Chapter 6 – Little Gibbles
She couldn't find it. She keep searching for it since she woke up but she can't find it anywhere in her dorm. From the kitchen to the lounge and she even searched the bathroom in case she brought it there but she had no luck.
Ruby went to her sister who seem to laze around on the couch, watching the television. "Yang, have you seen my toy?" she ask. Yang turn her attention to the red haired girl, giving her a puzzled look, "The rubber duck?" she reply with a question.
"No, Gibbles. Have you seen it?"
"Wait, you brought it here?" Ruby nod. "Have you asked Weiss or Blake? Maybe they've seen it anywhere," Yang suggested. The younger girl immediately find her partner. The white haired girl is studying on her bed as usual. She approach the older girl and ask, "Weiss, have you seen my toy?"
"If it's the rubber duck, it's in the bathroom..."
"No, not the duck. My wolf doll. Have you seen it?" Weiss stop whatever she's doing and turn to face her partner, "Oh, the worn teddy bear? I threw it away," she said. Ruby's jaw drops and her eyes widen in shock. She quickly rushed out and left the door open. Yang peeks out from their dorm, watching her sister running through the hallway in rush.
Blake returned from the library with a surprised look on her face, "What was that all about?" she ask. Weiss sigh. "She immediately left after I told her I threw her teddy bear away…" Yang's eyes widened.
"You what?! That's her favorite toy! And you threw it away?!" The blonde girl exclaims.
"Don't blame me! It looks worn and tattered so I thought it was here by accident and threw it away!"
Ruby returned with a sour look. She bit her lower lips, trying to contain the sadness in her heart. Blake and Yang look at Weiss. The heiress glares at both her team mates. She sigh, "I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't know it was your teddy bear. I'll get you a new one, okay?" The younger girl didn't respond.
The three girls hear their leader whimpers with her puppy eyes. They panicked, "I-I'm really sorry! I promise I'll get you a new one! I beg of you, Ruby! Please, don't cry!" Weiss stuttered. However, Ruby begins to cry, "I don't want a new one! I want Gibbles!"
"You caused this problem, Weiss. You better solve it…" Blake muttered. The heiress glare at the Faunus girl. She groans. "Alright, I'll find your teddy bear!" she said. The younger girl stopped her cry. She look at her partner with her teary silver eyes, "You would..?" she ask.
"Yes! Now will you please stop crying?"
"Uhn!" Ruby smiles. Yang giggles and ruffle her hair. "Why don't you hang out with Jaune or Nora? We'll go find Gibbles," she said. The younger girl nod and left for the room across them. The door opens and Jaune invite her in. "What a baby…" Weiss mumbled.
"We'd better find her teddy bear fast," Blake said.
"Easier said than done. The trash truck probably left by now…" Weiss muttered. An idea appear in Yang's head. "Alright, let's go ladies!" The blonde girl grab her partner and the heiress' arm. "Wait! Where are we going?!" she ask.
"We'll going on an adventure!" Her eyes widen in shock and immediately struggle to escape, however her grip grew tighten on her arm, slightly hurting her. Blake remains calm, letting herself being drag by her partner.
After a long journey full of shouting and struggling, the three girls reached the only dump in Vale. The stench of muck and rotten garbage penetrates their nostrils. Weiss quickly pinch her nose and complains, "UGH! What's that awful stench?!"
"That, my friend, is the smell of discovery!" Yang run into the dump in excitement. Weiss and Blake watch the blonde blankly, "How come she's excited about this?" Weiss muttered. The Faunus girl giggles. However, both of them follow the enthusiastic blonde girl.
They approach a huge pile of garbage. The girls look up and down of the pile. Yang point her left for Blake and the opposite direction for Weiss, "Blake, you go that side. Weiss, over there and I'll be checking here," Yang ordered. Both of them nod and immediately rummage through the garbage. Weiss, however, is not doing good.
Yang keep digging through the pile of garbage and muck, not realizing the muck and garbage slowly cover the heiress' body. "Yang…" she call her out. But the blonde ignored and continue to dig. She slowly cover in muck and garbage. "Yang…"
Blake caught the faint sound of Weiss calling, stopped rummaging and head to her team mates. She stop dead on her tracks, seeing a garbage monster behind Yang instead of the Schnee heiress herself. She try to contain her laughter. Her partner keep digging like a dog, not realizing Weiss is right behind her, covered in muck and garbage.
"YANG XIAO LONG!" Weiss shouted. Yang stopped and jumped a little. She turn around and ended up laughing at the heiress. Her cheeks burn red in anger. Even Blake couldn't contain her laughter. "If you two finished laughing, help me get out from this stuff! It's disgust me!" she said.
"Alright. Here let me-…hey, it's one of Achive Men's music! Man, these guys are awesome! I wonder why would someone dispose this…" Instead of helping the heiress, Yang's attention is fully on the old music disc. Weiss tremble in anger. Blake struggle to get the garbage away from the girl. After few minutes of disgusting task, Weiss snapped, "Do you remember why are we here?!"
"Geez, sorry. Of course I remember. We're here to get Ruby's lost teddy bear because of you threw it away!" Yang's statement brought guilt in Weiss. The heiress look down and twiddling her thumbs. Blake scratch the back of her head, "C'mon, we better find it. The sooner we found it the better…"
They walk to the deeper part of the dump, hoping to find the toy Beowolf. They searched every pile, every garbage and muck in the dump but they had no luck. They slowly giving up, "Let's face it! It's probably not here anyway!" Weiss exclaims.
Before Yang could respond, she caught something at a top of a pile. A familiar wolf doll impaled on a pole, "Look, there's Gibbles!" she said. Weiss and Blake turn around and look at the direction the blonde is pointing. Weiss elbowed the cat girl, "You're an expert climber. Why don't you get it?" Blake give her a sour look.
However, Yang went ahead and climb up the garbage hill. Weiss and Blake didn't notice the disappearance of the blonde brawler, continue their argument. Yang hold onto anything she could to climb up to the top. Once she reached hallway to the pole which impaled the teddy bear, she reach out her hand to grab onto it.
On the grounds, Weiss and Blake are shocked to watch their team mate struggle to grab the pole. Without wasting any time, they make a run for the blonde and climb up the pile despite Weiss' constant complains and groaning. Yang push herself to climb a little. She later reach out her hand once more but only her fingertips manage to touch the doll. She decided to jump a little and finally manage to grab the pole.
Suddenly, the pole slid out and the blonde slowly fall to her team mates. Weiss and Blake didn't notice Yang is falling towards them and ended up being hit by her and fall to the bottom of the pile. The Faunus and the heiress emerge from the muck, followed by the blonde who held the toy in her hand and shouted, "I got it!"
Her shouting attracts a pack of wild dogs. As soon as they heard them barking, Blake and Weiss drag Yang out and make the run of their life away from the dump and constantly escape from the dogs.
The moon hangs high in the night sky, brightens the city of Vale. A group of three girls walk through the city, covered in muck and horrible stench due to their trip to the dump. The Beowolf doll is tattered and dirty since it was impaled. "I told her I would get her a new one. That thing is in terrible shape!" Weiss complains.
Yang didn't respond as always. She look down to the doll with a depressed look. She muttered, "She wouldn't want a new one, Weiss…." Her team mates look at her, puzzled. Yang raise the doll's head slightly, revealing a small collar stated 'Gibbles' on it. A faint smile is formed on her face.
"What's so great about it anyway?" Weiss ask. Her tone is slightly offensive. Blake give her a glare. The heiress shrugged. "I made this for her…." Yang muttered.
Weiss is taken aback by her words. Her guilt slowly eating her up. Blake elbowed the white haired girl. "I'm sorry, Yang. I-I didn't know…" she said.
"It's okay. It was long ago I made this for her. She always said she gets nightmares when I'm not around so I decided to make a teddy bear for her since I can't afford one for her. It's hard to knit than I thought it would be. My hand were terrible injured being jabbed by the needle while knitting. That's how Gibbles was born. And I made a collar for it too. She never leave it anywhere even to the bathroom. She… doesn't love Gibbles just because it's cute and keep away the nightmares from her. She love this because I made it. That's why she doesn't want a new one. She doesn't want my hard work betrayed by a new one from the store …"
"Too bad it's terribly ruined like that…" Blake said. Yang keep the doll in her pouch. She look at her team mates and ask, "Do any of you guys have a needle and some thread? I'm going to fix it when we get back…"
"I'll lend you mine…" Weiss reply. Yang smile to the heiress.
Ruby waited patiently for her team mates at the lounge. She turn on the television and watched some night shows while waiting for them. Meanwhile at the kitchen, Yang is knitting the torn part of Gibbles and close it up with some cloth. Weiss and Blake provided the blonde the materials. She constantly being jabbed by the needle as she struggle to knit the teddy bear. The heiress offered her help however, Yang demanded to do it herself despite the pain on her hand stings. After few moments of patching it up, she finally finished. Her left hand still stings but she ignored the pain. She bring Gibbles to her baby sister and showed it to her, "Here you go, Ruby! Gibbles is alright now!"
The younger girl's eyes shine in happiness. She gently take it away from Yang's grip and hug it tightly. The blonde smile, "Sorry if it's not as perfect as before…" she said. Ruby look up to her sister and smiles. "I don't mind, sis. I won't replace Gibbles no matter what!" she said. Yang slightly touched by her words.
"Goodnight, Yang! Gibbles and I are going to sleep!" Yang giggles and ruffle her hair. Ruby walk to her top bunk and lay down. Weiss and Blake joins the blonde. They heard their leaders child-like voice talking to her doll. They giggle.
"Next time, Weiss. Ask someone before you throw a certain item despite how old and worn it is…" Yang reminded her. The heiress slowly nod. The blonde head to her bed, however, she stop dead on her tracks and decided to check on her sister first. She climb up and see her sister fell asleep with Gibbles in her arms and her thumb in her mouth. A small smile is formed.
She pull the cover up to her sister's shoulder. She caress her hair and lean forward to kiss her forehead. She murmured, "Goodnight, baby sis…" She left her bed. Meanwhile in her sleep, Ruby smile and pull Gibbles closer to her chest, telling her that Yang is right next to her.
Author's Note
I got excited of this chapter so I have to finish it even though it's late over here. It's one of my favorite chapter so I hope this could cheer someone up. Well, time to get my beauty sleep. Nuff said, Au Revoir, mes ami~!