Here's chapter 24, everyone.
"Hey." Yang greeted her partner when she pushed the door open, seeing that she was sitting on her bed, hands on her knees and looking at the ground. "Uh, contemplating some stuff there, Blake?"
Blake looked up, not taking in the blonde immediately, believing that she'd see Weiss, so she frowned and looked back down. "Not right now, Yang… Please."
Yang sighed, having Blake know she wasn't about to ignore her, so she walked over and sat beside her. "Okay, what's getting you all mopey?"
"Telling you wouldn't be exactly all that helpful." Blake admitted, knowing how angry the blonde would get with the information.
"Try me." Yang responded.
Blake was a bit nervous, not at the blonde's anger, but at her disappointment. "I… I hit Weiss."
Silence was met.
Yang blinked twice, taking in what Blake said, how Weiss looked when she found her, how angry she was when she saw the red mark over her friend's cheek. "What?" She could only say the one word, finding it hard to believe.
"I hit her, Yang… But it was an acciden-." Blake was pushed on her back and Yang looked down at her, red eyes and all. "I-I know you're mad, but I didn't mean to."
"You didn't mean to, huh?" Yang said, pissed, but in control as she didn't want to hurt her partner. "The girl who just happens to hate the Schnee family, and has one on her team, hits her, not one damn week after being put on her team. And it just happens to be an accident."
Blake growled a little, surprising Yang as she got out of bed and challenged the brawler. "Yes, it was. She reached for my shoulder and I just reacted, okay!"
Yang crossed her arms, the red in her eyes not vanishing. "She was running off, Blake. You… You hit her in the face!" Her hair slightly burst into flames before dying down a bit. "Just because she touched your damn shoulder?!"
"I don't like being touched!" Blake yelled back in return, the corner of her eyes beginning to water as Yang took note of that.
The red in her eyes finally died down and she wondered just what Blake meant. "Well… You still shouldn't have reacted the way you did." When her partner turned away and wrapped an arm around herself, Yang started to worry what Blake meant by not wanting to be touched. "Blake."
"Leave me alone." Blake sniffled, her tough act shattering as Yang saw a tear falling to the ground.
"Damn it, Blake. Why are you doing this?! Stop it with not telling me what's bothering you…" Yang begged. "I'm your partner for fu-."
"You've only known me for little over a week!" Blake spun around, clenching her teeth in anger.
Yang tightened her fists. "And?!"
"And… And you don't need to know everything about me!" Blake shouted back.
"You're crying, you idiot!" Yang continued the shouting match, not caring if anyone outside the dorm would hear. "What happened to make you not like when people even touch your damn-."
Blake jumped at her, knocking her to the ground as she held her hand against her mouth. "If I don't want to tell you… Then what makes you think I'd want anyone outside know either?" She growled.
Yang yanked Blake's hand away and was face to face with her partner, not letting her intimidate her. "Do you want to even be here…"
"Don't question me." Blake didn't get off of the blonde.
"You're an idiot." Yang did take after her mother in that regard. "You avoid Weiss, then hit her, deny me knowing what's making you cry, and now you're pinning me to the ground. What is making you like this?"
Blake's bow twitched a bit. "I've had partners in the past who tend to let me down."
"Well I'm not them, and clearly you won't let me try, so get off of me. Now." Yang demanded, feeling her black haired partner moving off of her, so she sat up and dusted herself of. "If you're gonna have a problem with Weiss-."
"I'll apologize to her." Blake cut her off.
"Not good enough." Yang crossed her arms. "Stop avoiding her. I'm sick of our team not being… A team." She frowned and lowered her arms. "We're all here to be huntresses, Blake. We can't do that without our fourth."
Blake was also sat on the floor, feeling too mentally tired to stand. "Why do you even want me on this team? You clearly don't like how I act… And I slapped Weiss."
Yang looked down at her hands, shaking her head at them. "I won't lie to you. When I saw her with that mark on her face, I was ready to beat the crap out of who hit her." She raised her head. "It was you though, so… I won't."
"People tend to forgive others far too easily." Blake commented.
"Didn't say I forgave you." Yang said, making Blake look away, feeling disappointed. "When you actually talk to Weiss about this, and stop being such an idiot about it, then I'll think about forgiving you."
"Whatever." Blake replied, getting up to finish the conversation.
"I've been covering for you, and before you get all broody, yeah I know you didn't ask for it." Yang got up as well. "But this," She pointed to herself and Blake. "Us. Ruby and Weiss. We're Team RWBY."
Blake shrugged it off. "You said that already."
"And it still means a lot to all of us." Yang reiterated. "If you won't tell me why you don't like to be touched, then tell me why you came to Beacon." She let out a smile, taking a seat on her own bed as she grumbled a bit. "Man we need to move these beds around. Mine is way too close to the wall."
"I can't really get out of this, can I?" Yang shook her head and Blake submitted to it, so she sat on her bed and folded her hands. "I wanted a change in my life, to fight in a way that I can be proud of."
"You've fought monsters before? Like I mean, way before." Yang clarified.
Blake shook her head. "Before my fight was not about monsters… Well if you asked certain people they would tell you they were monsters."
Yang had an idea about that. "Are you talking about Weiss' family?"
"I… Yes." Blake sighed. "What her family's company does is impossible to defend, and while you have a lot of good to say about Weiss, I don't know if I can see anything else when I see blue eyes and white hair."
"Have you ever tried?" Yang asked.
"No." Blake answered, feeling like a hypocrite.
Yang rubbed both of her knees and nodded. "Can you?"
"I don't know." Blake again, not able to give more of an answer than that.
"Can I help you?" Yang continued pushing on.
"Why?" Blake questioned.
"Because I want to." Her smile was, different, like it wasn't forced, or even faked. "Maybe because I really wanna see what makes you tick."
"Will you ever back off?" Blake asked, the back and forth beginning to get to her.
Yang shook her head. "Not really. We're partners after all."
Blake rubbed her leg, sniffling a bit, thinking about Adam and what the word partner really meant. "What does that word mean to you?" Yang's confused face made Blake reiterate her question. "A partner. What does that mean to you?"
"Oh, well, I can't really say. You're the only person who I've ever been partners with… But if you mean what it feels like right now, well, not too different from the word friend." Yang answered honestly. "We watch each other's backs."
"All I've learned from the word is to listen to your partner… To believe what they say and fight with them until the end, no matter how bad their ways are." Blake explained.
Yang was taken aback by that. "Okay, I get the fighting with them until the end, but you shouldn't be forced to listen to anyone. I mean, if I had an idea and you didn't like it, I'd want you to speak up about it."
Blake bit her lip, not having this feeling with Adam. "What do you call your partner then?"
"That kind of partner? Well, to me that sounds like a manipulative jerk." Yang said, trying to connect the dots as the conversed.
The constant pestering, and overall way Yang made her feel left a smile on her face, but a frown formed after. "Yang… I'm sorry."
"There it is." Yang let out a smile as well. "I was waiting when you stopped being so broody and just talked to me."
Blake rubbed her right leg again. "Yeah. I just, have trust issues from my last partner, and no offense, but I've still only known you for a little over a week."
"And we'll get to know each other more and more with time, so I won't get all my answers today. That I know." Yang got up and walked over, sitting next to her partner. "But what I do know is that one day you need to get to know the real Weiss Schnee too."
"That's-." She stopped herself. "Okay… Okay, I'll try."
Yang threw her arm around Blake, making the girl yelp. "Right…" She moved her arm away. "Sorry. No touching. Got it."
"I-I was just a little startled." Blake said, blushing a little out of embarrassment.
"Heh, fair enough." Yang took a breath though, taking a moment to get as serious as she could. "I'll say this though, and make sure to pay attention." Her eyes turned red as she stared into yellow, making Blake tense up, actually making her a bit afraid of the blonde's anger. "If I hear you hit her again… You'll have to answer to me… Got it?"
Blake slowly nodded, scooting over a bit as the red in her partner's eyes faded to lilac. "G-Got it."
"Good!" Yang had a cheery smile on and jumped out of bed, offering her hand to Blake. "Now why don't we spar a bit? I haven't had a one on one with you yet."
With the amount of small trust formed between the two, Blake felt she shouldn't deny the offer, so she took Yang's hand.
"I only have one more week." Willow said to herself as she was able to get most of her aura going, but it still took a lot out of her. Not only that, but she never did call her husband back, not wanting to waste any time. "I can do this." She closed her eyes, feeling the cold air on her body as she imagined her aura beginning at her feet.
The light around her feet started to shine, and it rose up her body, a bit faster than she had it going before. It wasn't enough though, as Willow wanted to have all of her aura up. "Some people tend to just have it go in one burst, others need it to start from one point."
Raven's words made Willow fight that much harder, since it was a challenge. She said nothing to her trainer, wanting to prove that even with the more difficult challenge, she could get two glyphs going.
"You're gonna overextend again." Raven sighed.
Again, she said nothing and when her aura reached the top of her head, everything felt clearer in her mind, more so now that she didn't need to focus on her aura growing. The last time she had her aura all over her body, it was exhilarating and that was what caused her to lose it once she brought out one glyph.
The black haired huntress bit her lip, surprised that Willow was able to use all of her aura again, so she waited.
The white haired woman opened her eyes, feeling a new sense of comfort. Like her body was able to finally accept a part of her that has been locked away. "Okay…" She held her hand out, imagining a spinning circle, but not a fast one. "Slowly." It was one breath she took, and a single glyph formed. It wasn't too big, but it was enough to usually make Willow lose her breath.
Raven watched the glyph, seeing it float in front of the other woman. "This week really has given her a backbone…"
The glyph disappeared, but not because Willow lost energy, but because she chose to make it disappear. She was panting a bit, not much, but a bit. "Once more." She closed her eyes, imagining the snow in front of her instead of using her eyes. After a moment, she kneeled down and placed her palm on the snow, a circle beginning to form under her, shocking Raven as it began to grow.
"H-Hey, don't overextend, id-." She stopped when the glyph was five times the size of the other glyph Willow used.
Willow held it for about ten seconds, but after that, she couldn't continue and the glyph disappeared, with her planting her hands on the snow and catching her breath. "I… I made two of them…"
Raven walked over, helping the woman up and letting her lean on her arm. "Didn't I say you would end up like this?"
"You said… I would knock myself out…" Willow grinned a little. "I didn't… And I made two glyphs… So now you have to keep… Your end of the deal." Between her words, she'd take deep breaths as Raven led her into the cabin.
"Ugh, I can't believe that was why you've been an idiot this past week." Raven moved her onto the bed, laying the woman down. "What is your problem?"
Willow shook her head. "I have a lot of those, Raven… This one not being one of them." She looked over at the fridge. "May I have a glass of water?"
Raven said nothing and walked over, opening the fridge as she poured her a glass. "You really are annoying, you know that." She placed the glass near the table, arms reach for Willow.
"My husband would agree with you," Willow chuckled. "Maybe the one thing you two could agree on." She reached over and sat up, taking a sip from the glass.
"Like I'd ever agree with that man." Raven said as she crossed her arms in disgust.
Willow couldn't help but laugh, making Raven sigh. "Come on. Lighten up a little." She set her glass down and smiled. "It's going to be fine, Raven."
"You say that." Raven wasn't convinced and took a seat on one of the chairs, looking deep into the fireplace. "Do you still want training, or was this it for you?"
"Of course I do." Willow answered. "Some days I may have to miss, mostly because Jacques has started using my son to get his words to me…" She trailed off for a moment. "He'll be home soon."
Raven looked over. "We all have our own demons."
"Yes. We do." Willow agreed as she laid back down.
"Hmm." Raven stood up. "I'll make us food when I get back. Stay here and rest up." The huntress walked outside, leaving Willow to her resting.
As she was out in the snow, she felt a strong wind, so she held her arm up to cover her eyes. Once the wind died down, she looked around, her eyes widening when she saw a figure in the distance. The figure however was one she had seen only once before, the shape of a massive wolf.
Yang is an angry older sister, even for Weiss. And yes, she can too understand where Blake is coming from. Doesn't mean she has to like what happened, but at least they patched things up, in a way.
To JJ- For now, looks like at least Blake and Yang have talked about it, and don't worry, Weiss will have her talk with Blake when the time is right. And yeah, they're protective of her, but they'll need to learn that she can fight too, just like everyone else.
I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 24. Remember, reviews are welcomed, but not required. See you all in chapter 25.