Chapter 2

Waking Up

Two months after the Fall of Beacon

The heat of the flames is almost scorching my skin. I can hear the sounds of battle around me. I can see hunters and soldiers alike battling the hordes of Grimm. Right now, it's not my concern. I'm looking for her, for Blake. Where is she, that Alpha went this way right? I hear a scream. I know that voice. I dash forward and look through the shattered dinning hall window. Everything falls away when I see her. The noise of the battle, the world around me... none of it matters. Blake is on the ground. A crimson blade piercing through her body. She sees me, our eyes meet. She reaches out towards me.

"Please..."

I awaken with a jolt, covered in a cold sweat. I take in my surroundings to find that I'm still home. My sheets are tangled around me. I must've been thrashing again. Moonlight fills my room with a pale glow. I look over at the new arm sitting on my nightstand. Even after a month, I still can't bring myself to wear it. I can hear voices and laughter from down stairs.

Dad must have some visitors. Not feeling like heading back to sleep at the moment, I decide to go join them.

Climbing out of bed, I throw gray jacket on over my orange tank top. It hides the implant with a tied arm. I take a moment to prepare myself before leaving the room and heading down our staircase. I can hear the ever proper Professor Port speaking.

"-in walks Qrow, in a skirt! I was just a TA and, I... I didn't know what to do. So I just left the room to laugh!" I hear laughter and see Professor Oobleck as well. They're gathered around the kitchen table drinking. Dad is leaning on the kitchen counter.

Dad pipes up between chuckles, "We told him it was a kilt! He'd never worn a uniform before so he didn't know!"

I stand in the doorway watching the group.

Oobleck adds in between laughter, "That is terrible! What is wrong with you?"

"Hey! The girls all said he had nice legs. I did that jerk a favor. Besides, that's not even the best part. See then we-" Dad is cut off by Professor Port hiking a black booted leg onto the table.

"Like what you see?" The old man is struggling to keep his balance. The group breaks out in laughter again. I can't help but join when the old professor finally falls.

The sound of my laughter alerts the old hunters to my presence and Professor Port finds his way to his feet faster than I thought possible. Surprisingly spry for an old man.

"Oh, um, Miss Xiao Long. Please, join us."

"Yes yes, pull up a chair. Please, pull up a chair." Oobleck the ever eccentric professor insists.

"I'm good," I reply finding a seat on the counter beside Dad, "So, what are you doing here?"

"Despite popular belief," Oobleck starts. "teachers do have a life outside of the classroom."

"Professor Goodwitch is working around the clock to restore Beacon to its former glory. But Mistral wasn't built in a day, and we all need some rest from time to time." Port's mustache is as impressive as ever.

Dad waves it off.

"Look, let's not worry about that right now." I know he's just trying to protect me. I've been doing a lot better this past month. He doesn't need to baby me so much. "So, there we were, standing in the auditorium, looking at Qrow wearing a skirt! Then Oz tells everyone: "It's time to work on our landing strategy!"

Another round of laughter throughout the room.

"The Branwen twins have always been... interesting, to say the least." Oobleck says, his voice sounds reminiscent.

Right... They must have been teachers to Mom too.

"That sure didn't seem to stop young Tai..." Port jabs with a knowing gaze at Dad.

I'm too stunned to laugh with the professors. Not what I was expecting to hear tonight.

"Hey, come on man," Dad starts, getting defensive. "She's right here!"

"Oh please!," Port retorts, "She's a mature young woman. If she can handle combat, she can handle a few jabs at her old man."

He's not wrong.

"That's not the issue Pete, and besides, she's still a teenager."

Alright that's enough.

"She is also in the room and can be directly spoken to." I hop off the counter to glare at Dad. "And I think I've been through enough to be considered an adult at this point."

He crosses his arms refusing to look at me, "Adult or not, you still got a long way to go before you're ready for the real world."

"Oh my gosh! Does every father figure just have the same three condescending phrases?"

I'm in his face now, and he's glaring back.

"Yeah! But we only use them when we mean it!"

"Is that so?"

"As a matter of fact it is so! IF you honestly think you're ready to go out there on your own... well," Dad leans back looking smug. "guess you lost some brain cells along with that arm."

I'm stunned. There's no way he just said that. I... He's right... There's no way I'm ready, but.. He really just said that. I ball up a fist and give him a weak punch in the arm.

"You jerk!" I can't help but laugh. Dad is too. I really forgot how good it feels to laugh.

"Are we finally talking about the Goliath in the room?" Oobleck asks with some trepidation.

Dad and I look at each other. We just laugh harder.

After months of struggling... I think even a Goliath is small for the issues I've got now. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. For now I think it's good to find some humor. They do say laughter is the best medicine.

"Miss Xiao Lo- Yang, if you don't mind me asking," Port starts after the laughter fades, "Why haven't you tried on the arm yet?"

"Oh, yes yes! A piece of Atlas technology being given out like that is rare indeed, not to mention the effort it would've taken to deliver it here. It seems a great many people want to see you return to normal."

I can answer this one easily. The fear is always lurking, even if I'm not focused on it. It's still there, in the edges of my mind. I think it always will be.

"I'm... scared. Everyone keeps talking about me getting back to normal... and I appreciate it. But..." I pause looking at the tied jacket sleeve hanging off my missing limb. "this is normal now. Its... just taking me a while to get used to it."

"Well... Normal is what you make of it."

"What is that supposed to mean? Do you want me to pretend like nothing happened?" I'll never forget, nothing will ever be the same. "I lost a part of me. A piece of me is gone and it's never coming back."

"You're right. It's not coming back." A thoughtful expression takes over his face. "But that doesn't have to stop you from becoming who you want to be. You're Yang Xiao Long, my sunny little Dragon." He lays a hand on my shoulder. "You can do whatever you put your mind to. So whenever you're ready to stop moping, and get back out there, I'll be there for you."

I take in his words. I want to reply but struggle to find words. I think about going back out there, back to the fight. I'm scared. The fear begins to fill my chest, I can feel my hands starting to shake.

"Fear is like any other emotion," Port's words pull me back to reality, "It comes and goes. It's all in how you handle it. Why, even I find myself wrestling with that emotion from time to time."

"Really? You?" I'm in disbelief.

"He's afraid of mice," Oobleck whispers loudly towards me.

"They bring only disease and famine!" I burst into laughter at Port's outburst. "And don't even get me started on their tails! So hairless, simply unnatural."

"Port, I assure you, you're safe. There's no mice here right now."

"All right you guys," I mutter through a yawn. "that's enough for me tonight."

"Me as well, I believe it's about time Pete and I head out for the evening."

"Agreed. It has been a wonderful time Yang. I am sure everything will work out just fine."

With a smile, I find my way up the stairs. I give one last goodnight wish to the professors as Dad is escorting them out. I wander to my room and pause in the doorway, looking at the arm. I struggle against the fear rising in my chest. The door shuts and I can hear the trio through the window. Grateful for the distraction I walk over, watching them leave. They're standing just off the porch.

"Thanks for having us over Tai."

"Any time, you're always welcome."

"It may be a while before we return. There is still much work to be done at the school."

"I... hesitate to ask... Is there any word from young Miss Rose?"

I get closer to the window making sure I won't miss a word.

"Not yet."

"Have you thought about going after her? Trying to bring her home?"

Dad heaves a sigh, he looks... almost... defeated. I hide behind my curtain as he looks back towards my room.

"I've got to... look after some things."

I'm holding him back. He wants to be out there looking for Ruby. I want to be out there looking for Ruby. I'm just... so scared. But... I'm tired of being scared. I'm just tired in general. I shed my jacket and lay down. I think I just need some sleep.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Bach when I was with the-"

"Stop! Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you?" Two days straight "Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..." I wait patiently through the dramatic pause. "I don't care."

Blake looks surprised, "You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"

Weiss cuts off the faunus. "I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some... Someone else."

Blake wipes away a tear as she looks from Ruby's smiling face to mine. I have a small tilt to my head and a softer smile. "Of course." She says softly.

Weiss nods with a satisfied air around her. Ruby waves her arms wildly in the air. "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

The rest of the conversation falls away as Blake steps closer to me. Her worried eyes meet mine. "I... I shouldn't have lied to you." I pull her close, into a hug.

"It's all good Blake. I may not have experienced it like you have, but I know that discrimination is real, and awful. I'm just glad that you trust us enough to tell us about it now." She rests her chin on my shoulder, returning the hug. "If you find yourself comfortable sometime. I would like to see what you've been hiding under the bow? I bet you're even more beautiful- I mean uh-" Smooth Yang.

She silences me with a tighter hug. "You really are wonderful, Yang."

The next morning, I wake up from a rare night of restful sleep. The morning sun shining through the window is comforting.

I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling. Thoughts of last night play through my head. Dad is right. Ruby is out there searching for answers, heading to Mistral. Mom is out there, doing... whatever it is she does. Weiss is in Atlas, but she's probably trying her hardest to join the fight again. There's no keeping that girl down.

Blake... I don't know what Blake is doing. I want so badly to be angry at her. I want to be mad that she left, but... I'm just worried.

I think back to that night, watching her leave. She didn't know I was awake. She didn't know that Sun was there. That we saw her go.

"Sun," I force myself to speak through the pain engulfing my body. The faunus kneels next to me, he touches my left arm.

"Hey take it easy. You should be resting right now."

I grab his forearm, ignoring the searing pain in my blood. My body screams at me to stop.

"You have to go after her." His eyes are wide, "You have to take care of her. Blake needs someone to watch out for her, someone she can trust. Promise me, that you will keep Blake safe."

Sun grips my arm back, still meeting my gaze, "I promise. I'll look after her. She's my friend too."

"Thank you," It comes out as a whisper. The pain overtakes me, tearing me away from consciousness.

I have to trust that he's taking care of her right now. But, they're all going to need me. A storm is approaching. The Fall of Beacon was just the beginning. I know it, Dad knows it.

I can feel the familiar fire of determination in my bones. I look at the Atlas tech beside my bed. The all too familiar fear starts to creep up, but I'm done giving in to it. Determination takes hold and I grab the arm.

I push it onto the implant and give it a twist. There's a click, then a small shock as it connects to my nervous system. My breath is caught in my throat as I lift up my arm. The metallic appendage moves with ease. I flex my fingers, roll my shoulders, make a fist. It feels like it was always there. It feels like I never lost it.

I walk down stairs and I can see Dad outside, watering the floors by the porch. With a proud smirk, I stroll out. I use my new arm to shield my eyes from the sun and look around. It's a beautiful day to start training again. I do a little stretch. Dad stands up with a smile. I wiggle my fingers listening to the light mechanical whirring as they move. I look his way.

"Okay," Dad says, "Let's get started."

I can't keep the smile off my face. The fear is still there, waiting, like a predator. But, it isn't in control anymore. I have people who are counting on me. I won't let them down again. I won't let her down again.

"Yeah... I've got lots of work to do."