Chapter 32

…

Tai, quite literally, was blown back as he blocked her steel fist with his forearm. Thereafter, him lowering his guard, and he then cracked a smile with a hint of pain.

"That arm's definitely not a joke, alright. That was one helluva wicked punch I just blocked."

She faked a brief smile, and then looked at her clenched, steel fist.

It's quite something, yea.

She knew it to be true, but also couldn't deny, or even ignore how alien, foreign this thing attached to her body felt.

It's kinda surreal, I guess.

She thought to herself, and then noted that something didn't feel right within her. A moment later, her shaking her head, and she then raised her guard up. A lilac which could be easily mistaken as determined now peering through the opening of her raised…arms.

She wasn't determined. She was desperate. A sudden opening of gates, which led fear she wasn't familiar with run through her in abundance. In response, she clenched her jaw tightly, and her fists soon followed suit. However, even as she steeled herself to slowly overcome this fear, she realized that, perhaps, she couldn't. Or rather, she couldn't just slowly, cautiously walk through it. She'd have to take a leap. Even grow a pair of wings and overcome this unfamiliar fear within a single take.

But can I do that?

She asked herself, and was quick to realize this wasn't something she'd be able to figure out in her mind. She'd just have to try, take a leap of faith in a way, and see where she'd end up landing.

She planted her feet hard.

Tai's body tensed a little when he saw her rush towards him. When she was close enough, she leapt, and cocked her arm back, seemingly ready to punch. However, he ended up ducking under her kick, and the moment her feet touched the ground, he evaded a punch. And then another one. Another one. She then threw an elbow at him, but he dodged that as well. She proceeded to throw hooks, uppercuts, knees and kicks, and eventually, everything else that she knew, and even stuff that she didn't but merely made up right on the spot. It was an utterly reckless rush right down to its core, but the one thing that truly surprised him was her expression.

She was terrified. Her lilac drenched in fear, as if she was fighting someone or something other than him.

Which I'm sure she is.

And yet, instead of trying to take things slowly, she rushed. She threw herself forward recklessly, maybe even stupidly, but most certainly bravely.

He cracked an invisible smile.

Even if her fighting was a mess, he was truly proud of her. After all, she was trying her best right before his eyes, and she did that while facing opponents much stronger and tougher than him.

And that's nothing short of incredible.

He truly believed that, and hence, he wanted to fully respect a resolve as amazing as hers. Therefor, the next hook which he blocked, he also countered.

Her face snapped to her left, she felt her knees weaken and as a result, she stumbled backwards a couple of paces. Fortunately though, she did stay on her feet, but there certainly was no denying what a wicked punch that hook was. She even felt a taste of blood in her mouth.

I guess he tore through my aura with a single punch.

She touched her lips, and her fingers were painted red as she looked.

Honestly, that's kinda messed up, but I also wouldn't expect anything less from him.

She mused without a lick of humor, and then she noticed her hand was shaking. Actually, her legs were too, or just her entire body, really. That foreign fear had overtaken her even more so that it had before, and she was still helpless against it.

Crap.

A voiceless cuss, something slowly started to dawn on her, and she then found herself looking at Jaune.

"…"

She was quick to look away from him because somehow, when he gave her a worried look, she just…she wasn't sure what happened.

Maybe I just can't do it. Maybe taking a leap is simply too much for me.

She looked at her trembling hand, and then tried to make a fist. She could do it just fine. And then she tried the same with her prosthetic one, and also succeeded.

This amounts to nothing, though.

She knew it to be true as her shaking hadn't lessened at all.

It's almost ironic, really. If anything, now with this piece of junk attached to me, I should feel braver and stronger, shouldn't I?"

She wondered, and in her mind, it seemed to make a perfect sense. It was a sound, logical reasoning, after all. It should make sense, yet somehow, for some reason, there was a part of her which outright rejected, even mocked her seemingly sound reasoning. She was fully aware of that now, and it got her thinking.

Seriously, what exactly am I afraid of right now?

She asked herself, and knew that this wasn't her being afraid of engaging in combat. She could fight with Jaune just fine, especially lately. Of course, with that being said though, she was fully aware if she was to be in a dangerous, raw and uncontrolled fray, she'd still be afraid. Perhaps even terrified, but this wasn't a case like that. Even as ridiculously powerful as her dad most certainly was.

If I'm not afraid of the fighting itself, then…

She kept on wondering, her lilac glued to her clenched, steel fist. This piece of high-tech which supposedly functioned the same as a real, organic arm. Perhaps even better, but most certainly good enough that a crippled person like Yang could do no worse than someone who doesn't need prosthetics. Basically, she again would be able to do everything and anything. And…and her crippled body wouldn't be…it wouldn't be a hindrance anymore.

She finally figured it out.

I'm losing my one, biggest excuse.

Her excuse to not fully go back to the world she once used to know, and was a part of. After all, as long as she remained to be a crippled person, she could always excuse her weaknesses, her moments of weakness. She'd pretty much be free to choose how much responsibility she would take upon herself. And at any given moment, she could cut some of it off, and people around her would understand, moreover, accept it.

But now, if I were to fully accept this prosthetic arm, I wouldn't have that excuse to rely on. And I'd be closer than ever to how things used to be.

She mused with mixed feelings, and then finally, through rigorous, conscious effort was able to lessen her body's shaking.

Meanwhile, Tai's patience and faith had reached the bottom, and he was so close to call it a day, but right before he would, he noted she, after all, had some fight and will left in her eyes. Not a lot by any means, but just enough that he wanted to see this through right to the end. He didn't know if pushing her even further was right or wrong, but he sincerely hoped she could make something happen. If possible, a miracle.

So, please.

He slid his left foot forward.

I'm counting on you to make a miracle happen!

An overwhelming desire born from the depths of his heart, and he rushed at her. A mere moment later him being right in front of her, and his fist was cocked back in a stupidly wide and obvious arc.

Meanwhile, she had yet to move a muscle. She had yet to gain courage to leap.

Do it! Take off! Come on!

She couldn't.

Damnit all!

She braced herself for an impact, and even closed her eyes, and once again, shuddered the same as she did before. And then she heard a voice and ducked. Opened her eyes, and her body wasn't trembling at all.

Tai clenched his jaw in anticipation.

He didn't know the exact moment it happened, but she didn't look desperate. She looked determined, and he also noticed she wasn't looking at him. Something, or rather someone else, but she wasn't looking at him.

Jaune.

She lowered her prosthetic arm to her waist. Motors of many sizes and shapes coming to life, gears spinning and grinding against each other. When she was ready, she launched her steel fist upwards, and it crashed right into her dad's chin. Momentarily lifting him off of his feet.

With you by my side, I can even take a leap.

Unvoiced revelation visible in her lilac, and she then brought out all of the fight she had within her.

Tai defeated her soon after.