Finally, it's being posted!

Thank you to everyone who did everything. Aer, Jenerilissima, Morrighan especially! Without my beta's there wouldn't be a fic!
For anyone wondering, or a bit behind, this is a stand-alone piece. If you want to read the final moments, feel free to check out the first part, but it's not required by any means.
Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure that since I've offed the title character, it's pretty obvious that I don't own RWBY.

Sunny days seem to hurt the most,

I wear the pain like a heavy coat,

I feel you everywhere I go,

I see your smile, I see your face,

I hear you laughing in the rain,

I still can't believe you're gone.

Who You'd Be Today- Kenny Chesney

"Jaune, this is a bad idea." Ren's voice filtered through his scroll.

"I liked Ruby, Ren. We couldn't be there for her… at the end. The least I can do is check on her sister." Jaune sighed, annoyance coloring his voice.

"Everyone liked Ruby," Ren replied quietly, "but this is still a bad idea."

"Maybe." Jaune stared at the city slowly coming into detail over the water. "But I gotta go, I'll call you back later."

"Good luck, Jaune." Ren responded, "Nora and I will be in town later. Call us if you need us."

The ship chugged closer to Vale, and Jaune stared out across the water. He knew he was needed in Beacon. He had no doubt Yang was hurting, but right now he wanted nothing more than to take the next ship out.

Jumping into the water was an option too.

As he contemplated all the places he'd rather be going, a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"A couple years back I met a young Faunus who was traveling alone. I later saw someone who looked a bit like you, but with a tail, join her for the rest of the journey." Jaune turned to look at the source of the voice. An older man with a white beard, khakis and a polo shirt stood beside him looking out over the water. Jaune smiled at the old man's friendly demeanour.

"Captain."

The older man laughed, "I'm not a captain anymore, though I often find the call of the sea too powerful to ignore," he nodded to the ship, "hence my impromptu vacation." Waving his hand, the old man dismissed his own topic. "No matter. I didn't stop by to bore you with tales of my less than thrilling life. I came to say the same thing I said to the girl I saw."

Jaune raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh?"

"Those who travel alone often have the most interesting stories."

The huntsman grinned awkwardly. "No interesting stories here, I'm afraid, Mr…?"

"Marvel. Phillip Marvel. Most people call me Phil." He paused for a moment, then muttered, "Though lately I've started to go by 'Doc' too."

"Jaune."

"So, Jaune. No interesting stories, huh?" Phil settled next to the young man and joined him in looking out over the sea.

"Afraid not," Jaune chuckled lightly. "I'm stopping by to see a friend, then I'll probably be on my way again." He glanced at the old man, who was still staring out over the water.

"You're not going to stay with them?"

Jaune shook his head, "I'll stay for a bit. But I have other people to see as well."

Phil looked at him. "If you don't mind, what has led to this visitation?"

The young man glanced at him before staring out at the slowly approaching harbor. "I got a call from an old friend a few weeks ago." He looked at Phil. "I'm here to help a different friend. She lost her younger sister a little bit ago and… I just got word that she hasn't been taking it well."

Phil looked at him for a moment before visibly reaching a decision. "How are you planning to help your friend?"

"However I can," Jaune answered immediately. "It might be as easy as a conversation or a fight, or she might need a little push. I just... want to help however I can." The older man shot him an inscrutable look as the blond added, "Dust, I hope it's not a fight. She'll wipe the floor with me if that happens."

Phil looked at him again for a couple moments before looking back out over the harbor they were entering. "I've spoken to many people over many years, and I like to think I can tell a liar from a genuine person pretty well. You, however, make me wonder if my bullshit detector has finally broken."

The young man laughed. "I swear everything I've told you is true."

Phil chuckled as well. "Well, I have no reason not to believe you, so okay." The two men fell into a companionable silence, watching the sailors and dockworkers scurry about as they docked. It wasn't until the first passengers began to disembark that Phil turned and faced Jaune fully. "I have one last question for you, young man: did you know this person who died?"

Jaune was fully prepared to give his stock answer of 'kind of but not really,' but the words caught in his throat. Phil nodded.

"Who's going to be there for you?"

Jaune sighed in defeat. "Ruby was the best of us. Fun, vivacious, optimistic. She made everyone around her believe in themselves and in her." He glanced out over the docks, at the throng of people leaving the ship. "After the fall of Beacon she kept in contact with everyone she could, even me, the kid who couldn't even figure out what his semblance was." He began to walk slowly off the ship, scooping up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder as he went. "She kept me going, encouraged me, and I'm trying to live up to what I think she would do if she…" Jaune tried not to think too hard about why he didn't want to finish that sentence.

"Ruby Rose?" Phil looked surprised. "I heard team RWBY had scattered."

Jaune shrugged, "It makes sense. I don't think there was a single person in school who hadn't pseudo-adopted her as their little sister. We all felt her passing, and some of us took it harder than others. For her team, it must have been a thousand times worse." The two men had reached the gangplank, and Jaune stopped. "This is where I leave you, Doc." The older man rolled his eyes at the nickname before putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I think she'd be proud of you."

"I hope so, but we'll never really know, will we?" Jaune shrugged off the hand on his shoulder.

With that he walked down the gangplank and onto the dock. As he made his way down the dock, he took a deep breath in. The smells of fish, rubble, and a hint of fire were such drastic changes from when he had been a student here. Then, the smells had been exhaust, fish, and bread. "A calmer time has led to a harsher reality," he thought. Vale was still recovering from the devastating Grimm attack. As he approached the street, it was apparent how much had changed.

The last time he had been here, many of the buildings close to the docks had been demolished, and what few had remained standing showed clear signs of Grimm habitation. The pavement had been torn up in places, while further in, rubble had littered the alleyways.

Now the destroyed buildings were slowly being cleared up and the Grimm presence had been eliminated. Further down the road Jaune could see a crew of construction workers beginning to repair parts of the street.

A new world was beginning. "At the loss of so many." Jaune nodded with a half smile as he shoved the bitterness out of his thoughts. It wasn't good to focus on what had been lost, not if he wanted to help others. Pulling out his scroll, he began to search for Yang's contact when something caught his eye. A group of teens were making their way down one of the ruined alleys. "Well, this looks interesting."

Following the group, Jaune realized quickly that they were hardly likely to be drug dealers; they were far too loud.

"I heard she used to be a huntress…"

"She single-handedly killed Salem…"

"Nah, I think that was some other girl; this one lead a charge on Atlas herself."

"I'm pretty sure that she's Atlesian, but I think she was with Atlas."

Curious, Jaune narrowed his eyes in annoyance as they moved out of earshot. They could be talking about anyone, he supposed, but his gut said that they were leading him to someone in particular. Despite their apparent innocence, those who frequented dark alleys and destroyed buildings rarely had an agenda for good.

As they turned a corner, their voices were muffled a bit, and Jaune picked his pace up, slightly concerned that he might lose them. He needn't have worried, though, because as he turned the corner he was met with one of the biggest men he'd ever seen.

"Um, hey!" Jaune gave a little wave. "Can I get in, please?"

The huge man grunted, "Lien."

"About that," Jaune scratched the back of his head, "Lien's a bit tight at the moment, so how about something else like, say, an IOU?"

The big man folded his arms. "No Lien, no entry."

Jaune sighed. "How much?"

The man eyed him. "For you, no less than 120."

He stared at the bruiser disbelievingly. "How about no? Let's try 20."

"No. 80."

The Huntsman sighed as he eyed the massive bouncer wearily. "Um… can we... negotiate?"

"Well, that's 40 Lien gone." Jaune worked his way through the crowd that was inside of a partially collapsed building. Looking around the area, he could see several walls that had been shored up with scaffolding. The building looked like it should be condemned at this point, but the underground was still running the… "What are they running?" Jaune wondered.

The music blaring suggested that he may have stumbled on a hidden club, but there was no obvious reason to explain why it was out of the way like this. Grabbing a drink from the bar, he made his way to a table littered with half-empty glasses and discarded articles of clothing. He wasn't really sure why this was in the middle of nowhere, since he didn't see anything particularly illegal going on. No drugs were being passed around, and he didn't see any Dust either.

Jaune was moving through the dancers, still looking for something wrong, when the music quieted for a moment.

"For any interested parties, tonight's entertainment will be starting shortly through the west door. Bets are to be placed before entering the seating area, but can be changed until the match begins."

About a third of the partygoers started to head to a set of double doors that Jaune had thought to be an emergency exit. Making a split-second decision, he decided to join the group that was leaving. He wasn't seeing anything wrong in the club, and he was kind of curious about what else seemed to be drawing such a crowd to a place he thought was already kind of cool. Heading through the doors, he declined the betting offers (which were surprisingly good on someone called "The Killer") and made his way into… a boxing arena.

Ah, unsanctioned street fighting. That's why this was so out of the way.

Settling himself into a hard plastic chair, he began to look around the room at the different posters scattered on the walls. Each poster had signatures scrawled underneath the visage of the fighters depicted, each fighter squaring off against their opponent. Below each poster, a small plaque held the name of the victor from each championship. Billy the Kid, Rocky Balboa, Tow-Mater. That last was the reigning champ for several years until the most recent victor.

The Red Dragon.

"And I thought it would be hard to find you, Yang." Jaune chucked. As he shook his head incredulously at his luck, he saw the first challenger arriving. The fighter looked to be nearly seven and a half feet tall; his legs were the size of tree trunks and his biceps the size of watermelons.

Jaune leaned back as the title defender arrived, her golden hair pinned back in a tight bun that he was fairly sure defied the laws of physics considering how much hair the girl had. The Huntsman groaned as the announcer began to introduce the combatants.

"She's gonna kill him."

Jaune admitted that he could have thought this through better.

In retrospect, it should have been obvious that the security wouldn't let him, a guy, into a women's changing room. He really should have planned it better, all things considered. Claiming he was an old friend was such a tired cliche that he actually winced when he'd said it, an action that had probably undermined his argument. He had been politely, but forcefully, told to depart before they had someone come do it for him.

Hence why he was currently waiting-

"Get. Away. From. My. Bike."

Maybe this wasn't the best place either.

"Hey Yang."

The yellow-haired girl pointed to her bike, then at him. "Move it, Jaune." As Jaune stepped away from the cycle, Yang walked up to him. "So what are you doing here? Come to question my life choices?" She crossed her arms.

"Well, I-"

"Perhaps, like my father, you think I need to talk. Well, I don't. I'm fine, really."

"I mea-"

"Or maybe…" Yang took a deep shuddering breath, "Did she send you?"

Jaune didn't know who she was (though he had a couple guesses), but the way Yang avoided saying the name suggested that he really didn't want her to think that he had been sent by this 'she.' He crossed his arms and waited to see if Yang was going to say anything else. When she held his gaze for a moment without saying anything, he finally spoke.

"No."

"What?" Yang blinked, caught off guard.

Jaune sighed. "No, I'm not here to disparage you or force you to talk, and I wasn't 'sent' by anyone. Honestly, I always thought you'd end up in the professional rings. I'm more surprised by the fact you're underground."

Yang snorted. "It pays the bills, and it's not mainstream, but that doesn't mean that it isn't sanctioned."

He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "The guy at the front raked me for 40 Lien! " Yang laughed a bit at that. "And if this is sanctioned, then why is it in the middle of a destroyed building?"

The boxer shrugged as she began to pack her stuff onto her bike. "Aesthetic? All I know is that my agent isn't likely to set me up with an illegal fight; I'm 'worth too much' even though I'm not mainstream."

The huntsman leaned on her bike for a moment, but a glare from the long haired blonde had him moving away again quite quickly. "Yeah, you mentioned that earlier. Why aren't you more mainstream? What you did to that guy tonight was brutal, but it remained within the rules, as best I could tell."

Yang sighed, "The fight with Mercury back in Beacon several years ago still taints my reputation, I guess. I've been in the circuit for a while now, and I've been getting better fights, but it'll be some time before I can go mainstream without people threatening me outside the ring or refusing to fight because they think I'll hit them when they're down." She paused for a moment, clearly reminded of a better time, before continuing to pack. "You got a place to stay yet?"

"Um…" Truth be told, Jaune hadn't thought that far ahead. Yes, he knew he was going to come see her, but shelter hadn't been a consideration yet. "I guess I'll swing by and see if Glynda has a place I can crash at Beacon Academy." He shrugged, "Otherwise, I can find a place to sleep. I think that Velvet and Coco still live around here; they'd probably put me up for a couple of days."

Yang jammed her helmet on her head. "Tell you what, Casanova, if you don't want to stay with old lady Glynda or sell your soul for a bed, look me up. You changed your scroll contact recently?" Jaune shook his head. "Good, I'll send you my address. If you want to crash on my couch, show up sometime before I get in my bath. Otherwise you'll be waiting until the ice melts."

Jaune shook his head. "Ice?"

Backing her bike out of its parking spot, the blonde girl gave him a look through her visor. "In this job you learn to do something to soothe the bruises." With that, she shifted gears and began to leave.

As she drove away, Jaune realized she could give him a ride, but before he could even call out, she was gone.

Ozpin Tower, Apt. 7929, top floor Ruby Rd.

Jaune looked at the large building he was standing in front of. Shiny and new, Ozpin Tower looked almost like a giant nine tiered wedding cake; the single penthouse at the very top of the tower was barely visible. Since it was located toward the center of town, the Ozpin Tower itself was hard to miss. Land in the center of town was at a premium, so the skyscraper offered a mix of office space and apartments. Standing outside, he scanned the directory. Okay...80 floors, and only one name at the top. Three initials, Y. X. L.

"Either you're messing with me, Yang, or your job does a lot more than just 'pay the bills,'" Jaune muttered as he buzzed the top floor.

"Yeah?" A distinctly female voice crackled over the intercom.

"Um, it's Jaune. This is Yang, right?"

"Yes. I'll let you in. Code to the top floor is 1031. See you in a bit." The door buzzed, and Jaune pulled it open. Crossing the lobby, he tried not to stare at the decor. It was clear that whatever 'bills' Yang was suffering, they were easily met. The sheer opulence of the building was staggering. If it wasn't gold, then it was platinum, or silver, or gemstone. Jaune felt very out of place in his hunter attire.

Pressing the elevator button, the blond was actually glad he wasn't here during the daytime. He felt like he stuck out enough. When the elevator finally dinged, he immediately entered, ignoring the opulence now reflected in triplicate in the mirrors on the walls of the elevator car.

As he typed the code to get into Yang's apartment, something began to wiggle at the back of his mind, but he couldn't narrow down what it was. A minute or so later the elevator dinged again and he found himself looking into a massive penthouse living room.

"Um, Yang?"

"Yeah?" A voice called from another room.

Slightly reassured, Jaune entered the living room as the elevator dinged closed behind him. "You know, I didn't know that being a minor circuit fighter paid good enough to get this kind of place." He started looking around. Unlike the lobby which had felt cold and showy, this place had the feeling of a home; he supposed that made sense, since that's what it was.

"It doesn't." Yang entered wearing cargo pants and an orange tank top, sans her prosthetic arm. "You save the world, it comes with some perks. All I do is share with three-" she suddenly looked away as she cut herself off. "Two," she amended quietly, "I share it with two other girls." Yang shook her head, looking around the penthouse. "They aren't ever here though, so I pretty much have the run of the place." Jaune nodded, not sure what to say as Yang gave him a tour. "So this is the living room, the balcony is there, but I don't have the keys to it any more." Jaune looked at her sharply, but Yang ignored it. "Kitchen is that way, there's an entertainment room over here, bedrooms are upstairs… There's four of those. Technically Blake owns one, as does Weiss, so… unless you want to call them… I guess you can have the o-"

"I'll take the couch." Jaune interrupted, sensing that Yang really didn't want to give up the fourth room. The long-haired blonde shot him a grateful look. "I kind of dropped this on you last minute; the least I can do is make it easy on you."

Yang looked away, obviously trying to clear her thoughts. "Yeah… thanks." Giving herself a bit of a shake, she continued the tour. "... And the bathroom is down the hall."

Jaune gaped. "That's a bathroom?"

She laughed, "Yeah, that was my response too."

"Anything this big should have its own zip code," Jaune said as he looked around the room.

Smiling at the joke, Yang agreed. "Yeah, it's mostly for the bathtub."

"That's not a bathtub, it's more like a pool!"

Yang nodded still grinning. "No kidding, but it does bubble bath pretty well, and it fits three young women pretty easily." Her smile dimmed a bit but she pushed on. "Anyway, I have a bath to use in my bedroom where I ice after fights, so put a tie on the door or something if you're in here and I'll shower in my bathroom."

As the tour came to an end, Yang had a question for him. "Not to put you out, but how long are you staying?"

"Not sure." Jaune perched on the couch, "I'd like to say not long at all, but it really depends."

"On what?" Yang flopped down onto an armchair.

"A few things." Jaune said vaguely. The huntress waited for him to elaborate, and when it became clear he wasn't going to, she sighed.

"Look, Jaune, I know talking to your crush's friend's sister is awkward-"

"Not as awkward as that relationship connection." Jaune thought. "Yang, you're a good friend," Jaune interrupted, but RWBY relationships aren't the issue here."

"Then why are you in town?" Yang countered.

Jaune sighed. "If I say I'm here to check on you, will you throw me out of the window?"

"Probably," Yang responded, her tone joking but her body language one hundred percent serious. "I'm not some damsel in distress that needs someone to' rescue' her." Her tone was one that suggested that this was a well-worn argument.

"I know that." Jaune pointed out calmly, "Nor did I say you were. You are, however, human and you just lost your best friend and sister recently. I stopped by because I felt like you could use a friend."

Yang stood up."I don't want to talk about it."

"I got that quite clearly." Jaune sighed. "If you do, howev-"

"I'm going to bed." Yang announced over him. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like, but if 'fixing' me is your only reason for being in Beacon, I might recommend you just leave tomorrow." With that, she walked up the stairs and Jaune heard her door close.

The next week was a bit strained. Contrary to what he said the first night, Jaune actually did have another reason to be in town. Namely, attempting to help rebuild Beacon Academy. The current academy was a bunch of buildings scattered around the city, but there was another under construction. Jaune had nothing to do all day but had no interest in following Yang to her training sessions like a lost puppy. Instead, he often found himself running errands for Glynda and Oscar, the latter of whom had finally merged personalities with Ozpin. Jaune didn't really understand that, but he figured that in the grand scheme of things this was something no one understood except maybe Ozpin, and now Oscar. Not to mention, while he was far from stupid, he knew he could fill a library with all the things Jaune Arc didn't understand.

So he felt far from upset about his ignorance.

Between helping Oz and Glynda rebuild, he had been spending the evenings with a hotheaded blonde who had become as cold as ice in his presence.

"I mean, really!" Jaune found himself venting to a bemused Nora one afternoon, "She's acting like… I don't know!"

"Like you seduced her, had an amazing one night stand, and both want to have another because the sex was great, but you both feel like it was a mistake that never should have happened, and now there's an unbearable sense of suppressed sexual tension between you just waiting to burst forth?" Nora took another sip from her milkshake. (Jaune still wasn't sure how the girl had ordered a milkshake of all things at a bar. Actually, scratch that. She hadn't ordered it; it had been brought out to her without question or delay as soon as they'd sat down.) As he gaped at her, she shifted slightly. "Or it could also be that after Ruby's… death… she is refusing to fall back into depression like she did when she lost her arm." The redhead motioned for a refill (which was brought out immediately, as if it had already been prepared) before she winked at Jaune. "I like my first thought though, much more fun."

"Maybe Nora wasn't the best person to talk to about this.. ." Jaune thought as the petite redhead wiped her lips clean of leftover milkshake. Then it hit him.

"Nora, you're a genius!"

"I doubt that. Geniuses have to think; I prefer to hit things." Nora hopped down from the barstool, tossing the barman some Lien as she did so. "Come on, let's go find Ren while you explain why you think I'm a genius."

"It's like you said. I was invited into her home and I made things awkward because I pushed too hard. To make matters worse, there's everything about where she lives."

"Mmmmhmmm," Nora agreed, "Ozpin Tower was built as the culmination of a massive commemorative project on Ruby Road."

As the two arrived at the office, Nora stopped outside. "Jaune, I know you haven't asked for my advice, but I'm giving it to you anyway. Go find Blake. She's the only one who can get through to Yang now that Ruby is… gone. If nothing else, wait until Yang is ready to talk to you. Let her call you."

Jaune nodded, "Hey Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"I'm a genius right? Gotta work hard to keep that title."

Jaune returned that night to an empty penthouse, but as he packed, there was a sudden clap of thunder which triggered the heavens to begin emptying themselves of their aqueous contents. As the rain began falling in sheets, Jaune decided to put off his departure at least until the end of the storm.

As the squall began to get worse, Jaune began to get worried. He grabbed his scroll.

"Hey Yang, you alright?"

"I'm fine," the message came back almost immediately. "The weather caught me flat footed so it took me a bit to get back. I'm on my way up."

True to the message, Yang arrived a moment later, still wearing her helmet.

"I'm going to change," she said shortly, "I'll be back in a bit."

Jaune heard her footsteps slowly climb the stairs, and a few moments later there was silence except for the rain.

KA-BOOM!

Oh, and the thunder, couldn't forget that. As he turned to go find something to eat, there was a flash of lightning that lit up the entire room, bright enough to knock out the lights on the street, followed by an eardrum shattering BOOM! A moment later the power went down too.

Hearing a muffled "Really!?" from upstairs, Jaune grinned until he hit his toe on the foot of the couch.

"Dust!" cursed Jaune, maneuvering by scroll light. While the Grimm rarely presented a threat after Salem's defeat, it was quite possible that stragglers were still out. Finding Crocea Mors, he used it as a cane to help feel for any more toe attacking objects as he made his way to the window to watch for any invading Grimm.

Eventually he made it back across the room to the window, which was now streaked with rain. He saw that the door was code locked and alarmed; the alarm itself was an old style physical locking mechanism.

"Weird," he muttered, looking closely at the alarm, "It's connected… to… to the glass?"

"Examining my prison bars?"

Jaune jumped. "I didn't hear you come downstairs."

Yang shrugged, joining him at the window. "Yeah well, I can't see as well upstairs, and being alone in the dark is even more depressing than being just stuck in the dark. So I figured I'd keep you company. Why aren't you using your scroll to see?"

"Wanted to keep my night vision in case something showed up." Yang acknowledged his statement with a nod. "Honestly," Jaune stared out over the skyline, looking for any sign of inhuman movement, "I'm surprised the power went down. With the way everything looks downstairs I figured there would be a dozen different backup generators for the building."

Looking out as well, Yang raised a shoulder in a half shrug. "There are. They can support everything except a direct strike on the tower. Which is the tallest non-airborne building in the city at the moment. 'Soon,'" she made finger quotes as she said the word, "we can expect an upgrade. Honestly, management is just putting it off until Beacon Academy is back in the sky attracting the vast majority of the static electricity; apparently that was part of how they powered the school."

A particularly bright flash of lightning illuminated the room, and Jaune started in shock at his companion's previously hidden complexion. "Dust, Yang! What happened?" Her face was splotchy with bruises, blood was still leaking from multiple cuts, and some was even mottled in her hair.

"I'm fine, Jaune." Yang said dismissively, brushing off his concern, "I've had much worse. It heals."

"But Yang-"

Yang looked at him, her eyes glinting red as another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. "Leave it."

Jaune nodded, not sure what else to say. The only person who could talk to Yang when she was like this wasn't here, and he'd seen her break down walls with others who tried. Literally. Qrow's aura had nearly shattered, and his favorite flask had been badly dented. Looking back at the alarm system, something clicked.

"Your prison…"

"Yep." Yang popped the p in the word.

"When will it be enough?"

"I don't know."

Jaune turned to the long haired blonde. "Yang, you didn't kill her-"

"She took the hit!" Yang yelled, angry tears beginning to leak from her eyes. "I was- it was supposed to be me. She just jumped and- and-" Tears began to drip down her face. Not sure what to say, Jaune just waited.

"I watched my baby sister eviscerated before my eyes as she took the shot for me. I fought covered in her blood. Do you know why they didn't find Salem's body?" She leaned in. "The bitch couldn't die, not the normal way, so I tore her apart. Piece. By. Piece." Her red eyes reflected the lightning with a maniacal glint as the thunder rolled. "But even as I destroyed her, she regenerated. So I prayed to the gods, demanded vengeance for my sister, a life for a life. I reached in, grabbed her heart… and she melted like a fucking Grimm." Jaune took a step back, grip tightening on his blade. "But the gods left Ruby dead." Yang breathed deeply for a moment before looking out the window, two crimson dots reflected on it. "They said that there was too much of Salem in me. I didn't know then how right they were."

She took a last, deep shuddering breath before placing her hands behind her back. "When I returned, I realized they were right though. I was dangerous, I was unstable, I was… like her. So I cut the world off, and I pay my dues every weekend. I use whatever I can to… soothe the bruises."

Jaune stared at her for a moment, "So all the reminders? The apartment number being telephone letters for RWBY, the code being Ruby's birthday, the name of the street you live on?"

"All things to remind me of who I won't become."

"You've imprisoned yourself in your own torture chamber."

"Yes." Yang hissed as she cocked her head. "Like Salem, I am hidden from the world, trapped in my own body." She nodded to the alarms on the windows, and pointed to what he had thought were just frosted artistic renditions in the glass panes. He leaned in and studied them closely.

"They're… cables?" Jaune looked confusedly at Yang who nodded sadly.

"The same type that killed Penny the first time, actually. Another reminder. If I break through the glass they pull taut and electrical current runs through at a high enough voltage to knock even me out. The battery life is ten years, and I make sure they are replaced weekly. Standard Atlas prison tech, I'm told. I take no chances."

Jaune stayed quiet, not sure what to say as he watched the rain run down the windows. He didn't expect it when Yang spoke again.

"I hate her some days, you know? Ruby was all sorts of amazing, but she could be so impulsive. I don't think I'd be able to jump in front of a blast like that for anyone except maybe her, and Blake I suppose, but she would have done it if it had been Cinder about to be struck down for no good reason. I hate her for dying and leaving me behind to clean up the mess, but I hate myself more for being so weak that she had to die for me."

"I see," Jaune finally spoke, "So you've cut yourself off, left the woman who followed you to the depths of hell itself, and take corporal punishment every week and mental torture daily, as penitence for what, losing your temper?"

"Not really." Yang traced a water droplet with her finger on the glass as it flowed down the window, her voice seemed almost whimsical. "I met Raven and accused her of being a monster and a coward. She seemed to be more upset that I saw her as a coward and ignored the claim of being a monster. After all that I've done, it has become obvious that I truly am my mother's daughter."

"You're not a monster, Yang."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "The same blood flows through my veins. If I look at myself, and I see my mother, then how can I be anything else?" As he tried to explain, she held up her hand. "I had my chance to prove that I was different; to prove that I was better. But when it came down to it? I was just as ruthless, as monstrous as she is. A beast like myself should be caged, and what a glorious cage to be caught in, wouldn't you say, Jaune? Food, water, shelter, and even the occasional walk around town or 'outing' somewhere fun. I keep myself here because it's safer for everyone if I just stay locked away."

"Yang, that's not-"

"Save it," the brawler snapped. "I know it's true because I know myself, and if you were going to be dumb enough to say it's not what Ruby wanted, then you are a bigger fool than I took you for, Jaune."

"Is it what she would have wanted though?"

The red eyes that caught his own promised death and pain, and Jaune wondered if he had finally pushed too far, but then she responded in a low voice. "Thanks to my weakness we'll never know. I'm done with this conversation now. I'll see you tomorrow. Seeing as it's too damn dark to do anything, and you have put me off talking, I'm going to bed. Good night."

Taiyang,

I'm sure by now you've heard about Yang and all that happened between us. I've decided that there isn't much more I can do for her right now, but I'm going to finish what I've started when I feel she's ready to listen. I'm worried about her, though, and suggest that you spend some time with her. I wouldn't recommend staying with her; she still wants (and needs) her space, but she could still use someone nearby in case she finally decides to come out of her shell.

Rumor has it that the Grimm attacks have stopped in the west, though no one seems to know why. Rumors abound of a huntress destroying the creatures as they spawn, and while I'm skeptical as to the accuracy of the stories, I do not doubt that Weiss could very well be the cause of this sudden population decline. Her family is worried about her, as she has not yet returned home. I believe that I will join her and try to help her too. If Yang comes looking for me, point her in that direction.

I am genuinely concerned about Yang. She has taken Ruby's death as a personal failure. While I understand her feelings, I have no doubt that had it been me covered in Yang's blood, I would… act out as well. Despite me telling her this, Yang seems to want to put all of the blame on herself. I am aware that Yang has kept you in the dark regarding how close we came to losing her, but you must know: Ruby chose which of your daughters died that night. I should have known Ruby would do that too, and that is why I take no solace in telling you that I am the reason Ruby died. I should have known she would try to take the hit, it was exactly the kind of person she was, and I should have intercepted her. Instead, as I stood in shock waiting for Yang to die, Ruby stepped in front.

I'm sorry I failed, Tai. Rather than protect your daughters, my presence did nothing, and my inaction only caused them harm. I'm so, so sorry, and I know my words are cold comfort to a father's aching heart. Please understand I will do everything I can to atone for this failure.

I trained for years to be a huntress. It's time I started doing my job.

Blake

Title Credit: The Muse gets this one, though if she doesn't get her rear in gear with some of my other WIP's, or the successor to this piece, that might be all she's getting.
Chapter Title Credit: Aer. Special thanks to my beta for coming through last minute.
Hope you enjoyed.
Next chapter to be posted on or before March 1st.
R&R