Chapter 3: Kindred

Yang stared at Raven, unblinking, not even breathing. She'd gone even paler. Blake wondered if she might faint, and took her hand again to give her some silent support. Yang finally took a deep breath. "Mom?" She sounded like she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Yang," Raven said. "I brought you here."

Qrow elbowed her.

"What?" Raven glared at him.

"Either you tell her the details or I will," Qrow muttered.

"Fine," Raven snapped. She turned back to Yang, who looked a little bemused by the Branwen sibling antics. Raven hesitated. "Where do I even begin?"

Yang took a few more deep breaths, some colour returning to her face. "Maybe start by telling me how you found me. I was in a dead zone. No CCT, so you couldn't have been tracking me using my scroll."

"My Semblance, Kindred Link. As the name implies, it links me to my kindred, those I have bonds with. You're one of them. I felt you were in danger through the bond, a function of the ties that bind us. I can feel it when death threatens to sever the link. You wanted to know how I found you. It's simple, an evolution of my Semblance developed many years ago, when Qrow nearly got himself killed."

Qrow spluttered. "How was I supposed to know she was married? Or that her huntsman husband would overreact when he caught us? I invited him to join in!"

Raven ignored Qrow. "That same power brought me to your aid, Yang. This power." She drew her sword and opened a portal in the same smooth motion. "I can create portals to those I'm bonded to." She walked through, briefly disappearing, before she stepped back through. She sheathed her sword and the portal closed.

Yang stared at where the portal had been, then back at Raven. "You saved me?"

"Yes. I found someone standing over you with a drawn bow. I made sure he missed, and never nocked another arrow. But don't expect that kindness again. I save those I'm linked to once only."

To call that kindness… Blake had to bite back the urge to lash out at Raven. Yang could speak for herself, and the last thing she needed was anyone interrupting.

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Kindness? I only needed saving because he wanted revenge on you. And you don't even care, do you?"

Raven scowled. "Don't put words in my mouth, girl. I care, why else would I have a bond with you? And for your information, when death breaks one of my bonds, it hurts."

Yang scowled right back. "Not enough for you to want to save me again if I ever needed it."

Raven was silent for a few moments, still scowling. "The strong survive. I can survive the severing of my Kindred Links. You're my daughter, you should be strong enough to save yourself."

Yang's hand closed around Blake's. "Somehow I doubt Summer would ever say that to anyone. Least of all to her own daughter."

Raven huffed. "I'm not Summer."

"No, you're not." Yang's words were bitter. "Those portals you mentioned. You don't need to feel someone in danger to use them, do you?"

Raven laughed. "No. What use would that be? My Semblance reflects me. It isn't pathetic. Unlike some people." She gave her brother a nasty look.

Yang's eyes burned red. It made her look more like Raven now that Blake had seen her. It also meant that they could turn red without her Semblance being responsible, but then Blake had already known that if she'd thought about it. She'd seen them turn red when Yang was angry, without her hair glowing or burning.

"You could have come back at any time. Even just to visit." Yang's words came between clenched teeth. Anger faded to betrayal, red back to lilac. "You're definitely nothing like Summer. She meant to come back." She left unsaid the clear implication that Raven hadn't. "My would-be murderer said you're a bandit leader. Is that true? Is that why you left us?"

Raven looked away from Yang. "I had my reasons. And yes, my duty to the tribe as their chief. Life is different outside the kingdoms. The strong survive."

"Because they prey on the weak? That's fucked up."

"Language," Tai muttered, seemingly automatically. "Sorry Yang, didn't mean to interrupt. Go on, ignore me."

Raven spared Tai a glance and brought her eyes back to Yang's. "That's the cold and cruel reality. I won't sugarcoat it for you. We do what we must to survive."

"Oh yeah? So you 'must' raid villages and leave survivors to flee Grimm if they can." Yang shook her head. "There has to be another way."

Raven fingered the hilt of her sword. "It's the tribe's traditional way of life."

"Tradition?!" Yang shouted. Weiss flinched, but didn't say anything. Yang took a deep breath and lowered her voice. Maybe she'd caught Weiss's reaction. "That doesn't make it right. Your tradition almost got me killed! He was only after me because of you and your tradition."

"You might be able to persuade me to change that tradition, if you joined me. Finish at Beacon, then come find me." Raven stretched a hand out towards Yang. "The tribe could use another huntress."

It was almost like a spectator sport, watching Yang and Raven talk. Everyone else certainly looked between them as if they were tossing a ball back and forth. Blake had to wonder if a raw dust crystal would have been a more apt metaphor than a ball. Yang was certainly liable to explode at any time, and who could blame her?

"Might, huh? That doesn't really make me want to join a murderer like you."

Raven retracted her hand as if it had been burnt. "Is it murder to kill to survive? I do it to keep myself and my tribe alive. We don't kill indiscriminately. We wouldn't survive long if there was no one left alive to raid from." She tutted, shaking her head. "You condemn me as a murderer when my most recent kill was to save your ungrateful life."

"I'm sorry," Yang spat, "Am I supposed to be thankful when he only wanted me dead because—"

Raven interrupted Yang. "Because he thought I'd killed his daughter. I know. I heard enough of his recorded ranting to know that."

Yang blinked. "He… thought? Meaning you didn't kill her?"

"Vernal joined the tribe."

Yang squeezed Blake's hand tighter, almost enough to hurt, her body tensing. "Great, so he almost killed me over nothing! She should have told him. Is that what you taught her? How to be a coward?"

Raven pulled the first inch of her sword from the scabbard. "Don't insult my second in command. You know nothing about her, and you should know that she kept you alive until we could get you here. You owe her your life."

Yang's eyes flickered red. "I only needed keeping alive because her father tried to avenge her when she didn't need to be! I owe her nothing." Her eyes narrowed, glaring at Raven. "I owe you nothing either. You're no mother of mine, my real mom wouldn't call it a one time favour to save me from danger of her own making."

Raven's breath hissed through her teeth, her face unreadable. Had Yang's outburst hurt her?

"Yang, calm down." Tai kept his voice soothing. It had the opposite effect on Yang.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Yang's eyes burned a brighter red than Raven's in her flare of anger.

"She's definitely my daughter with that attitude." Raven almost sounded proud. "Haven't you learned what not to say around Branwen women yet, Tai?"

Yang snarled incoherently. Blake was sure Yang's hair would've been shedding crackling embers if her Semblance had any charge to it.

"Raven, not helping," Tai snapped. He turned back to Yang. "Don't say anything you might regret."

Yang's snarl became words. "I'm not going to regret it! She left us. The only one who should have regrets is her."

Raven sighed. "For what it's worth, Yang, I do."

"You should," Ruby muttered, words uncharacteristically vicious for her. But this was her sister who'd been hurt. Both sisters went a little feral whenever that happened to the other. Make that a lot feral if Yang's Semblance became involved.

Raven turned away. She drew her sword and slashed it through the air, a distinctive tearing heralding one of her portals opening.

"Raven, wait—" Tai reached out, stopping short of touching his ex when she held her sword between them.

"I thought you moved on long ago, Tai. If you haven't, you should. There's nothing left to say between us. Goodbye, Yang."

Blake winced. That was cold. Yang got a goodbye, but not Tai? Not that it was much of a goodbye.

"You're leaving? That's what you're best at, isn't it? Go, then. I don't need you." A deep pain was under Yang's words. Blake didn't know if Raven could hear it, maybe it took knowing Yang well. She squeezed Yang's hand, using a bit of Aura so Yang could squeeze back as hard as she needed to.

"I'm sorry," Raven whispered, her back still to Yang. "We could have a fresh start even now, if you change your mind. Find me."

"Why don't you? Be a huntress, not a bandit. Slay Grimm, don't draw them to people." Yang's voice was angry, but there was a note of pleading to it.

"I don't. They do it to themselves, fear makes them weak. You've got a lot to learn about how the world works. I could teach you." Raven didn't face Yang, at most showing her profile over her shoulder.

"Summer Rose taught me how it should work. Like I said, I don't need you, Raven." Yang's words said one thing. The wounded look in her eyes said another.

"Don't become a hero. They die, that's another of Summer's lessons. Heed it."

Yang flinched at Raven's harsh words. Ruby choked. Tai and Qrow gasped. The huntsmen stared at Raven, wide eyed, mouths working as if trying and failing to find words. Blake glanced at the sisters and found them equally speechless. The subject of Summer's death was understandably difficult for all of them.

Raven continued, still not looking at Yang. "Summer died because she fought for a better world. I survive because I fight for myself. Being a survivor is what matters."

Weiss caught Blake's eye with an unhappy look that must have matched her own. Blake suspected Weiss wanted to say something to Raven, much as Blake did, but didn't feel it was her place.

Raven walked through her portal. It closed after her.

Yang screwed her eyes shut, breathing through clenched teeth until she finally found her voice. "Ruby? There's got to be a cafe or vending machine somewhere, get me something to drink. Please."

"There's a jug of water here—" Tai oh so helpfully pointed out. Couldn't he tell Yang was trying to get Ruby out of there without resorting to telling her to go away?

"Anything but water. Tea, coffee, juice, soda, I don't care. Just not water." The strain in Yang's voice had already been obvious and was growing with every word.

Tai coughed. "I'm not sure your doctor will—"

"Tai, Ruby, let's get drinks for everyone. You can both help me carry them, and I'll pay." Weiss swept off, dragging Ruby and Tai with her. Blake wasn't sure how Weiss had managed to get Ruby to let go of Yang's hand. A glyph?

"But Yang—" The door swung shut behind them, cutting Ruby off. Muffled footsteps faded away.

"Let it out, Kiddo," Qrow said, his voice softer than Blake had thought possible. He turned away, looking at the painting of a desert scene on the wall. "Who knew a Schnee could be like that?" he muttered, probably to himself and not allowing for faunus hearing.

Yang's face crumpled. The tears she'd been holding back, obviously unwilling to let Ruby see, spilled out.

Blake wrapped an arm around her, holding Yang's face against her shoulder, letting tears soak her yukata. She absently stroked Yang's hair until she remembered that besides Yang herself, only Ruby was allowed to touch it. She moved her hand and muttered an apology.

"Why'd you stop?" Yang's voice was thick, and muffled against Blake's shoulder.

"Touching your hair without permission gets people punched."

"You have it. Please. I liked it, the stroking." Yang sniffled.

It took Blake a moment to get over her shock before she could bring her hand back and resume the soothing strokes. After a few minutes, Yang's breathing evened out and her muscles relaxed as she went limp against Blake, dropping off.

The door flew open, Ruby bursting in. She skidded to a halt and dropped the bottles she carried at the sight of Blake stroking Yang's hair. "Blake! Quick, stop while you still have hands!"

Yang jerked. The racket must have woken her up. "What? Why's Blake losing hands?" She asked thickly, still half asleep. "I like Blake's hands."

"No reason! She's not, everything's just fine, don't think about what's in your hair, don't think at all, go back to sleep, it's, um, my hands in your hair! Nothing to punish anyone over," Ruby babbled, picking up the bottles. "Oh dear, these might need opening carefully. Fizzy drinks don't like being dropped. Not that I dropped them or picked them up, because my hands are in your hair."

Yang sighed, shaking her head against Blake's shoulder. "Ruby, you're across the room. I know whose hands are in my hair."

Ruby squeaked. "Blake, run! I'll hold her off!"

It was just as well that Blake didn't need to flee, because she'd have had to resort to her Semblance to get around Tai and Weiss blocking the door as they caught up with Ruby.

Yang lifted her head up. "Ruby—"

Ruby threw a bottle at her. Blake deftly caught it before it could hit Yang. It was just a pity she had to stop stroking Yang's hair to do it. Blake opened the bottle carefully, wary for explosive fizzing, and offered it to Yang. She shook her head, wrinkling her nose at the label. Blake shrugged and drank it herself.

"Ruby, it's fine." Yang said, eyeing the bottles in Ruby's hands warily. "Everyone in this room is allowed to touch my hair."

Weiss dropped a bottle in her surprise at Yang's words. She cursed when it landed on her toes, her slipper no protection. Her Aura couldn't have been prepared to shield her.

"Wow. I didn't know you Schnees knew how to swear," Qrow said. "Count me impressed. I'd tell your sister but she wouldn't believe me, and she'd want to run me through for being anywhere near you."

Weiss glared at him as if she was imagining running him through herself. She picked up the bottle from the floor, hobbled over to a table and put her purchases down.

Qrow wandered over to Yang, hand outstretched.

Yang caught his wrist before he could touch her hair, despite her including him in the permission. "You're on thin ice. Don't muss my hair." She shot a glare at her father. "That goes for you too."

Tai gestured at himself, eyes wide, as if protesting his innocence.

"Yeah, you can't touch hair without ruffling it!" Ruby pointed at both men at the same time, and promptly flailed to hold on to the bottles without her index fingers involved.

Qrow grinned. "Guilty as charged." He rotated his wrist, freeing himself from Yang's grip, but clasped her arm in the process. "I'd better be going. Take care, Firecracker. Ignore my sister, Branwen tribe life isn't for you, even if you could somehow reform them into mercenaries."

"The only way I'd consider it is if the huntress thing doesn't work out."

Ruby finally set the bottles down safely. "Team RWBY better still be a thing if that happens. Then we can help knock some morals into these bandits."

Weiss didn't argue. Far from it. "Absolutely. Although did you mean morals or manners? They could do with both."

Ruby shrugged. "Both is good."

"I'd certainly be up for knocking some of both into Raven," Blake murmured to Yang. "Although only if that's what you'd want."

"Don't tempt me," Yang muttered. "She'd deserve it, but at the same time I don't want to hit her."

Qrow ruffled Ruby's hair. "Stay out of trouble, Pipsqueak. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Tai groaned. "There's a lot you'd do that I wouldn't want Ruby to do. Don't encourage her."

"Hey, I told her to stay out of trouble. Get back to your gardening, tough guy." Qrow poked Tai's chest.

"Oh no, my flowerbeds!" Tai frantically went for his scroll.

"Do you have to go, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby combed her hair back into place with her fingers.

"Sorry, Kiddo. Duty calls. I'm already running late for some super secret stuff." Qrow gave the room at large a lazy salute and turned to leave.

Ruby lunged to catch his arm. "Take a drink first! Although I'm not responsible if it explodes."

"Oh, it will, even if I go for one that wasn't dropped. It's just how things are with me." Qrow took a bottle and headed out the door.

Ruby watched him leave, her shoulders slumped.

"Typical Uncle Qrow," Yang commented. "Never stays for long."

Tai put his scroll away. "My garden will survive! A neighbour agreed to water my plants."

Ruby gave Tai a troubled look. "Dad, you weren't joking when you said bad luck follows Qrow around, were you. He said something about it just now, and earlier, and he was serious."

"It's not really my place to tell you, but after what he said and Raven's jab at him…" Tai shrugged. "Not my fault you want answers. Qrow's Semblance is passive, out of his control, and brings bad luck. It's handy for him when fighting enemies alone as it works against them more than against him, not so good when around people he cares about. But it's probably true enough that he's busy with work."

Ruby frowned. "That's why he never sticks around? He thinks his Semblance might hurt us?"

Tai nodded. "I know it sounds paranoid, but bad things have happened when he spends too long in one place. Qrow visiting for a few days has been enough for Yang to have to repair her bike when there was nothing wrong with it before. I could give lots of other examples, but Yang can confirm that one."

Ruby looked at Yang, eyebrows raised.

"Seriously? I was beginning to wonder if he was sabotaging Bumblebee. And that had me thinking I was the paranoid one. I'd rather believe it's out of his control than deliberate," Yang said.

"Poor Uncle Qrow. Semblances aren't supposed to hurt you or your loved ones!" Ruby grabbed a couple of bottles and claimed the chair next to Yang's bed.

Yang sighed. "Oh, Ruby. Maybe that's not the way it should be, but some people just aren't kind to themselves. That can get reflected in their Semblances."

Blake frowned. Was Yang talking about herself? Burn worked by absorbing hits, amplifying their energy and releasing it. But Yang still felt the damage. Blake didn't know whether Yang's Semblance consumed the pain as well once it activated, or if she just had to deal with it. Blake suspected she wouldn't get a straight answer if she asked. Yang had a tendency to deflect things when it was something she didn't want to talk about.

Ruby carefully opened a bottle, holding it at arm's length. When the contents didn't foam up uncontrollably, she resealed it and passed it to Yang. "Here. Sunflower Pop. Your fave."

"Thanks, sis." Yang took her time drinking, sipping instead of chugging. The restraint must have been maddening for her, especially if she was thirsty. "How're you holding up?"

Ruby gave Yang a startled look. "Me? You're the one who got hurt and found out your—That Raven is—That she's…" She shrugged helplessly.

"The worst?" Yang prompted.

"Yang…" Tai groaned.

"What would you call it, Dad? Are you really still in love with her? What is there to love?" Yang demanded.

"Raven's… complicated. I know she didn't make the best impression. You're angry with her, and you have reason to be. But you don't know her. Maybe I don't know her any more, but the Raven I knew, the Raven I loved…" Tai sighed. "I see a lot of her in you, and I'm not talking about the physical resemblance."

Yang flinched.

"That's not a bad thing," Tai hastened to reassure her. "True, her stubbornness isn't the best trait to share, and you have that in spades, but you have her strength, her drive, her loyalty."

"Loyalty?" Yang scoffed. "She left us. She left team STRQ. How's that loyal?"

"She chose her loyalty to her tribe. That still counts, much as I hate to admit it." Tai set his bottles down and picked one, opening it. "I'll shut up and drink this. You've had more than enough stress already today without me adding to it." He eyed the equipment behind the bed, a regular flashing probably linked with Yang's heart rate. Maybe he'd realised there was a risk a nurse would show up to shoo them all away for agitating the patient.

"I'm sorry about Raven," Ruby murmured, leaning close to Yang as if she was trying to keep their father from overhearing. "You deserve a better mom, not that Raven deserves to be called one."

"I had one." Yang pulled Ruby in for a hug. It was strange not seeing Ruby try to wriggle out of Yang's grip, but then this wasn't one of her usual bear hugs. "I just wish you'd had her as long as I did."

"I wish we'd both had her longer. I wish…" Ruby sighed. She buried her face against Yang. "I wish Raven hadn't mentioned her. She had no right. I don't care that they were partners at Beacon. She's the one who walked away. Or portaled away or whatever she did." The words were muffled, and distorted a bit as if by tears.

"Raven and Summer were partners?" Yang's voice was tight.

"That's what Dad said. I don't understand how someone can leave people they care for." Ruby's voice trembled. She sounded wounded.

"Summer… Mom meant to come back." Yang bent her head, hiding her face in Ruby's hair.

"I know. I just—We needed her. Why didn't being our mom matter more than being a huntress?" Ruby stifled something that might have been a wail if it hadn't died in her throat.

Yang could only shake her head against Ruby's.

Weiss stepped closer and put a supportive hand on each sister, on Ruby's back and Yang's shoulder. Blake did the same from the other side. The closest thing they could manage to a team hug while Yang was injured and restricted to the hospital bed.

Tai turned away. From what Blake could see, he was swiping at his eyes.

Knock. Knock.

The door opened and a nurse stepped inside. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but visiting time is over for today."

Team RWBY disentangled, Weiss and Blake stepping back while Ruby reluctantly drew away from Yang.

Ruby wiped hurriedly at her cheeks. "But—"

"Your… sister… needs to rest." The nurse looked between Yang and Ruby, raising an eyebrow. "You do want her to recover, don't you?"

Oh the irony. Tai had managed to leave the nurse sceptical that any of the girls were sisters, even the two that actually were.

Ruby pattered over to where she'd left the bottles and started picking them up. Weiss and Tai joined her. Soft drinks probably counted as contraband in the hospital, so it was best not to leave them.

Blake hesitated. She didn't want to leave Yang on her own, especially not when she was clearly still upset. But she could at least give her the means to stay in touch with Ruby and Weiss. Even if Blake really wanted that for herself too. No, more than that: she wanted to have Yang all to herself. Selfish. She wasn't the only one who almost lost Yang. And poor Ruby was upset about things with Raven and her mother too, on top of her sister being in hospital after a murder attempt.

Blake got out her scroll and held it out to Yang. "Here. You wanted a scroll."

Yang blinked. "But that's yours. Won't you need it?"

Blake shook her head. It would be inconvenient for a while. But she should be able to get another for temporary use. And she could get her Beacon scroll back from Yang when she needed to use the dorm key function, as by then Goodwitch should have returned Yang's.

"The sacrifices I make for my partner." Blake laid a hand over her own heart. "Honour them."

"Oh, I will. Thanks, Blake." Yang took the scroll and smiled. It was tired and smaller than her usual sunny beaming, but it was still a genuine smile, and all for Blake. She felt her heart skip a beat.

The nurse must have reached the end of her patience and herded them out of the room, allowing for very brief goodbyes. The door closed in their faces, leaving them in the corridor.

"That was kind of you, giving Yang your scroll. And foolish." Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You do realise she's going to change your contact name to something ridiculous?"

"She wouldn't." Blake felt a sinking sensation. Because Yang would. In a twisted sense she'd see it as honouring Blake's sacrifice.

Ruby checked her scroll. "She already has, see?"

Blake gathered her courage and looked. Her bow twitched hard, cat ears trying to pin. "YANG XIAO LONG!"

She heard Yang's laughter through the closed door. Right before her eyes on Ruby's scroll, hopefully before anyone else noticed, 'Bellabooty' was changed to 'Temporarily Yang.'

"Tell your sister that if she messes around with my scroll again I'll—" Kill her? Feed her to the Grimm? Previously normal disproportionate threats hit differently now.

"You'll what, Belladonna?" Yang called, muffled by the door.

"Tie you up with Gambol Shroud's ribbon," Blake growled. Yang didn't need to know she couldn't follow through until they got back to Beacon.

"Don't threaten me with a good time!"

Blake blushed. Hard. For Yang to be able to hear them through the closed door meant that everyone else could hear her too, even without faunus trait amplified hearing.

Sure enough, Weiss sighed. Equally hard. "Really? Right in front of us? I'm not subjecting myself to this." She turned to Ruby and Tai. "Let's find a hotel. Blake, are you coming, or are you staying to flirt with Yang through the door?"

Blake blushed even harder. The only comfort was hearing dead silence coming from Yang's room. Hopefully it meant she was similarly embarrassed. She'd better be.

Blake followed Weiss and the others. They got lost trying to find the way out. In their defence the signs weren't in the common language used in Vale, and weren't in Atlesian either. Tai reckoned they might be in Vacuan, but couldn't read it himself. If they were in Vacuo it might explain the landscape painted in Yang's room. They eventually came across a harried doctor who gave them directions.

They finally emerged into dry parching heat, as could be expected in a desert kingdom. They were surrounded by strange stone buildings. Tai told them they were definitely in Vacuo, and the architecture was designed to let heat out during the day and keep it in at night. He'd come here a few times on Grimm hunting missions, but not often enough to bother learning the language when everyone spoke the common tongue too. He led the way to the hotel he always used and could vouch for, as far as anyone could do that in lax Vacuo.

At least no one seemed to care in said lax Vacuo that three of them were at least partially clad in nightwear, although Weiss muttered something about getting proper clothing as soon as possible. It was true enough that they'd need them, separated as they were from their belongings in Beacon, no thanks to Raven.

It was a relief to get inside the air conditioned hotel. They each drank one of their bottles, Tai advising them to take small sips. It was difficult to resist the urge to gulp it down, and Ruby barely managed to take normal mouthfuls, sips being beyond her patience.

"Gah! I have sand all over my feet." Ruby scrubbed her bare feet on the hotel doormat.

Weiss sniffed. "You should have put on slippers."

Ruby gave her a sheepish grin. "I know, I just didn't think about it until I was through Raven's portal. Nothing quite like cold hospital floor to remind me. And the ground out there would've burned my feet if not for Aura."

Weiss sighed and walked over to the hotel's reception desk. She paid for their stay. She almost got individual rooms for all of them, but gave Ruby a considering, worried look. Weiss caught Blake's eye and gestured between the three of them. Blake nodded. She'd rather share a room with them if possible. Although not with Tai. Which Weiss understood. She managed to wrangle a single room for him, and a family room for her team.

They went to their rooms, Tai hugging Ruby before they parted. The family room was spacious, with two double beds and a single. Ruby promptly abused her Semblance to claim one of the doubles.

Weiss gave a disgusted sigh. "I paid for this room, Ruby Rose! I should get first choice of bed."

Ruby stuck out her tongue. She bounced on the bed before starfishing, arms and legs stretched out.

Blake shrugged. "I'll take the single bed, I don't mind." She didn't mention that the bunk at Beacon had been a luxury after years of camping with the White Fang. Weiss preferred not to hear about that aspect of Blake's past.

"Thank you, Blake." Weiss smiled at her and glared at Ruby, before perching on the remaining double bed.

While Weiss browsed local tailors on her scroll, Ruby performed her duty as team leader and sent Goodwitch a message, informing her Yang was in hospital, where they were, and approximately how long they'd be absent from Beacon for.

Within five minutes, Ruby's scroll rang with an incoming call, Goodwitch's contact photo on the screen. Ruby hesitated, maybe remembering her angry words to Goodwitch. She pressed the scroll, accepting the call.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Professor Goodwitch, RWB of team RWBY are present. We're at the hotel, visiting hours at the hospital are over for the day, so if you wanted to speak to Yang it'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Or you could reach her on my scroll, I gave it to her for temporary use," Blake said.

"That explains the 'Temporarily Yang' I saw when selecting Miss Rose's contact to call her. I'll send her a message, no need to disturb her with a call when she should be resting," Goodwitch said. "Now on to the purpose of my call: your message said you are in Vacuo. Was that an autocorrected mistake?"

"Nope, I have genuine Vacuo sand between my toes, Professor." Ruby wriggled said toes.

Weiss grumbled something under her breath about throwing Ruby into the shower as soon as the call was over.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "I have so many questions," Goodwitch finally muttered. "Vacuo is several hours from Beacon by airship. How did you get there so fast, and how did you know Miss Xiao Long was there? Not to mention how she got from the dead zone forest to a Vacuan hospital."

"It's a long story. I know it's hard to believe, Professor. It involves a unique Semblance with a teleportation power. Are you familiar with Raven Branwen?" Ruby asked.

"Qrow's sister?" Goodwitch asked. "And Miss Xiao Long's mother… Now it starts to make sense. I'll inform the headmaster, and let your other professors know how long you'll be absent. You can expect to be buried up to your ears in schoolwork once you get back, but there will be no detention in these circumstances."

Ruby's nervous gulp was all too audible for Blake. Not that she was any happier at the thought of that much schoolwork to catch up with. Nor was Weiss, who leaned closer to Ruby's scroll.

"Professor, is there any chance we could be sent some schoolwork over our scrolls to do while we're away?" Weiss asked.

"That's for your other professors to decide. I will forward your request to them, though. For my part, I'll send the essay assignment for the week. It's a summary of your experience in Aura use in combat over the last year at Beacon, together with how you aim to improve it," Goodwitch said. "Be thorough."

"Thank you, Professor," Weiss said, elbowing Ruby and poking Blake. They reluctantly echoed her. Much as Blake didn't like the thought of a mountain of schoolwork to tackle, she also didn't like the thought of doing any without Beacon's library at her disposal.

"Let me know when you'll arrive back in Beacon. Until then, team RWBY." Goodwitch ended the call.

Ruby groaned, rolling up her scroll. "Weiss! Now we're going to have to do schoolwork when we could've been exploring Vacuo!"

"We can do both, and this way we'll have less to catch up with once we get back. Now off to the shower with you and your sandy feet." Weiss pulled Ruby onto her feet and pushed her towards the en suite bathroom.

"Hey, I'm your leader, don't order me around!" Ruby threw her arms out to keep herself from passing the bathroom door.

"I take your lead when it comes to training and combat, without complaint, at least after I decided to give you a chance. But if I leave you to your own devices, you'll get sand in your bed, and you'll moan about it later. It's already on the blanket, you'd better shake it off. And you'd better not get sand in my bed too. So go wash it off, now!" Weiss shoved at Ruby's back.

"But—"

"You'll end up getting sand in my bed too, Ruby. Go shower. Please," Blake said.

Ruby heaved something between a sigh and a groan, and allowed Weiss to propel her into the bathroom. "The things I do for my team…"

"Yang would probably tell you to do the same thing, so you might as well consider it a favour for your team," Weiss said.

"Tell me? She'd pick me up and drop me in the shower, pyjamas and all. And start the water before I could undress. It'd probably be cold water too, just to make me squeal." Ruby sounded wistful, as if she wished Yang was there to do it, despite the fact Ruby hated cold showers.

"For once I agree with Yang's methods. I miss her. Don't tell her I said that, she'll never let me forget it," Weiss said.

Ruby smirked at Weiss and closed the bathroom door. The lock clicked.

Weiss banged a fist against the door. "Ruby Rose, don't you dare—"

"Too late!" Ruby sang, voice a little muffled.

Blake laughed.

Weiss glared at the door, then at Blake. Her scroll vibrated, heralding messages. She unrolled it and Blake took the chance to sneak a peek through the back of the screen. Being able to read something mirrored came in handy. Sure enough, Ruby and Temporarily Yang were conversing in the team RWBY chat. Weiss hastily tried to deny everything, which only made Yang believe Ruby's story even more. Blake watched as Weiss typed out something that made the sisters grovel for forgiveness: a threat to get them clothes they wouldn't want to be seen dead in. Weiss went back to her search for clothes, a satisfied smile on her face.

Blake knocked on the bathroom door. "Ruby? Can I borrow your scroll while you're in there?"

The door unlocked and opened a crack. Ruby's hand appeared, offering her scroll. "No flirting with Yang. It'd feel so weird if you did it using my scroll."

Blake blushed. "I didn't mean to flirt with her earlier!"

"Yeah, yeah, it just happens with you two. So to avoid it… I dunno, pretend to be me?"

Blake took the scroll and Ruby closed the door. The sound of the shower started. Blake wandered over to a bed and perched on it, unrolling Ruby's scroll. She went to the messaging app and selected Yang's contact. That brought up the message history between the sisters. Blake resisted the temptation to search for her own name to see if they'd ever talked about her, and went back to the messaging app contact list. This time she selected her own picture. Yang had only relabelled Blake's contact as 'Temporarily Yang,' not replaced the photo. Blake supposed she should be thankful for small mercies.

Blake resisted the urge to find out how Yang felt about her while pretending to be Ruby. Partly because Ruby would see everything she typed unless she deleted it, and that would look suspicious to Yang, but mostly because it felt wrong to deceive Yang like that. Bad enough that Ruby wanted Blake to pretend to be her, that was more than enough deception.

'Hey sis,' Blake typed. She felt weird doing it, and even weirder to send the message when it appeared beside Ruby's name and picture.

Yang got back to her right away, three dots showing she was typing.

Temporarily Yang: Are you using your scroll in the shower? Don't drop it, they're water resistant, not waterproof. Trust your big sis on this.

Ruby Rose: Dad mentioned how many scrolls you destroyed.

Blake barely remembered to call Tai 'Dad,' reminding herself that she was Ruby in this conversation.

Temporarily Yang: Damn it Dad. Please tell me not in front of Blake and Weiss.

Ruby Rose: You know it. You'll never live it down. Deal with it.

Blake smiled. Tormenting Yang in the guise of Ruby was actually quite fun.

Temporarily Yang: Yay. Thanks a lot Dad. Remember how I took the fall for you breaking a scroll once?

Blake bit her lip. Referring to things she didn't actually know about was risky.

Ruby Rose: Big sis sacrifice appreciated.

Right after sending the message she froze. Ruby might say the first three words, but would she say the last? Blake wasn't sure.

Temporarily Yang: Weiss was typing to me at the same time as you, so your infection with punctuation isn't down to her. Anything you'd like to confess, Blake?

Damn it! She'd been so focused on which words to use that she'd forgotten Ruby didn't bother with punctuation, at least not in messages. Blake didn't try to lie. She changed Ruby's contact name to the truth.

Blake For Now: I can explain, I asked to borrow Ruby's scroll while she showered. She insisted I pretend to be her if I messaged you.

Temporarily Yang: Why?

Blake winced. She couldn't tell from that single word if Yang was upset. Maybe an honest answer would help.

Blake For Now: Because she didn't want any flirting happening on her scroll.

Temporarily Yang: Flirt? Us? Never.

Blake snorted.

Blake For Now: You flirt with everyone you're not related to.

Temporarily Yang: Excuse me? When have I ever flirted except to set someone up for a fall? I've done that before. Punched a creep in the kisser right when he thought he was getting lucky. And I mean creep, he knew I was underage, it was just before starting at Beacon.

Blake winced, hoping Yang wasn't as offended as it seemed she might be. It was hard to tell over text alone. What a pity she'd missed seeing Yang use weaponised flirting, it might have reassured her that Yang didn't take it seriously with anyone else, if it apparently didn't even register with her that she was flirting. Presuming she meant it with Blake. She did, didn't she?

Blake For Now: Sorry. But you did flirt with me earlier, even if it was to set me up, hence Ruby's request.

Temporarily Yang: Oh, that. Heh, I guess that counts as setting you up for embarrassment even if it backfired terribly on me because dad and my little sis heard it. How about we just message like we normally would, and delete anything Ruby wouldn't want to see before you give her scroll back?

Blake For Now: Sounds good to me.

Blake bit her lip. She couldn't resist. She had to ask.

Blake For Now: So is the hospital gown backless?

Temporarily Yang: Gimme a minute.

Blake waited. Presumably Yang was checking. Blake only wished she could see—

Oh.

My.

Fuck.

Yang had sent a selfie taken using a mirror, clearly in the hospital room's en suite. Her hair covered most of her back, but the glimpse before the sink obscured it revealed the answer to Blake's question. Why yes, it was backless. It also answered another question Blake hadn't dared ask: Yang wasn't wearing anything else.

Blake blushed. She felt it spreading, up to her ears and down below the neck. She wanted to keep that photo. But it'd have to be deleted from the message thread before Ruby saw it, and Yang would be unlikely to leave a photo like that on Blake's scroll. The thought of asking Yang to let Blake have it made her blush all the harder.

"Stop flirting with Yang," Weiss said.

Blake looked up sharply. "I'm not!"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You only blush like that when Yang's responsible."

Blake grasped the perfect opportunity to make Weiss squirm. She held up the scroll so Weiss could see the photo. "I wasn't flirting, but you're right that Yang was making me blush. Oh look, she's doing the same thing to you."

Weiss tore her eyes away and glared down at her own scroll. "I'll order her outfit in pale green. Serve her right, she thinks it doesn't suit her."

Blake attempted to stifle an embarrassingly dreamy sigh. "Little does she know just about anything would suit her."

"There are colours that would clash with her eyes or hair, or make her skin look washed out," Weiss said. "Not that she can look anything but washed out at the moment. She lost far too much blood last night."

Ruby's scroll vibrated. Blake looked down to see a new message from Yang.

Temporarily Yang: Sorry, was that too much?

The last thing Blake wanted to do was discourage Yang from sharing photos.

Blake For Now: Too much for Weiss, she saw it.

Temporarily Yang: Whoops, poor Ice Queen! I'll have to tell her it was meant for your eyes only, and make sure to apologise profusely. I'm at her mercy when it comes to what I wear when going back to Beacon. Unless I can get Dad to buy me something, and he's so awkward with things like that.

Blake sighed. So much for some harmless fun at Weiss's expense. It was harmless, right? There had been less of Yang exposed than Weiss had seen in the dorm plenty of times.

"Oh, that's the shower stopping. You'd better deal with anything you don't want Ruby to see on her scroll." Weiss was right. Ruby would emerge soon enough, and would want her scroll back.

Blake reluctantly typed what she had to.

Blake For Now: Incoming Ruby, time to delete things.

Blake set about deleting messages on her end, and Yang joined in. She sadly watched the glimpse of Yang's backside disappear. She changed Ruby's contact name back to what it should be.

"You should tell her," Weiss murmured.

"What?" Blake glanced over and found Weiss eyeing her. "Tell…?"

"Yang. About how you feel," Weiss said softly. "It's obvious to everyone but her, and even she knows something is up despite not realising what it is."


AN: Thanks for reading, comments appreciated.

Is Yang canonically a flirt? As far as I can tell she genuinely flirts a bit with Blake, but other than that? It seems if you're not Blake you're going to get punched if Yang flirts with you. She only flirted with Junior in the Yellow trailer to set him up for a punch. And she winked at a White Fang goon right before punching him through a hatch. Unless I'm missing something, 'Yang flirts with everyone' is a fanon thing. Fanfic is whatever someone wants to write, so if you like flirty Yang then have fun with her. I want to try to keep the characters close to canon, it's part of the challenge of writing fanfic for me.

This fic was supposed to be three chapters long. Team RWBY decided what was supposed to be the last chapter needed to be longer thanks to their antics, so I split it. I'm almost certain that there's just one chapter left, provided team RWBY doesn't conspire against me again.