst for anything but blood. He will always be a dominant presence in the warp."

"But I…" Yang swallowed, forcing herself to admit it out loud. "I live to fight. I don't know where to start on making myself… stop."

"That is why he colors your soul so. His constant whispering has done little good for your disposition either."

"So what should I do?"

"What do you think, Yang?"

Yang fingernails bit into her palm. "I don't know! You're my teacher!"

"If I walk you through every step of the process, I will have taught you nothing but how to be a parrot. This is something you must meditate on, in your own time. Deeply," he added.

"I'll… I'll try," she allowed, breathing deep. Around her, the stars shimmered.

"The second God that has turned her eye upon you is more sinister, and deeply rooted in your soul."

"Her?" Yang asked.

"She-Who-Thirsts," Garnet said, trepidation beading sweat upon his brow. It seems like even Eldar have something to fear, Yang thought. In the mere utterance of the name, the room darkened, and a chill crept into the air.

In a heartbeat, it was gone.

"She is the Goddess of Pleasure. She feeds upon passionate indulgence, and is repulsed by moderation and contentment. When you kill, what do you feel?"

Yang said nothing. Her eyes met her boots, and her knees suffered the iron grip of her fingers.

"I will pass no judgement on you, Yang. I am perhaps the last person who would do so." He bowed his head so that Yang couldn't see his face.

"I feel… good," Yang admitted, the words crawling through thin gaps in her teeth. "I feel powerful. Like life and death are in my hands. Each time I break someone, it's… it's so satisfying."

Garnet said nothing for a time, so they breathed in silence. "I see," he said after a few minutes. "That is Her calling to you, to revel in not the blood you spill, but the adrenaline, the feeling of conquest and superiority. The Blood God drowns you in the need for bloodshed, but She-Who-Thirsts sings to you, a indulgent lullaby that slips into your mind and corrupts everything that you hold dear. She will subsume everything you enjoy, warping it into a parody of its former self. For you, Yang Xiao Long, the besting of your foes on Remnant was innocent fun. You defeated terrorists, criminals, and the creatures of grimm. On Remnant, winning against the forces of darkness was always a cause for celebration, a call to indulge oneself in the spoils of victory."

"It's not the same here," Yang realized, staring at her folded hands. She watched as they knotted and clenched, callouses rippling with tense energy. "You're right. Here, in the Imperium… it feels hollow. Like it's never enough. No matter how much"

"It never will be," Garnet said. "That is how She-Who-Thirsts envelops you in her clutches. It is a lie that has claimed so many. 'Once more', they think, as they stare at their vices. 'Once more, and it shall be enough'." He lapsed into silence, hands folded together. "It never is."

"It's not so simple, man," Yang said. "I'm in the Imperial Guard. Even more than that - I'm a… or well, I was a Huntress. If I don't fight, what happens? More people die. People that don't need to."

"It isn't necessary to stop soldiering altogether," Garnet said, "merely distance yourself from it. From the surge of pleasure and the sensations that comes from each victory. The answer lies in duty. It is your duty to fight and kill, not your privilege, not your escape."

Yang frowned. "I know that," she said. And she did. But she didn't feel it. And that's probably the issue. "I'll meditate on it."

"If you feel that is the best course of action, then by all means, do so," Garnet replied. "I will not educate you on the other two Dark Gods for the time being. For now, your goal is stability and balance. Without those things, you will be unable to progress in your craft."

"And what about the whispering?" Yang asked quietly. Pleadingly. "I want it to stop."

"It will," Garnet promised. "When you have calmed the chaos in your soul, the daemons will grow frustrated and powerless. A cliff without handholds is impossible to climb."

"I… okay," Yang replied. With a deep breath, she drew her attentions within herself, focusing on Garnet's words, closing her eyes to the stars that danced around her. K- the Blood God feeds on rage. She-Who-Thirsts feeds on indulgence. Things I've… always struggled with, she thought, hanging her head. Two years spent throwing herself head-first into both had not helped. They've always been a part of me.

But that was a lie.

Opening her eyes, she retrieved the disk Garnet had given her. Her aura flared, her shoulder glyphs ignited, and she poured her soul into the humble object.

Instantly, Garnet disappeared, the ship disappeared, all was lost to an endless black - except for the stars.

"What do you think about those," Ruby said, pointing a constellation.

Patch.

Almost sixteen years ago.

"I don't know," Yang said. "They're pretty though."

"They look like mom," Ruby said softly, her fingers pulling at blades of grass.

"They kinda do," Yang said, even though she didn't see her. There was a brief silence, before a warm, bubbly weight pressed close against her side, crushing a pigtail under its weight.

"I miss her, Yang." Ruby was crying.

"I do too. But I'll always be here for you okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Yang."

"I love you too."

Yang surfaced from the memory, gasping for air as she slapped at her chest. Garnet blinked once. She continued to wheeze, her mind returned to the present. To the Void-Whisper. It seemed so real. She'd visited the memory more times than she could count, but never so clearly. It'd never been that… tangible.

Holding the disk in her palms, she saw child-Ruby weeping into her shoulder, a grateful smile stretched across her tiny face.

For the first time in years, the memory brought a smile to Yang's face as well.

A/N: Well, a look into the warp was fun, wasn't it? Unfortunately, it's the last bit of rest everyone will get for awhile. Next chapter... complications arise. After all, the Void-Whisper is hardly the only vessel traversing the Webway...

Hope you enjoyed! Also, since this was a bit of an info-dump regarding warp-stuff, I'm sure I missed things, or, as someone is bound to claim got something wrong. While I'm always open to criticism, please remember that Garnet is explaining thing from an eldar point of view, and things might be different than how they're explained in canon, or at least appear different.

Yeah, Garnet's view is a little skewed, but that's both what he's been taught of the warp, and what he's learned of it himself. If I've done something egregious, I'd appreciate a heads-up though.

Enjoy the premier tomorrow! I know I will!