RWBY: Rose Reborn
Chapter 3: Let Sleeping Dragon's lie…or else!
"Let me back in! I know you can hear me!" Yang roared as she furiously pounded the base of the giant tree in a vain attempt to get her sister back. She was weak from battle, in both body and spirit as she was out of Aura; her strikes weren't even leaving any dents. It didn't matter to her that the human hand she still had left was getting red from the constant punching, her face was even redder as it flushed from the rage her weakness was causing. Tears stung her eyes as she grinded her teeth, growing ever more frustrated by her lack of success to save her little sister.
"P-Please." Was all she said before she ceased punching the tree and laid her open hands on it, pressing her sobbing face to its base as she got on her knees, having finally lost the strength to fight.
"I need my sister back. I…I can't lose her too." Yang cried softly, the images of Summer Rose, Pyrrah and Penny flashing through her mind. No matter how many years passed the pain of losing them still stung her heart but this, the mere thought of Ruby dying and never seeing her again shattered the huntress. This wacky, piece of shit Alice in Wonderland world was driving her crazy enough as it was, now her own sister just up and changes into someone else!?
"Why Ruby? Why did you leave me?" Yang asked, but the second she did her head ached horribly as the words she yelled at Yang echoed through her head.
"Why do I have to be the leader? Why do I always have to pick everyone else up, WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Ruby had yelled yesterday. The words made Yang sick to her stomach as she finally began pondering them.
Ruby had yelled at them for neglecting her pain and then expecting her to help out with Jaune's problems like hers were no big deal. Yang had time to calm down since then and realize that but it didn't make the hurt go away. At first, she was unnerved and then angry when Ruby blew up at her and mocked her relationship with Blake during her tantrum so she disregarded that reason. Then Ruby had the nerve to tell her girlfriend to shut up and ran off. All that did was frustrate the brawler; her own sister said such horrible things to her. Why did she have to strike such a low blow? Why didn't she just tell her she was upset all this time? But then she remembered Weiss's point of view.
"Maybe Ruby didn't feel like she could talk to us. She's always been the one to get us through the hard times. Did we really support her though?" Weiss had said. Yang scoffed when thinking about the question.
"I was there for you when you cried Ruby. I gave you a hug and I told you-" Yang began to grumble as she remembered the pep talk she gave Ruby in Atlas. It was truly a painful moment for them both, but more so for Ruby she knew. She had realize after killing that hound Grimm that Summer Rose was likely mutated into a Grimm by that Witch Salem. Yang was in pain learning this, but Ruby had little time in her past with their mother, she didn't remember much about her so clung to the image Yang and Dad had fed her all these years. She was a perfect huntress and hero. That's what Yang told her back in Atlas to cheer her up and soon her eyes widened as she realized something.
"We say we can count on her, that we believe in her and I know we meant well but….did all we really do was just dump everything on her?" Weiss had asked.
"It's not like we were asking her to be perfect." Yang has said earlier. Yang was now cursing herself as she groaned and pressed her back to the tree.
"You dense idiot! Of course you were. All I ever did was tell her mom was amazing, what all huntresses should be." Yang groaned, guilt swelling up inside as she now realized all the pressure her sister was truly under because of her and everyone. But as she put her head in her hands and cried a bit, she recoiled a bit as her face touched her metal arm. Her eyes glued to the robot arm as it trembled.
"Of course one hug and pep talk wasn't going to alleviate everything. It didn't help me when Ruby did it." Yang sadly declared.
After Beacon fell with Penny and Pyrrah, Yang lost her arm to that Adam bastard. After all the Xiao Long had lost she wasn't in the mood for hugs and love from even her baby sister. She pushed Ruby away to lock herself away in solitude to rot in her own misery. Then Ruby took off to try and avenge her, risking her life everyday without her around not that she had cared. She selfishly focused only on how she lost her arm and how bitter she was Blake ran away. When Yang thought back to the yelling that Ruby gave her and Blake, she realized that was just out of anger for Yang's own negligence.
Ruby had lost Pyrrah and Penny right before her eyes, helpless to save them. She wasn't there to save Yang's arm, she wasn't able to save Atlas or Penny again, she had failed them all. Even though Yang never blamed her for that at least, she didn't exactly ease her burdens…hell she never really considered it much aside from Ruby passing out.
"You dumbass." Yang scolded herself as she smacked her forehead.
Yang had now realized she had spent so much time her realizing her feelings for Blake, she had neglected the pain Ruby was going through. The poor girl lost almost everything and had to keep sacrificing to try and get them home fast. She gave up Penny's sword, her one memento of her fallen friend even just for her and the others yet Yang barely gave her the time of day nor did she thank her. She mostly just pummeled things and focused on Blake. Of course Ruby would feel unappreciated.
"Enlightenment?" Yang said softly as she remembered the Smith's words before she expelled her from the tree.
This must have been what that strange robot lady wanted her to realize. She needed to focus on her sister's needs more. With that revelation, Yang's felt her second wind blow strong as she stood up and roared.
"Hang on Rubes! Big sis is coming!" Yang yelled with a fury. She then eyed her surroundings, she was desperate for anything to help get her back to the top or find someway to get back to that void. It was the only chance she had to find her sisters spirit and bring her back to normal, not realizing she was still pushing reality aside. Suddenly, Yang caught a glimpse of something colorful floating above her; it was one of the great tree's leaves, which she desperately caught. Those things were her ticket back to the void at least. She remembered that herbalist guy smoking them to bring them to that familiar plane before. Yang tried to activate her semblance as she brought the leaf to her hair with the hopes of igniting it. Hope that was dashed as her semblance failed to activate; she was still too low on aura.
"Come on, come on! Ruby's counting on me!" Yang grunted, desperately trying to will a little aura back up to ignite the leaf. For that she needed to have strength and spirit; a drive sort of speak.
"You couldn't save me Yang...accept it." She remembered Ruby's spirit saying and shook her head.
"Never! I'll always be there for you starting right now!" Yang said defiantly, her hair throwing sparks as it slowly caught flames as her inner fire ignited at the declaration. With that the leaf finally burned a bit, giving off a small smoke line that Yang quickly sniffed to her displeasure, the smell was like rotten eggs and deodorant mixed. She soon ignored the odor as her body began glowing a rainbow color, causing her to smile, as she knew it was working.
"I'm coming Rubes, just hold on." Yang said firmly as the ground swallowed her up.
(Meanwhile at the Tree)
Jaune was entranced as he saw the glowing door before him. He knew it was what he was building towards the 20 years he waited for his friends. A chance he wanted for so long.
"We can go home." Jaune whispered as he slowly walked towards the door only to be frozen stiff as he received a hard slap to the face and a scream came from one of his friends.
"Jaune! We can't just leave without Yang!" Blake yelled offended. How could Jaune even consider such a notion?
Jaune shook his head as he was broken out of his trance by her yelling. Soon a wave of guilt overtook him.
"Your right I'm sorry! I just…I just got…" Jaune said defensively, struggling to find the right words as he saw Blake's glare.
"Got carried away?" Rose asked and Jaune nodded. He was yelling at himself on the inside for even thinking of going home right now, he couldn't be selfish like Alyx, despite wanting to see his team and family again. He had to make sure his right here was safe.
"Yay! I got it right!" Rose cheered playfully. Her demeanor that mirrored Ruby's brought a smile to Jaune and Weiss's face, but it made Blake fix on her a sharp bitter glare. She hated how Rose was like her, if she was going to become a new person she shouldn't dare try to emulate Ruby's behavior was the reasoning going through the angry and worried faunus's mind.
Weiss saw Blake huffing a bit, knowing she was under a lot of stress with Yang's disappearance and Ruby's ascension, hell they all were. She quickly walked up to her and put a comforting hand on her back rubbing it tenderly to ease her.
"We'll find her. Then we'll all go home." Weiss said confidently as she gave a nod to Rose who smiled at her.
"All of us?" Blake asked a bit worried, anxiety fueling her question.
Before Weiss could even open her mouth to reaffirm her promise, she noticed at the corner of her eye Rose activating her Axe Scythe with a bitter glare.
"Rose?" Was all Weiss could ask as she heard the girl yell furiously as she charged at what she soon realized was a shaken Neo struggling to stand up from afar.
"How did we forget about her?!" Weiss thought, chiding herself for forgetting such an obvious threat that took her friend's life from her. That's why she didn't object to the pummeling Rose gave Neo with each end of her scythe to her gut and shoulders, drastically weakening her aura.
With each strike, Rose felt the rage in her increase. She didn't remember much from her old life, but Rose knew about her. She was the cause of her and little's deaths after all. She tormented her just by existing as she vaguely recalled the taunts she and some red haired jerky guy gave her about the world being better off without her.
"Now this world's going to be better off without you!" Rose coldly said as she firmly pressed her trigger, charging up a red ball of energy at Neo's face held up by her scythe's blade. Her friend's were shocked by her demeanor, never seeing such bloodlust from Ruby before. But as they remembered what Neo did to her, Ruby's bloodied body laying limp when they found her before her suicide, they couldn't bring themselves to want to help Neo. She truly deserved it.
Neo, for her part, was at first shocked as she saw the ball of red death powering up to strike her, sensing her death approaching. She saw her life flash before her eyes, the death of her abusive parents, the betrayel of Cinder, and most importantly…..him.
"Guess we'll see each other soon huh Neo?" Roman's voice echoed in her head. She couldn't help but smile a bit. She knew it wasn't real, just a figment of her imagination brought on by her semblance. Still….it felt so relieving to hear him say that, to think about being with him for real wherever she was going.
Rose recoiled a bit in shock as she saw the frightened expression of Neo soon turn soft as she gave a yielding expression of a warm smile and closed her eyes, bracing herself for death at Roses hands. Rose's hands trembled though as she released her trigger finger and stopped the energy ball to everyone's surprise. Neo stopped seeing the red glow and opened her eyes in surprise to see Rose shaking before a pain shot at her face as the warrior struck her.
As Neo rolled on the floor in pain clutching her face, Rose stepped back as she began hyperventilating.
"No, no! This isn't justice! This isn't what heroes, what huntresses do they can't fight for vengeance!" Rose yelled, the stories her mother Summer telling her of such convictions played through her head over and over as she felt a surge of guilt take her over.
"Rose…do you know what she did too-" Jaune asked before a yell cut him off.
"I know! I see it every time I look at her but I…..it wasn't me. I'm not Ruby I don't have the right. I'm not the victim!" Rose nervously yelled, making the group look at her somberly. They hated being reminded of losing Ruby, but they found they hated seeing Rose lose her smile like she did just as much.
"We get it. It's not our place to choose her fate. Lets take her in like true hunters after we save Yang, it's what your mom would do I'm sure." Jaune said supportively brightening Roses mood a bit, her frown turning into a somber smile as she held out her arms.
They all soon ran up to her and embraced her in a warm hug, soon causing her to slow her breathing down as she welcomed their warmth with a strand of tears in one of her eyes.
Neo looked on at their group hug, feeling a small surge of envy arise within her.
"To have what they have huh?" A Roman clone quietly said to her as he appeared by her side to help her up. Neo couldn't help but nod in confirmation. It was true, she never truly wanted Red dead considering she just came back even stronger…Neo's aching jaw and shoulders a testament to that. No, she just jealously wanted what little Red had all this time…a family to love her.
No sooner did Neo ponder this revelation did she and everyone hear branches rustling nearby and looked to see something shocking.
"Yang!?" Blake cried out as she ran to a wooden cocoon of Yang, simply standing firm at attention with her eyes closed, her fists clenched along with her teeth.
"She….Ascended?!" Weiss yelled in panic. First Ruby now Yang!? Was she to lose 2 friends today? Weiss thought horrified.
"I guess she couldn't accept it after all." Jaune lamented. He knew it was asking too much of Yang to accept Ruby's death and reincarnation right away, but he didn't expect it to be this bad.
"H-Hey…it's okay. Whatever happens to her she'll come back better I just-" Rose tried to say to alleviate their worries, having experienced this power herself and knowing its benefits but Blake wasn't in the mood to hear it.
"SHUT UP!" Blake roared making Rose wince in fear, realizing she screwed up.
"Sorry I just…" Rose tried to apologize as Weiss hugged her shoulders to alleviate her.
"Shut. Up." Blake coldly yelled, mirroring Ruby's words as she eyed her "imposter" as she thought.
"Blake we said we'd accept whatever happens to Ruby when she went through this. You yourself said it wasn't anyone else's right." Jaune said firmly but paused as he saw Blake's tears. She knew he was right, she was being a hypocrite but too much had happened. She needed her girlfriend back.
"If you really want to save her, then go in after her before she changes." Neo Roman clone said to their shock.
"What was that?" Weiss asked as she glared at them offended, her hand reaching for her weapon ready to strike. Neo Roman waved his hands in the air defensively, knowing Neo had asked something poor and needed explaining.
"Look Neo knows this is all her fault. She feels bad for what she put you all through so she has an idea. If she and you all smoke those leaves we can go to where your friend went and convince her to come back as herself." Roman clone said nervously.
"I don't care if she's sorry! There's no way any more of us are risking-" Jaune tried to yell, offended by the mere notion, before noticing
Blake began tearing off a branch with a tree leaf on it and took out a fire dust crystal.
"What are you doing with that Blake?" Jaune asked nervously, but Blake gave a firm glare to silence him.
"I'm going in. Anyone else coming?" She asked around. Jaune looked shaken up, he remembered when he smelled those leaves a while ago when the cat pushed him into them during the fight, how Alyx taunted him about failing to save her or anyone while changing form to look like Pyrrah and Penny. Though he knew Neo's plan could work from this, as he chose to deny the images and come back the same, he was just too scared right now to see that again. His heart and stomach couldn't take it.
"No, I guess I'm just a cowardly vomit boy after all." Jaune said sadly as he eyed Rose somberly.
"Vomit boy? Does your tummy feel sick Jaune?" Rose innocently asked concerned for her "new" friend.
"No…something else feels horrible." Jaune said as he patted his chest and Weiss went up to him, patting his back gently as she eyed him somberly.
"I'll stay too for him. I'll also keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't try anything." Weiss sternly said as she glared at Neo who gave her a blank stare.
"I'll go with you then." Rose said enthusiastically to Blake who glared at her.
"Yang won't like seeing you." Blake bluntly said making Rose recoil a bit.
"B-But she…she ascended because of me, I got to help her it's what huntresses do right?" Rose asked, her question really set something off in Blake, a great rage rushed the blood to her head as she fumed, but her better nature kept her from blowing up. As much as Rose made Blake uncomfortable, she couldn't help but acknowledge what she said was the truth.
"F-Fine. But get back out here the moment she gets pissed off at you alright." Blake sternly groaned. Rose just nodded her head as the insult just went right over her head. Weiss shook her head disappointed as she saw this but didn't have the heart to voice her opinion, knowing it wouldn't help the situation.
"Blake…I know your hurting; upset over her choice. We all are, but it's not Rose's fault Ruby decided to change. As much as it hurts us, we need to accept Ruby's passed on. But she left us something wonderful to help ease the pain. I really hope you realize this soon and accept her unlike Yang, or else we're going to have 2 more friends we lose today. God my heart can't take that." Weiss sadly thought.
"Alright Rose. Let's do this, then we'll deal with her." Blake said as she gave a death glare to Neo who grit her teeth as Jaune had Juniper hold her down, knowing there was no way out as Roman faded slowly.
"Come on! We gave you the idea damn it!" He said Neo's thought as he faded completely.
Blake exhaled heavily as she ignited the dust and drew it near the leaf as she eyed Rose.
"Ready?" Blake asked.
"Anytime." Rose firmly said as the leaf caught flame and she and Blake sniffed the smoke, their body's enveloped by a tornado of leafs and had their bodies glow rainbow and encased in the tree's roots, forming new cocoons.
"I hope they come back soon." Weiss said sheepishly as Jaune tugged her shoulders.
"They will, I just know it." Jaune said firmly to strengthen himself for her sake.
"Good luck my friends." Jaune thought somberly.
(In the Void)
"RUBY!" Yang yelled out, only to be met with chilling silence that tugged her heartstrings.
"She's got to be here somewhere!" Yang said fearfully as she began running around the black void's mist, desperately looking for her sister's spirit again.
But as she kept running, it felt like her body was stuck in place like on a treadmill. She saw nothing but the same thing dark path before her endlessly.
"Ruby where are you!" Yang cried out.
"You won't find her here young one." The smith's voice echoed through the void, stopping Yang dead in her tracks as she gasped. She soon clenched her fists as her eyes flashed red with rage (and her semblance).
"Show yourself! Give me my sister back!" Yang cried out her demand.
Soon a rainbow cloud of mist appeared out in front of her, revealing the Smith folding their hands, but no Ruby to Yang's fury.
"I said…GIVE HER BACK!" Yang yelled as she charged towards the smith, whom she mistook as her sisters prisoner, only to pass right through the spirit to her shock. The smith merely shook their head disappointingly as they turned around.
"This time it is not about Ruby Rose child. It is about you. Or perhaps…..it's always been about you?" The Smith asked with a slight admonishing tone. Yang's eyes widen as she heard that.
"W-What are you talking about!? Ruby's all I ever think about!" Yang yelled feeling indignant. She paled as she heard a familiar voice she had sought out behind her.
"Why didn't you help me then?" A spirit of Ruby said somberly, silver eyes on the verge of tears. Yang's brighten up as she smiled joyfully seeing her and lunged.
"Ruby! Come on lets go ho-" Yang cried out before her face met Ruby's fist to her horror and pain.
"R-Ru…" Yang asked as she rubbed her hurt face.
"Ever since we got here you only focused on going home and Blake. You never even noticed I was in pain. Why should I go back with such a selfish jerk?" Ruby's bitterly asked with a venomous tone that rocked Yang and made her lose her balance, falling on her butt. Her lip quivered as she heard those horrible words and reached out weakly to her sisters image.
"Ruby please I…I'm sorry. I wish I could go back and-" Yang sorrowfully pleaded, as she reached out to Ruby's spirit before it vanished to her horror, replaced by a case holding Crescent Rose to her shock.
"We cannot change the decision's we made in the past child, only use them to learn and help make new ones." The Smith consoled Yang who couldn't take her eyes off her sister's weapon. It wasn't alluring to her, it just felt sickening to see it confined without Ruby, like some tombstone marker. Yet…she just couldn't stop staring, thinking about what it meant.
"Your saying I should…I should let her go? Or be like she was? Is that it?" Yang asked, her confusion and dread rising higher.
"Is that what I am asking you?" The smith cryptically asked.
Yang was angered by the cryptic answer; it made no sense to her. She shook her head.
"What am I doing?! I need to get her back and go home! She needs me, Dad needs her, I-"
"You need her more, don't you?" The smith asked. Yang's eyes widened in shock as she heard this before soon slowly turning her head to Crescent Rose.
"One doesn't always get what one wants but…If you truly can't let the past go, you can embrace it by becoming it." The smith said with a disappointed tone as Yang slowly stood up. Yang felt a pull to the weapon now; she wanted it, she wanted Ruby back even if she had to-
But as Yang reached for the weapon it suddenly shattered to her shock as she heard a cry.
"YANG!" Blake hollered as she slashed the case with Gambrol shroud and lunged for Yang, tackling her to the ground as she wrapped her arms tight around the brawler to her shock.
"Oh God I thought I lost you!" Blake whimpered as she cried into Yang's chest, snapping the Xiao Long out of her trance as she smiled, grateful to finally feel a familiar warmth as she patted Blake's back.
"Come on Yang, lets go home now, you worried everyone you know that?" Blake pleaded.
"Sorry I worried you. I didn't know what I was thinking I just….was trying to get her back." Yang said sheepishly and Blake nodded.
"I know, I want her back too but Weiss and Jaune want you back just as much now come on." Yang heard as Blake propped her up before her own legs felt weak and she tumbled. Soon a new pair of hands reached out and caught the Xiao Long before she fell. Though Yang was met with a warm smile, her own descended as she saw it came from Rose.
"We're here to rescue you! You alright friend Yang?" Rose asked with a sweet enthusiastic tone. But the second Yang heard "friend" it made something snap in her as she grit her teeth. Her demeanor unnerved Rose who raised an eyebrow confused and a bit scared by the glare.
"Friend?" She asked. But that word set Yang off as she slugged Rose to Blake's horror as the red head cried out in pain rubbing her jaw.
"I told you to knock off the crap Ruby! You're my sister damn it now act like it!" Yang roared.
"Y-Yang please let it go." Blake pleaded as she tugged at Yang's arm trying to get her to go home already and forget about Rose for a moment but Yang wasn't having it.
"NO! I'm not leaving here until she changes back to the old Ruby I know and love!" Yang snapped. Rose stood up slowly as she wobbled from the assault on her, eyeing Yang tearfully.
"I'm sorry." Was all she whispered, making Yang's eyes widen as she heard that sorrowful voice.
"I'm sorry I took her away. I can only imagine how kind Ruby Rose was. I can't be her though, I really only feel pain whenever I even remember her, and a lot of pressure here." Rose sadly said as she patted her chest, making Blake's cat ears go down in sadness, she knew this wasn't a good idea bringing her as she saw Yang's eyes flare red.
"I said-" Yang tried to yell but was cut off.
"But whenever I'm with any of you, I feel that pain melt away. Your warmth makes me happy Yang. No matter how I look don't you feel that warmth even a little?" The question made Yang pause as her eyes returned to normal. She really didn't, she was so hung up on Ruby the only warmth she felt at all was a burning anger. Did she ever try to be happy? She pondered this as she eyed Blake hugging her tightly. Yang soon focused on Rose as she approached her slowly, arms drawn out as she pleaded Yang who silently pondered if she should accept. Rose saw Yang needed convincing and decided to try a desperate plea, something she was honestly considering since Yang's first outburst at the tree. She knew to a degree what her past life meant to the girl and how her opinion mattered to the poor girl, so she herself felt a lure to Yang. She wanted to be around her and all Ruby's friends more, like family.
If I can't I be your friend, can't I be the little sister you need? The one you can love while I still be me?" Rose asked hopefully. But Yang bit her lip as she cried hearing this, stopping Rose in her tracks. It was tempting honestly, but all Yang could see in that moment as she heard that was Ruby.
"I can't. I can't accept that! It's either Ruby or nothing else!" Yang yelled defiantly.
"Yang please listen to her." Blake pleaded; it felt better than nothing despite sympathizing with her girlfriend's desire but Yang wasn't having any of it as she withdrew from Blake.
"No! I'd rather shave my head than give Ruby up to anyone!" Yang cried as she clasped her hair only to recoil as she said that.
"I love your hair Yang! It's cool, like a fire dragon's!" A young Ruby had said to her. Yang couldn't believe for a moment she disregarded the symbol of her bond with her little sister. She clenched her fists as she released her hair and glared at Rose, soon a yellow glow shined from a case behind Yang. To Rose and Blake they mistook the glow for Yang's semblance.
"Yang please lets just all go home together!" Rose pleaded.
"She's right Yang, we have to move on!" Blake pleaded, but it all fell on deaf ears.
"Not…Without…RUBY!" Yang roared, releasing the glow's strong light on the realm as they were blown away a strong gust coming from Yang's roar sending them flying into the void.
Soon Blake and Rose's cocoon's cracked and shattered in the outside world, releasing a blinding gold light as well as Rose and Blake as they were propelled onto Jaune and Weiss.
"Ow! You dolts! Watch where you're flying!" Weiss yelled painfully as she let out a little wheeze from Rose's head hitting her stomach. Rose's eyes spun around as she felt dizzy from the impact as well.
Jaune helped Blake up carefully and saw the Faunus's eyes wide open in terror. It wasn't a good sign.
"No luck?" Jaune asked carefully and all Blake could do was nod as she began crying.
Soon everyone was caught off guard by the sounds of wood cracking. They all fixed their gaze on Yang's statue, the source of the sound as it began giving off gold glowing cracks.
"She's ascending!" Jaune yelled out.
"B-But what will she come out as? She said she's not leaving without Ruby?" Blake asked frightfully.
"I-I don't know friend Blake but….we can hope she changed her mind." Rose said.
Soon the cocoon exploded, once more releasing a blinding gold light as the group recoiled, but it wasn't the light this time that frightened them. No, it was a deafening roar from the light that shook them up, it almost sounded like a Leviathan Grimm.
"Yang!? Is that you?!" Weiss cried out as she covered her eyes, desperate for an answer.
But what came out wasn't Yang Xiao Long, no it was something worse.
Blake, Weiss, Rose, and Jaune's jaws dropped as a large yellow Dragon sleeping before them, with their friend's hair held onto its head by a gold dragon shaped crown.
"Is that a….Dragon!?" Rose cried out in shock, Weiss soon slapping her forehead in frustration as she saw it's eyes pop open at the sound of her friend's yelling and it growled, obviously annoyed it was awakened. Fire leaking out the side of its mouth as it huffed annoyed before soon fixing its gaze on Rose especially.
"B-Back." The dragon grumbled as it took a simple step forward with its front claw, shaking the realm as the heroes stumbled feeling this tremor. But what shook them more wasn't the earthquake nor the fact this dragon was talking, it was the sight of Crescent Rose stuck to the Dragon's chest folded as it was held in place by Ember Cecelia and Yang's robot arm folded around it.
"Y-Yang?" Rose squeakily called out confused. The second she spoke the Dragon's nostrils snorted smoke as it grinded it's teeth and roared at her.
"BAAAAAAAAAACK!" Dragon Yang roared as Crescent Rose glowed lightly with Yang's weapon's on its chest. Rose didn't focus on this long as she was tackled to the left by Blake before the Dragon could bite her.
"What the hell happened to her!?" Weiss cried out in fright.
"She…didn't know what she really needed. Who Ruby needed to be." Jaune whispered as he eyed the monster that was once his friend. He was disappointed she fell to her desires just as he had once done. It brought anger to him, but it was soon replaced with shock as he gripped his hand and surprised to see he instinctively had drawn his rusted sword and gasped. Though the blade was cleaned before rusting, he still swore he saw Penny's blood on it.
"N-No I…I couldn't do it. Not again!" He cried before he saw Blake and Weiss desperately pushing Rose away from Dragon Yang before she could bite their friend.
"C-Could….could I?" He whispered. Could he kill another friend, and his soul to save the day?
Author Notes
Well Yang has now Ascended as well! Too caught up in the past and denial, Yang chose a powerful form in a vain attempt to kill Rose and make her ascend again, hopefully to be Ruby rather than accept her as her family. Now Jaune is faced with a moral dilemma once more as his is in danger. Either he kills Dragon Yang to save the others and re-live his trauma or he lives with the guilt of letting his loved one's die. Find out his choice and if Yang can be saved from herself and return to normal in Chapter 4: Impossible Choices.