And here's Yang's 3rd original chapter.
I really loved all the info that was released at RTX (the GE dlc, the CFVY spin off book, Manticore Grimm, and the Adam trailer). If I remain on schedule (and don't add any more chapters ^-^;) I should have V4 finished right before V6 starts airing.
She was surrounded by flames, smoking blacking out the sky. She could hear the Ursa's growls all around her; Yang's hands shook as she spun towards each growl, fear eating at her.
"Yang." The fires around her began to die, smoldering embers all that remained. The Ursa's growls ceased. She turned to the voice, a smile tugging at her lips. Weiss stood some distance from her, smiling at her, her arms open, waiting for her.
Yang ran to her, reaching out, throwing her arms out. Weiss' loving smile grew as Yang leapt toward her-
-and hit nothing, Weiss disappearing in a blue mist. Yang's eyes widened, watching the mist as it evaporated. She screamed, her right arm disintegrating.
"Yang," a voice cooed. She looked back, clutching her stump, her breath hitching. Blake was staring at her smugly, an arm wrapped around Weiss. Weiss was snuggling into her chest, her arms wrapped around Blake's waist. Blake smiled, her lips curling over her teeth as she looked down at Weiss, placing a hand under her chin, tilting Weiss' face up. Weiss closed her eyes, her lips parting as she leaned for a kiss. Yang tried to look away, unable to move her body, forced to watch them, bile at the back of her throat. Blake kept her eyes on Yang as she pressed her lips against Weiss', a hint of a smile as they kissed. The coy look in Blake's eyes grew as Blake drew her sword.
Yang opened her mouth to scream, her voice gone. She couldn't move, her chest tightening as Blake plunged the sword into Weiss' stomach. Weiss broke the kiss, moaning Blake's name, before pressing her lips against Blake's with renewed fervor. Blake twisted the blade, plunging it deeper and deeper into Weiss' gut, her dress turning crimson, blood running from her lips and smearing against Blake's face. Blake narrowed her eyes at Yang, mirth dancing in her amber eyes as Weiss broke from her lips, trailing kisses down the side of her neck. Blake grinned at her.
She woke with a start; a phantom pain on her right side. She rolled over, looking at the team picture on her nightstand. Ice looked back at her. Yang sighed, sitting up, resting her head in her hand. Life really had to be like this, huh. She got to her feet, and went to the door. She took a deep breath, and opened it.
Glynda sat on the couch, the mug of coffee warm in her hands. Tai sat in his chair, his expression unreadable. She glanced back as she heard Yang descend the stairs. She smiled reassuringly at her as Yang looked over at Tai. Tai didn't look up as Yang took a spot on the couch.
"When did you get home?" Tai asked, finally looking up..
"I don't know. Sun was up." Tai exhaled, drumming his fingers against the arm of his chair.
"About what I said. Yang, I." he paused, gripping the chair. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I know that it was insensitive. I know it was wrong, it just… it slipped out, okay? I messed up." Yang scoffed.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Yang said, her words venomous. Tai scowled, and opened his mouth. Glynda wrapped an arm around Yang's shoulder, glaring at Tai. Taiyang grunted, and looked away.
"I know I've messed up, Yang. I'm trying to fix this." Tai narrowing his eyes as he looked her over. "What happened to your jacket? That's not the one you left in."
Glynda glanced down; the jacket Yang was in was brown instead of gray, the emblem stitched into the left side missing. Glynda's lips parted as she looked Yang over; was… was that blood on her shirt? Yang shifted in her seat, not looking at them.
"Got this from a friend. Lost the other one while I was out."
"You lost it? How could you have…" Tai looked at her stump. His face hardened. "Where's your arm." Glynda gripped Yang's shoulder as Yang rubbed the end of her stump.
"I lost it, alright?" Tai bolted upright, disbelief in his eyes.
"You lost it?! How could you lose it! Where could you have lost it at?!" Yang wretched free of Glynda's grip, bolting up, sparks flying from her hair. She glowered at her father, her eyes burning red.
"I lost it at the place I grew up at, dad! The place that taught me how to fight because you couldn't!"
Glynda got to her feet, stepping between the two.
"Sit. Both of you." They both looked at her. Her gaze turned icy, and she crossed her arms. Tai was the first to sit back down. Yang grunted in annoyance, the flames in her hair dying as she sat back down. Glynda sighed, and adjusted her glasses. She looked at Yang; the scar on her lip, her crooked nose; she remembered the teeth she had been missing whenever she flashed a confidant smirk in class. "Yang." Yang looked at her. "I've already inferred what you had to go through, but… I want to hear you tell me what happened." Glynda shot a pointed glare at Tai. "And I want a good explanation from you, Taiyang."
Yang glared at her father before looking at Glynda, her voice even as she spoke.
"He stopped looking after us. I had to raise Ruby and help her… help her with some personal things. I had to go to the Hole and learn how to fight and make enough money to make sure we weren't starving or homeless." Anger shrouded Yang's eyes. "I sacrificed everything because he couldn't."
Glynda looked at Tai. He was looking off to the side, frowning.
"Tai. What do you have to say for yourself."
"It's more complicated than that." Tai said. Yang laughed, the sound bitter.
"I know exactly what it's like to lose the people you care about. To have them all leave you. For them to die." She gripped the couch cushion, her knuckle turning white. "And I would never let that be an excuse to not take care of the people I love."
For them to die?
Glynda watched Tai, realization dawning.
"Taiyang. When did… when did this happen?" He was quiet for a moment.
"After Summer died." Glynda exhaled, a hand going to her temple. Of course. Tai looked over at his daughter. "I know that I was a shitty dad to you growing up, Yang. But…" Tai sighed, gripping his chair. "Summer was my best friend. It hurt me every day thinking about what happened. About what had happened to my team." Glynda's expression softened. This was the same time Qrow started drinking, if her memory was correct.
"That's it?" Glynda blinked in surprise, looking at Yang. "I lost my arm. I saw my friends get butchered right before my eyes. My entire team? Gone." Yang stood up. "I can barely sleep, I can't even be near a fire without having a panic attack, and yet I'm the one running this house while you what, pretend to be a good dad?" A chill went down Glynda's back as Yang's eyes turned a familiar shade of red. "You're weak."
Glynda watched as Yang turned and left, climbing the stairs.
Tai rubbed his temple, sighing.
"I guess I had that one coming." Tai said. She heard Yang's door shut.
"Does she know about what happened to Summer? About why Raven left?" Glynda asked. Tai shook his head.
"It's not my place to tell her about all of that. Salem, the Relics, I don't want her getting involved." Tai looked up the stairs, and got from his seat. "I'm going to go talk to her."
Glynda watched him climb the stairs, and sat back down on the couch. She grabbed her mug of coffee, looking down into it as she heard Yang's door open.
Tai hesitated, lingering in the doorway. Yang lay on her side, her back to him.
"What do you want?" Yang asked. Tai entered the room, shutting the door behind him.
"I wanted to talk."
"I'm done talking."
"You don't have to say anything then. Just listen for a little bit." Yang didn't respond. Tai sat at the foot of her bed, and rubbed the back of his head as he thought of how to start.
"I loved your mother. She had this fire to her, this strength I hadn't seen in a person before." He lowered his hand from his head, resting it on the bed, Raven's warm face filling his mind. He gripped the bed sheets; the loving smiles and lungful glances Raven would throw at Summer when they were in class. "And she never really looked at me in the same way until years after we had known each other. She…. I'll admit she's a hard person to get along with, and she was reluctant at the thought of being a mother."
"When she left, I was devastated. I blamed myself, that I hadn't been good enough. And Summer was there for me when I was at my lowest. So when I lost her, I-I… I broke." He looked at the picture at Yang's nightstand. "I was alone. Summer was dead. Raven was gone. Qrow was drinking himself to death, and only stopped by to check on Ruby. He never stopped by for me."
"I know that what you're going through is even worse. But I want you to know, Yang, that I know what it feels like to be completely alone. That everyone you care about has left you, that you're left with nothing but your regrets and fears." Tai looked at his daughter.
"You inherited a lot from your mother. You have that same strength. I knew what you were doing. I wasn't blind to the bruises on you or the missing teeth. And I hated myself for having to make you have to shoulder all of this. That I was weak, that I couldn't force myself to get better, at how long it took me to recover. That I could act like everything was okay and be the dad Ruby needed when I was better but that I couldn't with you. That I couldn't be the one to train you how to fight."
"I don't expect you to forgive me. I know I can't forgive myself. But I'm here for you now. I want you to know that you're not alone, and that you don't have to be strong all the time." He stood up, Yang didn't move, wouldn't look at him. He closed his eyes, going to the door. "You're my daughter, Yang, and I love you. More than anything else on Remnant."
He opened the door, and left the room, shutting it behind him.
Yang sniffed, her cheeks warmed by the tears. She turned, looking over at the door. She could see her father's shadow for a moment before he walked away. She sniffed again, wiping at the tears, the end of her stump itching. She looked at her photo.
Ice, and silver looked back.
Pyrrha's eyes snapped open, blinking in confusion. She was sitting against a wall, the air frigid, brown leaves dancing in the air, the setting sun casting a golden light over her. She looked down at her hands, turning them over; she was in her old armor. She looked to her side.
"Jaune?"
He smiled at her, reaching for her hand. Flames licked at his body, his skin blackening and cracking as he placed his hand over hers. Pyrrha recoiled in shock, snapping her hand back. Jaune's smile disappeared, he wavered, and collapsed onto the floor. A plume of dust rose into the air as his body disintegrated into ashes.
Pyrrha fell to the ground, staring at the ashes. She felt tears welling, locks of her crimson hair falling out and mingling with his ashes. The tears fell, wetting the dust as she felt her face and body burn, blood dripping down as the scars cut their way through her flesh.
She looked up, her lip quivering at who stared back at her. A circle of figures had formed around her, their bodies distorted and stretched, towering above her. They wore her old armor, their crimson hair blowing with the wind, their accusatory green eyes baring into her soul.
Pyrrha lunged at the figures with a cry, Échthra materializing in her hand. She stabbed and slashed at the figures, their blood raining down, their faces remaining emotionless as they fell to her blades.
She opened her eyes, her heart thumping against her chest. She sat up, resting her head in her hand. She looked up.
Small green orbs floated through the air, a dull blue glow emanating from the mushrooms that towered around them. Nora lay on her bedroll, a smaller mushroom resting over her. Ruby was twitching in her sleep. The fire had died, and she saw Ren standing a bit past their camp, his arms crossed, illuminated by the bioluminescent glow of the forest.
She got to her feet, going to his side. He didn't look back as he spoke.
"Nightmare?" he asked. Pyrrha stopped next to him, staring out at the glowing blue lake.
"What else would it be?" she said. Ren said nothing. She watched the dark fish swim in the water. She glanced up as she felt the ground tremble. She saw a dark figure lumbering through the mushrooms; a large body on twisted, extended legs, its long clawed arms being dragged against the floor. She saw the Strider look over at them, its bright orange eyes piercing. It stared at them for a few moments before continuing on its way, the water rippling as it walked. Ren rubbed at his chest, looking down at the water.
"You get used to them after a while," he said. He looked over at her, holding up a hand, a pink glow around his body. "I can help you get to back to sleep, but I can't promise the nightmares will stop."
Pyrrha looked away, her eyes downcast. She saw something near one of the mushrooms, she squinted as she focused on it. A burnt corpse stood next to a mushroom, staring at her, its mouth burnt together, its blue eyes unblinking. Pyrrha swallowed, a chill going down her back as the corpse stared at her.
"Something wrong?" She looked back at Ren. He was looking at her, an eyebrow raised. She looked back at the mushroom. The space next to it was empty. She turned, beginning to walk back towards their camp.
"Don't keep watch all night, wake Nora up when it's her turn." Pyrrha said. Ren said nothing.
She laid down on her mat, resting her head on her arms. She blinked, her eye lids heavy. The Corpse stood next to their fire; staring, unblinking, watching her. Pyrrha rolled onto her side, her back to the fire, and squeezed her eyes shut.
Pyrrha's eyes snapped open, blinking in confusion. She was sitting against a wall, the air frigid, brown leaves dancing in the air, the setting sun casting a golden light over her. She looked down at her hands, turning them over; she was in her old armor. She looked to her side.
"Jaune?"
And that's it. Up next is Weiss' original chapter, and then we're back to the canon story for a while. And internet cookie to anyone who can figure out what scene Pyrrha's nightmare sequence paid homage to.