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Behind Bars

Part Five: La Llorona

"Oye, rubia! Where did you go?" yelled Cadeja, snapping her fingers and waving her hand in front of Yang's spaced out, lilac eyes.

Yang shook her head, snapped out of her reverie.

"Sorry, lost in thought."

"You want to stop?" she asked, her eyes scrutinizing the far-away look on Yang's face.

"No, let's keep going," said Yang, turning her focus back to Cadeja.

Cadeja scoffed. "Can you even tell me the last thing I said?"

A guilty look flashed across Yang's face. For a moment she tried to remember – but honestly, she hadn't been listening for some time. She shook her head.

"No, sorry."

"De verdad? A veces me das rabias, Xiao Long," she said, sighing.

Yang grimaced, not understanding any of the words Cadeja had said. As far as she could tell, the last one sounded something like 'rabies,' but she didn't think it'd be a good idea to confirm that with the wolf Faunus. Biting her tongue, she kept her mouth shut.

Crossing her arms, Cadeja closed her eyes and tucked her chin to her chest.

"I was tryin' to review some of the basic vocab we went over earlier," she huffed. "Dígame, que significa los cachorros?"

Yang smiled, she liked that one.

"The puppies!" she answered.

Cadeja rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd remember that one. Qué son estos objetos aquí?" she asked.

"Uh…" Yang looked at the three objects on the bed between them. She knew Cadeja had gone over them at the beginning of tonight's lesson, just as she had during last night's.

Pointing to the first, she said, "El libro."

Cadeja nodded, and Yang moved on to the next. Beside the book was her letter from Taiyang. Not able to remember the word, she skipped it and pointed to the third.

"That one's el espejo," she said triumphantly, indicating the small hand-held mirror. Like with cachorros, she mostly remembered it because it sounded funny.

She sat struggling for another minute, still not remembering the word for "letter."

"I give up," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "What's letter again?"

"La carta," said Cadeja, collecting the objects and putting them on the desk they shared.

Lying down and stretching out on her bunk, Cadeja rested her head on her hands and closed her eyes.

"I think it's time we call it quits for tonight. By the look on your face, half of you is still a million miles away," she said.

Yang nodded, and stood up from her perch on the edge of Cadeja's bed. She stretched her cramped muscles, noticing that the last of the pain in her ribs had finally faded. After a couple of days slowly using her aura to repair the damage from Sasha's attack, Yang had managed to fully heal herself.

Opening one eye, Cadeja watched her.

"Mind telling me where your thoughts keep takin' you tonight?" she asked.

Yang clambered up the bedframe at the foot of the bunks, where it connected them like a ladder. Hauling herself into her bed, she landed face-first with a small thud, shaking the bunks. She muttered a muffled reply into her pillow.

"Eh?" said Cadeja, white ears swiveling on top of her head. "Speak up, rubia, even I can't hear you when you do that."

Turning her face to the side, Yang repeated, "I was thinking about home. My dad, my sister… I miss them."

Cadeja was quiet for a moment. Turning on her side, Yang slipped a blanket over her shoulders and curled her knees toward her chest.

"Try not to worry about it. Easier said than done, but they'll probably visit you soon. Just give them some time," she said.

"It's not that they haven't come, it's that they can't. My approved visitors list still has gone through," replied Yang, glowering.

"Seriously?" asked Cadeja. "You've been here something like two weeks – they usually have that shit figured out after a couple days."

"That counselor they made me see said it'd be approved soon, but still…"

"Did you piss someone off or something?"

"No idea," she said, wrapping herself more tightly in the blanket.

"So call home tomorrow," said Cadeja after a moment. "It's no real substitute – believe me – but it's better than nothing. You got phone privileges don't you?"

"Yeah," Yang whispered, rolling over to face the wall. For days she'd been wrestling with the idea of calling her dad and Ruby, but hadn't had the courage to do it yet.

What if… I hear it in their voices?

Yang squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back the thought that maybe – just maybe – she'd hear fear, disappointment, or even anger if she called home.

From a distance, they'd been supportive, but after everything that had happened, and everything that had been said about her – in the courts, on the news – she worried that somehow, she had become a stranger to her own family.

Taking a deep breath, she said – more to herself than to her cellmate, "Yeah, I will."

The next morning after breakfast, Yang queued up at the phones. They were old-school receivers hooked into metal boxes on the walls by thick cords. They predated the more portable technology that powered modern scrolls.

Hell these things probably predate me, thought Yang, eyeing them warily.

To her left, a CO lounged against the wall, picking at a scab on the back of his hand. Yang scrunched up her nose in disgust, but kept watching until she was next in line.

Stepping up to one of the phones, she grabbed the receiver and heard the dial tone as it came off the hook. Punching in the number from memory on the dial pad, she held her breath and waited.

On the fifth ring she heard the tone cut off, but instead of her father's voice she heard an automated message start to play:

"Hello," said the mechanical voice, vaguely female, "an inmate from Briarcliff Correctional Facility is attempting to reach you. If you wish to accept the call, please press one and stay on the line. Your calls will be connected momentarily."

Something beeped and after a brief pause, Yang heard her father's voice come through on the other end.

"Yang?" he asked.

"Hey dad, it's me," she said, her hand trembling slightly.

"Yang!" he repeated, excited. "You called! I'm so glad – Ruby! Hey Rrrrrrrrubyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" he yelled. "Ruby your sister's on the phone." A pause. "No seriously get in here!"

Yang smiled.

Yup that's dad alright, she thought. Somewhere in the background she heard a commotion, and Zwei started barking.

"How're you doing? Are you… you know, 'okay'?" he asked, turning his attention back to the phone.

Yang winced, remembering the bruises that had only just faded from her face and ribs. Shuddering, she also remembered the strange Faunus and the grimm watching her in the Yard.

Nope, definitely not mentioning any of that…

"Yang? Yang, you still there?" said her dad, his voice panicked.

"Yeah dad – I'm here! And I'm okay, I'm… getting used to things."

"Good, good," he answered, his tone more serious. "You got the letter I sent right?"

"Yeah dad," she said, her voice wavering a little. "I got it. Thank you," she continued, smiling as she remembered just how well-worn those pages had become.

"Dad, I –" the words hitched in her throat. The sound of her father's voice, the happiness she heard there – she felt so close to something that was home, but it was far away, something she couldn't reach from where she was.

"You don't have to say it," he said. "I know, Yang. Just remember I am always with you. It doesn't matter what happens, or how far apart we are. We're family, baby girl. You're permanently stuck with me."

She nodded, hearing the smile in his voice. Clearing her throat, she kept going.

"Is Ruby there?"

"Yeah, hold on – here she is," he said, handing off his scroll.

Yang waited, but she didn't hear her sister's voice on the line.

Cautiously, she asked, "Ruby?" She paused. "Ruby – are you there?"

"Hi, Yang," came Ruby's small voice.

"Ruby…" whispered Yang, not sure what to say.

"Yang, I – are you –" Ruby's words stuttered and stopped. Yang could hear her sniffling on the other end of the line. Ruby took a few short breathes, sounding to Yang like she was struggling to breathe.

"Yang, I'm scared!" she cried. "I miss you and I can't stopping thinking about that place and how awful-" she wailed, a sob cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Yang, I just want you to come home! I just want to be team RWBY again, after everything that's happened… I just need to know we're all okay. And after losing Pyrrha, and who even knows where Blake is – Yang! I can't lose you! I want my big sister! Yang – Yang…" After that, Ruby's voice quieted. For a moment, she simply repeated her sister's name into the phone.

All the while, Yang listened. Her hand curled into a fist around the receiver and she leaned her forehead against the wall. She felt her eyes watering, but she gritted her teeth and held herself back from crying.

Forcing her voice to stay calm, she said, "Ruby, I am okay. I promise you – that no matter what, no matter how long I'm gone – I am going to be okay, and I am going to come home to you and to dad and to our family."

She paused, listening as the sounds of Ruby crying seemed to quiet down a little.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Ruby," she said, trying to sound stern. "It's not going to be easy. Not for you, not for me, and especially not for dad. He might look okay, but you know what he's like." Yang heard a small laugh escape from Ruby. Smiling, she said, "He'll put on a brave face and crack one too many bad jokes, but it's all just for show."

"Yeah, I know," answered Ruby. From what Yang could tell, she had stopped crying.

After that, Ruby seemed more like her old self. For a few minutes she chattered on about stuff that was happening with Weiss, Jaune, and Zwei – filling Yang in on bits of everyday life that she'd been missing. Keeping an eye on the clock, she interrupted Ruby's story about how Weiss had a little brother she'd never mentioned before when there was only about thirty seconds left for her phone privileges that day.

"Ruby, I've got to go in a sec – it's been really good to hear your voice. Will you say goodbye to dad for me?"

"Sure," she said. "And Yang – I'm glad you're doing okay."

After that, Yang hung up the receiver and took a couple deep breaths.

See Xiao Long? she thought to herself. You're okay, everything's okay…

Straightening up, she walked over to the exit to check out with one of the guards. Looking down at his message board, he grunted.

"CO Lowell!" he barked.

The short woman appeared hastily in the doorway. Looking somewhat disheveled, she said, "Yes, sir?"

"Please escort the inmate to the library!" he yelled. Apparently this guy only had one volume – loud. "She is to report for her new work assignment!"

Damn another one? thought Yang.

"Yes sir!" replied Lowell. Taking Yang's arm, she guided her out of the room and down the hall.

After a short ways, she let her hand drop and walked side by side with Yang. Looking down from behind the curtain of her hair, Yang watched the woman intently as she hummed a light tune under her breath.

"Sorry if the humming bothers you," she said, catching Yang staring at her. "Half the time I don't even notice I'm doing it."

Guiltily, Yang muttered, "No – it's nice."

Turning her face towards Yang she flashed a brilliant smile.

"Good," she said brightly, and then went back to her song.

After a few minutes, they reached the library doors. Pushing one aside, CO Lowell waved Yang through before turning on her heel and humming her way back down the hall.

Looking around, Yang met the eye of the inmate who served as the librarian. She was young but her hair was a gray-ish blue and pulled back into a severe bun, making her appear a bit older than she probably was. Startled, Yang found that she was already glaring at her through the square spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose.

Yeesh, she thought. This is going to go swimmingly, isn't it?

Walking over, Yang waved and opened her mouth to say hi but she was promptly cut off.

"Yeah I know who you are – they told me I'd be getting an assistant, an assistant I don't need," she hissed. Her arms were crossed defensively over her chest. "I've got a perfectly good system in place here, and I don't need you fucking it up. So why don't you just sit at one of the tables somewhere and stay out of the way, hm?"

Well alright then. New best friend.

"Uh – yeah, sure I think I can manage that," replied Yang, walking away.

From behind her, she thought she heard the librarian mutter something like, 'I'd certainly hope so.' Belatedly, Yang realized she hadn't even gotten the woman's name.

Stomping through the rows of bookshelves, Yang threw herself into a chair at one of the tables. Its surface was cluttered with books, some of them laying open at random pages.

Oh yeah – some system you got here, she griped to herself.

For several minutes she just sat there, leaning her chin on her hand, elbow propped up on the table. She looked at the shelves without really seeing them, her thoughts still half-running through the phone call home.

But after a while, she started to pick through one of the books on the table. Bored, she flipped through the pages, not really taking in any of the story. But the pages had that old book smell – that sort of musty, smoky smell that managed to be kind of homey.

Reminds me of Blake...

Her hand stopped flipping through the pages and her mouth pulled down into a frown. Since the trial, she had made it a point to not think about her partner – her friend – who hadn't even been around to help her when she needed it most.

She had just done what Blake seems to do best – disappear.

Regardless, Yang couldn't control every thought she had – and there were times when she would snap out of a memory, and realize that she missed her friend.

Blake.

Where are you?

Shaking her head, Yang closed the book. Looking for a distraction, she glanced at its spine and located its call numbers. Standing up, she scanned the shelves. The system of letters and numbers that the library used to shelve its books was easy enough to follow, and after a few minutes Yang had the knack of it.

Walking down the rows, she searched for the section where the book belonged. Scanning the numbers on the books as she passed by, she almost missed it when she nearly stumbled into a group of women arguing in hushed tones on the other side of the bookcase.

Peering through the cracks between shelves, Yang spied a tall woman with sandy hair that she recognized to be Leonie Verté. She was facing away from Yang, staring down at a woman who leaned casually against the bookshelf on the other side of their isle.

Yang's eyes narrowed, and she had to stop herself from making a noise.

Sasha – what the hell is she doing here? Somehow she doesn't strike me as a big reader…

From what Yang could tell, Sasha was alone. Hands in her pockets, she looked perfectly at ease – except for the slightest hint of irritation that she couldn't quite hide in her eyes.

On either side of Leonie stood two Faunus. One was her sister, the other was a small-boned woman with short black horns that stood up from her skull, curving slightly to a dulled point. They reminded Yang of an antelope's.

Straining to hear, Yang held her breath – listening.

"You think I don't know what you are?" she heard Leonie hiss.

Sasha's eyes hardened and her body tensed. Whatever Leonie was talking about, she hadn't expected it.

Before anyone could react, Yang heard a sound deep in Leonie's throat and a moment later she spit in Sasha's face. Yang watched Sasha's expression turn red with a silent rage. After a moment, Sahsa raised a slow, deliberate hand to wipe away the spit.

"There's no place for your kind here," said Leonie, continuing her tirade. "None of us in the Wilds will ever have any dealings with you and yours."

For some reason that Yang couldn't fathom, Sasha remained quiet through all of this. From what she could tell, it sounded like Sasha had asked the Faunus for something – something she clearly wasn't going to get.

Leonie's back moved away from the bookcase behind which Yang was hiding. The looming Faunus stepped over to Sasha, the tip of her tail making playful circles in the air.

In a voice so low that Yang could hardly hear, Leonie said, "How does it feel? To be cut off from it? To know there's nothing you can do with that damn thing around your ankle?"

Sasha flinched, her serene façade breaking as her mouth curved down into a snarl.

More confused than ever, Yang tried to make sense of what Leonie had said.

What does she mean 'it'? And what does it have to do with the monitors? Does she mean her semblance?

Yang paused, watching Sasha push herself away from the bookcase, shoving her face up toward Leonie's. Jaw jutting forward, her mouth widened into a manic grin – and after a moment, she simply walked away, without a word.

But if it was her semblance – why not just say it? Yang thought, still puzzling over the exchange.

For the rest of her shift, Yang went back and forth between the mystery surrounding Sasha and the Faunus, her concern for Ruby, and her confused feelings for Blake. The more it all mixed together in her mind, the more her head started to hurt.

When it was finally time to leave, Yang was looking forward to the cold D block showers, hoping the water would help calm her thoughts.

Later that night, Yang had eventually sunken into a fitful sleep. The sheets and blankets were a knotted mess, twisted around her limbs. As she had on many nights before, Yang dreamt of the Fall of Beacon – but this time, the dream was different.

As usual, she heard the clang and snick of Adam's blade, just before the flames started licking up her arm and side – her body a world of fire.

She heard a scream – either Blake's or hers, she wasn't sure.

Then her view faded to black, but she remembered the distinct sensation of being carried – of being in someone's arms, her ear pressed against their chest. She could feel the rise and fall of their breathing, and hear the echoing thrum of their heartbeat.

Something about the arms that held her felt familiar – safe.

Sometime later, her eyes opened, and she was in a room lit by fires outside the windows – raging down the street. Her armed burned and now it throbbed too – as if something had been bound tightly around her bicep.

She saw a curtain of dark hair – a sliver of white skin, and a pair of yellow eyes.

Some distant part of her mind knew she was looking at Blake, but consciously she felt no recognition.

Staring past her, Yang was surprised to see Ruby. Half in shadows, her sister stood – staring back at Yang – and pointing at her right arm.

Over and over and over again, she said the same thing –

But when she spoke, it wasn't her voice but Cadeja's.

"Ave rota – la sangre cae. Ave rota – la sangre llora. Ave rota – la sangre…"

Yang blinked, confused. The edges of her vision blurred, snapping back into focus around Blake's face. Her lips were pulled back in an openmouthed grimace – bearing two gleaming, white fangs.

Yang opened her mouth and let loose scream after scream, squeezing her eyes shut and trying not to hear the words:

"Ave rota – la sangre habla. Ave rota – la sangre ríe. Ave rota…"

"Shh, ave rota. Cálmate. Shh, shh, shh."

Yang woke with a start. She jerked upright, but found a restraining hand on her chest. Slowly, Yang's breathing returned to normal and she realized where she was.

Eyes adjusting to the darkness in her cell, Yang looked up and saw Cadeja sitting in her bed amidst the wild torrent of sheets. Yang's head was cradled in her lap. One of Cadeja's hands was on her chest, the other was running through her hair.

"Está bien, ave rota. No llores más. Cálmate, respira," said Cadeja softly, her voice trailing off into silence.

For a few minutes they sat quietly, saying nothing. Yang focused on taking deep, even breaths and felt the tracks of tears drying down her cheeks.

Somewhere in the dark, a woman started to sing – her voice high and soft. They listened to her, her song trickling down to them from one of the floors above.

Yang had heard her singing before, usually late at night. She had a beautiful voice, which is probably the only reason no one complained (at least, not usually). It had a motherly, almost lullaby-like quality to it.

She didn't know who the singer was, and so Yang had simply started referring to her as "the lark" in her mind.

Whispering in the dark, Yang shared this observation with Cadeja.

Cadeja shook her head. "That's no ordinary songbird," she said. "Ella es la Llorona."

"Who's that?" Yang asked, turning her head slightly in Cadeja's lap, trying to get a better look at her cellmate's face as she spoke.

In the darkness, Yang could make out the gleaming curve of one fang that curled down over Cadeja's lip, even though her mouth was closed. Yang had started to recognize this habit of hers as something that she did while her mind wandered.

"Ella es la madre – the mother of half-breeds. At the height of her despair, she killed her children. In many versions of the story, she also took her own life, and returned to stalk the land as the ghost who cries – la Llorona. She couldn't live with the pain of what she and her children were."

She paused.

"Porque cuando uno es dos, pero dos no pueden ser uno – los dos lados luchan, y los dos pierden. Por eso, se mueren los hijos del cielo y la tierra, de la luna y el sol – se sufren las madres, que son malditas en esta vida…"*

Something about Cadeja's words sounded like they were remembered, as if from a childhood story or a prayer.

"Listen," she said. "Her words tell it all. It's not surprising to hear this particular song here in the Wilds. The story is very popular among the Faunus."

Concentrating, Yang strained to discern the words of the woman's song. The tune was sad and simple, and easy enough for her to follow.

By the river, stride by stride

In the moonlight, side by side

Little footsteps, ghostly light

Follow with me, through the night.

In the water's, washing tide

Red the ripples, I might hide

But my eyes will see the truth –

My hands are bloodied, bleeding youth.

By my body, they were born –

But for my shame, the river mourns.

By the river, stride by stride

In the moonlight, side by side

Little footsteps, ghostly light

Follow with me through the night…

Each time the song circled back to the chorus, something twinged inside Yang's stomach. For some reason she couldn't quite name, she felt like crying again.

She nibbled mindlessly on her lip and closed her eyes. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, feeling Cadeja's fingers gently combing through her hair.

*Translation: Because when one is two, but two can't be one – the two sides fight, and they both lose. For this reason, the children of the sky and the earth, of the moon and the sun, they die – the mothers suffer, cursed in this life.

Author's note: Part 5 is complete! I have outlines for chapters 6-12 but knowing me, they'll end up being more than just six chapters. Beyond that, even I have no idea what's gonna happen – but what I have planned so far has me really excited!

I'd just like to thank you guys for the support and the feedback – it really does help! Some of you have even started to notice the little breadcrumbs I've been leaving in the story to add to the meaning/create foreshadowing.

As always, please don't hesitate to PM me/drop a review – I sincerely appreciate any comments/suggestions/questions! Also, I hope to stay on schedule and have chapter six posted within the next few days.