Oh boy, pretty late update from me. Sorry guys, finals are coming up and I'm remodeling the house and Xenoblade Chronicles X came out, so I almost missed out on this weekly update. However, that means I'm sorta behind on the next chapter too so I think I'll take the next week off before I upload anymore to Converging Paths. Good thing too since this is the last chapter of this specific arc.

Anyway, in this chapter I'm introducing a motif I'll be using throughout the series: music lyrics. I'll avoid using them too often since the website does have laws against extensive use of copyrighted music and I don't want the meat of the story to drowned in endless song lyrics. In addition, I got an even longer chapter here for you guys, being a whopping 6,502 words. That's enough for a really good one-shot.

And if anyone could give me any advice in describing women's clothing, that'd be great. I can't name most of them to save my life.

Disclaimer: RWBY is as usual owned by Rooster Teeth, Let it Out is by Mihu Fukuhara and the English lyrics are by Adrisaurus

03. Let It Out (Blake)

Staring at the beige door that read 525, Blake would be the first to admit that she was nervous. Of course, considering she was visibly shaking, saying out loud that she was nervous would be a relatively moot point.

Blake had decided on a bit of a formal outfit today. A white sundress with an unbuttoned black blouse over it. Strapped around her shoulder was a handbag containing books and pencils she could use to occupy her time and she held her sketchbook under her free arm.

Finally swallowing her fears, Blake courageously rang the bell.

"Coming!" Blake heard a voice inside call. From what it sounded like, it was a woman. Most likely Ruby's mom.

The door almost immediately swung open, startling Blake. What greeted her was a beautiful woman who didn't look a day over twenty-five. Her hair was jet black and tied to a low ponytail, but it heavily contrasted with the white pearls she showed off with her massive grin.

"You must be Blake! It's nice to meet you. I'm Summer, Ruby's mom."

"I-It's nice to meet you, Miss Summer." Blake responded shakily.

"I'm sorry about the mess. It's been just the two of us and we actually have plans to move out soon, so we haven't taken care of the place for a while."

"It's no problem. Thank you for having me over."

"It's my pleasure, really. Ruby hasn't invited anyone over since middle school so it's nice to know she's making some friends. And a good looking one at that."

"Th-Thank you, ma'am." Blake blushed.

"Oh, please, come in!" Entering the apartment, Blake could see it was nothing spectacular, but comfortable in the very least. The front door lead right into the kitchen, which was nothing more than a fridge, standard counter top, various cabinets, and the stove and oven. Past that was the living room, containing a large couch and a coffee table with a variety of mechanic tools, pencils, paper, and empty water bottles as if it was used as both a workspace and an eating area. In the back was a sliding door leading to the patio. Across from the couch was a television set surrounded by multiple game consoles. It was surprisingly organized despite the multitude of wires sticking to every available outlet.

"If you're looking for Ruby, she's in her room. It's the last door down the hall on your left."

"Thank you, Miss Summer." Blake awkwardly bowed.

The older woman chuckled and waved her hand to tell Blake to drop the formalities. "Just Summer will do, my dear. Why don't you go see her while I get lunch ready? I promise I'll get out of your hair right after that."

"Thank you again, Mi-," Blake bit her tongue before correcting herself. "Summer."

Blake made her way down the hall, finding five doors. There was one left open at the end of the hall that indicated that that was the bathroom. Each door was decorated to fit each of its occupants aside from the first door on the left, which Summer said was the pantry. The bathroom door and the door on her immediate left had plaques hung on them with messages. The plaque on the bathroom door read somewhere along the lines of "Home is a place of rest", but the other one made Blake chuckle slightly.

It read "Why are these kids calling me Mom?" which told her that room belonged to Summer. Based on this and her first impressions of the woman, Blake could tell that she had quite the sense of humor. The other two doors had a variety of posters scattered about. Ruby's door had various posters of popular rock and pop bands as well of some of the classics. The door across held a variety of video game and movie related posters.

Blake hesitated in front of Ruby's door. Sweat built up in her palm as she extended her hand to knock on the door. How was she supposed to act? Blake never visited someone else's home before and now here she was in front of the bedroom of her new friend that wasn't quite the most likable of people around. Sure, they were both rather socially awkward people, but how would hanging out for a day really rectify that?

She let out a heavy sigh and knocked on the door.

"R-Ruby?"

A groan.

"Ruby?!"

With growing concern, Blake rushed into the room. Her worried expression was soon replaced with amused one once she laid eyes on her friend. Ruby was lying on the edge of her bed, arm and leg hanging off to the side. She was still wearing her pajamas which consisted of a black tank top with a wolf design, white pajama pants consisting of a rose pattern, and an eye mask (which, funnily enough, was still on her forehead rather than over her eyes).

"Ruby?" Blake shook the younger girl. "I'm here."

"Hmm? Blake…?" Ruby responded groggily. She sat up from her comfortable position and squinted in Blake's direction. The moment she got a better look, her eyes widened and red flashed across her cheeks.

"B-Blake! I'm so sorry!" Rushing over to her closet, Ruby grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She managed to dress herself in such a blast of speed that would only be portrayed in a cartoon.

"I stayed up late last night playing video games, so I didn't have that much time to clean up," she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that."

Blake examined the room. Frankly speaking, it was a mess. On the ground were various food wrappers and old clothes that she has worn a few days prior. Her night stand had lamp with a lopsided lamp shade and empty water bottles littered throughout. Even her closet was not safe from the disorder of a room seeing as it was stuffed with various childhood toys and stuffed animals.

But for a girl like Ruby, it was very simplistic. Her bed had no frame, being only a mattress with a collection of various colored pillows and a single blanket. There were two thin bookshelves on its side, holding a variety of video games, music CDs, and Blu-ray movies as well as a few figurines of various anime and superhero characters. A large window next to the night stand had multiple posters around it akin to the ones outside the crimsonette's door. A large oak work desk sat beside the front door, housing a multi-screen desktop computer. Adjacent to that was a keyboard piano.

"It's not that bad." Blake finally responded. "You should see my cousin's room. Half of the time, I can't tell if I'm standing on solid ground."

Ruby chuckled and proceeded to examine Blake's outfit. "You know, you didn't have to dress so nicely. You look like you're ready for a date."

"Well," Blake blushed. "It's sort of my first time at a friend's house. I wanted to make a good impression."

Jumping on her bed, Ruby relaxed and looked at Blake with one eye closed. "Well, it's just me and my mom. She's about to go to work, so there's no one to really impress. Next time, just wear whatever that works for you. We're real simple here in House Rose."

It was Blake's turn to laugh. "Is that so? I'll keep that in mind."

"You should save that for a real date though." Ruby smirked. "I'm sure there's a lucky someone out there who could be perfect for you."

Blake blushed even harder and whacked Ruby with a nearby pillow. "Weren't we here to do homework or are you going to keep stalling?"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh."

Hours passed. Blake successfully crammed a summary of the pages Doctor Oobleck assigned to them into Ruby's head, and they went to various other subjects. Fortunately for Blake, Ruby was more of a numbers girl, helping her in her math classes. Likewise, Blake assisted her friend in going over the literature and art history notes.

Once they finished, Ruby suggested that they watch a movie while eating lunch. They moved into the living room and reheated the shrink wrapped plates left in the kitchen by Summer. A folded note with small, but neat handwriting stood in front of the plates.

You two have fun now! Just put it in the microwave for two minutes each! -Mom

Humorously enough, there was a small picture of Summer's head in the corner, winking and shooting out a peace sign with her hand.

Ruby had suggested they watch one of her personal favorites: Iron Man. Blake never got into the superhero craze that started a few years back, so she remained rather skeptical. But she didn't want to seem too demanding on her first free day with Ruby, thus proceeding to watch anyway. Thankfully, Ruby said that she had a similar experience with superhero movies until her brother introduced her to the franchise.

Several minutes into the film, Blake found herself rather engrossed. It certainly helped that Summer was also a great cook. The food laid out for them was nice and she enjoyed listening to Ruby nerd out to the movie as much as she usually does with her own obsessions.

Once the movie was over, Ruby took both her and Blake's plates to the sink. While she was washing the dishes, Blake decided to explore a little. Going over to a table with various pictures, she picked one up and gazed over it.

The picture looked like it was taken many years ago. It depicted a family of four, a large man with an exposed forehead and spiky blond hair that flowed into a ponytail, a beautiful woman with black hair holding a young girl with an oversized red cape, and an excited young boy with silver hair wearing a white cape of similar shape and size.

"Hey, Ruby. Is this your family?" Blake asked.

"Huh?" Ruby had just finished the dishes and approached Blake, eyeing the picture in her hands. "Yeah, that was taken about ten years ago, I think? You should recognize me and my mom. The guys are my dad and brother."

"Your brother has silver hair?"

"He dyed it back then." Ruby took the picture from Blake's hands and smiled at it. "When we were younger, the kids used to call me a freak because of my hair. Argent got so mad that he decided to completely dye his hair silver one day. Since then, it sorta stuck."

"He sounds like a great brother," Blake mused. "Where is he now?"

"Last time he called, he said he was doing a few missions in Vacuo. Shouldn't be too long now till he comes back for his break."

"That's nice. What about your dad?"

Ruby's face molded to a somber expression. She placed the picture back on the table and sighed. "He passed away five years ago. Killed in the line of duty. He was a huntsman too. The Golden Lion, they called him."

Blake was instantly filled with regret. Seeing Ruby look this depressed was a new sight of the girl that she did not enjoy. Was that the reason why she was who she was? Why she was always so distant at school? Why her brother became a huntsman in the first place? "I'm so sorry, Ruby. I shouldn't have asked…"

"It's fine," Ruby assured her. "You didn't know. If anything, his death made me realize what I truly wanted to become when I grow up."

"And what's that?"

Ruby moved towards the coffee table and pulled out various gadgets from underneath. The tools suddenly made sense to Blake.

"A mechanical engineer. Dad taught me a lot about engineering growing up. We used to build stuff all the time together. The coffee machine, homemade prosthetic limbs, and even Argent's alarm clock that slapped him every time he wouldn't wake up." Ruby chuckled at the memory. "After he died, Mister Schnee often came by to tutor me in engineering."

"Mister Schnee? You mean the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company?!" Blake exclaimed. "How do you know him?!"

"He never revealed it to the public, but he used to be a huntsman as well. He worked in the same squad as my dad and uncle before retiring. In fact, the Roses and the Schnees have been really close for generations. At least, that's what my dad said. We owe a lot to them."

"Then, do you know Weiss?"

"I've seen her a couple of times before transferring to Beacon." Ruby paused to think. "We barely talked though. After my brother's graduation, she would either only glare at me or ignore me flat out. Her sister is a good friend of my brother's, but she never gave me as much as a friendly glance.

"So what about you, Blake? What do you want to be after you get out of college?"

Blake was taken aback. Hardly did she share information about her future plans to anyone besides her parents. Even the school counselors had no clue. "M-Me? Well, it's nothing too ambitious…"

"Oh come on, how bad could it be? Oh! Let me guess… You always carry that sketchbook around with you, so are you planning on becoming an artist?"

"Well, something along those lines. I-I'd actually like to write books."

"A novelist, huh? That sounds fun." Ruby nodded, agreeing with herself. "Have you thought about doing comic books though?"

"Comics?" Blake raised her eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Well, you can combine both your desire to write books and your art hobby together. Maybe write novels as your primary job and post comic strips online on the side. A lot of people make a living doing one or the other. Why not do both?"

"That's… certainly interesting." Blake contemplated Ruby's proposal. It sure sounded like a good idea. She never attempted to draw comics before but she has read quite a lot of manga to use as a base. "Let me try something."

On her sketchbook, Blake drew multiple rough panels on a single page. In each, she drew random characters with different facial expressions with speech bubbles for each. After writing the dialogue, she gave the rough draft to Ruby.

"What do you think?"

"Wow, are you sure this is your first time?" Ruby stared in awe of Blake's work.

"Yup. Sorry if the scene doesn't work so well."

"Well, that's a given considering you just made this on the fly. If you made each of these panels its own scene, then I think you can get yourself a good story. Can I look at your other stuff?"

"Sure, go right ahead." Blake smiled. Watching Ruby flip through the pages of her sketchbook like an excited fan was like her dad telling her that they were going to eat at her favorite sushi restaurant for dinner. Seeing Ruby in her actual home environment was liberating to say the least.

She turned towards the coffee table, going through the gadgets Ruby had laid out earlier. Below them were a couple sheets of paper that caught Blake's attention. She picked them up and read through them. On them was an ensemble of words grouped into stanzas with rhymes every few lines. Was this poetry?

"Ruby? What are these?" Blake asked, shaking the pages in her hand.

"Oh, those are- ack!" With a swift motion, Ruby snatched the sheets from Blake's hand and replaced them with her sketchbook. "D-Did you read them?"

"A little…" Blake answered awkwardly. "What are they?"

"Um… well… you see…" Ruby sighed. "You promise you won't laugh?"

"Promise."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

"Super pinky-"

"Ruby."

"Okay, okay! Fine! My mom is a local music teacher. So… I… write songs as a hobby. I can also play a couple of instruments and sing."

"Is that what you were doing on the first day of school? That's nothing to be embarrassed about, Ruby. Sure, you don't look to be the type, but it certainly makes you more interesting."

"Well… that's not really the embarrassing part."

"Then what is?"

"I really got into music because… I had this childhood dream of… becoming a pop idol when I grew up. I… came up with a stage name and everything."

Silence.

A snicker. Two snickers. And then full blown laughter. Tears included. Blake honestly didn't know how else to react. On the first day of school two weeks ago, she had been absolutely afraid of this girl. Now, she knew one of her darkest secrets that she told her of her own volition.

"Blake!" Ruby whined. "You promised not to laugh!"

"I'm sorry but… snrk… It's just so… pft… unlike you!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Finally composing herself, Blake fanned her flushed face. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I shouldn't have laughed. We all have those childhood dreams, didn't we?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Ruby deadpanned, rather angry at Blake's overreaction.

"Hey, how about playing one of your songs? I'd like to hear one."

Ruby's face flushed, showing a rather irritated face before finally admitting defeat. "Fine."

She walked over a nearby keyboard piano and place the sheet above the keys. She popped her knuckles, began playing the keys, and singing along with the tune.

Let it all out, let it all out

You don't have to think your heart is made of steel

Blake was no expert in critiquing music, but she knew Ruby truly had a talent. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, playing the notes with perfect timing with her heavenly voice. It was well known that Weiss Schnee was a famous singer and Blake knew she was good too. But something about Ruby's singing voice felt more genuine yet more surreal.

Through pain and fear, or rain and tears,

We will hold on to the light

We'll chase the dawn that waits for us beyond the darkest sky

Keeping following that distant star

Never walk away from who you are

Never forget that the promise of tomorrow lies in your heart

Stopping at the chorus, Ruby stood up from her chair and curtsied with a bit of a mocking smile. Blake applauded her, appreciating the treat that had just played for her ears.

"That was amazing, Ruby! Bravo!"

Ruby blushed out of embarrassment and scratched the back of her head. "Thanks, Blake. I wrote this song for my brother. I thought he could use a bit of a pick-me-up."

"Oh? Can… Can you tell me more about your brother?"

"Well, I guess it can't hurt. Why not?"

The two girls sat back down on the couch, Ruby suddenly readopting her somber expression from earlier.

"You already know that Argent is a huntsman. He's a really great guy. He protected me when I was harassed by bullies, he played video games with me all the time, and he always took the blame whenever I got in trouble. But… he sort of snapped when Dad died."

"Snapped how?"

"Dad taught him everything he knows: fencing, battle tactics, you name it. He and my Uncle Qrow taught me the basics of self-defense when I was younger, but he and Argent did everything when it came to fencing and like. It was the first time I've seen him so passionate about something. His skills became well-known in high school, considering he was one of the best captains ever to be appointed on the team.

"After graduation, the first thing he did was sign up to be a huntsman. A few weeks beforehand, Mister Schnee came into our apartment. He told him and my mom that my dad was killed. By a member of the White Fang."

"The… White Fang? You mean those terrorists from Menagerie?"

"Yup, that's them. What made it worse was that his killer took one of his precious blades, the Crescent Rose. I've never seen Argent so angry. I know he tried to keep his emotions in check, especially around me. But he ultimately gave in. That's mainly why I want to become a mechanic. I want to do whatever I can to help to make his job easier." She paused. "He joined the Hunting Corps to look for leads to avenge Dad's death. To this day, he still won't tell me who killed him."

"I-I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm sorry I made you talk about that."

Ruby looked at Blake, but offered a small smile and a shake of her head. "You know, it's actually refreshing talking about it. It's much better than telling some therapist that's overcharging for useless results anyway. Thanks, Blake."

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear that. You're welcome." Glancing outside, Blake's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh wow, looks like we lost track of time. It's getting late."

Ruby looked at the clock, which read 7:45PM. "Oh man, you better get going. Gambol might get hungry."

"He sure can eat, that one." Blake laughed, gathering her things. She walked over to the front door, and looked back at Ruby. "Bye, Ruby. I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah, see you then." Ruby said with a wave of her hand.

Over the course of the next couple of days, Ruby and Blake met up on a frequent basis. They'd go over to each other's homes, finish their homework, and then watch a movie while engaging in small talk conversations. It was fun. Blake was quite surprised, seeing how that she thought she'd rather stay away from social interaction not too long ago thinking it was too much of a hassle. Ruby of all people somehow showed her that it wasn't that hard at all.

While watching The Incredible Hulk, the latest movie in Ruby's arsenal of superhero movies, a random thought came in Blake's mind.

"You know, Bruce Banner really reminds me of Yang."

Ruby interrupted her petting session with Gambol, who Blake had brought over to the Rose residence. "Hmm? Well, she has the angry part down."

Sometimes, Blake really felt bad for Yang. She had always wondered what culminated in her life to make her the person she was today. Teasing, manipulative, even violent when it came to some of her boxing matches. Had she had a small change in her perspective, Blake was sure she, Ruby, and herself could've been great friends.

"What if she has a soft side like Bruce does? Something that made her the way she is?"

Ruby scowled. "That's still no excuse to act like that. Bruce doesn't exactly have control over his powers, Blake. Unless some untimely revelation happens to her, I doubt she'd change so easily."

Blake looked down in defeat. "Oh…"

"What brought this up?

"It's nothing." Blake looked at the clock. "It's getting late. I should get going."

She called for Gambol to follow her and exchanged goodbyes with the crimsonette before leaving.

The twilight faded to black as Blake roamed the streets. The lingering light was snuffed out by the rapidly falling night, causing the sidewalks to light up from street lamps and the sky to illuminate with clusters of stars. Various automobiles drove through the roads, breaking the barrier of silence with their engines. Aside from the late night workers and drivers, the streets were practically void of human life. The moon was bright, but Blake knew that if she wasn't careful she would lose her way.

Luckily, the night chill was absent as it was still late summer. It would make the trek back home much less of an issue.

Blake's eyes wandered across the street. There she spotted the park where she ran into Ruby the week before, brightened with small lamps littered throughout. She smiled at the memory. Her parents were delighted when she introduced them to Gambol and he, in turn, became fond his new loving family.

She approached the crosswalk, readying herself to cross to the other side of the street. But before she could press the button, she noticed a splash – a mane, really – of familiar blonde hair. Of course, she knew those locks from anywhere.

Yang Xiao Long.

Fortunately, Yang didn't seem to notice her yet since she was listening to some rather loud music through a pair of headphones. Strangely enough, Blake was able to spot a somber expression on the blonde's face.

"Gambol, stand back," she told the cat. "We'll just wait for this one."

It had only been a few days, but Gambol had grown to become fiercely obedient. Just as he was commanded, he sat down, waiting for his owner's next course of action.

The crossing light changed to green, signaling the pedestrians to cross. Yang, being the only pedestrian, crossed absentmindedly. But Blake sensed something that Yang had not. The traffic lights were red, but something did not feel right. Cars had stopped in most of the lanes, leaving only one open.

The lane that had a broken traffic light, one that constantly shone green.

Blake panicked. Beyond the bright lights of the many cars, she could see a pair moving. And it was moving fast, eager to meet its destination.

"Yang! Look out!"

Blake immediately broke into a sprint. The car closed in at blistering speeds towards Yang, who had finally noticed. The blonde stood still in shock, not knowing how to react. The screeching made by the car's brakes were heard, but Blake, Yang, and the driver all knew that it was too late for comfort.

This can't be happening.

Blake allocated all her energy into her legs, giving herself a burst of speed. The car showed no signs of slowing down.

She doesn't deserve this.

She ran across the street, towards the blonde in the deep black. Yang froze in utter fear of her life.

"YANG!"

Fright held a firm grip on her, but she didn't care. With a desperate leap, Blake lunged forward, hugging Yang's entire body. The force of the jump sent the two girls flying into the concrete sidewalk, leaving a couple of bloody cuts and bruises. Blake laid on top of Yang, cradling the jock's body as a form of comfort. The cross light stayed green, allowing Gambol to safely cross the street and check up on his owner's recent stunt.

"Yang? Oh god, Yang, are you alright?!"

Yang looked at the raven-haired girl with a daze, trying to process the events that had recently unfolded.

"B-Blake?" She shook her head to break out of her trance. "It… It's you…"

"Answer the damn question!" Blake cried. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine but… Why did you save me?"

"Because I wasn't about to let someone get run over by a car right in front of me!"

"Even… Even if that person was me?" Yang choked.

Blake sighed. This was hopeless. "Come on, get up. We should get these cuts cleaned before they get infected on the way home. I'll go get some peroxide from the convenience store. You wait for me at the park. Understood?"

"But I-"

"Understood?!" Blake raised her voice.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Yang meeped.

Blake smirked. It was honestly quite amusing seeing the girl who has bullied her over the years be so docile to her authoritative tone. She signaled to Gambol to watch over Yang while she went to purchase a bottle of disinfectant and cotton from the nearby convenience store.

When she returned, Yang was sitting on the swing set, watching Gambol jump around her with a melancholic smile. When the blonde saw her approaching, a regretful frown creeped on her face.

"Blake, I-" Before she could even begin her sentence, Blake swiftly applied the burning solution on Yang's cuts. Yang yelped in surprise and glared at her companion.

"Oh, don't give me that look. What happened to 'pain just makes me stronger'?" Blake quipped.

Yang's glare softened and ultimately transformed to a defeated sigh. She gazed upwards at the shining stars and the milky moon with an expressionless stare.

"Why? Why did you save me?"

"I told you already. I didn't want you to die."

"But after all I've done to you, I-"

"Yang," Blake interrupted, starting to clean up her own wounds. "I'll be the first to admit, you're a terrible person. You're an infamous jock that uses her position and power to pick on others. Whether you're doing that as a show of strength, to feel better about yourself, or if you have domestic problems, I don't know."

Yang attempted to refute the accusation, but stayed silent. Blake knew that Yang knew that she was right.

"But that's all I know about you on the surface."

"Bring that by me again?" Yang asked, eyebrow arched.

"You… I think there might be more to you than you're letting on." Blake sat on the neighboring swing set and looked fixedly at Yang. "I, uh, watched this movie recently. It was about a guy who turned into a raging monster whenever he becomes stressed or overexcited. On the inside, he's all fluff."

"You mean like your little cat friend here?" Yang nodded her head in Gambol's direction. "Are you trying to say I'm sort of monster?"

"Perhaps that's a bit too harsh." Blake said regretfully.

"No. I… sorta understand what you mean." Blake looked at her questionably, wanting her to continue. "It actually goes back to the first day of school. When Ruby stood up for you."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"It showed me for the first time what sort of person I am. I'm popular, I'm strong, and my ex-girlfriend is still my best friend despite what we went through as a couple. I honestly thought I had it made but really I'm just a girl who just so happens to be popular because I can sock a guy twice my size in the jaw with a single blow. And here comes this girl who had the guts to stand up to me. A girl who is a year younger, no less." Yang sighed. "Sure, I became pissed that someone would even dare challenge my authority, but it really got me thinking for these past few weeks."

"Thinking about what?"

"Just how much of an ass I've been for the past few years. Not just to you, but to everyone. I'm not even sure how or why I ended up like this." She chuckled. "Listen to me rambling on. You must be abhorred that the girl who harassed you for so long doesn't even have a good enough reason to do it."

"I… I wouldn't say that, Yang. Everyone has an underlying reason why they act the way they do. Sometimes, you just have to… let it all out." Blake's eyes widened, remembering the song Ruby sang a week before. "You know, a good friend of mine told me that talking about something usually helps. Just… tell me whatever and maybe we can find out together."

Yang looked at Blake as if she was crazy, but eventually softened and complied regardless. She told her about her life before Beacon. Even before middle school. Her dad was a mixed martial artist and a really good one at that. He encouraged Yang to take many different forms of martial arts, ranging from karate to judo. When she started high school, she said she joined the boxing team since she preferred fighting without a weapon.

Yang told Blake about how she and Weiss used to date and how it ultimately ended. The two girls had been friends for a very long time and developed feelings for each other before they knew it. Due to their popular statuses in school, they tried to keep it on the down low, but that eventually drove Weiss insane. Yang didn't divulge much deeper than that, but she did conclude that the two continued to be friends since their inevitable break up. Yang seemed rather nonchalant about it now since she even compared her and Weiss with the same compatibility as "fire and ice".

But, something felt off about Yang's rants. "What about your mom?"

Yang visibly stiffened. Her stone hard stare faced the ground in shame. "She and I… were never really close."

"Why not?" Blake prodded, thinking she finally found the reason behind Yang's behavior.

"She... was never really… 'around'. She was never abusive or anything. She'd just come home, give me a long cold glare, and walk off to see my dad. She never paid me any mind and all she ever talked about was work. I did whatever it took to get her to notice me; showing off new moves I was working on with dad, my sports achievements, whatever. Nothing got to her."

"You've been talking about her in the past tense."

"Huh?"

"Yang, is your mom-?" Blake struggled to find the words.

"Dead? Yeah." Yang nodded. "She was killed… in the line of duty. She was a huntress. Her title was the Dark Raven, or something like that. Honestly, she's the reason why I hate the Hunting Corps. That's why I can't stand that little Rose brat. How she can have respect for such a poisonous group when they keep people away from their families for so long is beyond me. If my mom never became a huntress maybe she… maybe she'd…"

"Yang." Blake said softly. She stood up from the swing and knelt in front of Yang's now tearful face. She caressed the blonde's cheeks, wiping away the falling drops sliding down her face with her thumb. Blake wanted to argue that not all huntsmen and huntresses acted as Yang's mother did, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to use Ruby and her father as an example. Yang already displayed hostility towards the girl. She didn't want to make it worse.

Yang felt slim arms wrap around her in a gentle yet firm squeeze. Blake held onto her tightly as Yang's eyes widened in befuddlement, flabbergasted by the physical contact.

Why? Why was she…? Blake didn't know. Yang didn't know. They just were.

They were hugging.

And not one of those phony pity hugs. This one held weight to it. This one was real. This one was a genuine sympathetic hug.

"I'm sorry, Yang…" Blake choked out. "I'm so sorry… You didn't deserve to go through that. No one does."

"Blake, I…" Yang honestly had no idea how to react. Whenever she was in the ring, it was easy. She'd wait for her opponent to make a move and then counter. It was an easy action to reaction strategy. But here, here she didn't know how to react. And Blake knew that.

Yang had very little experience in the emotional department. Whatever worked in sports didn't work here. There were no rules. No regulations. Just complicated feelings that made no sense.

But… Yang did not protest the contact with her former victim. In fact, she rather liked it. It felt warm. It felt comforting. Yang felt disappointed when the new found warmth left as quickly as it came.

Amber met lilac.

"Blake, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the shit I put you through. All the way back from freshman year to now. I'm so sorry."

Her voice was chiseled with regret. Blake knew.

"I can't say I forgive you right away…"

Yang's eyes widened, but closed in acceptance. "I understand…"

"But that doesn't mean I won't give you a chance."

"Huh?"

"Yang, you'd be surprised how much you can learn about someone when you would just give them a chance." Blake smiled, noting how much different she had become over the course of a couple of weeks. "I want to know the real you. You told me so much about yourself just now. If you can trust me with that, then surely you aren't beyond redemption."

Yang continued gaping at the raven-haired girl until she broke out into a soft chuckle. "Are you sure? I don't know if you'd think the 'real me' would be all that interesting."

"Try me." Blake smirked.

"If you really want to, I can't stop you." Yang sighed. "But let's do that some other time. It's almost midnight."

Yang almost laughed at how much Blake's eyes bulged out. She frantically checked the time on her phone and groaned. Calling for her playful cat, Blake almost broke out into a sprint with Gambol wrapped in her arms.

"Hey Blake?" Yang interrupted. Blake paused, glancing at the blonde. "Thanks for tonight. I was having a pretty crummy day."

"It was my pleasure." Blake waved goodbye one last time.

Monday.

Not exactly a day that was synonymous with relaxation, but something felt invigorating to Blake. The sun was shining, she was wide awake, and the first few classes of the day flew by without a hitch. Before she knew it, it was already time for lunch.

Blake quickly packed her things and adjusted her glasses. Before she could even leave her desk, a rough arm made its way around her shoulders. Blake spun to the arm's source, meeting a grinning Yang.

"Heya, Blakey! How you doing today?"

"Um… I'm fine, thank you…" Blake's eyes traced to her red companion's. What she found was a face of utter confusion and small ounces of disgust.

Before the younger girl could rush up to save her friend, something in Blake's eyes pleaded Ruby to stop her advance. Yang didn't seem to take notice of the exchange at all.

"So… What say you come join me and Weiss out for lunch today? My treat." Blake hadn't even seen the alabaster-haired girl standing next to the blonde.

"A-Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude or anything." Blake began to blush at the close contact when Yang pulled her closer.

"It's my way of saying thanks. You really made my weekend. That, and Weiss is quite the prude when you're alone with her."

"Trust me," Weiss glared at the blonde, "she rarely ever pays for our outings. Count yourself lucky."

"Yeah, c'mon!" Yang's hand interlocked with Blake's and she dragged the poor raven-haired girl out of the classroom. "There's always space in my car!"

"Car?!" Weiss squeaked. "Whenever we went out for lunch, you made me ride that confounded bike of yours! Why bring your car now?!"

"Silly Weiss," Yang playfully bopped the shorter girl's nose. "You know Bumblebee can't fit more than two people."

Weiss sighed before making a quick glance at Ruby, who was still astonished at what she was witnessing. "Fine. Anything to get me away from the atrocious gunk they call food here."

"Alright, that settles it! Come on, everyone. Chop chop! We don't have all day!"

Blake could barely notice, but she saw something from Yang's face. A smirk. And a mocking stuck out tongue. At a certain someone. A certain friend of Blake's.

Ruby's face scrunched up in seething anger. Blake could even see anime veins popping from her forehead.

Blake mouthed a quick "I'm sorry" before she was dragged out of the classroom. She knew then that if she was going to be friends with both Ruby and Yang, she needed to sever the animosity that lingered between the two.

This probably won't end well.

And thus ends the "Beautiful Beginnings" arc, though it probably was anything but. I honestly felt that the events leading to the car crash felt a bit weak, but hey, it worked. Especially for someone who doesn't have a beta reader. And thank god, Weiss finally has lines after three chapters.

So yeah, I wanted to explore a bit of Yang's back story here since it will lead into the next arc. Trust me, she's not a bully character solely for being a bully. And for some reason, I thought adding in Freezerburn as a past relationship would be a fun idea to implement and it sorta mirrors the current Ladybug friendship going on. I have bit of a love/hate relationship with this particular ship since I don't really like it but I like its dynamic and I have a couple plans to make use of it in the future. And we finally get some Bumblebee development too! That's pretty cool.

So yeah, as I said before, I will most likely not update next Wednesday since things have been hectic lately. I'd like to keep an entire chapter in reserve before I start another and so far, I don't have that luxury.

Next time, we'll be exploring and developing Ruby and Yang's relationship! Yay! Please leave a review if you can and thanks for reading!