Chapter 11
...
She found him.
Following the foot-prints he left in the snow, she was rather quick to track him down.
"Hyaa! Hyaa! Hyaa!"
And as she did, for a brief moment, she simply observed.
Even if the night was quite cold, he still managed to work up a great sweat. His breaths were taxing, his chest heaved madly with each one he took, face embodiment of exhaustion and shoulders slumped down.
"Hyaa!"
Regardless, he still moved himself and his combat arms with something, which could be easily mistaken for solid determination. In actuality though, he was hurt and angry, and his emotions fueled him, and helped him to swing his blade from one side to the other. And if she was correct, and she was certain she was, he wouldn't stop any time soon. Even if he was so tired already.
"Let's head back inside." She started so, and unsurprisingly, he ignored her. In response, she set her jaw firm, and was in no mood to play it cool and easy. "Jaune, you either go back willingly, or I'll drag you back."
"Hyaa!" He swung his sword a single more time, and then stopped. Panting, he wiped his brows clean from the sweat. Thereafter, giving her as indifferent a look as he could muster.
"Thanks, but I want to be alone for now. I'll go back once I'll be finished here," He said evenly, but the glint in his blue betrayed him. It showed perfectly he was still boiling inside. A mute storm which could go loose just about any moment.
She took half a step closer to him and then stopped.
In all honesty, leaving him be didn't seem like such a bad idea. Allowing him to swing his sword just enough times he'd pass out from exhaustion. But…
There was just something. Something about his blue, the pain and anger so raw and grim that she...she couldn't help but worry.
"That's a no, Jaune. You'll go back with me, like it or not. Back to my house, to my room and we'll, I don't know, talk or something," She said, but he anew swung his blade, slashing right through her words. Seconds later, he stopped and again, gave her a look.
This one, it genuinely seemed nothing but empty. No anger or pain, just an empty, hollow space in a shade of blue.
"But you don't want my presence, do you?"
"I don't."
"Then I can leave."
She wondered if she heard him right. "What? To where?"
"Where else? To Haven, to meet up with Ruby, Nora and Ren."
"No, you can't. It's too late for that," She said, and then realized just how ironic it was that she now needed to stop him from leaving.
A flicker of light returned to his blue, and he almost scoffed in response.
"Why?"
"Because it'd be incredibly hard for you to track them down at this point. It's been about a month since they left. There's no telling if they're already at Haven, or some place else. Therefore, the more time you'd spend on road and searching for them, the more dangerous it could get with grimm and whatnot lurking about. You could even lose your life."
"…And?"
She snapped.
Barreling at full speed, she smacked him across the face as hard as she could.
His knees buckled madly, he stumbled back a great number of steps but ultimately, managed to stay on his feet.
She breathed in and out invisible flames, her lilac now a bloody red, and so lost in emotions, she couldn't utter a word.
He glared back for a moment, his lips pursed tightly, but then simply began to walk off.
She didn't stay still for long. Again, she broke out into a full sprint, and soon her body slammed into his. They both fell into the thick of snow, she atop of him. Trapping his body under her weight, she started to just relentlessly smack his face with her fist. And didn't stop for quite some time.
Truth be told, if she wouldn't have been so indulged in the process of turning his face into a bloody pulp, she'd be quite impressed at how well his aura withstood her assault. She couldn't break through it just yet, and eventually, she was tired enough to stop for a moment. Taking in raspy, deep breaths as she did.
"You…you worthless bastard. How dare you to speak like that? What?! You think your life's just some toy?! Something you can just toss away-"
She couldn't finish as he hooked her right across the cheek bone. Making her topple sideways and off of him.
With-out a word said, he struggled, but did manage to get himself back on his feet. As he was up, he tried to walk off again, completely forgetting, or simply not caring about his combat arms.
"I said," She started, and rose to her feet as well, "You can't just walk away like that. Not anymore. You're stuck here, whenever you or me like it or not," She said, and he actually stopped, and turned to face her.
"Listen, Yang, you sure used to be one of the strongest students back in Beacon, but let's face it, you're not so much anymore."
She grimly smirked. "Don't worry, Jaune. I could lose my other arm too, and still be able to beat the absolute crap out of you."
He froze for a moment. Before letting out a sharp exhale, bringing his left leg forward.
"Oh, really?" He quietly uttered, and then charged at her at full speed.
She was nimble enough to evade his primitive charge, and then sunk her shin into his stomach. As she did, he got hold of her leg, a moment later her hair, and then slammed her into the snow.
In actuality, that shin to his stomach was a pill of agony, but he was so lost to the world, he just didn't care. With a blood curling bellow, he lunged at her. Receiving a kick to his face as he did, but he ignored it as well, and in return, smacked her across the face with his fist.
Again, if she wouldn't have been so indulged in the process of beating the absolute crap out of him, she'd be quite impressed at how heavy his punch was. It hurt badly, but she ignored the pain just like he did, and tried to get him off of her. For now, she couldn't, and had to endure the heavy rain of punches. His fists mauling her wherever he could. When he finally decided to take a quick breather, she used the chance and smacked him across the side of his jaw. He toppled sideways and off of her, and she was free now. Getting back to her feet, she wiped clean her bloody, turn open and swollen lips. He was quick to recover as well, and just like she did, wiped his lips clean from the gushing blood.
She made a step forward.
So did he.
She made charge at him.
He did the same.
And all hell broke loose.
Kicks, elbows, tackles, knees, fists and everything in between. They mauled each other whichever way they knew how to do, and didn't bother with any tactics what so ever. The very concept of winning or losing was alien to them. They just…they simply had to let go, some of it.
That storm of emotions they bottled up inside. Aplenty of ugly, hurtful truths. Ire towards each other, but an absolute hailstorm of fury towards themselves. To what and who they allowed themselves to become, while others in similar positions still persisted to move forward.
"Hyaa!"
"Hyaa!"
They both bellowed, and punched each other simultaneously. She almost fell flat on her back, while he only had to take a single step backwards.
"See? Even calling you a shadow of your former self would be a compliment."
She didn't listen. Instead, she mustered the best speed she could, and when she was close enough, punched him straight into his mouth.
He took it well, and delivered back. And as his fist sunk into her stomach, making her double over in pain she no longer could ignore, he dropped an elbow square on her back.
She fell face first into the snow. And just couldn't get up.
His chest heaved madly with each and every breath that he took, he was absolutely drenched in sweat, his face a swollen, bloody mess and his clothes were completely disheveled. She however, had it even worse. All the same, but just worse.
And as they continued to pant for a breath, he craned his heavy head backwards, and through his swollen eyes caught a glimpse of the night sky.
He wondered as to why it looked so clear, all of a sudden. Or rather, just wasn't dull anymore. Perhaps, he imagined it, he wasn't sure. A moment later dropping down to his knees.
And he really wished that the night sky truly had changed. Become clearer, or less dull.