Next Update: Monday June 4th

Chapter 17
(Day eight of the cracked lunar year.
Location: Island of Menagerie.)

Fingers grazed over her newly dressed tattoo, the tenderness there making her wince as her skin protested the action. It had just been finished an hour ago, and although her aura fought to heal away the ink, it was impossible thanks to the aura inhibiting shot she had received prior to the work being done. Now, all she needed to do was wait for Blake's markings to be finished and it would be officially mated by Faunus standards.

Yang smirked to herself, a giddy little hint of pride creeping into her mind, even as she found herself at a loss with what to do with all of the paperwork sitting in front of her.

Blake had tasked her with sorting these requests by order of importance. There was only one problem, Yang had no idea what Blake deemed worthy of her immediate attention and what she didn't. These particular documents weren't ones Yang had ever been given the privilege to see, let alone to sort out. In her hand was a long and dull request for herbs, sent by the healers of a nearby village. She'd gazed at this parchment for too long, feeling as though it was important, but second guessing the urgency of the request.

What made matters difficult was another parchment that sat beside it in comparison. A second village also asking for herbs, and other medical supplies.

Yang didn't know much about the matters in the other villages, but she did know that the one she lived in didn't have an overflowing stock of anything. They never did. For a Faunus even the most basic painkiller could be hard to come by. That spoke nothing of antibiotics, or medical grade dust, both of which were in even lesser quantities. A soft hand fell onto the desk, drawing Yang's attention.

Ruby leaned over her older sister, to get a better look. "Those are medicine requests, you can put both of them at the bottom of the pile." She said as she began to shuffle the loose papers around properly. "Put the food requests at the top, followed by any requests for mercenaries and Grimm fortifications."

"You sure about that?" Yang asked, biting her lower lip in worry. "If people get sick, it can end an entire village in a fortnight."

Ruby nodded. Helping her sister sort the piles in a timely manner. "The aquatic Grimm along the coastlines are thinning out, going to deeper waters now that they've laid their eggs. The ships will be at greater risks than the villages nestled on the coastlines themselves. As for medicine, it's low this time of year. Until we go to Atlas, it's just going to be that way. We can make up for it by helping slay the Grimm in the forests though. The safer it is, the more herbs the other villages can gather. It's not the best solution, but it's what we've got to go on right now."

"Why are you always so good at this?" Yang mumbled. "I just don't get it, you're always on top of things."

"So you're no good at this stuff…do you think I'd be any better doing patrols in the streets?" Ruby asked as she leaned heavily on Blake's desk. "I know the paperwork because I watch Neon do it all the time. You're never around. You're always in the village helping out instead, and that isn't really a bad thing."

"I feel like it's never enough." Yang grumbled.

"It is."

"No, it's not."

"When Blake says it is, then it is." Ruby shot back.

Yang sighed, looking at the parchment in her hand. "I still don't know if ignoring the medical aid is a good idea…"

"I'm not going to lie, it's easier when people are just numbers on a page." Ruby explained. "When you don't know them personally, you don't have to pick favorites or choose sides. I think that's why Blake hates doing it and makes someone else decide the order requests are handled. You're in the village just as much as she is, you'll probably never be good at it…you care too much. If I was in the village even half as often as you were, I'd probably struggle the same way."

"I know you're right about that, but still…" Yang sighed deeply. Ruby had so effortlessly come up with answers that Yang had been agonizing over. No matter what the reasons were, Yang knew she would have to do better in the future. The blonde slumped down in her chair when she realized the truth of her little sister's statements. It probably was easier for Ruby, as reclusive from village matters as she tended to be, the younger huntress was more than happy to live on the fringes of civilization.

"You were the better choice." Ruby said, the sudden admission catching Yang off guard.

"What?"

"You heard me…"

"You can't mean that, Ruby."

"Yeah, I do." Ruby said as she hoisted herself up to sit on the desk, kicking her feet thoughtfully as she looked to the rug on the floor. Even though Yang was the one that Blake had chosen to mate with, the Faunus made no mistake about wanting Ruby as well, and had groomed the younger sibling to undertake the momentous task. Ruby knew the details Yang didn't, but Ruby was sure it was only a matter of time. Soon, Yang would be just as capable of handling the detailed paperwork. "You like the village Yang, and you like the people in it. You're the sort of person that'll do whatever it takes to make a name for yourself, because you don't just want to stand in Blake's shadow."

"I have to be that way, otherwise what kind of person would I be?" Yang asked rhetorically. "I wouldn't be worthy of Blake, that much I'm sure of."

"You'll always be worthy of her, because she says you are. It's that easy." Ruby shrugged. "I'm not saying that I'm not worthy of her. I'm just saying, we all have a place, and I like the place I'm in. Deep down, I know you'll like the place your in. You love the village so much, Yang, and you have the charisma to do all of the things I just don't even want to do. She made the right choice, and I'm never going to stop believing that."

"I'm just worried they won't accept me…" Yang trailed off, twirling a piece of her long blonde hair. "It's one thing for a human to wander around and goof off…I know the villagers think I'm just a funny little human girl who doesn't know where she belongs. It might be different now though." She angled her arm so that Ruby could get a good look at the tattoo. "Technically my name hasn't changed, but this makes me a Belladonna. I might not live up to that expectation. What if I let Blake down?"

Ruby laughed, jumping off of the desk. "I don't think that's possible…she's benching you for the Atlas trip by the way…"

"What, no way she's never-"

"She totally is." Ruby interrupted. "She told Pyrrha and I we weren't allowed to add you to the recruitment list. We really wanted to because of your semblance in the icy water. You're the only one who can just dive in and not freeze half to death, and it's always been helpful in the past. Even though we explained that, Blake still said you couldn't go. She wanted you here."

"Blakey always worries when we go on missions…"

"About some of us more than others. You can be really reckless, Yang."

"So much so that she wants to bench me?" Yang laughed softly. "Now I'm worried about what you and Pyrrha put in those mission reports."

Ruby grinned, knowing just how mopey and bored Yang got on long boat rides with nothing to do. The blonde was restless and cranky when confined to the lower cabins for weeks at a time. There wasn't anything to do other than to play card games and fish off of the deck, neither hobby sustaining Yang for any real length of time. The northern chill made for dull afternoons unless Grimm were roaming around. "Like I said, I have my place, and you have yours…and yours is with the village now."

"Yeah..." Yang trailed off thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right..."