Author notes: Once again this bit was only supposed to be a paragraph but it just got out of hand so much so that I had to divide this section into two parts. I also kind of lied saying it's Yang-a-rang POV. It's mainly Taiyang here but some Yang. Also kudos for anyone who noted my goldilocks Easter eggs in the previous chapter. Give yourself a pat on the back. Anyhow as per usual likes and comments are much appreciated and yeah I guess, enjoy?
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, all creditability and ownership of the following scenario's and characters goes to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.
Yang had remained within the confines of her bedroom since she had been given the all clear to leave from the hospital. Apparently while she had panicked about her missing arm in her brief time awake, her infamous flame semblance had literally burned the infection out of her system. How convenient. Now, in her room at Patchshe spent most of her time lying in her bed watching the ever-changing weather from her bedside window and in the evenings fighting the torments her dreams would bring. For the first few weeks Taiyang would always run into her room in the middle of the night ready to help provide whatever his daughter would need after either screaming herself awake or on more than one occasion nearly setting the house on fire. Each request would be different; sometimes it was water, food or to see Ruby and on others it would be her flat out screaming for him to leave. One thing always stayed the same though, every time she dreamed of her. She dreamed of Blake.
It was a few weeks after Ruby had gone and left behind a note that Yang's routine became so simple and commonplace that she couldn't remember how it was before. Even Taiyang, after a while had learned not to bother going to her in the night after the screams for him to leave her became more frequent than not. He felt useless. One daughter gone and he didn't know how to comfort the other. He had tried so hard for his remaining daughter but eventually he had fallen to temptation and started visiting Patch's local bars once more to drink away his sorrows. However after his last trip there, he had found a glimmer of hope, and for once it wasn't the inside of a bottle; he had gotten a message from a local friend. Ruby was alive and she was in Haven.
He didn't want to leave Yang alone. He wanted to at least show her that he was trying, but he also wanted Ruby home. Remnant was just too dangerous now with war between nations hanging in the balance of Ironwood and the remaining global leaders. Chaos had erupted after the televised fall of Beacon and everyone was scared; the media putting a bad light over Atlas certainly didn't help, but Taiyang had to admit that seeing Atlas military attacking Beacon then having Ozpin declared missing was suspicious to say the least.
He had rushed home that same day and packed a backpack with some supplies and was getting ready to leave when he stopped and thought about what he was going to say to Yang. Yang. His poor daughter had been through so much. It made him angry knowing that he pitied her; no father should have to pity their daughter. Upon finishing his packing and walking up to Yang's bedroom door, his thoughts took a darker path as he started to see how him going after Ruby made it look like he was running away from Yang, and in a way he was. He was disappointed in himself that he couldn't help her out here and now but he just didn't know how. The only way he could see himself helping her was to bring her sister home. She was admittedly better when her sister had been here. He turned with his back against the wall next to the door and slowly slid down it until he was sitting on the rough carpeted floors. He needed to tell her he was leaving and he needed to confess that Blake hadn't really said goodbye.
Taiyang wasn't stupid. He knew this conversation would hurt and could potentially break Yang more than she already was but he also knew that he needed to be honest with her. He had lied to Yang when she had woken up in hospital. He didn't tell her that indeed Blake had come to visit because at the time he couldn't figure out what would've been more painful: Lying and telling her that Blake had disappeared completely after the airship had landed or tell the truth, that Blake had come back for her, only to leave again upon presuming that she was dead? He had turned briefly upon entering Yang's hospital room to see Blake's midnight tresses disappear in the distance. What he couldn't understand was why she hadn't ran along with them to Yang? He knew that he might have ran into that room to see that his daughter had passed but he needed to see it to believe it… Blake? Blake had just ran without a second glance.
Deciding that it was best to get this over and done with, he stood and knocked on her door, hoping to whatever god's existed that she would take this well and that it would be quick. He still had to find Ruby.
Yang heard Taiyang knock on the door but remained looking out the window to her right. He was just probably bringing her food. "Come in" she said in a tired voice. She heard him enter before he spoke up.
"Hey Yang, do you mind if we talk?" He cautiously asked.
Yang exhaled, she really wasn't in the mood to talk. "Sure". She turned her torso to face him and was surprised to see him in his hunting gear with a backpack on his shoulders. Her surprise must have shown as he sighed, his body drooping lightly as he took tentative steps over to her bed before sitting down next to her feet.
"I need to talk to you about your sister... and Blake." Yang immediately tensed at the mention of her name, ready to begin yelling at her father before he quickly continued with his hands raised. "I know Yang, I know you don't want to talk about it, but you really need to hear me out." She could tell her eyes were caught between lilac and red as she looked at her father so she breathed evenly for a minute, trying her best to calm down in order to not start a fight.
After a moment she realised he wouldn't leave until she had listened to what he had to say. Turning to her right, she spotted and focused on a black bird sitting on a nearby tree through the window before she responded with a break in her voice "Okay."
At first he spoke about Ruby, about how he had gotten a message saying that she was alive in Haven. It was both a relief and a painful blow at the same time; her little sister was alive, but that didn't ease the heartache knowing that she had left without a proper goodbye. He then talked about how he was going to bring her back for her own protection. This surprised Yang. She didn't share as much of Taiyang's concern for Ruby's safety; she knew her little sister could take care of herself and that she had the remnants of team Juniper to help her if she needed it. However her opinion wouldn't let her stop Taiyang from searching for Ruby. If her father wanted Ruby home then so be it. Besides, she missed Ruby. Even if they barely interacted when she was here.
Unfortunately once he had said his piece about Ruby, he decided to change the topic. It was then that Yang found out that talking about Ruby was painful, but it was nothing compared to what she felt about what he had to say about Blake.
She had sat quietly and patiently through his talk about Ruby, giving a few basic responses when required but now as he wanted to speak about a more delicate subject, she wasn't sure if she had enough control not to let her emotions flow through her volatile semblance. "Now, about Blake" he began cautiously. "I know that you two mean a lot to each other..." It was only a basic sentence but it was enough for Yang.
"Stop." Taiyang immediately froze, he had only just begun but he knew that he had struck a wrong chord.
"I don't know what you think you know about me and her dad, but you're wrong. She means nothing to me" She had turned back to face her father, her eyes now a deep, blood red.
"No, Yang. You're wrong." Her father had stood and was staring at her with enough fury to match Yang's. "I'm sorry Yang, but you're wrong." He spoke with force. "I lied to you when you were in the hospital Yang." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Blake was – Blake was there, I met her. She had come to see you."