Summary: After her sister Ruby was born, Yang has been neglected by her parents for her. She becomes distant, angry and finds herself longing for companionship. But every time Halloween is coming up, she seems to be getting happier. But what happens when she causes two holidays to meet by mistake? Will there be joy and laughter? Or screams of disaster?
Story categories: RWBY/The Nightmare Before Christmas
Pairing: Yang X. L. x Jaune A.
Yang and Jaune Centric Story
Story Title: The Yang Before Christmas
Story Start…
Yang silently cursed herself. She couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep while walking through the Emerald Forest like that! Professor Goodwitch was gonna kill her when she got back to Beacon, she just knew it!
At least Yang still has Zero trailing behind her as company. The ghost dog is always good company. Better company than that stupid mutt of a corgi, Zwei. Oh sure, he may ACT all sweet and innocent, but turn your back and he turns into a wretched lint ball with beady little eyes just waiting to chew your favorite pair of slippers into oblivion!
(Quick AN: Not bashing Zwei here, but remember that all of that neglect has caused a serious rift between Yang and her family in this story.)
"Probably shouldn't have taken that left turn at Forever Fall." Yang mumbled to herself.
But suddenly, Zero's instincts began to kick in. He withdrew into himself and frowned at something.
"Ruff, ruff!" Zero barked in warning.
But Yang didn't seem to get the warning. She was too busy looking at the mesmerizing sight before her.
"What is this…?" she asked herself.
It was something no one has ever seen before. Yang had entered a clearing where there were seven trees in a circle, and each one has a strange looking door on it. There was a brightly colored egg, a firecracker, a shamrock and a Jack o' Lantern to name a few.
"Okay, that one's for Halloween, obviously. So do these doors lead to… OTHER holidays?"
Yang just didn't understand. How could NOBODY have found this place before?! Then again, with all the Grimm living in the Emerald Forest, she shouldn't be surprised. She turned to look at another tree and gasped at what she saw.
This door was a tree that was covered in colorful lights, beautiful decorations and a golden star on top. The handle was also golden. Yang got a silly grin on her face. This door… it's so foreign to her and yet so familiar. Like a long lost friend, or something.
Slowly, she walked towards the door. It was just so mazmerizing, she just couldn't resist. She wanted to see what secrets lied beyond it's wooden barrier. To learn of the possible new holidays that she'll encounter.
Her hand gently gripped the knob as though it were a fragile piece of glass and turned it. With a click, she opened the door and looked inside to see…
A hollow void of empty black nothingness.
But that doesn't make any sense! Shouldn't there be some kind of wondrous adventure waiting for her behind this very door?! Thinking that her eyes might be playing tricks on her, Yang looked deeper into the tree to try and see if she could find anything. All she could see was dark. Lots and lots of dark.
Turning back to Zero, Yang shrugged her shoulders in disappointment.
But that's when she felt a strong and chilly wind blowing past her. She squinted her eyes and tried to keep her footing, but ended up instead falling back into the tree with a yelp. The door closed behind her, making Zero bark in worry for his friend.
Falling. And at the same time, NOT falling. That's what it felt like as Yang screamed while a flash of bright light blinded her and forced her to close her eyes for a moment. When it was over, Yang could feel that she was sitting in something cold. But when she opened her eyes, a huge smile plastered itself to her face as she was greeted by a magical sight.
She was on a hill that overlooked a bright and colorful little village! Music was playing in the air, a happy tune, and as she looked closer she could see all sorts of wonderful things in the village. Colorful little lights, giant candies, little people with pointy ears and funny hats, and more toys in one place than she's ever had in her WHOLE CHILDHOOD!
But Yang yelped as she slid down the hill, having leaned too far forward and lost her balance. She slid into a pile of snow as the music hit a high note. Her head popped out of the snow as she began to sing a much happier tune.
Yang: What's this? What's this?
There's color everywhere!
What's this?
Yang plucked a snowflake from the air and examined it as she walked near a snowman.
Yang: There's snowflakes in the air.
What's this?
I can't believe my eyes! I must be dreaming!
Wake up, Yang, this isn't fair!
What's this!
Seeing that there were some people singing a merry tune coming her way, Yang quickly disguised herself by literally hiding in the snowman. She put the hat on her head and held the umbrella in her left hand, standing as still as possible. As the people slid by her on their motorized sled, Yang continued her song.
Yang: What's this? What's this?
There's something very wrong!
What's this? There's people singing songs!
What's this?
Yang waited until a trio of elves riding on a wind up polar bear rode past her before following them.
Yang: The streets are lined with tiny creatures laughing,
Everybody seems so happy!
Have I possibly gone crazy?
What is this?!
What's this?
She hopped out of the snowman and out of sight just as the three elves stopped to wind up the polar bear toy they were riding on, taking the umbrella with her. She soon happened upon some elf children having a snowball fight. This gave her new lyrics for her song.
Yang: The kids are throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads!
They're busy building toys, and absolutely no one's dead!
There's frost on every window, oh I can't believe my eyes!
And in my heart I feel the warmth that's coming from inside!
She turned around to look into the window of a house and saw that there were two elves, a man and a woman, standing under some mistletoe along with a grandma elf reading to the children by a warm fire.
Yang: Oh hey! What's this?
They've hung up mistletoe!
They kiss? Why that looks so unique!
Inspired!
They're gathering around to hear a story roasting chestnuts by a fire!
What's this?
Yang smiled at all of the new stuff before something else caught her eye. She wiped the mist off of a window and looked inside to see two elves putting lights on a tree.
Yang: Oh look. In here,
They've got a little tree.
How weird! And who would ever think!
And why?
They're covering it with tiny little things!
They've got electric lights on strings, and there's a smile on everyone!
So now correct me if I'm wrong!
This looks like fun! This looks like fun!
Oh could it be? I got my wish?
What's this?!
Yang climbed to the roof of another building and climbed in through a window. What she saw was sleeping elf children. She resumed singing, but at a quieter volume so as to not wake the kids.
Yang: Oh my, what now?
The kids have gone to sleep!
Yang checked under the beds, but saw nothing lying in wait to scare the children. Very different from how things were in Halloween Town.
Yang: But look, there's nothing underneath.
No ghouls!
She slowly crept over to a bed where several elf children were sleeping and rested her head next to one of the children's. She just wished she had some happy memories like this from her own childhood.
Yang: No witches here to scream and scare them, or ensnare them!
Only little comfy things secure inside their dreamlands!
*Sigh…* (loud) WHAT'S THIS?
She climbed out the window just as one of the elf children woke up. She climbed higher on the roof and saw these elves doing various types of work behind these kinds of blinds where only the shadows are visible. Like what you'd see in Disney's Peter Pan. The animated version.
Yang: The monsters are all missing and the nightmares can't be found!
And in their place there seems to be good feeling all around!
Instead of screams, I swear I can hear music in the air!
Using her umbrella, Yang slid across a vine of hanging lights and came across a bakery window where various pies and baked goods were cooling off by an open window. She was NEVER given these kinds of treats once Ruby was born. Only Ruby ever got the sweet stuff.
Yang: The smell of cakes and pies are absolutely everywhere…!
She didn't know it yet, but once she dropped onto a merry-go-'round down on the ground, Yang was joined in her merry tune by a certain seven foot tall skeleton.
Yang and Jack: The sights! The sounds!
They're everywhere and all around!
I've never felt so good before!
Yang: This empty place inside of me is filling up!
I really just can't get enough!
I want it, oh I want it!
Oh I want it for my own!
Both: I've got to know! I've got to know!
What is this place that I have found!
WHAT! IS! THIS?!
Now it was either sheer ignorance or bliss that caused this to happen, but when the song ended both Halloween rulers ran smack dab into the opposite sides of a pole and fell back into the snow. Yang was the first to recover and looked up at the sign above.
"Christmas Town…? Hmmm…"
Yang was confused by this name. Christmas… she feels like she's heard it somewhere before, but she can't remember where.
She was startled from her thoughts by a loud whistle. She looked up to a hill and saw the shadow of a large man 'ho-ho-hoing' through the night. As she looked past the pole to investigate, Yang and Jack finally noticed each other.
"Oh, hi Jack!" greeted Yang.
She was happy to have run into one of her only REAL friends, and Jack was equally happy to see the girl he's come to see as a niece.
"Hello, Yang. Tell me, do you know what any of this is?" Jack greeted/asked.
Yang looked back up to the sign before grinning something fierce.
"I don't know, Jack. But whatever it is, we're bringing it back to Halloween Town!"
*To Be Continued/Adopted…*
This chapter just came to me as a sort of 'what if'. If anyone would like to adopt the story Idea, let me know through review or Private Message. See ya next time!