Man was this a bear to get through, 12+ hours ladies and gentleman. I sure hope you find it worthy
Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth otherwise Torchwick wouldn't exist. I really don't like him, or that stupid hat!
The next morning would find the members of Team RWBY sitting in the cafeteria a member short as their leader had elected to share her breakfast with a certain someone, as Yang looked around at her team mates: Weiss would be looking down at her apple with a faraway look in her eyes, occasionally reaching up to touch her cheek with a frown, while Blake would be busy scribbling in a notebook with a determined look on her face even with the glares being directed at her as of late due to her defense of Cardin and the condemnation of Bálor for his vicious assault.
Truly their once unbreakable bond had been shattered by one silver haired lone wolf with a cocky smirk who seemed to have a knack for rattling cages, in Bálor's short time here he had managed to get Goodwitch suspended from the job, put a beat down on Team CRDL so bad that it was rumored that poor Cardin might not make it as a Hunter after the beating he had taken from the wolf Faunus, and now her sister had abandoned the very team she'd helped bring together to fight back against the White Fang in favor of doting on a boy she had had very little contact with besides watching him from a distance. Yet she had managed to do what Yang herself could not: She had managed to make a place for herself in his heart while she was left frustrated and hurt, she had lost the war before she had even gotten a chance to prove herself as a woman.
"Yang, hey Yang!" Blake would sigh and gesture to the empty cafeteria around them as the feline Faunus would look at her partner curiously before placing her hand on the blonde brawler's shoulder gently. "Is everything okay, you've been kind of out of it lately." Yang would shrug the Faunus's hand away as she started walking off in a huff, her lilac eyes firmly planted on the path ahead of her as her partner watched on helplessly.
"How could he choose her, after everything I've done to make him feel welcome at Beacon?" She would think back to their various times together, how he would grin and laugh along with her flirty jokes, the way he seemed to be on the same wavelength as her no matter where the conversation went. It was as if they were peas from the same pod and it warmed her heart to know that somebody finally understood her, that he could see past the sexy looks, the saucy banter and the lame puns to reach out to the girl she kept hidden behind it all.
"I thought I was finally going to get my chance at happiness, Blake has Sun, Weiss has Neptune, and Ruby was so focused on being a Huntress. I thought for sure, he felt the same way about that I did about him, especially on that night: I had gotten myself all dolled up for him, I was ready to open my heart to him and give him everything I had to give."
She would stop and sigh as she leaned against the wall of the hallway and run her hand over her stomach with a sad smile.
"I want to give him everything, even if it means we end up leaving Beacon behind..at least we'll be together." She would ball her fist once more as she imagined her younger sister taking Bálor away, shuddering as he began to fade from her memories his charming smile leaving her alone in a deep pit of despair.
"No! I WON'T let that happen, everybody else gets to have their happy ending, and I'll be damned if mine gets stolen from me!" With renewed resolve in her heart, she would keep moving forward to her next class despite the fact that was she now horrendously late for it.
Blake Belladonna would find herself trying to focus on the latest lecture from Professor Oobleck who was clearly enjoying the lack of dissenting opinions from a certain silver haired antagonist, and judging by the fact he was zipping around like a roadrunner on some messed up cocktail of Speed, Meth, and Cocaine he was REALLY enjoying himself.
"I feel ya Professor, it certainly is refreshing to be rid of him" She would look towards the empty seat he usually occupied with a satisfied smirk, if Bálor were present he would constantly interrupt Oobleck with snide remarks and his stupid smirk as their instructor verbally fought back against him.
"It's a beautiful thing." The feline Faunus would enjoy herself as she saw Yang walk into the room late with a stoic look on her face as she took a seat next to her partner with a silent huff.
"Hey, everything alright?" She whispered quietly as she leaned over to the blonde brawler with a concerned look on her face.
Yang would glance over at her partner with a small nod as she stared down at Professor Oobleck who was zipping around trying to explain the founding of Menagerie for the third time in a half hour.
"I'll explain everything when class lets out, thank Dust we have sparring matches today because I know EXACTLY who I wanna wreck today!"
Blake would frown as she turned back to the lecture in question, wondering just what had gotten into Yang lately, she had become moody, was easily provoked by the same guys she was usually casting flirty looks at and just plain lovesick as she looked back at the empty seat where HE sat.
"I can't believe our team's become unglued by one stupid, wrestling spouting moron! If I could just get my hands on him and-" Blake would stop suddenly, remembering her partner's words about wanting to wreck someone in today's sparring matches as a plan slowly came to mind.
"It's perfect, I can call that little bastard out and beat him to a pulp, after all I've made him bleed once already and there's no way he can activate that Semblance of his before I cut him down!" Blake would purr with delight at the prospect of finally finishing what she had started on Parents Day, she would bring down the silver wolf and restore the balance that had been lost thanks to him.
Class would finally let out as Blake and Yang began to pack up their belongings quietly as the other students talked boisterously amongst themselves, the prospect of another spectacle fresh in their minds as they hurried out of the classroom.
"Care to finally let me in on your grand plans for today, you usually watch these things so I'm curious as to what's finally inspired you to fight in them for once." Blake would smirk as she and her partner made their way out of the classroom and headed towards the amphitheatre.
"Oohhh, trust me Blakey I've put plenty of thought into this one." She would pound her fists together as they neared the amphitheatre's doors with a grin, leaving Blake all the more confused as they made it inside.
The first thing that Yang would notice was that both Ruby AND Bálor would be sitting down at the front row conversing excitedly with each other, it was a rare sight to see the young man being so animated but the fact that he was being that way with RUBY dug into her skin like a thousand fire ants.
"I can't believe Ozpin let him out, this is insanity!" Blake would storm down to where the pair were sitting, the female Faunus seething with rage as she grabbed the wolf by the shoulder and dragged him to his feet. "You! I don't know what the hell you told Ozpin to spring you but-"
"Blake stop, I was the one who convinced Professor Ozpin to-" Ruby would begin to explain the situation to her friend but the wolf Faunus would hold up a hand to stop her before wresting himself from Blake's grip.
"Look Belladonna, it doesn't matter what got said to Ozpin but the point is that I'm free to return to classes effective immediately, and that means I'm back in play." The wolf Faunus would stop as he locked eyes with Yang who was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at him, her mouth agape at the sight of him standing with Ruby.
"Yang…why are you looking at me like that, like I've betrayed you somehow?"
However before anyone else would say another word about their predicament, Ozpin's voice would break through the madness around them.
"Well now, before I start today's festivities..I'd like to begin by welcoming back our recent transfer student, fresh off of his confinement: Bálor Moonlight." Everyone would look at him curiously, muttering amongst themselves even as he held up the "Too Sweet" with one hand while Ruby slipped her hand into his free hand. It was at this point that both Blake and Yang had seen enough, for the cat Faunus it was that small little hand gesture of defiance that brought her rage to a boil while the sight of the crimsonette standing beside the man she herself loved drove her to the brink of madness.
"Professor, I want to fight!"
Neither woman expected the other to speak up first, and as such were stunned silent when they realized what that would mean for the two of them, even Bálor to his credit was struck silent at the outcome.
"Very well, Yang Xiao Long will fight Blake Belladonna in our first sparring session of the day.
"Why the hell would Blake step all over my challenge!?"
"Dammit Yang, I had a plan, all you needed to do was stay quiet!"
The two partners would step onto the dais using the separate stairways on either side as they came face to face with each other as the feline Faunus removed Gambol Shroud out of its sheath while Yang's wristlets extended into the full on gauntlets that were Ember Celica, the crowd around them deathly quiet as they waited for the signal to begin.
Ozpin would be watching his two students closely as they stared at one another with varying degrees of anger, he would smile slightly before sounding the buzzer to begin the battle
Blake would gasp and start backing off as Yang laid in with a barrage of fists, not expecting her partner to literally come out swinging to start the match off even as she left a clone of herself behind to that a rather strong uppercut from the blonde brawler.
"Geez Yang, calm down it's just a sparring match!" The feline Faunus would start parrying blows as quickly as she could, leaving an ice clone just in time for her partner to break it apart.
"What's wrong with you?! I thought we were friends!" She would watch the brawler's eyes carefully, surprised to see them turning red before seeing Ruby and Bálor behind her, the crimsonette would be staring wide eyed as her sister readied herself for another string of attacks while the wolf Faunus watched intently, his eyes focused solely on the fight in front of him as if it were just another match and not a showdown between friends.
"It's him isn't it, it's your stupid pent up crush towards Bálor that's driving you to fight this hard!" The cat Faunus would snarl as she let her hatred guide her hand, readying Gambol Shroud to strike for blood, she would need to go for tendons, nerves, anything she could cut before Yang could land a blow.
"That pompous bastard, how dare you just sit there looking so calm while I'm forced to fight against someone I care about!" With a loud cry Blake would charge her partner with unrestrained fury, slicing at any open spot of flesh she could see, only to have Yang dodge by a fraction of a second and striking air.
"She's fast, usually Yang would just tank minor blows like this!" Blake would lean back just to avoid a nasty right hook from the blonde brawler and breathe a sigh of relief before leaping back and observing Yang's movements carefully.
"I don't understand, why-"
"No, you wouldn't understand would you Blakey" The blonde would relax her stance before checking her hair and smiling at the fact that every strand was in one piece before she continued. "You wouldn't understand because you have someone worth fighting for, someone to come back to when this is all over..you have Sun."
Blake would lower Gambol Shroud carefully as her mind processed what Yang was talking about, the realization slowly washing over her like a gentle breeze.
"THAT'S what this is about..? The fact that you're alone?" She would shake her head calmly before smiling "Yang, you could have any guy here at Beacon..isn't that right guys?" The men in the audience would start applauding and clamoring for the blonde brawler to choose one of them as her main squeeze with a few exceptions: Jaune who was curiously looking around for Weiss despite Pyrrha sitting next to him, Ren who had had his hands and mouth duck taped together by Nora in a rather quick and impressive fashion. And finally Bálor, who would sit there stoned faced as Ruby breathed a sigh of relief next to him, Yang would shake her head quietly before holding up one finger and pointing straight to where the silver haired Faunus was sitting.
"That guy sitting right there is the only one, he's the only one I can see myself giving it all to." The blonde brawler would turn toward her silver haired object of affection, keeping her lilac eyes steadily on him and avoiding Ruby's gaze as she smiled.
"That's what I was dying to tell you the night before Ruby burst in us, Bálor I love you and I don't think anything is going to change that." She could feel the tears falling down her face as she tried to smile and continue her surprisingly soft spoken declaration. "I mean, I know I've put you through a lot of grief in your short stint here but you never minded it, not once..not even when I fried your first Schneepod."
The young man would laugh and shake his head before grinning and calling out to her. "Yeah, you still owe me a new one by the way!" Small pockets of laughter would break out at those words, even from Yang herself as she returned his grin. "Yeah well, I'll pay you back one of these days B..I promise."
Blake who had been patiently watching this little banter play out would be livid as she readied her Gambol Shroud to bring the battle to a close as she sprang into a sprint toward towards the blonde brawler who was still smiling at Bálor.
"Forgive me Yang, but I gotta stop this madness."
The wolf Faunus would see his feline counterpart charging in even before the crowd roared to life to offer warning to her and bolt from his seat, leaping over the shocked Yang and taking the slash meant for her as he staggered back, having sacrificed his aura's protection for an extra burst of speed.
"Bálor!" Ruby would spring from her seat trying to catch him before he would fall, but instead he would merely slip to a knee and he applied pressure to as much of the wound as he could.
"B!" Yang would try and help him but would stop as he shook his head gently. "Why would you do that?! I would've been fine!" Her hair would become a bright golden mane of fire as she glared daggers at her partner, who only pointed her weapon back at Yang as they prepared to clash once more.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" His amber eyes would flare to life, pinning them both to the floor with just a look, even as sweat began to trickle down his forehead. "Yang, Blake..this is done!" His vision would begin to blur as the strain of using his Semblance and the pain of his injury took its toll on him, he would glare back at Ozpin angrily. "What are you waiting for, call it off!?"
The older Hunter would shake his head even as he watched the Wolf's eyes go dull as his ability failed him.
"This match will come to a decisive finish, until one woman is left standing and there are no more words left to be said."
Bálor would ball his fist, wishing that he hadn't locked his blades away at the start of his time there while glaring death at Ozpin even as Ruby and a few others carried him off of the dais.
"Wait! I need to see it!"
Jaune would shake his head vehemently as he tried to support the wolf Faunus's weight with help from Ren and Yatsuhishi of Team CFVY.
"No way you're bleeding pretty badly, you need medical treatment-"
Bálor would shake his head angrily as he struggled to escape their grip and stand under his own power.
"NO! If this thing's going to be a fight to the finish then I have to be here to witness it, after all Yang was there for me when things got hairy in my battle with CRDL!" He would finally struggle free of the three Hunters supporting him as he stood up unsteadily and his vision continued to multiply. "And I intend to be there for her when it's over."
Ruby would look between the man she loved who was trembling from the effort of struggling to stay on his feet, to her sister who was looking back at him as well as her face became a grim masque of determination before her golden hair would roar to life as she turned to face her partner.
"They're so alike. I can't believe he would risk his health just to be there for her, would he even bother to do it for me?" The crimsonette would sigh as she look down at her hands, which were hidden in the sleeves of her new shirt. "That's right, you gave me this didn't you? Your most precious possession!" Ruby would look at her sister and friend as they readied themselves for a final showdown.
"Yang!" Her older sister would look back curiously at the younger Huntress, her red eyes burning into Ruby's silver ones.
"Kick her ass!" The blonde brawler would nod with a proud smile before turning back and charging at Blake who was already making her way towards Yang both girls letting out a war cry as Gambol Shroud's blade and the fist of Ember Celica collided with one another, sending out a massive shockwave, sending those who were sitting in their seats further back while those like Bálor and Ruby who were standing would be knocked to the floor.
"Why do you insist on fighting for a fool like him, I really thought you were smarter then that Yang!" The feline would shift Gambol Shroud to its pistol form as the brawler countered back with shots from Ember Celica, the rounds colliding with one another to create small fireworks.
"I told you already Blake, I love him..with all my heart and soul!" With another shout Yang would burst forward as flames streaked out behind her as fists and kicks were thrown about, Blake would parry and dodge every move with a cocky smirk before leaving behind a stone clone in order to move behind her partner and deliver a punishing pair of slashes to the blonde's back along with a roundhouse kick to one of the wounds for good measure.
"You're strong Yang, but you're not fast enough to avoid everything I can throw at you in time!" As if to prove her point further the feline Faunus would disappear in a burst of speed and deliver a series of quick, shallow cuts to the brawler's arms before reappearing right in front of her with a confident smile. "Face it, it's over!
"No, it's..not! Nothing's over as long as there are people who believe in me!" Her mind would flash to the face of her father, who held her while she told him about the wolf who had stolen her heart. To her sister Ruby, who despite trying to take him away from her was still cheering proudly for her through it all, to the various people who had given her moments of happiness and joy: Weiss, Team JNPR, Sun, Neptune, even her own step-mother Summer Rose would appear to her with a confident smile. But his face would appear to her the strongest: Bálor, the boy who had shared smiles and private jokes, sandwich whims and gripes about Podcast hosts, she could feel his amber eyes watching her, filling her with renewed vigor as she readied her fists to go for the big K.O.
"As long as everyone in my heart is with me, I WON'T EVER LOSE!" Yang would say with a fierce roar before charging at Blake so fast it appeared as though she were a flash of golden light which slammed her partner hard enough to send her flying back against the wall of a nearby pillar, the sheer brute force of the impact was such that it began to split and shatter before to split and shatter as she plummeted to the ground.
"Blake!" Ruby would be there to catch her downed teammate, having used her Semblance to make the save as the heavily pillar came tumbling toward the pair.
"Dammit!" Bálor would try to force the pillar to a stop with his own Semblance, but the pillar would only wobble slightly before continuing on its collision course. "Ruby, Nooo!"
The crimsonette would look up at the massive stone column coming to crush her and make the split decision to toss Blake out of harm's way.
"Yang, take care of Bálor for me.." She would close her eyes in silent prayer as the column's shadow loomed overhead. "Mom, I'm coming home…"
The Hunters and Huntresses in the amphitheatre would gasp in alarm as the column's impact sent forth a cloud of dust as everyone's vision was obscured from what appeared to be the hooded Huntress's grisly end and a hush fell over them all.
Ruby would blink and look around, seeing nothing but white in her immediate vicinity as she took a breath.
"Am I..dead?"
"…uby? Ruby?" Someone would be shaking the crimsonette forcefully as her vision slowly began to adjust to her surroundings.
"Who's calling me..Mom? Is that you?"
"Wake up you dolt!" A hard smack would be delivered to Ruby's cheek, rattling her awake as she looked up to see her partner looking down at her with a worried look on her delicate features.
"Weiss..why are you dead?"
The heiress would shake her head in frustration at the crimsonette's question before giving her a small smile "I'm not dead Ruby, and neither are you." She would gesture to the ice dome that had been erected around them. "You're just lucky I made it here in time to save you before you got flattened into a pancake." She would frown as small cracks appeared in the dome as the column about their head threatened to finish the job. "Damn, where's the Wolf of yours when we need him, he could've just levitated this thing off of us."
Ruby would frown and shake her head sadly as she remembered the sight of him struggling to stay conscious.
"He's hurt Weiss, Blake cut him real bad when she was fighting Yang earlier"
The pale haired Huntress would shake her head tiredly. "Of course he is, he would be the kind of idiot to do something so reckless." She would smile a little as she said this. "A heroic idiot, but still an idiot."
The crimsonette would sigh as she looked up at the heiress with a sour face. "Aww c'mon Weiss, don't tell me I've gotta compete again you too!"
Weiss would snort and shake her head proudly "Hardly, he's too sweet for me. His words not mine." The pair of Huntresses would giggle happily at the joke before the ground beneath them would quake violently causing the cracks in the dome to widen, putting an end to their moment of peace.
"Crap, this is it!" Ruby would cling to Weiss as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't want to die with us still angry at each other, I'm sorry I slapped you Weiss!"
The heiress would hold her partner close as the dome began to erode around them "I'm sorry I wasn't a more supportive partner to you Ruby!"
The roof of the dome would shatter as the column burst through suddenly, threatening to crush the duo.
"Come on you two move it!" The voice of Jaune Arc would be heard from above as the column hung suspended in mid-air above the Huntresses heads, a dim amber light keeping it aloft.
"I thought you said he was hurt!" Weiss would reach up and grasp Jaune's arm tightly with one hand while grabbing her partner with the other.
"He must be pushing himself, we'd better hurry before he collapses and this thing crushes us flat!" Jaune would nod as Ren, Yatsuhishi, Fox, and even Nora and Pyrrha would help pull the Huntresses free from the dome while Yang kept Bálor standing while he pushed his body to its limits as he forced his Semblance to keep the pillar aloft.
"They're clear B, they're clear!" Yang would catch the exhausted wolf Faunus as he collapsed to the floor of the amphitheatre, the pillar crashing to the ground with a hollow thud.
"You did it baby, you did it!" Tears would fall from her lilac eyes as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness, she would turn to look at her sister and Weiss speaking with the rest of their friends and breath a heavy sigh of relief before Professor Ozpin's face would obscure her view.
"There's no need to worry, I'll look after Ruby and make sure she gets herself checked out by the medical staff." He would look down at her hands where fragments of Ember Celica dug into her skin as he looked up at the blonde brawler in concern. "I would really suggest you do the same, I'll have the medics see to Bálor-"
Yang would shake her head firmly before scooping up her unconscious lover and standing up slowly.
"No..I'm not letting him out of my sight again…" She would say this more to herself then anyone else as she walked out of the amphitheatre, cradling him gently in her arms.
Well, THAT just happened! A fight between partners, a near death of a fan favorite, and a mini-reunion of sorts!
Now onto the real reason for why I'm stalling: Like a wise man once said. "All good things must come to end, as must these conversations. Don't you fret just yet, I still have a few good ideas left to keep things going for a bit longer but an ending will occur! Very tempted to make a poll to determine the ending but it would prevent me from seeing your excellent reasoning for choosing the ending you do
So what will win out? RoseWolf? (BálorxRuby) Howling Dragon? (BálorxYang) or the curve ball suggestion of Howling Rose Dragon Wolf? (BálorxYangxRuby) Let me hear your opinions people, and don't be afraid to take your time to think it through as I'm taking the weekend off!
Holla, if ya hear me!