Hello everyone. First, I wish you all a very, very late Happy New Year. I hope you spent the holidays well despite the rise of the virus and recent events.
I'm sorry I was gone for a while. I had planned to publish this back in early January. However, things haven't been going well.
At all.
You'll understand if I don't spew too much of what happened to the wild west that is the internet. I do hope you can respect that.
I will say that these past few months, right before Christmas, have been some of the most painful experiences of my life. It was one heartbreaking hit after another that did not stop until recently.
It left me in a state unfit to do much, especially writing. In the end, I pray that events like those won't ever happen again, and I wish for no one ever to experience what I went through.
I know this pain won't go away anytime soon, but I have to keep going. Just like Monty Oum: I need to keep moving forward.
I love writing so much. I know I am not good with deadlines, and I am slow at times due to school and my job, but I don't want to stop.
I would like to thank all who still follow this story. I know I don't show it enough, but I appreciate you all from my heart.
I understand I've changed, and some people left or have negative opinions of me. I won't say they are all deserved, but I acknowledge some of their merits, and I am sorry. But I will continue writing now, and I feel a little lighter now that I said that aloud.
Anyways it's time to continue the story. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not hold any references to the Music, Anime, or Manga in this story, and all rights go to their respected creators and studios.
Beta Reader: KittyKat-Belle
Opening Theme: We're Not Alone by Coldrain
CHAPTER 6: Crisis
Jaune and Ren glanced at one another in silence. Each mirrored a look of worry as they slowly turned back to Ruby.
"Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man!" That was all Ruby kept muttering under her breath.
Neither boy knew what to say or do as they watched their young friend pace around the room like a madwoman.
"Uh, Ruby?" Jaune finally said.
She didn't respond. She didn't even look up at Jaune as she continued pacing.
Jaune cleared his throat. "Ruby!" He said again. This time a little louder. But, like before, he was left unanswered.
Jaune turned to Ren, and the long-haired boy shook his head and sighed. Both began to doubt if Ruby was even aware of their presence anymore. That was until she stopped, mid-pace, right in front of them.
They turned back to her, and Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Ruby?" Jaune called, taking a step forward. "Are you- gah!"
Without warning, Ruby lunged forward and grabbed Jaune by the shoulders. His face was a kaleidoscope of expressions as she shook him viciously. Confusion, panic, and surprise repeatedly showed as his cries for release went ignored.
"How am I gonna explain this?!" Ruby cried. "What am I gonna do?!"
Ren was astonished by how easily she swayed Jaune despite being more than a foot shorter than him. It was almost amusing had circumstances been different.
"Ruby!" He called, "Please calm down! Ren, help!"
Ren sighed once more but complied. Though even he struggled to pry the young girl off of Jaune. Her grip was firm, and now, even he was starting to get pulled into her sway. They began to feel dizzy and thanked the gods when Ruby finally released her grip - sending both boys to the floor.
"What am I even gonna say?!" Ruby wailed. She let out a cry of frustration and turned to her left, "Oh hey, Yang! Welcome home! Oh, this? Ah, it's just my new, sexy body! How did I get it? Dunno! Just kind of woke up like this! But enough about me, how was your day?! Ugh!"
Ruby fell to her knees and slapped her forehead with enough force to echo across the walls. The rest of her body collapsed soon after, and she began rolling back and forth on the carpet.
Jaune watched her with bewilderment, then turned to Ren. "I think she's lost it."
Ren nodded, never taking his eyes off her.
"Evidently." He sighed. "Ruby, I understand how you feel, but, in case you forgot, we also have another situation on our hands!" He gestured between Jaune and himself.
Ruby stopped midroll and glanced up at the boys. Her eyes darted between them for a couple of seconds, then gasped. "Oh gods, I forgot you were both naked!"
Ren could see Jaune slapping his forehead again through his peripheral vision and was half tempted to do the same.
"Yes," Ren muttered, "We are. That's why we need to resolve this post-haste before… something happens."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You mean before Yang kills you?"
"..." Ren coughed into his hand.
"W-What?!" Jaune's ears flickered. "Yang's coming to kill us?!"
His eyes widened. They were wild and panicked like a cornered mouse as fight or flight kicked in. He dove past Ruby's bed, crouching behind it and peeking out with half his face still hiding behind the mattress.
"I don't wanna get killed, you guys!" His muffled voice cried, "I just got these abs!"
As Ren and Ruby exchanged glances, neither knew whether to laugh or sigh at the sight of Jaune - now a beautiful, tall, muscular man - still cowering at the notion of imminent threats. Even more so when he clutched Ruby's Nine-Tailed Fox plushie into his chest.
"That's not going to happen." Ren declared. His voice carried the weight of confidence. However, his mind remained hesitant, unsure if he was trying to reassure Jaune or himself.
He shook his head and quickly peered out the window. "It looks like Yang hasn't started walking yet."
"Really?!" Both Jaune and Ruby cried simultaneously and raced to join Ren.
The long-haired boy was caught off guard when Ruby suddenly shoved him away from his position, sending him to the ground with impressive force. Jaune didn't look his way and jumped over him, not offering a hand. Both glued their faces to the window, hands gripping the sill, and stared out.
Ren groaned.
They could see Yang already out of the car, but she was hunched forward with her head inside the vehicle.
"Is she talking to someone?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah." Ruby resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Weiss probably, but that doesn't matter." She jumped back. "Now's my chance!" The boys turned to her. "I think I can go down there and snag your bags before she comes in!"
Eyes widened, and Ren shook his head. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Yeah! What if she sees you?!" Jaune cried.
Ruby shrugged. "Well, better me than you guys. Where did you leave them?"
"In the living room," Ren said. "On top of the coffee table."
"Got it." Ruby nodded. "You guys just stay here and, PLEASE, keep quiet!" She then glared at Jaune. "And stop crushing my Kyuubi plushie already! He was expensive!"
"Sorry!" Jaune winced and loosened his grip on the little toy.
Without delay, Ruby turned and bolted out the door. The towel wrapped around her hair flew off and onto Ren's face. She barely heard his muffled cries as she dashed down the hall.
The polished, wooden floor echoed underneath her bare feet as they padded down the steps. Ruby jumped over the last half of the staircase, landing with a loud thud in her tunnel-visioned haste.
She bent one knee forward on instinct and steadied herself with a hand on the floor. She was expecting some knockback or shock to shoot up her ankles, but there was none. Not even a wince of pain up her legs or Achilles heel.
Were it any other time, Ruby would have imagined herself as a badass for pulling off such a superhero landing. Right now, though, she was on a mission.
Her eyes darted into the living room and already spotted the bags.
Jackpot!
The bags were right where Ren said they'd be.
Thrusting herself forward, Ruby lunged for them like a cheetah after its prey. She closed the gap within seconds.
Yes!
*CLINK*
Ruby's eyes widened, and she skidded to a halt, nearly losing her balance over the table. She spun around and faced the door.
No...
Her heart was pounding. She could hear the doorknob turning as time seemed to slow around her. Her eyes glanced towards the staircase.
Could she make it? Was there enough time?
She didn't know. And unfortunately, never would as the door then burst open.
"Chill out, Weiss! I get it already, ok?! Geez!" As Yang stepped inside the house. She slammed the door shut and sighed.
She let her duffle bag slide off her arm, leaned back, and lightly banged her head against the wooden surface.
Yang glanced towards the living room, and her lips tightened. Her entrance was most certainly not as quiet as she hoped.
If Ruby, and her friends, weren't up before, they were now.
She bit back another sigh of frustration. Yang could've easily slipped inside if Weiss hadn't annoyed her. Contrary to what many believed, Yang knew how to be stealthy. Her dad's groundings practically made her a ninja when sneaking out.
But then Weiss blew a gasket. Demanding she not take too long and not to waste time or get distracted, etc. Yang rolled her eyes. She'd give Weiss a piece of her mind later. She wasn't planning on staying in the house long either.
Not with them here.
The staircase was just ahead of her now. But the pathway was exposed to the living room. Once she stepped forward, the was no doubt they would see her.
That made Yang feel some minor queasiness rise in the pit of her stomach. She quickly pushed it away and shook her head.
"Snap out of it, girl!" She whispered. "This is my house, my turf! Yang Xiao Long doesn't run from anybody! Not anymore." Her eyes leered. "Especially not to a bunch of-" She then stopped.
Yang gulped, and her mouth went dry. Images of Jaune, Ren, and Nora flashed through her mind making the queasiness return. She shook her head again.
I'm not wrong! They… they are…
"They're nerds…." It came out as barely a whisper, but her breathing was heavy.
She reassured herself that she wasn't lying. Everyone in school saw them as nerds. Its why people didn't hang around them. She was just… stating the truth. Nothing more.
Yang nodded in affirmation and swiftly yanked her duffle bag up. After inhaling a deep breath, she slowly crept along the corner wall and peeked into the living room.
Her eyes widened. "Huh?!"
Walking into the living room, Yang had expected to see the groggy faces of Ruby, Jaune, and Ren stirring up or staring back at her. Except there was no one there. The space was empty.
She glanced around to see no sleeping bags either. Nor were there any leftover food or drinks on the table or floor.
This astonished Yang, Even more so when the giant pillow-fort was gone with everything seemingly cleaned up and put away.
Yang checked her scroll: five minutes past 10.
They all left Sun's party relatively late, and Yang figured Ruby and her friends would still be asleep at this hour. She would have herself had Weiss and Pyrrha not been such early birds.
Even on the weekend.
So, where are they? She wondered.
"Ruby?!" She called out.
No response.
She turned and walked across the hall into the kitchen
There was no one inside there either. Yang walked over to the sink and didn't see any dirty dishes. There wasn't even any lingering smell that indicated anything was cooked. Everything looked like it did yesterday.
Not even touched.
She walked back out into the hallway and stopped at the base of the staircase. She cupped her hands and cleared her throat. "Ruby! I'm home! Are you in there?!"
Yang listened carefully but didn't hear any response. There was no shuffling around, no sounds of running water, or commotion either.
She sighed and pulled out her scroll. "Where the hell is that girl?" She muttered and called. Her heart skipped a beat. Goosebumps trailed up her arms as the call went straight to voicemail.
That turned Yang's gut.
Ruby never turned off her scroll. It was one of their father's rules, and not once, in five years, has she ever broken it. Yang still remembered their father's lecture the day he gave them each their own scroll. It was a promise they made.
Ruby would never break dad's rule… Yang frowned, and her hand trembled. She gripped it with the other and took a deep breath.
Calm down, Yang, calm down. She slowly exhaled. She's fine. She just… forgot to charge her phone! She woke up early, cleaned up the living room, and… went out for some food with her friends! She nodded to herself. Yeah… she's okay.
A second later, she frantically called Ruby's scroll again, and the voicemail played once more. Her heart pounded in her chest.
As she paced the room, her mind was a whirlwind of anxiety and emotions. What if something had happened? What if Ruby was in trouble? Or hurt? Or- she shook her head. She kept cursing herself over and over. If Ruby was in trouble and she wasn't there, it would be her fault.
She should have stayed with her. Maybe even take her back home herself or demand Weiss to. It was so late at night on Halloween… even if the area was safe, that wasn't always the case.
"Ugh! Why didn't I do more?!" She cried.
Yang then stopped.
She knew why.
Her mind flashed back to Jaune and Ren, and her grip on the phone tightened. She felt the device bending slightly in her palm and quickly loosened her grip.
"Damn it!" Yang threw her duffle bag across the living room with all her might. She acted on anger and watched it slam into the wall with a loud thud before falling behind the couch.
"Oof!"
Yang froze and raised an eyebrow. "The hell was that?"
Her eyes narrowed to where the sound came from. It was faint, and it almost sounded like…
Yang gasped. B-Burglar?!
Her body moved on reflex as she rushed towards the couch. All feelings of fear, anger, and worry returned. She knew something was off, and now it all made sense. Why Ruby wasn't home, why she wasn't answering her phone, and why she felt uneasy from the start.
There was an unknown presence in her family's house, and she was ready to rip them apart. She didn't care if they had a weapon or were twice her size. If they had done anything to her sister, not even a gun would save them from her wrath.
But just as Yang jumped onto the couch, with a first raised high in the air, she leaned over and saw…
Her duffle bag lying on its side.
Yang stopped and stared at it. Her eyes then darted back and forth in complete bewilderment.
"The fuck?" She muttered and jumped back onto the floor. She walked over to the other couches.
Empty.
Yang turned and scratched the back of her head.
"The hell? I could have sworn…." She sighed and shook her head. "Ugh, I need some water."
Ruby watched her sister leave the room. She exhaled slowly and wiped the sweat away from her forehead as she tried her best to calm herself down.
Too close! Too freaking close! She rubbed the top of her head and winced. Though it still stung quite a bit, Ruby was surprised to not feel a lump right where the bag landed. What the hell, though, Yang? Why did you throw your bag?! No, what the hell did you put in that thing?! Dumbbells?! That hurt! She only was gone for a day! How much stuff does she need?!
Ruby sighed and leaned against the wall in the hallway. She would never know how she managed to escape Yang's sight the entire time. But she did, and that's all that mattered.
She just remembered wanting to remain hidden, and it was like her body reacted on its own. Today had so many confusing things, and Ruby chalked it up to adrenaline. She had too many mysteries on her plate, and she didn't need anymore.
If Detective Conan was real, he'd be having a field day.
Ruby slowly rose from her hiding spot. She stopped and blushed when she felt a cold draft beneath her. She awkwardly readjusted her bathrobe and sighed. Not only were things different… down there…, but the additional weight on her chest made moving around awkward. How did girls in the past run without a sports bra?! These things bounce way too much!
Carefully, Ruby tiptoed her way towards the kitchen and peered inside. She could see Yang aggressively chugging the giant carton of orange juice from the fridge as if she was on the verge of dehydration.
Ruby rolled her eyes. Yeah, that's definitely 'water,' sis.
Steadily, she took several steps back - never taking her eyes off the kitchen. However, once the heel of her bare foot touched the living room carpet, Ruby turned and tiptoed towards the right loveseat. She dropped to her knees, reached under, and pulled out both boys' bags.
Mission complete! She smiled.
Now Ruby could head back upstairs, stay hidden, and hope to Oum and the brother gods that Yang leaves. But in the case that she didn't, Ruby had already devised a plan in her mind.
It was full proof: she would send Yang a quick text letting her know that she went out with the guys and, to spare her from "embarrassment," would ask her dear, big sister to pick up some time-of-the-month pads at the pharmacy.
Ruby knew Yang would comply and leave right away. Once she's gone, they'd all get dressed, run like hell, and she'll deal with Yang tonight after figuring out how to hide her new, hot body.
Full proof! Ruby smirked, but it fell a second later. Wait… where is my scroll? She shook her head. Later. Gotta get out of here, now!
Like before, Ruby crept back out into the hallway and glanced into the kitchen. Her eyes widened. Yang wasn't there anymore.
Panic set in. Ruby had only just turned her back for a few seconds. This was not good, and Ruby wasted no time moving toward the staircase.
Slowly, she took her first step up. It didn't creak - much to her relief. She took another and, again, no noise. She went up one more, then another, then another, and still came no sound with each step.
Her smile returned just a little. Almost there! I might make it! I might actually-
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
The fury from that thunderous voice made Ruby jump slightly as she froze in place. Her eyes darted back and forth as she heard the stomping of footsteps fast approaching her.
Fuck…
Ruby didn't know what to do. She had no idea where her sister had disappeared to or how she had found her. But never in her life had she thought to be the direct object of Yang's rageful, booming voice. The blonde may have shouted at her in excitement, sadness, and even distress. But never anger, especially not at this level of vile.
The footsteps stopped, and Ruby could feel her sister's presence behind her. "Turn around! Slowly!"
Ruby lowered her head, letting her front bangs fall over her face, and complied. She can see Yang at the base of the staircase, standing firm, gripping a dough roller, and glaring.
"Alright bitch!" Ruby winced. "You got three seconds to tell me who you are, why you're in my house, and where my sister is!" Yang sneered, "And I swear to Oum, if you so much as laid a finger on her, I will pound you into a bloody pulp before calling the cops!"
Ruby opened her mouth. "I-I, uh."
"One!" Yang took a step up.
Ruby flinched, "W-Wait, I-"
"Two!" Yang took another step closer and raised the roller.
"Wait! Just listen-"
"THREE!"
"YANG NO!" Ruby fell back onto the steps, narrowly avoiding the roller. At the sound of her name, Yang halted mid-swing. Her eyes narrowed.
"How do you know my name?!" Yang growled. She gripped Ruby by the collar and hovered the roller over their heads. "Answer me!"
Ruby gulped. "Yang… it's me! Ruby!"
Yang gripped the collar tighter. "Don't fuck with me! You are not my little sister!"
"Yang, I'm telling you it's me! It's me!"
"Quit playing games! You're not Ruby! She's tiny, dorky, flat-chested, and has baby fat! You've got curves, looks, height, and a bust!"
"..."
Ruby never thought that hearing unintentional truths could hurt so much. Her father always said sticks and stones can break bones, but words could never hurt you.
He lied.
Even if it was no longer the case, she fought down the pain in her heart and refused to get teary-eyed.
"I can prove it's me!"
Yang leaned even closer. "Prove it then! Cause you're starting to piss me off!"
Ruby gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. "When you were younger, you used to dance to Bruno Mars and pretend you were married to him! I caught you, and you made me swear not to tell anyone!"
If there was any world record for how fast someone's face could turn bright red, Yang would have won by a landslide. She felt herself die a little after hearing one of her deepest, dark secrets out loud by another. Yang looked about, ready to drop dead of embarrassment, as she shakily released Ruby and pulled away. The shock of it all caused Yang to step back - forgetting that she was not on flat ground - and tumbled down the stairs.
Ruby winced at the sound of her sister's fall and rubbed her sore neck. "Aw, man. Yang! You broke two buttons off!"
Yang didn't seem to hear - or care - about that as she instantly sat back up and stared at Ruby without a trace of pain or discomfort after falling. "You… a-are you…." She muttered but couldn't finish as her bottom lip trembled.
Ruby refused to meet Yang's eye as she shifted in place. I'm so screwed. "Y-Yeah… it's me!" She tried to keep her tone upbeat. "Guess puberty finally came after all, huh?!" Ruby laughed awkwardly as Yang suddenly sprang to her feet and dashed towards her.
"Wait! Yang I- mphff!"
Before Ruby could even react, she was enveloped in Yang's arms. "It really is you! Oh, thank the gods you're alright!" The blonde cried and nuzzled her cheek on top of Ruby's head. "Oh my Oum! You have no idea how worried I was?!"
Ruby could barely make out what she said as Yang pulled her head further into her bosom. Despite her transformation, Ruby could still feel the difference between them and knew she lacked. She closed her eyes and didn't know if the pain she felt was from being crushed or just her spirit breaking. Again.
Not. Fair!
Yang quickly released Ruby and took a good, long look at her. "I can't believe it!" Her smile turned into a grin. "Look at you! Your skin?! Your hair?! By the gods you look so beautiful!" She hugged her again, causing Ruby to groan. Part of her wanted to scream how much she looked like their mother. But then something else caught her eye.
"I guess it's true what they say: puberty does hit like a train!" Yang let go and her gaze lowered with a playful smirk, "Especially down there! Oh. My. Oum!"
Ruby watched in bewilderment as Yang's hands found themselves groping her bosom. Ruby turned to die a little on the inside as her eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. The sensation she was feeling, the violation, and the humiliation made her feel so dirty. Her eyes narrowed.
"Oh yeah! Puberty was very nice to you, sis!" Yang laughed, unfazed - or uncaring, of Ruby's horrified look. "They're not huge, but you got a good pair! Almost close to my size, I think! Oh man, this is great-"
Without any hesitation, Ruby thrust her arms forward and pushed. Yang's eyes widened as her body flung back, and she took note of the force of Ruby's shove. And just like before, Yang tumbled down the staircase again. But this time, she felt it.
As Yang groaned, Ruby wrapped her arms around her chest. "Don't touch me like that again! B-Baka! Pervert! Hentai!" She yelled.
Yang slowly brought herself back up and rubbed her sore behind. "Heh, sorry, Rubes! Didn't mean to make it weird!" She glanced up and smiled. "I'm just proud, is all! You're way bigger than Weiss and the twins! You might even be giving Coco beans a run for her money!"
Though Ruby stood a little straighter after hearing that, she still responded with a glare. "Thank you! But don't grab me like that again! Ok?!"
"Ok, ok!" Yang laughed and waved her off. Damn, though, that hurt! "I gotta say, though, Rubes, that was one hell of a push! When did you start pumping iron?!"
Ruby flinched. "Oh, uh, y-you know… milk and stuff."
The question was innocent enough. But, in truth, Ruby was surprised by her own strength as well. She didn't think she would send Yang falling down the stairs.
Watching that brought some guilt to Ruby, even short-lived, as Yang bounced right back up. That relieved her. It wasn't shocking since Yang was also part of the boxing club and the number one boxer.
She cleared her throat. "A-Anyways! What are you doing here, Yang? I thought you weren't coming back until tonight?"
As Yang rose to her feet, she gently massaged the back of her neck. "I was - well, still am! I just came by to drop off my bag," she gestured behind her towards the duffle bag near the kitchen. "The girls and I were gonna hit up the city all day today. They're waiting for me outside right now."
Yang's bubbling smile then turned into a frown. "My turn. Where the hell were you?!" She barked. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! I called out to you! I called your scroll twice, but it went straight to voicemail! Why'd you even turn it off?! You know dad's rule! What if something bad had happened, huh?! What if you were in trouble and I couldn't save you! You know how scary that is to think about!"
Ruby winced at every question asked. She had no chance to rebuttal until Yang finally stopped to catch her breath. As she panted heavily, Ruby felt even more guilt despite knowing it wasn't her fault.
Hearing the fear, relief, and panic in Yang's voice was like a nail jammed into her. "I'm sorry, Yang." Ruby frowned and walked down the steps. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I just…."
Her eyes darted to the left. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't remember anything about last night after the party. That was the whole point of their plan before Yang came; to discover what did happen to them. Ruby knew Yang expected an answer, but she couldn't give her the truth. After all, Ruby didn't know it herself. Instead, she said the first thing that came to mind.
"I just forgot to charge it last night. We were up pretty late watching anime… sorry!"
Yang didn't say anything as she crossed her arms. She was silent for what felt like an eternity to Ruby until she saw a smile and was pulled into an embrace. "I can't stay mad at you~! Even though you look like a grown-up woman now, you're still so adorable!" Yang cooed but then winced, "Oh yeah… sorry about before when I…. you know… with the roller-"
"Water under the bridge, sis." Ruby smiled and hugged Yang back.
The blonde laughed. "Yeah! Water under the bridge!" As Yang pulled away, she glanced around. "By the way, where's, uh… you know…."
"Jaune and Ren?" Ruby asked, noting the sudden stiffening of Yang's shoulder.
Yang nodded.
"Oh, they, uh," Ruby averted her eyes. The pressure was on. "Uh…" Come on, brain, think of something! "W-Well, Jaune went back to his house!" Yes, good job, brain! "H-His mom called earlier saying she needed his help with… something!"
Phew! Crisis averted!
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh, ok. Then where's Ren?"
"R-Ren?!" Crisis back! Crisis back!
Yang nodded, "He… went with Jaune too!" Ruby smiled and stopped herself from rubbing her arm. "H-He wanted to help out! S-So it's just me for now! Here! Alone! In the house! With no one else!"
"So… they're not here?" Yang asked.
"Nope!" Ruby shook her head and smiled. "That's why I took a shower now before they came back!"
"Ah! That makes sense. But why are you down here then? You're soaking wet!"
"I just told you I just got out of the shower Yang!" Ruby shook her hair a little, letting water droplets hit Yang in the face. "But I came down to get these." She shook the boys' bags a little. "I figured I'd keep the guys' stuff in my room for safekeeping. Can't really be too careful. Especially with you here now!"
Yang stumbled back a little. "Bwah?! You'd think I'd snoop through their things?!" She snorted, "Yeah, right!"
Ruby could see Yang's shoulders visibly relax now as a large smile crept onto the blonde's face. "Like I wanna get any nerd on me!"
Yang suddenly hissed a little when she saw Ruby quirk an eyebrow.
"W-Wait, that's not- what I meant was- I didn't mean- I, uh…." The blond waved her hands frantically as her words turned into a stumbling mess.
"Yang." Ruby sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's fine. I know what you meant. It's ok if you still don't like them, remember?"
Yang's flinched. "But I promised I'd-"
Ruby waved her off.
"You promised not to interfere with my friendships anymore. You don't have to like them for my sake. It would be awesome if we could all be friends again like before, but…." Ruby lowered her head and shrugged, "But it's not very realistic." She inhaled, "So, it's ok! You don't have to force yourself for my sake, so please, don't get all awkward about it. Ok?"
Yang hadn't realized how tense her shoulders got. She smiled back. "Ok. Thanks, sis."
Ruby nodded. "Feel better now?"
"Oh yeah! Tons!" With the tension gone, Yang exhaled a long, exasperated sigh. "Man, never thought I'd see the day my baby sister would act all grown up and mature!" She wiped an imaginary tear away, "It's awesome, but I'm going to miss the dork who always crawled in my bed when she had a nightmare!"
"I haven't done that since I was seven!" Ruby huffed, "Now get out of here already and let me enjoy my piece!
"Yeah, yeah!" Yang laughed and grabbed her bag. "Don't wait up!"
Ruby nodded and stepped to the side, letting Yang pass. As she watched her walk up the steps, Ruby leaned herself back against the wall. Gods, that was so stressful. She sighed and glanced down at her legs. But not so bad. At least now I can finally put on some-
*THUMP*
Eyes widened.
"What was that?" Yang asked, stopping in place.
Ruby jumped from the wall and tilted her head to the side. "W-What was what?"
Yang glanced back at Ruby. "You didn't hear a bang just then?"
Ruby hummed and looked around the room. "N-Nope!" Her hands gripped so tightly that they nearly ripped into her skin. One job, guys… you had one freaking job. "I think you imagined it!"
"Hmmm…" Yang hummed and crossed her arms. "Yeah… maybe I did-"
*THUMP*
Yang jumped and then pointed to the ceiling. "There it is again! You heard it this time, right?! Right?!"
Ruby could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stared up above them. Again?! A-freaking-gain?! "Y-Yeah… i-it sounded like the wind!"
"Nuh, uh." Yang shook her head. "That didn't sound like the wind Rubes! It was too loud! Like something was moving-"
Ruby laughed, perhaps a little too forcefully, as she walked up to her sister and patted her shoulder.
"Yang don't be silly! It was the wind! Air moves with extreme velocity due to a large pressure gradient from atmospheric pressure changes! You can tell based on how many cumulus clouds are outside right now! That indicates heavy winds are moving them! It's natural since Remnant is currently in its Autumn equinox, which lets more cold air counteract the hotter air near the equator, creating what we know as gusts! So, therefore, I am right, and it was the wind! Just the wind! Nothing else at all!"
Yang blinked. "What?"
"Nothing. Else. At. All!" Ruby repeated and jabbed a finger at Yang's chest for every word.
Yang yelped and raised her hands. She whined like a newborn puppy as she nursed the reddening sore spot on her chest. "Ok! Ok! Geez, did you have to go all nerd on me?"
Ruby blushed as she turned and looked down. "A-Anyways, you should get going! In fact, why don't I take that upstairs for you!"
Without waiting for a response, Ruby lunged for Yang's duffle bag. But to her surprise, the blonde was too quick and pulled it back just as the handle grazed Ruby's fingers.
"Nah, it's cool. I got it!" Yang said and swung the strap over her shoulder. "Thanks anyway, sis!"
Ruby picked herself up and stared at Yang's back. "But I-" Yang ignored her and continued as panic filled Ruby's eyes. "Wait!"
She ran up the stairs and skipped ahead of her sister. She extended her arms out, using Jaune and Ren's bags as extensions. "I mean it, let me do it, Yang! I'm already taking these upstairs, so one more won't hurt!" The glint of sweat was now noticeable on Ruby's forehead. "Besides, you don't wanna keep your friends waiting, right?!"
Yang stared and cocked her head to the side in silence. Ruby thought she had given herself away as a chill ran down her spine until she saw Yang smile.
"Aww. Are you bringing back 'Ruby's Handy Helper Service' again?! That's so nostalgic!" The blonde let out a hearty laugh and ruffled Ruby's hair.
Ruby pressed her lips together. She remembered that dreaded phase in her life in her childhood with grizzly detail and cringed at the memories of her eight-year-old self.
"But like I said, I got it." Yang said, "Besides, the girls know I gotta run up to my room anyway."
She stepped to the side, but Ruby counted with her arm again. Yang rolled her eyes and ducked to go under. Ruby lowered her arm and blocked her again. Yang's smile was now waning as she went to the left. Ruby followed. She tried the right, and so did Ruby.
The smile was now gone. "Ok, Ruby. It was cute before, but now it's getting on my nerves. Let me through already!"
Yang's eye began to twitch uncontrollably, and Ruby knew she was treading thin ice.
"Yang, I insist! I really wanna take it up for you!"
"Ruby, I already said I'm going upstairs myself, and that's that! Seriously, why are you so-" Yang stopped and leered. "What did you do…." Her voice was low, and Ruby could hear the growl in her voice.
"W-What?"
"I said, what did you do!" She stepped a little closer, and Ruby leaned back. "You're trying to keep me from going upstairs!"
Ruby stiffened under Yang's glare. "I… no, I'm not." She muttered.
"Yes, you are…" Yang's tone was flat. "Don't lie to me."
"I'm serious!"
"Then let me pass!"
Ruby looked at her sister like a puppy being kicked and smiled awkwardly. "Um… you shall not?"
Her laugh was dry and gone in an instant. Ruby could see no joke or humor helping her as Yang gritted her teeth.
Ruby tried to stand her ground, but even with the height advantage the stairs gave her, she couldn't help feeling much more vulnerable than she already was.
"Ruby, I'm done playing games. Let me go up to my room. Right now."
"But… Yang I-"
"No buts, Ruby!" Yang barked. She dropped the duffle again and didn't care that it rolled down the stairs. "I am your older sister, and you will listen to me! I don't even know why you're being so difficult! I just wanna go to my room and-" Her eyes widened. "Wait… did you go into my room?!"
Ruby's eyes now widened.
"No!" She yelped. She never thought she could shake her head so fast. How she didn't get whiplash, she had no idea. "You know I wouldn't do that without your permission! I promised, remember!"
"Then why are you acting sus!" Yang accused.
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
Ruby took a step back up the stairs, and Yang followed after her. Though it wasn't a lie that Ruby hadn't gone in there, she remembered the little bit of the events of last night before the party.
If Yang knew she let Jaune change in her room, there was no stopping the bloody pulp he would become. Ruby didn't know what would set Yang off worse. Either Jaune was naked in her room for a few minutes last night, or he was currently naked with Ren in Ruby's room just a few feet away from them.
Quite frankly, she didn't want to know. Yang was getting restless like a ticking time bomb, and Ruby felt herself dying on the inside. They had only just made up, and not even a day later, she was screwing it all up. All that progression going down the drain like a toilet. And all because of something she didn't even understand herself.
"Well, Ruby?!" Yang stared up at her and crossed her arms. "Are you gonna tell me what you did, or-"
"Ok!" Ruby raised her hands up, "Ok! I'm sorry!" Yang raised an eyebrow. "I… I did go into your room."
"Ha! So I was right!" Yang pointed her finger at Ruby. "What did you do?!"
"Nothing, really! I just…" Ruby inhaled deeply and mentally prepared herself.
"What?! You just what?!"
Gods help me! "I… needed a bra…." She muttered.
Yang gave a blank stare. "What did you say?" She swore she heard that wrong.
"I said I needed your bra!" Ruby repeated a little louder.
"My… bra?" That threw Yang off. She stared at her sister quizzically.
"Yes!" Ruby groaned, her cheeks now reddening. "Mine are too small now! They feel tight and… I needed a bigger size! I'm sorry I didn't tell you!" Ruby bowed her head. "It was just really embarrassing!"
Even if she hadn't actually checked, Ruby knew just by observation that she wouldn't fit in her regular size anymore. Though technically she wasn't lying, she still felt immense guilt.
However, that guilt quickly dissipated when she caught a twinkle in Yang's eyes.
"Oh… my… god…."
Ruby crossed her arms over her chest. "Yang…"
"My baby sister… needs… my…my…."
"Yang?"
*sniff*
"Are you crying- ah!"
"This is the happiest day of my life!" Yang screamed. Her eyes watered and rained onto Ruby's bare skin as she pulled the younger girl into a bone-crushing hug. Yang's grip was tight as Ruby struggled to raise her head off the crook of her sister's neck.
"I can't believe it! My little sister wants to borrow her big sister's bra!"
"Ugh, Yang!"
"I never thought this day would come! Literally! I never thought you would grow such a pair!"
"Yang!"
"Oh man, I waited so long for this!" She grinned and, with barely little effort, tossed Ruby over her shoulder. She groaned as Yang moved up the stairs -her duffle bag long forgotten. "Let's go, sis! I have tons you can borrow! Hell, I'll even lend you one from my special stash!"
Ruby blinked. "You have a special stash?"
"Of course! Every girl has a special stash to emphasize the girls! They cost me a pretty penny but damn, do they make me look hot! Just wait, Rubes, yours are gonna be so on display!"
"Ew! Yang! I don't need your skimpy bras!"
"They're not skimpy! They're stylish and really boost the confidence!"
"I don't need confidence! I just need a bigger bra! UGH!"
Despite her resistance, Yang ignored them all as they entered her room. Ruby stood rigid as Yang then raced over to her drawers and began pulling various sorts of her bras out. She mumbled something to herself, inspecting each one before tossing it to the floor.
Ruby felt the urge to sweat drop as she watched the floor become littered with Yang's undergarments. If the boys could see what was going on. Ruby shook her head and glanced down at the bags still in hand.
She still needed to get away, quickly, quietly. Yang's back was still to her, and Ruby took the opportunity to back away slowly.
"Hey, Ruby?"
Shit! "Y-Yeah?"
"Do you care about the color?" Yang asked. She kept rummaging around, not looking back. "I know you're all about red, but I think-"
"It's fine, Yang! I trust your opinion! Go all out!" Ruby resisted the urge to gag. "Find me the sexiest one you think would be good!"
"Ooo!" Yang squealed and turned around, "Just leave it to your big sis, Ruby! I'll find you the one that'll knock your socks off!"
She gave Ruby a thumbs up, then returned to rummaging with more vigor.
"I can't wait…." Ruby muttered and returned the gesture, albeit weakly. She wasn't even wearing socks and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
No focus! She told herself and quickly sucked in a breath.
Like before downstairs, Ruby was careful never to take her eyes off Yang. She took a step back- careful never to press too hard on the floor. It didn't, and Ruby took another, and then another. She continued like this until her fingers brushed against the doorframe. She then turned and hastily tiptoed back to her room.
Upon reaching her own door, Ruby hunched down and knocked - repeatedly and lightly.
"Jaune! Ren! It's me! Open up!" She whispered, and every few seconds, her eyes darted to Yang's room.
She was growing impatient and stuck her ear to the wooden surface. She could hear some minor shuffling inside, along with some faint whispers. She pressed her body even closer to here better and instantly regretted it.
The door suddenly flung open - causing Ruby to lose her balance - as she fell forward. She instinctively pushed her arms out and was surprised when her palms came into contact with something. She didn't even register what it was and used it to push herself back to regain her footing with all her might.
"Eeee!"
That startled Ruby. It sounded like a high-pitch squeal that was immediately silenced. She glanced up and saw Ren pressing a finger to his lips as he held a firm grasp on Jaune's mouth.
The blond boy didn't look to care about it as he collapsed to his knees - his face stricken with pain. Ruby's eyes lowered, and she could see him clenching below at his…
Her cheeks flared, then back up to his face, then down again. "Ooo, s sorry, Jaune!" She whispered and flailed her hands in front of her.
"Why…"
"Shh! Ruby! We need to stay quiet!" Ren whispered, ignoring Jaune's cries. "Now, where is your sister?!"
"She's in her room." Ruby pointed back, "She's picking out a bra for me- don't look at me like that! This is all your fault!" She pointed a finger at him. "Why couldn't you two stay quiet! I was this close to getting her out!"
Ren winced. "I'm sorry, Ruby. We didn't mean it. Jaune tripped over your cables by accident. Twice."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Is my computer ok?!"
Her tone grew louder, which caused Ren to press a finger to his lips once more. "Yes!"
Ruby relaxed. "Good! He better not mess up my specs! I paid a fortune for that 3090!"
"It's fine now, shhh! Quickly, give me the bags before-"
"Ruby?!"
Shit! Both Ruby and Ren mirrored a gawking expression at one another as their eyes darted down the hall. Yang wasn't in sight just yet, but they could hear the stepping of her heavy boots.
"Here! Get changed now! I'll distract her!" Ruby didn't wait for a response as she shoved the two bags directly into Ren's face and pushed him back into the room.
She winced a little as she may have applied more force than necessary when seeing Ren stumbled back. Even more so when he dragged Jaune down with him. She shut the door just as the two collapsed together and groaned.
Ruby thanked the gods above for the timing as she had just shut the door when Yang came into view.
"There you are!" Her sister exclaimed!
She walked over, bearing a broad smile on her face as she held what Ruby could see was a black bra with matching panties, if she could even call it that. The fabric looked far too risqué for Ruby's taste, and she swore the material was thin enough see-through.
"Why'd you run off, sis?!"
"H-Hey Yang!" Ruby laughed and turned to her. She gave a wide grin and leaned one hand against the door. "Sorry about that! I was just… running to my room to throw the bags there!" Literally. "I tried to tell you, but you were so in the zone! Hahahaha."
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I see that. You're all sweaty! Ha! Looks like those extra pounds on your chest are weighing you down now, sis!"
"Yeah…" Ruby smiled through gritted teeth. "Maybe…." Her eyes stared at Yang's neck and her fingers flexed.
"Aw, don't be grumpy, sis! I'm just teasing!" She patted Ruby's back, nearly knocking the wind out of her. "Look, I picked out a spicy one for ya!" She dangled the bra in front of Ruby's face making her nose crinkle. "Come on! Let's head inside and see you try these on!"
Ruby swore she heard that wrong. "What?…"
Her eyes widened, and she felt herself growing stiff when Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulders and reached for her doorknob.
Her heart skipped a beat. Oh no!
"W-Wait!" Ruby tore out of her sister's arm and pressed herself against the door, acting like a human barrier.
Yang looked stunned and tilted her head.
"Ruby! What's gotten into you?!"
The way she stared at Ruby made her struggle to maintain eye contact. "I changed my mind! C-Can we do this another time?! Please~!"
Yang blinked. "Huh?! But we're already in your room!" She whined, "And I just picked these out for you!" She gestured towards the lingerie again. "I wanna see how they look on the new you!"
Ruby attempted to rebuttal, but Yang was already reaching for the knob again and gripped it. "Y-Yang, I'm serious!" Ruby cried and, this time, held her sister by the shoulders. "What about Weiss and the others?"
To her relief, Yang let go of the knob and backed up. However, it was short-lived as the blonde only did so to wave a hand dismissively. "Come on, Rubes, I already told you it's-"
~*I'm a Bitch*~
~*I'm a Lover*~
~*I'm a Child*~
~*I'm a Mother*~
~ "I'm a Sinner*~
~*I'm a Saint*~
Yang froze.
There was only one person she assigned that ringtone to on her contact list. And Ruby knew who it was, as evident by the distressed look on her sister's face.
She watched as Yang slowly reached into her back pocket and pulled out her scroll - still vibrating in her hand. Yang took a breath and answered it.
"Y-Yo Weiss! What's-"
"WHAT IN OUM'S NAME IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?!"
Yang, quite literally, jumped in surprise as she yanked her scroll away from her ear. Even Ruby jolted back a bit, and Weiss wasn't even on speaker.
"Ah! Damn it, Weiss!" Yang grumbled, gently massaging her left ear. "I think my ear is ringing!"
"Good!" Weiss snapped back, "Maybe that'll teach you next time not to make us wait for 20 minutes! What are you even doing in there?! You said you'd be in and out! I demand an explanation!"
Yang gave a weak laugh and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh, sorry, Weiss." She said, "Kinda got distracted for a bit but you're not gonna believe this! Ruby-"
"Ugh, Nevermind!" Weiss cut in, "If it involves your dunce of a sister, I don't care! Just get back here and- Ah! Hey!"
On the other end, Ruby and Yang could hear muffled noises and various chatter from multiple people, including Weiss, who sounded the angriest.
"Yo Yang!" A new voice, Coco, exclaimed, "What's the hold-up, girl?! We're starving here, and Weissy-poo won't shut up for five seconds-"
"How dare you!" They heard Weiss cry out in the background.
"Hurry up already! Oh, and say hi to your baby sis for me!"
The muffled shuffling returned, and Ruby glanced at Yang. She shrugged and turned back to the scroll upon hearing Weiss's voice return.
"You better get back here soon, Xiao Long, or help me; I will leave you behind! Do you hear me?!"
Yang sighed. "Yeah, yeah… loud and clear, Ice Queen!"
"Good! And stop calling me that!"
Weiss hung up, leaving Yang to pocket her scroll again and turn to Ruby. "Well, guess next time it is then!" She shrugged.
"Looks like it!" Ruby shrugged back and smiled.
She was jumping with joy in her mind. Praising Weiss' name to the high heavens above. Her timing was as uncanny as it was her salvation. So much so, in fact, Ruby even considered being nicer to Weiss but quickly tossed that idea away. She was grateful, but Weiss was still Weiss.
"Better get going before she makes good on her word!"
"Oh, please!" Yang rolled her eyes. "Like she'd actually leave me behind! She knows Yang Xiao Long is the life of the party!"
Ruby quirked an eyebrow, "Didn't she do it before? Several times, in fact?"
That caused Yang to flinch. She had never been good at getting up in the morning, making Weiss furious whenever picking her up for school. That was partially why Yang bought a bike to begin with. So the neighbors would never have to hear her screaming and chasing after a white limousine again.
"Whatever, I'm heading out now! Here, "she handed Ruby the clothing. "I'll be back tonight. Show me how they fit then!"
Ruby scrunched her nose. "Should I be concerned by how much you wanna see me weaning your… underwear?"
Instead of a look of revolution like Ruby expected, Yang waved her off and laughed. "Don't make it sound so weird, Rubes!" she grinned, "My little sister's a woman now! I gotta make sure I know what I'm dealing with before we get you some new sizes! Ooh, I can't wait!" Yang pulled Ruby into another embrace and twirled her around once before dropping her. Alright, I'm off! Later!"
Ruby muttered a goodbye back and waved as Yang walked down the hall. When she started down the stairs and was out of sight, Ruby leaned against the door. Her shoulders relaxed again, her head dropped, and a smile developed on her lips. Finally… crisis aver-
*CRASH*
Ruby's eyes snapped open as she glared at the door behind her. I SWEAR TO OUM, I AM GOING TO STRANGLE YOU TWO!
"What was that?!" She heard Yang cry out.
GODS DAMN IT!
Ruby swore to herself a thousand times as she saw Yang already back up the stairs and rushing towards her.
"What the hell was that?!"
"I-I don't know!" Ruby shook her head, "I think it came from outside-"
*CRASH*
This time, the noise had been louder, and Ruby sucked in a hissed breath as Yang glanced behind her towards the door.
Ruby wanted to cry out another excuse, whatever last-ditch thought she could come up with from the top of her head. That was until she stopped and heard the muffled cries behind her.
Yang heard them too, as evident by the look she was giving Ruby, then to the door and then back to Ruby.
The jig was up, and her fate was sealed.
"Ruby…"
"Y-Yang…" she whimpered back.
"Who's in your room?…"
"W-What?…"
"Don't lie to me." Yang's tone deepened. "I said who. Is. In. Your. Room?" With every word, Yang inched closer and closer to Ruby's face. She shifted and squirmed in place, trapped like a mouse with nowhere to go.
"I-I, t-they, uh…" Ruby tried to answer, but all that came out were more grunts and stutters. Words could not express her fear as sweat pooled down Ruby's forehead.
Yang nodded slowly and inhaled a deep breath. "Now it all makes sense," she muttered. Her fists clenched. "Why you've been acting so weird… why Ren and Jaune weren't around… why you're dressed like that." She growled the last part out and pointed down at Ruby's robe. "Those sick fuckers…"
"What?"
"I knew it… I fucking knew it… you give them an inch, and they take a fucking mile!" Yang's breathing turned audible through her nose as her shoulders rose and fell. The anger in her eyes only grew into fury.
"Wait, Yang, what are you-"
"I bet they think they're hot shit now, huh?" Yang seethed through a dry laugh. "Probably high-fived each other while they were at it! Three cheers and fist bumps all around while taking turns on you, huh?!"
"WHAT?!" Ruby's voice cracked. "Yang, no! You don't understand!"
"Oh, I understand, alright!" Yang bared her teeth and cracked knuckles together. "I understand that I'm gonna kick the shit out of those two for taking advantage of my sister!" She took a step forward.
Ruby counted by extending her arms out over the door. "No!"
Yang's eyes narrowed. "Move."
Ruby's widened. "I-I said no!"
"I said move."
"Y-Yang, please!" She shook her head, "I'm telling you nothing-"
"Last chance!"
"Just listen to me for once- Yang, no!"
Yang lunged forward and shoved Ruby away with her body in one sudden move. The impact and shock made Ruby lose her balance, stumble across the wall, and leave the door exposed.
Yang didn't waste another second shouting out to Jaune and Ren that she was coming for them and grabbed onto the doorknob.
Ruby screamed for Yang to stop in sheer panic and pushed herself off the wall. She regained her footing and charged back in, grabbing onto Yang just as she twisted the doorknob to push in.
Ruby steeled herself and pulled her sister back into an awkward Full Nelson.
The height difference was laughable as Ruby pulled and dragged the much taller Yang back with all her might.
The upper half of her sister made Ruby buckle underneath Yang as the blonde's back was now in Ruby's face, blocking her vision. For Yang, the position was awkward as she was now staring up at the ceiling. She wasn't expecting this much resistance and lost her balance, allowing Ruby to begin dragging her off.
Once again, Ruby's strength caught her off guard, but she would not allow it to stop her from delivering her beatdowns. When Yang Xiao Long wants to punch someone, she always delivers.
Regaining momentum, Yang slammed her boots on the floor and dug her heels in tightly as her calves stiffened. She pulled with all her might, and the challenge was on. A vicious tug of war between the sisters. One pulling back, the other pulling forward. Each channeling their inner strength and willpower to out-pull the other.
Seconds felt like an eternity as they grunted, screamed, and swore at one another. Sweat now dripped from their faces as their breathing turned into panting.
"RUBY, LET GO; DAMN IT!" Yang screamed.
"NEVER!"
"THEY TOOK MY BABY SISTER'S INNOCENCE!"
"NO, THEY DIDN'T!"
"THEY'RE GONNA PAY! YOU HEAR ME, YOU FUCKERS?! YOU'RE DEAD! BOTH OF YOU!"
"YANG I'M STILL A VIRGIN!"
"I'M GONNA RIP BOTH YOUR DICKS OFF AND FEED THEM TO YOU!"
"YANG, NO!"
"YANG, YES!"
Her intense anger seemed to rejuvenate Yang, giving her an energy boost. She thrashed and flailed around with renewed vigor like a rabid animal making Ruby grunt and slack.
Gritting her teeth, Ruby held firm with all her might but knew she wouldn't last much longer. Her arms felt like they were on fire, and she started to cramp up from the stiffness. She cursed herself for never working out as much as she should have. She wasn't used to this like Yang was.
She was fast and agile, but that was nothing against her sister's power and endurance. Ruby was just delaying the inevitable. She knew that. It was all going downhill fast, like the textbook example of a snowball effect metaphor. Even if she tried her hardest, there was nothing she could say or do to save the situation.
Yang knew she was almost there. She could feel her sister's grip slacking more and more, little by little. Her eyes were fixated on the door like a tunnel vision, never leaving her sight. That was how she would beat Ruby in this stupid game of tug-o-war.
Ruby had underestimated her greatly. She may have been a prodigy child and genius, but physical activities were Yang's domain, her turf. She understood the power of desire, motivation, and endurance to push oneself in the gym. It was all psychological; focus on what you want to achieve, and your body will come through. It's how people worked through the pain, pushed through the burning to get one more rep, and how she will soon escape and deliver sweet justice with her fists.
It was time. Yang could feel Ruby's heavy panting growing rapidly, feel the dampening on her shirt, and knew Ruby was at her limit. Legs are roughly four times stronger than the arms and have twice the muscle mass. Yang knew Ruby's arms were ready to give in any moment now and smirked when she suddenly gave up complete resistance.
It worked like a charm as Ruby yelped from the sudden ease in pulling, and just like the law of physics stated, an object in motion stays in motion. Ruby had been drawing with so much force that she launched herself several inches back, right to the floor beneath the wall.
She landed with a loud thud, knocking the wind out of her and hitting her head against the floor. Yang pushed off her sister's body, ignoring her groans of pain, and scrambled to her feet.
Yang muttered a quick apology as she turned to the door and sprinted for it. "ALRIGHT, YOU BASTARDS!" She cried and slammed into the door, bursting it open, "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR VIOLATING… my… sis… ter?"
As Yang entered the room, she nearly tripped over herself as she skidded to a halt. Her mouth dropped, her eyes bulged, and her breath was sucked from her lungs. "B-Bwah?"
Her heart skipped a beat.
Yang was at a loss for words. Her cheeks reddened, followed by her forehead, ears, and every other part of her face until she was nothing more than the full color of a tomato. She brought a hand to her mouth, trying not to squeal out in shock with all her might. Her breath quickened, and her eyes moistened. Her body felt hot and bothered all around as she shifted in place uncomfortably, shaking profusely.
Yang had expected to see two helpless, scraggly, and - soon be - pulverized boys cowering before her. What she didn't expect were angels. These were not the boys she'd known to be acne-ridden, out-of-style losers that she'd grown up with.
These were two men. Two beautiful, muscular, semi-naked men. With abs. Ooh, the abs.
Her eyes traveled downward between them. Their bodies looked like polished temples, with not even the slightest imperfection on their angelic faces. It was too much for Yang. Her legs shifted side to side, and she choked back a cry. Yang could feel herself getting lightheaded and prayed to Oum that she wouldn't faint.
It had been so long since she felt this timid before, this embarrassed. Not since she, herself, was still a nerd.
"Please!" Yang snapped back into reality and glanced between the boys. It was the blond one who cried out. He and his beauty twin were backing themselves up into a corner. "Please don't hurt us!"
Yang froze. His voice, deep and soft, made her heart nearly burst out of her chest. It was like a jolt of energy sent directly into her spine as she jumped and stepped back. Yang gripped her shirt tightly. The way his cerulean blue eyes stared back into her own lilac ones; Yang couldn't help but get lost in them.
She bit her lip. It was then that she noticed his eyes were glistening. He was crying. It was as if a stake was driven through her heart. This angelic, beautiful man was in pain. So much pain. The frown on his face made her wanna cry as well. And that timid stance made him look so vulnerable, afraid, like a beautiful creature cornered by a terrible threat. And she was that threat. Yang realized the mistake she had made.
She felt awful and wanted to rid him of this pain she caused. The way his arms extended out made it clear. They were reaching out for help. To her, for her! Yang understood now. He wanted compassion and needed to be loved; he needed her. Those gentle eyes weren't just staring in fright; they were longing, longing for her - crying out to her.
Yang wanted - nay needed - to be with him too. To be enveloped in his strong arms. To feel his skin on hers and be his one and only. She couldn't resist any longer. With a shaky hand extended out, Yang stepped forward and was prepared to spring to him.
"HI-YAH!"
Yang's world came crumbling down alongside herself. Her body suddenly fell - no, not fell, pushed. She had been pushed to the floor and felt a heaviness sitting on her back. She turned around and saw that it was Ruby, anger evident in her eyes, pinning her down.
"That's enough, Yang!" Ruby roared, "Leave Jaune and Ren alone!"
Jaune? … Ren? Yang's mind echoed. She struggled to glance back at the angels. No… no way… NO WAY!
She couldn't believe it, she wouldn't! But when she really stared at them… the magenta eyes… the blond hair… her eyes widened.
Oh my Oum…
"R-Ruby…" Yang's voice came out as a whisper, "I-Is… is that really… them?"
"What?!" Ruby glanced down. "Yes, Yang! It's Jaune and Ren! I know it looks super sketchy, but you gotta believe me, we really didn't do anything! All we did was take a shower! Ah- I-I mean separate showers! And then…"
The words that followed became a blur as Yang's mind was flooded. She barely listened to what Ruby was saying anymore. She just kept her eyes locked on the boys. The men.
She didn't want to believe it. But despite all odds, despite the contrary or possibility - even by last night's standards - these were Jaune and Ren. Or what they could have been? Or were? Are?
Yang didn't know. It felt like her mind was spiraling out of control as a thousand different thoughts rushed through. By some crazy turn of events, the boys, considered the lowest form of attraction by many, suddenly became the very definition of the next.
It was official. stopped functioning correctly.
Nothing made sense anymore. One second the boys were scraggly and fragile, and the next, they were Olympian beefcakes. For a second, Yang thought she was dreaming. Perhaps she was still cuddled up in her sleeping bag back at Weiss' manor, and this was all just a messed-up nightmare.
But then she stared at Jaune again, and her heart began to race once more. This wasn't a dream. This reaction in her heart felt real, too real for any ordinary dream!
She gasped. All these thoughts and emotions… were triggered by Jaune. JAUNE! Yang couldn't believe it. Him, of all people! She didn't know whether to scream or cry. Her mind boggled, and she felt on the verge of a panic attack.
She couldn't be here anymore. She needed to get away from here.
"I-I GOTTA GO!" Yang shrieked and twirled her body around with all her might in one fluid motion.
It was enough to knock Ruby off of her as she yelped in surprise. The second she was free, Yang rolled to her feet and rushed out the door, not daring to look back.
She didn't care that she stumbled down the staircase or tripped over the duffle bag she left behind. Never mind that she slammed her face into the front door or lost her balance on the final step of the porch. She just needed to get away.
Once outside, Yang ran to the limo and opened the car's door with such force that it nearly bounced back. She ignored the pain of it slamming against her forearm and dived inside.
Startled cries and curses erupted as she landed on Weiss' lap with a heavy thud.
"GAH! YANG XIAO LONG, GET OFF ME THIS INSTANT!" The heiress demanded and wasted no time shoving the blonde brute off her lap as she frantically fixed her white dress.
"Damn, girl!" Coco laughed and patted the empty seat next to her. Yang obliged and slumped down. "Were you that worried about Weissy's threat that much?! You know I wouldn't have let that happen!"
"Excuse you! Do not paint me out to be the villain here, Coco!" Weiss 'hmphed' and crossed her arms.
"Yang, are you alright?" Pyrrha asked and leaned over to the blonde. She had never seen Yang so out of it before and offered her handkerchief. When Yang snatched it out of her hand, Pyrrha was startled when she furiously scrubbed her face.
Melanie leaned away and snorted with amused eyes. "The fuck is wrong with you, girl?!"
"Yeah! What the hell?! You're acting crazier than usual!" Militia laughed.
"Can it, you two!" Coco demanded and lowered her shades. "You good, Yang? You look like you came out of a sauna or somethin."
"I-I'm good."
"Are you sure? Did something happen?" Pyrrha asked gently. The way Yang flinched said it all, and all eyes glanced at one another.
"What happened in there, Yang?" Weiss asked, her eyes narrowed.
Yang shook her head. "N-Nothing!"
"Bullshit," Melanie said.
"Yup. Total bullshit." Militia added.
"Yang, we're your friends," Pyrrha said and slowly reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "If something happened, you could tell us."
Yang was a mess. What was she going to say? She walked in and saw Jaune and Ren, two of the lowest ranking eligible bachelors, half-naked and hot? They would never believe her. She still couldn't believe it either, and she saw it all.
Yang could feel their eyes still on her. She took a breath and chose her words carefully. "I… just ran into Jaune and Ren in there. They were having a sleepover with Ruby and… sorry, I… it was just really awkward seeing them, you know? After everything that happened?"
It wasn't a lie per se but far from the actual truth as it can get. She had hoped that this was enough to drop the conversation altogether. They would understand, not care anymore, or let it go out of sympathy for her, right? It seemed that way for Weiss, who looked about done with the topic.
However, the others were a different story.
"Y-You said Jaune… and Ren are in there?" Pyrrha asked quietly, and Yang could see her shuffle a little in her seat. "Right?"
"Yeah…"
"I see." Pyrrha nodded, her cheeks reddening. "Perhaps we should say hello before we go. Wouldn't you agree, Coco?
"Uh, y-yeah," Coco muttered and scratched her cheek as Pyrrha glared her way. "I wouldn't mind saying hi to the kid- uh, boys." She readjusted her shades and turned away as a noticeable blush formed on her cheeks.
Melanie and Militia glanced at one another and smirked before Weiss, quite literally, stomped her foot down.
"Absolutely not!" She fumed, "I refuse to sit here and wait any longer than I have to! Especially if it involves those cretins!" She ignored the looks Pyrrha, and Coco sent her and crossed her arms. "If you wish to speak with them, you may do so at your own time! Not mine! Thank you very much! We are leaving!"
Weiss made a signal to the driver, who nodded and started the engine. As Pyrrha and Coco expressed their displeasure to Weiss, Yang ignored the whole debacle, and Militia and Melanie were too distracted by and even instigated the argument between the three.
Yang sighed as she slowly pushed herself to the farthest corner of the limo. Though she wasn't tired, her mind was not at rest. She glanced at her house as a hand slowly rose over her heart. The blush returned, not in full force anymore, but enough to feel the sensation envelope in her chest.
She frowned and shook her head. Get it together, girl… s-so what if they're packing some beef now… it's still Jaune and Ren! The image of the blond boy was still clear in her mind. How he looked at her… reached out to her… talked to her.
Yang gripped at her shirt. Jaune…
As the limo pulled out of the driveway, that was the only thing that Yang could think of when they finally drove off.
Yang was gone. Took off like a roadrunner in the desert. Ruby should have felt the relief of mountain-sized stress being ejected off her shoulders. But in the end, she was left staring at the doorway, confused.
She turned and glanced at the boys. She appeared better off than they did. Jaune was practically dry, heaving on the floor as he sweated bullets. Ren kept himself more composed, but Ruby could see the shaking in his legs as he held a hand firmly over his forehead.
She didn't blame them. Somehow, all three had just escaped the wrath of Yang. Ruby didn't think it would have eased one of Yang's boxing punches, even with their new muscle. She had seen the images of those who crossed her sister and did not want to imagine her friends as one of them.
"How… how are we still alive?!" Jaune asked, "What the hell happened?! Did you see how angry she was?! She wanted to kill us! Why?! We didn't even do anything?! As a matter of fact, why didn't she?! She just… ran away! Why?!"
He glanced at Ruby with wide eyes as if she could answer all his questions. But the small girl shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know, Jaune. At this point… I don't think I know anything anymore…."
"Agreed." Ren sighed and slowly took a seat at Ruby's computer. "We're lucky things didn't escalate as they did. We will deal with Yang at a later time, but right now, I think we need to get dressed. I think we've had enough trouble being like this."
"Yeah, you're telling me," Ruby muttered and spotted the bra and panties out in the hall. She blushed and crossed her arms. "A-Alright, you two get out!"
In post haste, Ruby grabbed both Jaune and Ren by the shoulders just as they grabbed their bags and pulled them out the door. "You can both change in my dad's room, but do not break or touch anything! I had it up to here with you two already! Get me?!"
They both nodded.
"Good!" Ruby dipped down and picked up the clothing before slamming the door shut. She glanced down at the bra in her hand and sighed as she walked to her bed. "Gods damn it."
After a few minutes, the three were back in Ruby's room, fully clothed and sitting in a little circle on her carpet.
"So you guys can't find your scrolls either?" Ruby asked.
"No," Ren replied solemnly. Jaune shook his head and sighed. "They weren't in either of our bags, and it's unlikely they would be anywhere else in the house. We cleaned the living room and saw nary a thing."
"That was my first ever scroll!" Jaune whined, "I had so much saved on it! All my photos… my websites… my apps, and- oh gods, my browser history downloads!" Jaune quivered and slapped his forehead as he fell back. "UGH! THIS IS SO NOT MY DAY!"
Ruby rolled her eyes and patted his head. "There, there, Jaune. You'll rebuild your hentai list again in no time."
Jaune gaped at her. "What?! R-Ruby I didn't mean that! I-I meant my… research sites!"
"Whatever you wanna call it, Jaune. I won't judge you, buddy."
"Ruby! I'm telling you it's not-"
"Moving on!" Ren cleared his throat loudly. "Since none of us can find our scrolls, we must assume the worst. We have no recollection of last night, and we have no prior knowledge of what happened to us. Everything here connects to something. What it is, we do not know, so we have to think of possibilities."
"Oh man~ we got drugged and robbed!"
"Yes, that is one possibility, Jaune."
"Maybe aliens abducted us?"
"... Ruby…"
"What?! Look at us! You said it yourself that this isn't normal!"
"Yes. But we shouldn't jump so far from realistic possibilities first."
"We've already crossed that line, Ren." Ruby glared at him. Ren glared back as the two now entered a staring contest.
"Wait! I forgot!" Jaune beamed in. "Scrolls have recovery accounts and locators inside them so long as they are turned on! We can just go to the nearest Scroll~izen and ask them to help us find them!"
Ruby and Ren blinked. They glanced back at one another, then back to Jaune, and blinked.
"W-What?! Was it a bad idea?" The way his friends stared at Jaune made him fluster a little as he glanced away.
"No… it wasn't." Ren answered.
"Yeah." Ruby nodded, "We just didn't expect that coming from you."
"Gah!" Jaune flinched and felt like his heart was stabbed by an invisible arrow. "You guys are so mean!" He whined and crossed his arms.
"Aw, Jaune, don't be like that! You gave us our first real lead!" Ruby beamed and patted the blond on the shoulder.
Jaune looked at her sideways, one eye slightly wider. "Really?..."
"You have." Ren nodded, "If we can have access to our scrolls' location, we can go there, and I'm sure we will find some answers. Not all, but it is a good start."
"Alright! Score one for Cased Closed Jaune!" Ruby cheered.
"Huh? Wouldn't I be Detective Jaune?" The blond asked.
"Nope! You can't because I'm already Detective Ruby."
"Eh?! But I found the lead!"
"Too bad I called dibs!"
"You can't do that! I don't wanna be the dubbed version by default!"
"Tough! I'm subbed! I'm superior!"
"No fair!"
Ren sighed as he watched his friends banter back and forth. Even in times of uncertainty, he was grateful that they had not lost their sense of humor at this moment. He smiled a little and rolled his eyes before glancing at the clock.
10:45. "It's time we left." Ren declared and rose to his feet. "The sooner we depart, the sooner we can plan our actions."
Ruby and Jaune nodded and rose with him. They gathered what they needed and headed down the stairs. Just like last night, the trio walked out into the autumn air. Ruby locked the door behind her and nodded.
But as they walked down the path, they were unaware of a lone figure watching from afar among the leafless trees. The figure leaned back, smirking at the little children, and popped a piece of candy into their mouth.
And thus, the sixth chapter comes to an end. Once again, I am sorry for my absence, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There are more plans for the future, and I hope you enjoy them. Please share your thoughts and constructive criticisms in the reviews - whether good or bad, it's all welcome! And please be sure to share, favorite, and follow!
Well, that's all I have to say! Please stay tuned for the next chapter and stay safe out there!
